Cast members from Frasier! Home Improvement! Saturday Night Live! Scrubs! Married With Children! Friends! Ugly Betty! The actors are all old, but ABC is completely, brand spankin’ new on Wednesdays nights. Four new comedies and a new drama. Do you miss Samantha Who? yet?
photo: abc
September 30
Time: 8:00 EST
TwoCents Reviewer: OPEN
Starring: Kelsey Grammer as Hank, Melinda McGraw as Tilly, David Koechner as Grady, Macey Cruthird as Maddie and Ryan Wynott as Henry.
Program Description: Sometimes scaling back is the best way to get ahead. Wall Street legend Hank Pryor and his wife Tilly have been living the high life in New York City. That is until Hank is forced out of his CEO job and has to move his family back home to the small town of River Bend.
A self-made man, Hank is used to running the show, but now that he’s lost almost everything, can he learn how to hang with his family? The Pryors have had to seriously downsize their lives — even their king-sized bed won’t fit in their modest new home. Tilly’s not too pleased to be back in the same zip code as her family — especially her badgering brother Grady. Hank’s offbeat son Henry worries about fitting in with a new crowd and his daughter Maddie would rather talk on her cell phone than be anywhere near her Dad. But every great businessman knows that the key to success is to turn setbacks into opportunities. Hank has big plans to get ahead in business… and to reconnect with his family. It may take a while for an industrial giant to figure out how to mingle with the little people — like his family — but Hank’s up for the challenge.
What We Except: A solid second chance for Kelsey Grammer! He was robbed on FOX, so here’s hoping this show gets a good chance to thrive. Sure the plot sounds contrived, but what better way to get a family back to its roots?
photo: abc
September 30
Time: 8:30 EST
TwoCents Reviewer: OPEN
Starring: Patricia Heaton as Frankie, Neil Flynn as Mike, Charlie McDermott as Axel, Eden Sher as Sue, Atticus Shaffer as Brick and Chris Kattan as Bob.
Program Description: Frankie and her husband, Mike, have lived in Orson, Indiana their whole lives. A man of few words (every one a zinger), Mike is a manager at the town quarry and Frankie is the third-best used car salesman (out of the three) at the local dealership. She may not be a high-powered career woman, but when it comes to her family, she’ll go to just about any length. And with kids like these, she had better. There’s Axel, her semi-nudist teenage son conceived with Guns N’ Roses playing a significant role; Sue, the awkward teenage daughter who fails at everything with great gusto; and their seven-year-old son Brick, whose best friend is his back-pack.
What We Expect: Please, please, please let this show be hilarious and find a following! Neil Flynn – yes please! He was seriously funny as the Janitor on Scrubs, and heck, we even love Patricia Heaton. She was robbed on FOX – robbed! We’re expecting a lot of laughs from this pair.
photo: abc
September 23
Time: 9:00 EST
TwoCents Reviewer: OPEN
Starring: Ed O’Neill as Jay, Sofia Vergara as Gloria, Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Mitchell, Eric Stonestreet as Cameron, Ty Burrell as Phil, Julie Bowen as Claire, Sarah Hyland as Haley, Rico Rodriguez as Manny, Nolan Gould as Luke and Ariel Winter as Alex.
Program Description: Today’s American families come in all shapes and sizes. Just ask these three families. Jay recently married Gloria. Now Jay is trying hard to keep up with his much younger and hotter Colombian wife, along with her passionate pre-teen son, Manny. Claire is having a hard time raising her own family. Her husband Phil is great, except that he thinks he’s “down” with their three kids, much to all their embarrassment. And, Mitchell and his enthusiastic partner Cameron have just made a major life change by adopting a Vietnamese baby named Lily.
Shot from the perspective of an unseen documentary filmmaker, this comedy takes a modern look at the complications that come with being a family in 2009.
What We Expect: This honestly sounds like the most original idea in programming in a while. We’re thrilled that such a diverse look is being taken at families and how each and every one is different. We’re hoping viewers give this show a chance, because it sounds promising.
photo: abc
September 23
Time: 9:30 EST
TwoCents Reviewer: OPEN
Starring: Courtney Cox as Jules, Christa Miller as Ellie, Busy Philipps as Laurie, Dan Byrd as Travis, Brian Van Holt as Bobby, Josh Hopkins as Grayson and Ian Gomez as Andy.
Program Description: Can a woman of a certain age be a mom, a successful career woman and still be on the prowl? Jules is about to give it a try.
In a small Florida town, the center of high society is the Cougars high school football team… which is wildly appropriate since this town is the natural habitat for over-tanned, under-dressed divorcées prowling for younger men. Jules desperately doesn’t want to be one of them, but with an ugly divorce behind her and 40 staring right back at her, she’s longing for a little more action in her life. The available men her own age, like her silver fox of a neighbor, Grayson Ellis, only seem interested in dating barely legal hotties. Egged on by her very married and very irreverent best friend Ellie and her determined assistant Laurie, Jules reluctantly dips her toe back into the dating pool. To her surprise, she hits it off with a nice young guy named Matt — emphasis on the young — and discovers this gal still has the goods.
What We Expect: It’s still hard to believe that this is actually a real show, but now that it’s coming along, we’re hoping for amusing and awkward dates between the cougars and the young guys.
photo: abc
September 23
Time: 10:00 EST
TwoCents Reviewer: Brittany D.
Starring: Rebecca Romijn as Roxie Torcoletti, Lindsay Price as Joanna Frankel, Jamie Ray Newman as Kat Gardener, Paul Gross as Darryl Van Horne, Sara Rue as Penny, Veronica Cartwright as Bun, Johann Urb as Will, Jon Bernthal as Raymond and Ashley Benson as Mia.
Program Description: In the seaside village of Eastwick, three very different women are about to discover some bewitching talents they never knew they had. And once they get together– watch out. Something wicked is coming their way.
There was a time when Roxanne, Kat and Joanna didn’t get along because of their preconceived notions of each other. Roxie was the extroverted artist, Kat the overworked wife and mom, and Joanna the wallflower local reporter. But after a weird encounter in the park, coupled with a few martinis, these three women have suddenly become fast friends.
When the mysterious Daryl Van Horne arrives in town, he manages to bring the women even closer. His wealth, charisma and bad boy sex appeal are an irresistible combination for the three ladies. What’s even more dangerous is that he unleashes their unique powers in ways they never could have imagined. But by igniting their hearts’ desires, he might just be opening Pandora’s Box.
Eastwick will be turned upside down as these enchanting women come into their own. Although bad for a few locals, it’s still the best thing to happen to this small New England town in centuries.
What We Expect: No Cher? No Jack Nicholson? It’ll take a lot to get us to put the movie out of our minds, but with a well executed series premiere, it’ll be easy.
TheTwoCents 