Only one new network drama is making its series debut this week:
Premiering tonight is the mystery drama 666 Park Avenue created by David Wilcox (Fringe) and starring Rachael Taylor, Dave Annable, Vanessa Williams, Terry O’Quinn, Mercedes Masöhn, Robert Buckley, Helena Mattsson, Erik Palladino and Samantha Logan. The show’s music is composed by Trevor Morris (Immortals, The Borgias, The Tudors). To find out more about the series and the music, check out our previous article. The show about a couple who learns that the Manhattan building complex that they just moved into might be possessed by a mysterious demonic force will be airing every Sunday night on ABC.
A number of new comedy shows premiered this past week:
The single-camera ensemble comedy Ben and Kate created by Dana Fox (What Happens in Vegas) and starring Nat Faxon, Dakota Johnson, Lucy Punch, Maggie Elizabeth Jones, Echo Kellum premiered this past Tuesday. The show’s music is composed by Michael Andrews (Bridesmaids, Donnie Darko) who continues his working relationship with Jake Kasdan who serves as an executive producer on the project. To learn more about the comedy, visit our scoring assignment announcement article. The series about two siblings and their friends as they push each other out of their comfort zones and into real life airs every Tuesday night on FOX.
The other new FOX comedy this season is The Mindy Project created by Mindy Kaling (The Office) and starring herself, Chris Messina, Ed Weeks, Anna Camp, Zoe Jarman, Amanda Setton, Stephen Tobolowsky and Ike Barinholtz. The comedy about a successful doctor who is unlucky in love is scored by Jesse Novak who is the brother of actor/writer BJ Novak (The Office) who serves as an executive producer on the show. Kaling is also executive producing the show with Howard Klein (Parks and Recreation), Charles McDougall, Matt Warburton and Michael Spiller (Modern Family). The Mindy Project will air every Tuesday night on FOX. To learn more about the show, visit the official series website.
Another new comedy, which premiered this Wednesday is The Neighbors created Dan Fogelman (Crazy, Stupid, Love) and starring Jami Gertz, Lenny Venito, Simon Templeman, Toks Olagundoye, Clara Mamet, Tim Jo, Ian Patrick, Max Charles and Isabella Cramp. The show’s music is credited to Chris Koch (director of the features A Guy Thing, Snow Day) who also directed the pilot and is executive producing the show with Fogelman, Jeff Morton (Don’t Trust the B- in Apr. 23) and Aaron Kaplan (Terra Nova). The comedy revolves around a family in a gated townhouse community who discovers that the entire community is populated by residents from another planet. The Neighbors will move to its regular time slot this week and will air Wednesday nights on ABC. Check out the official show website for updates.
Also airing every Wednesday night following its special series premiere a few weeks ago is the comedy Animal Practice created by Brian Gatewood & Alex Tanaka (The Sitter) stars Justin Kirk, JoAnna Garcia Swisher, Tyler Labine, Bobby Lee, Kym Whitley, Betsy Sodaro and Crystal the Monkey. The show’s music is composed by Ludwig Goransson (Community, New Girl, 30 Minutes Or Less). To find out more about the series, check out our news article about the composer’s current and upcoming projects. Animal Practice will air every Wednesday on NBC.
Another comedy that premiered this past week is Partners created by David Kohan and Max Mutchnick (Will & Grace) and starring Michael Urie, David Krumholtz, Sophia Bush and Brandon Routh. Kohan and Mutchnick are also executive producing the comedy with James Burrows (Mike & Molly) who also directed the pilot episode. Imagine Dragons is performing the main titles song On Top of the World. Click here to watch the opening titles sequence. The comedy about two friends and partners in an architecture firm will be airing every Monday night on CBS. To learn more about the series, visit the official show website.
Finally, another show that is premiering on cable this week is the PBS and BBC drama Call the Midwife created by Heidi Thomas (Cranford) and starring Jessica Raine, Jenny Agutter, Pam Ferris, Miranda Hart, Judy Parfitt, Helen George, Bryony Hannah and Laura Main. The series follows a newly qualified midwife who is coping with the medical problems in a deprived area of East London in the 1950s. Peter Salem is scoring the project. Call the Midwife aired earlier this year on BBC and premieres today, September 30 in the US. The first season of six episodes will be airing on Sundays on PBS. For updates on the show, visit the official series website.
This fall lineup looks very promising. I recently got a Hopper DVR, and I found out that it auto-records the big 4 PrimeTime channels. Because of this feature, I’ve discovered a lot of shows that I would have probably skipped over. A coworker at DISH told me that 666 Park Avenue is the show to watch, but I’m looking forward to relaxing comedies like Ben and Kate and The Neighbors—I just hope neither get axed early. I suppose that I should give The Mindy Project a chance, now that I know it has double Novak action. I even like the idea of Ed Helms on the first episode.