One of the many things I like about fall is the period of TV series premieres: new shows fresh out writers room, struggling to gain the trust of their public. My opinion on many of these shows was already made up at the end of their pilots, but I’ve decided to give them the benefit of the doubt and wait to see what else they had up their sleeves.

Being a TV series lover, however, it is necessary for me to choose what deserve to be followed and what’s not worth the same privilege. So, as E!online likes to put it, save it or sink it? In this post I’m going to review one of ABC’s newest lineup.

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is, without a doubt, a powerful kickoff. This show is all-action and pure entertainment. Phil Coulson, portrayed by American actor Clark Gregg, is magnetic and has this kind of contagious smirk you can’t help but fall in love with. The rest of the cast is pretty good too, but the show is not really my genre. Sometimes it’s like watching a mix between Fringe and Heroes, with an dash of Homeland and C.S.I. Plus, the final scene of the pilot reminded me a lot of Back to the Future. Its best asset is undoubtedly all the fictional crossovers of Marvel Cinematic Universe.

All in all, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has quite a specific target audience: we’ll see if this turns out to be its strength or its weakness.

The Goldbergs is probably the most disappointing series of this fall.
Althought in theory it seemed like a good idea, in fact The Goldbergs is but another family comedy. And a pretty mediocre one, I dare say: a rowdy father and an overbearing mother with a silly teenage daughter and a moronic son. Neither one of the other two characters, the youngest son and Pop, are really original. The show is but a déjà-vu only with brighter colors and an 80s vibe.
It definitely doesn’t hold a candle to a Modern Family and it does not use the anachronistic factor to its advantage, like That ‘70s Show did.
So… why bother?

It would probably be the only reason to keep my tv set tuned on ABC during The Goldbergs: Trophy Wife isn’t the best around but it sure makes you laugh. Despite the scripts being still far from a Modern Family level (my Emmy Award and Golden Globe winning standard for American sitcoms), the main characters are well-rounded.
I found the first episode fun to watch, but the second hooked me: little Bert with his This Little Piggy was incredibly cute, and I loved the shower police scene.
I just don’t like Bailee Madison’s (over-)acting (already seen in the role of young Snow White in Once Upon a Time), I really don’t see all this talent in her.
On the other hand, Malin Åkerman is simply STUNNING!!!
One last thing: don’t let the title put you off. As executive producer Lee Eisenberg explained, “The title we always meant to be ironic”.

What about Lucky 7? I guess there’s no point in talking about it now. It was one of the first show to be axed. Rightly so, I think: the characters were flat, with no appeal whatsoever. But it didn’t take me long to understand the real problem: Lucky 7 was based on a British series.
Now, one of the sacred rule of television is: if a TV show is originally British, then it deserves to be watched in its original version. I guarantee you, you won’t be able to watch the remake after that. The U.S. version rarely survives. Lucky 7 proves my point.