Review on some of the new ABC lineup

ABC has really come up as a network over the past decade. They still trail CBS as they are the #2 most watched network channel. However, their Wednesday and Thursday lineups are giving CBS a run for their money.

Wednesday nights is an old fashioned night of half hour sitcoms. The Middle and Modern Family headline things. The Goldbergs is in its second season and it is an extremely impressive show. It is based on the real life antics of actor/produced Adam Goldberg's family in the 80s. It has a nostalgic Wonder Years feel to it. I was hooked within the first minute of the show and I will be regularly tuning it.

The new kid on the block is black-ish and it premiered this past Wednesday. Anthony Anderson, Tracee Ellis-Ross and Lawrence Fishburne all star in this show about a black middle class family. While it seems like a fine sitcom, I was quickly bored as it seemed like another Cosby derivative. Black shows need a medium. They are either too clean and unoriginal or too nasty and ratchet. Perhaps the show will get better. It is surrounded by three top notch proven sitcoms.

Thursday is one hour drama night, or Shonda Rhimes night. Grey's Anatomy at 8pm, Scandal now airs at 9pm (love the earlier time) and the new one How To Get Away With Murder. It seems good, but I have yet to thoroughly review it. However it seems Scandal will continue to be impressive, racy and dramatic minus Columbus Short.

I simply love good entertainment and I am so happy that ABC gets this. Perhaps one day they will nab that #1 spot from CBS. 

What are your two favorite shows on ABC? How do you think the two new ones will do?

Top 10 Signs You May Be A Scandal Addict

It seems two of my more popular topics in the past year have dealt with addiction and Scandal. Yes the show has grown more in popularity in its third season, gaining more and more fans. Shonda Rhimes and Kerry Washington are simply on top of the world right now.

There are many signs that you may be a Scandal addict or fanatic and here are a few right here. 

1. You talk about it constantly on social media, especially during the episodes, every single moment. #Scandal has become one of the more popular topics on Thursday nights.

2. You write blogs, notes, blurbs about the show. Guilty as charged.

3. Your Halloween costume was Olivia Pope and you were immediately recognized by her trademark white coat.

4. You collect every print media piece (People, Entertainment Weekly, TV Guide, and Ebony) regarding Scandal and/or Kerry Washington. 

5. Olivia Pope isn't the only character you know and dissect like a biology frog.

6. You and your circle of friends have formed your own team of "gladiators"

7. You watch all the old episodes on Netflix and your DVR, repeatedly, so not to miss anything.

8. Not only are the main characters discussed but also plots, storylines, potential characters, and such. It's a new type of social media/barbershop chatter.

9. Your career ambition has suddenly become being a political fixer. 

10. You begin to talk and act overly dramatic like the cast, with accompanying background music.

So are you a self-admitted Scandal addict as well?

Scandal Review

Network TV dramas seem to be improving and even including more people of color. Ice T in Law and Order: SVU, Tarajii Henson in Persons of Interest. Now you have Kerry Washington in ABC's Thursday night thrilling drama Scandal, currently in its second season.

The main character is Olivia Pope, based on a real attorney. Pope, played by Washington, along with her team of other attorneys and a former assassin, work closely with the President and the White House to fix and cover up various scandals and situations. There is a different one weekly, but they are all intertwined. Each character is multi-dimensional and has a backstory that unravels throughout the series.

I decided to check this out after seeing social media blow up about it from 10pm-11pm every Thursday night. And I was extremely impressed. I still have to catch up on the beginning of this season, and all last season. But I feel engaged thus far. So much that although I DVR the episodes, I don't use the bathroom, get on my phone, or even move when the show is on. It is that intriguing and well written by Shonda Rhimes, one of the minds behind another ABC hit, Grey's Anatomy.

This is not a black show or another clique' crime drama. It is just a good television show period, and is very realistic. However I feel the show's potential is limited being on network television. We can only imagine the storylines and scenes Rhimes could create if the show were on TNT, AMC, or a premium channel.

I have had favorite dramas in the past: The Wire, Friday Night Lights, and the short lived American Dreams. I would put Scandal beside any of those. ABC now needs to realize what they have and promote and nurture it in the same fashion they did Grey's and Lost. Scandal can have a substantial shelf life and be a modern classic if promoted properly. The fanbase is already established and growing.

Therefore I highly encourage anyone not watching Scandal to give one episode a try. If you like it,  catch up on this season and last season via Hulu, Netflix and other outlets available. Quality, buffoon free television does still exist, as evidenced by Scandal.