Photo Courtesy of @gregorythesmith
Now this my friends is what we call change TV Addicts can really believe in!
Fed up with continuing to cede valuable primetime real estate, not to mention record ratings and profits to their cable brethren, ABC announced today this summer, much like FOX (see: THE GOOD GUYS) they plan to program… wait for it… scripted dramas audiences might actually want to watch!
Thus, joining the usual collection of cheap exciting reality alternative filler programming which includes THE BACHELORETTE (Returning Monday May 24 at 9PM), TRUE BEAUTY (Premiering Monday May 31 at 10PM), DOWNFALL (Premiering JUNE 29 at 9PM), WIPEOUT (Returning June 1 at 8PM), BOSTON MED (Premiering Thursday June 24 at 10PM), DATING IN THE DARK (Returning Monday August 9 at 10PM) and BACHELOR PAD (Premiering Monday August 9 at 8PM) will be new dramas THE GATES, SCOUNDRELS and the highly-anticipated (by us!) Gregory Smith, Missy Peregrym drama ROOKIE BLUE (Formerly COPPER). Snap judgments for which can be found after the jump.
THE GATES (Premiering Sunday June 20th 9PM)
According to the official ABC description: Nestled inside a private mountain community are The Gates. The image of perpetual suburban bliss, each street is lined with perfectly manicured homes protected by the massive iron gates, but a dark and delicious secret is buried just beneath the surface of this picturesque neighborhood.
According to the TV Addict: It’s DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES meets SUPERNATURAL. Something we’d normally be much more excited for had we not just discovered (courtesy of @hitfixdaniel) that this show comes from the same Fox TV Studio/International co-production that brought us last season’s ‘acclaimed’ summer burn-off DEFYING GRAVITY.
SCOUNDRELS (Premiering Sunday June 20th at 10PM)
According to the official ABC description: Based on the hit New Zealand series OUTRAGEOUS FORTUNE, SCOUNDRELS is a one-hour comedy/drama series produced by ABC Studios that focuses on a family of small-time criminals who try to go straight after the father is sent to prison.
According to the TV Addict: At least on paper, the stellar SCOUNDRELS ensemble which includes David James Elliot, Virginia Madsen, Leven Rambin (RIP: TERMINATOR THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES) and Vanessa Marano far outweighs the spotty track-record of US networks when it comes to adapting foreign series.
ROOKIE BLUE (Premieres Thursday June 24 9PM)
According to the official ABC description: ROOKIE BLUE is a fun, fresh, high-stakes drama with a twist of danger that follows the lives of five young, ambitious cops right out of the Academy.
According to the TV Addict: ROOKIE BLUE sounds like little more than GREY’S ANATOMY meets Police Academy. That said, what’s the first rule of theTVaddict.com? Don’t admit you own REBA Season One on DVD Where EVERWOOD alumni lead, we will follow. So you can bet we’ll be planted firmly in front of our television come June 24.