Well, ABC certainly had a big day. in general, all of Disney did. Disney Plus even made some big date announcements, putting Loki Season 2 in October and Echo in November. But, over at ABC, they have enough unscripted content to make the fall interesting. Not only is Dancing With The Stars back, but they’re changing the Bachelor format this year to feature The Golden Bachelor, for women of a certain age. Also, American Idol got that official renewal, as did The Connors, and ABC will be bringing back a lot of non-scripted hits like America’s Funniest Videos, Shark Tank, Celebrity Wheel of Fortune, and Celebrity jeopardy. On the scripted side, most of the dramas already had been renewed or cancelled, except The Rookie Feds, which remains in limbo due to the writers strike, so the only “bubble show” pickup was Not Dead yet. home Economics remains on the bubble. From what i have heard, there is a hope and intention to pick up both of these shows, but if the writers strike goes on too long, ABC may not need this product, and this is where the strike becomes a little bit of shooting yourself in the foot. You can’t protest better working conditions if the work you were doing isn’t there when the strike is over, and the writers rooms for those shows are now in very unfortunate circumstances where even if they win down the road, they might still lose.

9) Up Here (Hulu)

English Audio Description?: Yes

Status: not yet Renewed

It takes a lot for me to walk away from a musical show, but after five episodes, despite my eternal love for Mae Whitman, who i think I’ve adored since Hope Floats, and Carlos Valdez, who was one of the best parts of The Flash, I really don’t like them on this show. If both their characters fell off a bridge in the next episode and were replaced with two different characters, I’m not sure I’d notice or care, and that’s after five episodes. I know it’s trying to do this quirky Crazy Ex Girlfriend thing, but it just doesn’t work. There’s too much TV out there for me to continue to try and slog through the rest of this season.

Episode Grade: C-

8) The Equalizer (CBS/Paramount Plus)

English Audio Description?: Yes

Status: Renewed

So I realized I was a week behind somehow. Whoops. So this isn’t the Season Finale yet. This is the “what if we did a Casablanca moment?” I gotta admit that the problem with Robin having these random flames from the past just show up, is that her character is so focused on being a badass, that the switch just doesn’t flip that quickly for Latifah, who just remains in a somewhat standoffish moment with someone she supposedly at some point had feelings for. So when she meets up with this former MI 6 agent, Rick, and the sexual tension is hinted at, those scenes don’t work, because she kinda still has that “I’m gonna punch your face in” tone in her voice.She has a nice tone with her established family, including Delilah who decided she didn’t want to work for a racist, but it’s hard to get that chemistry going with someone for one episode.

Episode Grade: B-

7) Shadow and Bone (Netflix)

English Audio Description?: Yes

Status: Not Yet Renewed

You know, I was wondering how they were going to set up Season 3, because in many ways, Episode 7 was almost more epic than 8, because most of 8 is just closure. Almost like the producers wanted to leave you in a good place just in case Netflix didn’t go with a third season. And with Carrigan seemingly really out of the picture now, and everything seeming to be working fine, I did wonder how they would hint at unrest for Season 3, then they answered that question in the final moments. I’m not sure what it all means or what that leads to, but I’m not a giant fan of this anyway.

Episode Grade: B-

6) 8 Simple rules (Disney Plus)

English Audio Description?: No

Status: Ended

Bridget realizes that if she keeps dating this Basketball phenom that her dad is a fan of, she can stay out later. Meanwhile, Carrie wants to be taken more seriously, and the son still hasn’t made a significant impact on this series.

Episode Grade: B

5) Dead Ringers (Amazon)

English Audio Description?: Yes

Status: Limited Series

I loved the first part of Episode 2, which cut back and forth between the sisters getting the advice from their source ahead of the meeting, and ultimately not following through. It was a funny moment in this otherwise somewhat bonkers show. I’m still not sure if I really like the show, but I will acknowledge that Episode 2 was more fun, and if it can keep that up, I think the show will have a different energy to it.

Episode Grade: B+

4) Friends (HBO MAX)

English Audio Description?: Yes

Status: Ended

While I’m a big fan of the Richard timeline, this episode and its comedic timing hinged on the idea that between Rachel and Monica, they share a stash of condoms that somehow was depleted to one, with neither of them being on birth control, or possessing any other means (like a diaphragm), AND neither man having one with them. That being said, Richard was always one of those indicators for me as a kid that something was up with me, because I was jealous of Monica. As this is only the second season, of course he was never going to be her endgame, but dammit I wanted him to be mine.

Episode Grade: A-

3) Mrs. Davis (Peacock)

English Audio Description?: Yes

Status: Not Yet renewed If That’s Even Possible

This show is about a nun, who was raised by a family of magicians, and now fights against an AI technology that seemingly controls most of humanity, except that AI needs her specifically to track down the Holy Grail, and she’s conflicted in this episode about it, so she asks her husband, Jesus, what to do. When I tell you that in the two episodes I’ve seen of this show, I feel like I’m living in some transcendental timeline where TV shows are designed for people high on drugs, I mean that in a good way. This show is certifiably insane.

Episode Grade: A-

2) Jeopardy Masters (ABC/Hulu)

English Audio Description?: Yes

Status: Not Yet Renewed, But Celebrity Jeopardy Has Been

Audio Description is back, and I liked the winners. I’m sad to see who is hovering in those bottom two spots, seemingly unable to secure a single win. Maybe that will change for them.I don’t know at which point the bottom two drop off, but I’ll be sad to see them go.

Episode Grade: A-

1) School Spirits (Paramount Plus)

English Audio Description?: Yes

Status: They’d Better Renew This Show

OK. If that’s how we’re leaving things in Season 1, then I need some damn resolution. I didn’t even get explanation. We jsut got some mic drops, with people in precarious situations and shit has gone wild. And instead of the bad guy going into a typical Bond villain rant explaining everything, he just stands there staring at her. And why can’t those Ghosts escape that room? I know CBS’s Ghosts introduced the idea that there’s some kind of bunker wall that not even Ghosts can pass through, but that idea barely works there, and doesn’t need to be made canon for every show featuring ghosts.

Episode Grade: A, Season 1 Grade: A-