I’ve written before about how much I like serialized story-telling, which is basically why I love TV series. Just like in books, I like revisiting known characters with backstories engaging in new adventures. It isn’t sufficient, but it is often a pre-requisite. So, while some people get excited about new baseball or football or hockey seasons, I scout new TV shows looking for diamonds in the rough to add to my roster. Here is my take on 34 new recruits of the upcoming season.

• Angel from Hell — Jane Lynch as a guardian angel…so, I know some people love Jane Lynch, but I find her grating on her best days. Doesn’t matter if she’s on Glee or a game show, I can’t watch her. Add in the guardian angel genre that usually goes more sappy than drama, not interested. — PASS
• Ash vs. Evil Dead — “hilarious horror antics”? — PASS
• The Bastard Executioner — A broken knight? Sounds good. Wait, never mind — Katey Sagal is on it. I didn’t like her in Married with Children or Sons of Anarchy. Someone else I can’t watch. I think it’s the voice. — PASS
• Benders — Comedy about group of friends obsessed with a hockey team? Intriguing. — TRY ONE EPISODE
• Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris — I like NPH, don’t love him. Sometimes a little too smarmy. And it’s part game show, part talent show, part reality — PASS
• Blindspot — NBC has pulled together some amazing elements for this show. First, there’s the deeper mystery of who this tattooed woman is, and her backstory. Not wonky like Lost, but accessible like Blacklist, Jericho, Flashforward. Second, they pulled Jaimie Alexander from Thor, one of the best elements of the series and I love her presence. Third, it’s FBI-ish and fast-paced. So I am in like Flynn for this one. However, unless they keep the production value up, it could be done in one season — FULL SEASON SUBSCRIPTION
• Blood & Oil — It’s basically a new form of Dallas or Dynasty, with modern day oil boom. With Don Johnson as J.R. Nothing about this show appeals to me from the description. — PASS
• Chicago Med — The Chicago franchise is expanding to the hospital, and I haven’t enjoyed a medical drama since St. Elsewhere. — PASS
• Code Black — Oh, look, another medical drama but in L.A. Overcrowded, understaffed, under-equipped…sounds like St. Elsewhere, but still not interested. — PASS
• Crazy Ex-Girlfriend — Comedy. Musical elements. Big city kid moves back home for love. Sounds very much like 10 other shows in the last fifteen years, just with musical part added. But an hour-long comedy? I’ll take a peek. — TRY ONE EPISODE
• Detour — National Lampoon’s Vacation set in TV land. — PASS
• Dr. Ken — Great physician, no bed side manner. But it’s a comedy. — PASS
• Fear the Walking Dead — Fear the “companion series”? — PASS
• Flesh and Bone — The demanding world of professional ballet. — PASS
• Grandfathered — Two men and a baby, with John Stamos. — PASS
• Grinder — Rob Lowe as the big city kid (TV star) who moves back home to practice law. Obviously a comedy. I almost always like Rob, if not the show, so I’ll give it a shot. — TRY ONE EPISODE
• Hand of God — Ron Perlman believes God speaks to him, kind of like Eli Stone, except instead of helping people as a lawyer he gets to engage in vigilante justice. — TRY ONE EPISODE
• Heroes Reborn — Reboot of Heroes, which I liked at the beginning of the series, held real promise when the were all about “Save the cheerleader, save the world”. Later? Not so much. But I’m in. — FULL SEASON SUBSCRIPTION
• Into the Badlands — Martial arts, a la Mad Max mixed with Kung Fu? — TRY ONE EPISODE
• Life in Pieces — Ensemble family comedy with Dianne Wiest and James Brolin? — PASS
• Limitless — Take a drug, use 100% of your brain, fight crime. Okay, why not? — FULL SEASON SUBSCRIPTION
• Master of None – Seinfeld remake with Aziz Ansari. — PASS
• Minority Report — Fifteen years after the movie and pre-cogs are in hiding, yet fighting crime still. Awesome premise, likely to die in six episodes. — FULL SEASON SUBSCRIPTION
• The Muppets — Adult-ish version of Muppets, but with PG humour. — TRY ONE EPISODE
• Narcos — Gritty, raw, cocaine cartel. Yawn. — PASS
• The Player — Does anyone remember Drive with Nathan Filion? It was about an wheel-man recruited to drive in an illegal raceand his wife was kidnapped to force him to play. Now  we have Philip Winchester doing the same, but with more explosions and action. Oh, who am I kidding? Of course I’m going to watch. — FULL SEASON SUBSCRIPTION
• Public Morals — Crooked cops in 1960s NYC vs. an honest cop. Sounds like Life on Mars with different timeframe. — TRY ONE EPISODE
• Quantico — Oooh, a dirty FBI recruit, and you get to figure out who. — FULL SEASON SUBSCRIPTION
• Rosewood — Pathologist helping cop, with a bit of zen thrown in. Forever, but with sunshine coming out his butt. Okay, I’ll bite. Or at least nibble. — TRY ONE EPISODE
• Scream Queens — Anthology comedy horror series. Umm, no. — PASS
• Supergirl — As a huge Smallville fan, and anything almost that is superhero-ish, I’m all in. — FULL SEASON SUBSCRIPTION
• Truth Be Told — Overanalysing comedy couple. Yawn. — PASS
• Wicked City — Detective chasing serial killers in the 80s? Okay, I’ll nibble. — TRY ONE EPISODE
• Wrecked — Lost, but with humour. Gilligan’s Island Redux? Definitely no. — PASS