September and the Discerning Nerd

Fall and what you, the discerning nerd should do about it

The beautiful fall colors you won't ever see because you're too busy watching TV

With September comes the beginnings of fall. The happy voices of parents who have children back in school, the arrival of football and the advent of beautiful autumn colors.

At OnTheDie we aren't concerned with any of that.

With September comes the fall TV shows, and gives you a chance to enjoy new programming, some of which will doubtless not make it to Halloween.

There are a lot of new shows coming, and many of them are targeted at the nerd demographic. How can you hear about everything before it’s gone? Well relax: I've done the work for you this year. Take a look at the OnTheDie Fall Nerd TV preview.


We’re going to arrange things by night, so that you can plan your week accordingly. Just remember that I’m only going to be talking about new programs here. There’s plenty of existing nerdom out there but this is all of the fresh, new, and exciting stuff that if you’ll miss if you blink.

With some very rare exceptions I’m not recommending any of these programs since they have (at best) a pilot out at the moment. Feel free to comment on what you like or hate, and of course let me know the show that I managed to miss that you just can’t wait for. I'm just the messenger, so please, not the face, not the face.

Sunday

Absolutely no new nerd related shows on Sunday. I believe this is a “Hail to the King for the Ultimate Sunday night nerd program: The Walking Dead. Before the October premiere, I suggest you catch up with all of the Caaarl related statistics first.

Here’s the Season 5 trailer if you somehow have managed to miss it.

Monday

Gotham (Fox)

Because I'm Batman... I get a pic here... my parents are dead

Alright so this is a new show from Fox and it offers so many opportunities. Even though I’m a Marvel, I still think of the Dark Knight films are some of the best films ever made (actual films, not just “comic book films”), and am an unashamed Chris Nolan fan-boy. I think when he’s done right, Batman is an exceptionally interesting character with room for both drama and comedy (Will Arnett's Batman from the Lego Movie was perfect).

Problem: Batman’s not in this one, though: it’s only a young Bruce Wayne. What we’re seeing here is all of the surrounding characters in the Batman story, which is interesting. I say interesting because, as in Sherlock Holmes, the only reason Batman has to exist is because the normal cops can’t or won’t deal with the Joker. Inspector Lestrade is an idiot, as Holmes points out, and so is that an endorsement for the characters in Gotham? If they're doing their job, we don't have a need for Bats.

Now Batman has a code and doesn't kill people. Got that... I mean who doesn't know that? But the cops of Gotham? Perhaps less believable that the Riddler doesn't end up on the ground in a pool of blood.

But still, Gary Oldman's Jim Gordon (his line, “actually this time I saved him,” was brilliant), and enjoyed Batman Year One from Frank Miller, so we have possibilities here.

It’s Gordon who is intended to be the real star of the show, and it will rise or fall on him, the “one good cop that Gotham has or needs” … or something like that. What we also will get is a series of “origins” for Batman’s cowardly and superstitious enemies. That could be a lot of fun as a way to show more of the lore from the early Batman era.

I think this show has a lot of potential. The chief question is will they treat it seriously or will it be full of jokes like “better be careful, Selena, or you’re going to end up as some crazy old cat lady!!!” Har, har, har. We also know that Gordon doesn't just end up shooting any of these crazy future villains because, well, if you just put the Joker down, he wouldn't get to ever be Batman’s foil.

I also wonder if the series is going to go with what I call “Once Upon a Time Syndrome” where all of the villains are villains only because of what someone did and they’re really just misunderstood.

Wait, I'm analyzing a TV show based on comic books and asking for realistic characters. I should just stop and say "what the hell." As a result, I’m going to give this series a real shot, and since it’s on Fox, if it’s any good I’m sure we’ll all be crying over its cancellation in January. (Yeah, still bitter Fox).

Here’s the trailer for those of you living in a cave who haven't see it yet..

Now we all know the real reason to watch Gotham: as a warm-up for Sleepy Hollow, which will be on right after it! That’s a show that OnTheDie can get behind.

The real reason you should be watching Monday night TV

Ascension (SyFy)

So I have to be honest with you and say that I don’t look at Syfy for anything serious these days. They’re the Sharknado channel. Everyone tells me that their series are different, and points to Battlestar Galactica. Fair enough, but that was 2004 when they were still called the Sci Fi channel, not "SyFy." when I look at the channel, it shows a lot more Malibu Shark Attack than BG.

When I saw the trailer for Ascension, I didn't know which channel it was going to be on, and I was really surprised, and I decided you might be surprised as well, so I’m throwing it in here. No Mega Sharks here.

Space Arc circa the 1960s.

Ascension posits that JFK started a secret project to send Americans on a hundred year journey to another world we've discovered in case humanity was wiped out by any of the Dystopian boogeymen of the day: nuclear war, overpopulation, bad Charlton Heston movies…

Some 50 years into the voyage is where we pick up and there’s a murder. Hey, wait a minute, 50 years from the 60s would make it about … now. Oh I get it: a juxtaposition of the artificial world of the space voyage against us. It sounds like we've got investigation and police procedural, murder mystery and conspiracy theories on a spaceship out of the 1960s. I’m definitely in to check it out, but SyFy you better take this one a little seriously, okay?

Interested? Check it out here.

Star Wars Rebels (Disney XD)

I've seen a lot of previews for this that basically say “kids program,” but I’m going to include it here because, well Star Wars.. It’s set five years before A New Hope, and has a cast of a lot of plucky kids who are going to take down a comically inept Empire. Hilarity ensues.

I was set to set blasters for stun on this one and quietly move on when I saw that the cast looks to be something out of Star Wars:Edge of Empire, the RPG from Fantasy Flight Games that I'm playing with my Sunday crew: the same one that I'm running 13th Age for.

That makes me want to look at what they’re doing here and see if it has any applications to gaming. Oh, and Star Wars. Let’s face it, most of us nerds are still in the “please take my money” about it, even if we’re loathe to admit it.

Ah Star Wars can be a cruel mistress.

I expect this series will get panned, but I’ll still be able to talk about the story-line with folks who tell me they wouldn't be caught dead watching it.

Check out the trailer here.

Tuesday

The Flash (CW)

Okay, here’s a new show on the CW. Of all the new shows I’m going to talk about, this is one of them that will get me the most flak. Yes, it’s the CW, and that means it’s going to have a lot of soap opera elements. It’s going to have wooden acting and ridiculous plots.

And yet, I give you exhibit A... the comic book. The literary form that is pretty much a soap opera for adolescent boys. Oh, did I just say that? And even more: this is a DC show, and the second DC show I’m plugging. Is my Marvel cred in jeopardy?

Okay, I’m granting you all of that, but as someone who watches Arrow (also on the CW) I can tell you it’s a much better show at being true to comic books than, say Agents of SHIELD. Agents is a dull caper of the week show that, aside from Agent Coulson, has almost nothing to do with Marvel’s cinematic universe.

Arrow, on the other hand, is chock full of references to the DC universe that even I (a Marvel, remember?) get. It’s also, for all of it’s faults an actual comic book show. We’re not talking high art here, but it does a very good job of portraying the conflicts that happen in the comics. The first season of Arrow even had a huge plot behind everything that pretty much involved all of the characters at one point or another with bad monologuing. It was a really good example of superhero storytelling.

It also had time for a lot of character exploration and development by way of being an entire season of a TV series. And the second season had crazy crossovers with other parts of the DC universe and all of the characters that they have the rights to (everyone but Supes and Batman are fair game it seems).

About in the middle of Arrow's Season Two, they introduced us to Barry Allen and we got to see a little of how he becomes the Flash. It was fun. Not so dark and somber, just fun.

The new dynamic duo?

Here’s the trailer.

I’m really going to suggest checking this series out of you’re really a comic book nerd. It’s a really interesting contrast with what Marvel has done with their movies, and it’s much better than Agents of SHIELD. Beyond that, it seems to have a more positive overall attitude than Arrow, which can be dark at some times.

Forever (ABC)

This is one of the few shows where I've already seen an episode. If you check out the show’s IMDB page, you can watch the pilot for yourselves.

This show can best be described as Highlander meets Sherlock. Since we have already established that Highlander is the best movie ever made, that should be enough to get you to watch the pilot at least.

Highlander: it's the best movie ever made

Note that the Sherlock aspects are the Benedict Cumberbatch version not the Robert Downey Junior one. Henry Morgan is a forensic pathologist in New York who also happens to be an immortal. And quirky! After watching the pilot, I’m on the fence about the show, but … Highlander.

Check out the trailer here, or just go and watch the pilot.

Wednesday

No shows for Wednesday. In looking over what’s currently on Wednesday night TV, I have to assume that TV executives assume we’re all out doing something else this night. Who knows, maybe they heard about my Wednesday Pathfinder card game night, and didn't want to interfere with it. Thanks TV networks!

Thursday

Gracepoint (Fox)

Okay, here we go again with Fox. I know, I know, they’ll break your heart, but Gracepoint is designed to only be 10 episodes long, so it may actually get resolved.

Gracepoint is here for a couple of different reasons: first, Mrs. Sith and I have recently binge watched all seasons of The Killing which seems to have some similarities, and David Tennant. (Actually, here’s a OnTheDie recommendation: If you have the stomach for some dark TV--and I do mean dark--and don’t mind a lot of smoking in the rain, check out The Killing on Netflix. You’ll find saying “I got this,” takes on a new meaning).

No I'm not a doctor, why does everyone keep asking me that?

Ahem. Back to Gracepoint. So David Tennant. That's reason number two. Yeah it’s The Doctor here, and that pretty much would get even a new Rom-com a recommendation from OnTheDie. In looking at the trailer it looks like this will be a “nothing is as it seems” sort of show where the last person standing will likely be the killer. You also get to see Tennant playing an American, which will be interesting. The original show was quite popular on the BBC, and it’s the same folks originally behind it doing the remake.

So if  you like murder shows with The Doctor, give it a shot.

Check out the trailer here  and remember that it’s only supposed to go ten episodes, so Fox will really have to be on the ball to cancel it. And it’s The Doctor.

Fridays

Constantine (NBC)

Okay, I’m going to admit to being perhaps the only fan of the movie Constantine with Keanu Reeves. The movie is a showcase for former Bill and Ted’s star’s acting skills: I’m not saying he’s wooden, but if you’re ever attacked by vampires, grab Keanu's acting for a sure kill.

But I’m a fan of Hellblazer, and Keanu is what we had, so … I have to respect it.What, you don’t know what Hellblazer is? Lose 20 quatloos and go here .

For some unknown reason, NBC has decided to give John Constantine a second shot. I honestly have no idea why at this point, other than they seem to want a certain number of supernatural shows in their lineup, and the rest have largely fallen out. I believe Grimm is still on, but I have no idea when. Some guide I am!

The good news is that this John Constantine is actually British, and from the trailer here. it looks pretty decent. It’s Friday night, and in the past that always meant X-Files for me, so I’m ready for some supernatural TV with (less) wooden acting.

No, the name's Constantine, not NEO.

Saturday

Intruders (BBC America)

And speaking of the X-Files, Glen Morgan, who wrote a lot of X-Files episodes has this new series on BBC America. See how that works? Almost as if I planned it. Now if only I could work a Chris Carter reference into this piece…

Note the justaposition of pink with black and white to tell you 

something's not right

But seriously: Intruders is a horror/suspense/conspiracy show (wow, a real stretch there) where the main character discovers that people, including those he knows are having their spirits replaced by members of a mysterious secret society seeking immortality. I think that was originally from X-Files season three … wait, it comes from a book?

Okay, doubly serious. This looks like it hits on all the right conspiracy theory buttons. It’s creepy and deals with alienation and the sense of the self. Plus, it’s a BBC production, so hopefully it will have significantly less “cat jump” scares and more real tension.

Check out the trailer here.

Who Knows?

So that’s the week, and we’re done, right? Wait, we’re not? Okay, there are a couple of shows left, including the OnTheDie pick for best guilty pleasure show that will be cancelled.

Mike Tyson Mysteries (Adult Swim)

Of all the shows I've talked about, this one is definitely the most gonzo. The premise: an animated Mike Tyson and his friends, which include a ghost and a talking pigeon played by Norm McDonald, drive around the country in a custom van solving mysteries … with the help of Iron Mike’s magical tattoo. Yeah, Mike Tyson is playing Shaggy in Scooby Doo.

Let’s just consider the awful majesty of that plot description. Yes, this is really a thing and I’m not making this up. The first person I mentioned this new show to immediately took it to heart: if a show like this can make it, my ideas can’t be far behind. Well if you were ever thinking “what would Mike Tyson do to a chupacabra, watch this and find out.

That trailer alone makes the Mike Tyson Mysteries the OnTheDie guilty pleasure pick.

Did I happen to mention this is a magic tattoo?

The After (Amazon)

So with two X-Files references, I’m going to go for the Hat Trick here. Chris Carter’s new show has been picked up by Amazon for a season, and he’s talking about a run of 99 episodes. Good luck with that.

The good thing is that if you have Amazon Prime, you can watch the pilot of The After right now. The bad news is that I have, and can report mixed results at best.

The show is a post-apocalyptic alien invasion story with a cast of stereotypes. Still, if I want to complete my X-Files hat trick, I've got to mention it, and it’s got aliens, lots of swearing and … Chris Carter. I know enough to not judge a show by its pilot, so I’m going to give The After a bit of a break as payback for all the Friday nights I found myself staying in watching X-Files rather than getting into trouble.

I also want to encourage Amazon to work in science fiction, since they are soon going to be ruling the world, and as a nerd I want to get in early with our new drone-using overlords.

So that’s as lukewarm a review as you’re going to see. Check The After out and tell me if I’m right or wrong after you do so. Hah! See what I did there?

The Wrap-up

So that's the OnTheDie Fall 2014 TV season preview. As always, tell me what you think, what I missed, and until next week, Make Mine 20!