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While Olympians from all over the world have been vying for the gold, American television networks have been fighting it out to impress the press at the Television Critics Association. While some wowed and others should have realized which shows need to take a bow, the TCA did reveal which shows look the hottest for next season -- and which shows are gaining the most buzz. I share with you the buzziest news per network:

 

Fox:

Fox is in for an interesting year of shows, to say the least. While certain cash cows such as “American Idol” and “The X Factor” are undergoing some big changes (Mariah Carey will join “Idol” as a judge, just as Britney Spears and Demi Lovato will be contributing for “X Factor”), Fox is also welcoming some promising new comedies, in particular Mindy Kaling’s adorable comedy “The Mindy Project” and the quirky sibling comedy “Ben & Kate”. Meanwhile, Fox’s new drama, “The Mob Doctor”, incorporates aspects from medical shows such as “ER” while also exploring the world of the mafia. Fan favorite “Glee” is about to undergo some huge changes, as the show will now follow not only the new directions at McKinley High but also the adventures of Rachel Berry (Lea Michele) as she goes to school in NYADA in New York City. Other characters who have graduated are also set to make guest appearances, and two new characters have been added to the show: Jacob Artist will play bad boy Puck’s younger brother, who has much of his brother’s attitude, while Dean Geyer will play a love interest for Rachel.

 

ABC:

ABC already has a few sure-fire hits that will be returning next season, including “Revenge”, “Once Upon a Time”, and “Modern Family”. The network will be adding a few new ones as well, including “Nashville” and “Last Resort”, both of which look like they have star power, so to speak. The new dramas have a broad appeal to them, in the sense that they appeal to both men and women -- and even “Nashville” appears to make country look cool. (Even I’m interested, and believe me, I am not the biggest country gal.) Critics are still slightly confused by “The Neighbors”, a sitcom about a family of aliens who move into a suburban neighborhood, but executives remain optimistic about the show. (And hey, we won’t know if we’ll like it until we try it, right?) In reality news, “Dancing with the Stars” will unleash an all-star edition of the show that will feature Kirstie Alley, Bristol Palin, Pamela Anderson, Joey Fatone, and Kyle Massey.

 

CBS:

CBS will head into the fall line-up with three new dramas and one comedy. “Vegas”, which stars Dennis Quaid, and “Elementary”, which is a modern take on Sherlock Holmes in New York City, both show promise, and have been well-received by critics. Meanwhile, “Made in Jersey” has been battling critiques that of its another stereotypical portrayal of the Garden State. While this may be true, audiences do seem to have a strange fascination with Jersey, and it may be nice to see an actual scripted show take place in there. “Partners”, which tells the tale of two best friends -- one gay and one straight -- was created by “Will & Grace” masterminds Max Mutchnick and David Kohan and shows a bit of promise as well. And be ready to brush up on your bro code: comedy hit “How I Met Your Mother” looks like it will be returning for a ninth season.

 

NBC:

NBC has four shows returning for a second season -- “Whitney”, “Smash”, “Up All Night”, and “Grimm”. And while some of those have fared better than the others, it will be interesting to see what the peacock network does with them in their second run. In the meantime, a slew of new comedies are being introduced in the fall, including “Animal Practice”, about a quirky veterinarian office, “Go On,” starring Matthew Perry as a sportscaster in group therapy, and “The New Normal”, yet another show derived from the mind of Ryan Murphy. Incidentally, “The New Normal” had the most successive panel -- and seems to show the most promise. The show focuses on a woman who becomes a surrogate mother for a gay couple. The show has already faced criticism from One Million Moms, whom Murphy has decided to incorporate into the plot, as well as other interesting facets from his life (he apparently was once a garden designer).

 

The CW:

The CW is making a rather unusual move this season -- all of their shows will premiere in October, to avoid the flood of premieres in already taking place in September. The network has two shows premiering in the fall that show a great deal of promise: “Arrow”, which is based off of the DC Comics hero Green Arrow, starring Stephen Amell, and “Beauty and the Beast”, which is a remake of the 1980s television show. “Smallville” beauty Kristin Kreuk will star as the Beauty, and I must say that it will be nice to see her return to television. More of The Muppets will be headed to The CW this holiday season, and if you are a fan of Misha Collins on “Supernatural”, then you’re in luck -- he’ll be back for at least eight episodes of the show this season.

 

 

- Sarah Osman, YH Staff