The CW Fall Dramas: First Impressions of Frequency and No Tomorrow
Carissa Pavlica
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We're trying to make your lives a little bit easier by giving you a leg up on the upcoming fall network dramas. We watched every pilot available, and we're sharing first impressions, competition predictions and whether you should watch.
What more can you ask? Read on to see what's up with offerings from The CW, Frequency and No Tomorrow.
No Tomorrow - Tuesdays at 9/8c - Premieres on October 4
First Impression: The CW seems to either want superheroes or quirky romantic comedies. No Tomorrow falls into the second category.
Ellie (Tori Anderson) sees Xavier (Joshua Sasse), the man of her dreams, and fate seems to be pushing them together. He's a little off kilter. Should she still go for it? If she didn't, there wouldn't be a show. The pilot took an odd what if scenario and made it sweet and entertaining.
It doesn't take long to root for this new couple, but the longer term prospects will probably require more suspension of disbelief, but that's the point of quirky, right? It's worked well for Jane the Virgin and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.
Should You Watch: If you're looking for another romantic comedy, absolutely give it a shot. The cast is great, we've all wanted to chuck it all at one time or another and could probably use more love in our lives. Watch once yourself before getting kids involved.
Competition: This is not an easy time slot. CBS is airing Bull in an otherwise all NCIS night, ABC has comedies, Fox has Scream Queens NBC has This Is Us. There are three new shows premiering and four appealing to the same general demographic.
These quirky romances aren't ordinarily ratings bonanzas for The CW, though, so they won't be looking for that, more for critical praise and passable ratings. Out of the three romantic entries currently airing (Jane the Virgin, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and No Tomorrow), this is the least quirky, so should find a wider audience.
The network gave No Tomorrow its best time slot, right out of The Flash, so they have high hopes for it. It just might work.
Frequency - Wednesdays at 9/8c - Premieres October 5
First Impression: Back so soon? Another movie turned TV series. This one changed things up a bit. The firefighter in the movie is a policeman in the series, the son a daughter. The premise is the same.
Daughter Raimy (Peyton List) lost father Frank (Riley Smith) 20 years ago. Strange weather actives a time traveling signal on the ham radio. Can they right the wrongs that wrecked their lives? Riley still works with her father's old partner, Satch (Mekhi Phifer).
As a big fan of Frequency, I was skeptical. However, there were enough changes not to encroach on the classic and enough possibilities to make week to week viewing possible. I'm giving it a shot.
Should You Watch: If you like procedurals with a twist. There will be a butterfly effect in play here for the actions Raimi and Frank take to try to fix the past.
They could make things better or they could make things worse. But for anyone who has ever lost a parent, even the thought of talking to someone gone for 20 years is hard to pass up.
We've all seen how Barry Allen has dealt with his loss on The Flash, right? It's more adult fare than The CW normally picks up. It may not fly with The CW audience, but it's worth a look.
Competition: Frequency is in way over its head here. Criminal Minds, Modern Family/black-ish, Law & Order: SVU and Empire stand in the way of ratings for a new CW show that doesn't sit with any other shows currently airing on the netlet and has Arrow as a lead-in. Ouch?
Thank goodness for 16-tuner DVRs, is all I have to say on the matter. Frequency won't come close to a win. Ever.
Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She's a member of the Critic's Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.
