TV Review: Selfie

***Possible Spoilers Ahead (if you consider what happens in the first five minutes of this show spoilers)***

I am always excited when the new fall TV season rolls around. I look forward to new episodes of my favorite series, and I look forward to viewing the new series that have caught my interest.

One of the new series that I wanted to check out was Selfie. I didn’t want to check out Selfie because of its premise, but because it stars Karen Gillan, who played Amy on Doctor Who. And we all know how I love me my Doctor. Though I was not a big fan of Amy’s character on Doctor Who, nor too fond of Karen’s acting at first, I grew to like her at the end. So, I was curious to see how the ginger-haired Scot would fare doing comedy, and an American accent. I was also curious to see what the show would have to say about social media. I have very mixed feelings about social media, and I wanted to see how a modern sit-com would deal with the quite ubiquitous phenomenon still very much in its infancy.

When I found out that the pilot for Selfie was available to view online prior to its premiere on network television, I thought I’d take that sneak peak. I watched about the first five minutes of the episode and I’m ready to write it off already. When I have to watch the main character throw up twice into two barf bags on board an airplane and then walk down the aisle of the airplane carrying said barf bags and then watch as the bottom of the bags break, spilling the vomit all over the said main character, then I am done. That, to me, is not comedy. It’s just gross. So far I don’t like Karen’s character, which is where I was with Amy – but she was on a series that I already liked, so I kept watching. So far, for me, Selfie has nothing to recommend it. 

I have not finished watching the episode, and I’m not sure I will. I like my comedy to be clever, non-childish, non-vomiting, and entertaining. 

To sum up - I have no idea what Selfie says about social media - I just couldn't get past a girl walking through an airplane, covered in her own vomit, while everyone laughs at her. What does that say about our society? Nothing I'd like to acknowledge or watch in a television show.

Unless I hear that the show has gotten rave reviews by critics and audiences alike, Selfie is off my viewing list.

2014 TV Fall Season: Preview

The 2014 TV fall season has been announced, and I'm excited to see what the networks have in store for us this season.

Last year there were nine new series I was interested in seeing (Sleepy Hollow, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, Reign, Crazy Ones, Ironside, About a Boy, Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, The Tomorrow People and Star-Crossed). Three of the nine I never ended up watching (Crazy Ones, Ironside, and About a Boy). Two of the series I started watching and then quit (The Tomorrow People and Star-Crossed).  I watched every episode of Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, but I almost stopped watching it in the middle of the season when the story didn't seem to move quickly enough for me. I did enjoy the few final episodes, however. Three out of the nine series have been renewed, and those are the three that I actually watched every episode (Sleepy Hollow, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D and Reign). I plan on continuing to watch all three of them next season.

This year there are six new series that have caught my interest. There aren't any that I'm really enthusiastic about (there doesn't seem to be a Sleepy Hollow in the bunch), but some look promising.

The one new series I was really excited about, Galavant (as you may have read in my post of two days ago) isn't even on the fall schedule. I suppose it's meant to be a mid-season replacement.

ABC

Selfie
Description: After being the subject of an embarrassing viral video, a self-involved 20-something enlists the help of a marketing expert to revamp her image in the real world.
My thoughts: This series is being touted as "loosely based on My Fair Lady." I think the two main characters names certainly give that away. Karen Gillan plays Eliza Dooley, and John Cho plays Henry Higgins. I don't know how George Bernard Shaw would feel about his characters thrown into the world of modern social media. *wink* It's interesting to me that Scottish actress Karen Gillan is committing to an American TV series. She has made a few movies since she ended her era as Amy Pond ended on Doctor Who, and I guess she decided American television would be a good next step in her career. I'm not into the world of "selfies," Instagram, or Twitter, so I'm not in the demographic that this series would appeal to, however, I'm interested to see Karen in a comedy. Who knows, I may like it. It's interesting to note that another Doctor Who actor, David Tennant (who actually was the Doctor), is also tackling American television in Gracepoint (a remake of the British miniseries, Broadchurch, which also starred David Tennant).

Forever
Description: A 200 year-old man works in the New York City morgue trying to find a key to unlock the curse of his immortality.
My thoughts: Two words - Ioan Gruffudd (I met him at Comic Con a few months ago, and that is one beautiful man). I just hope that his curse of immortality has nothing to do with drinking blood. *wink*

How to Get Away With Murder
Description: A group of ambitious law students and their brilliant, mysterious criminal defense professor (Viola Davis) become entangled in a murder plot that will shake the entire university and change the course (great pun *wink*) of their lives.
My thoughts: The premise to this series reminds me of a TV movie from 1991 that starred Pierce Brosnan called Murder 101. In the TV movie, Brosnan is an author who teaches a writing class to college students on how to write a novel that involves the perfect murder. Brosnan is framed for killing a colleague, and the mystery begins. I don't know how similar this series will be to the TV movie, but I'm interested to see where the show goes.

NBC

Constantine
Description: A man struggling with his faith is haunted by the sins of his past but is suddenly thrust into the role of defending humanity from the gathering forces of darkness.
My thoughts: I'm on the fence about this one (mainly because I can't quite grasp what it's really about), but I like Lucy Griffiths, who played Marian in BBC's series, Robin Hood. Another series based on a comic book.

Fox

Gotham
Description: The origin story behind Commissioner James Gordon's rise to prominence in Gotham City in the years before Batman's arrival.
My thoughts: I have enjoyed many series and movies based on comic books, and I'm willing to give this one a try.

CW

The Flash
Description: Barry Allen suffers a freak accident that turns him into a superhero with the power of incredible speed.
My thoughts: Arrow is one of my favorite series - especially after its second season, which exceeded my expectations - and I liked Barry Allen's character when he was introduced at the beginning of this season of Arrow. Given those two facts, I'm looking forward to this series. I hope it lives up to my expectations.

As you can see, there aren't any series on CBS's new schedule that I want to check out. It would be interesting if one of those CBS shows is a big hit and I just happen to give it a chance and love it. I doubt it, but it would be interesting.

What shows are you looking forward to in the 2014 Fall season?