The upfronts keep on coming this week, and yesterday brought the unveiling of the new series coming to ABC for the 2016-2017 television season. Since ABC canceled a bunch of shows, including Agent Carter and Marvel’s Most Wanted, we’re interested to see what the network will be trying out this fall to find a new audience.
The new line-up of dramas at ABC includes the return of Agent Carter‘s Hayley Atwell to television in Conviction, Kiefer Sutherland becoming the president in Designated Survivor, and H.G. Wells chasing Jack the Ripper through modern day New York City in Time After Time. On the comedy side, we have some new shows featuring Jenna Elfman, Minnie Driver and Katy Mixon. We recently previewed a few short teasers for some of ABC’s new offerings, but today we have longer, meatier trailers.
Watch the ABC 2016-2017 TV show trailers after the jump.
Drama
Conviction
If you loved Hayley Atwell‘s wonderful British accent, you might be disappointed with her new drama Conviction. Now that Agent Carter is officially canceled, Atwell is playing a lawyer and former First Daughter who has a bit of reputation for being a little inappropriate in public. When she’s arrested for some of her wild activities, which could jeopardize her mother’s Senate campaign, she’s offered a job to help keep her out of trouble.
This looks like a lively way to spice up the typical legal drama that we see hit television every single year. Hayley Atwell plays a saucy and fun character, but there’s also plenty of serious drama here as well. Plus, there are some other faces you might recognize such as X-Men‘s Iceman Shawn Ashmore and departed The Walking Dead star Emily Kinney, looking much more grown up in this role. Might be worth checking out this fall.
Lawyer and former First Daughter Hayes Morrison (Hayley Atwell, “Marvel’s Agent Carter”) is about to accept a job offered from her sexy nemesis, NY District Attorney Wayne Wallis, to avoid jail time for cocaine possession and avoid hurting her mother’s Senate campaign. Working with his team at the new Conviction Integrity Unit will let her use her brilliant mind to turn over cases, where there is credible suspicion of wrongful conviction, and give her a chance to turn things around with her high-powered political family.
In addition to Atwell, “Conviction” stars Eddie Cahill as Wayne Wallis, Shawn Ashmore as Sam Sullivan, Merrin Dungey as Maxine Barton, Emily Kinney as Tess Thompson, Manny Montana as Franklin “Frankie” Rios and Daniel di Tomasso as Jackson Morrison.
“Conviction” is from The Mark Gordon Company and ABC Studios. “Conviction” is co-created by writer Liz Friedman (“Elementary,” “Marvel’s Jessica Jones”) and director Liz Friedlander (“The Following”). Friedman and Friedlander will executive produce with Mark Gordon (“Criminal Minds,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Saving Private Ryan”) and Nick Pepper.
Conviction premieres on Mondays this fall.
Designated Survivor
Kiefer Sutherland saved countless lives as Jack Bauer on Fox’s action series 24 (which is getting revived next season). Now he’s in a much more powerful position for ABC’s new drama Designated Survivor. After a terrorist attack on the Capitol during the State of the Union takes out the entire presidential succession, Tom Kirkman (Sutherland) becomes president. It seems like no one in Washington believes in his leadership skills as the country recovers from the aftermath of the attack, but he’s going to do the best he can.
This is a concept we’ve seen played out before in the xXx sequel starring Ice Cube, but this is the first time we’ll see what happens after an attack like this actually succeeds. Sutherland is such a commanding presence that I don’t entirely buy his character’s lack of confidence, but the show does look like one of the more intriguing dramas coming for the upcoming season. It would be incredible if 24: Legacy could ever crossover with this show, but that’ll never happen, just like my dream to have 24 and House M.D. cross over. Oh, well.
Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning actor Kiefer Sutherland (“24”) returns to primetime in a conspiracy thriller as Tom Kirkman, a lower-level cabinet member who unexpectedly becomes president after a devastating attack on Washington. He will struggle to prevent the country and his own family from falling into chaos, as he is thrust into one of the most difficult presidencies in history.
“Designated Survivor” stars Kiefer Sutherland as Tom Kirkman, Natascha McElhone as Alex Kirkman, Maggie Q as Hannah Watts, Kal Penn as Seth Wheeler, Adan Canto as Aaron Shore, Italia Ricci as Emily Rhodes, LaMonica Garrett as James Ritter, and Tanner Buchanan as Leo Kirkman.
“Designated Survvor” is from The Mark Gordon Company and ABC Studios. David Guggenheim is creator and executive producer. In addition to Guggenheim, the series is executive produced by Simon Kinberg, Kiefer Sutherland, Mark Gordon, Nick Pepper, Suzan Bymel, and Aditya Sood. Paul McGuigan directed the pilot episode.
Designated Survivor premieres on Wednesdays this fall.
Notorious
Wow, this is an awful trailer. From that cheesy voiceover to the over all tone of the show. Notorious just seems like it’s trying too hard to be ABC’s next sexy drama with flirty banter and melodrama. I wish I had more to say about the show than that, but there’s not much else to say.
“Notorious” is inspired by the true-life stories of famed criminal defense attorney Mark Geragos and cable news producer Wendy Walker, who serve as executive producers. The series is a provocative look at the unique, sexy and dangerous interplay of criminal law and the media. Josh Berman (“Blacklist,” “Bones,” “CSI”) is writer and executive producer, and Allie Hagan (“Suri’s Burn Book”) is writer and co-executive producer.
“Notorious” stars Piper Perabo (“Covert Affairs”) as Julia George, Daniel Sunjata (“Graceland”) as Jake Gregorian, Sepideh Moafi as Megan Byrd, Kate Jennings Grant as Louise Herrick, Ryan Guzman as Ryan, Kevin Zegers as Oscar Keaton, J. August Richards as Bradley Gregorian and Aimee Teegarden as Ella Benjamin.
“Notorious” is from Sony Pictures Television and ABC Studios. Michael Engler, Kenny Meiselas, Jeff Kwatinetz and Josh Barry are also executive producers. Michael Engler directed the pilot.
Notorious premieres on Thursdays this fall.
Time After Time
The concept of Sleepy Hollow over at Fox was ridiculous enough, but ABC is looking to outdo them with Time After Time. The series follows H.G. Wells, who has built the real time machine from his novel (that he hasn’t written yet) and discovers his friend may be Jack the Ripper. So of course, the infamous murderer uses the time machine to escape into the future, and H.G. Wells must pursue him in modern day New York City.
I can’t help but feel like this concept would be better utilized as a comedy feature film rather than a playful network drama, but maybe that’s just me. Sometimes these outlandish concepts end up being appealing to people after they give them a shot. However, with so many time travel comedies hitting networks this fall, surely some of them aren’t going to survive. I can see this one not making it, but with Scream‘s Kevin Williamson behind the show, maybe it’ll work.
Based on the novel and movie “Time After Time,” executive producer/writer Kevin Williamson (“The Vampire Diaries,” “Scream” franchise, “Dawson’s Creek”) delivers a fantastical cat and mouse adventure through time when famed science fiction writer H.G. Wells is transported to modern day Manhattan in pursuit of Jack the Ripper. Once H.G. arrives in New York City, he finds a world he never thought possible and a young woman who captivates him.
The series stars Freddie Stroma (“Harry Potter” films) as H.G. Wells, Josh Bowman (“Revenge”) as John Stevenson/Jack the Ripper, Genesis Rodriguez (“Big Hero 6”) as Jane and Regina Taylor (“Dig”) as Vanessa Anders.
“Time After Time” is from Outerbanks Entertainment in association with Warner Bros. Television. Williamson and Marcos Siega (“Blindspot,” “The Following”) are executive producers. Siega directed the pilot. Williamson wrote the teleplay. “Time After Time” is based on the novel written by Karl Alexander.
Time After Time won’t debut until midseason in 2017.
Still Star-Crossed
A war is brewing in fair Verona in the aftermath of Shakespeare’s famous tragedy Romeo & Juliet. Audiences just might find an intriguing tale as the Montagues and Capulets end up in an all-out war with each other following the deaths of their respective children. This sounds like an interesting concept for a movie, but Shondaland is hoping to stretch out the book on which the story is based into something more.
“Still Star-Crossed,” a period drama from Shondaland, picks up where the famous story of Romeo and Juliet ends, charting the treachery, palace intrigue and ill-fated romances of the Montagues and Capulets in the wake of the young lovers’ tragic fate. The series is based on the book by Melinda Taub.
“Still Star-Crossed” stars Wade Briggs (“Home and Away”) as Benvolio Montague, Anthony Head as Lord Silvestro Capulet, Zuleikha Robinson as Lady Guiliana Capulet, Lashana Lynch as Rosaline, Ebonee Noel as Livia, Sterling Sulieman as Prince Escalus, Medalion Rahimi as Princess Isabella, Grant Bowler as Damiano Montague, Susan Wooldridge as Nurse, Torrance Coombs as Paris and Dan Hildebrand as Friar Lawrence.
Heather Mitchell (“Scandal,” “Grey’s Anatomy”) is writer and executive producer. Shonda Rhimes, Betsy Beers and Michael Goldstein are executive producers. Michael Offer is executive producer and director of the pilot, from ABC Studios.
Still Star-Crossed won’t premiere until midseason in 2017.
On the next page, check out the trailers for ABC’s new comedy shows coming this season.
Continue Reading ABC’s 2016-2017 TV Trailers >>
The post ABC 2016-2017 TV Trailers: Hayley Atwell’s ‘Conviction’, Kiefer Sutherland Is the President & More appeared first on /Film.