Coming This Fall

This week is Upfront week for the big television networks.  Upfront week is when the television networks pitch their upcoming fall shows to viewers and, more importantly, advertisers in an effort to gain ad commitments.  This comes on the heels of last week’s news regarding the fates of some shows, most notably the cancellation of Last Man Standing, New Girl’s final season, and the cancellation/subsequent renewal of Timeless.  Announcements will pour out over the week and the hype trains will start rolling out with reckless abandon.  As we await official announcements from the networks, here are five shows which should be picked up for the fall slate: Squat to the Top (NBC) Alex Diaz (Mario Lopez) is a down on his luck personal trainer in Santa Monica.  After recently getting kicked out of his apartment, Diaz takes up residence as a squatter in a high class district where he meets former star turned struggling actress Samantha Monroe (Kirstie Alley).  Monroe wants Diaz’s help to get back in shape so she can land the role of a lifetime.  Diaz wants to make a name for himself as a personal trainer for the stars.  Can they work together to…squat to the top? I’m a Better Singer than You Are (Fox) Are you tired of seeing reality talent shows where the competitors are just too nice to each other?  If so then IABSTYA is the show you’ve been looking for.  Contestants will have to not only sing well for our panel of expert judges (Gloria Estefan, Huey Lewis, and one of Pharrell’s clones), they will also have to try to psych out their opponents with smack talk which will be judged by smack talk experts Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Kevin Garnett, and Chad Johnson.  Who has the skill and the mental toughness to endure the most vicious talent show on Earth? A Chicken, a Bear, and an Alien (Fox) Seth MacFarlane’s newest animated hit comes to tv this fall with A Chicken, a Bear, and an Alien.  Featuring characters from other well-known MacFarlane shows, CBA follows the adventures of a chicken (voiced by Bill Hader), a bear (voiced by Carl Weathers), and an alien (voiced by Richard Dreyfuss).  Together search for El Dorado, try to solve global warming, and try to invent the perfect no-bake cookie.  A chicken, a bear, and an alien walk into a bar…who knows what will happen next. The Nursing Home Murders (CBS) Callie Adams (Alyson Hannigan) was one of the brightest detectives on the force before one case hit a little too close to home.  A series of nursing home murders where the only clues left behind are bingo numbers has baffled authorities.  Adams reluctantly returns from her hiatus to try to stop these heinous crimes.  As the investigation deepens, some old ghosts revisit Adams and the fate of nursing home residents everywhere hang in the balance.  Can she stop the killer B4 they strike again? Fly Me to the Moon (ABC) Fly Me to the Moon is Shonda Rhimes’ latest addition to ABC Thursday nights.  Earth is quickly becoming uninhabitabl and it’s up to a division of NASA experts, known as the Crater Crew, to find a way to save humanity.  Led by Vanessa Blackburn (Gabrielle Union), the Crater Crew must overcome one obstacle after another to figure out how to make life sustainable on the Moon.  It's up to Blackburn and her team to solve this ultimate problem...and the clock is ticking.