Television programming on the big networks this fall is going to have a huge makeover —so huge that I will just give you a glimpse of the shows that may have the best female leads and supporting characters. These women highlight the realities of work-life balance. Some are in traditional roles or jobs like nursing, while others are more daring.
NBC has two notable changes to its lineup. First, from the same people who brought you Pushing Daisies (you know, that whimsical show about a man with the touch of life that got cancelled on ABC last year) and Friday Night Lights, comes Mercy. Yes, it’s another nurse drama, but the twist is that the lead character, Veronica Callahan, has returned to Mercy General Hospital after a tour of duty in Iraq. Personally, I am not sure how long this show will last, but I will give it a chance.
Of all the networks, I feel that ABC is the most lost and has been consistently trying to find its voice or identity for years now. In the process, it has created a swinging door where shows come in just as quickly as they are let go. Do you remember Pushing Daisies, Cashmere Mafia, and Eli Stone? This fall is no different.
The Middle has one of the funniest previews I have seen. Set in the wonderful suburban town of Orson, Indiana, it’s a comedy about a working mom and the many complications of her life, including her demanding family. It stars Patricia Heaton from Everybody Loves Raymond.
I was most impressed by the originality of Flash Forward. Inspired by the Robert Sawyer novel, Flash Forward is about 9 billion people on Earth blacking out simultaneously. While unconscious, everyone is shown their future — or at least what will happen unless people change. As complicated as this may sound, the acting looks brilliant, with Lost’s Sonya Walger, Joseph Fiennes, and John Cho (Harold from Harold and Kumar).
Lastly, I turn to CBS’s promising new drama, The Good Wife. The story begins with a politician who is not only caught cheating on his wife but also under investigation for corruption. Consequently, the “good wife,” played by Julianna Margulies, decides to go back to work as a lawyer, which proves to be harder than she had imagined since she hasn’t practiced in 13 years. The main character is strong, courageous, and intelligent, and the show seems smart, different, and well written. It’s definitely for a more mature audience in search of good programming.
Nonetheless, there is still an ongoing argument about whether television roles for women are more or less interesting than film roles for women, especially during the fall when everyone is Oscar happy. All I can say to that is check out these shows and decide for yourself!
