CWAll good things must come to an end...so something better can begin.
We've reached the final day of our rapid-fire reviews, and after letting you know how we felt about NBC's three new shows, we've reached the end of our small screen musings: The CW's two new dramas, Frequency and No Tomorrow, with the buzzy Riverdale being held for midseason. And guess what? We like 'em, we really like 'em!
The CW's update of the 2000 sci-fi thriller Frequency may have added a new face our list of TV's best detectives, and No Tomorrow is the TV rom-com we've been craving...
Frequency (The CW)
Premiere Date: Wednesday, Oct. 5 at 9 p.m.
Time-Slot Competition: Modern Family/Black-ish (ABC), Criminal Minds (CBS), Empire (Fox), Law & Order: SVU (NBC)
Stars: Peyton List, Riley Smith, Mekhi Phifer, Alexandra Metz, Daniel Bonjour
Premise: Based on the 2000 sci-fi film, Peyton List plays a young police detective who discovers she can talk to a young version of her dead father via ham radio, and they have to work together to change history, or prevent history from changing at all.
Tierney Bricker: I've never seen the Dennis Quaid film that it's based on, but holy crap, was I blown away by this one. Knowing the premise (girl connects with dead father via old radio), I thought it sounded more like a movie rather than a full series. I was SO wrong and am happy to be, because I was into every part of Frequency and got chills multiples times throughout my multiples viewings. The mystery, the relationships, the '90s nostalgia…in, in, in.
Chris Harnick: This was fine, but I can't see myself getting too into it. Although by the end of the episode I was asking questions that I assume will get answered if I continue watching…
Jean Bentley: Ludicrous aging makeup aside, this pilot (which is based on a movie I have never seen) was fully intriguing, thanks to the charisma of star Peyton List.
Lauren Piester: I like detectives, I like time travel, I like multiple universes, and based on this pilot, I like Peyton List, so this is clearly a show meant for me and I will happily accept it. I have no idea what future episodes could look like but I'll watch it anyway!
Billy Nilles: I enjoyed this one, but I admit I have no idea what the heck it's going to be like week to week. There's a reason why Frequency was a movie to begin with. Some stories are meant to have an end in sight. That said, Peyton List is believable here in a way I haven't seen in her other work. She's more than capable of carrying the show. I just worry the show might collapse around her. Still, I'll give it a few more weeks to suss it out.
No Tomorrow (The CW)
Premiere Date: Tuesday, Oct. 4 at 9 p.m.
Time-Slot Competition: Fresh Off the Boat/The Real O'Neals (ABC), Bull (CBS), Scream Queens (Fox), This Is Us (NBC)
Stars: Tori Anderson, Joshua Sasse, Jesse Rath, Jonathan Langdon
Premise: Tori Anderson plays Evie, a young woman who is inspired to find a new lease on life when she meets a man (Joshua Sasse) who thinks the world is about to end.
Tierney Bricker: I'm an unabashed lover of rom-coms, and am constantly complaining about the lack of good ones these days, especially on TV. Enter: No Tomorrow, an absurdly fun twist on the genre that is in my top five new shows of the fall. Also, prepare to fall in love with Joshua Sasse, who is just irresistible as Xavier…even the whole believing the world is going to end thing is working for him.
Chris Harnick: This show was cute, but at times it was trying too hard to be cute. The leads are charming, but the show's premise doesn't really move me. I'll probably give this another try, but it's got to wow me quickly.
Jean Bentley: Real talk, if a guy who wasn't as smokin' hot as Joshua Sasse is said or did any of the things Xavier does to Evie in this pilot you'd either get a restraining order or commit him as quickly as possible. So as long as the show can address those issues—which the showrunners have said they will—I'll be curious and keep tuning in.
Lauren Piester: Joshua Sasse is very hot and Tori Anderson has a very cute personality, and this show is very aware of those two things. But at what point does the creep factor of their situation catch up to how hot and cute they are? Hopefully that remains to be seen, because other than that, this is a super sweet romcom.
Billy Nilles: The CW may slowly be becoming the home of DC Comics, but it's also continuing its quiet trend of bringing some of the most charmingly off-kilter romantic comedy to TV. No Tomorrow follows in the footsteps of Jane the Virgin and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and mostly lives up to its predecessors. Plus, it stars Joshua Sasse, who is worth the price of admission alone. Have you seen the guy?