Television

THE BIG LEAP

• By PAIGE PETRONE
• Photo Courtesy of FOX

Fox’s new series The Big Leap is a scripted show about a dancing reality show. It’s basically a parody of the dancing and singing competitions that are all the rage. Think American Idol and America’s Got Talent… but scripted, and it has the cast breaking into dance numbers like Fox’s other musically driven fan favorite, Glee.

The pilot introduces the players. The show is centered around auditioning wanna-be dancers that will be cast in something great or big, hence the title! The winners will then be included in the new dance company which will produce a “big” show. (Like a dance recital.) Each player has a sad story or a down on their luck theme, making it sort of emotional, yet told with loads of humor. I laughed out loud several times. I think The Big Leap really means that these contestants are making a big leap out of their humdrum lives and comfort zones, going for their real dreams (of dancing) for true bliss.

Created by Liz Heldens, The Big Leap boasts a diverse cast led by the standout Scott Foley (Felicity, Dawson’s Creek). As the high maintenance, over-the-top producer of the show, I’ve never seen him so hilarious. Joining Foley are Piper Perabo, Teri Polo, Mallory Jansen, Raymond Alexander, Jon Rudnitsky, Anna Grace Barlow, Ser’Darius Blain, Kevin Daniels, and newcomer Simone Recasner. The pilot was directed by Jason Winer.

“The Big Leap” premieres September 20th on Fox.

ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING

• By RICH ANDREW
• Photo Courtesy of HULU

Creators Steve Martin (Father of the Bride Part 3) and John Hoffman (Grace and Frankie) have concocted a murder mystery series set in a high rise on the Upper West Side where a tenant is found murdered, and every neighbor is now a suspect. Three of those neighbors not only share an encounter with the victim just minutes before his death, but they also share a passion for solving true crime. So together they let their amateur sleuthing skills combine and set out about the building nosying into their neighbors’ lives, searching for clues but finding unnerving secrets. When their investigation leads them to bloody knives, cryptic notes, and hidden passageways, they start a podcast where they run wild weaving a tangled web of half-truths and conjecture. Donning the prying eyes of these vigilantes are the brilliant Steve Martin, Martin Short (Schmigadoon!), and Selena Gomez (A Rainy Day in New York). Gomez holds her own against these comedy geniuses, and their witty banter and collective timing are reminiscent of some of our most favorite caper classics. With stellar performances by cast mates Aaron Dominguez (Breathe), Vanessa Aspillaga (Monsterland), Ryan Broussard (Modern Love), Michael Cyril Creighton (Dash & Lily), Jane Lynch (The Good Fight), Nathan Lane (Penny Dreadful: City of Angels), and the legendary Sting (Kaamelott), Only Murders in the Building promises a good time.

“Only Murders in the Building” is now streaming on Hulu.

LA Brea

• By Kenne Hoffman

NBC digs into the La Brea Tar Pits for its new drama series La Brea. The Tar Pits, a remnant of the Ice Age in the heart of Los Angeles has long been a favorite Hollywood tourist destination. La Brea begins its epic adventure with a massive sinkhole pulling hundreds of people and buildings into its depths. Those that fall in find themselves in a mysterious and dangerous primeval land leaving them no alternative but to band together to survive as the world above tries to figure out what happened. Show runner David Appelbaum (The Mentalist, NCIS: New Orleans, The Enemy Within) created the series.

At the center of the story is the Harris family, split up by the sinkhole, two falling in and two remaining above. Their struggle to reunite will be one of the overarching story lines throughout the series, with plenty of subplots surrounding the other people who now find themselves in this strange world. The Harris family will be played by Natalie Zea (The Detour, Justified) as the mother Eve, Eoin Macken (The Night Shift, Stumptown) as the dad Gavin, Jack Martin (All Rise) as the son Josh and Zyra Gorecki as the daughter Izzy. Also in the cast is Chicago P.D. alum Jon Seda along with Veronica St. Clair and Lily Santiago as his teenage daughters. La Brea premieres September 28 and will likely stream on Peacock the next day.

Premiering September 28th on NBC, click here.

The Premise

• By Kenne Hoffman
• Photo Courtesy of HULU

B.J. Novak is the creative mind behind the star-studded new FX comedy series The Premise. It’s a bold, provocative anthology of half-hour stand-alone stories with character driven episodes that tackle relevant meaningful issues of today.

Episodes like Social Justice Sex Tape where a woke twenty-something ally to social justice causes(Ben Platt) discovers a video of a disputed police incident (and some embarrassing private sex tape footage) and must determine how to use the tape to save an innocent man.Moment of Silence centers around gun violence and the ongoing battle over Second Amendment issues and stars Jon Bernthal, Boyd Holbrook, Beau Bridges, and Amy Landecker.The episode The Ballad of Jesse Wheeler is about a pop megastar (Lucas Hedges) who inadvertently promises to have sex with the high school’s valedictorian as an academic achievement prize, leaving the star’s manager and school principal desperately trying to walk back the promise. All episodes are written by Novak.

In today’s social media-obsessed culture who hasn’t dealt with comments by well-intended posts gone awry? The Commenter (written by Darya Zhuk) stars Lola Kirke, who becomes obsessed with an anonymous critical comment online, and the quest for the commenter’s approval which upends her life. And don’t overlook the episode called Butt Plug starring Daniel Dae Kim, a story about a chance at redemption with a former school bully (Eric Lange). This episode was also written by B.J. Novak.

Premiering September 16th on HULU.