One of my favourite quotes happens to come from a controversial author and journalist who I always mean to read his works but hardly ever get the time.
I just happened to come across this said quote while perusing the net, and I always think about it at the beginning of every year.
The quote reads “Celebrate endings—for they precede new beginnings” and it was coined by one William Bradford Huie.
The beauty of this quote lies in its universal application, and the other day it came to me again as I was running through some of the television shows that either ended or got cancelled during the year 2021.
Among them are the likes of Blackish and one of its spinoffs Mixedish, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, All Rise, Supergirl, Vikings, Lucifer, Mr Iglesias and Queen of the South among countless others.
In some instances, the shows had run their course like Lucifer, Blackish, Supergirl and Queen of the South, while others got cancelled rather prematurely in my opinion.
Mixedish and Mr Iglesias, some may argue, deserved the chop due to the less than inspiring ratings and lack of buzz, but ‘All Rise’ deserved better.
Two seasons isn’t really enough time to build buzz and develop a following, cult or otherwise.
And, this brings me to my true motives with this article.
While it is sad to see some of these shows end, it does create a vacuum for new shows to come in and shine.
Below is a list of five shows, either brand new or still in their infancy, that really deserve a second and third look.
The Rookie (Four seasons)
The Rookie is an American police procedural crime drama and stars Nathan Fillion as John Nolan a 40-something who after witnessing a bank robbery decides to join the police force.
Nolan graduates as the oldest police rookie, after which we get front-row seats as he sets out to win over his workmates and navigate love, life and everything in-between.
Fillion, much like he did for his other shows ‘Fire Fly’ and ‘Castle’, is the best thing about this show both from a performance and story standpoint.
Nolan has a knack for making the wrong decisions but always has his heart in the right place.
The show also has a strong supporting cast, balancing seasoned veterans like Fillion, Richard T Jones (Lt Wade Grey), Shawn Ashmore (Wesley Evers), Michael Beach (Percy West) and some younger fresh faces in Titus Making (Jackson West) and Mellisa O’Neil (Lucy Chen).
It touches numerous subjects that affect the police force, and every now and then sprinkles cameos of Fillion former castmates from his old shows.
Fillion is one of the executive producers of the show.
Peacemaker (Brand new)
The jury is still out on this one, but James Gunn and John Cena look like they have struck gold.
A spin-off from last year’s ‘The Suicide Squad’, Cena’s Peacemaker survives getting shot and a building falling on top of him only to get recruited for another Black Ops mission.
This time he is assigned to hunt and kill what appears to be parasitic aliens, in the form of butterflies, that are infecting humans and getting up to no good.
The action is over the top, humour on point and Cena carries a promising cast that is full of talented comedians.
A.R.G.U.S head Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) is there in the background, and you can bet that there is more to the story than meets the eye.
Done right, this could be the show that brings some sought of relevance to DC Comics.
So far, the films have been hit and miss, and Peacemaker could be the show that injects some life into this entity.
How I Met Your Father (Brand New)
Another new show, ‘How I Met Your Father’ has been branded as a sequel show rather than a reboot or spin off.
If there was one show that we could take from its time and modernize it then it’s How I Met Your Mother.
From the pilot, it looks like the show is going to tick more boxes than any of the shows from the nineties and early 2000s.
There are equal representations of gay characters (Tien Tran’s Ellen) and a lot more people or characters of colour.
They have even moved with the times in how they treat dating.
The kicker, however, is that the mystery father is sort of revealed right up in the pilot rather than wait countless seasons for a reveal that is both underwhelming and disappointing.
While we don’t necessarily get his name, the potential candidates are limited.
Hopefully, they can build up from here.
Superman and Lois (2 seasons)
Arrow and Supergirl have come to end, The Flash is fast overstaying its welcome and both Batwoman and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow have been disappointing.
The answer to the CW’s problems looks to be Superman and Lois.
Led by the duo of Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch as the famed Clark Kent and Lois Lane, this is truly the incarnations of the famed couple.
There is nothing damsel in distress about this Lois Lane, and Clark for once is fighting a war he has no idea how to fight, parenthood.
Yes, rather than concentrate on Kent’s heroics as superman and Lane’s time as a famous reporter, the two have relocated to Smallville and are now raising their twins (Jonathan and Jordan).
Jordan Elsass (Jonathan) and Alex Garflin (Jordan) have so far done a great job and the younger generation of the Kent/EL dynasty.
The latest season and episode have been hinting at the appearance of Superman’s greatest foe not named Lex Luther-Doomsday.
Hopefully, the CW can perform the same miracles they did for Lex Luther and breathe new life into how Doomsday has been treated so far.
Given the huge names that have taken up the role-among them Jesse Eisenberg, Kevin Spacey, Gene Hackman and John Shea- it is shocking that John Cryer has done the best job.
Hopefully, the CW will continue its streak of stellar casting and storytelling.
Hoechlin (Superman), Grant Gastin (Barry Allen/ flash), Stephen Amell (Oliver Queen/ Green Arrow), Mellissa Benoist (Kara Danvers/ Supergirl), Tulloch (Lane) and Cryer (Lex Luther) are just a few of the stellar casting and performance of the Arrowverse.
Ted Lasso (Two seasons)
The show follows Ted Lasso, a college-level American football coach, who is unexpectedly recruited to coach an English Premier League team, AFC Richmond, despite having little next to no knowledge and experience in the sport.
The first season sees him elicit his special brand of ‘Lasso coaching’ on this club, which often has both chaotic and hilarious effects on the team over the 10-episode first season.
I will surely have it on my top 10 list of new shows any day, and here is why
First of all, the sports theme is a surefire recipe for success, and if that was not enough, it also happens to star one of the funniest men on God’s planet Earth-Jason Sudeikis.
It goes without saying that the Saturday Night Live alumni is a huge part of the show’s success, and I am even willing to ignore his exaggerated American accent.
The show has its roots in a promo he did for NBC Sports’ coverage for the Premier League back in 2013, with its popularity leading to the idea of an actual television series.
What sets ‘Ted Lasso’ apart from your run of the mill sports-themes film or show is its unique blend of both heart and big laughs.
Due to their small budget, the actual football action is hugely played down, coming in little snippets scattered here and there.
However, Sudeikis leads a long list of funny actors in Brendan Hunt (Coach Beard), Phil Dunster (Jamie Tart), Jeremy Swift (Higgins), Kevin Garry (Paul), Adam Colborne (Baz) and Bronson Webb (Jeremy).-iharare
