First Impressions: Fall TV Pilots 2016- ABC Dramas

Fall TV Pilots 2016 (ABC- Dramas)

Which drama series will ABC pick up? I'll dissect which shows I'm looking forward too and which shows will be successful based on first impressions. 
For the full list of Fall TV Pilots 2016, check out EW's article.

Designed Survivor

First of all, I'm glad to see Kiefer Sutherland in another starring role where he can really shine as his character gets "thrust into presidency". I think this series will do well, especially since Kiefer has a huge following from his previous show, 24. This series also stars Maggie Q (Nikita) and Kal Penn (Harold & Kumar) which I think will perfectly balance his character.
Will It Be Picked Up? Yes
Will It Be Successful? 99% Yes
Was My Guess Correct? Yes, this series was picked up.

Broken

Based on the fact that Anna Paquin is returning to TV for this series and Reese Witherspoon is one of the executive producers, I'd say this series could do very well. This series will "expose long-hidden family secrets" and I love shows that leave me guessing and scrambling to solve the plot before it's revealed.
Will It Be Picked Up? Yes
Will It Be Successful? 90% Yes
Was My Guess Correct? No, much to my surprise, this series was not picked up.

Time After Time

"Using the 1979 novel and a movie as a starting off point" is a huge plus for this series, which already has a cult following. Is ABC the right network to help this series exceed it's full potential though? I'm not sure. 
Will It Be Picked Up? Yes
Will It Be Successful? I hope so but it really depends on how well it's done.
Was My Guess Correct? Yes, this series was picked up.

The Jury

I think that watching through a single murder trial is a great concept (especially considering how much people loved Netflix's Serial series).I'm most interested to see the psychological aspect of how each of the jurors comes to their decisions based on their past experiences. Again, I have to ask myself, would another network (like HBO) be able to take this series up a notch?

Will It Be Picked Up? Yes
Will It Be Successful? Again, I hope so but it depends on how well it's done.
Was My Guess Correct? No, this series was not picked up and is in the process of being redeveloped so maybe we will see it again next TV season.

Conviction

I think this series will really help Hayley Atwell expand her fan base from Marvel watchers to a household name. Plus There are several people in this series that I'm excited to see: Merrin Dungey (Yes, she's from Once Upon a Time but also King of Queens!) and Emily Kinney (The Walking Dead). For me personally, it sounds a lot more episodic then I care for and at this point there are a few too many "examine case" crimes on TV.
Will It Be Picked Up? Yes
Will It Be Successful? 80% Yes
Was My Guess Correct? Yes, this series was picked up.

Presence

I think they got the right actress for the part as Stephanie Sigman was excellent in Spectre, as well as Narcos and American Crime so if anyone could pull off "unintentionally beginning a career as an unlicensed private investigator", I bet she could.
Will It Be Picked Up? Yes
Will It Be Successful? 70% Yes
Was My Guess Correct? No, sadly this series was not picked up.

Marvel's Most Wanted

The market right now is flooded with different superhero programs and movies and I'm so over it. Yes, I'm sure this series will do fine with it's respected market of fans (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Agent Carter, Arrow, Flash, Gotham) but I don't think it's going to do quite as well as the others. On the plus side Adrianne Palicki and Nick Blood already have established characters from Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. but personally, I couldn't be less interested in this series. 
Will It Be Picked Up? Yes
Will It Be Successful? 65% Probably
Was My Guess Correct? No, it was surprisingly passed on for the second time.

Notorious

Although I am psyched to see Piper Perabo back on TV again after Covert Affairs, with so many other shows similar in type, I'm just not sure it will get picked up. I have a feeling it will be one of those shows that because it's based on the true-life stories of two people, a lot of viewers who already know the story will be so much harsher to judge it than if they were completely fictional characters. I've seen it before with most recently Of Kings and Prophets where the public will be relentless if historical facts are changed to make for better TV.
Will It Be Picked Up? Possibly
Will It Be Successful? 60% Possibly
Was My Guess Correct? Yes, this series was picked up.

The Death of Eva Sofia Valdez

I'm not sure about this series for several reasons: It's considered a "MacBeth" with "ghosts from the past" and personally, it sounds cheesy. Secondly, will we mainly be seeing the main character (Gina Torres) in flashbacks? It's very clear by the title that she's dead and I'm really not into series's that rely to heavily on flashbacks. 
Will It Be Picked Up? Possibly
Will It Be Successful? Doubtful
Was My Guess Correct? No, this series was not picked up.

Model Woman

This "fictionalized family soap" series needs a different title because I don't see men turning into a program called Model Woman and I really don't think women would want to either. I like that it's set in the 70s which makes it something different and the fact that it's based on a book holds a bit more promise. Series based on books tend to be more successful (IF they stick close to the original story). Though with the success AMC had with their period piece Mad Men, I bet they could have done a lot more with this series than ABC will. 
Will It Be Picked Up? Doubtful
Will It Be Successful? Doubtful
Was My Guess Correct? Yes, this series was not picked up.

Spark

Unfortunately, in addition to this "genre soap" not sounding very good, they've cast a lot of unknowns as main characters. Casting unknowns could sometimes be a good thing but this series "set in alternate history" is already going to have trouble interesting viewers so one or two bigger names could have really sparked more interest. I think this series would have it's best luck aimed at a younger audience on a network like the CW.
Will It Be Picked Up? Doubtful
Will It Be Successful? Doubtful
Was My Guess Correct? Yes, this series was not picked up.

Still Star-Crossed

The plus side is the fact that it's based on a book but the downside is the fact that this drama series "picks up where Romeo & Juliet left off" and everyone knows how that ended. The question is, does anyone care enough about the families of the famed characters to watch a series about their "treachery, palace intrigue and ill-fated romances"? Again, this series could be successful but by aiming it at a younger audience and putting it on a network like CW or Freeform. Even if it gets picked up by ABC, it won't make it. 
Will It Be Picked Up? Doubtful
Will It Be Successful? Doubtful
Was My Guess Correct? No, this series was picked up.

Check back for more of my thoughts on the Fall TV Pilots for 2016 and follow me on Twitter @popculturedlife