First Impressions: Fall TV Pilots 2016- ABC Comedies

Fall TV Pilots 2016 (ABC- Comedies)

Which comedy 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.

Pearl

This concept is interesting because it's a comedy centered around the family matriarch "finding out she has cancer". I really hope that this writer can pull a Chuck Lorre and have this series feel like Mom, which is all about recovering drug and alcoholics but made funny while still grounded in reality. That's what this series needs to do. Mix the happy moments, the funny moments and the sad moments together in a way that can really tug at viewers heartstrings. Murphy Brown ended in 1998 so it will be great to see Candice Bergen back in the comedy spotlight and as long as her character is strong enough to take the lead, this series could be a well addition to ABC's comedy lineup.
Will It Be Picked Up? Yes as she was on ABC's Boston Legal
Will It Be Successful? I really hope so
Was My Guess Correct? No, surprisingly this series was not picked up and is currently being redeveloped.

Chunk & Bean

First of all, get a new title! I have a feeling that a lot of people will be as turned off by the title as I was (Why not CHUCK and Bean instead of Chunk? It just reminds me of vomit). It will be interesting through to see Anna Gunn in a more comedic role. I think this series will really depend on the talents of the youngsters Cyrus Arnold and Simon Belz and if the feel of the series has more of a Modern Family feel or a Disney Channel feel.
Will It Be Picked Up? 50/50 because ABC already has a ton of family comedies (Modern Family, Black-ish, The Middle and The Goldbergs)
Will It Be Successful? Again, 50/50. It would have to be strong enough to compete with their already established comedy line-up.
Was My Guess Correct? 50/50 as I thought it would go either way but this series was not picked up. My guess is that the name sunk it.

Untitled Goldberg/Guarascio Project

I'm a fan of Adam Goldberg (and his series The Goldbergs), I'm also a big fan of Jenna Elfman and I was a fan of the series concept until the second sentence. "Slightly unhinged imaginary friend she created as a child suddenly reappears in her life to help her navigate the transition from single girl to a woman ready for a family". This is where I rolled my eyes and went "what?". I really don't see how an imaginary friend can take a single girl and make her ready for a family. Wouldn't seeing a psychologist be a better option? Again, it's really going to depend on how the imaginary character is done but at first impressions, this just seems like it could come off too silly.
Will It Be Picked Up? Yes as Adam Goldberg already has a series on ABC.
Will It Be Successful? Possibly, but it depends on how they create the imaginary character.
Was My Guess Correct? Yes, this series got picked up.

Dream Team

As much as I love Justin Long, this concept of soccer coaching "a diverse group of eight year-olds" has been done over with many different sports. The Mighty Ducks were hockey, Kicking and Screaming which was soccer or even more recently with ABC's failure Back In The Game which had them coaching baseball. Why would the same network that had this concept a couple of years ago attempt to do it again when the first series failed so badly that it was cancelled following it's tenth episode? 

Will It Be Picked Up? I hope not but it will depend on if ABC has learned from their past mistakes.
Will It Be Successful? I doubt it.
Was My Guess Correct? Yes, thankfully this series was not picked up.

Hail Mary

First of all, the title is going to be extremely misleading for most viewers who if they think like me, see the title and think of the abbey scenes in The Sound of Music. Apparently it's supposed to be about "a young small town mayor" so the title really needs to be changed. The upside is the fact that this series is based off of a Austrian series called Braunschlag but the downside is that it just doesn't sound very good. "Dysfunctional syblings, a dying father, disgruntled citizens, a nearly bankrupt town and the mafia breathing down her neck" sounds like an awful lot of far fetched ideas going on in one series. Though on a sidenote I'm currently binge-watching the complete series of Sister, Sister so I'm excited to see Jackee Harry again. 
Will It Be Picked Up? I'm going out on a limb and saying Yes.
Will It Be Successful? I don't think so. I think this series is going to be to wacky for the average viewer.
Was My Guess Correct? No, this series was not picked up and is now being redeveloped.

Toast

For me the main problem with this series is that involves a lot of flashbacks, which I'm not a fan of because I hate backwards storytelling. Also the concept seems a little far fetched because the family is "giving toasts recalling anecdotes about the couple" during their "wedding rehearsal dinner". How long exactly is this rehearsal dinner supposed to last? If the series makes it, in three seasons from now are still going to be seeing them sitting around the table recalling stories? I'm just not sure how viable of a concept this is for the long haul. 
Will It Be Picked Up? I think so with the network banking on it becoming the next How I Met Your Mother.
Will It Be Successful? No. Even if it makes it to network, it won't make it past a first season.
Was My Guess Correct? No, this series didn't get picked up and I'm sure that was the right choice.

Square Roots

I'm intrigued to know what this man's "gift" is that he will use to "help the people he loves with their everyday issues". Can he fly? See the future? Can he hear other's thoughts? How good the series will be really depends on what kind of "gift" this man has. If the gift is something simple like seeing the future then it might work but if his gift is something like flying, than I don't really know.
Will It Be Picked Up? 60% of me says Yes just based on how popular "superhero" shows are. Again, it depends on the "gift".
Will It Be Successful? I doubt it as it feels to gimmicky.
Was My Guess Correct? No, this series was not picked up. 

The Fluffy Shop

If ABC didn't keep Cristela, which was amazing and featured Gabriel Igesias as a supporting character, why would they get this? Yes, it does have a cult following based on Gabriel's character persona "Fluffy", but is the following big enough to get this series to network and keep it afloat with regular viewers turning in week after week? I don't think so.
Will It Be Picked Up? Yes just based on the fact that Gabriel Igesias is currently touring with his Stand Up and he was on ABC's Cristela last year.
Will It Be Successful? No. I think the series will maintain it's original following but I don't think the average viewer will be interested.
Was My Guess Correct? No, this series was not picked up.

Speechless

I'm in the middle on this series because it could go two different ways: 1) The viewers don't want to watch a comedy about a child with special needs. Fox released a series titled Red Band Society for the 2014-2015 TV season which was based on sick children in a hospital and it got cancelled. Not because it didn't have heart or it wasn't excellent (because it was) but because that's not something people want to watch on TV. 2) The series is well done and becomes one of the best feel good TV series of the season. I'm leaning much more towards #1 happening but either way I will be happy to see Kyla Kennedy again, as she was fantastic as one of the youngsters in The Walking Dead.

Will It Be Picked Up? Yes
Will It Be Successful? 50/50. It just really depends if it takes route #1 or ends up as #2.
Was My Guess Correct? Yes, this series was picked up.

Randall & Hilda Are Not A Couple

The concept of this series reminds me of the series One Big Happy that aired on NBC last TV season. "An unapologetic lesbian and her best friend, a neurotic straight male, navigate their dysfunctional, co-dependent friendship and the world of dating." If you add on that the lesbian is pregnant with said straight male then you have One Big Happy. That series starred Elisha Cuthbert, was produced by Ellen DeGeneres and it was cancelled after six episodes so the network better make damn sure that it's better than that series was otherwise what's the point?
Will It Be Picked Up? Hopefully not
Will It Be Successful? No, if a comedy produced by Ellen DeGeneres can't make it, yours probably won't either.
Was My Guess Correct? Yes, this series was not picked up.

American Housewife

Firstly, do I even need to say it? NOBODY is going to watch a show titled The Second Fattest Housewife In Newport. Trust me, if Cougar Town (which was amazingly underrated thanks mostly to it's title) suffered, this will falter. Obviously ABC also doesn't remember it's series Trophy Wife (which was also awesome but didn't get enough viewers, probably due to its title). Secondly, does ABC not remember releasing a show similar to this one before titled Suburgatory? Sure it was about a father raising a daughter instead of "a strong-willed mother, raising her flawed family" but that's not enough of a difference considering ABC cancelled Suburgatory after three seasons. Is it just me or does ABC actually not watch the shows on their own network?
Will It Be Picked Up? If it does get picked up by the network, they better change the damn title or it will be dead right out of the water.
Will It Be Successful? No, not without a title change and possibly not even with that.
Was My Guess Correct? No, this series got picked up but changed its title from The Second Fattest Housewife In Westport to American Housewife.

Downward Dog

The premise of this series ("a lonely dog navigates the complexity of 21st century relationships") doesn't exactly give me much to go on. Is this animated? Is the "dog" referring to a guy? I have no idea. There isn't enough information to even try to give my opinion.
Will It Be Picked Up? I couldn't even guess based on the limited premise.
Will It Be Successful? I'm going to say no based solely on the fact that if this is my first impression of the series and I don't know what the hell it's about, that's not a good thing.
Was My Guess Correct? N/A Couldn't make a guess.

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