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David Mumpower: As has been the case for three consecutive years, I plan to watch fewer network television programs than last year. Most of that is because this new batch seems particularly mediocre. The rest of the explanation is that the only interesting shows last year like Revolution and Arrow proved to be painfully moronic, written by people who frankly should find work in other professions. And the single high quality new series, Go On, was canceled in favor of some pilots that demonstrate the same quality as your average Uwe Boll production.

Keeping the above in mind, I have had the opportunity to sample a few programs already available via Amazon, Vudu et al. And I have determined that the titles that interest me the most are Lucky 7, The Blacklist and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Lucky 7's concept of a group of lottery winners dealing with the ramifications of life-changing events reminds me of a couple of failed ABC series, The Nine and FlashForward. The former program involved the recounting of a bank robbery and its lingering impact on the victims. The latter was one of the Lost clones, messy and uneven but largely compelling. Neither stuck around beyond the first season yet I was a fan of each one. What I am saying is that I like Lucky 7; it probably won't be around for more than 22 episodes, though.

We all know the deal about Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. It is a Whedon family production based upon the second most popular movie of all-time, at least somewhat. Disney, the corporate overlord of ABC, has earned enough money off of Marvel thus far that Mickey Mouse probably feels like the mistress rather than the wife right now. As such, there is so much money at stake here that I believe the network will give this program every opportunity possible to excel, which is exactly the opposite of every Whedon show thus far. The concern is that unreasonable expectations combined with Whedon's track record of sluggish starts and the awareness that his brother, the showrunner, may be the Tommy Aaron while Joss is the Hank Aaron. So Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. isn't a slam dunk. It is the best positioned new program of 2013 by far, though.

The Blacklist is a program that could not have been aired on network television as recently as five years ago. In the post-Shield era where the Vic Mackeys and Walter Whites of the world are the most celebrated and iconic characters, the landscape has fundamentally changed. NBC capitalized on this trend with the debut of Hannibal last year. That series was a ratings disaster, though. It never garnered more than 4.4 million viewers and slipped under 2 million by the final episode. Just because the trends are in right now does not mean that people will watch, at least at first. Our cultural viewing habits have evolved so much that most consumers wait to see what the verdict is on a program before testing the waters. The presence of James Spader in a Hannibal meets Jack Bauer role with some Jethro Gibbs thrown in could be enough to entice potential audiences who are otherwise inclined to wait and see. All I know is that for me, this is a wonderful combination of actor I like in a story premise that captivates me.

This season also features several comedies that I will give a try. Mom stars one of my favorite comedic actresses, Anna Faris, plus Allison Janney and Nate Corddry. None of the jokes I have seen are funny, though. I'm dubious about its ability to escape the same doldrums that destroyed Kat Dennings' Two Broke Girls. The Michael J. Fox Show is one I anxiously anticipate because I have always loved him; plus, his appearances on The Good Wife have been universally sensational. Still, I will have a hard time accepting actress Betsy Brandt as the spouse of anyone other than Hank Schrader. Finally, I am going to watch Trophy Wife because they nailed the leads with Bradley Whitford and Malin Akerman. I loved Whitford on The West Wing and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip so much that I would watch any series in which he stars. Akerman could be the revelation, though. Her work on Childrens Hospital has been equal parts effervescent and daring.

All in all, I have lowered expectations for most of the new fare. But I am a media omnivore so I will watch all the new programs at least once. I will also regret that decision at several moments over the next few weeks.

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