Deliberately naive on my part, as I avoid reading too much in advance which might spoil any surprises.

666 Park Avenue:

This one could be good, scary “fun”—if they don’t interlard it with subtle anti-capitalistic themes.

Hulu’s verdict: “The show was inspired by movies like The Shining and Rosemary’s Baby. It seems like they’re going for cerebral scariness over visual gore—which, when done right, could be pretty great.”

Arrow:

Expect still more superhero angst a la Smallville. The action, however, might make it worth watching.

Hulu’s verdict: “It would be pretty badass if Lance turned out to be the Black Canary: Cassidy has the heroine chops to be the fall’s surprise superhero.”

Last Resort:

This one reminds me of a defeatist novel from fifty years ago called Commander One, not to mention that similarly defeatist Gene Hackman movie a few years back. If the current administration wants to weaken the military, propaganda like this should be instrumental in accomplishing it.

Hulu’s description: “After defying an order to start World War III, the rogue crew of the USS Colorado declare themselves a sovereign nation on a remote island off the coast of who knows where. If you can excuse the obligatory submarine-crew-dancing-to-La-Bamba-as-they-cross-the-equator-moment from the trailer, this one definitely has some great potential.”

Revolution:

So-called “liberal-progressives” love to destroy civilization and replace it with their own vision of a “just society,” and this show promises to do that. Hulu doesn’t see any political content—yeah, like that apolitical fire in the Reichstag. Still, I’d like to be wrong about Revolution.

Hulu’s description: “J. J. Abrams and Jon Favreau create a bubblegum version of a post-apocalyptic world, complete with sassy adventure leather pants and wavy beach hairdos. Think The Hunger Games without the politics and despair. These people don’t look like they’re starving.”

The New Normal:

Know nothing about this one, having somehow missed all the advance PR, but Hulu says it’s rather controversial.

Hulu’s description: “This show is ominously billed as coming ‘from the imagination of Ryan Murphy.’ (Other things from this source: Gwyneth Paltrow singing Cee Lo Green, lots of ghosts impregnating people and stealing the babies). Goldie, a single mother from the south, played by the doe-eyed Georgia King, signs up to be a surrogate mother for a devastatingly pithy gay couple (The Hangover‘s Justin Bartha and Book of Mormon‘s Andrew Rannells).

“One Good Reason to Watch: Conservative group One Million Moms has already come out against the show, giving it the dubious distinction of being the first network show of the season to be boycotted. We’re in.”

You can watch Hulu‘s short previews of 18 new fall shows here.