Stephen Amell stars as the title crimefighter in "Arrow," premiering tonight on The CW. .
“Arrow,” “Nashville” are among new dramas premiering tonight
This is a big week for televised drama.
Tonight, television viewers can choose from a comic-book drama (“Arrow”), a predictable procedural about hunky firefighters (“Chicago Fire”) and a bold, ambitious soap set in the world of country music (“Nashville”). Tomorrow, it’s the premiere of “Beauty and the Beast,” a glossy reboot of the 1980s cult favorite.
Read on for my take on the new shows making their debuts this week.
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“Arrow” (CW)
Premieres: 8 p.m. tonight
Call it “Revenge” for the comic-book set. After surviving the boating accident that killed his father, Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) spent five years on a renote island honing his archery skills. Now he’s returned to civilization to clear his family’s name as the costumed crimefighter known as the Green Arrow. “Smallville” fans are the perfect audience for this show, which is equal parts gritty and goofy.
“Chicago Fire” (NBC)
Premieres: 10 p.m. tonight
Another year, another Dick Wolf procedural. This one focuses on the men and women of Chicago’s Firehouse 51, putting a special emphasis on their personal lives. If you love “Law & Order,” life-or-death drama and those hunky fireman calendars, you’ll enjoy this formulaic show.
“Nashville” (ABC)
Premieres: 10 p.m. tonight
Much like “Country Strong,” “Nashville” centers on the power struggle between an aging country star and her younger, hotter rival. In this case, country singer Rayna James (Connie Britton) is struggling to remain relevant in an industry where conniving cuties like teen sensation Juliette Barnes (Hayden Panettiere) reign supreme. To make matters more complicated, she’s torn between her former flame (Charles Esten) and her husband (Eric Close), who’s running for mayor with the help of her manipulative father (Powers Booth). Good soapy fun.
“Beauty and the Beast” (CW)
Premieres: Thursday, Oct 11 at 9/8c
Don’t let the title of this drama mislead you. Kristin Kreuk is definitely a beauty, but Jay Ryan? He’s far from beastly. Most of the time, in fact, he resembles a slightly scarred male model who misplaced his razor. This remake might share a general premise with the hit CBS series starring Linda Hamilton and Ron Perlman — Kreuk plays a homicide detective, while Hamilton portrayed an assistant D.A. — but it lacks that show’s soulful sense of romance.
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“Arrow” photo by Michael Courtney, courtesy of The CW Network.
