Great Things to Do Today (Instead of Die)

Congratulations. You have made it to the apocalypse. Right now you are either a) hiding in a bomb shelter with gas masks and gross food or B) on the internet, looking at blogs. I’m going to guess it’s the second.

So, how can you have fun during the END OF THE WORLD? Well, SSF has your answers.

1. Thank your Maker. Your God/higher being/Tom Cruise/mother/werewolf pack that raised you. Thank them! Really! You should be thankful for every day.

2. Listen to happy, corny, sickeningly cheery pop songs. It'll be something to keep you cheerful. Today is going to be tense, whether you think there's any credibility in the Mayan calendar or not.

3. Run into the streets with a sword (preferably fake) screaming, “I did it! I KILLED GANON AND SAVED HYRULE!” See how it long it takes for your local news station to show up.

4. No sword? Simply mix up some red kool-aid and run into the streets screaming, “It’s begun!”, “Run for your lives!”, “Where’s the spaceship!”, “You’re next!”, or whatever crazy nonsense you can come up with. See how long it takes until your local news station shows up.

5. Listen to your end-of-the-world playlist. (See this post) Especially listen to R.E.M’s “It’s the End of the World as We Know It”.

6. Keep track of how many views R.E.M gets today (and don’t be surprised if it surpasses Psy’s “Gangnam Style”. Actually, it probably won’t. Nobody can defeat Psy).

7. Now that we're talking about it...watch "Gangnam Style". What better way to celebrate life than by watching the now-most-watched-Youtube-video-of-all-time?

8. Ignore all the Christmas movies on TV and watch 2012. Start thinking about how to convince your grandchildren how you survived this.

(Okay that might take some convincing)

9. Do legitimate research on Mayan culture. I’m sure they weren’t ALL such bad guys.

10. Get some friends together and start plotting up the next doomsday. Choose a date, come up with a creepy but possibly true theory, and decide what catastrophes will occur (internet shuts down? Nuclear bombs explode? Justin Bieber is cloned?) Now choose an internet board and get it out there!

11. Sleep. Seriously. Just sleep through the whole day and wake up on the 22nd. It’ll be nice.

What are your plans for today, December 21st, 2012? Will you live it up or go on as normal?

Last Songs I Will Listen To. Ever.

Okay, so that end-of-the-world thing or whatever is happening this Friday. No biggie, right? Well, whether you’ve been prepared for Doomsday since YTK or you’re like me, just trying to get through school finals, why not take a week to…live it up? To celebrate the end of time?

(Note: SSF does not believe in the apocalypse, or at least not the one slated for this Friday. She does, however, await the day when either a) God steps in and stuff or b) WHEN THE SLOTHS RISES FROM THE SEWERS AND THE BLOODTHIRST BEGINS! Yes. You read that sentence right).

 So, let’s pretend this was your last week on Earth. What songs would you listen to? As in, THE LAST SONGS YOU WILL EVER HEAR FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE, MAN!

 

I’m curious and bored and should probably be reviewing for finals so…LET’S DO A TOP TEN LIST YEAH! SSF’s Last Songs She Will Listen To. Ever.

 1. My Chemical Romance - Kids From Yesterday

This band had once said it wants to be the band still dancing when the bombs go off. So they’re definitely a band you want playing at the End of Days. For now, I choose “Kids From Yesterday” because it’s a nice, calming, and emotionally charged rock track. If I was in charge of making a slideshow to conclude the End of Days, I would put this song in the background.

2. Beatles - Tomorrow Never Knows

Between you, me, and the spirit of John Lennon, this is my favorite Beatles track. There’s something about how it was mixed and the mysterious lyrics that make it timeless. And it does have a nice, end-of-the-world theme - “Play the game, existence till the end of the beginning”.

3. Prince - Let’s Go Crazy

(Note: Couldn't play the original "Let's Go Crazy" because Youtube and Prince hate each other. But Incubu's cover of it is pretty boss.)

Oh come on. You know that the End of the World is a time to live it up. Let’s all remember that we have to go nuts. And hey, at least you got friends!

4. Kansas - Dust in the Wind

After partying it up with Prince, I feel like I’d deserve a moment of quiet reflection. A moment to walk around and think about stuff. And what better way to do that than with “Dust in the Wind”? It’s only for a moment…then the moment’s gone.

5. REM - It’s End of the World as We Know It

The most appropriate song for this week, of course. What better way to complete the End of Days than with REM’s most famous song? And even if (well, when) the world doesn’t end this Friday, we should still listen to REM. First it starts with an earthquake and...you know the rest. And if that isn’t enough reason to end your life with REM, then did you know that the last album Kurt Cobain listened to was REM? That’s right. I just blew your mind.

So. What songs are you going to listen to at the end of the world?

Later (unless a meteor falls from the sky and kills us all or the Mayans did their math wrong and the world ends tonight or sloths do rise from the sewers and THE BLOODBATH DOES BEGIN!)

Haha. Later.

Erase. Now Replay. (Song Stuck in My Head)

This week's SONG STUCK IN MY HEAD..."Erase/Rewind" by the Cardigans.

Genre: According to Wikipedia, alternative rock/indie pop, though it's a lot lighter/soft than that. ("It's true, I saw it on the Wikipedia" - quote from Jennifer's Body) 



Why It's Stuck on My Head: After going through the hard drive from my old (and now long-gone) laptop I had as a tween, I rediscovered this (and about a hundred embarrassing photos of emo boys and various My Chemical Romance and Panic! At the Disco fanfiction). Actually the way I originally discovered was thanks to a (poorly made) fan video on Youtube for MyChem. Oh, the Fangirl as a Preteen.

Why. It. ROCKS: Well, it more rolls than rocks, persay, but that's not the point. This song is the pure definition of smooth. Very prickly guitar notes, very angelic voice, and drums and bass that sound like they came straight off a little kid's first keyboard. Somehow it all fits and becomes this ridiculously catchy tune that makes you want to dance Luna-Lovegood style.

Fun Fact: The Cardigans had a song, "Lovefool", on the soundtrack for William Shakespeare's Romeo+Juliet. Because that's the kind of music they listened to in that time. Obviously.

Imagining Dragons (Not Unicorns. Not Fairies. Dragons).

It's time for SONG STUCK IN MY HEAD, the (really brand new) song posts that will now happen every Monday. Maybe.

Song stuck in my head today... Lots of Imagine Dragons. Nothing in particular.

Genre: Alt. Rock/Acoustic/Rock Pop (also what I call Dyna-Pop).

Why It's Stuck in My Head: So I'm the anti-hipster. Sorta. Instead of trying to get into "cool" stuff before they are popular, I'm lazy and take forever to be a fan of something even after it has already been established as "legit". In this case, it's Imagine Dragons.

Why. It. ROCKS: Shiny and new to the alt. rock/pop scene, Imagine Dragons may not breathe fire but they have one unique ability. With a snap of their fingers, ID can go from folksy, acoustic guitar-playing and hand-clapping sentimentals (see It's Time) to more techno-esque dramatic rockers ala 30 Seconds to Mars or Muse (see Lost Cause). One good example of this is the song "Radioactive", which begins with that smoothness of a coffee shop jam before it starts droppin' the beat. (And yes. I said "droppin'").



Fun Fact: Commercials love Imagine Dragons. In fact, there's a high chance you've already heard them. They've been in commercials for Windows 8, Assassin's Creed, movie and TV show previews, car and furniture commercials.

Later.

Other Twilight Hotties: We Remember

It's the end of Twihard week here at SSF. While I've yet to see Breaking Dawn Pt. 2 I can assure you that half the girls in my English and journalism class were more than willing to tell me about the "vision" scene that scared everybody to death. Anyhow.

Today we're going to talk about the GUYS of Twilight. Forget Edward and Jacob. Even forget Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner. We don't care about those dudes right now.

After all...there are a LOT of males in the Twilight movie series. Let's review the top ones.


Lee Pace as Garrett (in Breaking Dawn Pt. 2): One of the newer vampires called in on back-up. For a rogue, ancient vampire, he isn't too bad looking.

Peter Facinelli as Carlisle (in all movies): Vampire dad is pretty strange looking when he's pale and blonde, but once you remove the makeup...

Yeah. That.

Cameron Bright as Alec (in New Moon, Eclipse, BD Pt. 2): The youngest Volturi, also that evil Jane girl's sister. Doesn't have much of a role but at least he's nice to look at.

Kiowa Gordon as Embry Call (in New Moon, Eclipse, BD Pt. 1 and 2): One of the more forgotten "werewolves" but an attractive one all the same.

Charlie Brewley as Demetri (in New Moon, Eclipse, BD Pt. 2): Another member of the Volturi, this time one of the attendants who's most known for fighting and not for standing by. Though Charlie's character may not be the most attractive vampire, in real life he is pretty gorgeous.

Xavier Samuel as Riley (Eclipse): The motherlode. Though he was a "newborn" vampire and got killed at the end of Eclipse, his scenes were memorable if only because of HIM. I mean, LOOK AT HIM.

Understand now?

Okay. That's it. You can all go home and start preparing for the Hobbit or the new Hunger Games movie.

Later!

What Twilight Taught Me About Writing (No. Really)

It's Be-A-Twihard-One-Last-Time week here at Some Screaming Fangirl, where we analyze the books, remember the films, talk about the music, and fangirl all over the place. One. Last. Time.

Today, I'm going to talk about a rare topic - how Twilight influenced me as a writer (especially as a teenage writer, because basically EVERYTHING influences your style then).

1. First Person...Rules: I used to write in 3rd person before the Twilight Saga. But after seeing it used playfully well in the books, I made the switch. Haven't looked back since. While the books may not have the best writing in the world, it has a lot more humor and voice to it because it's in first-person - it's the only way I would have ever believe this super-perfect Bella person to be awkward.

2. If you're going to have a mushy romance, back it up with something un-mushy. Like vampire fight, yeah!: If you ever seen any of the trailers for the Twilight films, you know that they spend a lot of time on one particular scene - THE FIGHT. The fight against the werewolves, the Volturi, the newborns, James. Sure, there's about another two hours of dialogue and staring at each other, but who cares about those scenes?

Anyhow, there is a point to this - if you have one genre, especially something heavy like romance, you're going need a few break scenes to pace it. Shakespeare wrote tragedies, but he still had the random "comic relief" scene here and there, right?

3. Voice and dialogue matters: For example, in Eclipse, my favorite scene is where Jacob kisses Bella, hence her punching him in the face. If you've read the scene in the books, you've probably seen how outrageously hilarious it gets. But if you've just seen the movie, then you probably didn't even remember that scene. That's because it comes off as tense and angry, not funny and memorable. The actors took it a completely different direction.

So when you write dialogue, be sure you convey the emotional tone of the scene. Don't be depressing if it's a happy scene; don't be excited and exclamation-pointy if it's a pretty solemn scene. And so on.

4. Be original. Just not too original: Sometimes I like to imagine Stephenie Meyer did research on vampires and then thought, "Hmmm. How can I completely rearrange all the vampire traditions of yesteryear for this book?" If you're writing about heavily popular topics/creatures (Vampires! Werewolves! Angels! Mermaids! Oh my!) you probably know that you have to change it up to be noticed.

However, there is a point where changing it up becomes complete nonsense. No one talks about how Twilight vampires are conflicted between humanity and hunger, how they have certain "tastes" in humans, or the unique way they transform. No. They talk about how they're "sparkly". When you make a traditional monster your own, have a stopping point.

5. Mary Sue, Mary Sue: I had no idea what this type of annoying archetype character was until Bella Swan. And if you don't know, it's time you learned: http://www.springhole.net/writing/marysue.htm . Watch out for the signs, because there is nothing worse than a too-perfect character. Trust me.

You May Have Twilight, but You Gotta Love the Music

It's Be-a-Twihard-One-Last-Time at SFF. This week shall a) analyze the books, b) remember the films, c) talk about the soundtracks, and d) fangirl all over the place.

 Today I'm going to talk about the best thing about those sparkly Twilight movies - the music. But mostly the first soundtrack (don't get me wrong, I love New Moon's "Possibility" and how Breaking Dawn has BRUNO FRIGGIN' MARS). Anyhow.

The first Twilight soundtrack/score set the quota: a nonsensical/awesome mixture of indie darlings and pop/rock modern icons. They managed to score a lot of big names on their first soundtrack - Linkin Park's "Leave Out All the Rest" or Mutemath's "Spotlight". Paramore got two tracks, since Hayley Williams was a fan, with the woeful "I Caught Myself" and hit rocker "Decode".

Muse also provided the baseball scene music, "Supermassive Black Hole", only a short time before "Uprising" properly introduced them the Brits to American rock fans. Thanks to author Stephenie Meyer's obsession with the band (they even got in the dedications!), a Muse song landed on pretty much every OST after that.

The score is unique too. It had a good number of guitar/rock music, not just the typical orchestra music. Carter Burwell had fun with the landmark scenes like "I Know What You Are" and "Showdown in the Ballet Studio", but added a flavor of emotion to each scene whether it be confusion or anger or happiness.

He also had the honor of scoring "Bella's Lullaby". The track may have gone on to be the background music for a'many poorly made Twihard fan videos. But it is memorable enough both it and Iron + Wine's "American Mouth" returned in the Breaking Dawn Pt. 1 soundtracks. Pretty neat, right?

The best part about the Twilight soundtrack/score though? Why even Robert Pattinson got to do a song.

SSF's Election Post

It's hard to be a teenager excited about the election, so while I'm happy for tonight I'm also ready for it to be over. Teenagers don't know much about politics, did you ever know that?

Anyhow, just letting you all know that a) I am still alive! b) I will have an EPIC post tomorrow about all the memes/parodies that resulted from the election and c) to remind you all to have fun tonight and relax! And please don't move to Canada if you guys doesn't win. Trust me. Once the zombie apololypse begins THEN we'll all migrate up North.

Writers: Learn From ABC (Part Two)

So, Tuesday I told you about how ABC handled its “recap” of both Once Upon a Time and Revenge’s season one.

Now let’s talk about how their fun versions of a TV synopsis can serve as a lesson for writers. After all, after the query letter, the synopsis is one of the most torturous gateways to publication every writer must face. Eventually. 

We get told a lot of advice about them too: synopsis’s must be short, but longer than a couple of paragraphs like on the back of the book, and must sufficiently describe all the plotlines, but not go way too in-depth or off-track, and must tell the ending but not reveal too much because why else would an agent care enough to read it?

Yeah. It’s pretty headache-inducing. So after you’ve read the first post on this and see how ABC handled their recaps of Revenge and OUAT, how can you use that to be more unique with the recap of your book (especially if, like TV shows, your WIP is a series and not a novel?)

1. Focus on the characters

 

Much like OUAT did, make sure you give all your MC’s a paragraph to call their own. If you don’t know your characters’ backstories, how they get introduced, or what they contribute to the tale (hint: It’s not just “why does your hero care about them?” Why does your ----reader----- care about them?) then you have an issue. Make sure you can talk about all your characters like an elitist at a social event BEFORE you ever start on the synopsis. Or submitting, for that matter.

Just a small example of how different EVERY character can be.

2. Give it away.

Let’s say in chapter two, your hero/heroine hears something/meets someone/sees an important item that will play an important, life-or-death role in their tale…later on, around the end of the book. While in your book this can be a subtle detail, in your synopsis you may have to actually talk about it.

So when leading up to your twist endings and surprise epiphanies, make sure you talk about the hints and clues strewn throughout your WIP. Otherwise, you’ll be saying “And so, Awesome Guy remembered what he had learned that one time in the beginning of the book that I forgot to mention, and used that to save the day!” No. Just no.

There is no need to include a "spoiler alert" in a synopsis.

3. Use your voice

If you know anything about query letters, you know how vital “voice” is in your pitches. Pitches are similar to the two paragraphs on the back of the book or on an Amazon summary - a quick, snappy, catchy intro to your story meant to get you readers, agents, and so on.

Yet we seem to forget that synopsis’s should be snappy and easy to read too, not a dull “This happened, and then this happened”. We’re paraphrasing our story, sure, but we’re also trying to keep Mrs. Agent’s attention so she asks for a full manuscript. 

While I’m not saying narrate your synopsis through a secondary character like Revenge did (though not a bad idea…hmm…can we do that?) have a voice. A personality. Really tell your story and sell it. Maybe even narrating through your character wouldn’t be too horrible, and then changing the “I’s” to “she/he’s” if you feel nervous about submitting it that way.

Have you already written synopsis’s for your stories before? What do you consider when you write one? Or if you haven’t written one before, how do you feel about them?

As for a less depressing topic…what do you think of the ABC shows so far?

Later.

Writers: Learn From ABC TV (Part One)

If you had the ABC channel on anytime this past summer, you probably remember the million or so promos involving their new shows. Maybe you even remember their epic Sunday night promo about fantastical Once Upon a Time, killer Revenge, and the new but mysterious Park Avenue.

Thanks to the hype of ABC’s (admittedly awesome) Sunday line-up, viewers received two wonderful things.

One: a new song to add to the playlist. Have you HEARD the Skyler Stonestreet song in the background, a “Little Taste”. Pretty catchy tune there ladies and gentlemen.

And two: a recap episode from the returning OUAT and Revenge each.

What am I talking about? Well, every series with complicated plots and intertwining storylines must find some way to help new viewers keep up. Sometimes they do this with a static introduction at the beginning of each episode. Other times, they may just take a moment to recap the last episode. And with every new season, there are always chances of new viewers.

(My personal favorite re-cappers would be Supernatural - not only do they do a “Then” and “Now” - themed beginning, but they end every season with a cool, lengthier montage of the “Road So Far” to the Kansas song Carry On My Wayward Song.)

With the success of OUAT and Revenge, ABC decided to have fun with their recap. They tried it once already with Revenge - dedicating an entire episode to the recap of the episodes so far. Revenge’s first recap episode had aired shortly before the last few episodes of Season One. Not only did it tell the entire story of Emily Thorne/Amanda Clarke so far, but with a whole hour dedicated to recapping, we got a glimpse of all the plotlines, all the B stories, all the details and clues.

When ABC did new recap episodes, they did it differently. OUAT told the story of their first season by going character-to-character. They introduce a character, briefly go into that character’s backstory (or whatever you may need to know by that point) and then continue on with the story. 

Throughout the hour, they introduce all the characters and the backstories as well as move on though both plots - the story happening in Storybrooke, and the story happening in Fairytale land. This is especially useful because that’s how OUAT works already - every episode was dedicated to telling some of one character’s backstory, or just diving in deeper to the story of Snow White and the Evil Queen.

Revenge freshened up its recap of season one: while it did tell most of the same story, this time with the finale episodes, the recap episode was narrated by one of its main characters, Nolan. (Who the consensus agrees is the most lovable good-guy/evil-sidekick in the show, this girl included). 

Now this worked because while Revenge features a lot of egotistical, stiff, haughty elites as main characters, Nolan is both egotistical and haughty as well as cynical, dramatic, and overall humorous. He has enough emotion for both himself and his partner in crime, the unforgiving Emily Thorne. Since he’s also involved in a lot of the story, behind-the-scenes, he never misses an opportunity to mention his part in the action.

If you watch these recaps, it’s kind of funny: they feel like a television show’s version of a synopsis, don’t they?

How can we use that? Well, this blog post is already a mile long so…let’s discuss that next time!

Later.

Get Your Remotes Ready: CW Day

So far on SSF, we’ve talked about the new shows on all the four major networks, even some of the returning ones to watch out for. It’s time for the last, and sometimes least, network: the CW. 

 

 

Arrow: You remember Green Arrow right? Maybe you know him as the snarky Oliver Queen on the CW’s hit Smallville, who played both a friend and rival to young Superman. Maybe you know him as Ryan Reynolds in the lackluster 2011 movie. Or maybe you know him as the comic book character who, according to D.C., has been declared their first (openly) gay comic book hero. 

Well, the CW’s new Arrow is none of those guys. Oliver is a millionaire who had been stranded on an island for much too long, and comes back with new strengths, powers, and vengeance. And his weapon of choice? Um…guess.

Emily Owens M.D.: Riding the success of its first doctor show, the sweet comedy Hart of Dixie with Rachel Bilson, the CW tries out another medical comedy. This time it’s about the outrageously awkward Emily Owens, someone whose social insecurities are almost crippling. If it wasn’t for the fact that she went though eight years of school to get where she is now, Emily Owens would clearly be a shell of a human. It’s hard to see this show really take off, but with Emily’s crazy thought process and the added irony of her high school bully being her co-worker, it might be worth a watch or two.

Beauty and the Beast: If you’ve seen any of the glimpses of promos of this new romantic drama, then you’ve probably already figured out that the CW’s Beauty and the Beast is a far cry from Disney’s yellow dresses, singing teacups, and roses. 

“Beauty” is a young, attractive woman working as a detective. And “Beast” is a young man who saves her life more than once, but can’t be with her because of that whole turns-into-a-monster problem he has (thanks to the government of course). Will star-crossed love conquer all - even hairy, scary, monster faces? (Okay, so technically there isn't a "romance" to speak of yet, but it's pretty obvious that's next). Only time can tell.

Returning favorites:

Gossip Girl: After finally reading the book series this summer (and realizing how the show and series have nothing in common except the character names) I can honestly say I will miss this show. Why? Well, it’s the final season of everyone’s favorite show about over-privileged, naughty young adults living on Fifth Avenue. Only one more season of wondering if Chuck and Blair will last, will "Gossip Girl" (a.k.a. Michelle Trachtenberg, as we know now) reveal herself, and if Serena Van Der Woodsen will ever be happy. Get the popcorn and tissues ready.

Vampire Diaries: Okay, catch me up I missed last season…what? WHAT? Elena actually started falling for Damon (geez, took you long enough. Ian Somerhalder not good enough for you or something?). And what? She chose his brother Stefan in the end anyways? BUT WHAT!? After her brother nearly died, she gave her own life instead, so Elena ended up being made a vampire? Oh heavens no….

Well, CW, we wish you good luck. And if you fail this time around, at least we have those awesome-looking shows mid-season to look forward to, like The Cult or The Carrie Diaries. For now, just work on giving Britt Robertson a new show (no more Life, Unexpected and no more The Secret Circle, gotta do something) or the LA Complex a new season. Trust me, you will not regret it.

Later.

Get Your Remotes Ready: Fox Day

Well, it’s been a couple weeks since SSF’s new Fall 2012 TV series special has began, and it’s time to get a little “Fox-y”. What new shows are playing on the Fox network?

The Mindy Project: A show that’s gotten a lot of positive hype thanks to its charming star, The Office’s Mindy Kaling, The Mindy Project follows Bridget-Jones-esque “Mindy” as she searches for love as an awkward, talkative, and overly-thoughtful OB/GYN. Of course, this quest for love involves irresistible mean boys (like co-worker Jeremy Reed), odd friends, and a lot of maybe-Mr.-Right’s? The humor seeps through though - like with Mindy’s “red flag test” (no drug habits, no skinny jeans, no secret families, etc. Sounds fair enough).

The Mob Doctor: Before you laugh at the title of this show, just remember this is a drama to be watched. Its intense premise? A doctor, played by Jordana Spiro, works for the mob so she can pay off her brother’s gambling debt. All while balancing job at Chicago Roosevelt Medical Center, of course. Well…mobs need doctors too, right?

The Following: The creator of the Vampire Diaries and Dawson’s Creek is the mind behind this show - which is peculiar, because this drama sounds like the next Prison Break or 24, not the next teen-friendly soap. After serial killer Joe Carroll escapes along with a whole cult of other murderers, his original capturer, former FBI man Ryan Hardy, must return to the field to capture him again. If the premise isn’t enough, maybe the stars will be - with everyone from Kevin Bacon to Natalie Zea, there isn’t much to disappoint.

Ben and Kate: So the critics have basically thrown fruit at this show the second it aired. But to each its own, so: Ben and Kate follows the odd life of a brother and sister, and her daughter, as they struggle to grow up themselves. Both get each others’ advice, help each other out of awkward predicaments, blah blah blah. Hopefully there is enough quirkiness between the stars Nat Faxon and Dakota Johnson to keep you interested. If not, then just remember: New Girl comes on right after. It’ll be okay.

Some returning shows…

Glee: Some of the gang is in New York. Some are at war. Somewhere are at college. But the rest of the New Directions show choir is still at school, dealing with new bullies, new friends and relationships, and - of course - even more Top 40 songs to choose from.

The X Factor: Need more singing? Then look no further than the X Factor! After Britney Spears and Demi Lovato joined the judges’ panel, the show certainly got a noticeable facelift. However, is the snarky soundbites painting Britney Spears as the new Simon Cowell and Lovato as the new Paula Abdul enough to convince you? Watch for yourself. After all, while singing competition shows aren’t for everybody, the auditions are always worth watching. Trust me.

Well, that’s all for Fox. Join us for the final installment in this series on CW Day!

Get Your Remotes/DVR's Ready: ABC Day

Part three of SSF’s Fall TV Line-Up special. Need to know more? Go here. Otherwise, let’s get to the shows on ABC.

THE NEIGHBORS: It’s been a while since we’d had a sci-fi themed family show (Honey, I Shrunk the Kids anyone?) but the time is right. And I mean time as in time slot - ABC conveniently placed it among its other menagerie of family shows, so it just feels right. As right as clone-esque and possibly cannibalistic aliens can feel, of course. Will premiere September 26th.

666 PARK AVENUE: After a young, attractive couple’s job leads them to a mystic, beautiful penthouse in New York City, they quickly get in over their heads. The owner of the building and his wife are an older but powerful couple played by Terry O' Quinn and Vanessa Williams. Their new home hides fantastical and seductive secrets. And…that’s all I know. Hopefully what’s so magical about this building will be revealed in the pilot. Will premiere September 30th.

 

LAST RESORT: While I wish this show wasn’t coming out during both an election year annnd now a year where Libya is turning our war in the middle east inside out, this show still does have an important theme. After some Navy Seals at sea refuse to do a mission for the US government, something immoral we could only guess, the government decides to take them out. And there is no way they are going down without a fight - not against their own country of birth. Will premiere September 27th.

KATIE: Katie Couric jumps on the talk show bandwagon, and whether you’re a fan of her excessively sugary, bubbly personality or not, you can appreciate that her years in journalism gave her a lot of connections. Already Katie has talked to everyone from Demi Lovato to author of 50 Shades of Grey. Matt Lauer's already made an appearance. And we’re only getting started. Already premiered, watch at 4-3 pm central each weekday.

NASHVILLE: It’s the darker side of sweet country music. An older singer nearing the end of her glory days suddenly gets a wake-up call when a young, new starlet Juliette Barns (Hayden Panetierre) becomes the new talk of town, and suddenly there just isn’t room for Rayna James (Connie Britton) anymore. There’s lots of secrets, horrible people, life-changing decisions, and staring at rain clouds (at least in the commercials). Will premiere October 10th.

As for the returning shows…

ONCE UPON A TIME: Storybrooke’s curse is broken and both the fairytale characters’ identities and magic return to them. I don’t care what goes down, but I hope there is more awesome CGI dragons.

MODERN FAMILY: Sofia Vergara is pregnant, with 1002-year old (give or take) ex-Al Bundy Ed O'Niell as the aging father. Should be fun.