25 of the most buzzworthy new shows for Fall 2018
By Sundi Rose
All-American – The CW
What you’re watching: This is going to be my new favorite show to cry over. Taye Diggs plays Billy Baker, the football coach of a swanky Beverly Hills high school. He stumbles onto an amazing talent playing for a South Los Angeles team. Billy recruits Spencer (Ezra James) from Crenshaw High, and Spencer goes through quite a bit of a culture shock when he switches schools and teams. Billy asks his kids to look out for Spencer as he tries to adjust to his new school and community, but his talent and burgeoning popularity is threatening.
What it reminds me of: I don’t say this lightly because I am a loyal and devoted fan of the show, but this has Friday Night Lights potential. More than football, it has the kind of heart that FNL had, and that’s what draws fans to the show. Taye Diggs is mighty fine to look at, but giving audiences something to root for and believe in is better than anything else.
Long-term potential: If the TV gods hear our prayers, this show will go on for a hundred seasons. I teared up watching the trailer, and then teared up all over again watching the sneak peak at the first scene. The CW knows how to do ennui and angst, and this show feels a lot less Riverdale and a lot more Jane the Virgin.