Every fall the TV networks debut a slew of new shows with high hopes for their success and every fall some of those shows die almost immediate deaths (last season the first to go was CBS’s MADE IN JERSEY) . So which of this fall’s crop of new shows will be the first ones to meet the executioner?

MADAM SECRETARY

Synopsis: A look at the personal and professional life of a Secretary of State as she tries to balance her work and family life. Starring Tea Leoni, Tim Daly and Bebe Neuwirth.

Why Is It Doomed?
It really shouldn’t be doomed. The show has a stellar cast, great production values and from most of the reviews I have read, the pilot is really good. It is even paired with THE GOOD WIFE in a CBS attempt to finally create a programming block targeted towards adult women. All that means nothing though because this show is going head up against SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL on NBC all through its early stages of life and battling the NFL while trying to stake a claim on the increasingly competitive TV landscape is not a good look for even the strongest show.
And that is not even taking into account just how hard a sell it is going to be for this show to attract viewers while doing dramatic re-enactments of real life global crises. The pilot involves US citizens being held hostage by Syria and threatened with execution. Call me a tad bit too sensitive but considering how ugly actual global politics is I am not too keen on watching Tea Leoni doing a Hillary Clinton/Madeline Albright impression on a weekly basis.
Cancellation Countdown: 4 episodes