May 18, 2014 4 min read

May is a month of obsessions. Frenzied football fans have the NFL draft; blurry-eyed TV viewers have the big fall season reveal. In both instances, the announcement of who or what is going where is but a springboard for speculation on an ultimate champion.

But while football analysts have already predicted the likely 2014-15 playoff contenders – and in some instances anointed a Super Bowl champion – television prognosticators are still scratching their heads.

Back in the day, picking winners on a primetime TV schedule was as simple as playing the odds on any given Sunday. The bullies on the block were easily identifiable by their track record. (For instance, “Big Bang Theory,” “NCIS,” “The Voice” and “Modern Family” are currently TV’s potent final four.) Challenges by all comers were likely to end in cancellation.

But with the advent of delayed gratification through DVRs and various media, weekly opponents don’t matter nearly as much. For instance, “Dancing with the Stars” and “The Voice” are direct competitors on Monday, but because of live and delayed viewing, both can put one in the win column. If, on the other hand, live and/or delayed viewing diminishes, it’s time to clean out the locker. That scenario occurred for 30 of the 43 new series this season. With the exception of “Blacklist,” the 13 survivors are lucky to be alive.

Obviously, the good news is that quality is once again a significant player in the success of a television series. Based on that attribute alone, last year we picked “Blacklist,” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” “Sleepy Hollow,” “The Michael J. Fox Show” and “Marvel’s Agents of Shield” as likely hits. All but Fox’s show ultimately found their audience. Based on early clips, “Madam Secretary,” “Black-ish,” “NCIS: New Orleans” and “Flash” are worthy match-ups on next season’s playing field.

Some other early thoughts on the upcoming season:

• While “Marvel’s Agents of Shield” was renewed, it hardly qualified as a smash. Why, then, do comic book heroes, sci-fi and fantasy abound, if not dominate. Monday brings the new “Gotham,” “Sleepy Hollow” and “The Originals,” and “Flash” and “The Supernatural” join “Agents of Shield” on Tuesday. “Arrow” returns on Wednesday; “Vampire Diaries” and “Reign” are slated Thursday; “Grimm” and “Constantine” Friday and “Once Upon A Time” and “Resurrection” on Sunday. Enough already?

• But wait. There also are two midseason entries, “Marvel’s Agent Carter” and “Galavant,” the latter described as a “medieval fairytale musical comedy.” Against all odds, the preview was extremely entertaining.

• What happened to the sitcom revival? CBS cut its long-running Monday marathon to one hour; NBC’s Thursday lineup was trimmed to two sitcoms; and ABC slashed its Tuesday slate as well. The answer is most likely the colossal failure of what looked like a can’t miss: “The Crazy Ones” with Robin Williams. To be sure, there were some happy surprises: “Mom” and “The Goldbergs” both improved as the season rolled along. But most new sitcoms were as bland as their titles. “We Are Men,” “Sean Saves the World,” “Trophy Wife” and “The Millers” come to mind.

• At first blush, there won’t be many new laughs generated this fall, either. “Black-ish” aside, most of the new sitcoms are pedestrian at best. And “Manhattan Love Story,” where viewers hear the thoughts of a dating couple, is downright annoying.

• Four returning series are entering their last season: “Glee,” “Parenthood,” Parks and Recreation” and “Two and One-Half Men.” I’m not sure that “final season” angle will generate more viewers, but if the rumor that Charlie Sheen may return to “Men” materializes, then, yes, that could spike ratings.

• Cowardly networks that they are, the big four delayed announcing most contentious cancellations until a weekend – Mother’s Day weekend at that, when few would be paying attention. For those who missed it, “Community” and “Growing Up Fisher” got the boot; “The Mentalist” and “Nashville” survived. But with the seemingly enormous stockpile of series waiting in the wings, it’s likely both dramas will be gone by Christmas.

•?For those who long for the old days, there is one pivotal scheduling clash to anticipate: “Scandal” vs. “Blacklist” Thursdays at 9 p.m. That scenario won’t occur until February, though. In TV Land, that’s light years away.