quiz

How Well Do You Know Your Generic Network Dramas?

Who knows what this one is called, but it stars Alan Cumming! Photo: Jeff Neumann/CBS

A genius who’s bad at dealing with people pairs up with an unlikely ally. An expert in one field turns out to be an expert in another. Someone died, but by the end of the episode, we’ll know what really happened. If you watch enough network procedural dramas, every one of them boils down to the same basic plots, and in some cases, even the same basic premise. That’s why we love them! (Which is, in turn, why network TV keeps making them.) But in this case — and given the addition of new shows like Instinct and Deceptionit’s worth wondering if the names aren’t just a little bit lazy. Half of these show titles are just generic nouns! The other half are common phrases that double as puns about the main character’s name! It’s like each one was chosen by someone writing the world’s least clever crossword. Anyway, can you guess all the generic show names from their log lines?

Guess the Network Drama!

A former CIA operative, who has since built a "normal" life as a gifted professor and writer, is pulled back into his old life when the NYPD needs his help to stop a serial killer.
A drama inspired by the early career of Dr. Phil McGraw — yes, that Dr. Phil — who founded an incredibly prolific trial-consulting firm before he became a daytime TV star.
The adventures of young H.G. Wells and his time machine, as he pursues one of history's most well-known serial killers, Jack the Ripper.
Las Vegas magician Cameron Black becomes a “consulting illusionist” for the FBI after his career is ruined by scandal.
An idealistic young doctor works under the supervision of a tough, brilliant senior resident, who pulls the curtain back on the good and evil in modern-day medicine.
Medical examiner Megan Hunt's unique approach to solving crimes puts her at odds with her superiors.
A covert team of Special Forces operatives risk their lives on undercover missions around the globe, while their families maintain the home front.
The weekly cases of an FBI unit that specializes in missing-persons investigations.
Cal Lightman, the world's leading deception expert, studies facial expressions and involuntary body language to expose the truth behind the lies.
It's a show about a family of New York cops.

How Well Do You Know Your Generic Network Dramas?