Not-New New Trailers: What’s Up with TV Show Promos with No New Content?

Last week I got all aflutter when I read on Twitter that there was a new trailer out promoting the fifth season of Mad Men, a show I crave deep in my bones and about which I’m still peeved is not airing new episodes yet due to the prolonged contract negotiations. Greedy for fresh Don Draper action, I clicked on over to watch the Mad Men promo only to be vastly disappointed that it contained no new footage, nary a hint of what’s to come, just rehashes of previous scenes. No Megan. No Peggy. No Joan with a baby bump. Just scenes we've already seen.




Feeling burned by the Mad Men non-new trailer, I cautiously followed a tantalizing Tweet about a season three promo for The Good Wife which is slated to commence in the afterglow of Alicia and Will finally getting together after Alicia learned that Peter and Kalinda slept together some time back.

At least in this trailer, interspersed with scenes from previous seasons, we also got a glimpse of some new footage – like Alicia Florrick rockin’ bangs -- and a sense that this season will have less of a “poor betrayed wife” vibe and more of a “reclaiming her sexuality & power” one where the chief question is: Team Will or Team Peter?



The Desperate Housewives’ promo for its final season, on the other hand, is nothing more than a highlights reel from the past seven years, reminding me of the early days when this suburban satire was actually scathingly good and insightful. While watching the past seven seasons in this trailer, viewers get nothing more than confirmation of the fact that Wisteria Lane is the most dangerous street in America, that and the fact that the Housewives have become scary-skinny over the years.



At least the Modern Family trailer -- which was entitled, “Looking Back” -- didn’t pretend as though it was going to be giving us anything new. It was clear that this was just going to be a recap of some of the funnier, previously aired moments from the best comedy on television.



As for The Middle trailer, we actually do learn something . . . that Ray Romano is joining his former Everybody Loves Raymond co-star, Patrician Heaton, on the sitcom’s season premiere. At least there's that.