Well, I apologize for those of you who turned up for this month's movie reviews, but alas I have seen a grand total of zero movies in the last month. I know, I'm not holding up my end of the bargain here, but I swear I have good reason. We spent the first 2 weeks on vacation visiting both of our families (I know, I use the term "vacation" in the loosest sense of the word), & 3 days after we returned home the hubby was admitted to hospital due to a mystery illness. He is all fine & well now & at home, but as you can expect, movies were the last thing on my mind.
As the due date for my latest review was approaching, & no sign of even a DVD night in front of the TV, I was at a loss for what I could do. And then my newest issue of Entertainment Weekly arrived & it hit me. The new TV season is about to begin. If there is one thing I know (& love) even more than the movies, it is TV. I am truly a TV baby. Really fond memories. The Muppet Show & The Wonderful World of Disney with the whole family. Getting to "stay-up" to watch The Love Boat on Saturday nights & falling asleep snug in my parents' bed 10 minutes into Fantasy Island. I've seen every episode of Little House on the Prairie, Three's Company, The Flintstones & Scooby Doo. I remember Hockey Night in Canada (those lean Ballard-era years when the Leafs were awful...oh wait, they're still awful) & the Calgary '88 Olympics with Canada's hero Liz Manley & her famous cowboy hat. I also have an older brother & snuck a few watchings of Airwolf & Miami Vice in there. The latter I was forbidden to watch ever again after my mother came into the rec room & saw a guy dying on the TV because of a botched drug-running.
But, then again, times were different then. We had 12 channels, no remote controls, & if you "taped" something on TV it was with your ghetto-blaster. Nowadays we have so many choices, on so many channels, it is just so confusing. So my goal is to weed through a lot of the drivel & get to the heart of which new shows you need to watch, & which returning shows are worth, well, returning too. A little aside, if you don't own a PVR (DVR or Tivo south of the border), run, don't walk, to the nearest store & buy one. This is the greatest invention of our time. Never again will you need to watch a re-run of Wifeswap. (Okay, okay, maybe not the greatest, but it certainly is top ten.)
You are going to need one this fall if you want to be up on all of the shows that everyone is talking about around the water cooler, at the coffee shop or waiting to pick the kids up from school. Plus, there are going to be lean nights when you can watch all of your PVR-ed shows. So let's give this a go.
PROCEDURALS:
I am going to state up front that I am not a big fan of procedural shows (the CSIs, Law & Orders, etc) or reality shows. I pause for the collective "gasp" from all of you. As far as the procedurals, I'm not saying they are bad shows or not enjoyable to watch an individual episode, but I enjoy character & plot-based story lines as opposed to problem-based ones. I enjoy seeing characters grow over time & plots developing and changing. Don't get me wrong, during the summer & reruns of my faves, I most often turn to the procedurals for good TV that I can watch & not worry if I know what is going on with the overall plot. I have two exceptions to this rule; Shark & Numb3rs (more on those later).
REALITY SHOWS:
Now to my general distaste for reality shows. Bear with me. I figure there are a few major stand-outs (AI, Survivor, Dancing with the Stars, Biggest Loser) & then there are the rest....and they are bad. Really bad. Do a detriment to society bad (again, just my opinion here). My biggest problem is the fact that the majority of these shows are made very cheaply (compared to sit-coms or dramas), but make loads of money for networks, advertisers, & the big conglomerates that own them. The way I see it, the producers' jobs are to find the most annoying people & put them together & then sit back. I can do that. Wanna pay me a gazillion to do that? Where do I sign up? But instead of getting good quality programing, we currently get a rehashing of what once was innovative.
American Idol. Glorified karaoke night (I mean noooo-one is becoming a bona fide star from this show....besides the judges/host).
Survivor (what are we at 29?!?) is Lord of the Flies only a lot less interesting (which is saying a lot since I found that book torturous). Don't even get me started on The Bachelor -type shows. In the end, I guess I want these people to have to work for my loyalty & coveted Neilson rating & I just don't see that happening with most of the reality shows out there.
Dancing With the Stars, Last Comic Standing, The Biggest Loser
There are a few I enjoy; Dancing with the Stars (although they risk falling into the "tired" mold of other shows), Last Comic Standing (shout-out to Toronto's Jerry Dee...hysterical), & The Biggest Loser (because in the end it is about bettering yourself). That is not to say I won't, in this review, discuss either of these types of shows, they just may not be high on my recommendations list. Phew, now that I have that of my chest!!
I'll be tackling the Fall TV schedule by day & if you would like a complete listing of the shows, days & times click here to download. I am going to review the shows on the major US networks plus CBC. Its up to you guys to be my eyes & ears on all of the other new & exciting Canadian shows (unfortunately we don't get much in the line of Canadian programming in California). My Picks will be in red, for watch it, & blue for PVR it.
Sunday
New Shows
There are only 2 new shows on the major networks on Sunday; Viva Laughlin & Life is Wild.
CBC has a couple of other new shows in Heartland & Triple Sensation. Life is Wild (8pm, CW, Oct 7) & Heartland (7pm, CBC, Oct 14) are both family dramas. Think 7th Heaven in the South African bush & on a horse ranch in Alberta, respectively. Triple Sensation (8pm, CBC, Oct 7) is a Canadian reality show where contestants compete in singing, acting, & dancing (i.e triple sensation) for a chance at a $150,000 scholarship. There haven't been any previews of the show, but looks like it will be clean family programming on a night that has become anything but. Viva Laughlin (8pm, CBS, Oct 18) seems quite intriguing (one big reason being Hugh Jackman...I'd tune in to him reading the phone book). It is based on the UK hit Viva Blackpool, & there has been much success with adapting UK shows for North American audiences. Basic premise is murder-mystery (at a casino) in Las Vegas' not-as-well-known cousin Laughlin. What is really intriguing is that apparently this is being billed as a musical drama. I know, I'm not quite sure what that means either, but the producers assure watchers that "no-one breaks into a tune, so it's not a musical." Bit of mixed messages there, also the promos play up the "music" part, but not necessarily the "musi-cal" part.
What to Watch
Viva Laughlin
8 pm -Even though the Viva Laughlin premise is a bit out there, I think it is worth checking out. It is billed as innovative, but that may just come across as strange to some people. I'm definitely going to watch the first few episodes & give it a try.
Desperate Housewives, Brothers & Sisters, Shark
9-11 pm - For the rest of the night I would stick with ABC. Desperate Housewives (9pm, ABC, Sept 30)picked up some momentum towards the end of last year (after a slow & frankly shaky start) & I for one want to see how they resolve the whole "Edie hanging herself" plot. Producers guarantee that there is an "unexpected resolution" to that storyline. Brothers & Sisters (10pm, ABC, Sept 30) was definitely a surprise hit last year (so shocking with Sally Field, Rachel Griffiths, Calista Flockhart, & Rob Lowe), because of the fact that Sally Field was brought in so late & the pilot was totally re-shot. I figure anything, I mean anything, that Rachel Griffiths touches is brilliant & I thoroughly enjoy watching every scene she is in. If you are not up on the story from last season it is worth checking out the DVD for the mix of humour, drama, & craziness that this big family exhibits every episode. If you haven't been keeping up with Housewives & Brothers & Sisters, then an alternative is to go "procedural" with CBS's lineup of Cold Case (9pm, CBS, Sept 23) & Shark (10pm, CBS, Sept 23). Cold Case is great at integrating music into their show, & Shark is just enjoyable because James Woods is downright hysterical (even when not trying to be).
Monday
New Shows
The networks are breaking out a bunch of new shows tonight, hoping to capitalize on solid lead-ins from already established shows. Chuck (8pm, NBC, Sept 24) is being billed as "Alias meets 40-Year Old Virgin", which of course sounds awesome to me. It follows the story of a computer nerd who reluctantly becomes a spy when all of the US's secret intelligence is downloaded to his brain. Wait...what?!? Can we do that? Because that really would have helped me with Calculus 109. That aside, the previews for this look hilarious & the main character has a likable John Krasinski (The Office) kind of vibe.
Next up we have 2 new comedies at 8:30pm. The Big Bang Theory (8:30pm, CBS, Sept 24), follows 2 "super-geniuses" who befriend their "super-hot" new neighbour. Love the idea of two brilliant people who have a hard time with basic everyday stuff. Apparently very funny, & sandwiched between How I met your Mother & Two & a Half Men, so it is very likely that we will see a full season of this. The other 8:30 comedy is Aliens in America (8:30pm, CW, Oct 1), about a family who signs up for an exchange student (basically so the son can have at least one friend) & gets not quite what they bargained for when a student from Pakistan shows up. The premise is interesting, & The CW is getting some pretty good buzz about this show, but the reviews have been mixed. Some think it is hilarious (the previews I saw were), while others think it is, in the end, too sappy & doesn't have enough satire for a comedy that is ripe for some great satire.
K-ville (9pm, FOX, Sept 17) is a cop drama based in New Orleans. When I say based, I mean literally shot in New Orleans. While it is admirable that this show is bringing attention to the plight of the former inhabitants of the Big Easy, it does nothing to deviate from the standard cop shows. The 2 lead characters (Anthony Anderson & Cole Hauser) are supposed to be amazing in this, but again what besides post-Katrina New Orleans makes this different than all the rest?
At 9:30pm we have another new comedy, starring Christina Applegate, called Samantha Who? (9:30pm, ABC, Oct 15). Samantha is a woman who, well frankly, is a bitch. Then she is hit by a car & develops amnesia, along with a big old case of remorse over the person she used to be. Looks like fairly standard sit-com fare, no preview footage so I can't really say whether the comedy works or not. I am pretty skeptical of Christina Applegate, because I think she tends to get opportunities based on her name, not necessarily on her talent. We'll see, but up against Heroes it is a pretty tough sell.
Our final new show for Monday is Journeyman (10pm, NBC, Sept 24). Riding the wave of success of Heroes (& NBC is hoping a lot of those avid-Heroes viewers will take stay tuned after said show), Journeyman has been described as a cross between Quantum Leap & Sliders. It follows a man who keeps getting swept back in time to help different strangers (sounds familiar), but he is drawn to possibly changing his past, & hence his future (deep, I know). It stars Kevin McKidd of Rome fame (there you go Kath, at least you can have a little taste of Rome this season) & it promises to explore the implications of his time travel on his present home life. I like the fact that the show explores the idea that even small decisions that you make have an impact on where you are today.
What to Watch
How I Met Your Mother, Chuck
8-9pm - Break out your PVR's, this is where it gets complicated. Returning at 8pm we have Dancing with the Stars (8pm, ABC, Sept 24), How I met your Mother (8pm, CBS, Sept 24), Prison Break(8pm, FOX, Sept 17), Everybody Hates Chris (8pm, CW, Oct 1), & Dragon's Den (8pm, CBC, Oct 1). Personally I think this is a two show race between How I Met your Mother ("legendary"...as Barney would say) & Chuck. I know, I know, a lot of you are going to turn to Dancing with the Stars, but for me that is only enjoyable once they weed out the dregs (there are 12 stars this season, including Wayne Newton, Jennie Garth, Jane Seymour, Marie Osmond & Scary Spice - poor girl is never going to get rid of that name) & get down to the top 5 or so. Up until then I find it quite embarrassing. Cover my eyes embarrassing (see: Billy Ray Cyrus & Master P). I am going to PVR Chuck & watch How I met your Mother, because it is the funniest show on TV. If you haven't watched this show before, run out & rent the first 2 seasons on DVD. It is far more clever than Friends ever was, & deserves to have the audience that Friends enjoyed as well. Neil Patrick Harris deserves the emmy whole-heartedly, because he has created one of the best characters on TV (damn, he lost). Enough gushing already. I figure by week 3 or 4 of Chuck I will have figured out whether or not it is worth sticking with, & if not I'll head on over to Dancing.
Big Bang Theory, Aliens in America
At 8:30 pm it is a toss up between Big Bang Theory & Aliens in America. I would love for Aliens to work & for The CW to have a hit on their hands, but with the lead-in & following shows that Big Bang has, I would say it has more staying power.
Heroes
9-10pm - This one is hands down Heroes (9pm, NBC, Sept 24) for me. The show blew everyone's socks off last year by shattering the idea that you have to have the "slow reveal". Just when you thought you had something figured out, they would throw you a curve ball that left you saying "fooled me!" All of my X-Files frustration was released because of this fast paced & fun show.
Journeyman
10-11pm - I would give Journeyman a chance, & if it doesn't deliver, watch one of my PVR'ed shows or go to bed. That is how much I despise The Bachelor(10pm, ABC, Sept 24), & frankly I find David Caruso totally creepy so CSI:Miami (10 pm, CBS, Sept 24) is out for me too.
Tuesday
New Shows
Three new comedies & two new dramas are on tap for Tuesday. Starting out in the 8 o'clock hour are 2 new comedies from ABC; Cavemen (8pm, ABC, Oct 2) & Carpoolers (8:30pm, ABC, Oct 2). Cavemen is based on those Geico commercials (seriously) about cavemen in the present day. Even if this is really funny, it just seems like such a gimmick. As far as Carpoolers goes, it is just that, 4 guys carpooling to work in LA (which frankly can be a full time job in & of itself). It stars Jerry O'Connell as the leader of the carpoolers clique, & was created by Kids in the Hall alum Bruce McCulloch. The previews of this do look hilarious, especially the one with the guys listening to "In the Air Tonight." Just for that it is worth watching!! The third new comedy is Reaper (9pm, CW, Sept 25) & it has the makings of a franchise-defining hit for The CW. It is the story of a young man who learns, on his 21st birthday, that his parents sold his soul to the devil before he was even born. Just wait. His job now is to help the devil (played expertly by Twin Peaks' Ray Wise) return bad souls that have escaped from hell. You're wondering about the comedy part. Trust me, it's there. The show was created by 2 women with past writing credits that include Law & Order:SVU, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, & The X-Files. If nothing else we should all watch just to support women in writing. Oh ya, & my cousin builds sets for the show, currently filming in Vancouver, so he would love to be able to keep his job (shameless plug #1).
The Tudors (9pm, CBC, Oct 2) is a new drama for Canadian audiences, but has been seen on Showtime in the US. It is the story of Henry VIII during his young years just as he is meeting Anne Boelyn. It stars Jonathon Rhys Myers, Sam Neill, Jeremy Northam, & Natalie Dormer as some of the most famous historical figures. Although many liberties are taken with historical accuracy, the show is immensely entertaining & absolutely beautiful to watch. It has everything; sex (lots of it), family dynamics, marriage, divorce (actually Henry created his own church just to get a divorce from his first wife), murder, deceit, & occasionally love. The last new drama is Cane (10pm, CBS, Sept 25) starring Hector Elizondo, Rita Moreno, Nestor Carbonell & Jimmy Smits. Cane is the story of a family-run rum business that is thrown into turmoil when the father steps down & in-fighting amongst the siblings ensues for power over the family business. Definitely good buzz over this show, & why not with this stellar of a cast. Think Brothers & Sisters meets the Sopranos.
What to Watch
Carpoolers, The Biggest Loser
8-9pm - This is a toss up between the comedies of ABC & The Biggest Loser (8pm, NBC, Sept 11). But with a 1 & 1/2 hr running time for Loser, it may be difficult to watch this & still enjoy the great options at 9pm. I would definitely give Carpoolers a try (Cavemen is a little iffy) & PVR Loser.
Reaper, The Tudors
9-10pm - At 9pm, you lucky souls in Canada are in for a treat to get The Tudors on network television. I still think you should watch Reaper & PVR The Tudors so that you can enjoy both of these wonderful gems. Dancing's Results show is usually a big rehash of the last night's show, when all you really care about is who is getting the boot.
Cane, Law & Order: SVU
10-11pm - I would give Cane a shot to see if it can deliver on its promise, if not head over to Law & Order:SVU (10pm, NBC, Sept 25). I know, its a procedural, but it promises to bring a few more glimpses into the main characters lives, & those are some amazing actors, so it would be great to see them explore that.
Wednesday
New Shows
Wednesday is new show night with 10 new shows on the slate. ABC's whole line-up is new (glaringly absent is Lost...hate them), as well as with FOX's all new line-up. The whole night is a battleground, so let's start from the top.
Pushing Daisies (8pm, ABC, Oct 3) is the story of a man who can bring people back from the dead with one touch, & send them back with another. What does he do with this gift? He helps a detective solve crimes by bringing people back to tell him who killed them, only things get complicated when he decides to bring his childhood crush back from the dead. Some reviews have been great, while others think that it is too sappy. Back to You (8pm, FOX, Sept 19) is a comedy with big names Kelsey Grammer & Patricia Heaton, about a newsman who returns to his old job in Pittsburgh, after he loses the "big job" in LA. He is teamed up with his old co-anchor (on-screen & off) & hilarity ensues. These two are comic geniuses, so it would take some pretty awful writers, or stupid producers to mess this one up (then again, it's been done before, so you never know).
The last new show at 8pm is probably this season's most controversial. Kid Nation (8pm, CBS, Sept19) sends 40 kids, ages 8-15, to a New Mexico ghost town where they are supposed to build a working society. The bad press arose from 2 incidents where kids received minor injuries (one kid drank a bleach solution & the other sprained an arm). I figure, as with all reality shows, the "contestants" are under constant supervision (as well they apparently didn't break any child labour laws), so these kids really weren't alone. They weren't allowed to call their parents, but they were allowed to leave at any time. Would I sign my kid up for this?? Not on your life...but I guess there are people who would.
9pm is basically chick drama hour, with an ornery chef & a "facing-your-fears" reality show thrown in for good measure. We all got a preview of Private Practice (9pm, ABC, Sept 26) last season during the 2hr extended version of Grey's Anatomy, in which Addison had her mini-mid-life-crisis & drove down the coast to LA to see her buddies (who knew Addison has buddies?!?) who now run a "wellness centre." I totally enjoyed the intro to Practice (I mean, come on, Tim Daly & Taye Diggs on 1 show, its a wonder they can contain the hotness) & I think it is a really innovative way to introduce a new show. Its good though that Practice is on a different night than Grey's, so that it doesn't fall into the Grey's 2.0 mold. The show promises to be more "grown-up" (because 3 women hanging out in a lobby waiting for the shirtless, hunky receptionist to walk by is sooooo mature) & not to be about hopping into bed so much (hopefully a little though, remember Tim & Taye!?!). I love Addison & think it is amazing that they were able to take this character that was supposed to be hated (& in only a handful of episodes) & turn her into a woman we want to root for.
Up against Addison is a bionic woman & a group of spoiled, young New Yorkers. Bionic Woman (9pm, NBC, Sept 26), okay no Lindsay Wagner jokes here...I swear, is a revisiting of the old Bionic Woman story, brought to you by the people who re-envisioned Battlestar Gallactica (one of my faves, so I'm giving this new show a wide berth). The producers say that this show is more about the emotional side of this woman's life being turned upside down, oh ya & she can kick your butt too! I'm quite interested in how this show is going to take shape, plus it has some really great buzz, so why not give it a shot? Gossip Girl (9pm, CW, Sept 19) is brought to you by the people who created The OC, & features a group of young people, with a lot of money, going about life in privileged society. Sounds a little familiar. It has received some good press, but I never bought into the whole OC thing, so this one looks just looks like "The NY". Nothing really earth shattering.
Finally we have 2 new reality shows; Kitchen Nightmares (9pm, FOX, Sept 19) & No Opportunity Wasted (9:30, CBC, Oct 3). Nightmares is based on another UK show (of the same name) where celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay has a week to "clean-up" some miserably run restaurants. Looks like it might have some good bits of scandal as Ramsay promises to pull no punches with his "proteges." Opportunity is brought to you by the host of The Amazing Race, Phil Keoghan, & it follows everyday Canadians facing (& hopefully conquering) their fears. Sounds like Fear Factor crossed with Psych 101, with none of that eating gross stuff. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Follows right behind Little Mosque on the Prairie, so it definitely has a good lead-in.
Finally at 10pm we have 2 new dramas that couldn't be more different. Dirty Sexy Money (10pm ABC, Sept 26) stars Six Feet Under's Peter Krause as a lawyer who reluctantly takes over as the family lawyer for an uber-rich NY family, when his father (their previous lawyer) dies suspiciously. This show looks immensely entertaining, even if just for the fact that the family is so outrageous (think Hiltons, crossed with the Lohans, & a little Ewing thrown in just for fun). Life (10pm, NBC, Sept 26) is the story of a cop who is wrongfully imprisoned for triple murder & freed after serving 12 years. He gets a big settlement from the state, & decides to go back to work (what?!?). I guess he really wants to know who set him up. Part mystery, part character study (& he's a pretty wacky character), I'm wondering if this might be one of the few "procedurals" that can do both well.
What to Watch
Pushing Daisies, Kid Nation
8-9pm - This whole night is tough, but I think this really comes down to a race between Pushing Daisies & Kid Nation. I know Kid Nation has had some controversy (personally I think the producers are sitting back laughing at all of the free publicity) but you have to hand it to them for being innovative. Frankly, I think it might be the most entertaining reality show out there, mostly because kids haven't quite yet honed the backstabbing "qualities" of their elders. Watch one & PVR the other. Its a toss up.
Private Practice, Bionic Woman
9-10pm - Here's where it gets tough, with all of the new shows & Criminal Minds (9pm, CBS, Sept 26) & Little Mosque on the Prairie (9pm, CBC, Oct 3) returning, this looks like the toughest time slot of whole week. I still think it comes down to Private Practice & Bionic Woman. I'm going to watch Bionic Woman (because the hubby will watch it) & PVR Private Practice for later. If either one tends to fade in the first few weeks, you can always head on over to CBC, which is guaranteed to be solid.
Thursday
New Shows
They must have done something right with Thursday last year, because there is only one new show. Big Shots (10pm, ABC, Sept 27) is being touted as Sex & the City, with men. Besides the whole hot guy angle, I'm not quite sure why I should watch this? It stars Dylan McDermott, Michael Vartan, Joshua Molina, & Christopher Titus; so definitely some eye candy, but the reviews have been mixed based on the pilot. Hopefully the writing gets better as the show progresses, because 10pm doesn't seem to be too tough of a time slot.
What to Watch
8-9pm - 8 o'clock sees the return of Survivor (for the 15th time...no joke its really 15) (8pm, CBS, Sept 20), this time in China. Big twists this time are that the winning tribe gets to "kidnap" someone from the losing tribe, & that kidnapee leaves their tribe with only a note which may or may not be shared with a member of the winning tribe. The note contains clues as to the location of immunity idols, some in plain view of the rest of the tribe. Whatever. LOL!! Try as they might, I just don't see this as fresh & interesting. Little tidbit though about the future of Survivor, Jeff Probst is only signed on for 1 more season (after this one) & it is rumoured that it may be an all-star season. Could this be the end of Survivor? Doubt it, as long as the money keeps rolling in.
Ugly Betty
My best bet for the time slot is Ugly Betty (8pm, ABC, Sept 27). The show is funny (the Halloween episode from last year is a classic) & good-hearted, & it shows a family that, in spite of their differences, are supportive of each other. America Ferrera is adorable in the lead role, & she just won an Emmy to prove that she is worthy of watching. This season brings more mystery, fights, & a wedding. Rumour has it that none other than Posh Spice herself will play one of the bridesmaids. That sounds hilarious enough for me to tune in again.
My only caveat to watching Ugly Betty is that 30 Rock (8:30pm, NBC, Oct 4) is on at 8:30pm. If you haven't watched this show, please do. You will pee your pants. Tina Fey is a genius. Hopefully Alec Baldwin sticks around. In spite of his cell phone rants, he is worth watching as a totally clueless TV exec. Plus Jerry Seinfeld is appearing in the opener. I would say watch Ugly Betty & PVR 30 Rock, or better yet watch How I Met Your Mother & 30 Rock back-to-back (now that's a line-up) & PVR Ugly Betty.
Grey's Anatomy, Scrubs
9-10pm - This one is pretty easy, watch Grey's Anatomy (9pm, ABC, Sept 27) & PVR Scrubs (9:30pm, NBC, Oct 25). This is Scrubs last season & no-one does guest-stars better than Scrubs. Some of our faves (i.e. Scott Foley & Tom Cavanaugh) will be back & rumour has it that they are trying to get John Cusack (yippeee...yes I yippeee-ed)!!! I sort of feel obligated to Grey's, as I thought they went way off track the second half of last season. George & Izzy drive my crazy...I honestly hate both of them right now. But I guess I will be tuning in, with all of the other lemmings like me, to see if they continue down that path or shake the dust off what was last season & start over.
Big Shots, Without a Trace
10-11pm - I'm thinking I might try Big Shots, & if it can make a go of it, then great. If not, I'll turn over to Without a Trace (10pm, CBS, Sept 27), because Poppy Montgomery's real-life pregnancy is going to be worked into the show, & that seems sort of interesting how they will handle that. I really can't get into ER (10pm, NBC, Sept 27), because it is such a different show than I remember. I'm hoping that Grey's doesn't go down this path.
Friday
New Shows
Five new shows on the slate for tonight; a night of reality shows for FOX, two sci-fi's & a "procedural" where the main characters are all women. First up is The Next Great American Band (8pm, FOX, Oct 19), which is poised to be the next big reality show. It actually has some meat behind it (from AI creator Simon Fuller) with judges (including Johnny Rzeznik, of Goo Goo Dolls fame, & Shiela E) telling the bands what works & what doesn't. The interesting part is whether or not the groups take the judges' advice (sometimes even so far as getting rid of certain members of the band). It's new, so it's worth a shot, but soooo similar to AI that it might as well share the same stage. Next up for FOX is another reality show, this one from the creators of Laguna Beach. Nashville (9pm, FOX, Oct 19) follows newcomers trying to make their way in country music's Mecca. Not really a competition, but multi-million dollar record deals are at stake.
Also new at 9pm is Women's Murder Club (9pm, ABC, Oct 12) which follows 4 female friends (a cop, a lawyer, a coroner, & a reporter) as they try to help each other solve crimes. Interesting twist on the whole procedural genre, & with Angie Harmon as the lead it certainly could develop a following. The buzz is fairly good for this show, so it may be worth checking out.
Finally our two sci-fi entries of the evening; Moonlight (9pm, CBS, Sept 28) & Torchwood (9pm, CBC, Oct 5). Moonlight is the story of a vampire private detective (I know, I said "what?!?" too). Problem with the show is that it has been almost entirely re-cast & re-shot & no-one as of yet has seen the "new & improved" pilot. The one holdover from the original pilot is the main character (Alex O'Loughlin) & it seems that he's just happy to have kept his job. Can't really say either way on this one, could be boom or bust, I'm leaning toward bust.
CBC's new entry is a spin-off of Dr. Who, where Time Agent Jack Harkness & his buddies try to rid Wales of some nasty aliens. It actually has some really great buzz, for sci-fi lovers & non-sci-fi lovers alike.
What to Watch
8-9pm - I'm not really jazzed about any of the options for this time slot (returning is 20/20(8pm, ABC), Ghost Whisperer(8pm, CBS, Sept 28), Deal or No Deal (8pm, NBC), & WWE Smackdown (8pm, CW)....whoopeee). Some might want to check out American Band, but I think I'm gonna turn to one of my PVR'ed shows from earlier in the week (say, 30 Rock & Scrubs, maybe).
Friday Night Lights
9-10pm - Amazingly at 9pm on a Friday there are quite a few options. If you're into sci-fi, & like the new incarnation of Dr Who, then Torchwood is definitely a safe bet. I might be PVR'ing Women's Murder Club (partially to appease the hubby who loves Angie Harmon), but my best bet is definitely, hands down, Friday Night Lights (9pm, NBC, Oct 5). I know, I know, it is based on a high school football team, but it is so much more (frankly the show was robbed when it didn't get any Emmy nods, but that's fine we don't need your stinkin' Emmys anyway, pout). It follows the most real (& loving) marriage you will see on TV between Eric & Tami Taylor (Kyle Chandler & Connie Britton), the hi gh school FB coach & guidance counselor (of course, the hubby wondered out loud why his guidance counselors never looked like Connie Britton). The best part about the show is that the teenagers are just that, teenagers. They aren't OC or Dawson's Creek brilliant, because teenagers aren't really that smart. They do dumb things, they say dumb things, & the adults in their lives aren't perfect, but are there to try & help them pick up the pieces. If you can, go out & rent the first season on DVD, it is worth every minute. Pretty much if you watch only one thing on Fridays it should be Friday Night Lights. You won't regret it.
10-11pm - This is our standard time to watch Numb3rs (10pm, CBS, Sept 28). Our neighbour is the location manager for this show & ever since we found that out we have been hooked (shameless plug #2). We get all the scoop on guest stars being divas & all of the cool (& strange) places they film the show. Apparently, Tony Scott (who with his brother Ridley created the show) actually directed the season premiere. Our neighbour was telling us how much of a diva Tony was with is demands, including a new bottle of Tabasco every day (what is that about?!?). Tony Scott directed Top Gun, so here's hoping there is a beach volleyball scene somewhere in the show. I might PVR Women's Murder Club, but the thing can only hold so much, so maybe just the first few episodes to see if it is worth it.
Saturday
Four words: Hockey Night in Canada. That's all we pretty much watch in our house on Saturdays. Who better combines comedy & drama than Don Cherry & Ron MacLean!! Either that or I'm going to shut the TV off & have family night. I think we'll need some quiet after all of the TV I'm going to be watching during the week!!
Shows to Keep an Eye On
There are some pretty big shows that are conspicuously absent from the fall line-up. Lost, 24 & Battlestar Gallactica are a few that come to mind. These shows should all start midseason to replace some of the bombs from the fall. I think 24 & Battlestar should be fine, but it is a gamble for Lost to be off the air for so long, after their loss of so many viewers last season. The producers say it is so there doesn't have to be any interruption in the storyline (no re-runs), but it is a pretty sad state when a show starts in January/February & is finished in May. We'll see how many people show back up for these shows come January.
There are already some new shows on the slate for midseason, including 2 Sex & the City-type shows. Cashmere Mafia (Mondays 8pm, ABC) stars Lucy Lui, Miranda Otto, Frances O'Connor, & Bonnie Somerville, & promises to focus on the women's careers first, then their relationships. The other show is Lipstick Jungle (Sundays 9pm, NBC) which stars Brooke Shields, Kim Raver, & Lindsay Price, as the 3 "most powerful" women in New York City. The name is awful, but the previews look fantastic, & I absolutely love the tag line "These women aren't looking for Mr. Big, they are Mr. Big!" Hysterical!!!
The other exciting new midseason show is The Sarah Connor Chronicles (FOX). Yep, that would be The Terminator Sarah Connor. Its a big gamble to put such a successful movie franchise on the small screen, with no Arnold (he's sort of busy being the Governator) & no Linda Hamilton, but the previews look great, so it just might work. It follows Sarah & her teenage son John (remember he's supposed to be the saviour of the future), as they try to make a life for themselves, unnoticed.
Top Five
In honour of this Small Screen Edition on the monthly "movie" reviews I thought I would bring to you my top five shows I would love them to bring back (thanks Kath for the great idea).
Top Five Shows I Would Love them to Bring Back
5. Crossing Jordan
It was only canceled last season, but I really would like some closure on some of my favourite characters. Best moment on the show was when Miguel Ferrar (whose real-life mother, Rosemary Clooney, had recently passed away) ended one episode sitting alone in his office listening to one of his mother's hit songs. It even brought a tear to the hubby's eye (don't tell him I told you that though).
4. The Muppet Show
The best part about this show was that you could all sit down as a family & everyone watching could enjoy it. That & Pigs in Space...that bit rocked!
3. My So-Called Life
Unfortunately this show premiered the same season (same time slot too) as a certain show called Friends. It was doomed before it even started. All of the characters were flawed, but so beautifully written, that they seemed like they could have been your neighbours or classmates. The show was truly multi-dimensional. Plus Claire Danes is the best crier.
2. V
This show was sooooo cheesy it was awesome. Amazingly enough there were a lot of political references in a show about lizard-aliens coming to earth & befriending us humans only to really want to steal our water & use us as fuel. I know, weird, but it totally rocked.
1. The Love Boat
No other show could top my list. It was so important to my childhood, that I would even put up with Charo if they would only bring it back!! I used to wonder what it was like to be Captain Stubing's daughter, Vicki, & I could live on a cruise ship (I know, only a TV show, but I was 10, so let a little girl dream). To this day whenever I see the Princess Cruises logo I start humming the theme song ("Love, exciting & new, come aboard, we're expecting you.....).
Well, hopefully I have armed you with a lot (& I mean a lot) of good info so you can navigate through the new TV season with ease. Check back next month when I'll be back to movie reviews (knock on wood), & maybe we might even have our first casualty of the fall TV season. Thanks again.
See you at the movies (or maybe I'll just stay home & watch even more TV...LOL)!!
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