Fall Season: New Shows

Well, we are almost there - the new fall season. Summer series are wrapping up within the next few weeks, if they haven't already. So it is time to get ready to set up some new Season Passes on the DVR to make up for all the shows we lost last season (RIP Lost, 24 and more!) Plus we have all of our returning favorites. But you probably know about those. If you want, I can write another blog about that, but for now lets focus on the new stuff. Now I obviously haven't seen the new pilots. But I have read a lot about them via the critics that have viewed them.  I'll just give a brief rundown of the show, who is in it, who made it, and if I can some video. Also, I'm just going to focus on shows that currently have a premiere date. There are some that I am excited for that are not on the calendar yet (probably scheduled for mid-season debut) so I will get to those at a later date. So if you are wondering why I don't have something that screams "Melissa would watching this!," such as Mr. Sunshine (starring Chandler Bing, I mean Matthew Perry), well that is because it isn't starting in the fall! I'm also not going to discuss EVERY new show. Just ones that I'm interested in. So if you want to know about Sh*t My Dad Says or Outsourced, look elsewhere! :) If you are paying attention to old/new shows, you will realize that Thursday at 8 are ridiculous. I literally can't watch everything. Thank you networks for making so many of your shows available online!
Alright, let's get to it. To make it easier, I'm going to break this up by network. 

ABC:

NO ORDINARY FAMILY (Tuesdays 8pm, Premieres Sept 28): This is one that I am really looking forward to. It stars Michael Chiklis (The Sheild), Julie Benz (Dexter, Angel) and Romany Malco (40 Year Old Virgin, Weeds). Also Autumn Reeser! It's basically The Incredibles - a family of "supers," except unlike the Pixar movie, this family wasn't born super - they got it while on a trip where their plane crashed in some mysterious water. Mom has super speed, Dad has super strength, the daughter (Kay Panabaker) is a telepath of some sort (based on the preview, it seems a bit more like Anna Paquin in X-Men as opposed to Anna Paquin on True Blood) and the son, well, they haven't specified in the promo exactly, but they've alluded to some sort of super smarts.  I think it looks like a lot of fun. And with the cast, I have to give it a try! Plus since the producers of Heroes quickly made what could have been a great show into something incredibly frustrating I'm looking forward to a new superhero show. Hope this one doesn't falter as quickly


BETTER WITH YOU (Wednesday 8:30pm, Premieres Sept 22): I'm not going to lie. I'm still not sure about this one. However, it's on the ABC comedy block that I enjoy (it's the lead in to Modern Family and Cougar Town) and it has a great cast. Joanna Garcia, even in the worst show, is completely charming. If you read my Psych blog, you know I love Kurt Fuller. I also enjoy Debra Jo Rupp and Josh Cooke. The critics have found this to be a solid comedy, so I'm willing to give it a try. And I like the differing dynamics of the couples - one brand new, one in the first years of marriage and one been married forever. However I'm not sure how long that shtick will hold up. Hopefully being plugged into ABCs very popular comedy block will help it out, but it better hold up it's end of the funny.



MY GENERATION (Thursday 8pm, Premieres Sept 23): Sooooo..... I'm also not totally sold on this one yet. However, I love the cast. Julian Morris and Mechad Brooks (Eggs!) are both adorable. And, while I don't necessarily want to admit this is a public forum, I enjoy cheesy shows like this. So, I'm giving it a shot. I enjoy the docu-style shows, and I am surprised it hasn't been used in drama form yet. So we are giving it a shot. Sometimes I just like to watch cheesy dramas, and occasionally I would like they to be about people that aren't 18 and living on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. But I watch that too. :) Anyway, the show follows a group of kids. They were filmed as they graduated HS, and now the documentarians are back. One thing that does bother me about these docu-style shows: the longer the go, the crazier the documentarians seem. Are they NEVER going to make their movie? How much footage do they need of that office in Scranton, PA?!



CBS:

MIKE & MOLLY (Monday 9:30pm, Premieres: Sept 20) Ok, I don't have much to say about this one. I didn't think the promo looked great, however those that have seen the full pilot think it is really cute. It stars Billy Gardell and Melissa McCarthy (Sookie from Gilmore Girls!). I will watch the pilot and judge from there. In the meantime, you can judge the promo for yourself:



HAWAII 5-0 (Monday 10pm, Premieres Sept 20) : Do I really need to pimp this show out to all of you? You are all going to watch it, right?? If there was one show that I would say is guaranteed to be a hit, it is this one. It's the right cast (Alex O'Laughlin, Scott Caan, Grace Park, Daniel Dae Kim and Jean Smart) and from the promo, the right tone. Even the support/guest cast is shaping up nicely. The coroner (it's a cop show, so you knew there would be one) is being played by Masi Oka (Hiro from HEROES) and James Marsters (SPIKE!!!!) is in the pilot. Plus it's exec produced by Alex Kurtzman and Robert Orci. Names you may or may not know, but I promise you that you've seen some of their stuff, and it's quality. I don't know what else to say to you. Seriously. Watch it, or you'll be the only one who isn't. I can't stress this one enough. Book 'em Dano.



THE DEFENDERS (Wednesday 10pm, Premieres Sept 22): Again, I'll be honest and say I didn't think this would be great. I mean it's a lawyer show starring Jerry O'Connell and Jim Belushi. Doesn't scream winner to you either, I bet. But the promo seems charming enough, and the critics don't hate it. May be a fun one to watch. But I'm not sure I forgive Jim for According to Jim yet.  We'll see.



CW:

HELLCATS (Wednesday 9pm Premieres Sept 8): CW is keeping it simple this year. Their shows last year performed well, except for Melrose Place, but I think we would all like to forget about that one, so they only have two new shows for Fall. First up is Hellcats. It's a college dramedy starring Ashley Tisdale (High School Musical) and Aly Michalka (another Disney girl) about a cheerleading team. Think 90210 meets Bring It On, in college. I've heard a range of reviews from "blech" to "love it," so I think this one really depends on your taste. Do you like other CW crap like 90210 and Gossip Girl? Then check this out. Do those shows make you want to jump out windows? Then skip it. This promo doesn't show too much, but I didn't want to post the 6 minute version.



NIKITA (Thursday 9pm, Premiers Sept 9): The other offering from CW this Fall is more likely to be a winner. It is yet another remake of La Femme Nikita, in case the title didn't clue you in. It stars Maggie Q as Nikita. The rest of the cast is made up of a lot of actors I have enjoyed in the past Shane West (ER, Once & Again), Melinda Clarke (The OC), Lyndsay Fonesca (Desperate Housewives and the daughter on the couch in HIMYM!), Xander Berkley (24), and Ashton Holmes (The Pacific). The show is very Alias-esque, so if you were a fan of Alias (good for you! I approve) then chances are you will like this one. Maggie Q seems pretty badass. I have high hopes for this one.



FOX:

LONE STAR (Monday 9pm, Premieres Sept 20): This is one I have heard some good stuff about, but again, if it is as good as they say, I don't think the promo is doing it justice. It's a little bit Dallas (it's hard not to compare a Texas based drama to Dallas, right?) and a little bit, I don't know, Don Draper from Mad Men? The guy has a wife.... and a fiance. He is running the longest of cons, and I'm sure at some point it will all begin to unravel. Highlight to me is that one of his (not so) lucky ladies is played by Adrianne Palicki (Friday Night Lights, Supernatural).



RAISING HOPE (Tuesday 9pm Premiere Sept 21): This one has gotten mixed reviews, but I think the promo looks hysterical. Basically, it's Raising Arizona. While the father of Hope is played by a relative unknown, Lucas Neff, his parents are played by Martha Plimpton and Garrett Dillahunt and his grandmother is played by Cloris Leachman. Win, win, win. This show was created by Greg Garcia, the warped mind behind My Name Is Earl, which I thought was great and was cancelled way too soon. This show seems to have that same trailer park sensibility. Love it.



RUNNING WILDE (Tuesday 9:30pm, Premieres Sept 21): Creator of Arrested Development, Mitch Hurwitz + Will Arnett + Keri Russell = I have to at least try this show. The premise, from what I can tell, is sort of like Sabrina, if Audrey Hepburn hated the William Holden character upon returning (or Julia Ormond hated the Greg Kinnear character if you prefer, though I'm not sure why you would ). Keri's character used to live at Will Arnett's estate (the daughter of a maid, instead of the chauffeur) and then comes back after saving the world, and he thinks she is hot. She still thinks he is a big d-bag. Because it's Will Arnett and if there is one thing the man can play, it's a big d-bag. But one you love. (I still miss Gob.) I've heard the pilot has been tweaked since it's been screened. I guess this is another "we'll see" but one I will be watching the first few episodes of for sure.



NBC:

THE EVENT (Monday 9pm, Premieres Sept 20): This has been one of the better received pilots of the new season. As the promos continue to air, I'm becoming more and more intrigued. It's a conspiracy thriller, and the exec producers promise to answer questions. No really, they say they will. I guess the only way to find out is to watch. The cast seems worth the try: Jason Ritter (Parenthood, Joan of Arcadia), Blair Underwood (Dirty Sexy Money, In Treatment), Laura Innes (ER), Scott Patterson (Gilmore Girls!) and Zeljko Ivanek (Damages, True Blood).  I'm not really sure what it is about exactly, except that if you see it in the promos, it's apparently "not the event."



UNDERCOVERS (Wednesday 8pm, Premieres Sept 22): The latest TV show from JJ Abrams which means I will be there, no questions asked. JJ has never disappointed me, from college drama, Felicity to complex mythology spy drama, Alias. Love them. The man can tell a story. This show got some extra attention for casting to African-American actors in the lead, Boris Kodjoe and Gugu Mbatha-Raw. I didn't see this as a story, and thankfully JJ has never really commented more than saying they were the right two for the parts. Really, are we still there that we need to point that out? Silly. Anywho, it's a spy dramedy about a married couple who left the spy biz to be a normal couple, but that led to the spark leaving their relationship. So when they get pulled back in, they are more than happy to go back to spy stuff. Which leads to the cheesiest catch phrase of the new season: sexpionage. Oy. But enjoy the fun!





There are a couple cop/law shows I haven't included. DETROIT 1-8-7, BLUE BLOODS, OUTLAW, CHASE and THE WHOLE TRUTH just to name a few. Why haven't I included them, because I'm a little over the whole genre, for the most part. I may check some out, and if I do and like them, you can be sure to read about it in my Week in Review blog.

Now, on to a few more Fall premieres. I know! There are more?? But that was just basic TV, how about a few cables that are on those other 39830023 channels your cable or satellite provider offers.

CABLE:

BOARDWALK EMPIRE (HBO, Sunday 8pm, Premieres Sept 19): The pilot is directed by Martin Scorsese. What? You need more than that? Ooookaaaay. It stars Steve Buscemi! It's another Mark Whalberg produced HBO program! This should be enough for you! The series follows some not-so straight laced government officials and mobsters during the time of prohibition in Atlantic City. From what I can see, it is a big production, HBO-style. Fabulous costumes and sets, and probably more swearing, sex and violence than anyone knows what to do with. It looks like a new hit for HBO, which is great since they have really been struggling recently (note my sarcasm). 



THE WALKING DEAD (AMC, Sundays Premieres October 31): I already mentioned this on Facebook, but adding it again here. Just because I like to give out the nightmares. It's a series based on the graphic novel of the same name about zombies. And boy howdy, are they scary. Basic premise: guy gets hurt, wakes up from a coma and the whole world has gone zombie, well zombie's as they are now- victims of a really really bad virus. I'll be watching this one with the lights on.



Alright.... so that's it I think. When the mid-season starts to roll around, I'll do this again, if you like it. Hope you enjoyed the blog. Sorry for it's crazy length! What are you looking forward to? What do you think looks like complete crap? Or are you just giving up on new shows and sticking with the tried and true stuff you were already watching? And do you want a "Returning Favorites" blog?

Comment away!