• Justified (Fx) – Last season’s plot line did a great job of not only showcasing why we love US Marshall Raylan but the complexities of the good and not so good guys in rural Kentucky.
• The Good Wife (CBS) – I’m still impressed with the well rounded stories and characters and the politics that go into everything they do, be it the weekly court case, the running of the law firm, the family drama and of course the politics.
• Parks and Recreation (NBC) – This series started off a little rough not quite knowing what to do with their Office spinoff-ish format, but the show has really found its footing week after week with small town office politics and the characters involved.
• Sons of Anarchy (FX) – Have recently been wondering how many club members could die a season and still keep going, but this show makes me mostly suspend belief as I am caught up in all the tensions wondering how they will ever make it through the next jam.
• Bones (Fox) – So far I still enjoy the chemistry and character between/of the two leads as their relationship progresses on this sciency procedural with a supporting cast of folks that add good stuff to each week.
• The Glee Project (Oxy) – This new angle on talent competition, looking for someone who would fit into a specific show focusing on slightly underdog characters, coached and judged by the cast, staff, and creators gives a great look at both the talent and what goes into getting it all together.
• Men of a Certain Age (TNT) – Ray Romano, Scott Bakula and Andre Braugher each embodied a wonderfully nuanced character dealing with the dramas of life, I enjoyed what was unfortunately the final season.
• Parenthood (NBC) – Ah the silly Bravermans keep making missteps but they seem to mostly balance family drama ridiculousness with some touching and truthful moments from each of the generations.
• Cougar Town (ABC)/Community (NBC) – These two comedies were more uneven than some but still consistently gave me the most laughs and enjoyment, both took a little while to find their footing but they each were able to find the funny in their off beat characters and situations.

And of course lots of  stuff almost made the list, my TiVo is certainly full! What are your picks?

Monday

• 8pm- How I Met Your Mother (CBS)
• 9pm – House (Fox) / Hart of Dixie (CW)
• 10pm – Castle (ABC)

Hart of Dixie is the new addition to this evening, not an incredible show but I like Rachel Bilson and the Gilmore Girls-esque town, it makes me happy. House has been hanging by a thread on my schedule but I’m always interested if not entertained by the supporting cast shakeups.

Tuesday

• 8pm – Glee (Fox)
• 9pm – New Girl/Raising Hope (Fox) / Ringer (CW)
• 10pm – Parenthood (NBC)

New Girl is one of two new enjoyable sitcom additions with a nice quirky feel that I hope they’ll grow into well, and it brought Raising Hope, which I sort of enjoy, back from being abandoned by me. Ringer is hanging on by a thread but I keep wanting to give Buffy a chance and see where it’s going.

Wednesday

• 8pm – The Middle/Suburgatory (ABC)
• 9pm – Modern Family/Happy Endings (ABC) / ANTM (CW)
• 10pm – L&O: SVU (NBC)

Sitcom addition number two, Suburgatory, is another nice dose of quirky fun made better than average by the lead. ANTM all star edition is getting me back on board with this, and the new cast may not be enough to keep me on board with SVU.

Thursday

• 8pm – The Big Bang Theory (CBS) / Community/Parks & Rec (NBC)
• 9pm – [Grey's Anatomy (ABC)] / Person of Interest (CBS) / Bones (Fox) /[The Office (NBC)]
• 10pm – The Mentalist (CBS) / Prime Suspect (NBC)

Prime Suspect may not be getting great ratings but it is coming into its own, while it’s clearly the 9 o’clock hour that’s a problem. Grey’s is always borderline on schedule, but I can pick them up online if need be while PofI isn’t the most awesome new show I might be more interested than the no longer in its prime Office.

Friday

• 8pm – Chuck (NBC)
• 9pm – Grimm (NBC)

I was a little over Chuck’s family drama over the past season(s) but hoping their final year and rogue spy troupe is back to basics and giving the new fantastical procedural a go.

Saturday

• Day of rest or frolic

Sunday

• 9pm – The Good Wife (CBS)

She’s still good.

And not forgetting cable I’ve got Sons of Anarchy (Fx), It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (Fx), Walking Dead (AMC) still in the queue and am still on board but not sure how much I love the new totally bizarre but working it out American Horror Story (Fx).

Monday

• Rock Center with Brian Williams (NBC, 10pm) Series Premiere – A new news magazine and Brian Williams actually can be pretty funny.

Tuesday

• Covert Affairs (USA, 10pm) Season Premiere – What case will the rookie agent get next and will she run in heels?

Wednesday

• Top Chef (Brav, 10pm) Season Premiere – Cook it up.

Thursday

• Bones (Fox, 9pm) Season Premiere – What shows get eliminated from my schedule to fit in the expecting Bones?
• Tim Gunn/Project Accessory (Life, 9/10pm) – Behind the seams with Tim Gunn on regular runway, and then somehow I missed the premiere of the accessory version.
• Burn Notice (USA, 10pm) Season Premiere – Can Michael balance working with the CIA and his extracurriculars?
• Cellblock 6 (TLC, 10pm) Season Premiere – Return to prison.

Friday

• Fish Hooks (Dis, 9:30pm) Season Premiere – Animated fish dealing with tween life, this must be Disney.

Saturday

• Color Splash (HGTV, 9pm) Season Premiere – Do we really need a Twilight themed home makeover?

Sunday

• The Real Housewives of Atlanta (Brav, 9pm) Season Premiere – They’re back.
• Swamp Wars/Call of the Wildman (AnPl, 9/10pm) Season/Series Premiere – Animal Venom unit and then animal rescue, like you’ve never seen before?
• John Sanford’s Certain Prey (USA, 9pm) – Might or might not be intrigued to see Mark Harmon as Lucas Davenport.
• Chef Hunter (Food, 10pm) Series Premiere – Out of work chefs compete.
• Hell on Wheels (AMC, 10pm) Series Premiere – This is one of those titles that says nothing, it’s apparently a post civil war drama where among other things a confederate soldier seeking revenge.
• Police POV (Tru, 10pm) Season Premiere - We hit the streets with them again.

The procrastinator lists items that may not be on your regular season pass, though notation does not imply recommendation other than those underlined. Times noted are typically PST.

• Bones (Fox, 11/3) – Of the procedurals this still is probably my fave, like all the characters, and curious to see how the Booth/Bones baby will play.
• Community (NBC, 9/22) – Embracing pop culture and media to the hilt, way more hits than misses with our pack of misfits.
• The Good Wife (CBS, 9/25) – They’ve done an excellent job making each character and each storyline dimensional enough that I’m intrigued by it all, this season will the good wife be a little bad?
• Modern Family (ABC, 9/21) – This show is a little uneven for me, but when it’s on, it’s on and the mix of family characters makes me laugh.
• Parenthood (NBC, 9/13) – I had written this show off early but after a marathon I ended up falling a little bit in love with the Bravermans and their family drama, and Lauren Graham and Peter Krause don’t hurt.
• Parks & Recreation (NBC, 9/22) – This show has really found its stride with the small town politics and their quirky crew, adding Rob Lowe and Adam Scott was also surprisingly a great move.
• Sons of Anarchy (FX, 9/6) – It’s just too fun to watch these bad boys try to do good, and sometimes try to do bad, a hunky lead and complex family and motorcycle club relations keep me coming back for more.
• The Walking Dead (AMC, 10/16) – I am thoroughly intrigued as to how they’re going to keep the story of these survivors of the Zombie-pocolypse going after a short season intro, although I’ve learned not to watch before bed, I can’t wait for season two.

Honorable Mention (TiVo Season Passes): ANTM (CW, 9/14), The Big Bang Theory (CBS, 9/22), Castle (ABC, 9/19), Chuck (NBC, 10/21), Dexter (Show, 10/2), Glee (Fox, 9/20), Grey’s Anatomy (ABC, 9/22), HIMYM (CBS, 9/19),  House (Fox, 10/3), It’s Always Sunny (FX, 9/15), L&O: SVU (NBC, 9/21), The Mentalist (CBS, 9/22), The Office (NBC, 9/22).

Shows listed in alphabetical order and all premiere dates are of course subject to change.

Personally I try not to get too invested in anything new. Most of the pilots aren’t finalized and certainly aren’t reviewed so things can change dramatically between now and then (and even go away). Though I am admittedly not immune the hope of a high concept show (Charlie’s Angels), the return of a favorite talent (Sarah Michelle Gellar in Ringer), or creators with a somewhat proven track record (Once Upon a Time from the creators of Lost and Spielberg’s Terra Nova).

What I tend to pay a little more attention to at this point are shows that have been canceled (see notations below) and shows in a schedule shootout. Every fall there is at least one time slot where something gets kicked to the curb that would normally make the cut. I do like to watch new shows at least once so thank goodness for a couple of replays and online viewing to ensure the right picks are getting the season pass. Here’s what it’s looking like for me for now:

Monday

• 8pm – How I Met Your Mother/Two Broke Girls (CBS) vs. Terra Nova (Fox) vs. The Sing-Off (NBC)
• 9pm – House (Fox) vs. Hart of Dixie (CW) vs. Two and a Half Men (CBS) – willing to give Ashton a try
• 10pm – Castle (ABC) vs. Hawaii Five-O (CBS) vs. The Playboy Club (NBC)

Tuesday

• 8pm – Last Man Standing/Man Up (ABC) & Glee (Fox)
• 9pm – Ringer (CW) & New Girl (Fox)
• 10pm - Unforgettable (CBS) & Parenthood (NBC)

Wednesday

• 8pm – The Middle/Suburgatory (ABC) vs. The X Factor (Fox) vs. Up All Night/Free Agents (NBC)
• 9pm – Modern Family (ABC) vs. ANTM (CW) vs. Harry’s Law (NBC) vs. The X Factor/I Hate My Teenage Daughter (Fox) – I admittedly can’t endorse 2 out of those 4 but I do watch
• 10pm – Revenge (ABC) & L&O: SVU (NBC) – say goodbye to Stabler

Thursday

• 8pm - Charlie’s Angels (ABC) vs. Big Bang Theory/How to Be a Gentleman (CBS) vs. X Factor Results (Fox) vs. Community/Parks & Rec (NBC)
• 9pm – Grey’s (ABC) vs. Person of Interest (CBS) vs. The Secret Circle (CW) vs. Bones (Fox) vs. The Office/Whitney (NBC)
• 10pm – The Mentalist (CBS) & Prime Suspect (NBC)

Friday

• 8pm – Chuck (NBC)
• 9pm – Grimm (NBC)

Saturday – Nothing

Sunday

• 8pm - Once Upon a Time (ABC)
• 9pm – The Good Wife (CBS)
• 10pm – Pan Am (ABC)

And for a look at your own schedule check out TV Guide’s fall grid and for what’s been canceled (and sticking around) check out The Futon Critic’s scorecard. New shows are in italics.

• Terriers (Fx) – It was good while it lasted, this show may have been handicapped by its obtuse title and marketing but the buddy PI show of two likable losers hit all the right notes as it balanced the episodic and ongoing plots with moments of hilarity and true character anguish.
• Sons of Anarchy (Fx) – These guys are still a favorite as the motorcycle club and their families get into trouble after trouble trying to keep the small town a world of their own, the bad guys are bad but the good guys are badder.
• Justified (Fx) – Oh Raylan… how do you describe the joy of a show about a questionably self defeatist trigger happy US Marshall in a small town with a surprising amount of crime.
• The Good Wife (CBS) – What started as a silly premise has turned into a show with great layers where I actually care not just about the cases, but the relationships, the office politics, and the politics, with rich characters in every area.
• Community (NBC) – Joel McHale has a great ability to come across as smarmy in a way that is still likable, and they’ve found a way to do that with each of these characters turning their best and worst characteristics into funny, while using popular culture to frame dialogue and episodes more successfully than I can recall anyone else doing.
• Cougar Town (ABC) – Ok so maybe I find the drinking wine jokes funny, but this show which has evolved nicely from a show about older women dating younger dudes, to focusing on a group of friends (the cul-de-sac crew) and the dumb things they do that consistently make me laugh.
• Bones (Fox) – So we all hate Hannah and every ploy they do to keep these two apart, but the moments between Bones and Booth whether amusing or touching is the best you’ll find in a weekly procedural, add fun supporting characters, situations, and science and you’ve got a good show.
• Chuck (NBC) – I like this show more when they’re not focusing on Chuck’s parental conspiracies but still adore the interplay between the spies and the geeks.
• Dexter (Show) – I don’t think I’ve ever worried about a criminal as much as I worry about Dexter, with his need to kill, the folks who suspect him, and of course his trying to work and have a family, I feel bad about complaining about my schedule.
• Men of a Certain Age (TNT) – I missed the first season of this but catching up in reruns and watching the second, the men won me over with their regular middle aged lives, the late forties may not always be pretty, but apparently they can be entertaining.

Monday

• 8pm – Chuck (NBC)/How I Met Your Mother (CBS) [House (Fox)]
• 10pm – Castle (ABC)/Hawaii Five-O (CBS)

I’m still tempted to drop House but I get into this mental state where I feel like I’ve invested so many seasons into it so I kind of want to see how things play out. Other than that old favorites Chuck, HIMYM, and Castle are joined by fluffy fun enough so far 5-0.

Tuesday

• 8pm – No Ordinary Family (ABC)/Glee (Fox)
• 9pm – Raising Hope/Running Wilde (Fox)
• 10pm – The Good Wife (CBS)/Parenthood (NBC) [Detroit 1-8-7 (ABC)/Sons of Anarchy (Fx)]

So far NOFamily is a nice mix of family drama and super skills [though this isn't a bad show I found I wasn't engaged enough to keep it on the listings] while the uneven Glee still keeps me coming back. Keeping SofA on the schedule is not a problem since FX replays stuff repeatedly, but debating on what to do about wanting to add 1-8-7 to my already booked hour. Since both Hope and Wilde are on my chopping block I wish I could move one of these up an hour.

Wednesday

• 8pm – The Middle/Better With You (ABC)/America’s Next Top Model (CW)
• 9pm – Modern Family/Cougar Town (ABC)/Law & Order: SVU (NBC)
• 10pm – The Defenders (CBS)/Law & Order: Los Angeles (NBC) [Terriers (Fx)]

Am losing interest in ANTM and the Law & Orders but keeping them in the running with the comedies. Better w/You isn’t quite funny but the episode about living in a fire house kept me interested just because I’ve always wanted to live in a fire house (or light house) but it may go soon. Terriers is probably my favorite new show so keeping that on the agenda isn’t a problem while Defenders is so far sort of charming enough to keep me tuned in.

Thursday

• 8pm - The Big Bang Theory (CBS)/Bones (Fox)/Community/30 Rock (NBC)
• 9pm – Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)/The Office (NBC) [Project Runway (Life)]
• 10pm – The Mentalist (CBS)/It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (Fx)

Another tough first hour as I’m not willing to give up Bones, Big Bang or Community though the rest of the night seems to fit in fine. Holding out to see if Office picks up or drops off, especially with Michael’s scheduled departure.

Monday

• Dancing with the Stars/Castle (ABC, 8/10pm) Season Premieres – Palin, Situation, old person, sports person, another reality person, etc and then the fun case comaraderie of our favorite fictional author and his detective partner.
• House/Lone Star (Fox, 8/9pm, LS repeats Sat at 11pm) Season/Series Premiere – I’ve been sticking with House for years but the battle of the time slot my take it as a casualty, hearing good things about Lone Star’s grifting ways.
• Chuck/The Event/Chase (NBC, 8/9/10pm, Ev & Ch repeat Sat 9/10pm) Season/Series Premieres – Chuck delights me and I’ll at least check in to see what Event and Chase have to bring.
• How I Met Your Mother/Rules of Engagement/Two and a Half Men/Mike & Molly/Hawaii 5-0 (CBS, 8/8:30/9/9:30/10pm, 5-0 repeats Sat at 8pm) – Season/Series Premieres – Still a HIMYM fan, I wish I could time block it differently, will check in with M&M and 5-0.

Tuesday

• Glee/Raising Hope/Running Wilde (Fox, 8/9/9:30pm, RW repeats Sat at midnight) Season/Series Premieres – Excited to see what Glee will bring and giving the new sitcoms a shot.
• The Biggest Loser (NBC, 8pm) Season Premiere – Too heartfelt in the reality fare for me.
• NCIS/NCIS: LA (CBS, 8/9pm) Season Premieres – Never quite got into the Naval version of the criminal investigation.
• Detroit 1-8-7 (ABC, 10pm) Series Premiere – Willing to see what Michael Imperioli brings to the detective world.

Wednesday

• Hell’s Kitchen (Fox, 8pm) Season Premiere – Mean chef.
• The Middle/Better with You/Modern Family/Cougar Town/The Whole Truth (ABC, 8/8:30/9/9:30/10pm, BwY/WT repeats Fri at 8:30/9pm) Season/Series Premiere – Enjoyed the comedy block last year, we’ll see how well BwY fits in and TWT wraps things up.
• Undercovers/Law & Order: SVU (NBC, 8/9pm; UC repeats Thurs on USA) Series/Season Premiere – Definitely going to be checking out the new spy couple and then still sticking with but not all that invested in SVU.
• Criminal Minds/The Defenders (CBS, 9/10pm) Season/Series Premiere - Don’t go out of my way for the serial hacker of the week but willing to make a run with the latest Vegas lawyers.

Thursday

• My Generation/Grey’s Anatomy/Private Practice (ABC, 8/9/10pm) Series/Season Premieres – Generation is getting some of the worst buzz, so due to scheduling won’t make a pass, but will check back for Grey’s before tuning out of ABC again.
• Bones/Fringe (Fox, 8/9pm) Season Premieres – I still dig Bones but Fringe’s drama never quite hooked me.
• Community/30 Rock/The Office/Outsourced (NBC, 8/8:30/9/9:30pm) Season/Series Premieres – The start of this night makes me laugh though rumor has it Outsourced doesn’t round things out well.
• The Big Bang Theory/$#*! My Dad Says/CSI/The Mentalist (CBS, 8/8:30/9/10pm) Season/Series Premieres – One of the funnier shows paired with what is supposed to be the worst show, I’ve never gotten into the CSIs but do tune in for Simon Baker.

Friday

• Smallville/Supernatural (CW, 8/9pm) Season Premiere – I’m not really doing these freak of the week shows.
• Medium/CSI: NY/Blue Bloods (CBS, 8/9/10pm) Season/Series Premiere – Blah, blah, then worth a shot.
• The Good Guys (Fox, 8pm) Season Premiere – I just didn’t think the guys were all that good.
• Dateline (NBC, 9pm) Season Premiere – News-ish.
• 20/20 (ABC, 10pm) Season Premiere – News-ish.

Saturday

• 48 Hours Mystery (CBS, 10pm) Season Premiere – News-ish.
• Saturday Night Live (NBC, 11:29) Season Premiere – Amy Poehler hosts with Katy Perry.

Sunday

• America’s Funniest Home Videos/Extreme Makeover Home Edition/Desperate Housewives/Brothers & Sisters (ABC, 7/8/9/10pm) Season Premieres – Some funny, some drama, but not enough of either for me.
• 60 Minutes/The Amazing Race/Undercover Boss (CBS, 7:30/8:30/10pm) Season Premieres – News-ish, Amazing-ish, Bossy.
• The Simpsons/The Cleveland Show/Family Guy (Fox, 8/8:30/9pm) Season Premieres – Animation takes control.
• Dexter (Show, 9pm) Season Premiere – What will he do this season?!?
• Bored to Death/Eastbound & Down (HBO, 10/10:30pm) Season Premieres – No HBO for me.
• Sister Wives (TLC, 10pm) Series Premiere – The real life polygamists.
• Nature (PBS, 8pm) Season Premiere – Cuba.

Since scheduling come fall gets difficult and networks sometimes rerun pilots I’ll try to note repeat airings for new shows, all times are typically PST.

• Bones (Fox, 9/23) – Still a favorite among the procedurals, Booth, Bones, and the rest of the lap techs are fun characters with cases that bring out the best balance of science and humanity in everyone.
• Chuck (NBC, 9/20) – They’ve done a really good job of having Chuck evolve as a spy without losing the total humor of the situation and the great supporting characters keep bringing the geek and the spy skills.
• Cougar Town (ABC, 9/22)/Community (NBC, 9/23) - These two comedies both started out pretty dumb, but both situations of misfits bonded together by proximity (and characters forcing the bond), really grew into their characters and their funny to make them two of the highlights of my week.
• Dexter (Show, 9/26) – No season has been as good as the first, and I still think I hate all the women, but I still long to find out what happens to Dexter and how he gets into and out of trouble and murder (or justice) each week.
• Glee (Fox, 9/21) – This show is uneven for sure but there is enough heart and originality and of course fun musical numbers to make this show must see tv for me.
• The Good Wife (CBS, 9/28) – Maybe the best show introduced last year, the tragic politician’s wife story brings a subtlety and drama to each of the characters and situations that make me as interested in the ongoing character stories as the weekly procedural.
• Sons of Anarchy (FX, 9/7) – Tonight! Probably my most anticipated and favorite show to watch, the motorcycle gang and their families are violent and scheming and unmerciful as they protect their business and each other.

Honorable mentions (other fall stuff on season pass): ANTM (CW, 9/8),  The Big Bang Theory (CBS, 9/23), Castle (ABC, 9/20), Grey’s Anatomy (ABC, 9/23), House (Fox, 9/20), How I Met Your Mother (CBS, 9/20), It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FX, 9/16), Law & Order: SVU (NBC, 9/22), The Mentalist (CBS, 9/23), The Middle (ABC, 9/22), Modern Family (ABC, 9/22), The Office (NBC, 9/23), Parenthood (NBC, 9/14), 30 Rock (NBC, 9/23).

Monday

• House (Fox, 8pm) Season Finale – Can House save another?
• One Tree Hill (CW, 8pm) Season Finale – Are those kids still living in One Tree Hill?
• Gossip Girl (CW, 9pm) Season Finale – Will Georgina’s return bring more drama?
• Castle (ABC, 10pm) Season Finale – Will Castle declare his love for Beckett?

Tuesday

• 90210 (CW, 8pm) Season Finale – Drama? Romance? Arson?
• V (ABC, 10pm) Season Finale – What are those Vs up to?

Wednesday

• The Good Guys (Fx, 8pm) Series Premiere – Bradley Whitford and Colin Hanks give the odd couple buddy cop show another avenue, the series premieres in its regular timeslot on 6/7.
• The Middle/Modern Family/Cougar Town (ABC, 8:30-10pm) Season Finales – Did Cougar Town actually become one of my favorite comedies?
• Law & Order: SVU (NBC, 10pm) Season Finale – Will Sharon Stone be the next ADA to leave?

Thursday

• Bones/Fringe (Fox, 8/9pm) Season Finales – Will we continue to see creepy death and just plain creepy?
• Community/Parks & Recreation/The Office /30 Rock/The Marriage Ref (NBC, 8-11pm) Season Finales – Will Community keep up the goodness? Will the other comedies return to goodness? Will I ever watch an ep of Ref?
• CSI/The Mentalist (CBS, 9pm) Season Finale – Will death hit close to home? Will the psychic detective solve another?
• Grey’s Anatomy (ABC, 9pm) Season Finale – What good could Mandy Moore bring to Grey’s?

Friday

• Ghost Whisperer/Medium/Miami Medical (CBS, 8/9pm) Season Finale – If they don’t survive Miami Medical will one of the ladies talk to their ghosts?
• Kitchen Nightmares (Fox, 9pm) Season Finale – Will the Chef ever stop yelling?

Saturday

• Golden God Awards (VH1 Classic, 10pm) – Metal awards?

Sunday

• Lost (ABC, 7/9) Series Finale – Will Jack wake to find it was all a dream?
• Brooks & Dunn (CBS, 8pm) – Whatever.
• The Simpsons/The Cleveland Show/Family Guy (Fox, 8-10pm) Season Finale – Will animation domination be funny?
• The Apprentice (NBC, 9pm) Season Finale – Will anyone care who wins?