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new fall tv

September 12, 2007 6 Comments

It’s time. Let’s see what folks are saying about new fall television. Of the critics picks these are the names that seem to come up.

Aliens in America (ew) – CW, Mon 10/1, 8:30pm
Back to You (ew, ms, tv) – Fox, Wed 9/19, 8pm
Bionic Woman (ew, a, tv) – NBC, Wed 9/26, 9pm
Cane (ms, tv) – CBS, Tues 9/25, 10pm
Chuck (a, tv) – NBC, Mon 9/24, 8pm
Dirty Sexy Money (a, ew, ms, tv) – ABC, Wed 9/26, 10pm
Gossip Girl (a, tv) – CW, Wed 9/19, 9pm
Journeyman (ms) – NBC, Mon 9/24, 10pm
K-Ville (tv) – Fox, Mon 9/17, 0pm
Private Practice (tv) – ABC, Wed 9/26, 9pm
Pushing Daisies (a, ms, t, tv) – ABC, Wed 10/13, 8pm
Reaper (ew, ms, tv) – CW, Tues 9/25, 9pm
Samantha Who? (ms) – ABC, Mon 10/15, 9:30pm

(a) AOL – Fall Best New Shows, (ew) Entertainment Weekly Pick, (ms) Newsweek/MSNBC – Fall Preview, (t) Time – What to Watch for Fall Arts Preview, (tv) TV Guide – Shows With Buzz (buzz doesn’t necessarily equal best)

Touted as perhaps the worst shows – Viva Laughlin: preposterous murder mystery with folks singing over pop songs at key plot points. Big Shots: four good actors but this ‘sex and the city for men’ show is reportedly painfully bad. Cavemen: updating the bad ad concept of cavemen in society being discriminated against, really?

So I can’t predict what my new favorites will be (I do try to watch all new comedies and dramas) but here’s what I’m most looking forward to:

Bionic Woman – For nostalgia sake alone I’m looking forward to this. The show is getting a serious update by the creators of Battlestar Gallactica (I haven’t seen but hear nothing but great things). Though not sticking strictly the old plot Jamie Sommers is getting bionic and of course being asked to put her new abilities to use, expect more conflict with the government agency that rebuilt her and more personal struggle.
Pushing Daisies – I’ve actually heard the most positive buzz about this show. What if you could touch someone to bring them back to life but with your next touch they’d die again? Well of course you’d help a PI solve murders. And of course you’d bring a woman you love back to life and never be able to touch her again. It’s got a good cast and supposedly a great look. It’s being touted as things like whimsical and delightful so it probably won’t be for everyone but it’s definitely worth a watch.
Dirty, Sexy, Money – Ok so this title is almost so over the top it’s good but it wasn’t until I started hearing positive things about this satire that I started to believe that they might be doing it right. The return of Peter Krause (of HBO’s 6 Feet Under – though I’m only on about season 4 of on dvd) as a reluctant attorney to a powerful and of course scandalous family headed by Donald Sutherland.
Gossip Girl – So not only is it done by Josh Schwartz (the creator of the OC that at least started with an excellent dose of wit and sudsy drama) but the VO of blogger/narrator is being done by our beloved Veronica Mars’ Kristin Bell. It’s based on a series of books set in uber elite New York private school so hopefully they’ll have enough fodder to keep it lively for at least a couple of seasons.
Chuck and Reaper – Ok these both just feel similar to me. Likable guy gets thrown into unusual situation. Chuck (also by Schwartz) has been described as The Office meets Alias. Can’t beat that, right? A computer nerd (Less Than Perfect’s Zachary Levi) gets all of America’s intelligence downloaded to his brain. And in Reaper the guy (Brett Harrison of Grounded for Life and The Loop) has to be bounty hunter for Satan since his parents sold his soul to the devil, with the first episode being directed by Kevin Smith. Both are being touted as smart and funny so hopefully at least one of them’s a keeper.

Of the others…

Sitcoms – With sitcoms I’ve learned to adopt a wait and see stance but Back to You and Samantha Who clearly have potential with the casting of Frasier and Mrs. Ray Romano as newscasters and the adorable Kellie Bundy as amnesiac. And I guess Aliens in America could be amusing bringing a Pakistani foreign exchange student to small town America to focus on high-school misfits.

Dramas – Cane has good casting including Jimmy Smits and Hector Elizondo in this Cuban-American family/business drama but I’ve seen about a million previews and am not all that excited. Journeyman shows a man going back in time to change something and again just no real pull yet. K-Ville is a cop show set in New Orleans but I haven’t really heard anything else about it. And Private Practice’s Grey’s spin-off backdoor pilot wasn’t astounding, but we’ll see what they do with it.

this week 9/8

September 10, 2007 6 Comments

Well full fall’s still not quite upon us but the shows are trickling out, here’s the premieres you can catch this week:

In case you missed it some new reality returned with Cops (Fox, Sat 9/8, 8pm) and America’s Most Wanted (Fox, Sat 9/8, 9pm). I don’t think I’ve even watched an episode of either of these. And we ramp up the week with the return of The Biggest Loser (NBC, Tues 9/11, 8pm). Since it started after I made the decision to drop reality I can’t vouch for this weight loss challenge, but I know folks who are addicted to the competition that offers a little less backstabbing and a little more hope for folks to change their lives. Then there’s new show Nashville (Fox, Fri 9/14, 9pm) that’s a reality show following wannabe music stars, that I’ve heard are attractive and actually talented. Since it’s by the producers of Laguna Beach think more docu-soap than competition. And this next weekend brings us Mad TV (Fox, Sat 9/15, 11pm) and Talk Show with Spike Feresten (Fox, Sat 9/15, 12am). I’ve never watched these and I’d like to say it’s because I’m always out on a Saturday night, so I will, that’s what I’ll say.

tv guide fall preview

August 31, 2007 3 Comments

I still can’t comment on what’s worth watching of the new stuff… but for a full overview of what’s new, and returning, as well as a nifty printable premiere date calendar (so everyone can plan their schedules accordingly), TV Guide has done a nice little section.

http://www.tvguide.com/special/fallpreview07/

In case you’re not ready to dip in it looks like next week the only premieres you need to worry about are a couple gameshows Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? (Fox, Thurs 9/6, 8pm) and Don’t Forget the Lyrics! (Fox, Thurs 9/6, 9pm). As mentioned, I don’t really do gameshows.

summer cable treats

August 29, 2007 14 Comments

I did mention that I don’t have real cable, but I have had the opportunity to get addicted to just a few cable shows at someone else’s house. A dangerous precedent but sometimes you just have to live dangerously.

Flight of the Conchords – (HBO) So there’s these two New Zealand guys who are in a band that does these pretty hilarious ‘folk-parody’ songs. I don’t know what these guys are really like but the characters and situations that they’ve created for this half hour show about their band (Flight of the Conchords) trying to make it in NY, that almost feels like an extended music video, is totally random and just makes me laugh. (Season finale week of Sept 2)
Saving Grace – (TNT) Set in Oklahoma City, Holly Hunter plays this total wreck of a person, Grace, who seems to mismanage her relationships, family, and of course police career all while being visited by an angel Earl who is apparently trying to save her, which of course she’ll have none of, but she does have her forensic friend analyzing some of the objects she gathers. (Season finale week of Sept 16)
Rock of Love With Bret Michaels – (VH1) I have so much disdain for those dating shows like the Bachelor, but watching the lead singer of Poison try to pick a gal is like an accident you just can’t look away from. The women basically seem crazy and slutty as they try to win dates with Brett in ridiculous challenges and of course live in a house together and get all catty. It’s like a really well done satire of one of these shows. (Week of 9/9 we’re down to four, not sure if there’s more…)
Scott Baio is 45 — and Single – (VH1) Ok this show wasn’t even any good but somehow I watched it all. Scott Baio works with a lifecoach and hangs with friends as he confronts his history of womanizing to see if he can, or wants to, settle down with current girlfriend, and of course former playmate. There’s a little voyeuristic fun but the format and Scott VO make it a little too packaged. (Finale aired but still rerunning)

And for the record I tried but couldn’t keep up with:

John From Cincinnati – (HBO) I really tried to give this show a shot, I like surfing and the cast and creators were reputable, but the oddly stilted characters and supernatural happenings never quite clicked. So season one finished up and didn’t get renewed.
Burn Notice – (USA) Ok so I only watched one of these but though it had the ingredients for being a fun spy action show it didn’t quite work and I almost didn’t finish the first episode. I’ve read some good reviews so maybe it hit its stride later.
Damages – (FX) I made it through two of these… Glenn Close and Ted Danson are both almost interestingly despicable as we watch a new associate get dragged into more than she bargained for personally and professionally at her new law firm, but I just couldn’t quite stomach the over the top plotting.
Greek – (ABC Family) Sometimes a relatively tame and pretty mindless stereotypical show about kids in college, in the greek system, is all that you’re looking for, but maybe ABC Family isn’t my channel.

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