Television Fall 2009

[bicker]

This is an up-to-date view of the fall broadcast network schedule (with selected cable offerings added in), by time slot:

Sunday
7:00-8:00 pm
__________ABC: America’s Funniest Home Videos [10/4]
__________CBS: 60 minutes [9/27]
__________Fox: The OT (NFL Post-Game) [9/13]
__________NBC: Football Night In America [9/13]
8:00-9:00 pm
__________ABC: Extreme Makeover: Home Edition [9/27]
__________CBS: The Amazing Race [9/27]
__________Fox: The Simpsons [9/27] / The Cleveland Show [9/27]
__________NBC:Football Night In America into NBC Sunday Night Football [9/13]
__________ABC Family: Lincoln Heights [9/14]
9:00-10:00 pm
__________ABC: Desperate Housewives [9/27]
__________CBS: Three Rivers [10/4]
__________Fox: Family Guy [9/27] / American Dad [9/27]
__________NBC: NBC Sunday Night Football [9/13]
__________HBO: Curb Your Enthusiasm / Bored to Death [9/20]
__________Showtime: Dexter [9/27]
10:00-11:00 pm
__________ABC: Brothers & Sisters [9/27]
__________CBS: Cold Case [9/27]
__________NBC: NBC Sunday Night Football [9/13]
__________Showtime: Californication [9/27]

Monday
7:00-8:00 pm
__________Syfy: Ghost Whisperer (synd) [9/7]
8:00-9:00 pm
__________ABC: Dancing with the Stars [9/21]
__________CBS: How I Met Your Mother [9/21] / Accidentally On Purpose [9/21]
__________CW: Gossip Girl [9/14]
__________Fox: House [9/21]
__________NBC: Heroes [9/21]
__________ION: Ghost Whisperer (synd) [continuing]
__________Syfy: Ghost Whisperer (synd) [9/7]
9:00-10:00 pm
__________ABC: Dancing with the Stars [9/21]
__________CBS: Two and a Half Men [9/21] / The Big Bang Theory [9/21]
__________CW: One Tree Hill [9/14]
__________Fox: Lie To Me [9/28]
__________NBC: Trauma [9/28]
__________ION: Criminal Minds (synd) [9/8]
__________Syfy: Ghost Whisperer (synd) [9/7]
10:00-11:00 pm
__________ABC: Castle [9/21]
__________CBS: CSI: Miami [9/21]
__________NBC: Jay Leno Show [9/13]
__________ION: Durham County [9/7]
__________Syfy: Ghost Whisperer (synd) [9/7]

Tuesday
8:00-9:00 pm
__________ABC: Shark Tank [8/9] / "V" [11/3]
__________CBS: NCIS [9/22]
__________CW: 90210 [9/8]
__________Fox: Hell's Kitchen [summer]
__________NBC: The Biggest Loser [9/15]
__________ION: Ghost Whisperer (synd) [continuing]
9:00-10:00 pm
__________ABC: Dancing with the Stars (Results Show) [9/22]
__________CBS: NCIS: Los Angeles [9/22]
__________CW: Melrose Place [9/8]
__________Fox: So You Think You Can Dance [9/9] (Performance Show)
__________NBC: The Biggest Loser [9/15]
__________ION: Criminal Minds (synd) [9/8]
__________Syfy: Scare Tactics [10/6]
10:00-11:00 pm
__________ABC: The Forgotten [9/22]
__________CBS: The Good Wife [9/22]
__________NBC: Jay Leno Show [9/13]
__________FX: Sons of Anarchy [9/8]
__________ION: Criminal Minds (synd) [9/8]
__________Lifetime: Sherri [10/5]

Wednesday
8:00-9:00 pm
__________ABC: Hank [9/30] / The Middle [9/30]
__________CBS: The New Adventures of Old Christine [9/23] / Gary Unmarried [9/23]
__________CW: America's Next Top Model [9/9]
__________Fox: So You Think You Can Dance [9/9] (Results Show)
__________NBC: Mercy [9/23]
__________ION: Ghost Whisperer (synd) [continuing]
9:00-10:00 pm
__________ABC: Modern Family [9/23] / Cougar Town [9/23]
__________CBS: Criminal Minds [9/23]
__________CW: The Beautiful Life [9/16]
__________Fox: Glee [9/9]
__________NBC: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit [9/23]
__________Bravo: Top Chef [summer]
__________Discovery: Mythbusters [10/7]
__________Syfy: Ghost Hunters [8/19]
10:00-11:00 pm
__________ABC: Eastwick [9/23]
__________CBS: CSI: NY [9/23]
__________NBC: Jay Leno Show [9/13]
__________ION: Criminal Minds (synd) [9/8]
__________FX: Nip/Tuck [10/14]
__________Syfy: Destination Truth [9/9]

Thursday
8:00-9:00 pm
__________ABC: Flash Forward [9/24]
__________CBS: Survivor [9/17]
__________CW: Vampire Diaries [9/10]
__________Fox: Bones [9/17]
__________NBC: SNL Weekend Update Thursday [9/17] / Parks And Recreation [9/17]
__________ION: Ghost Whisperer (synd) [continuing]
9:00-10:00 pm
__________ABC: Grey's Anatomy [9/24]
__________CBS: CSI [9/24]
__________CW: Supernatural [9/10]
__________Fox: Fringe [9/17]
__________NBC: The Office [9/17] / Community [9/17]
10:00-11:00 pm
__________ABC: Private Practice [10/1]
__________CBS: The Mentalist [9/24]
__________NBC: Jay Leno Show [9/13]
__________FX: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia [9/17] / The League (later: Archer) [TBA]

Friday
8:00-9:00 pm
__________ABC: Supernanny [10/16]
__________CBS: Ghost Whisperer [9/25]
__________CW: Smallville [9/10]
__________Fox: Brothers [9/25] / 'Til Death [10/2]
__________NBC: Law & Order [9/25]
9:00-10:00 pm
__________ABC: Ugly Betty [10/9]
__________CBS: Medium [9/25]
__________CW: America's Next Top Model (rerun)
__________Fox: Dollhouse [9/25]
__________NBC: Southland [was 9/25 now 10/23]
__________Syfy: Stargate Universe [10/2]
__________USA: Monk [summer]
10:00-11:00 pm
__________ABC: 20/20 [9/11]
__________CBS: Numb3rs [9/25]
__________NBC: Jay Leno Show [9/13]
__________ION: Criminal Minds (synd) [9/8]
__________Syfy: Sanctuary [10/9]
__________USA: Psych [summer] / White Collar [10/23]

Saturday
8:00-9:00 pm
__________ABC: Saturday Night College Football [9/5]
__________Fox: Cops [9/12] / Cops [9/12]
__________CBS: (rerun of a crime drama)
__________NBC: Dateline NBC [9/26]
9:00-10:00 pm
__________ABC: Saturday Night College Football [9/5]
__________Fox: America's Most Wanted [9/12]
__________CBS: (rerun of a crime drama)
__________NBC: Trauma (rerun)
10:00-11:00 pm
__________ABC: Saturday Night College Football [9/5]
__________CBS: 48 Hours Investigations [9/26]
__________NBC: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (rerun)

 

[bicker]

Pre-season premieres:

Week of August 30

Monday, August 31
Greek (ABC Family) "The Day After"

Saturday, September 5
Saturday Night College Football (ABC)

Week of September 6

Monday, September 7
Durham County (ION) "What Lies Beneath"

Tuesday, September 8
90210 (CW) "To New Beginnings"
Melrose Place (CW) "Pilot"
Sons of Anarchy (FX) "Albification"

Wednesday, September 9
So You Think You Can Dance (Fox)
Glee (Fox) "Showmance"
America's Next Top Model (CW)
Destination Truth (Syfy) "Haunted Forest/Alux"

Thursday, September 10
Vampire Diaries (CW) "Pilot" *
(Sunday) Night Football (NBC)
Supernatural (CW) "Sympathy for the Devil"

Friday, September 11
20/20 (ABC)

Saturday, September 12
Cops (Fox)
America's Most Wanted (Fox)

Week of September 13

Sunday, September 13
Football Night in America (NBC)

Monday, September 14
Monday Night Football (ESPN)
Lincoln Heights (ABC Family)
One Tree Hill (CW) "4:30 a.m. (Apparently They Were Traveling Abroad)"
Gossip Girl (CW) "Reversals of Fortune"
Jay Leno Show (NBC)

Tuesday, September 15
Biggest Loser (NBC)

Wednesday, September 16
The Beautiful Life (CW) "Pilot" *

Official start of the fall season:

Thursday, September 17
Bones (Fox) "Harbingers in the Fountain"
Survivor (CBS)
Parks & Recreation (NBC) "Pawnee Zoo"
Fringe (Fox) "A New Day in the Old Town"
The Office (NBC) "Gossip"
Community (NBC) "Pilot"
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FX)

Friday, September 18
Crash (Starz)

Week of September 20

Sunday, September 20
Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)
Bored to Death (HBO)

Monday, September 21
Dancing with the Stars (ABC)
Heroes (NBC) "Orientation / Jump, Push, Fall" (2 hour premiere)
House (Fox) "Broken" (2 hour premiere)
How I Met Your Mother (CBS) "Definitions"
Accidentally On Purpose (CBS) "Pilot"
Two and a Half Men (CBS) "818-Jklpuzo"
Big Bang Theory (CBS) "The Electric Can Opener Fluctuation"
Castle (ABC) "Death in Deep"
CSI: Miami (CBS) "Out of Time"

Tuesday, September 22
NCIS (CBS) "Truth Or Consequences"
NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS) "Identity"
The Forgotten (ABC) "Pilot" *
The Good Wife (CBS) "Pilot" *

Wednesday, September 23
Mercy (NBC) "Can We Get That Drink Now?" *
The New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS) "Bahamian Rhapsody"
Gary Unmarried (CBS) "Gary Has a Dream"
Criminal Minds (CBS) "Nameless, Faceless"
Law and Order: SVU (NBC) "Unstable"
Modern Family (ABC) "Pilot" *
Cougar Town (ABC) "Pilot" *
Eastwick (ABC) "Pilot" *
CSI: New York (CBS) "Epilogue"

Thursday, September 24
Flash Forward (ABC) "No More Good Days" *
CSI (CBS) "Family Affair"
Grey's Anatomy (ABC) "Good Mourning/Goodbye" (2 hour premiere)
The Mentalist (CBS) "Redemption"

Friday, September 25
Brothers (Fox)
Ghost Whisperer (CBS) "Birthday Presence"
Law and Order (NBC) "Memo from the Dark Side"
Smallville (CW)
Dollhouse (Fox)
Medium (CBS) "Déjà Vu All Over Again"
Numb3rs (CBS) "Hangman"

Saturday, September 26
48 Hours Mystery (CBS)
Saturday Night Live (NBC)

Week of September 27

Sunday, September 27
60 Minutes (CBS)
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (ABC)
The Amazing Race (CBS)
The Simpsons (Fox)
The Cleveland Show (Fox)
Desperate Housewives (ABC) "Nice Is Different Than Good"
Dexter (Sho) "Living the Dream"
Family Guy (Fox)
American Dad (Fox)
Californication (Sho) "Wish You Were Here"
Brothers & Sisters (ABC) "The Road Ahead"
Cold Case (CBS) "The Crossing"

Late season premieres:

Monday, September 28
Lie To Me (Fox)
Trauma (NBC) *

Wednesday, September 30
Hank (ABC) *
The Middle (ABC) *

Thursday, October 1
Saturday Night Live: Weekend Update (NBC)
Private Practice (ABC)

Friday, October 2
'Til Death (Fox)
Stargate Universe (Syfy)

Week of October 4

Sunday, October 4
America's Funniest Home Videos (ABC)
Three Rivers (CBS) "Tick-Tock" *

Tuesday, October 6
Scare Tactics (Syfy)

Wednesday, October 7
Mythbusters (Discovery)

Friday, October 9
Ugly Betty (ABC)
Sanctuary (Syfy)

Later

Wednesday, October 14
Nip/Tuck (FX)

Thursday, October 15
30 Rock (NBC)

Friday, October 16
Supernanny (ABC)

Friday, October 23
White Collar (USA)
Southland (NBC)

Saturday, October 31
Legend of the Seeker (Syndicated)

Tuesday, November 3
V (ABC)

Notes
Baseball dominates Fox from October 16 through November 5.
Summer series Mad Men continues through November 8.

 

[bicker]

New Dramas

The Beautiful Life (CW)
Durham County (ION)
Eastwick (ABC)
Flash Forward (ABC)
The Forgotten (ABC)
The Good Wife (CBS)
Melrose Place (CW)
Mercy (NBC)
NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS)
Stargate Universe (Syfy)
Three Rivers (CBS)
Trauma (NBC)
V (ABC)
Vampire Diaries (CW)
White Collar (USA)

New Comedies

Accidentally on Purpose (CBS)
Brothers (Fox)
The Cleveland Show (Fox)
Community (NBC)
Cougar Town (ABC)
Hank (ABC)
The Middle (ABC)
Modern Family (ABC)

 

[bicker]

Durham County

What you don't know about your neighbors could kill you. That's just everyday reality in "Durham County" ... the Award-Winning "Durham County" series follows the troubled world of Homicide Detective Mike Sweeney (Hugh Dillon, CBS' "Flashpoint") who moves his family to quiet suburbia for a fresh start after his partner is killed and his wife Audrey (Hlne Joy) is diagnosed with breast cancer. While Durham County seems like the perfect place to begin again, Sweeney soon discovers that his neighbor Ray Prager (Justin Louis) may be a serial killer. What's more, Prager is not just a random stranger he is Sweeney's arch high school nemesis. As events unfold and young women begin disappearing, an intense showdown develops between the two complex men and their families.

The show is produced in Ontario (and Quebec), for Canadian television (TMN in the East, and Movie Central in the West), and its first season of six episodes earned the show three "Gemini Awards" (for Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Direction).

I think they're only broadcasting the first six episodes, at least at this point. I like Hugh Dillon, but I don't think I would go out of my way to watch this show: I find that often the PR term "complex" in blurbs about television series means that they don't seem to care about making the series entertaining or otherwise enjoyable. What I will be interested in seeing is whether ION broadcast this show widescreen or pillar-boxed. We do have ION in HD here, but I don't know if they have ever actually broadcast anything in HD. I'm pretty sure this series was produced in HD, so maybe it'll be broadcast in HD.

For those keeping score, it is on up against Castle (ABC) and CSI: Miami (CBS) -- and of course Leno (NBC). Who knows? Maybe Leno gives this show a chance to make a dent?

 

[bicker]

Vampire Diaries (CW)

Four months after the tragic car accident that killed their parents, 17-year-old Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev, "DeGrassi: The Next Generation") and her 15-year-old brother, Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen, "Everwood") are still trying to cope with their grief and move on with their lives. Elena has always been the star student; beautiful, popular and involved with school and friends, but now she finds herself struggling to hide her sadness from the world. As the school year begins, Elena and her friends are fascinated by a handsome and mysterious new student, Stefan Salvatore (Paul Wesley, "Army Wives"). Stefan and Elena are immediately drawn to one another, and Elena has no way of knowing that Stefan is a centuries-old vampire, struggling to live peacefully among humans, while his brother Damon (Ian Somerhalder, "Lost") is the embodiment of vampire violence and brutality. Now these two vampire brothers - one good, one evil - are at war for Elena's soul and for the souls of her friends, family and all the residents of the small town of Mystic Falls, Virginia. Based on the series of books by L. J. Smith.

Moderator cut: image removed

I go back and forth on this one. In the end, it won't fit into our plan. It is being broadcast in the second-most competitive hour of television, all week, Thursday 8PM, and therefore is up against Bones and Flash Forward (as well as Survivor and some NBC comedies). Vampire Diaries does start a couple of weeks before the regular fall season starts (two weeks before Flash Forward starts), so we will catch the first couple of episodes, but small consolation if we like it. We'll put it lower on the Season Pass list, so we might catch the reruns.

Does Nina Dobrev give anyone else a Shiri Appleby (Liz Parker from Roswell) vibe? (Coincidentally, the folks making Vampire Diaries also made Roswell.)

 

[bicker]

Melrose Place (CW)

In an elegant Spanish-style apartment building in the trendy Melrose neighborhood of Los Angeles, a diverse group of 20-somethings have formed a close-knit surrogate family. Sydney Andrews (Laura Leighton, the original "Melrose Place") is the landlady, still beautiful at 40, and a central figure in the lives of all her tenants, especially handsome and rebellious David Breck (Shaun Sipos, "Shark"). Sydney started an affair with David despite her turbulent history with his estranged father, Dr. Michael Mancini (Thomas Calabro, the original "Melrose Place"). Both father and son learned through experience that Sydney was not above using blackmail to control people. Another tenant, high-powered publicist Ella Simms (Katie Cassidy, "Supernatural"), once considered Sydney her mentor, but their friendship was destroyed by betrayal, and Sydney threatened to evict Ella and ruin her career. Sydney also played a pivotal role in the career of Auggie Kirkpatrick (Colin Egglesfield, "All My Children"). After they met at an AA meeting, she became Auggie's sponsor and encouraged his dream to become a chef. Now a successful sous chef at the trendy restaurant Coal, Auggie has been avoiding Sydney since she began drinking again. The other tenants include Lauren Yung (Stephanie Jacobsen, "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles"), a medical student in desperate need of money to pay her student loans, and Jonah Miller (Michael Rady, "Swingtown"), an aspiring filmmaker who has just proposed to his live-in girlfriend Riley Richmond (Jessica Lucas, "Cloverfield"), a first-grade teacher. The newest tenant, 18-year-old Violet Foster (Ashlee Simpson-Wentz, "7th Heaven"), has just arrived in LA with her own secret connection to Sydney. When a bloody body is found floating in the courtyard pool, David is the leading suspect. However, as the police are soon to discover, almost everyone living at Melrose Place had a reason to want the deceased out of the way. An updated version of the popular 1990s series

​

Did we really need a reboot of that series so soon? I won't be watching.

 

[bicker]

The Beautiful Life (CW)

The life of a high-fashion model appears glamorous and sexy, but as every new model quickly learns, behind the beautiful faade is a world of insecurity and cutthroat competition. Two teenage models who are about to discover this world for themselves are Raina Collins (Sara Paxton, "Last House on the Left"), a stunning beauty with a secret past, and Chris Andrews (Benjamin Hollingsworth, "The Line"), a strikingly handsome Iowa farm boy. When Raina makes an unforgettable impression at a show introducing the new line from designer Zac Posen (appearing in a cameo role), she steals the spotlight from her friend Sonja (Mischa Barton, "The O.C."). Sonja has been out of the country for mysterious reasons and is now desperate to reclaim her standing as the reigning supermodel. While Raina and Sonja live at the top of the fashion food chain, Chris is starting at the bottom, having just been discovered by agent Simon Lockridge (newcomer Dusan Dukic) of the Covet Modeling Agency, which is owned by former supermodel Claudia Foster (Elle Macpherson, "Friends"). At his first photo shoot, Chris' inexperience almost derails his career until Raina comes to his rescue, showing him how to relax and work the camera. That afternoon, Raina brings Chris to the "models' residence" where she lives along with other young hopefuls, including Marissa Delfina (Ashley Madekwe, "Secret Diary of a Call Girl"), Egan (Jordan Woolley, "As The World Turns"), Issac (Corbin Bleu, "High School Musical 2") and the current alpha-male-model known as Kai (Nico Tortorella, "Twelve"). At an exclusive industry party that night, Chris is again impressed by Raina's generosity when she steps aside to make sure Sonja lands a job that will resurrect her career. However, after an ugly scene with Simon, Chris is left to question whether he can survive in this world of dangerous excess and fleeting fame.

​

 

[bicker]

The Forgotten (ABC)

Gone but not forgotten. That's what they say. But what if a killer took your life -- and your name? Every city has its share of unidentified murder victims. When standard police procedure fails to give them a name, that's when the Identity Network steps in.

A group of dedicated, amateur detectives, the members of the Identity Network attempt to reconstruct the pieces of these John and Jane Doe's lives from what little evidence is left behind. Each episode is narrated by a "body" who watches the team as they pursue the tantalizingly difficult challenge of figuring out who this victim once was. Why would anyone volunteer for such a grim task? As new recruit Tyler Davies quickly discovers, each of the members of the team has his or her own reasons for volunteering for the Network. Alex Donovan is a former cop. Linda Manning, the woman who runs the network from her home, has a husband who is a convicted murderer. Walter Bailey does stake outs -- when he's not blowing his cover. Candace Butler hates her day job. She also happens to have a special gift for putting people at ease -- even the prickly Tyler, a talented sculptor with a background in forensics. Follow these committed amateur investigators as they race against time to piece together the stories of these dead people's lives -- and ultimately, hopefully, their murders.

​

This show started out on my "can't wait for" list, and dropped pretty substantially as time went on and more news leaked out from the set. It's been rocky. They've recast one lead and are still working to recast the other -- a very bad sign. Especially since that second lead they're recasting is Reiko Aylesworth.

We'll probably watch the first couple of episodes (though perhaps a week or two after they are broadcast) and then decide whether to continue.

 

[bicker]

The Good Wife (CBS)

Starring Emmy Award winner Julianna Margulies as a wife and mother who must assume full responsibility for her family and re-enter the workforce after her husband's very public sex and political corruption scandal lands him in jail. Pushing aside the betrayal and crushing public humiliation caused by her husband Peter (Chris Noth), Alicia Florrick (Margulies) starts over by pursuing her original career as a defense attorney. As a junior associate at a prestigious Chicago law firm, she joins her longtime friend, former law school classmate and firm partner Will Gardner (Josh Charles), who is interested to see how Alicia will perform after 13 years out of the courtroom. Alicia is grateful the firm's top litigator, Diane Lockhart (Christine Baranski), offers to mentor her but discovers the offer has conditions and realizes she's going to need to succeed on her own merit. Alicia's main competition among the firm's 20-something new recruits is Cary (Matt Czuchry), a recent Harvard grad who is affable on the surface, but will use any means to ensure that he, not Alicia, secures the one full-time associate position that's available. Fortunately, Alicia finds an ally in Kalinda (Archie Panjabi), the firm's tough in-house investigator. Gaining confidence every day, Alicia transforms herself from embarrassed politician's scorned wife to resilient career woman, especially for the sake of providing a stable home for her children, 14-year-old Zach (Graham Phillips) and 13-year-old Grace (Makenzie Vega). For the first time in years, Alicia trades in her identity as the "good wife" and takes charge of her own destiny.

​

This one I am looking forward to, quite a lot. The cast is stellar (and not being screwed around with by recasting), and the production team (Scott Free -- the folks who bring you Numb3rs) as well.

 

[bicker]

Mercy (NBC)

"Mercy," a new medical drama with a unique point of view, portrays the lives of the staff at Mercy Hospital as seen through the eyes of those who know it best -- its nurses. Nurse Veronica Callahan (Taylor Schilling, "Dark Matter") returns to Mercy from a military tour in Iraq -- and she knows more about medicine than all of the residents combined. Together with fellow nurses Sonia Jimenez (Jamie Lee Kirchner, "Rescue Me") and Chloe Payne (Michelle Trachtenberg, "Gossip Girl"), Callahan navigates through the daily traumas and social landmines of life and love both inside the hospital and out in the real world. The cast also includes: James Tupper ("Men in Trees") as Dr. Chris Sands, a new doctor at the hospital who complicates Veronica's life; Diego Klattenhoff ("Supernatural") as Mike Callahan, Veronica's husband; and Guillermo Diaz ("Weeds") as Nurse Angel Lopez.

​

Part of the problem I have with Mercy is that I am going to have a hard time thinking of Buffy's little sister as a nurse. Seriously, we're going to record Mercy, and we might even watch one or two episodes, but we are unlikely to watch this show week after week, until it has established itself as a good show. It just seems to me that these characters are just too-deliberately created as arch-types, perhaps even stereotypes. Or perhaps I'm simply feeling that, with ER finally over and Grey's Anatomy entering its twilight years, perhaps it is a time to give the hospital drama genre a rest of a while.

 

[bicker]

Trauma (NBC)

"Trauma," the first high-octane medical drama series to live exclusively in the field where the real action is. Like an adrenaline shot to the heart, "Trauma" is an intense, action-packed look at one of the most dangerous medical professions in the world: first responder paramedics. When emergencies occur, the trauma team from San Francisco General is first on the scene, traveling by land, by sea or by air to reach their victims in time. From the heights of the city's Transamerica Pyramid to the depths of the San Francisco Bay, these heroes must face the most extreme conditions to save lives -- and give meaning to their own existence in the process.

​

Hmmm... the blurb writers must have forgotten the old series Emergency! And arguably the series Saved from a couple of years ago probably qualifies. This is another show that we're not planning on watching until we see indications that it is going to be very good. And I feel that way especially because of how NBC seems to be overselling the action-factor of the series. We like Jamey Sheridan, but not enough to overcome our wait-and-see instinct.

 

[bicker]

Hank (ABC)

Sometimes scaling back is the best way to get ahead. Wall Street legend Hank Pryor (Kelsey Grammer) and his wife Tilly have been living the high life in New York City. That is until Hank is forced out of his CEO job and has to move his family back home to the small town of River Bend.

A self-made man, Hank is used to running the show, but now that he's lost almost everything, can he learn how to hang with his family? The Pryors have had to seriously downsize their lives -- even their king-sized bed won't fit in their modest new home. Tilly's not too pleased to be back in the same zip code as her family -- especially her badgering brother Grady. Hank's offbeat son Henry worries about fitting in with a new crowd and his daughter Maddie would rather talk on her cell phone than be anywhere near her Dad. But every great businessman knows that the key to success is to turn setbacks into opportunities. Hank has big plans to get ahead in business... and to reconnect with his family. It may take a while for an industrial giant to figure out how to mingle with the little people -- like his family -- but Hank's up for the challenge. Like that smaller bed... Turns out that wasn't such a bad idea after all.

To be honest, if Back To You didn't succeed, I have little hope for this Kelsey Grammer showcase. Sorry.

 

[bicker]

The Middle (ABC)

Forget about athletes, movie stars and politicians. Parents are the real heroes -- but Frankie Heck (Patricia Heaton), well she's some kind of superhero. A loving wife and mother of three, she's middle class in the middle of the country and is rapidly approaching middle age.

Frankie and her husband, Mike, have lived in Orson, Indiana their whole lives. A man of few words (every one a zinger), Mike is a manager at the town quarry and Frankie is the third-best used car salesman (out of the three) at the local dealership. She may not be a high-powered career woman, but when it comes to her family, she'll go to just about any length. And with kids like these, she had better. There's Axel, her semi-nudist teenage son conceived with Guns N' Roses playing a significant role; Sue, the awkward teenage daughter who fails at everything with great gusto; and their seven-year-old son Brick, whose best friend is his back-pack.

​

So here's the other half of Back To You. Same comment.

 

[bicker]

Modern Family (ABC)

Today's American families come in all shapes and sizes. Just ask these three families.

Jay recently married Gloria. Now Jay is trying hard to keep up with his much younger and hotter Colombian wife, along with her passionate pre-teen son, Manny. Claire is having a hard time raising her own family. Her husband Phil is great, except that he thinks he's "down" with their three kids, much to all their embarrassment. And, Mitchell and his enthusiastic partner Cameron have just made a major life change by adopting a Vietnamese baby named Lily.

Shot from the perspective of an unseen documentary filmmaker, this comedy takes a modern look at the complications that come with being a family in 2009. Steven Levitan (Just Shoot Me) and Christopher Lloyd (Frasier) invite you into the sometimes warm and sometimes twisted embrace of modern day families.

We generally don't watch comedies anymore. I think they all suck. But this one looks very interesting and we are going to check it out. I hope I can get past seeing Ed O'Neill as Al Bundy!

 

[bicker]

Cougar Town (ABC)

Can a woman of a certain age be a mom, a successful career woman and still be on the prowl? Jules Cobb (Courteney Cox) is about to give it a try.

In a small Florida town, the center of high society is the Cougars high school football team... which is wildly appropriate since this town is the natural habitat for over-tanned, under-dressed divorcées prowling for younger men. Jules desperately doesn't want to be one of them, but with an ugly divorce behind her and 40 staring right back at her, she's longing for a little more action in her life. The available men her own age, like her silver fox of a neighbor, Grayson Ellis, only seem interested in dating barely legal hotties. Egged on by her very married and very irreverent best friend Ellie and her determined assistant Laurie, Jules reluctantly dips her toe back into the dating pool. To her surprise, she hits it off with a nice young guy named Matt -- emphasis on the young -- and discovers this gal still has the goods.

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My first impression on reading the title of this show was that they were doing a double entendre, making it sound like they were referring to a place where middle-aged women pursue younger men, but instead perhaps the Cougars were the local high school football team. Nope! It's about middle-aged women pursuing younger men. Under other circumstances I'd dismiss this as overdone (including Eva Longoria in the first season of Desperate Housewives), but this is Courtney Cox, and despite its low ratings, I thought Dirt was great. I think this one might be good.

 

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Eastwick (ABC)

In the seaside village of Eastwick, three very different women are about to discover some bewitching talents they never knew they had. And once they get together-- watch out. Something wicked is coming their way.

There was a time when Roxanne, Kat and Joanna didn't get along because of their preconceived notions of each other. Roxie was the extroverted artist, Kat the overworked wife and mom, and Joanna the wallflower local reporter. But after a weird encounter in the park, coupled with a few martinis, these three women have suddenly become fast friends.

When the mysterious Daryl Van Horne arrives in town, he manages to bring the women even closer. His wealth, charisma and bad boy sex appeal are an irresistible combination for the three ladies. What's even more dangerous is that he unleashes their unique powers in ways they never could have imagined. But by igniting their hearts' desires, he might just be opening Pandora's Box.

Eastwick will be turned upside down as these enchanting women come into their own. Although bad for a few locals, it's still the best thing to happen to this small New England town in centuries.

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This is on our list, but the more I think about it, the more I think this could be bad. I mean what wasn't covered in the movie? More specifically: How will this television show pull out from under the shadow of being based on such a big and arguably good movie? We'll check it out, but I'm not going to get my hopes up.

 

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Flashforward (ABC)

A mysterious global event causes everyone to black out simultaneously for two minutes and seventeen seconds, and each person sees a glimpse of their lives six months from now. When they wake up, everyone is left wondering if what they saw will actually happen.

I'm currently reading the novel, in anticipation of this series. They're billing it as the logical next big series for LOST fans. I hope they're right. The premise is good, and it looks like they're investing a lot to get it right.


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Three Rivers (CBS)

Three Rivers is a medical drama that goes inside the emotionally complex lives of organ donors, the recipients and the surgeons at the preeminent transplant hospital in the country where every moment counts. However, dealing with donor families in their darkest hour and managing the fears and concerns of apprehensive recipients takes much more than just a sharp scalpel. Leading the elite team is Dr. Andy Yablonski (Alex O'Loughlin), the highly-skilled workaholic lead organ transplant surgeon, whose good-natured personality and sarcastic wit makes him popular with his patients and colleagues. His colleagues include Dr. Miranda Foster (Katherine Moennig), a surgical fellow with a rebellious streak and fiery temper who strives to live up to her deceased father's excellent surgical reputation; Dr. David Lee (Daniel Henney), a womanizing surgical resident who's broken as many hearts as he's replaced; Ryan Abbott (Christopher J. Hanke), the inexperienced new transplant coordinator who arranges the intricately choreographed process of quickly and carefully transporting organs from donor to patient; Dr. Sophia Jordan, the head of surgery and a dedicated medical professional; and Pam Acosta (Justina Machado), Andy's no-nonsense operating assistant and best friend. In this high stakes arena, in which every case is a race against the clock, these tenacious surgeons and medical professionals are the last hope for their patients.

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Pulling up the rear, literally. This series will be the last new series of the scheduled fall season to premiere (before, of course, the inevitable mid-season replacements are slotted in). Just because I'm curious that way, I have to wonder why they're waiting to premiere this until October. And why there are so few still photos of this show available to display. Hmmm...

It showcases Moonlight star Alex O'Loughlin and L Word star Katherine Moennig, so of course we'll watch it.

 

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V (NBC)

"V" is a re-imagining of the 1980s miniseries about the world's first encounter with an alien race. Simultaneously appearing over every major city in the world, the Visitors (or V's) promote a message of peace. Through their generous offer to share advanced technology, the V's build a following that may actually hide a more malevolent agenda, one that twists a very deep component of human nature -- devotion.

This was a late-add, ostensibly pulled into the fall from the winter. Excellent cast. We'll be watching.

 

[bicker]

New Dramas

The Beautiful Life (CW)
Durham County (ION)
Eastwick (ABC)
Flash Forward (ABC)
The Forgotten (ABC)
The Good Wife (CBS)
Melrose Place (CW)
Mercy (NBC)
NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS)
Stargate Universe (Syfy)
Three Rivers (CBS)
Trauma (NBC)
V (ABC)
Vampire Diaries (CW)
White Collar (USA)

New Comedies

Accidentally on Purpose (CBS)
Brothers (Fox)
The Cleveland Show (Fox)
Community (NBC)
Cougar Town (ABC)
Hank (ABC)
The Middle (ABC)
Modern Family (ABC)

When you've had a chance to review the blurbs all the new shows, please post your predictions, in addition to what you personally are interested in checking out.

Please follow just one rule for predictions: Please post your prediction only before the series you're making a prediction about premieres. (So for most shows, that's three weeks from now.)

1) Which shows will be big hits (and surely renewed for 2010-2011)?

2) Which shows, while not necessarily big hits, will be at least renewed for 2010-2011?

3) Which shows will be canceled before episode 13 is broadcast?

4) Which comedy and which drama will be the first canceled in their respective genre?​

I'll probably ask folks to re-answer questions #1 - #3 sometime in October...