Fall 2010 TV Preview

By Aaron A.

Not everyone has the time to sift through every TV preview, but I work for the government. If you find yourself wondering what good shows will be on this fall, but don’t want to bother doing the legwork, you have come to the right place.

ABC

Better With You (ABC) – Wednesday 8:30pm – Premieres Sept. 22

The pitch: Featuring three couples – one dating for nine years, one engaged after seven weeks and one unhappily married for multiple decades. Starring the mom from That 70s Show.
My take: Canned laughter and predictable comedy. If you like Big Bang Theory, tune in folks.
Competition: Survivor, Lie to Me and Undercovers.

Body of Proof (ABC) – Friday 9pm – no premiere date announced

The pitch: Dana Delany stars as Dr. Megan Hunt, a brilliant neurosurgeon who is forced out of the operating room by a devastating car crash. She becomes a medical examiner who uses her sharp instincts to solve murders, but her methods don’t always please the police.
My take: Hmmm… this lead character doesn’t have enough charisma to last as a supporting character on Desperate Housewives, so let’s give her a new show, and then stick it on Friday night. Another gem by ABC. Unless they steal the lead writer of the Mentalist, this show is doomed. One shout out though……Kima from the Wire will be in this.
Competition: The Good Guys, Supernatural, CSI New York.

Detroit 1-8-7 (ABC) – Tuesday 10pm – Premieres Sept. 21

The pitch: Michael Imperioli (The Sopranos) stars as Detective Louis Fitch, a wily homicide vet who is the most respected man in the Detroit Police Department’s homicide division. Jon Michael Hill plays his new partner, Damon Washington, whose first day on the job turns out to be — you guessed it — a trial by fire.
My take: Everyone liked Christopher in the Sopranos, but I have watched the preview for this show twice and still don’t get it. Is this a documentary? Is the camera man 6 years old with ADD?
Supporting cast shout out: Lt. Arthur Fancy from NYPD Blue.
Competition: The Good Wife and Parenthood.

My Generation (ABC) – Thursday 8pm – Premieres Sept. 23

The pitch: This ensemble drama follows a group of friends 10 years after they filmed a documentary during their high school years in Texas.
My take: Spoiler alert: all 10 friends have lives that 10 years later are still inexplicably intertwined! I haven’t seen ridiculously related story lines like this since Oceanic Flight 815. If you didn’t give Lost a shot, don’t you dare try My Generation.
Competition: Big Bang Theory, Bones, Vampire Diaries, Community and 30 Rock.

No Ordinary Family (ABC) – Tuesday 8pm – Premieres Sept. 28

Preamble: Michael Chiklis, AKA Vic Mackey, returns to TV. At this point I am almost sold, unless it is going to be some superhero/supernatural show that my buddy at work will pimp out but I will get sick of in 12 minutes. Without further adieu………
The pitch: A family of four crashes their plane into the Amazon River while on vacation. All survive and discover that they’ve suddenly been enhance with individual and unique superpowers.
My take: Can’t he just do another cop show? Isn’t that what cop actors do? I will watch this show though. Despite the silly plotline, I do like the supporting cast. Rita from Dexter, Conrad from Weeds and Jimmy and Taylor from the OC (you may know him as Tom Shayes from Damages).
Competition: One Tree Hill, NCIS and Glee.

The Whole Truth (ABC) – Wednesday 10pm – Premieres Sept. 22

The pitch: Another legal drama, that’s just what we needed, right?
My take: Law and Order spinoffs have ruined me from these for a few years, but I will probably give this one my standard three episode commitment. I grew to like Rob Morrow on Numb3rs, and Joely Richards wasn’t terrible on Nip/Tuck. The premise is not a wildly fresh idea, but has a minor spin off the regular format………this legal drama chronicles the way a case is built from the perspective of both the defense and prosecution.
Supporting cast shoutout……Kareem Said from Oz.
Competition: The Defenders, Law and Order Los Angeles.

CBS

Blue Bloods (CBS) – Friday 10pm – Premieres Sept. 24

The pitch: A multi-generational family drama set in the world of New York City law enforcement.
My take: It sounds so blah, but I think it will probably end up being my favourite show this season. How could it not be with Tom Selleck’s moustache? I really like Donnie Wahlberg too. Don’t get me wrong: with this time slot on a tough network to keep shows alive, plus competing against a Jimmy Smits show, it’s likely dead in the water. But it will be a good run. If I am not mistaken, there is a fat older version of James Martinez from NYPD Blue in the trailer too.
Competition: The Outlaw.

The Defenders (CBS) – Wednesday 10pm – Premieres Sept. 22

The pitch: Two larger-than-life lawyers defend their clients against the backdrop of Las Vegas, starring Jim Belushi and Jerry O’Connell.
My take: This show doesn’t know if it’s serious or not. I am sure they were capitalizing on the summer success of FOX’s The Good Guys. For what it’s worth, my wife thought it looked good. I don’t think so, but hey, who am I to squash her My Secret Identity crush.
Competition: The Whole Truth, Law and Order L.A.

Hawaii Five-O (CBS) – Monday 10pm – Premieres Sept. 20

The pitch: Remake of the classic TV series about an elite federalized task force fighting crime on the beaches of Hawaii.
My take: I will be watching this… reluctantly. I am not happy about it. I always liked Scott Caan, plus the co-star Alex O’Loughlin (Moonlight, The Shield) is pretty cool. Supporting cast shoutout……Jin from Lost, attempting to extend his stay in Hawaii.
Competition: Castle, Chase.

Mike & Molly (CBS) – Monday 9:30pm – Premieres Sept. 20

The pitch: A working class Chicago couple finds love at an Overeaters Anonymous meeting.
My take: In a sentence, this show can be described as follows……King of Queens without the jokes. When will networks realize that canned laughter ruined network comedy? Officially it I am willing to wager that 75% of the jokes are based on weight, shattering the previous theme joke record – Will and Grace homosexual jokes – 72%.
Supporting cast shoutout: Sookie from Gilmore Girls. Don’t ask how I know that. Competition: Gossip Girl, Lonestar and the Event.

S#*! My Dad Says (CBS) – Thursday 8:30pm – Premieres Sept. 23

The pitch: Based on the popular Twitter feed, an opinionated dad says everything he thinks much to the chagrin of the son forced to move back home with him.
My take: What is worse – a show based on a twitter feed or a new William Shatner show? I can’t even remember if I even like him anymore. He used to be cool, then he was a loser, then retro, then terrible, and now this. I don’t know, someone else watch this and tell me what to think.
Supporting cast shoutout: Holly from King of Queens.
Competition: Vampire Diaries, My Generation, Bones, Community, 30 Rock.

NBC

Chase (NBC) – Monday 10pm – Premieres Sept. 20

The pitch: Chase is a fast-paced drama from Emmy Award-winning executive producer Jerry Bruckheimer (“CSI” franchise) and executive producer Jennifer Johnson (“Cold Case”) that drops viewers smack into the middle of a game of cat-and-mouse as a team of U.S. marshals hunts down America’s most dangerous fugitives.
My take: I generally avoid Bruckheimer when possible, but this show looks all right. I watched the trailer and got intrigued. I can’t tell from the preview if they are showing scenes from the season, because then it could be really good. Or if it is showing scenes from the pilot episode, meaning Jerry went and “Bruckheimered” another crime procedural, in which case I will probably bail. (Yes, that’s a word)
Supporting cast shoutout: A very strong selling point, because I seriously doubt Kelli Giddish (from Past Life) will be believable leading this team. How’s this for a list: Sucre from Prison Break, Benny from Dazed and Confused (without the curly hair) and for the ladies, John Rowland from Desperate Housewives.
Competition: Hawaii 5-0, Castle.

The Event (NBC) – Monday 9pm – Premieres Sept. 20

The pitch: Official blurb on it…… “The Event” is an emotional, high-octane conspiracy thriller that follows Sean Walker, an average guy who investigates the mysterious disappearance of his fiancée, Leila, and unwittingly begins to expose the biggest cover-up in U.S. history. Sean’s quest will send ripples through the lives of an eclectic band of strangers, including: newly elected U.S. President Martinez (Blair Underwood).
My take: Well, you knew the season after Lost ended someone would come out with an epic mystery (Flash Forward already gave it a go actually but failed miserably). This could easily be the most talked about show this fall. I like the idea of showing huge events in the preview and then saying “THIS IS NOT THE EVENT”. Ooh, what is the event then? That intrigues me enough to tune in. However, if I don’t have any idea what The Event is by midseason, I am checking out. If they haven’t given us an indication of what it is by then, then they don’t know, and will probably never tell us.
Competition: Lonestar, Gossip Girl, Two and a Half Men.

Law & Order: Los Angeles (NBC) – Wednesday 10pm – Premieres Sept. 22

The pitch: In the criminal justice system, the people are represented by two separate but equally important groups. That show was awesome. However, they’ve now cancelled the original and kept all the crap it left in its wake.
My take: While I usually try to avoid ripping the LAO SVU faithful (they are almost as vicious as the NCIS posse), I can’t help myself. Each spinoff got worse. I will say that L.A. is a nice touch and I am more optimistic about this one than all the others combined. This show hinges on one good smartass cop and one cut throat district attorney. I will reserve judgment until I see the cast in a preview, which I can’t find, but Skeet Ulrich is playing a detective (can’t see him being funny but he was great in Jericho) and Oscar nominee Terrance Howard will be deputy D.A.
Competition: The Whole Truth, The Defenders.

Outlaw (NBC) – Friday 10pm – Premieres Sept. 24

The pitch: Jimmy Smits is a Supreme Court Justice who abruptly steps down from the bench to open his own firm.
My take: I like Jimmy Smits, there I said it. Having Conan O’Brien as an executive producer can’t hurt either on this legal drama. I am sure he will only take on innocent clients stuck in sticky situations, even though he is a playboy and a gambler. It looks a little cheesy, but I don’t mind feel good stories every once in a while. It is not like it will be a big commitment, with the Friday at 10pm timeslot against a Tom Selleck show, they will only have 8-10 chances to get it right. I just hope they don’t save anything for season 2.
Supporting cast shoutout: Anton from Dexter and that alterna-skid who does that amazing air guitar solo in Bring It On.
Competition: Blue Bloods.

Outsourced (NBC) – Thursday 9:30pm – Premieres Sept. 23

The pitch: In this workplace comedy, Todd (Ben Rappaport) must move halfway across the world to lead his American company’s new Indian call center. As he acclimates to his new home, Todd also has to Americanize his new co-workers so they can properly sell the company’s wide array of whoopee cushions and foam fingers.
My take: NBC owns network comedy right now. The Office is getting worse but is still great. Community was a nice surprise last season (Streets ahead homies). 30 Rock doesn’t suck, especially with the guest stars. Even Parks and Recreation has its moments. If NBC wants to put a new comedy into their Thursday lineup, I will give it a shot for sure.
Supporting cast shoutout: Oswald from The Drew Carey Show.
Competition: Grey’s Anatomy, CSI, Fringe.

Undercovers (NBC) – Wednesday 8pm – Premieres Sept. 22

The pitch: The official pitch…….a sexy, fun, action-packed spy drama that proves once and for all that marriage is still the world’s most dangerous partnership (Read: Mr. and Mrs. Smith, with black people).
My take: I’ve put a positive spin on too many NBC shows – but this sorry excuse for television, not so much.
Supporting cast shoutout: The lone bright spot is Gerald McRaney (Johnston Green from Jericho, George Hearst in Deadwood, and of course, Major Dad).
Competition: Survivor, America’s Next Top Model, Lie to Me.

FOX

Lonestar (Fox) – Monday 9pm – Premieres Sept. 20

The pitch: A schemer lives two different lives in two different parts of Texas. As “Bob” he’s married to a daughter of an ultra-wealthy Houston family and as “Robert” he has a sweet, naive girlfriend on the side 400 miles away in Midland.
My take: If you have ever seen the movie Opportunity Knocks, you can see where this is going……never fall in love in a love con. This might be a downloader for next summer, because the cast looks pretty good. Newcomer James Wolk is one handsome son of a bitch, plus it has Tyra from Friday Night Lights and Jon Voight.
Competition: The Event, Gossip Girl, Two and a Half Men.

Raising Hope (Fox) – Tuesday 9pm (moves to Wednesday 8pm at midseason) – Premieres Sept. 21

The pitch: A comedy about a good-hearted screw-up who tries to raise his infant daughter with help from his unusual family.
My take: No one laughs at a whole season of baby humour except young parents – and guess what, they don’t have time to watch TV. This is the one show I can guarantee will bomb.
Competition: NCIS Los Angeles, Life Unexpected, Dancing with the Stars Results Show.

Running Wilde (Fox) – Tuesday 9:30pm – Premieres Sept. 21

The pitch: Arnett plays an immature playboy the network describes as “trying desperately to win (or buy)” the heart of his childhood sweetheart, a liberal humanitarian played by Russell.
My take: FOX is all over the place, ranging from bad baby comedy to this show, easily the most promising/funniest new show of the season.
Let’s go to the pros and cons list.
- Pros……Romantic comedy from Arrested Development’s Jim Vallely, Will Arnett, David Cross, token hot lady (Keri Russell from Felicity).
- Cons…..it’s on after Raising Hope. Ouch.
The ratings will probably tank, since no one appreciated Arrested Development the first time around, but we should get a few good seasons before they can it. At the minimum, it should tide us over until the Arrested Development movie, tentatively scheduled to come out the summer after the Toronto Maple Leafs win the Stanley Cup.
Competition: NCIS Los Angeles, Life Unexpected, Dancing with the Stars Results Show.

That’s all folks, stay tuned in a few months for the midseason preview, including Ride Along (from the guy who made the Shield), Spielberg’s return to TV and Matthew Perry’s new comedy.

What shows do you think will be good?