With the new Fall season of TV getting ready to go into full swing, I thought I'd start off the blog by breaking down the shows which have generated the biggest reactions in me so far.
MUST SEE TV
These are the 5 shows which I'm most looking forward to trying out, whether due to their previews, advanced reviews, concepts, or casts.
1) Raising Hope (Fox, Tues. 8pm, premieres Sept. 21) -- this comedy from the creator of My Name is Earl about a directionless young man who suddenly finds purpose in life after becoming the sole guardian of his baby girl appears to be the best of the new crop of sitcoms, buoyed up by quirky comedy and a strong cast.
2) Lone Star (Fox, Mon. 8pm, premieres Sept. 20) -- drama about a con man with a double life whose latest grift has led to a change in heart. One of the most critically acclaimed of the new shows debuting.
3) The Event (NBC, Mon. 8pm premieres Sept 20) -- the latest attempt to build a watercooler show based around a central mystery. I'm on board at least until we find out what the heck "The Event" actually is; beyond that, it's up to the writing to keep me going along.
4) Undercovers (NBC, Wed 7pm, premieres Sept 22) -- another spy drama from J.J. Abrams, but with a twist; this time the leads are a married couple who had retired from the spy biz but have been dragged back in. As long as this doesn't sink into convoluted Rimbaldi style shenanigans like JJ's previous spy drama, I have hope that this will be worth the ride.
5) Terriers (FX, Wed. 9pm, premieres Sept 8) -- private eye drama from Shawn Ryan, creator of The Shield. If that's not enough of a draw for you, I don't know what else to say.
MIGHT SEE TV
Next, we have 5 shows which intrigued me to a certain degree, but which for some reason or another I'm a little leery about.
1) No Ordinary Family (ABC, Tues 7pm, premieres Sept 28) -- sci-fi show about a family of four who are exposed to a strange substance and develop super-powers. I'm definitely intrigued by the premise, and have always enjoyed the work of the two leads (Michael Chiklis and Julie Benz), but my inner comic geek insists that I not get too attached before seeing it -- I've been burnt by crappy super-hero shows before.
2) Running Wilde (Fox, Tue 8:30pm, premieres Sept 21) -- comedy from the creator of one of the greatest sitcoms of all time, Arrested Development, which is enough to get me to watch. But the initial previews I've seen haven't really wowed me, so I'm approaching it with cautious optimism.
3) Outsourced (NBC, Thurs 8:30pm, premieres Sept 23) -- based on the Indie film of the same name, this "fish out of water" comedy about an American man who's been shipped overseas to oversee a recently opened company branch in India has not gotten favorable reviews at all so far. But I enjoyed the movie it was based on, and most of the reviews seem to assume that it's a one joke premise, and I'd like to hope that it might rise above that
4) My Generation (ABC, Thurs 7:00pm, premieres Sept 23) -- mockumentary style drama about a group of high school friends who were filmed for a documentary their senior year of high school and are now being revisited for a follow-up 10 years later. Not sure if that's a strong enough concept to sustain a series, but I'm curious enough to give it a shot.
5) $#*! My Dad Says (CBS, Thurs 7:30pm, premieres Sept 23) -- based on a twitter feed of the same name -- only, y'know, uncensored -- this critically panned show doesn't seem to have a lot going for it other than the presence of William Shatner as the eponymous Dad. Still, Shatner in a sitcom is enough to get me to at least try the show out, and I can't believe I just typed those words.
WON'T SEE TV
And, finally, 5 shows that, barring a rave review from someone whose taste matches mine closely, I have zero interest in seeing, largely due to a growing disinterest in legal and police procedurals.
1) Law & Order: LA (NBC, Wed 9:00 pm, premieres Sept 29) -- don't watch any of the other L&O shows, so don't have much desire to jump in with this one.
2) Detroit 1-8-7 (ABC, Tues 9:00pm, premieres Sept 21) -- police procedural that was being massively retooled just a few months ago; not promising news.
3) Hawaii Five-0 (CBS, Mon 9:00pm, premieres Sept 20) -- I just don't have the necessary amount of nostalgia for the series necessary to make this like desirable to me.
4) Chase (NBC, Mon 9:00pm, premieres Sept 20) -- another procedural, this time focusing on U.S. Marshalls. Advanced word confirms the feeling I got from the previews: generic.
5) Outlaw (NBC, Wed 9:00pm, premieres Sept 15) -- Having sat through the extended preview online, all I can say about this heavy-handed legal drama is: no. Just, no. Seriously, the other four shows in this list at best generate a mild feeling of disinterest; this one makes me cringe.
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