Today is the first day of fall! The leaves are changing, the weather’s getting cooler and for those of us who love TV, fall is the beginning of “the new season!” This means that most of our favorite shows will be returning with new episodes and many new dramas and comedies will premiere. There are a few shows that I’m really excited for. There are also some shows that I’m on the fence about and a few that I really don’t care about at all.
If you’re wondering when and where this season’s returning and new comedies and dramas are premiering, you can find the schedule here.
Shows I’m Excited About
Chuck - premieres Monday, 9/24 at 8:00 p.m. on NBC
Brief Synopsis: An average guy receives an email that floods his brain with top-secret information that various government agencies need. He is recruited by said agencies to be a secret agent. Chuck must maintain his normal life as an underachiever while also occasionally helping the agencies with their missions.
Why I’m excited about it: In a nutshell, it looks like it could have a great balance of humor and action (and probably a little bit of drama). We’ve seen shows like 24 and Alias, which present terrorism and the threat of mass casualties in a serious light. Based on the pilot episode, Chuck appears to approach these types of scenarios with humor and the perspective of a regular guy whose thrust into situations that would normally be dealt with by characters like Jack Bauer and Sydney Bristow.
Reaper- premieres Tuesday, 9/25 at 9:00 p.m. on The CW
Brief Synopsis: A guy named Sam finds out that his parents sold his soul to the devil before he was even born. He now has to pay the debt back by capturing escaped souls and returning them to hell where they belong.
Why I’m excited about it: Well for one thing, Kevin Smith directed the pilot episode. While he had nothing to do with actually writing the episode, if he thought the first episode was decent enough to want to direct it, it’s got to be good. Plus, from what I’ve been able to tell from the promos, the show looks like a dark comedy with a supernatural twist. I love dark humor and am eager to see how well the genre mixes with a Buffy-like world.
Pushing Daisies- premieres Wednesday, 10/3 at 8:00 p.m. on ABC
Brief Synopsis: Ned has the ability to bring people back to life just by touching them. When he touches them again, they return to being dead. He uses this ability to bring murder victims back from the dead so that they can tell him who killed them, allowing him to collect the reward. When he learns that his childhood sweetheart has been murdered, he revives her but now must live with the fact that while he may have her back in his life again, he can never touch her.
Why I’m excited about it: Have you seen the promo?! Plain and simple, it looks fantastic! The first thing I noted from the extended trailer is that Jim Dale narrates it. I’m a ridiculous fan of the Harry Potter audio books and as far as I’m concerned, Dale is the best narrator I’ve ever heard. In addition to being semi-irrationally excited by the mere fact that Dale narrates the series, the show looks beautiful. For some reason, watching the trailer reminded me of the movie Big Fish. As for the premise, well it sounds like another show about a person with extraordinary abilities but from the way the promos have made the show look, this one will approach the story in a unique way. If there is one show that I think/hope will be a hit this fall, its Pushing Daisies.
Shows I’m On The Fence About
Journeyman - premieres Monday, 9/24 at 10:00 p.m. on NBC
Brief Synopsis: A guy finds himself randomly thrown back in time and he uses this ability to change the past (and thus, alter the future).
Why I’m On The Fence: The pilot episode started out a bit confusing but it definitely got better. I’m just not sure the premise will be able to stay fresh each episode. It will all depend on how relevant and resolvable the overlying story arc (which appears to have something to do with an old girlfriend of his who died years ago) is.
Bionic Woman- premieres Wednesday, 9/26 at 9:00 p.m. on NBC
Brief Synopsis: A remake of the old series about a woman who nearly dies and is saved by bionic technology. Her broken parts are replaced with bionic ones and she now has to adjust to her new abilities.
Why I’m On The Fence: I enjoyed the pilot episode of this series but I’m not sure whether or not Jaime Sommers’ story will be compelling enough to draw me back week after week. I’m definitely going to give Bionic Woman a shot though and we’ll see where the story goes after the first few episodes.
Dirty Sexy Money- premieres Wednesday, 9/26 at 10:00 p.m. on ABC
Brief Synopsis: A guy takes over as the attorney for a rich, troubled family and finds that cleaning up their messes is a lot more difficult and time consuming than he would have expected.
Why I’m On The Fence: Based on the cast, the show looks great but the story seems a bit cliché to me. The promos for Dirty Sexy Money didn’t do much to sell me on it so I’m hoping there will be a bit more to it than what’s been shown so far.
Runners Up for the “Fence” List: Private Practice, Moonlight, Viva Laughlin, and Life.
Shows I Just Don’t Care About
The Big Bang Theory on CBS – A bunch of nerds befriend a hot girl. The first episode wasn’t the worst half-hour I’ve ever spent but at the same time, the whole thing was pretty predictable and silly.
Big Shots: A bunch of rich guys with more drama in their lives than the ladies of Wisteria Lane. Michael Vartan is hot but I’ll probably take a pass on this one.
Cavemen: A thirty minute comedy about the characters from the Geico commercial? This show will need to be really funny if it has any chance of staying on the air.
For more chat on the new series' premieres, check out this week's Cinema Blend Podcast!
Desperate Housewives: Secrets & Lies (ABC) 9:00 pm
(New!) This isn’t the season premiere. It’s a catch-up episode with clips from the last season and a preview of the upcoming season. The fourth season will start up next Sunday!
Brothers & Sisters: Family Album (ABC) 10:00 pm
Like Desperate Housewives, this is just a highlight episode to get people caught up on last season.
Chuck (NBC) 8:00 pm
Pilot (New series!) – In this new action/comedy series, a government agent emails his old college friend Chuck a file full of government secrets, which are automatically downloaded into Chuck’s mind. Naturally, the government needs the information Chuck has so they recruit him. Read the review here!
How I Met Your Mother (CBS) 8:00 pm
Wait For It (season premiere!) – It’s so appropriate that they’d start the new season with the last three words spoken in the finale of Season 2. When the second season ended, Lily and Marshall were married and Ted and Robin were broken up. In the premiere, Robin brings home a guy she met while on vacation and Ted hooks up with a girl (played by Mandy Moore) while out at a party with Barney.
Heroes (NBC) 9:00 pm
Four Months Later (season premiere!) – Yay! Heroes is back! In the premiere of the second season, we’ll find out what happened to the characters after the big showdown with Sylar. There’s also a new threat in town. Meanwhile, the Bennets relocate to California where they try to resume a “normal” life.
Journeyman (NBC) 10:00 pm
Pilot (New series!) – A journalist in San Francisco finds himself being thrown back in time. He doesn’t seem to have control over when or where it happens but eventually he comes to realize that he can help people and alter the future by changing the past. The first twenty minutes of this episode are kind of confusing but stick with it because it actually looks like a decent show. Read the review here!
Reaper (CW) 9:00 pm
Pilot(new series!) – In this dark comedy, a guy finds out that his parents sold his soul to the devil before he was even born. In order to pay back the debt he must work for Satan, capturing escaped souls and returning them to hell. Kevin Smith directed this pilot episode, which should give people enough of a reason to check out the first episode.
House (Fox) 9:00 pm
Alone (season premiere!) – When Season 4 premieres, House must consider hiring a new team. And like always, he treats a patient who has a number of mysterious problems.
Cane (CBS) 10:00 pm
Pilot (season premiere!) – Jimmy Smits and Hector Elizondo star in this new series about a Cuban-American family that runs a rum distillery. When the father’s health begins to fail, he has to decide which of his sons he wants to take over the business.
Kid NationCBS) 8:00 pm
To Kill or Not to Kill (New!) – In this episode, the kids have to decide whether or not to kill a chicken. Also, bossy-Sophia challenges the council.
Bionic Woman(NBC) 9:00 pm
Pilot (new series!) – In this re-imagined version of the old 70’s series, a woman named Jaime Sommers is in a horrific car accident that would have killed her, had her scientist boyfriend not taken her to his secret lab and had all of her broken parts replaced with bionic ones. She then has to learn to adapt to her new abilities and to the threats posed on her now that she’s part machine.
Life (NBC) 10:00 pm
Pilot (new series!) – In this series, a detective served over a decade in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. When he’s released, he returns to the force with a new perspective on the crimes he’s investigating.
My Name Is Earl (NBC) 8:00 pm
My Name is Inmate 28301-16 (parts 1 and 2) (season premiere!) – Aw, the title of this episode makes me sad! At the end of season 2, Earl took the rap for the stolen truck and ended up in jail. In this two-part season premiere, Earl adjusts to life in prison while Randy adjusts to life without Earl. Free Earl!!!!
Ugly Betty (ABC) 8:00 pm
How Betty Got Her Grieve Back (season premiere!) – The new season starts up a few weeks after all of the cliffhangers from the finale took place. Betty tries to forget about Henry. Meanwhile, Amanda tries to deal with knowing she’s Fey Sommers’ daughter. By dealing, I’m assuming that means she’ll be eating a lot.
The Office (NBC) 9:00 pm
Fun Run (season premiere!) Woohoo! The Office is back! In the season premiere, a freak accident causes Michael to become convinced that the office is cursed. The subject of religion comes up, which should be very interesting (and hilariously offensive). We’ll also learn the updated status of two of the office romances.
Grey’s Anatomy (ABC) 9:00 pm
A Change Is Gonna Come (season premiere!) Cristina and Meredith return from the vacation that was supposed to be Cristina’s honeymoon with Burke. Meanwhile, Callie heads up the newest crop of interns, which includes George (who is repeating his intern year) and Lexie (Meredith’s half-sister). Things are also kind of up in the air with Meredith in Derek (again.)
Big Shots (ABC) 10:01 pm
Pilot (new series!) This show centers on four male friends who are extremely successful in their jobs but their personal lives are cluttered with problems. Life at the top isn’t easy but these guys lean on each other for support.
Moonlight (CBS) 9:00 p.m.
Pilot – No Such Thing As Vampires (new series!) Mick St. John is a vampire who, rather than feeding on helpless people, uses his vampire-super-powers to help mankind through his work as a detective. In this episode, Mick works on a case that could be vampire related.
Between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m., NBC will be rerunning Heroes and Chuck. Meanwhile, CBS is rerunning Moonlight and Cane.
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