With so much recent attention given to the September movies, I almost forgot that there are new television shows that came along with the change in season.
This fall, the end of True Blood (the only worthwhile summer show) gave way to several premieres with high viewership and somewhat new concepts. But some of the show premieres were just lackluster regurgitations of what we already know. Primetime network television- CW, ABC, FOX, NBC and CBS pulled out the best they had….
The CW is famous for revisiting old stories. There is nothing really exciting about Melrose Place, other than comparing it to the Melrose Place many people remember. Although the premiere was mediocre, the show does have the potential to get better in the future. We can only hope it doesn’t meet the same fate as The Beautiful Life, the Mischa Barton/Corbin Bleu show that just got cancelled. And, as expected- The Vampire Diaries is doing quite well with the teen crowd, but it really is just a clone of Twilight- so we can catch it online anytime during the week.
And although One Tree Hill isn’t new, it’s already boring us with the unnecessary cast changes. Oh well, at least there’s still Gossip Girl, 90210 and Supernatural.
Over at ABC, the premiere of Modern Family proved it possibly the best new show the network has seen in a while. The show has really saved the comedy attempt, since they got rid of Samantha Who and Pushing Daisies- leaving only Ugly Betty. Similarly, Courteney Cox in the sexy show Cougar Town, and Rebecca Romijn and friends in Eastwick (more like Charmed 2.0) show potential with their shows, although they might not resonate with many. To fill the drama gap, ABC tried The Forgotten, but it’s pretty much the same thing as every other CSI we know- barely worth tuning into. Still, ABC remains consistent with Desperate Housewives, Dancing With The Stars and Grey’s Anatomy.
FOX (unsurprisingly) doesn’t have too much to offer aside from The Cleveland Show which isn’t as funny yet, and isn’t as well written as Family Guy, but the show is still new and I’m certain it will gain the same popularity in the future. And, the sing-songy new show Glee is popular, but extremely annoying. The best show the network has to offer is House, hands down. Lie To Me, accompanied by Fringe and Dollhouse, have all made standard returns with their new seasons.
NBC has The Office, Heroes and Castle, going strong and back from their previous seasons, but now there’s also the hilarious Community (with Joel McHale from E!) and Parks and Recreation to add to the laughs. Mercy gives a new spin on the stale hospital shows that we’re used to seeing, in addition to a new image of Michelle Trachtenberg, instead of as the bitchy Georgina on GG we’re used to.
Needless to say, the best primetime cable shows have been on CBS.
How I Met Your Mother, The Big Bang Theory, NCIS, CSI: New York, The Mentalist, Medium, and CSI: Miami are all back and doing well in their second, third and some fourth seasons. They have been joined by new drama The Good Wife- which seems like it won’t last long, although the material isn’t terrible. This show might be overshadowed by more intimate husband and wife dramas like Mad Men. Also- spinning off from NCIS, LL Cool J and Chris O’Donnell take Los Angeles in NCIS: Los Angeles, proving even further that rappers have a place in kicking ass and taking names. Accidentally on Purpose is a show reminiscent of the movie Knocked Up. The laughs are there, but the premiere wasn’t as funny as we would have liked. Only time will tell if it stands the test of ratings.
All in all, you’ll find shows you rush home to tune into, and others you catch tomorrow morning online. Either way, there’s at least something for everyone this fall. But just incase you don’t find one worth watching, there are plenty more channels to tune into that will offer things you like. Cable television holds good shows on AMC (Mad Men), Bravo (Real Housewives), Lifetime (only Project Runway, really), and FX (Always Sunny), among others you might be interested in.
But if you want the best television has to offer, I suggest you tune into HBO and Showtime. Quite frankly, any show on those channels are worth watching.
Especially HBO for this:
You Make It Real For Me,
C.A.M.
