This Fall TV Preview is not doing it for me

This fall season is not really doing it for me. I used to look forward to the fall season since I was 9 but now, it just sucks. Many of the shows feel like re-hashes and some of them are. It is just the same people over and over. For example, Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton both failed with their sitcom "Back to You" and now are trying their own sitcoms "The Middle" and "Hank." Can't they take a hint? The only promising show is "Glee" but like my best friend says, if it is different and smart and on FOX, then it will fail. Why House and 24 have survived is because they have been able to be mainstream and not quirky. "Glee" is quirky. Other familiar faces are Dominic Monaghan ("Lost") in "FlashForward," Scott Wolf ("Party of Five," "Everwood") and Elizabeth Mitchell ("24") in V, Christian Slater ("My Worst Enemy") in "The Forgotten," Julianna Marglies ("ER") in "The Good Wife," Courtney Cox ("Dirt") in Cougar Town, Alex O'Laughlin ("Moonlight") in "Three Rivers." Now we have yet another nurse show "Mercy", adding to "Nurse Jackie" and "Hawthrone," but it isn't on cable, so maybe it will survive like "Mentalist" has been able to with it being a clone copy of "Psych."

"Melrose Place" is just yet another re-hash. And "Eastwick" what is that? Christian Slater had a failed show ("My Worst Enemy") last fall and "The Forgotten" is a ironic name, it is just going to be forgotten. I think "The Vampire Diaries" will be a bad show but will survive thanks to tweens and will be like "One Tree Hill" and "Smallville." "The Beautiful Life" (The CW) will not survive. "Community" (NBC) is a tough thing, it is a new sitcom headed by Joel Mchale, I love him and I want it to survive but it can be a slippery slope. For sure the ABC sitcom "Modern Family" won't survive because it has a gay couple in it and so did 2003 ABC sitcom "It's All Relative" and that did not survive. The FOX sitcom "Brothers" won't survive, why does FOX keep putting bad sitcoms? The only funny thing they got are their cartoons and "The Cleveland Show" seems like more of the same.

90210 review

I was 8 when "Beverly Hills 90210" came out, so I was not into it, I only picked up a couple of episodes later on. I really went into this show "90210" with high hopes, while the plot is good, some of the dialouge and acting sucks. Some parts of the dialouge is pretty juvenile, like it is a starter series for teenagers. The parents' dialouge is not so bad. Kelly has the good parts, though she is only as a 'guest.' Kelly and Brenda don't reunite until in the second episode, which is a hour and a half into the '2-hour event' and sparks flew, it was like the old days. As for the new kids, there is cheating, lying, backstabbing, betraying, etc. ---It is like if they think we have never seen today and this is the first time we seen this sort of stuff. I would think they would think ahead to people who have lived off teen shows like the writers of Gossip Girl, which the second season premiere was pretty well written. Much better than this one. 90210 is not bad but it's not great. Also stuff that the teacher (Ryan Eggold) says is so unlike what real teachers say, it is more like an ingrate overgrown student. He looks too close to their age as it is.

The lead girl is like if they plucked her out of that awful "The Secret Life of the American Teenager." Rob Estes, since he is from Melrose Place, looks like he was already in the first 90210. I love to see Lori Loughlin in anything, she plays the mom. I thought Rob's character would be involved with Kelly but instead of... having a child with the mother (the second Laurie on "That 70's Show") of Naomi (AnnaLyne McCord). In "90210," everyone is connected. And I get confused how many girls on the series. There is Silver (Jessica Stroup), Kelly's half-sister---I don't remember being one and some other chick Adriana (Jessica Lowndes) who steals Naomi's money to pay for her drugs.

Premieres for the week of September 24 2007

Premieres for this week include:

Sunday September 23 - FOX

The Simpsons - 8pm
King of the Hill - 8:30
Family Guy - 9pm


Monday September 24

How I Met your Mother - CBS - 8pm
Comedy New Season

Big Bang Theory - CBS - 8:30
New Comedy

Two and a Half Man - 9pm
Comedy New Season

Rules of Engagement - 9:30
Comedy New Season - How is this back?

CSI: Miami - CBS - 10pm
Drama New Season

Chuck - NBC - 8pm
New Show

Heroes - NBC - 9pm
Second Season
[Masi Oka above]

Journeyman - NBC -10pm
New Sci-Fi Drama


Tuesday September 25

Reaper - CW - 9pm
New Series

Bones - FOX - 8pm
Second Season

House - FOX - 9pm
New Season

Cane - CBS - 10pm
New series with a Latino cast, about a family running a suger cane company.
[Eddie Matos above]

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit - NBC - 10pm
New Season

Boston Legal - ABC - 10pm
New Season

Wednesday September 26

Private Practice - ABC - 9pm
Grey's Anatomy Spin-off

CSI: NY - CBS - 10pm
New season

Life - NBC - 10pm
New Series

Dirty Sexy Money - ABC - 10pm
New Series
[Seth Gabel above]

Bionic Woman - NBC - 9pm
New Series


Thursday September 27

My Name is Earl - NBC - 8pm
Third Season

Smallville - CW - 8pm
New Season

Ugly Betty - ABC - 8pm
Second Season

Grey's Anatomy - ABC - 9pm
New Season

CSI - CBS - 9pm
New Season

Big Shots - ABC - 10pm
New Series with Dylan McDermott, Michael Vartan, Chris Titus and Joshua Malina


Friday September 28 - CBS

Ghost Whisperer - 8pm
Second Season

Moonlight - 9pm
New Detective Vampire Seires
[Alex O'Loughlin above]

Numb3rs - 10pm
New Season

Premieres for the week of September 17 2007

In an effort to make it easier to figure out what new shows are starting and what old shows are coming with their next season, I will list the premieres each week.

This week, like most of mid-Septembers have few premieres.

Monday September 17
K-Ville - FOX - 9pm
New Show with Anthony Anderson and Cole Hauser

Prison Break - FOX - 8pm
Season 3 Premiere


Wednesday September 19
Back to You - FOX - 8pm
New Show with Patricia Heaton and Kelsey Grammar

Kid Nation - CBS - 8pm
Reality Show

Gossip Girl - CW - 9pm
New Teen Show based on book
[Ed Westwick above]

Premieres for the Week of September 30 2007

Sunday September 30 - ABC

Desperate Housewives - 9pm
New season

Brothers and Sisters - 10pm
Second Season

American Dad - FOX - 9:30
It's back for some reason...


Monday October 1 - CW

Everybody Hates Chris - 8pm
Third Season

Aliens in America - 8:30
New Series


Tuesday October 2 - ABC

Carpoolers
Cavemen


Wednesday October 3

Pushing Daisies - ABC - 8pm
New Series

South Park - Comedy Central - 10pm
New Season


Thursday October 4

30 Rock - NBC - 8:30pm


Friday October 5

Friday Night Lights - NBC - 9pm


Coming in the following weeks

Friday October 12
Men In Trees - ABC - 10pm
Second Season
Monday October 15
Samantha Who? - ABC - 9:30pm
New Series with Christina Applegate
Thursday October 25
Scrubs - NBC - 9pm
New Season

My memories and excitement over the Fall Season

I go through this every fall season. I think I am the only person in the world that gets excited for the new fall season. I have, since 1987 in fact. I am proud to hold the award for the only kid in known history to be excited by the new fall season. When I was a kid, it was like being in a candy store. New shows chock full of potential and my favorite shows returning got me giddy.

Perhaps by the time 1999 rolled around, I got jaded. I understood the industry much better and I understood why shows I love got canceled. When I was a kid, I just floated to the next new show and had fond memories of a show about a man who plays a talking dog on TV or a blonde nanny who was a witch. (These shows existed, just don't know their names) I miss the days of when pilots where actually shown on TV. But unfortunately, not all the cast and crew was listed in those days. Ashton Kutcher said it best in a Rolling Stones article a few years ago that he didn't understand how a network would make a show and then it would not survive on air, or even make it on air. Thousand of pilots are made and never seen. Now in the days of iPods, YouTube and Tivo, it's amazing how network execs still cancel shows at a click of a button. Now that television watchers are avid bloggers and posters, they let the networks know how they were upset "Daybreak" or "The Black Donnelys" was canceled and they never found out how it ended.

This year, much like last year, I don't get as excited as before. I know my taste in shows. Some are broad and thankfully the shows don't get canceled and they are relatively well liked like "Lost," "Desperate Housewives," and "Grey's Anatomy." They have created so much buzz, that now the on the set dealings are more interesting to people than the shows themselves. Now that they enter their 4th seasons ("Lost" in 2008), people say 'oh it isn't how it was.' And I know I will always fall for the underdog and it will get canceled. Like "Firefly," "Wonderfalls," and "Arrested Development." All where on Fox mind you.

I feel more confused with this season's scheduling. I hate when it is not clear which show is premiering when and I hate missing them. I am currently between jobs and have no Tivo, maybe one of the rare Americans who still owns a VCR, so keeping track of the shows are hard. I wished all the returning shows premiered the same week or at least the shows that the network prepares to be on the show day premiere on the same day. NBC's Thursday night shows will not premiere on the same night this year. And it has happened a lot before that the shows the network planned to have on the same night never do. For example, a new show that was scheduled to be with an old one can air two weeks before and get canceled before the old one even starts its new season. Or either show gets shifted around.

Shows that will be premiering late are "Scrubs" and "Samantha Who?" No surprise since "Scrubs" came in mid-season last year (rather this year). But when it comes to mid-season, it is no longer for sucky shows. Plenty of shows like "24" and "Alias" (in its hey-day) premiered in January and were just fine. "Lost" is trying that this year.

And with all this technology, you'd think the television honchos would think of a better way to count and track Nielsen ratings.

My Predictions for the Fall

I am almost never wrong when it comes to what show will survive and which show will. Sometimes if I can't remember the show, it will definitely not see the day. Like "Heist," "Kidnapped" or "Vanished." Some that I wished to survive like "Boomtown" or "Wonderfalls" never did. Some shows never air like the "O'Keefes." Some shows surprise me that they are even back like "Rules of Engagement" with David Spade. And one show I was excited about last season was "Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip" and once I saw the first episode, I was disgusted and bored and never saw it again.

Okay, so here are my predictions:

ABC's "Cavemen", canceled. That's it. That's when I think canceling is a good thing, like what they did to "Freddie."

"Aliens in America" from the CW, about a Pakistani exchange student coming to middle America. Just from the promo, it looks horrible. Are we still xenophobic after 7 years? Entertainment Weekly magazine, which I respect, gave its seal of approval but it can be 'iffy' ground. I don't care if it offends but if it is just plain tacky and stereotypical, it can come off as a horrible cartoon pastiche.

CW's "Reaper" could definitely be a breakout hit, I can see it being a cult following but maybe as popular as "Smallville," maybe it will get more respect than Smallville through the fanboys but not much with like Lost-caliber or Emmy-wise of course, but I don't think that's the audience they are gunning for. Jimmy Smitts finally gets his own series, in a prominently Hispanic cast in CBS' "Cane," let's see how that goes. But again, they are suppose to be Cuban and probably only 2 of the main cast has Cuban heritage.

ABC's "Pushing Daisies" from Brian Fuller who made my beloved "Wonderfalls" and the well-loved "Dead Like Me," may just be a cult favorite. (same goes for "Moonlight.") I definitely am excited about it, I think it is must see. But unfortunately, it has all the flavors of being canceled. I am just hoping it will be a killer DVD. If it does get picked up second season, I will be kissing ABC's feet. If I was ABC, I would pair it up with "Men In Trees" on Fridays.

"Private Practice" and "Bionic Woman" are iff-y for me. I don't know, they could go either way. Same goes for "Journeyman." "Journeyman" has the luck of being paired with "Heroes," it will remind people of "Early Edition" and "The Dead Zone" and I think that may succeed. As for "Private Practice," I hope it comes up strong because it has the danger of being forgettable. And changing one of the main characters and barely having the new actress in any of the publicity is a bit shady. And Creator Shonda Rhimes could be in danger of being pulled in different directions, being in charge of 2 shows. Joss Whedon was accused of it in 2002 when "Firefly," "Angel," and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" all where on the air at the same time.

Also canceled for me would be "Back to You" (sick of it already) and "Dirty Sexy Money." "Dirty Sexy Money" seems too niche for me, it might turn people off. Well, some shows I wished were canceled never were. Look at "Til Death," hasn't died yet.

And "Samantha Who?" which premieres in mid-October, who knows. I wish the best for Christina Applegate, I loved her show "Jessie" but we'll see can get pass this all.

As for returning shows, I love "Friday Night Lights" and I hope it finally finds an audience on its namesake night Friday. For once in years, the networks serve up good shows on a Friday. Shows I am not worried about are "Supernatural" and "How I met your mother." But once again, "Medium" and "The New Adventures of Old Christine" are no where to be seen. Both will back in mid-season, which is not a bad thing anymore. "Lost" is also coming mid-season. Networks now lean on powerhouse shows to fill in for those shows they consider had 'failed.' But let me tell you, last season's canceled shows definitely had a higher rate of being liked than ever before. Network execs just have to learn to let shows percolate.

This Fall's Prime Time Sci-Fi Shows

I am glad network TV is embracing Sci-fi dramas. When "Lost" came out, there were a lot of serial-like copies and only "Heroes" stuck. These seem to be just 1-episode threads.

Bionic Woman NBC

The much hyped about Bionic Woman. I think it might be a hit, it is produced by those who renewed "Battlestar Galacta"--which is not canceled, the team just wants to call it quits. What I like about this is that when Jaime discovers she has been turned into a cyborg, she feels violated.

Journeyman NBC
NBC is releasing three sci-fi shows, probably because the success of "Heroes." this one is about a newspaper reporter who can leap into the past. Kevin McKidd looks like Anthony Michael Hall a bit. It might be a sleeper hit or fade away.

Chuck NBC
Chuck sounds like the short-lived UPN series "Jake 2.0." It is about a computer whiz geek who gets spy secrets downloaded into his brain and becomes an operative. If Jake failed to capture the mainstream, I doubt this will either unless it is captivating.

Pushing Daisies ABC
This has a complicated promise: A pie maker and part-time detective (aren't they all?) can revive the dead with a touch but a second touch kills. They seem to promoting it a lot, maybe it will be good. This seems interesting, i'll check it out.

Moonlight CBS
A vampire series about another good-guy vampire private eye (last were "Angel" and "Forever Knight). This comes from Angel co-producer David Greenwalt. Since Greenwalt is behind this one, I don't doubt it will be well-written but who knows if it will be successful. I am surprised CBS picked it up. It will star Alex O' Loughlin. I will definitely watch.

Reaper The CW
Cutie geek Bret Harrison stars as a 21-year old who his parents sell his soul to the devil and must serve as a grim reaper to capture hell's escapees. Strange and crooked premise but we'll see it really sticks. I'm going to watch.

The Sarah Connor Chronicles FOX
This is a mid-season replacement, but "Buffy" was one too, so that doesn't bode bad tidings to this show. I will be watching because of curiosity.

New Amsterdam FOX
This also has an interesting plot. A NYPD cop who has been immortal since saving a Native American woman's life 4oo years ago. His mission is to find love, touching. As Fox cancel their shows so quickly, I will watch it.