Thursday, September 15, 2011

Fall TV

It's been awhile since I talked about one of my favorite subjects...TV. I admit it. I'm a TV junkie. Fall is one of my favorite seasons. And not just because it brings cooler weather and warm, fuzzy clothes. For me it means the return of my favorite shows and the opportunity to add new ones to the DVR list.

If you've been visiting the Playground for long you probably already know that I'm a huge fan of Castle, NCIS and the Mentalist. I mean, what's not to love about a sexy bestselling author shadowing a kick-ass detective? And how could you go wrong with the colorful cast of crime solving agents? And I love to watch the mental machinations of Patrick Jane.

But what I'm really excited about are the new shows. It's sorta like the excitement of buying new shoes. They look pretty and awesome in the store. And they never, ever pinch. At least not until you get them out the door. The new shows usually look promising too but I find that nine times out of ten the best bits appear in the first few episodes. But the fun of discovery is always there. And It'll be interesting to see which of these I actually stick with after the first month.

Here's what I'm looking forward to:

Grimm (NBC) - how could you go wrong pitting well known fairy tale villains against the gritty detective destined to protect humanity? Even if the lead character is played by a Real World/Road Rules alum.

Hart of Dixie (CW) - okay, I'm not overly excited about this one, but it's set in Alabama and involves a fish out of water heroine. I think I'm going to have to at least give it a chance.

New Girl (Fox) - I think this is the one I'm most excited about. The previews are hilarious and I love Zooey Deschanel's ability to play characters with quirky personalities.

Once Upon a Time (ABC) - what can I say? I'm a sucker for a good fairy tale. My guess is that between Grimm and this show only one will survive. My money's on this one. I think I like the storyline better...and the writers are from Lost.

Person of Interest (CBS) - while I'm intrigued by the idea of this show, I'm afraid it might get bogged down in complicated details. The premise involves a washed up CIA agent tapped to prevent crimes before they occur. Michael Emerson from Lost stars so I'll probably watch at least once.

Revenge (ABC) - Any retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo gets my vote, even with a few twists. It'll be interesting to see if the TV format can do justice to the story without diluting the drama.

Terra Nova (Fox) - Steven Spielberg. Need I say more?

Unforgettable (CBS) - I was intrigued with the idea of someone who could remember everything after watching a news program about an actress who actually has the ability. I'm intrigued to see the main character - a detective - in action.

Whitney (NBC) - Yet another comedian trying to make the leap to prime time. The difference is I've always thought Whitney Cummings was hilarious so she just might make it work.

Take the Money and Run (ABC) - this show started a few weeks ago, but I'm really enjoying it. I'm intrigued by the interrogation tactics seen on the show. And I can't help but strategize how I'd hide that case of money so I could win it.

I'll tell you what I'm not looking forward to - all these retro shows like Pan Am and the Playboy Club. They just don't interest me. And I have to admit that I'm a reformed reality TV show addict. However, none of the new shows excite me and I'm getting pretty tired of the old ones.

The commercials have been airing for weeks. Stars are making the rounds of the late night talk shows. So, do you have any returning favorites or new shows you're looking forward to?

Instigator

10 comments:

Playground Monitor said...

I haven't really looked into the new shows but I am like you -- no interest in Pan Am or the Playboy one.

I am, however, excited over the return of Castle, Body of Proof, and four of my faves that are all on the same night now (bless the person who invented the DVR) -- CSI, Harry's Law, Law and Order SVU and Criminal Minds. With those 6 shows, I won't have time for anything else. I passed on the Survivor premiere last night because I'm just over that show. And they keep bringing back former players I just didn't like the first time so why would I watch the jerks again?

Of course there's always that show like Castle -- I didn't watch at first but everyone kept raving about it. So I caught up on back episodes online, watched the next new one and whammo! I was hooked.

The Closer and Rizzoli & Isles have those funky schedules and they just ended their six-week summer run. The Closer will be back with six more episodes in November, and Bones will start then too. Can't wait to see how Brennan and Booth deal with her pregnancy. I've already seen a couple previews and I think it's going to be quite interesting.

Alicia Hunter Pace (aka Jean Hovey and Stephanie Jones) said...

Thanks for the overview. I haven't looked at the new lineup yet. I did watch Ringer last night, staring Sarah Michelle Geller. (Buffy is one of my all time favorites.) I liked it. It was part glitzy soap opera/part intrigue. My husband said it had had some bad review but I don't care about reviews. I care if I'm entertained.

There were no whiners who you were supposed to like. That was the best part.

Linda Winstead Jones said...

I love checking out the new TV shows, but I hate those few weeks when they overlap with baseball. Just when the games start to MEAN something. Thank goodness for the DVR. Of the new shows, I'm most interested in Terra Nova, but there are several that look really promising. Gotta love a fairy tale. :-)

Andrea Laurence AKA Smarty Pants said...

I think the retro shows look interesting. Mad Men's popularity has spilled over. At the very least, I hope it spawns some interest in actresses with curves and more sophisticated fashion. Won't watch either way.

I don't really watch network shows, so fall means very little aside from Glee starting up and I'm not even that excited. I was more interested in the Glee Project with the kids killing themselves trying to get on the show. I'll watch to see them on there this season if nothing else.

America's Next Top Model is starting their last season, I think, and its all stars (ie. losers) from previous seasons. They pretty much hand picked models for drama, so unfortunately, it will be less about modeling and more about screaming bitchiness.

I think I'll just watch reruns of mystery shows on Cloo, the new network.

Lynn Raye Harris said...

I have no idea who this Whitney person is or why she got a show. I'm only interest in the return of Castle, Glee, and Big Bang Theory. :)

Kira Sinclair - AKA Instigator said...

I've never heard of this network. Do tell.

Instigator

Kira Sinclair - AKA Instigator said...

Lynn,

I've seen her specials on Commedy Central a couple times. I'm not sure the show will hold up, but I always enjoy her sets.

Instigator

Katherine Bone said...

I'm excited about The Vampire Diaries, The Secret Circle, Supernatural, The Lying Game, Person of Interest, and Grimm. By the way, Paranormal Witness is AWESOME!

Hmmmm... I see a pattern here. LOL!

EllenToo said...

I don't watch a lot of TV but a couple of my favories are Castle, Bones although I don't like some of their episodes, Mentalist, CSI New York, and Body of Proof which I only started watching with the last 5 episodes so I'll have to see how it holds my attention as the new season goes on. I sometimes watch NCIS and NCIS:LA

Angel said...

Definitely Castle, Criminal Minds, and Criminal Minds Suspect Behavior. I also love the original CSI, but they've put Ted Danson in charge and I'm not sure I'm gonna be happy. :(

Angel