Let’s continue our TV 2009 review/coverage with this time around all the new shows that are premiering this fall.
Notice how eight of the twenty or so shows (more than a third!) are either direct spin-offs or remake/adaptations.
Newbies: They’re not that original.
– Accidentally on Purpose (premieres Sept. 21): Jenna Elfman comes back to TV with a show about a woman who “accidentally” gets impregnated after a one-night stand. I don’t see how this show can last over a season. But then again, the same thing was said about How I Met Your Mother…
– NCSI: Los Angeles (premieres Sept. 22): A fourth CSI show set in L.A. would have seemed way too suspicious so they instead opted for something way more original: a spin-off from a popular crime show. Can someone clarify for me the series’ relation to JAG?
– The Good Wife (premieres Sept. 22): Despite its standard CBS procedural aspect, I’ll give this one a try if only for Julianna Margulies (that, and both Ridley Scott & Tony Scott are execs). She’ll play the wife of a politician having been jailed following a public sex and corruption scandal. On the nose storyline.
– Three Rivers (premieres Oct. 4): I’m sensing a cancellation here.
– The Jay Leno Show (premieres Sept. 14): Crash and burn. Please?
– Community (premieres Sept. 17): The pilot was funny albeit with most, if not all, of its jokes in the trailer. The cast is enjoyable enough, but unfortunately John Oliver will only be part of two or so of the show’s 12-episode season.
– Mercy (premieres Sept. 23): Have mercy on yourselves and do not watch this.
– Trauma (premieres Sept. 28): It’s like E.R. and Third Watch but with a lot more budget so they can make everything explode. Plus Peter Berg.
– The Forgotten (premieres Sept. 22): That, it will be.
– Modern Family (premieres Sept. 23): Despite its good cast I’m still dubious of its comedic appeal. Especially when you consider that one of the creators was behind Stacked.
– Cougar Town (premieres Sept. 23): I wonder if Bill Lawrence will get busier with his Scrubs reboot than with this Courtney Cox show?
– Eastwick (premieres Sept. 23): Unnecessary adaptation of the 1987 witch film.
– FlashForward (premieres Sept. 24): I’ve been telling you about this awesome show for almost a year now. And here it finally comes.
– Hank (premieres Sept. 30): Kelsey Grammer tries his luck a second time with this sitcom about a fallen CEO forced to move back to his old town with his family. I’m not expecting much, despite David Koechner also being in the cast.
– The Middle (premieres Sept. 30): Where’s Malcolm?
– V (premieres Nov. 3): Reboot of the famous ‘80s TV show about aliens coming to Earth with no-so-noble intentions. The pilot was somewhat enjoyable but didn’t really impress me. Will this become The 4400 2.0?
– Glee (premieres Sept. 16): The pilot was surprisingly entertaining. I’m looking forward to what’s to come.
– Brothers (premieres Sept. 18): Oh CCH Pounder, what has thou done?!
– The Cleveland Show (premieres Sept. 27): Yet another Seth MacFarlane show. I’ll pass.
– Melrose Place (premieres Sept. 23): You surely have better things to do than watch this reboot/remake/spin-off/revival/adaptation.
– The Vampire Diaries (premieres Sept. 10): Did they just create a TV spin-off of Twilight?
– The Beautiful Life: TBL (premieres Sept. 16): Simply awful.
– Archer (premieres in October): James Bond meets Arrested Development meets The Office. Greatest combination ever?
– The League (premieres November): Fresh off the network’s pick-up list, here comes a comedy about a Fantasy Football League with Human Giant’s Paul Scheer, the lovely Leslie Bibb and My Name is Earl’s Nadine Velazquez. Plus, it was created by Seinfeld/Curb Your Enthusiasm alumni Jeff Schaffer & Jackie Marcus.
– Stargate Universe (premieres Oct. 2): Now that Battlestar Galactica is gone, SGU wants to be the gritty sci-fi show. The storyline and cast definitely piqued my interest but I’m unsure how dark a Stargate series can be…
– Bored to Death (premieres Sept. 20): Jason Schwartzman, Zach Galifianakis and Ted Danson, together. Simply brilliant. The show describes itself as “noir-otic” and centers on an alcoholic novelist (Schwartzman) pretending to be a private eye. Galifianakis plays his BFF, a struggling comic-book artist.
Tomorrow will be our third and final part of our complete Fall ’09 review. We’ll check out what’s going on with all the major networks. It’s gonna be epic (fail).
