After the debacle that was Jay Leno trying to hang on to his talk show on NBC, they’re doing their darnedest to refill the 10pm time slot. That not only means a whole crop of new shows on NBC, but also a whole crop of other networks trying to jump on the opportunity. That means there could actually be some decent TV to watch in the next year. Here’s the new stuff to watch out for:
Mondays:
- The Event (NBC) – Some dude looks for his missing girlfriend and ends up uncovering THE LARGEST COVER-UP IN US HISTORY!!!!1111!!!11!!! Look, it will probably be suspenseful and all that, but they’re going to drag you along all season long, giving you little bitty clues along the way just to reveal one tiny kernel of knowledge about this “event” at the end of the season. Then they’re going to drag you along for years until you finally lose interest, at which point they’ll have “the final season” where they frantically throw pieces together in a lame attempt to tie up all the loose ends they created over the years. It’s from the producers of 24, so people are going to watch it, but don’t say I didn’t warn you 6 years from now. Premieres Sep. 20, 9/8c
- Chase (NBC) – See, they call it, “Chase” because she’s a US Marshall who “Chases” criminals. Watch Justified on FX or Hulu instead. Premieres Sep. 20, 10/9c
- Lone Star (FOX) – Lamest. Title. Ever. A con man juggles identities. Premieres Sep. 20, 9/8c
- Mike and Molly (CBS) – Another lame sitcom. As a general rule, I don’t watch anything with a laugh track. Premieres Sep. 20, 9:30/8:30c
- Hawaii Five-Oh (CBS) – Same show, different decades. Think of it as CSI: Miami done as a buddy cop show. I’ll watch at least one episode. Premieres Sep. 20, 10/9c
Tuesdays:
- Raising Hope (FOX) – The pool boy impregnates a felon. Parenthood ensues. Meh. Premieres Sep. 21, 9/8c
- Running Wilde (FOX) – This is the story of Will Arnett as a rich playboy trying to woo Keri Russell, all told through the eyes of a 12-year-old girl. From the creator of Arrested Development, this one should be good. Premieres Sep. 21, 9:30/8:30c
- No Ordinary Family (ABC) – Julie Benz (Dexter) and Michael Chiklis (The Shield) have a pretty ordinary family. After some sort of accident, they get super powers. I’m not sure what to make of this one, but if it involves super powers, I watch at least one episode as a general rule. Premieres Sep. 28, 8/7c
- Detroit 187 (ABC) – Another cop drama. One guess where this one’s based. Premieres Sep. 21, 10/9c
Wednesdays:
- Undercovers (NBC) – JJ Abrams’ (Lost, Alias, Felicity) latest about a married couple that happens to be former spies. JJ Abrams could make a show about a pile of burning tires and I’d watch it at least once. I’ll be checking this one out. Premieres Sep. 22, 8/7c
- Law & Order: Los Angeles (NBC) – Yup, another one. This one has Terrence Howard (Iron Man 1, Hustle and Flow). You can thank Jay Leno. Premieres Sep. 29, 10/9c
- The Defenders (CBS) – Jim Belushi and Jerry O’Connell (Stand by Me, Jerry Maguire) play 2 Las Vegas lawyers who “play by their own rules.” If Jim Belushi and Jerry O’Connell don’t scare you away from this show, you’re in the wrong place. Premieres Sep. 22, 10/9c
- Better With You (ABC) – Another family sitcom, another laugh track. Premieres Sep. 22, 8:30, 7:30c
- The Whole Truth (ABC) – That guy from Northern Exposure and that girl from ER star in another lawyer drama. I couldn’t care less. Premieres Sep. 22, 10/9c
Thursdays:
- Outsourced (NBC) – A young, American call center manager is sent to India to train the very employees his company outsourced to. The movie was pretty funny, so the premise is good, I’ll give it one shot. Premieres Sep. 23, 9:30/8:30c
- $#*! My Dad Says (CBS) – This one’s based on a book that’s based on a Twitter feed and stars William Shatner. I’d just follow the Twitter account if I were you. Premieres Sep. 23, 8:30/7:30c
- My Generation (ABC) – The latest in High School/20-something soap operas, this one is based on the premise that a documentary crew followed a group of students in High School and then catches up with them 10 years later to see what they’re up to. I assure you, the shows a lot more fake than anyone at your High School was. Premieres Sep. 23, 8/7c
Fridays:
- School Pride (NBC) – Another feel-good makeover show. This one gets students and faculty to rebuild their own schools. And they say TV never amounts to anything good. Premieres Oct. 15, 8/7c
- Outlaw (NBC) – Jimmy Smits was a Supreme Court Justice until he quits and goes to private practice, then you get another Lawyer drama. Yay! Premieres Sep. 15, 10/9c
- Blue Bloods (CBS) – Tom Selleck and Donnie Wahlberg are cops in NYC. I like this cast, but CBS has already given it the Friday night death-toll that NBC gave Southland once upon a time. Give it the fair shot CBS didn’t. Premieres Sep. 24, 10/9c
- Body of Proof (ABC) – Something about a neurosurgeon and a car accident. I got bored halfway through the description. Premieres this Fall [no date yet, always a good sign]
Sundays:
- Sunday Night Football (NBC) – It’s in no way a new show, but I’m putting it here so you remember to tune in to watch the Cowboys stomp all over the Redskins in the Season Premiere. Premieres Sep. 12, 8:15 EST
Noteworthy New Cable:
- Boardwalk Empire (HBO) – Steve Buscemi stars in a Prohibition-era gangster epic based in Atlantic City. It’s written by one of the guys that did Sopranos and the pilot’s directed by Scorcese. Premieres Sep. 19, 9/8c
- The Walking Dead (AMC) – Based on a graphic novel about a guy that wakes up from a coma after a Zombie Apocalypse, this show looks like a modern-day Western … with zombies. Does it get any better? Premieres in October
- The League (FX) – It’s not new, but I came into this one late and I loved it. It follows a group of 30-something men that play fantasy football together. It’s a little bit crude, but most women won’t like it anyway, as they thing football and its fantasy spawn is the devil. Premieres Sep. 16, 10:30/9:30c
- Conan (TBS) – It’s a long, painful story, but Conan O’Brien is now on cable, where he will be free to serve the comedy gods however it pleases him. If the last month or so of his stint on The Tonight Show was any indication, this is going to be the talk show to watch. Premieres Nov. 8
