What I like and Don't like About the New Fall Season

What's wrong with network television? Well several things. For one, in this day and age when we can have individual cable channels catering to nearly every special interest, why are the various networks churning out the same drivel again and again. Enough already, program directors please pay attention.

We already have enough procedurals on television, stop making them until the existing ones die off please. We have 3 CSI's, 3 Law and Orders, NCIS, Without a Trace, Cold Case, Bones, Numbers, and Criminal Minds. Of these I still watch CSI original recipe, NCIS, Cold Case, Bones, Numbers, and Criminal Minds. Bones and Numbers are still safe, but CSI has been weakening for me and Criminal Minds may start stinking now that cast changes are starting. NCIS is also safe, because I like the lighter atmosphere and find the show a good diversion. Cold Case doesn't have any competition for me in that time slot so I guess it is safe too.

New this season is Life, which I am trying, it is on the line. It has some potential, but the elements just didn't gel well in the pilot. Episode 2 is waiting on the TIVO at home now.
K-Ville, well if you work in or around law enforcement, you just can't turn your brain off enough to get around the plot holes, misinformation, and it has to be the first cop show I've ever watched that seemed to be anti-law enforcement. The pilot gave me a headache, I won't be back.

If you are going to do a procedural, try to do something a little different. How about a period piece? Set the procedural in the '40's or '50's. Let everyone see how crime was solved before trace evidence. Tough guy cops in Fedoras, tommy guns, no dna or internet, it could work. If you need inspiration, watch The Untouchables.

What about Private Detective shows? They used to be big, now the only two current ones are Monk and Psych, both are which are comedies, and both of which are entertaining. This season gives us Moonlighting and Pushing Daisies, which both have a supernatural twist. The Pilot of Moonlighting seemed a bit weak, I'll give it a few more shots, but if it doesn't pick up I may drop it. The lead, Alex O'Loughlin, doesn't seem to have decided how he wants to play the character, Sophia Myles plays the generic blonde love interest/reporter/damsel in distress generically, and Jason Dohring, who was awesome in Veronica Mars was vastly under and misused. I hope they work this out, I loved both Forever Knight and Angel. This show could be a strong contender if it gels and smoothes out the humps. Pushing Daisies has an interesting idea if the show runs with it. Episode one is awaiting viewing as we speak. I have heard rumors of a show called "Marlowe" that might be a midseason replacement. I have hopes of a good PI show.

I avoid reality shows and games shows like the plague. Please leave them for daytime TV and summer rerun season. The mind deadening fair is easier to avoid that way. I swear just flipping through one while channel surfing kills off several of my brain cells.

Medical shows are a little overdone for my taste. ER is over the hill, knock it down and let it roll off and die. My wife makes me watch Grey's Anatomy, but I fool her and set my brain on scan, I basically sleep unless Katherine Heigle takes off her clothes or someone gets hit in the face. House is the only medical show I actually like, and that is solely due to an excellent cast lead by Hugh Laurie. I've heard rumors that Stephen Fry might make an appearance soon, awesome. Private Practice, my wife has on Tivo, but we haven't watched either episode yet. I don't have high hopes.

Science Fiction/Fantasy shows have become big, but usually only 1 or 2 make it. The current 800 pound gorilla is Lost, which lost me last season. In my opinion, you can only avoid showing the monster in the closet for so long, and the longer you go, the more impressive the monster better be. I think Lost went to0 long on promises, and didn't give enough glimpses of the monster. I really don't think they can do a big enough resolution to satisfy the anticipation they have created and are trying to maintain. Heroes is a little better for me. I like the show despite its flaws. I am not rabid about it, but have some affection for it. Plus they are going to have Veronica Mars star Kristen Bell on for an arc. I'd watch that lady read the phone book. Supernatural and Medium are good distractions for me, I've never been able to get into Ghost Whisperer, despite Jennifer Love's large "talents". New this go around is Reaper, a supernatural slacker comedy that I like so far. Also new is Journeyman, being compared to Quantum Leap obviously, which is a little rough, but has a lot of potential. Then we have Chuck, which is a cute blend of sci-fi, spy genre, and comedy and is a good light-hearted mix. I Tivod the second episode of Bionic Woman. I thought the pilot showed some rough promise and thought I'd give it a few episodes to see how it went. I wouldn't watch Cavemen with someone else's eyes or brain, unless I really hated them.

Three new shows I was planning to watch, but haven't yet, based solely on a strong cast, are Dirty Sexy Money (Peter Krause, Donald Sutherland), Cane (Jimmy Smits, Hector Elizondo, Rita Moreno), and Big Shots (Dylan McDermott, Michael Vartan, Josh Malina, Christopher Titus, Nia Long, Paige Turco). There were a few more shows that had a favored actor in, but which the premise seemed so off that I decided to skip to keep my good memories of past performances.

There are still a few premiers coming this month, of those only Viva Laughlin and Women's Murder Club raise any curiosity. I may or may not check them out, depends on where they land on the schedule. I await the January premieres; we get a little new TV boost right after the holidays.