Harry Potter and the Dealthy Hallows. Hurry up, November 19.
September 23, 2010
September 19, 2010
fall 2010 schedule: abc
Ok, the major premiere week is upon us, so I need to get going. Here's ABC...
Monday
Dancing with the Stars
11th season premieres: September 20
my take: The contestants are Jennifer Grey, Audrina Patridge, Florence Henderson, Margaret Cho, Brandy Norwood, Bristol Palin, David Hasselhoff, Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino, Rick Fox, Michael Bolton, Kyle Massey, Kurt Warner. I won't watch, but my money's on Baby.
Castle
2nd season premieres: September 20
my take: There are many things about this show that I really liked last year - Nate Fillion is so fun to watch, and the actors that play his daughter and mother are perfect. It took me a while to come around on Beckett though (especially that bizarre hair cut). I'll keep watching for now, but I'm not interested in the back-and-forth lovey stuff between Castle and Beckett.
Tuesday
No Ordinary Family
1st season premieres: September 28
my take: It's a clever premise about a family with super powers, but has the potential to be super cheesy. I think I'll skip this. For those who like Michael Chiklis (The Commish/The Shield) and Julie Benz (Dexter), you may want to tune in. You'll also recognize Autumn Reeser and Stephen Collins (dad from 7th Heaven).
Dancing with the Stars Results
Detroit 187
1st season premieres: September 21
my take: I'm not going to complain that this is another cop show. Really, I'm not. ABC actually doesn't do many of these, so I will be fair. I think we have The Wire to thank for featuring cities other than NYC. The premise is pretty basic - a downtown Detroit precinct and all that it means. You'll recognize Michael Imperioli (who can only play gangsters and cops), but many of the others are newcomers.
Wednesday
The Middle
2nd season premieres: September 22
my take: This show is not appointment television for me, but I did catch a few episodes last season. It's actually hilarious. Between this and Modern Family, ABC definitely got it right when casting the kids. A super talented and funny trio in this show.
Better with You
1st season premieres: September 22
my take: This is ABC's only new fall comedy. Considering the booming success of Modern Family and the relatively strong numbers for The Middle and Cougar Town (all new last year), I'd say things are looking good for another outing from ABC, but I'm not immediately pulled in. Despite good cast members like Joanna Garcia and Debra Jo Rupp (mom from That 70s Show), the premise - basically two daughters and their contrasting relationships - bores me.
Modern Family
2nd season premieres: September 22
my take: I have a teeny tiny fear that Modern Family is getting over-hyped after the much deserved Emmy wins. But I don't even care. I love it and can't wait for it to come back.
Cougar Town
2nd season premieres: September 22
my take: I don't know why I was oddly embarrassed to admit this last year, but I like this show almost as much as Modern Family. The ensemble cast is hilarious. Thank god they overcame that horrendous title.
The Whole Truth
1st season premieres: September 22
my take: Another new drama for ABC. Another law drama for the world. This one stars Maura Tierney and Rob Morrow as Assistant DA and defense attorney paired against each other each week - and follows the cases from beginning to end. I'm sure it will be a solid show, but I think I will pass on it.
Thursday
My Generation
1st season premieres: September 23
my take: I feel like this could be really bad or really good. The premise is a documentary-style drama about members of an Austin, Texas high school class of 2000, which f
ollows them 10 years later. I'm intrigued enough by the creativity of the plot to check it out. A lot of newcomers in the cast, but you'll recognize some from failed series and teen shows.
Grey's Anatomy
7th season premieres: September 23
my take: Oh why, oh why to I continue to watch it? Because it's a train wreck that you can't look away from. And last season's finale was perfect proof of that.
Private Practice
4th season premieres: September 23
my take: Anyone still watch this? I really don't have many bad things to say about it, but there is just too much on Thursday nights. Something has to give.
Friday
Secret Millionaire
1st season premieres: TBD
my take: No
Body of Proof
1st season premieres: TBD
my take: Guess what? This show is about crime. Because television viewers only love shows about crime. This one features Dana Delaney as a medical examiner, so I assume we're mostly dealing with murder crime. The kind that gets the best ratings. You'll also recognize Jeri Ryan and Geoffrey Arend (Mr. Christina Hendricks). No thanks.
Sunday
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
8th season premieres: September 26
my take: Ty is officially looking haggard these days. Can't blame him. Damn show makes me cry every time I catch a minute of it.
Desperate Housewives
7th season premieres: September 26
my take: I don't watch, but can someone give me a reason why this show hasn't retired? Possibly because of Vanessa Williams joining the cast this season? It just seems so tired.
Brothers & Sisters
5th season premieres: September 26
my take: Too much drama for me, but I know many people love this show. Heard about some pretty significant cast shake-ups, so we'll see if/how that affects the ratings.
In summary:
Dancing with the Stars
11th season premieres: September 20
my take: The contestants are Jennifer Grey, Audrina Patridge, Florence Henderson, Margaret Cho, Brandy Norwood, Bristol Palin, David Hasselhoff, Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino, Rick Fox, Michael Bolton, Kyle Massey, Kurt Warner. I won't watch, but my money's on Baby.
Castle
2nd season premieres: September 20
my take: There are many things about this show that I really liked last year - Nate Fillion is so fun to watch, and the actors that play his daughter and mother are perfect. It took me a while to come around on Beckett though (especially that bizarre hair cut). I'll keep watching for now, but I'm not interested in the back-and-forth lovey stuff between Castle and Beckett.
Tuesday
No Ordinary Family
1st season premieres: September 28
my take: It's a clever premise about a family with super powers, but has the potential to be super cheesy. I think I'll skip this. For those who like Michael Chiklis (The Commish/The Shield) and Julie Benz (Dexter), you may want to tune in. You'll also recognize Autumn Reeser and Stephen Collins (dad from 7th Heaven).
Dancing with the Stars Results
Detroit 187
1st season premieres: September 21
my take: I'm not going to complain that this is another cop show. Really, I'm not. ABC actually doesn't do many of these, so I will be fair. I think we have The Wire to thank for featuring cities other than NYC. The premise is pretty basic - a downtown Detroit precinct and all that it means. You'll recognize Michael Imperioli (who can only play gangsters and cops), but many of the others are newcomers.
Wednesday
The Middle
2nd season premieres: September 22
my take: This show is not appointment television for me, but I did catch a few episodes last season. It's actually hilarious. Between this and Modern Family, ABC definitely got it right when casting the kids. A super talented and funny trio in this show.
Better with You
1st season premieres: September 22
my take: This is ABC's only new fall comedy. Considering the booming success of Modern Family and the relatively strong numbers for The Middle and Cougar Town (all new last year), I'd say things are looking good for another outing from ABC, but I'm not immediately pulled in. Despite good cast members like Joanna Garcia and Debra Jo Rupp (mom from That 70s Show), the premise - basically two daughters and their contrasting relationships - bores me.
Modern Family
2nd season premieres: September 22
my take: I have a teeny tiny fear that Modern Family is getting over-hyped after the much deserved Emmy wins. But I don't even care. I love it and can't wait for it to come back.
Cougar Town
2nd season premieres: September 22
my take: I don't know why I was oddly embarrassed to admit this last year, but I like this show almost as much as Modern Family. The ensemble cast is hilarious. Thank god they overcame that horrendous title.
The Whole Truth
1st season premieres: September 22
my take: Another new drama for ABC. Another law drama for the world. This one stars Maura Tierney and Rob Morrow as Assistant DA and defense attorney paired against each other each week - and follows the cases from beginning to end. I'm sure it will be a solid show, but I think I will pass on it.
Thursday
My Generation
1st season premieres: September 23
my take: I feel like this could be really bad or really good. The premise is a documentary-style drama about members of an Austin, Texas high school class of 2000, which f
ollows them 10 years later. I'm intrigued enough by the creativity of the plot to check it out. A lot of newcomers in the cast, but you'll recognize some from failed series and teen shows.Grey's Anatomy
7th season premieres: September 23
my take: Oh why, oh why to I continue to watch it? Because it's a train wreck that you can't look away from. And last season's finale was perfect proof of that.
Private Practice
4th season premieres: September 23
my take: Anyone still watch this? I really don't have many bad things to say about it, but there is just too much on Thursday nights. Something has to give.
Friday
Secret Millionaire
1st season premieres: TBD
my take: No
Body of Proof
1st season premieres: TBD
my take: Guess what? This show is about crime. Because television viewers only love shows about crime. This one features Dana Delaney as a medical examiner, so I assume we're mostly dealing with murder crime. The kind that gets the best ratings. You'll also recognize Jeri Ryan and Geoffrey Arend (Mr. Christina Hendricks). No thanks.
Sunday
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
8th season premieres: September 26
my take: Ty is officially looking haggard these days. Can't blame him. Damn show makes me cry every time I catch a minute of it.
Desperate Housewives
7th season premieres: September 26
my take: I don't watch, but can someone give me a reason why this show hasn't retired? Possibly because of Vanessa Williams joining the cast this season? It just seems so tired.
Brothers & Sisters
5th season premieres: September 26
my take: Too much drama for me, but I know many people love this show. Heard about some pretty significant cast shake-ups, so we'll see if/how that affects the ratings.
In summary:
- If you're looking for V, it's coming back in the spring.
- Most looking forward to the return of: Modern Family and Cougar Town
- New shows I'll check out: My Generation and possibly Better With You
September 3, 2010
fall 2010 schedule: nbc
Last night, I was perusing the next week two weeks of scheduled programming on my DVR because that's what I do during my free time), and there they were....new season premieres!
It's time to get down to business and analyze the full fall schedule. In past seasons, I've broken down the schedule by day of the week, but decided to go by network this year. So, we'll do NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX, and CW/Misc. over the next week (premieres will start rolling out the week of 9/13). We'll look at new and returning shows, and at the end, I'll give you a rundown on what will be on my personal TV schedule this fall.
NBC
This network was my bad boyfriend last season. We were in a big fight, but now I'm back for more. Will I ever learn? He has a lot to prove with new shows this season after wiping out the 10:00 hour block last year with the Big Fat Late Night Snafu (although, there are surprisingly few new shows on the schedule).
Monday
Chuck
4th season premieres: September 20
my take: I'm so glad Chuck earned its rightful place on the fall schedule this year. However, only 13 episodes were ordered - an additional 9 are contingent on good ratings this fall. Last season was great and set up some really interesting game changers. When we last saw him, Chuck had promised sister Ellie that he would leave the CIA. What will he do? We should be meeting Chuck's mysterious mom in the near future too. If you haven't watched already, I highly recommend jumping on the Chuck train.
The Event
1st season premieres: September 20
my take: You've probably seen one of the 2,000 promos for The Event this summer. You'll recognize: Jason Ritter, Blair Underwood (playing the president), Laura Innes (ER), Scott Patterson (Gilmore Girls), and many others in a very recognizable TV cast. The premise is purposely elusive described as a "conspiracy thriller" centered around Sean Walker (Ritter) investigating the mysterious disappearance of his fiancee during which he uncovers a huge U.S. government cover-up. Based on the cast and the fact that it's not a cop or legal drama, I will check this out.
Chase
1st season premieres: September 20
my take: A Jerry Bruckheimer-produced US Marshall action drama doesn't peak my interest really. Kelli Giddish (Past Life) plays Annie Frost, a Texas Marshall. Her crew includes Jesse Metcalfe (Desperate Housewives), Cole Hauser (the redhead dude from Good Will Hunting), and Amaury Nolasco (Prison Break). I feel like this show is the perfect illustration of NBC trying to get their ER/NYPD Blue mojo back. I may check out the pilot, but I'm not really an action junkie, so this probably isn't for me.
my take: A Jerry Bruckheimer-produced US Marshall action drama doesn't peak my interest really. Kelli Giddish (Past Life) plays Annie Frost, a Texas Marshall. Her crew includes Jesse Metcalfe (Desperate Housewives), Cole Hauser (the redhead dude from Good Will Hunting), and Amaury Nolasco (Prison Break). I feel like this show is the perfect illustration of NBC trying to get their ER/NYPD Blue mojo back. I may check out the pilot, but I'm not really an action junkie, so this probably isn't for me.
Tuesday
Biggest Loser
10th season premieres: September 21
my take: Somewhere around season 5, this show started disturbing me. Many of the cast members do tremendous work to change their lives. But something about the game of it all - the melodrama perpetrated by NBC, throwing the weigh-ins, etc. - started to creep me out, so I don't watch anymore.
Parenthood
2nd season premieres: September 14
my take: Watch this show! This is probably my most anticipated returning show. We got a short season last spring, and I just really loved it. There are still come kinks to work out - namely the grandparent story, which seemed rushed last season. But overall, great characters, real problems, and fun to watch. My favorites are Lauren Graham and Mae Whitman - great chemistry as mother and daughter.
Wednesday
Undercovers
1st season premieres: September 22
my take: Another new show that NBC has put a lot of promo power behind. This is a Mr. & Mrs. Smith style show starring Boris Kodjoe and Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Steven and Samantha Bloom (decidedly less interesting than their real names). The two were the best spies in the history of the CIA, but retired 5 years ago to get married and open a flower shop. Now, they're reluctantly getting back in the game. Interesting premise, but I'm not chomping at the bit for this one either. More cops and bad guys. I'll probably watch the pilot - if only because it's directed by EP JJ Abrams.
Law & Order: SVU
12th season premieres: September 22
my take: I'm starting to think I only watch this out of habit.
Law & Order: Los Angeles
1st season premieres: September 23
my take: Why did they cancel the mothership series only to do another spinoff? Another cop show! This feels very CSI: Miami to me. Not planning to watch. If you're interested, the cast includes familiar faces like Terrence Howard, Skeet Ulrich, and Alfred Molina.
Thursday
Community
2nd season premieres: September 23
my take: Community turned into one of my favorite new comedies last season. The start was shaky, but they hit a stride and finished very strong. That paintball episode? Genius. I'm a sucker for television and film allusions, and these writers know how to do it. Joel McHale leads the pack well, but costars Danny Pudi, Donald Glover, and Alison Brie (better known as Trudy Campbell) are the bread and butter.
30 Rock
5th season premieres: September 23
my take: I'm still not really watching 30 Rock regularly. Don't hate me. I know it's good, just not appointment TV for me.
The Office
7th season premieres: September 23
my take: News of this being the last season for Steve Carrell puts the pressure on for a good finish. Luckly, Carrell (because he's classy) gave the writers enough notice to write a well-planned exit for Michael Scott. I think we're all hoping it involves Holly. I haven't decided how I feel about a post-Carrell office. This show has always been a favorite of mine, so part of me hopes it will just end on a high note and finish the series this year. At the same time, there's a whole lot of talent among the cast and writers, so it could be fun to see a rebirth with a new boss. I vote for promoting within.
Outsourced
1st season premieres: September 23
my take: The only new comedy of the fall for NBC, so there's a fair amount of pressure to live up to the Thursday night comedy block. The premise is an American novelty goods company whose call center has been outsourced to India. Newcomer Ben Rappaport plays Todd Dempsey, young middle manager who moves to India to manage the office. I feel like this 
could walk a very line between funny and stereotypically insensitive, no? A lot will depend on the writing and the performances, so I'm willing to give it a try.
could walk a very line between funny and stereotypically insensitive, no? A lot will depend on the writing and the performances, so I'm willing to give it a try.The Apprentice
?? season premieres: September 16
my take: NBC is bringing back the original (non-celebrity) Apprentice. Not sure how I feel about this in the Thursday 10:00 timeslot, a position usually reserved for their best dramas - maybe they're dodging the competition on other networks by trying to provide a totally different option? Either way, not watching.
Friday
School Pride
1st season premieres: October 15
my take: New reality show produced by Cheryl Hines and Denise Cramsey about communities coming together to renovate their local school. The style seems very similar to Extreme Makeover: Home, so I'll probably cry.
Dateline NBC
1100th season premieres: September 24
my take: Don't care.
Outlaw
1st season premieres: September 15
my take: I really don't understand why this isn't on Thursday nights instead of Apprentice. Shouldn't they swap? The last of NBC's new fall shows, this one stars Jimmy Smits as a playboy and gambling Supreme Court justice who becomes frustrated with a flawed system, quits the job, and forms a traveling private practice to tackle the most controversial cases across the country. An interesting concept, but I'm worried it will beat us over the head with right/wrong/moral/hot button issues. Smits probably makes it worth a look though.
In summary:
- Most recommended returning shows: Chuck, Parenthood, and Community
- New shows I'll be checking out: The Event, Outsourced, possibly Outlaw and Chase
- Between the returning and new shows, NBC is officially the law and order network this season. It might be the first time in two decades without a medical drama on this network (RIP Mercy).
- With reruns on Saturdays and football on Sundays, NBC has never put anything new and scripted on weekends, staying out of the CBS/ABC competition on Sunday nights.
- Looking for Parks and Recreation? Me too. Unfortunately, it was relegated to a spring start for reasons unknown (Amy Poehler's pregnancy was not a factor since they worked well into early summer to bank episodes). I will miss it this fall.
What say you? What will you be watching on NBC this fall? Any new shows tickle your pickle? Leave some comments! Fall 2010 will be the season of comments. Don't let me down!
September 2, 2010
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