Notorious: Death of Fall Season Preview

Archive

Another version of Notorious, and there’s some stuff down here to look forward to, such as a fantastic 4400 episode and Ed Asner in the Dead Zone, but first I wanted to give you guys some thoughts on the fall premieres coming up. Prison Break is the first of the season in less than a week, but there’s plenty more shows after that. Just for the record, I’m going to touch on just about every new show, and some of the old favorites.

Monday, August 29th
Prison Break

This is one of those shows that FOX likes to take on seemingly based on its interesting concept alone, which is a nice idea for something like 24 which had the concept and the talent of Kiefer Sutherland, Dennis Haysbert, and so forth, but it seems like they went with a lesser-known cast this time around. I never got around to watching John Doe, but I did see Blade: Trinity, so to say I’m less than enthusiastic about Dominic Purcell is an understatement. Stacy Keach continues the trend of bringing people back from failed FOX shows, although Keach is more recognizable as Cameron from the unbelievably awesome American History X. I’m mildly interested, but I don’t think the debut will hook me.

Thursday, September 8th
The O.C.

It’s a wonderful lead-in for another one of those concept shows on FOX, but other than that nothing is going to draw me into the O.C. Just one of those shows that I don’t get, like Friends, Seinfeld, or hell, Law & Order.

Reunion

Very interesting concept, but once again with the unknowns being cast, although some interesting past TV shows are popping up, like American Dreams, Life as we Know It, and MTV’s Undressed. The concept is enough to the point where I probably will watch the show to its completion, even if it kills me.

Friday, September 9th
WWE Smackdown!

Something big will happen on this episode of Smackdown!, but I haven’t the foggiest clue what it’ll be. They’re going to have to promise something, however, or people will fail to follow this show to its new timeslot and it might be facing the gallows.

Sunday, September 11th
The War At Home

Michael Rappaport seems to make this an obvious failure, and I’m not even sure if it’ll be an unfortunate failure. It might just be wasting space on an animation block that can use an extra special episode.

Family Guy

Their return run seemed to have wide-ranging reviews, seemed to hit and miss, and mastered the art of sometimes taking a joke and dragging it along. This is the chance to bring the fans back around full circle, as I’m sure they’ve got something up their sleeves, hopefully not too offensive as one could just cringe at what they could do if the writers were told in advance that this episode would be airing on September 11th.

American Dad

Lots of Family Guy fans threw their support behind this show instead when its made its debut, despite the obvious comparisons to its big brother that could be made. The story was declared more coherent and there seemed to be a solid fanbase building around this show. Could American Dad overhaul Family Guy? Nothing can beat Family Guy’s past, but these recent episodes might call for a changing of the guard.

Tuesday, September 13th
Bones

Hey, it’s Angel. That’ll be enough to bring the Buffy fans in, but the rest sounds about the same as CSI, right down to one of the doctors who happens to be an expert on insects (among other things). Not expecting much, so anything close to a good episode will blow me away. I can’t see this being a big rebound for David Boreanaz.

Supernatural

Neat idea, but it’s on the WB and will thus suffer two of the following fates:

1) Become lost in the shuffle of the big networks and become forgotten in the shuffle of other big name shows on the undercard networks such as Gilmore Girls and Veronica Mars
2) Force WB to try and push it as the next Gilmore Girls or Veronica Mars and outstay its welcome by quite a few episodes before WB finally gets the message and cuts it

Either way, things don’t look too bright for this show. I’ll be watching the premiere, but the number of episodes to follow is anyone’s guess.

Wednesday, September 14th
Head Cases

Hey, it’s a law show. I’m not sure if I’ll even bother with the pilot of this one, especially when you consider the Chris O’Donnell factor. Rachael Leigh Cook is great and everything, but I don’t care.

Thursday, September 15th
Survivor: Guatemala

YES! I can’t wait for this! This is just going to be the best season yet, I can’t wait for the exact same thing that happens every season on Survivor to happen once again. Jeff Probst for Genius of the Year, anyone? I don’t care and I hope no one else does either.

Friday, September 16th
Twins

Hey, Darlene from Roseanne and Larry from Perfect Strangers. And Melanie Griffith? Holy crap, how many buttons on the TiVo must I hit for this to go away?

Threshold

Greetings. We’re CBS. We’re kinda cool now. Not as cool as ABC, but do they have Survivor: Guatemala? I didn’t think so. Might check out the pilot directed by Blade’s director, but I might have plenty of reasons to not be watching it at the end of the episode.

Monday, September 19th
Surface

NBC attempts to bounce back from the bottom of the barrel “which is described to be in the vein of James Cameron’s ‘The Abyss'”. Yeah, mysterious creatures in the deep. Not trying to copy Lost at all. No sir.

Arrested Development

A new timeslot for this show should equal murder. It seems like they’re trying to get people to follow it over, but moving it in favor of the War at Home might prove to be an intense mistake. I’ll be with the Bluths for as long as this ride keeps going, though.

How I Met Your Mother

With all the witty headlines aside (I Hate ‘Your Mother’, ‘Your Mother’ Is Great), this seems like a plea from CBS for the old ladies kissing Bob Barker to stick around for a cute story and at the same time bring in the new crowd some more with Alyson Hannigan, Neil Patrick Harris (will he snort coke off a hooker’s ass? Only time will tell), and BOB SAGET. I’m sure he’ll be getting plenty of positive reviews after his Aristocrats rant. I’ll watch the pilot, but I can’t imagine this being any good.

Kitchen Confidential

The Buffy alumni keep coming at ya, as it’s Xander’s turn with a drama that sounds like a reality show. Seriously, you’re going to run a show called Hell’s Kitchen, promote Kitchen Confidential and expect me to not think of an awful reality show rehash? Oh yeah, and I don’t give a crap about this show. There’s just no way I could.

Just Legal

Uh, this sounds a lot like Head Cases. Burnt-out lawyers defending unjustly wronged and mentally disabled lawyers helping all who have been wronged? Damn close, and it’s not just my choice of words. Oh, yeah. Don Johnson. Same thing with him as with Melanie Griffith. Not gonna bother, even if it’s got the poor boxer from Million Dollar Baby in it.

Out of Practice

Hey, from the wonderful writers who brought you Frasier…

…well, that’s all that needs to be said. Fonz be damned.

Tuesday, September 20th
My Name is Earl

Jason Lee’s name is powerful enough to draw me in for the pilot, and even though this doesn’t seem to be the show that’s going to turn NBC around, it couldn’t hurt if they get enough people behind it. But I think this will go the way of A Minute With Stan Hooper. Unfortunately.

The Office

If The Office wants to stay employed, they’re going to need to become a super-big hit instead of a critical darling. And I don’t see it happening. Hey, at least Steve Carrell got his foot in the door with this before busting it open with The 40 Year-Old Virgin, right?

Wednesday, September 21st
Lost

Well, some fans are pissed that the finale wasn’t much of a finale, and maybe Lost will keep them around or lose them for good. Despite Lost being one of the best shows on network TV in a long stretch (for me, at least), this could make or break the show, as they could easily Jump The Shark if not careful.

The Apprentice: Martha Stewart

I. Don’t. Care.

E-Ring

The West Wing set in the Pentagon? Is this really necessary? Dennis Hopper is an interesting person in this cast, though. Not enough. NBC’s going to have to go for something original if they want to break this slump.

Invasion

There’s actually a screener of this floating around the BitTorrent universe, so snatch it up if you’re feeling lucky, punk. Or just wait a few more weeks and watch it on your HDTV. If you haven’t stolen that, too. Thief. Anyway, I can’t imagine Lost being a lead-in being a factor for more than a few episodes, before Invasion quickly shows its age as being too good to be true and flops like a fish. I pray I’m wrong, though.

Thursday, September 22nd
Everybody Hates Chris

Hey, a show besides Smackdown on UPN that I might actually bother to watch (Veronica Shmonica). Chris Rock might be extremely watered down on UPN, but at least he’s getting something to do instead of being angry all the time. Now he can be moody about his past as well.

Love, Inc.

A show about a wingwoman? Is this really going to work? I guess anything’s possible on UPN.

Criminal Minds

Hey, it’s another criminal related show. I don’t know which one to pick out of the HEAP. Wish I even knew where to start.

Friday, September 23rd
Ghost Whisperer

Hey, it’s a network version of The Dead Zone, minus the Stillson storyline. Well, at least for now. Maybe they’ll throw that in there, too. And the combination of Jennifer Love Hewitt and Aisha Tyler does not scream “Hit!” to me.

Killer Instinct

More criminal shows, but these ones are grisly. I guess that’s enough to bring me in. “Chi McBride: Sorry about Boston Public. Here ya go.” McBride and grisly are two words to draw me into the pilot, but I doubt it’ll keep me.

Three Wishes

Hey. Amy Grant getting her ‘Extreme Makeover’ on is not going to get NBC out of the gutter. Especially if you’re going to have her perform a concert every week. Very nice of her to do this, but does she REALLY have to perform?

Inconceivable

…that NBC thinks this will work. Might be a neat concept for a movie, but as a series I feel there’s only so far you can go.

If it seems like my descriptions are getting more sparse, it’s that it’s really hard to say something about a show that doesn’t sound interesting or sounds like one I just recapped.

Sunday, September 25th
Desperate Housewives

Invincible. The worst that could happen is that something happens on Septebmer 25th and millions are left without Desperate Housewives. It seems near impossible that they could foul this up.

Extras

From the guys who made the UK version of ‘The Office’. I see Samuel L. Jackson and Patrick Stewart are in. Say no more.

Tuesday, September 27th
Commander in Chief

Geena Davis. Not a good tooth-to-gum ratio. Can’t see this one lasting long, even with the awesome Donald Sutherland on board. Just another West Wing, even if it claims to focus on family life more.

Sex, Love & Secrets

Denise Richards and Eric Balfour (remember him?) be damned, this is just Sarah Jessica Parker’s horseface all over again. Minus the horseface, but keep the plot. Ridiculous.

Thursday, September 29th
Night Stalker

Remakes of old shows always seem to find a way to fail, even if this one looks interesting, all things considered. Don’t really care one way or the other about Gabrielle Union, but this could be pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty…neat.

Tuesday, October 4th
Close to Home

Great. More crime shows. I guarantee by the time that all these shows debut, I’ll have a hell of a time telling them apart. Do. Not. Care.

Wednesday, October 5th
Freddie

Freddie Prinze, Jr., huh? Brian Austin Green? There is no emoticon to express my anger. I hope this dies a terrible death.

Related

Produced by “Friends” co-creator and written by Sex and the City writer. Die. Die, die, die.

Friday, October 7th
Hot Properties

Okay, so the show is about four women at a real estate office. Show is called Hot Properties…could ABC ALREADY be trying to capitalize on the whole “We want to see housewives be tramps” phase?

I can’t take it with all of these new shows. I’m just going to have to take it one at a time. But now, after all that, I must continue, with a slightly abbreviated trip around the horn. No jumping zones, either. Because I’m not made out of steel, you know?


The 4400

Amazing episode. The 4400 are all sick an obsolete like a jalopy, and just when things don’t seem to be getting any cooler, RYLAND shows up. “Oh, John, what’s going on with you tonight?” “Nothing, just watching RYLAND return to the 4400!” I marked hard for this, I’ll be the first to admit. He’s perfect in the tweener role, as the 4400 Center abandons ship to avoid the government whose trying to round them up. Richard, of course, leads the charge, even while Lilly disappears with ex-husband and Isabelle in tow. Everything is going to hell, and next week is just going to be yet another awesome episode as The 4400 is quickly charging up the pyramid of my favorite TV shows. Won’t be long before it’s rubbing shoulders with Lost and 24. Just a phenomenal episode with a neat storyline for Kyle as well that actually made me feel bad for the real murderer. Can’t wait for next week.

The Dead Zone

Walker episode, as Sarah’s father is Ed Asner, and he’s gonna die. Some ridiculous stuff with J.J. and a Shadow Man follows, and it’s just completely silly. Fortunately, the season finale is up next, so we don’t have to wait long for more Stillson. And a Lilly cameo! Insane! Well, not exactly as Lilly, of course. But it’ll still be great. Anyway, complete throwaway episode this week, REALLY weak stuff.

Like I said, slim stuff this week since I decided to go all out above. Just think, a few more weeks and its back to the grind of Lost and DH again. Really stoked for Lost, but DH? Eh. Hope it doesn’t offend me too much.

Until then.