I hereby solemnly pledge to watch at least the pilot episode of every one of these shows and let you know how they are. (You know the great thing about TV? It doesn't cost $13.50 every time I want to watch something!) I will grade every show on a four point scale as follows:
* - Atrocious. I will never watch this show again. Ever.
** - Okay. I may give it another episode or two to see if it gets good.
*** - Solid. I'm interested and will definitely keep watching.
**** - Certifiably ADDICTive. A must-see.
So here we go:
Tues Sept. 13 - RINGER (CW @ 9)
Sarah Michelle Gellar returns to TV for the first time since BUFFY ended eight years ago. The high-concept plot has Ms. Gellar playing identical twins, one of whom decides to pose as the other when the other goes missing under mysterious circumstances.
Wed Sept. 14 - UP ALL NIGHT (NBC @ 8)
A comedy about new parents trying to juggle their lives, their jobs and their baby, starring Christina Applegate, Will Forte and Maya Rudolph.
FREE AGENTS (NBC @ 8:30)
Hank Azaria and Kathryn Hahn star in a comedy about two middle-aged, single coworkers who have a one night stand, and then have to deal with the awkward consequences.
Thurs Sept. 15 - THE SECRET CIRCLE (CW @ 9)
Based on another book series by the author of the books that inspired THE VAMPIRE DIARIES, this looks to be a twin of that series -- pretty young things deal with supernatural powers, raging hormones, and nefarious evil plots -- this time with witches instead of vampires.
Mon Sept. 19 - 2 BROKE GIRLS (CBS @ 8:30)
From the executive producer of SEX AND THE CITY, this comedy stars Kat Denning and Beth Behrs as...you guessed it...two broke girls who work together at a diner.
THE PLAYBOY CLUB (NBC @ 10)
NBC's attempt to cash in on the 60s rage started by MAD MEN. With bunny ears.
Tues Sept. 20 - NEW GIRL (FOX @ 9)
The adorable Zooey Deschanel stars as an awkward but cute girl who moves in with three single guys after a horrible breakup.
UNFORGETTABLE (CBS @ 10)
A crime drama centered around a woman who remembers literally everything...except, bizarrely, the day her sister was murdered. Dum, dum, DUM!
Wed Sept. 21 - REVENGE (ABC @ 10)
A delightfully soapy-looking drama about a young woman who moves back to the Hamptons, where her life was ruined as a girl...and she's there to wreak havoc and get revenge on those responsible.
Thurs Sept. 22 - CHARLIE'S ANGELS (ABC @ 8)
A modern-day reboot of the classic hot-chicks-fighting-crime series, this time starring Minka Kelly (PARENTHOOD, FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS), Rachael Taylor (GREY'S ANATOMY, TRANSFORMERS) and Annie Ilonzeh (GENERAL HOSPITAL).
PERSON OF INTEREST (CBS @ 9)
Produced by the near-infallible JJ Abrams (we will forgive him for UNDERCOVERS), this drama stars the amazing Michael Emerson (Ben from LOST) and Jim Caviezel as a mysterious billionaire and an ex-CIA agent who team up to prevent crime.
WHITNEY (NBC @ 9:30)
A comedy about a couple who has been together for three years but have no plans to tie the knot, and how their more traditional friends deal with that.
PRIME SUSPECT (NBC @ 10)
Maria Bello stars in this remake of the classic British crime series that starred Helen Mirren.
Fri Sept. 23 - A GIFTED MAN (CBS @ 8)
Patrick Wilson stars as a successful surgeon who sees visions of his dead ex-wife.
Sun Sept. 25 - PAN AM (ABC @ 10)
The other new 60s era show premiering this fall, this time revolving around flight attendants and their high-flying romantic adventures.
Mon Sept. 26 - TERRA NOVA (FOX @ 8)
This high-concept, high-budget sci-fi show has been delayed for a full year to give the team time to hone the many special effects. Finally premiering, this show starts in the year 2149, where scientists send colonists back to dinosaur times to escape the apocalyptic future. Starring Jason O'Mara (LIFE ON MARS) and Stephen Lang (AVATAR).
HART OF DIXIE (CW @ 9)
Rachel Bilson stars as a young doctor from New York who moves to small town Alabama (and undoubtedly will have to face the trials and tribulations of living in the south).
Wed Sept. 28 - SUBURGATORY (ABC @ 8:30)
A comedy about a father who overreacts when he finds his teenage daughter in possession of condoms, and promptly uproots their lives and moves them from their apartment in NYC to the suburbs.
Thurs Sept. 29 - HOW TO BE A GENTLEMAN (CBS @ 8:30)
Kevin Dillon (ENTOURAGE) and David Hornsby (IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA) star as a man's man and a gentleman who teach each other how to be better men! Sounds adorable...
Wed Oct. 5 - AMERICAN HORROR STORY (FX @ 10)
Admittedly a bit of a cheat since it's not on one of the major networks, but it's one of the shows I'm most looking forward to. Created by Ryan Murphy (GLEE, NIP/TUCK), it stars Dylan McDermott (THE PRACTICE) and Connie Britton (FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS) as a couple that moves into a haunted house. Also starring Frances Conroy (SIX FEET UNDER), Denis O'Hare (TRUE BLOOD) and Jessica Lange.
Tues Oct. 11 - LAST MAN STANDING (ABC @ 8)
Tim Allen returns to primetime as a man's man who is dismayed to find that he's now living in a woman's world.
Tues Oct. 18 - MAN UP! (ABC @ 8:30)
A comedy about three guys trying to get in touch with their inner tough guy and redefine what it means to be a "real man." (Ugh. Both of these last two shows sound way too similar in a really unfunny way.)
Fri Oct. 21 - GRIMM (NBC @ 9)
A fantasy drama about a man who discovers he's descended from a line of "Grimms," charged with maintaining the balance between humanity and various fantastical beasties.
Sun Oct. 23 - ONCE UPON A TIME (ABC @ 8)
Another fantasy drama, this time from the executive producers of LOST, starring Jennifer Morrison (HOUSE) as a woman who moves to the town of Storybrooke...where all the citizens are actually fairy tale characters trapped in the real world, unaware of who they really are and where they came from.
Sun Oct. 30 - ALLEN GREGORY (FOX @ 8:30)
An animated series about a 7-year-old (voiced by Jonah Hill) who has composed operas and written novels, who now has to face the horrors of elementary school.
Wed Nov. 23 - I HATE MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER (FOX @ 9:30)
A comedy about two best friends and single mothers struggling to raise their unruly teenage daughters.
That's it for fall! There will be more to come midseason (like ALCATRAZ, JJ Abrams' other sci-fi drama, SMASH, NBC's adult-oriented version of GLEE, GOOD CHRISTIAN BELLES, a comedy starring Kristin Chenoweth, and THE RIVER, about a family who goes searching for their missing father in the Amazon). But for now we'll have to be content with these 26 new shows. It will be interesting to see which ones pull a MY GENERATION and get cancelled after the first episode, which will run out of steam after the first season, and which will actually manage the rare feat of both quality and longevity.
Rest assured, I will be on the front lines, watching all of these premieres and letting you know which ones are worth watching...and which ones should be avoided at all cost.
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