Fall Preview – What’s New This Fall

Hope you enjoyed your summer. It is time to put away the bikinis and Speedos and it is now time to come back to our favorite pastime – television. The networks left us all high and dry this summer with boring summer programming, but this new season promises to entertain us like never before. Of course we can expect many new reality shows to pop up, but what I am really excited about is the new (scripted) shows debuting this September. Each network has released its fall schedule, which can be viewed at their respective websites (see below). I have excluded UPN or the WB because they haven’t really brought us any real shows lately (sorry Dawson and Buffy). Since I do not get to preview shows like most television reporters, all my opinions are based on just that – my opinions. I have researched these new shows and it seems like Latinos are finally being allowed in Primetime. Several shows are based on Latin characters – something that has been missing from the tube. Some of those should work out, while other won’t make it past the first month. So here is a breakdown of new shows for each night of the week.

Sunday

We begin on Sunday nights. CBS bring us our first new show Cold Case. The series revolves around a women detective who opens up old unsolved cases. I know 8pm is early for a crime drama, but the idea is good so maybe a switch to 10PM will be even better. I suggest you take a look. Meanwhile over at NBC, Rob Lowe returns to primetime as a lawyer in Lyon’s Den. Lowe has proven to be a draw (as part of an ensemble at West Wing), so I am sure this show will be watched. ABC brings us a new cop drama, 10-8. This is about a thug from NYC who gets a second chance and becomes a sheriff in LA. Again, the early start time might cause some problems, so don’t get used to this timeslot. Cop shows are usually successful (Did you say Cop Rock?) Fox has always been strong on Sundays with The Simpsons and now with Malcolm in the Middle. So they have added shows to fit in between these two powerhouses. Following the Simpsons will be The Ortegas. This show blends comedy, reality and improv to bring us a new type of sitcom. This Latin family actually hosts a talk show and when the celebrity guest comes out for the interview - look out. The questions are strange and bizarre and seem to be made up as they go along. I am really not sure what to expect, but I will give it a shot. This will either change sitcom formats or it will annoy too many folks and be scrapped sooner than later. Following Malcolm, we get Arrested Development. The show comes to us from Ron Howard, so I expect a lot. It stars Jason Bateman (well there goes that idea) as a single father who through circumstances has to raise his son in Orange County - too close to his eccentric family. I just don’t know about that one. Sunday’s are never the best TV night anyway, so let us move onto to Monday.

Monday

For CBS, Monday nights are pretty good already. With their ratings king Everybody Loves Raymond cruising along at 9PM, the network has added another comedy to the lineup at 9:30, Two and a Half Men. This show stars Charlie Sheen and Jon Cryer (remember him as Duckie in Pretty in Pink?). Sheen has been successful and the time slot is perfect but Jon Cryer? We shall see. One of the few shows that I am excited to see will be on NBC at 9PM. Las Vegas stars James Caan, who runs a surveillance company on the strip. It is part Casino and part Magnum PI – not a bad combo. Nikki Cox plays an escort – real stretch for her, huh? The few commercials I have seen makes me believe this could be a hit. Over at Fox, Jerry Bruckheimer brings us Skin. It is basically a Romeo and Juliet story of a Latin kid who falls for a rich white girl whose family disapproves. I can’t see this going too far. Sorry Fox. Of course Monday Football will erase all of these shows by midseason, right? Doubtful because MNF’s ratings have declined the past decade, so Mondays are open for competition.

Tuesday

Sometimes, networks just recycle the good shows they have into spin-offs and more spin-offs (see Law and Order). Well CBS has taken the surprise hit JAG and came up with Naval CI’s. This stars Mark Harmon as a detective for the Navy. I won’t watch it but I think those who are into JAG will love it (right Dad?). As far as sitcoms go, NBC still rules. This season two new sitcoms hit the air. Whoopi Goldberg stars in, you guessed it, Whoopi. She runs a New York City hotel. She is hilarious and I am sure she wouldn’t be part of a lame show, so I say, give it a shot. Another Tuesday night newcomer is Happy Family. Sitcoms icons John Larroquette (Night Court) and Christine Baranski (Cybil) star as parents whose adult kids finally leave home – only to return for one reason or another. This seems like it will work as well. NBC has done its homework. Look for these shows to be successful. Over at ABC, they might not be so lucky. I’m With Her is the story of Average Joe who falls in love with a movie star. Watch as his life is turned upside down and he learns the good, the bad and the ugly of being a celebrity. I guess the head writer is the guy married to Brooke Shields and he uses his experience in the storylines. I hate to break it to you, but Brooke is not really a famous celebrity anymore (Suddenly Snoozin).

Wednesday

At 9:30pm, CBS introduces us to The Stones. Another crazy family sitcom starring comedian Robert Klein and Judith Light (Angela from Who’s the Boss). This show follows the King of Queens (on a new night). I don’t know if that’s a good thing. The King might not last another season, so who will watch the Stones? I hope that this shows gets an audience because the stars are funny and the show might be too. At 10pm we get The Brotherhood of Poland, NH from writer David E. Kelly. The show stars Randy Quaid and seems to be a Northern Exposure meets Picket Fences type of show. Since I didn’t watch either of those, I probably won’t watch this either. ABC brings yet another Romeo & Juliet type with It’s All Relative. His Mom and Dad are big Red Sox fans and her two dads are gay. Ok. Lets move on. At 10pm we get Karen Sisco (based on JLO’s character in the movie Out Of Sight). The show tells the story of a US Marshall in Miami. It reminds me of Alias (hot leading lady who kicks ass). It’s worth a peak. Fox brings us more comedy. From the producers of Coach and Newhart, Norm Macdonald stars in A Minute with Stan Hooper. Norm is hilarious so I recommend watching a few episodes before they cancel it (Sorry Norm, those execs just don’t get it).

Thursday

This is usually the best night on TV so there shouldn’t be too many additions. NBC adds one to their Must See TV lineup. Sandwiched between Will & Grace and ER is Coupling. This show is supposed push the bar and be pretty racy. It’s got my attention. If it can’t get ratings in this lineup, then it should be shot. ABC tries its action hand with Threat Matrix. No, Keanu Reeves isn’t in it and it is not about Morpheus and the Chosen One (Matrix the movie). This show is about Homeland Security and their struggle to keep America safe from terrorists. I truly believe this show can work, but I really suggest a name change. I suggest The Terrorist Squad or something catchy. Since FOX is competing against CBS and NBC’s strong Thursday schedule, they should not have wasted their time. Two new dramas will be gone before you can even learn the characters names. Tru Calling is about a girl who while working in a morgue begins to communicate with the recently deceased and can go back and try to prevent their deaths. Whatever. This is followed by O.C. which I believe stands for Oh Crap. Peter “Eyebrows” Gallagher stars in this dreadful series about a lawyer who takes a tough kid off the street and raises him in a posh environment. Not interested.

Friday

Now traditionally Fridays are not the best night for ratings, but we have several new shows that might change that. ABC’s Back to Kansas is not one of them. Breckin Meyer (Inside Schwartz) marries his sweetheart and leaves NYC to move to Kansas to be close to her quirky family. How does this kid keep getting pilots? The good folks in Kansas have been worried that their fair state will be the butt of too many jokes, so the producers are actually changing the name to Married to The Kelly’s. I hope all of Kansas is happy now!! This is followed by Hope & Faith, starring the sexy Kelly Ripa and Faith Ford. Two sexy blondes - who needs a plot right? Speaking of blondes, NBC airs Mismatch starring the very clueless Alicia Silverstone and Ryan O’Neal (he’s still around?). This show has at least three episodes in it before it gets cancelled. It is CBS who might have hit the jackpot. At 8PM, Joan of Arcadia stars Joe Mantegna and Mary Steenburgen. Mantegna portrays a police chief whose daughter speaks to God on a regular basis. Sounds kooky, but I think it can work. At 10pm Joe Pantoliano (Ralphie from Sopranos) is an under cover FBI agent in The Handler. This show has serious potential and I recommend it (even though it might suck). Again, airing on Friday nights might hurt, so look for an eventual move to say Sunday or Tuesday night. The one new FOX show for Friday is Luis. Luis Guzman (this guy has been in every good movie from Traffic to Boogie Nights) stars as the head of a highly dysfunctional Latin family. I hope that this is funny because I like Guzman and it would be nice to have a funny Latin show (no offense George Lopez).

Saturdays

Nothing new here, but ABC has brought back one of my childhood favorites, The Wonderful World of Disney. Hopefully they will show the old movies, like Herbie the Love Bug or Pete’s Dragon. Either way, as long as Tinkerbell opens the show with her fairy dust, life will be ok. Won’t it?

So there you have it – the best and worst of the new series coming in September. Please understand that most of these shows will be gone sooner than later so enjoy them while they are on. Just by what I have heard and written, here are my picks for the shows you should definitely try and catch;

1) Las Vegas – NBC, 9PM Monday
2) Whoopi – NBC, 8PM Tuesday
3) The Handler – CBS, 10PM Friday
4) Luis – FOX, 8:30PM Fridays
5) Lyon’s Den – NBC, 10PM Sundays

For more information on the fall schedule, please check the following websites