The Line Up

Hey all,

With the Fall TV season upon us I thought it a good time to update on the television schedule. Heck, some shows have already rolled out, specifically on the CW network. Unlike last season for my viewing choices, this season has a lot of the programs I want to watch packed on the same days. I'll break it down by day, then recap my choices at the end. Kind of a long post so grab a drink!

Monday-
This is by far the number one night for TV in my book. There are so many programs on that I will be unable to watch everything that I want even with the DVR. First off, you have CBS with their great sitcom line up of Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, Two and a Half Men, and a new show called The Worst Week. NBC rocks out hard with Chuck and Heroes returning. Fox Brings Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles and Prison Break, and the CW has it's hit Gossip Girl. Not to mention ABC with Dancing With the Stars and Samantha Who. Also in the late slot CBS has CSI: Miami and NBC has Christian Slater's new show My Own Worst Enemy, about a secret agent who has two personalities in his head. Not to mention Monday Night Football on ESPN.

So far my picks are during the first hour are Chuck and Terminator, then Heroes and Two and a Half Men during hour two. I may give that Worst Week a try as well as Slater's show with the free slot on the DVR. What really hurts is not being able to watch Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother (or HIMYM for short). Those were two sitcoms I really liked, HIMYM especially over the last two seasons, and Big Bang appealed to my nerd sensibilities. My plan is to try to DVR them during the summer hiatus and hope for the best. I'll catch Monday Night Football only when I go out with friends to watch the games, the DVR will pick up what I miss. Still Monday is packed full!

Tuesday-
Tuesday, for me, is one of my off nights to be spent clearing out the DVR. Not a lot of shows that appeal to my habits, but here is the rundown. ABC has new programs Opportunity Knocks, and Dancing With the Stars (results show) and in the late slot returning Eli Stone. NBC has NCIS, new detective show The Mentalist (reminds me of Monk honestly), and in the late slot Without a Trace. Fox has House, and J.J. Abrams (of Lost and Alias fame) new show Fringe, which I have heard very little save that it is a drama with Sci-Fi elements. CW has all new programming with the remake of 90210 and The Privileged, about a young tutor adjusting to living with the rich and famous. NBC is out with a 2 hour block of The Biggest Loser and Law and Order: SVU.

I will definitely give Fringe a shot with Abram's track record. My room mate will definitely be on SVU, and I won't rule out the possibility of trying out The Mentalist, but typically I am not a fan of detective or cop shows, with the rare exception.

Wednesday

Wednesday is a little better. ABC has returning my favorite new show from last year Pushing Daisies, along with Private Practice and Dirty Sexy Money in the late slot. CBS has The New Adventures of Old Christine and new sitcom Gary Unmarried, then Criminal Minds and CSI: New York late. The CW has America's Next top Model and new show Stylista, a reality show about aspiring fashion editors. Fox has Bones, then a sitcom block of 'Till Death and new show Do Not Disturb. NBC has the remake of Night Rider, Deal or No Deal, and Lipstick Jungle in the late slot.

My picks are Pushing Daisies for sure and I'll watch 'Till Death, though even I admit that is a guilty pleasure. For some reason, neither myself nor my room mate got into the TV movie of Night Rider last year, despite our love of the show during it's original run in the 80's. I doubt we will watch it.

Thursday

Thursday has a very strong line up as well, easily the second best of the weeks for my viewing habits. ABC has Ugly Betty and Greys Anatomy returning, and a new cop show Life on Mars, about a cop who awakes from a coma to find himself in 1973, and must find a way home. CBS has reality show mainstay Survivor: Gabon, powerhouse CSI, and against Life on Mars in the late slot The Eleventh Hour, about a scientist working for the government who must investigate a string of weird occurrences during the 11th hour of the day. The CW has returning genre shows Smallville and Supernatural. Fox also has returning shows The Moment of Truth and Kitchen Nightmares. NBC rolls out its sitcom line up with My Name is Earl, new show Kath and Kim, The Office, and 30 Rock (sharing the slot along with SNL Weekend Update coverage of the elections).

For me NBC is the big winner, I'll certainly keep up with Earl and The Office, and Kath and Kim has looked very funny on the reviews. Besides which I am a big fan of Selma Blair. To be honest I hadn't heard much about Life on Mars until researching this entry, but I do like time travel and that will get a look. I also know plenty of people who will be following Supernatural and everybody (but me apparently) loves CSI, so that should mean a lot of busy DVR's this night.

Friday

Let's be honest, this and Saturday are the worst nights for television. I'll roll my picks for these two days after recapping both. Friday is slightly better, but still pretty slim. CBS has the Jennifer Love Hewitt's The Ghost Whisper and new show The Ex-List, about a woman who learns from a psychic that her future husband is an ex-boyfriend, and if they don't reunite with in a year she will be single forever. In the late slot is Numbers. ABC is reality TV with Wife Swap and Supernanny, with 20/20late. FOX has reality game shows Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? and Don't Forget the Lyrics. The CW has sitcoms Everybody Hates Chris and The Game leading into repeats of America's Next Top Model. Finally NBC has the television series adaption of Crusoe (about Robinson Crusoe) and more Deal or No Deal with cop drama Life returning.

Saturday

The only station with new programming is FOX with an hour long block of Cops leading in to America's Most Wanted. NBC has news show Dateline, then repeats of Night Rider and Law and Order: SVU. ABC has College Football. The CW has no new programming, all of it will be locally allotted (meaning reruns of Friends or some such) and CBS has something called Crimetime Saturday (of which I have no idea, probably news briefs or repeats of other shows) leading in to 48 Hours Mystery.

To be completely honest, I have little interest in any of these shows. I know a few people following Ghost Whisperer and that is most likely the best choice for your programming needs. I may give Crusoe a try with it having a late premier in October, though it will depend on how many programs make the cut. If I am over invested in programming, it may not.

Sunday

Another strong night of TV, led by FOX with its animation line up. First off it leads with its NFL recap show The OT, then into The Simpsons, King of The Hill, Family Guy, and American Dad. NBC is all football with its recap show Football Night in America and Sunday Night Football. ABC has America's Funniest Home Videos. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, and late Desperate Housewives. It also has a super late 10pm show returning, Brothers and Sisters. CBS has 60 Minutes, The Amazing Race, and Cold Case late. It also runs a later show against Brothers and Sisters, returning special forces action drama The Unit. The CW is all new with sitcoms In Harms Way and Surviving Suburbia. Then into Valentine, a show about a family of Greek Gods that secretly bring soul mates together. The its Easy Money in the late slot, a drama about a family who run a high interest loan business.

My picks are Fox's animation lineup and football. Desperate Housewives and Cold Case will be big with many fans, though they are not my cup of tea.

Several shows will return mid-season. CBS returns a personal favorite, sitcom The Rules of Engagement and a new show Harper's Island (a murder mystery show). FOX has a heavy line up in January with 24, juggernaut American Idol, Hell's Kitchen, and new shows like Joss Whedon's highly buzzed Dollhouse and The Cleveland Show ( a Family Guy spin off). NBC returns perennial Law and Order, Friday Night Lights and Medium, and has new shows called Merlin and Kings. The CW will return Reaper for Season 2. ABC also returns its juggernaut Lost, along with The Bachelor, According to Jim, and acquires Scrubs from NBC.

That is a lot of TV to process, and it can be hard to decide what shows make the time in your busy schedule. So I am going to leave you with my top 5 picks for this fall as well as my top two picks for best new series (at least potentially!) I am not including Lost, BattleStar Galactica, nor Dollhouse, shows I am eagerly awaiting returns on but won't be back on until next year. I'll recap those in January, closer to their debuts.

1- Pushing Daisies- easily one of the best series on TV, unlike anything else being made right now.
2- Heroes- the ship will right this season, just remember the last season finale, it will be great.
3-The Office- By far my favorite sitcom, awkwardness has never been so funny.
4-Chuck- honestly, I have really been looking forward to this returning. Even I am kind of surprised.
5- Terminator- This takes care of my action fix and they need the support to continue making more episodes.

Top 2 new shows
1-Kath and Kim - Molly Shannon and Selma Blair, I am hoping they bring the funny.
2-Fringe - The same guy that made Lost AND Alias. I'll give it a try.

To conclude, a lot of good shows, a lot of tough choices. I'll update you on my picks later into the season, and find out what made the cut. Don't forget, The CW has already started, and FOX rolls out Monday with Terminator. September 22nd will launch most of CBS and NBC's (except Prison Break which debuted this past Monday.)
Happy watching!

End of Line.
Gerrad!