Sunday, September 19, 2010

FALL TV PREVIEW -- Part 2: Veronica's Picks


Continued from our last post, here are Veronica's highly recommended Fall TV Shows.


VERONICA'S PICKS

NEW SHOWS

Hawaii Five-0
(Premieres Monday, September 20th @10pm on CBS/Global)

Hawaii Five-0 is a refreshed remake of the classic 60’s show by the same name. Not having watched any of the original series but knowing the iconic “Book ‘em, Danno!”, was enough of a draw for me. I also had the opportunity to watch the pilot episode earlier this Summer and was impressed. The cast is known from Daniel Dae Kim (Lost), Grace Park (Battlestar Galactica) and of course the very sexy Alex O’Loughlin (who can resist an Aussie accent?). Set in Hawaii, the series B story will be about Detective McGarrett trying to solve his father’s murder. This is a must see, even if it’s only for the scenery of the island and of Grace Park in a bikini.

Outlaw
(Premieres Friday, September 24th @ 10pm on NBC/Global)

I have high hopes for this one. I’ve always enjoyed Jimmy Smits as an actor and I do like my cop/court dramas so naturally this appealed to me. Conan O’Brien is the producer for this series so I can’t go wrong. The best thing about working in Broadcast TV is getting to see things before the public. This court-room drama focuses on Supreme Court Justice Garza (Smits) who resigns from his position to start up his own law firm intent on representing the little guy. Court dramas are almost always formulaic and I don’t foresee this being any different, but it does have the commanding presence of Jimmy Smits to keep you glued to your TV.

Love Bites
(mid season, will air on NBC/Global)

Love Bites will be geared towards a dominant female audience. It follows Annie and Frannie, two single women who delve into the world of dating, relationships, sex and of course, love. Becki Newton (Ugly Betty) plays the virgin Annie and Jordana Spiro (My Boys) is the promiscuous Frannie. These two have been known as the duo of “Annie and Frannie” since high school. Greg Grunberg (Heroes) plays the hapless husband well and he’s much more suited to a comedic role. The showrunner for Love Bites was Cindy Chupack (Sex and the City) but she’s since backed out. The pilot was well received, but as this is a mid season, expect a lot of changes to the story and characters when it finally premieres. Keep your eyes peeled for this one in 2011.

The Walking Dead
(Premieres Sunday, October 31st @ 10pm on AMC)

The Walking Dead is based on a comic book series by Robert Kirkman and Tony Moore. It follows a band of survivors after a zombie apocalypse in search of a safe place to call home away from the hungry hordes of zombies. We should see that this series isn’t just about surviving the zombies but each other as well. The human mind and body is pushed to its limits when everything they knew disappears. I’m excited for this for many reasons; I love the comic books, the story is solid and no one is safe. It has the possibility of being a long running show as the story can change and adapt as needed. I love anything zombie. Season one is only a six episode order but I can tell this one is going to be great. I know what I’m doing Halloween night, do you?

RETURNING SHOWS

Castle
(Season 3 premieres Monday, September 20th @ 10pm on ABC/CTV)

Obviously the premise of this show is preposterous and would never, ever actually happen, but, it’s still one hell of an entertaining show. Richard Castle is a bestselling writer who kills off his main character, Derek Storm, then suffers from writers block. He gets called in to help with a copy cat murder from one of his novels where he meets Detective Kate Beckett. What makes this series work is the appeal of Nathan Fillion (Firefly) and Stana Katic (Quantum of Solace) and of course their obvious sexual tension. These two play off each other so well, each scene just sizzles with electricity. This is one show that is a must watch, every week.

The Big Bang Theory
(Season 4 premieres Thursday, September 23rd @ 8pm on CBS/CTV)

I don’t think there is a person alive who does not enjoy this show. It’s so delightfully nerdy, socially awkward and just funny. I didn’t get hooked on this show until the third season when I happened on an episode and just fell in love with Sheldon’s persona. Of course I then had to watch the previous two seasons to catch up. Leonard is Sheldon’s roommate and fellow geek who over time has become less awkward, especially after successfully dating the hot girl next door, Penny. CBS decided to move their entire schedule around this fall, moving The Big Bang Theory to its new comedy block on Thursday night to go up against NBC’s comedy block. I know which show I’ll be watching (read: PVRing).

Criminal Minds
(Season 6 premieres Wednesday, September 23rd @ 9pm on CBS/CTV)

Yes, I do watch a lot of procedural cop dramas. I stopped watching this a few years back but due to a recent life change I’ve been hooked on watching all the reruns on A&E on weekends and have found a new appreciation for it. I love it when a show gets syndicated. What I enjoy the most are the cast of characters, how they interact with each other and with other agencies. Thomas Gibson (Dharma and Greg) plays supervisory special agent Avon Hotchner, Shemar Moore (Young & the Restless) is Special Agent Derek Morgan and my favourite Kirsten Vangsness as Tech Analyst Penelope Garcia. Her spunk and skills on the keyboard provide the show with the break from all the darkness the BAU team deals with on a daily basis.

Glee
(Season 2 premieres Tuesday, September 21st @ 8pm on Fox/Global)

This show just brings a smile to my face. I knew it was going to be a hit when I saw the Pilot last year. It had all the makings of a great show; talented cast, strong storyline, dancing and singing! It was a weekly musical that I could watch from the comfort of my couch but always had enough to keep me laughing. The themed episodes were done well and the songs chosen are almost always on the mark. This second season I’m looking forward to the second Madonna episode and I’m curious as to how the hyped up Brittany/Brittany episode will play out. Season 2’s soundtracks will surely make it onto my iPhone.

Supernatural
(Season 6 premieres Friday, September 24th @ 9pm on CW/CityTV)

Having been a fan of this series from the beginning, I was cautiously optimistic about the sixth season. The series creator Eric Kripke had a story arc that only ran for five seasons. From what’s been speculated so far, it looks like show runner Sera Gamble will be going back to the roots of the show. This sixth season will have our beloved brothers Dean (Jensen Ackles, Smallville) and Sam (Jared Padalecki, Gilmore Girls) back on the road, hunting demons and killing things in the very sexy 1967 Black Chevy Impala. As much as I disliked the Angels vs. Demons line they were on for the last two years, I still watched. And this year will be no different.

And of course honourable mention goes to Fox/Global’s Sunday night Animation Domination with the return of The Simpsons, Family Guy, The Cleveland Show (all premiering September 26 starting at 8pm) and American Dad (premiering October 3 at 9:30pm). The Simpsons is returning for its 22nd season, making it the longest running animated TV show. Seth McFarlane is still at the helm of Family Guy and is always willing to push the envelope with his adult themes. Spin offs don’t always work but Seth’s tried and true formula does and has lend success to The Cleveland Show.

images from google images

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