Fall's Best New Shows

Heroes - NBC is taking a big chance with this ensemble drama, about a group of ordinary people who find themselves adapting special, superhuman powers, because typically sci-fi shows are a tough sell on the big networks. They tend to fair better on networks where the audience is a little hipper, younger and male. So, it will be interesting to see if the show can attract viewers. I'm a big fan of USA's similar themed, "The 4400", so this show is right up my alley. It may not be everyone's cup of tea but it is worth taking a peek. Tuesday nights at 9pm on NBC following "Deal or No Deal."

The Knights of Prosperity - A single camera comedy in the vein of "My Name is Earl", the show follows a group of blue-collar misfits who, fed up with their paltry paychecks and pathetic lives, form a criminal clan that sets out to rob Mick Jagger. It's the only show I watched that actually made me laugh out loud. The pilot episode has some hilarious Mick Jagger interstitials as he shows off his house in a segment on an Access Hollywood type show. (which is how they hatch the plan to rob him) Despite the criminal element, it's a funny, sweet, endearing show that will have you rooting for the little guy. Tuesdays at 8pm on ABC following "Dancing with the Stars."

Happy Hour - This is one of those sitcoms that I guarantee every mainstream critic will hate and completely bash but being a thirty-something, single city gal, I personally liked it. From the producers of "That '70s Show", the show cast a bunch of newcomers as twenty-somethings living in the big city of Chicago. It's a got a "Friends"-esque premise but with a "Will & Grace" twist in that the best characters on the show are the two supporting ones (ala Jack and Karen). Larry, the martini swilling roommate of the lead character, Henry, and his soon to be boss, Amanda, absolutely steal this show. I think the deciding factor on the success of the show is in the hands of Brad Garrett who's new sitcom, "'Til Death" premieres right before. If everybody doesn't love Brad then this show will fade away too. Thursday nights at 8:30pm on FOX.

Justice - A slick procedural drama about the lengths a law firm will go to defending high-profile cases. I'm not a "Law & Order", "CSI", "Cold Case" etc... fan but I did find this show very interesting. It does tend to move pretty quickly through the case, so you have to pay attention. The best part of it is that at the end of each show you actually find out whether the crime was actually committed or not. i.e. --did they get a guilty client off or unsuccessfully defend an innocent person. Wednesday night at 9pm on FOX.

Ugly Betty - Thanks to the success of "The Devil Wears Prada" I'm thinking this could possibly be the breakout hit of the season. ABC has such high hopes for it they moved it off the typically dead Friday night to Thursday at 8pm before "Grey's Anatomy." America Ferrera stars as the out of place Betty who finds her self working as an assistant at a high-powered fashion magazine. Based on the wildly popular Spanish language telenovella, Salma Hayek came on the project as an executive producer and makes some brilliant cameos as an actress in the telenovella that Betty watches.

Shark - James Woods tackles his first TV series. I'd probably watch him reading the phone book but seeing him as a snarky high-powered lawyer turned prosecutor works well too. Following the powerhouse "CSI" and up against the aging "ER" it would be tough for the show not to be successful. Thursdays at 10pm on CBS.

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip - I remember watching the quick presentation of the show last May at Upfronts in NY and thinking "boring!" However, my tune changed when I watched the show in its entirety. It's smartly written, well acted and surprisingly interesting. Who would have thought that what goes on behind the scenes on a late night sketch show could be that compelling. Considering I work in television, the concept is something I'm interested in but whether or not the average viewer will care remains to be seen. Sometimes too smart will make people tune out. Monday nights at 10pm on NBC

'Til Death - Traditional sitcoms are always going to be a tough sell with the critics, so again I think this will be mostly panned by them but if you are an "Everybody Loves Raymond" fan then I'd be surprised if you didn't like this show starring Brad Garrett. Thursdays at 8pm on FOX.

The Nine - Ever since "Lost" became a breakout hit, the TV networks have been churning out shows with mysterious plotlines. It's going to start to get old real soon but I did find myself getting sucked into this drama about a group of nine people connected by a bank robbery. In the pilot you get little snippets of what happened to these people, inside the bank, but the true mystery will unfold during the season through flashbacks. With a prime spot after "Lost", Wednesdays at 10pm, ABC may just have made the perfect companion show.

Twenty Good Years - There's been a lot of debate around here over whether or not this show is funny. Ok, sure Jeffrey Tambor and John Lithgow have a tendency to overact but at least they have chemistry which is something that's lacking in most other shows this year. While it wasn't laugh out loud funny, I liked the concept of two aging men trying to live out the last years of their lives the best they can. I'm willing to give it a second glance. Wednesday at 8:30pm on NBC.