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My Fall TV Favorites
The writer's strike threw a monkey wrench into the network's fall schedules. No true pilot season meant very few new shows. When you consider how many shows typically get the ax though, less shows might not be a bad thing. I certainly feel like we have a few winners out there. Of course, I haven't actually seen many of the pilots/premiere episodes because some networks chose not send them out this year. Instead, I'm going on clips I have seen and interviews Access Hollywood has done. Here are a few of my fall TV favorites:
"Kath and Kim" - Based on a wildly popular Australian comedy, NBC takes a stab at their version of the show starring Molly Shannon and Selma Blair. Molly is Kath Day a forty-something divorcee who loves her life, with a new boyfriend and a new body (after turning her adult daughter's room into a home gym). Then her self-absorbed daughter, Kim, returns home after leaving her husband. While I haven't seen a finished episode the clips are hysterical. I also spent some time on the set and Selma Blair had me cracking up. My favorite clip is when she announces to her mom, "I'm getting a divorce. It's over. O-V-U-R." With a lead-in to "The Office" I think this is a "can't miss" show for those fans and "30 Rock" fanatics. Thursdays at 8:30 PM, NBC. Beginning 10/9.
"The Ex List" - I will admit this quirky comedy is not going to be everybody's cup of tea. It's essentially a "chick flick" for TV. "Grey's Anatomy's" Jane Doe, Elizabeth Reaser, gets a stab here at her own show. She plays a thirty-something woman who learns via a psychic that she must marry within one year or she will never get married. To top that off, she is told that she has already met and dated her future husband - hence the "ex list." Back in May, Reaser described the show to us like this: "It's a woman in her thirties who is sort of boy crazy and sort of ambivalent at the same time, who is really fun and really cool." So, basically it's my life story! I watched the pilot and loved it. The time slot, not so much. I'll most likely be out on a Friday night being boy crazy and ambivalent but I will set the DVR. Fridays at 9 PM, on CBS. Beginning 10/3.
"90210" - Having grown up on "Beverly Hills, 90210" I really want to like this show. I really do. After two airings on the CW I'm already having trouble with it. Apparently so is the audience. They had a whopping 30 percent drop off from last week's premiere. Ouch! I put it on my list because when I spoke to most of the cast at a party last week they assured me that more drama and more heat was coming. If the show finds its edge, I think it can be a gossip-y success. I'm thinking Heather Locklear should move into the zip code and save this show like she once saved "Melrose Place." On second thought, I really hope a re-make is in the works of that one instead. Tuesdays at 8 PM, the CW.
"The Mentalist" - Two words - Simon Baker. Three letters. H-O-T. Oh, you want to know what the show is about? OK. I guess. Baker plays Patrick Jane, a former phony psychic who now works for the California Bureau of Investigations using his skills as a mentalist to help solve crimes. I thought the pilot was solid and sandwiching it in between established hits "NCIS" and "Without A Trace" should work out "just nicely" as my co-worker Joe likes to say. Tuesdays at 9 PM, CBS. Beginning 9/23.
"Fringe" - With already built in internet buzz it premiered this week to decent numbers (around 9 million). This sci-fi-ish show from "Lost" creator JJ Abrams certainly has the icky, creepy factor fan boys love. I'm on the fence about whether or not I actually enjoyed the show. It might be a little too out there for me. I think Aussie newcomer Anna Torv is the winner here. I loved that when I met her at Comic-Con she was the only celebrity who was wearing her Con badge during interviews. Most stars would have designer duds on and stylists and publicists to make sure every stitch was in place. I think when "House" returns next week, with its loyal 16 million plus viewers as a lead in, the show has a shot at sticking around. Tuesdays at 9 PM, FOX.
"My Own Worst Enemy" - The Jekyll and Hyde style promos for this show have been phenomenal. Airing them non-stop during the Olympics will certainly help the curiosity factor on this action thriller. I have only seen clips and our behind the scenes interviews, but so far, I like what I see. Christian Slater stars as a man leading a dual life, only he doesn't know it - yet. One half is Edward, a cold-blooded government spy trained to kill. The other half is Henry, his mild-mannered, family guy alter ago. The action is slick and it airs right after my favorite "Heroes" - but mostly, I'm just a Slater fan ever since I saw him way back in 1985 in "The Legend Of Billie Jean." I was first in line for "Untamed Heart" and watched "Heathers" over and over and over until the tape broke - which by the way if you haven't seen is a must rent! Mondays at 10 PM, NBC. Beginning 10/13.
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