Wednesday, September 5

FALL TV PREVIEW, Part 1

The fall TV premieres are almost here, brining a new crop of crap... and a few hits, here and there. Before we dive back into the broadcast carnage, I though I'd dive into the returning shows I'm looking forward to (and why I'm looking forward to them). Here, in no particular order, are my Fall TV returning show picks:

Battlestar Galactica (Sci Fi) OK, so I said they were in no particular order, but there's a reason this Peabody Award winning show popped into my mind first: it is, in my humble and informed opinion, the best TV show currently on the air. The writing is above-average, the special effects and visuals are top-notch and the acting... well, there's lots of eye candy on this show, and plenty of good acting, as well. It's pretty hit and miss, from episode to episode - sometimes the acting is all solid, and other times, it has a mild, campy sci-fi feel (which isn't always a bad thing).

When last season ended, several plot points converged, bringing about a whole new round of questions... which would be great, if the new season wasn't jumping back to the start of the story (the mini-series, not season one) to tell the story of some of the other humans to survive a nuclear holocaust.

House, M.D. (Fox) While not quite the cliffhanger of last season, season three ended with some crucial questions surrounding television's favorite acerbic doctor, Gregory House. (By the way, unconfirmed reports given to the LA Times say Hugh Laurie, who plays House, was in the running to host the upcoming Emmy awards, but at the last minute Fox went with Ryan Seacrest. You can read my reaction to their decision here.)

I'm a late-comer to House fan-club, but now that I've seen all three, previous seasons, I can honestly say I think this is one of the best dramas on television. The writing and acting are some of the best (ever), and certainly the best on Fox.

House may or may not take home an Emmy or two this fall, but one thing you can count on is that I'll be tuned in to the season four premiere.

Ugly Betty (ABC) While I wasn't a huge fan of the number of breaks in between new episodes this show took last season, the final episode was enough to draw me back in for another look... at least for now.

The pure camp element of this show, combined with its everyday gay appeal make this a highly watchable show. And the capable cast manage to rise above the dishwater-ordinary, bad soap opera writing. (And I know, it is supposed to have a soap opera quality, but some of the dialog was so bad, I almost changed the channel, and never cam back.)

Heroes (NBC) Another show that I'm on the fence about watching this season, partly for its history of unnecessary breaks between episodes (I mean, it can't be that hard to make), and the new distraction tactics they're going to engage. In between the normal episodes continuing where last season left off will be unrelated episodes... with new characters that audiences will have the choice to vote on to the main show. Sound confusing? Convoluted? Sound like a stalling tactic? We'll have to tune in to the new season and see. (Hopefully, Sci Fi will run repeats of the new episodes, freeing me up to watch something else on Monday nights, catching Heroes on a later night in the week.)

Nip/Tuck (FX Networks) I'm on the fence about this show... but for personal reasons. I love this show: its over the top in all the right ways, sexy, smart and has a great metro sensibility. But this season, the fellas at Troy - MacNaWhatever have moved their practice to Hollywood (my place of birth, and former home) - which means plenty of Los Angeles-bashing... something I'll have a low thresh-hold for. Especially considering the show was previously set in the cultural and emotional wasteland that is Florida. I mean, come on. I know they're in the business of fake: fake boobs, fake faces, etc., but if L.A. is as superficial as people say, then a couple of plastic surgeons should fit right in... but, we'll see.

Stay tuned for the next installment...

1 comment:

Marc said...

I can hardly wait for Galactica. Unfortunately it doesn't start up again until January. Ugh. Until then I'll just have to watch Ugly Betty.