Get Your Remotes/DVR's Ready: ABC Day

Part three of SSF’s Fall TV Line-Up special. Need to know more? Go here. Otherwise, let’s get to the shows on ABC.

THE NEIGHBORS: It’s been a while since we’d had a sci-fi themed family show (Honey, I Shrunk the Kids anyone?) but the time is right. And I mean time as in time slot - ABC conveniently placed it among its other menagerie of family shows, so it just feels right. As right as clone-esque and possibly cannibalistic aliens can feel, of course. Will premiere September 26th.

666 PARK AVENUE: After a young, attractive couple’s job leads them to a mystic, beautiful penthouse in New York City, they quickly get in over their heads. The owner of the building and his wife are an older but powerful couple played by Terry O' Quinn and Vanessa Williams. Their new home hides fantastical and seductive secrets. And…that’s all I know. Hopefully what’s so magical about this building will be revealed in the pilot. Will premiere September 30th.

 

LAST RESORT: While I wish this show wasn’t coming out during both an election year annnd now a year where Libya is turning our war in the middle east inside out, this show still does have an important theme. After some Navy Seals at sea refuse to do a mission for the US government, something immoral we could only guess, the government decides to take them out. And there is no way they are going down without a fight - not against their own country of birth. Will premiere September 27th.

KATIE: Katie Couric jumps on the talk show bandwagon, and whether you’re a fan of her excessively sugary, bubbly personality or not, you can appreciate that her years in journalism gave her a lot of connections. Already Katie has talked to everyone from Demi Lovato to author of 50 Shades of Grey. Matt Lauer's already made an appearance. And we’re only getting started. Already premiered, watch at 4-3 pm central each weekday.

NASHVILLE: It’s the darker side of sweet country music. An older singer nearing the end of her glory days suddenly gets a wake-up call when a young, new starlet Juliette Barns (Hayden Panetierre) becomes the new talk of town, and suddenly there just isn’t room for Rayna James (Connie Britton) anymore. There’s lots of secrets, horrible people, life-changing decisions, and staring at rain clouds (at least in the commercials). Will premiere October 10th.

As for the returning shows…

ONCE UPON A TIME: Storybrooke’s curse is broken and both the fairytale characters’ identities and magic return to them. I don’t care what goes down, but I hope there is more awesome CGI dragons.

MODERN FAMILY: Sofia Vergara is pregnant, with 1002-year old (give or take) ex-Al Bundy Ed O'Niell as the aging father. Should be fun.

Get Your Remotes Ready: CBS Day

It's part two of SSF’s Fall TV Line-Up special. Today we tackle the shows on CBS.

Okay, so CBS’s older audience basically has ultimate control over ratings so, unsurprisingly, CBS doesn’t have a whole crop of new shows to offer. After all, why fix what's as far from broken as possible? What can we expect though?

PARTNERS: So far this seems like a Will & Grace spin-off mixed with Rules of Engagement’s flair. But if you find out more about this show, you might like what you see. It’s about a masculine enough, heterosexual guy whose best friend growing up is more on the effeminate side. However, the two work together now and manage to help each other out in their rocky love lives anyways. Will the relationship dynamic be enough to keep us watching? We’ll just have to find out.

ELEMENTARY: Sherlock Holmes…like you’ve never seen him before! Yep, just in case the British drama or even Robert Downey Jr.’s version of the detective wasn’t good enough for you (Robert Downey Jr? Really?) then CBS has you covered. They give the character a dramatic, crime show feel. Even better: their “Dr. Watson” is *drum roll* female, Asian American Lucy Liau. Here’s to getting farther away from the 50’s every single day!

MADE IN JERSEY: While true New Jersey-ians might be peeved that the star of this show isn’t really “made” in NJ and that she’d hated having to make her hair so big, they can appreciate her character. Janet Montgomery plays a lawyer from you-know-where whose, ah, uniqueness helps her when it comes to cases and life in general. Is it a crime show? Is it at comedy? You’ll have to see.

VEGAS: We got us some Dennis Quaid, some Michael Chiklis, some mobsters, and now add in the retro Vegas setting and...BAM. The masculine show of fall, I do believe.

Old favorites to watch?

THE BIG BANG THEORY: This show is in its ratings prime right now, which means mega-guest stars and juicy story writing. Enjoy it while you can. It’ll also be interesting to watch Jim Parsons as the lovably pretentious Sheldon considering his quick, painless coming out this summer. Further proof that gay actors will probably take up every screen.

HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER: If you saw my philosophical predictions post about HIMYM’s eighth season, then you already know that I truly, truly believe this is the season we FINALLY meet Mrs. Ted Mosby. The clues add up. The scenery is right. It’s all ready to go down. Until then, we can also look forward to the HIMYM songs compilation album CBS is making. Robin Sparkles better be present.

Later. Tomorrow, by the way, is ABC DAY! (yay...)

Get Your Remotes Ready: NBC Day

Part one of SSF’s Fall TV Line-Up special. Click-eth here for more info. Today we tackle the NBC shows.

What shows are premiering/re-appearing on everyone’s favorite peacock (no, Katy Perry, no puns) network this fall? Let’s see.

 

THE VOICE. Oh yes, you have seen the dramatic commercials of Christina, Adam, Cee Lo, and Blake all jumping in slow emotion to hit the red button. But is the hype worth it? While it seems like every other singing show is undergoing major plastic surgery, The Voice has only added a couple new “mentors” to its current approach. It’s no Britney Spears…but hey, The Voice has always been about the talent first, as little gimmicks as possible and *yawnnn*. Sorry, that was America’s attention span shortening. (Already premiered, Monday/Tuesday nights)

NEW NORMAL. Okay, I will continue tuning into this. From the “creator of Glee” (who I assume is extremely pro-gay rights) we get a cutesy show about a sweet girl with a young daughter and “bigot” mother (I quote the young daughter) who decides to help out a young Cam/Mitchell-esque male couple have a child. Her reasoning? She wants a whole-hearted, complete family. It seems sugary sweet. Can we just make sure Republicans don’t know about this show? I can hear the rants already. (Already premiered, Tuesday nights)

REVOLUTION: It’s an end-of-the-world adventure where the world’s power is out and everyone has crossbow and kills each other. Okay, okay, back up: it’s also about a girl who, fifteen years ago when the “black-out” began, learned her father was involved and grew up in a new world, a new life. When said father dies, she goes to find the only family she has left - that is, if no one kills each other first. (Will premiere September 17th...or, you know, today).

CHICAGO FIRE: Um. Okay. So I haven’t seen much about this show, but it has a refreshing number of female firefighters and since my current “top” choice college is in Chicago, I am required to say that it is the number one city in the world and everybody and everyone should watch this show. (Will premiere October 10th)

GO ON: Matthew Perry! Group therapy! Community-like randomness! A girl who’s crazy about her dead cat! Everybody Hates Chris! Sure a lot of critics have ranted about its expiration date of a premise (group therapy typically only lasts a few weeks, guys) but the characters are quirky, dialogue snarky, camera angles fuzzy, and emotions heavy. If you can deal with seeing Chandler Bing as a confident sports journalist instead of a self-deprecating underdog of the group, then watch. (Already premiered, Tuesday nights)

ANIMAL HOSPITAL: Based on the pilot, I don’t see this “doctor” show becoming the next ER, especially with legitimate hospital shows appearing on other networks. But why not watch, if only to see the world’s most talented monkey and all his…well, monkey business. But I’m serious. This monkey is in everything. IMDB him. (Premieres September 26th).

GUYS WITH KIDS: Well, in case you need a sitcom about grown men who handle the challenge of "parenthood" like bros...here you go. (Already premiered, Wednesdays)

SNL…WITHOUT KRISTIN WIIG AND ANDY SAMBERG. Okay, sure, we have Saturday Night Live’s primetime election coverage to look forward, and they have a lot of Mitt Romney jokes to get out of their system…but no Kristin Wiig? No Andy Samberg? I just…I-I just can’t, man. I just can’t. (Already premiered, and Saturday nights of course!)

Whattaya think of the NBC line-up? What will you for sure be watching or avoiding?

Get Your Remotes Ready for Next Week! (SSF special)

Well, the new fall TV season has started to kick into high gear this week. That’s right, whether you’re comparing Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears on their respective talent reality shows or taking in the New Normal and new seasons of Once Upon a Time, you will for sure have the remote handy this week. We know what to expect, thanks to half-hour specials and NBC already slipping in a few pilots here and there.

So get those remotes ready. Do some runs around the living room. Do the channel-switching relay annnnd go!

QUESTION: WHAT NEW TV SHOW ARE YOU LOOKING MOST FORWARD TO?

 OR...WHAT NEW SHOW WILL YOU AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE?  

And stay tuned next week for the Fall 2012 - News Shows SSF special. Monday: NBC Day. Tuesday: CBS Day. Wednesday: ABC Day. Thursday: FOX Day. Friday: CW Day.

Later.