Fall TV Season 2008-09: Thursdays

7PM

Smallville: tv.com link



Premiere: September 18th (CW)

The one veteran show the CW has maintained and kept my attention in recent years (Gilmore, Veronica are gone now), and actually gets decent ratings by their standards, lol. Although, the show is near shark-jumping terriroty if it wasn't already. It should end soon, and I have read this is to be the last season (hopefully they won't pull a 7th Heaven on us). But, even that being the case, much of the cast keeps dropping off the credits; which actually that's happened each of the last couple of seasons. Really since Pete left if I recall. Yeah, they've added some new cast since, most notably Erica Durance as Lois, but that was inevitable for the Superman Universe. But apparently Kristin Kreuk and Michael Rosenbaum are off the opening credits, along with the girl who played Kara last season. What we're left with I guess would be: Clark, Chloe, Lois, and perhaps Jimmy. And some new faces I recall reading.

I just hope we get some resolution with Lex finally becoming the evil foe we know him to be, and of course Clark has got to fly, lol. They could and should bring back Oliver Queen and the Justice League, which I heard they are, but the previews didn't include all the guys we knew from it (just Queen and Aquaman a friend told me). And the other kind of unresolved plot I have remembered is with the Martian who has popped up couple of times the last 2 seasons.

Yeah there are some continuity errors, and it is partially for Superman-fans and those into eye-candy. But given what else there is to watch, there's a lot of other things I'd get bored by.


Ugly Betty: tv.com link



Premieres: September 25th (ABC)

I'm not gonna say a lot here because frankly, I haven't watched this show in over a year. But I suppose I would not discount the idea of getting back into it due to the fact Thursdays have now become very light with TV (as opposed to a few years ago when it was the busiest night of the week). Like Battlestar Galactica, it might be worth a 2nd assessment/investment as I always enjoyed it, but not immensely or anything. I like America Ferrara and Rebecca Romijn should add reason themselves (even tho her plot has always seemed absurd..maybe more than the Patrick character on Men In Trees having a black biological father).

7-7:30

My Name Is Earl: tv.com link



Premieres: September 25th (NBC)

Somewhat like Betty and even Smallville. This show has very a very low amount of interest for me now. Frankly, it has jumped the shark as well. The writing isn't what it once was. Crabman: they don't even use or his lines aren't as funny as they had been. I have resounded to the fact I don't plan to watch this regularly. Maybe with a good guest, which at times they have had. But it was one of the best sitcoms on TV, just a couple of years ago sadly.


8PM

Grey's Anatomy

I stopped watching this show as well, even if Katherine Heigl is hard to ignore. Writing, and Hospital/Medical Dramas as a whole get too serious, too disgusting, and have very little appeal to me normally. This one did for a while with some of it's subtle humor and cast, but even that overall is gone. Heigl frankly is probably the only reason I'd want to watch it, and she even said publically how she thought the writing sucked last season.

9PM

Life On Mars: tv.com link



Premieres: October 9th (ABC)

ABC Studios, 20th Century Fox Television, and Kudos Productions are co-producing the remake of BBC drama Life on Mars . Sam Tyler (Jason O'Mara) is a detective from the 21st century who travels back in time to the 1970s after a car accident. Tyler clashes with new boss Gene Hunt who doesn't take his coming from the future seriously. Tyler ends up working on a case involving a serial killer...


Ok, I had the British show on my DVR and only was able to watch a couple of episodes of both seasons for various reasons. They disappeared sadly. But I liked it. It had the dude who played the Master in the new Dr.Who among others. Very 70's, very British, and very much an action/mysterious cop show involving the leads future life, etc.

So this comes out and it does look very similar. The new tradition it seems of Hollywood adopting a popular show from England.
It has Rachel LeFevre who seemingly has shown up on more than half the tv shows I watched the last few years as a guest (What About Brian, Boston Legal, Two and a Half Men..some others I'm not remembering now).

edit: apparently she's not on the show anymore. Gretchen Mol got recast I guess just from looking at the credits. Ok, fair is fair, but I was looking forward to seeing her. Gretchen Mol I like too, but that kind of sucks. On the other hand, Harvey Keitel and Lisa Bonet are also going to be on this. Cool. I recall Colm Meaney aka Chief O'Brien from the Star Trek franchises among others (Men In Trees most recently) was also going to be on this but alas, nothing is listed as far as I can tell.

David E Kelley is involved, for some controversial reasons involving blackmail with ABC 86'ing Boston Legal if he didn't I remember reading. No matter, I like his work too. Why I am optimistic this could be one of the best new shows this fall, and at this point it's not gonna have a lot of competition. "The Eleventh Hour" on CBS doesn't have much interest from me at 9PM or actually the entire evening. No, this very easily could be along with Smallville the only show I'm gonna watch/dvr on Thursday which in a way is a relief. Although, Lost's timeslot may determine what happens to this come Winter, but hopefully it won't impact it's fate entirely.