Fall TV Season 2008-09: Tuesday...

These are a couple of links I like:

tviv: Somewhat updated Grid
wiki's helpful grid

7PM

90210 (The Next Generation..hehe): tv.com link



Premieres: September 2nd (CW)

I'm only vaguely curious about this maybe mostly due to the fact my recent discovery of "Jeremiah" and Luke Perry in that show. Very likely I'm gonna watch it once and maybe again only for certain guest appearances. Rob Thomas may not be involved much beyond the pilot. Kinda scary to think this is occupying Gilmore Girls longtime timeslot.

8PM

Fringe: tv.com link



Premieres: September 9th (Fox)

FBI agents Olivia Dunham and Peter Bishop are faced with a rapidly spreading unexplained phenomenon of the threatening kind. In an attempt to stop the spread, they enlist the assistance of Bishop's estranged father, the institutionalized scientist Dr. Walter Bishop. Dawson's Creek 's Joshua Jackson will play the lead role of Peter Bishop, a smart guy with many gambling debts. The Secret...

The premise of this show sounds a bit like a very short-lived show from the 90's I used to catch reruns on Sunday Nights on the Scifi channel called "The Burning Zone." A secret government task force fight some dangerous diseases to save mankind. Josh Jackson I have liked beyond his Dawson's Creek work. And it is JJ Abrams for what that's worth. He actually has a bit of a similar history with tv as Whedon. Cult-fans, some great stuff that critics loved, and a few gambles that didn't pay off (see Six Degrees, The Nine..sadly even What About Brian). Between this and the Trek film, Hollywood has not denied him any creative chances. I'm cautiously optimistic. Depends on if it gets to be too detailed and serious. I don't need a 24 here.

Privileged: tv.com link



Premieres: September 9th (CW)

Originally called Surviving the Filthy Rich, this CW drama is an adaptation of the popular Zoey Dean novel How to Teach Filthy Rich Girls. In the series, Yale graduate Megan Smith recently moves to Manhattan with hopes of finding success in the field of journalism. However, when her plans go wrong, she accepts a job as the live-in tutor helping two wealthy high school students in Palm Springs get accepted at a top university. Privileged, from Alloy Entertainment in association with Warner Bros. Television and CBS Paramount Network Television., has reveived a 13 episode contract from The CW Television Network. The executive producers are Gilmore Girls' Rina Mimoun and Gossip Girl's Bob Levy and Leslie Morgenstein. 30 Rock's Michael Engler directed the pilot.

I'm not huge into Teen Dramas. Dra-medy's however can work (Gilmore Girls, Men In Trees). I like Joanna Garcia (Freaks and Geeks, Welcome to the Captain), and the girl from the failed Bionic Woman show last year might add a bit. But let's just say, this only will get me to watch if there's nothing else, or it surprises me a lot. But, judging books by their covers I try to avoid. I wonder if Reaper will eventually return at this timeslot in the Winter. Very likely not.

The Mentalist: tv.com link



Premieres: September 23rd (CBS)

The Mentalist tells the tale of Patrick Jane who is employed as an independent detective working with the California Bureau of Investigation to solve crimes. He has refined his observations skills to a near perfect level and lends these skills to the CBI to help them solve cases. The team that he works with consists of the senior agent, Teresa Gibson, agents Kimball Cho & Wayne Rigsby and the rookie, Grace Van Pelt.

It has reminded some people of "Psych," a show I love and my favorite current program on all of television. But actually it sounds more like "Monk." It's just this guy doesn't have a partner or assistant. And likely not the same kind of humor nor much mystery on his ability to solve cases. Simon Baker's name is familiar, but his work isn't to me. "Devils Wears Prada" and a short-lived (rarely-if-ever-aired show) "Smith" are his only work I have heard about. Not a lot of optimism, but the other stuff it's up against I'm not either so it has as good a shot as any of finding my viewing or never crossing my consumer-palette.

8:30PM

The Goode Family: tv.com link



Premieres: Midseason (ABC)

"It's so difficult being good."

Mike Judge, creator of Beavis & Butt-Head and King of the Hill, brings us this new animated series about an obsessively "green" family whose politically correct liferesults in constant laughs.

ABC has so far ordered 13 episodes of this series. The show is scheduled to air midseason.

The show is being produced by 3 Arts Entertainment and Media Rights Capital.

I love Beavis and Butthead, and "Office Space" is very *Classic*. But "King of the Hill" I never got into. Mike Judge sadly may need the comforts of a lesser-censored format (Cable and movies) to excel the most. But, the premise to this sounds like it could have some potential. I do think he writes well when he's set in modern-day (as opposed to King of the Hill). Given it's a mid-season replacement show, and on ABC, this may not be on the air long enough to find it's audience. But by January the other stuff on at it's time may not be worth the time of day, so it could get some ratings by default.

9PM

Eli Stone: tv.com link



Premieres: October 14th (ABC).

Good show! Johnny Lee Miller I'll probably never forget for his work in the Angelina Jolie mid-90's film "Hackers." His role here isn't exactly like that one, but he still is quite good here as a protagonist lawyer; with visions of the future from a brain Aneurysm that seems to dictate much of his life's path whether he likes it or not. This show had good writing, a good albeit familiar cast (Victor Garber from Alias, Natasha Henstridge, Julia Gonzalo from Veronica Mars, Tom Cavanagh from Ed and Love Monkey). But it kind of came out of nowhere last year and lived up to the ads ABC force-fed the public during Lost, even with the George Michael obsession. The fact his condition got exposed to everyone may be the hardest thing to get past. Many good shows at 1st have a character with a secret, and once the secret comes out, the show needs something more. However in this case, it's a legal drama that with Boston Legal going away, it may benefit from filling those shoes regardless. It's even taken over BL's familiar 9pm timeslot on Tuesdays. We'll see how well it does and if some of the BL audience comes on over by the Winter when presumably it'll be the only law drama ABC will have on the air.