PlazaJen: Passion Knit

My friend Beth asked me what shows might be worth watching, and my email to her was so long, I decided it could also be a good blog post! I'm going to edit it for a slightly better sentence structure, and we'll see how many shows I decide to actually link to. (I just wrote the whole thing? The answer is NONE. Sorry. It'd take me an hour.)

As I say at home, partially to remind hubs why the DVR is squeaking and dual-recording things and cock-blocking him from watching something else, this is my bidness. I love all forms of media, by & large, and the new fall season of TV is like getting a big catalog of fun in the mail. You peruse & look and sometimes even laugh & point at things that will never, ever make it.

Do you wonder how I figure out what I can realistically watch? I take a highlighter to a new season schedule & I'm still going to have to juggle some cable shows for a few weeks to keep the DVR from exploding. Thank goodness those cable shows do immediate repeats. And we do have an extra DVR, and it's moving down to the treadmill shortly. Might as well get some walking in while watching!

So here we go! Remember, everyone's tastes vary, which explains why Smith was yanked after three episodes, but ER continues to live on...and on.... and on.

Honestly, and despite all the brouhaha, I think Kid Nation looks good. I doubt I will add it to the lineup, but Kristin thinks she might watch it. The extended clip we saw from the station really shows a wider breadth of experiences, and the society these kids build. It could also be heart wrenching.

I'm going to give Cane a go, on CBS, Tuesday nights, 9p. Jimmy Smits, good eye candy, heavy production budget, it looks like the first mainstream tv show that also will speak to Hispanics. I feel like this is a Smith Risk, because it could also be so expensive that CBS decides it's not worth the bucks for the eyeballs they get. They've certainly marketed the hell out of it!

I've already added K-ville, a cop/crime drama on Fox (Mon, 8p), and it's done very well in the ratings; I haven't watched it yet, though.

Reaper on the CW, Tues. 8p, looks hilarious. It's directed by Kevin Smith of Clerks.

Big Bang Theory, 1/2 hour sitcom on CBS, Mon, 7:30 is also going onto the DVR. The clip was hilarious and I love geeks & nerds.

I'm going to give Private Practice (Kate Walsh/Grey's Anatomy spin-off) a go, though I'm reserving judgment. It could really tank. Same goes for Dirty Sexy Money, and 90% of why I've got that one marked to watch is because it has Peter Krause in it, and it does look pretty entertaining. Those are on ABC, Wed, 8p & 9p respectively.

I'm also going to watch Women's Murder Club on ABC; Fridays at 8, but that doesn't premiere until mid-Oct.

Shows getting buzz that I'm not going to watch? Gossip Girl (CW, Wed, 8p), Bionic Woman (NBC, Wed, 8p) and Chuck (NBC, Mon, 7p). Back to You, with Kelsey Grammar (Fox, Wed, 7p), also looks pretty funny - I'm just not a sitcom gal and Big Bang looked funnier.

Cavemen & Carpoolers are on the short list for who'll get canceled first. Viva Laughlin? The CBS show with drama, singing & Melanie Griffith? Gets my first-to-get-the-axe vote, but because it doesn't premiere until 10/21, something else will die first. But hands-down, that show will perhaps air once, maybe twice. We've obviously learned nothing from Cop Rock. I wish CBS would just give me half the money they spent on that damn thing so I could tell them to keep the other half & we'd both be happy. They have overestimated the star power of Hugh Jackman, too. If America wants a sing-along, they have Singing Bee and Don't Forget the Lyrics.

Despite this list, looking at my highlighted stuff - of all the new shows, I'm not watching many of them. My tried-and-true line up includes Prison Break, CSI & CSI Miami, Law & Order (all of 'em), Criminal Minds, Survivor, Without A Trace, Grey's, Earl & Office. Plus Damages (Fx), which has about five episodes left.

And if ever there was a time to have Showtime, it's now. I'm hooked on Weeds & Brotherhood, and the new season of Dexter premieres in a week. There's still time to watch the first season on-Demand. My god, what a great show. Michael C. Hall has outdone himself and his tightly wound performance as a serial killer (but for all the right reasons!) containing his demons while living a "normal" life nearly rivals the still-reigning king of my heart, Vic Mackey, of The Shield (Fx, final season starts sometime in '08).

I love the telebision. I get lots of knitting done on the weekends when JWo has gone hunting, and having shows to watch while treadmilling will be good. Most industry predictions are that ABC will have the best fall, in part because their new shows are good (except Cavemen/Carpoolers) and are of course sandwiched among their many #1 shows. NBC continues to flounder to find an identity, but may break through on Bionic Woman. CBS will stay middle-of-the-road and pray that people don't get tired of crime dramas and all their other dramas that keep them afloat. We'll see if that inexplicable viewership of Ghost Whisperer really wants to stick around for a series about a vampire (Moonlight). Fox just waits for January and the cash register to start ringing like mad for American Idol, and My TV learned the hard way last year that telenovellas are NOT sweepin' the nation in a tv sensation. The CW has gotten spunky & should do pretty well with younger viewers - and even me for Reaper.