Fall TV Time - 2006

Yes, once again it is Fall TV Preview time, one of my favorite times of the year. Here is a list of TV programs I am looking forward to:

Heroes (premiers 25 September): Take one part Lost, one part The 4400 and one part X-Men. Add in a lot of hype, some very intriguing teasers and high quality special effects. I'm a little bit worried about the writing, as it is written and produced by the same team that creates Crossing Jordan, a rather light-weight and improbable crime drama (with some hokey plots and not-so-good acting), and it is rather obviously trying to capture the Lost fans. The characters listed on the show's site are not as interesting as I would like: a painter with an addiction; a cop who hears voices; a girl who is indestructible, yet wants to be normal; a son following his murdered father's crazy research, looking for answers. Yet, I am a sucker for any SciFi/Fantasy/Horror I can get, so I will definitely watch at least the first few episodes.

Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip (premiers 25 September) and 30 Rock: NBC is getting weird and a little bit senile in its old age - this fall, it has two completely different shows based on the same thing, namely the back-stage politics of producing a comedy show, a thinly veiled Saturday Night Live. Both are written by some of the best television writers around - Aaron Sorkin, the genius behind West Wing and Tina Fey, my personal hero and the genius who may have single-handedly saved Saturday Night Live (that is probably an exaggeration, but honestly, the only thing I really love to watch is the Weekend Update). I suppose if there is room for three Law and Order programs, then two SNL spin-offs doesn't seem like much of a stretch.

Smith (premiers 26 September): I am probably one of 10 people who actually liked the remake of Ocean's Eleven, so hearing about a TV show that is the adventures of high-level thieves got my attention. Fan reviews have been high, but rumors of bad reviews are everywhere. I really want to have Ray Liotta on my TV every week, however, so I'll be tuning in.

Veronica Mars (premiers 3 October): The first season's date rape plot and the murder of Lily (Veronica's best friend, for the uninitiated) storyline had me riveted. The second season somehow managed to keep the murder storyline afloat without making it boring AND gave us the startling bus crash plot (it's not as hokey as I make it sound, trust me). I can't wait to see what season three has in store.

House (5 September): I was not a faithful watcher of Dr. House and I actually only just started watching the show in reruns. I have no idea what's going on with his cane and the apparent "cure" of his painkiller addiction. Frankly, I don't give a rat's ass, as long as Dr. House is still cranky.

Lost (3 October): The sudden emergence, at the end of the season no less, of Desmond not only as an important character, but also as a good, compassionate, heroic and interesting one, left me in a state. The show introduced as many intriguing puzzles as it answered, which left many fans (on the message boards at least) feeling unfulfilled and restless. My hope is, no matter how much I love the show, that this is last season. It is skillfully written, but four+ seasons of no answers will eventually get old, even if I am still rabid for more.

Supernatural (28 September): Last season ended on a cliffhanger, with the boys and their father badly hurt from a car accident. It seems unlikely that show's writers would off either of the brothers, but the father has been a marked man from the start. It's possible that someone might be in a coma for most of the season (making him a target for the various monsters and cultists that populate the show) or that all of them will simply wake up in the first episode. I'm curious to see what cliche the writers decide on. Even for all its cliches, plot holes and predictible plots, I still think the show has potential. The chemistry between the actors is good, the soundtrack is fun and man, do I love monsters.

Dexter: Showtime is the new HBO. Who cares about Entourage (the only reason to watch it is for Jeremy Piven anyway) when you have Weeds? Plus, there is Dexter, a new series featuring Michael C. Hall (once a star on HBO's Six Feet Under) that appeals to my inner goth. Based on the book Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay, it follows the adventures of Dexter, a CSI by day and a serial killer by night. Subject matter aside, did I mention it has Michael C. Hall?