New This Fall
 Released: 2007 - 2008 Season

 

Janine:

You. Yes you. Reader person. You better really love me right now. I have DVR-ed and watched every pilot out over the last few weeks just for you! I don't even like some of these shows and I suffered through them so I could tell you that. Because seriously, there are a load of new shows thanks to all the cancellations and finales from last year...not to mention a spin-off or two. And because I refuse to give them each their own page in TV land before we find out how many will remain shows, I bring them here to you. Alphabetized and summarized for your convenience. See? You better love me.

I will admit, this year has some promise. Check them out! 

For the record, titles in this color are shows you can watch with your kids. Notice how many there are.

 

Aliens in America:
           Ok, can I just start with the fact I thought this show looked seriously stupid to being with? Well, too bad. I already did. I wouldn't be wrong, either. This sitcom, of sorts, is about a teenager who seems to be one of the most picked on and lonely guys in the school until his mother gets him a friend via foreign exchange student program. Problem is, she envisions a talented white athlete for the family and gets a Pakistani boy. Throw in an over-popular, overdeveloped daughter, a father with a load of get rich quick schemes and a...well there aren't words for the mother and you have what could be a funny show. But isn't really. I was too disturbed to get over Luke (ok Scott Patterson) as the father on this show. Wasn't he like just on Gilmore Girls? Talk about getting over that cancellation fast. When I could get over him as the father, I managed to smirk and quirk an eyebrow, but no real laughing. there was a chuckle or two. I do like the underlying message of the first episode that not all Muslims are bad and they aren't all attempting to blow up the world. I also love the mother realizing that this kid is just a boy like any other. Racist as she is. Not a hit, but decent. Reminds me a little of how I felt about Malcom in the Middle which everyone else loved.
          FINAL RATING: For me, SWISS CHEESE. For you- BEACH

American Band/Next Great American Band:
           Ok, here's the deal. You now how this one goes. Take American Idol, make it the hunt for a new band and not a solo artist and you now the show. The only difference, besides the band thing, is that there are no age limits for this one, which is new. You have to be sixteen for Idol and no older than twenty-eight. Oh, and no Simon, Paula, Randy or Ryan on this one either. Whole new panel and host...and none that I can identify which doesn't say much since I'm a little out of it musically. Though I have heard of the Goo Goo Dolls even if I haven't heard the name of the guy before. And the Aussie guy doing the hosting is actually annoying. America people...find someone American please. I wouldn't mind if I wasn't expecting him to go "Here in the outback we see many hoppin' Kangaroos." Judges kinda bore me as well. The best news: they butcher their own music and nothing something that was a classic until now! So yay! Oh...wait, some of them do kill perfectly good songs. Crap.  
          FINAL RATING: RAPSBERRY (I'll stick to the original, way better.)

Back to You:
           This show might actually be my biggest disappointment of the season, which is sad. I was really looking forward to it based on the commercials before the season premier ran. The leads, Grammer and Heaton are incredible and I thought together they'd be a force to be reckoned with. They very well might have been had the writing been better. Reminiscent of the short lived show Good Morning Miami, Back to You isn't nearly as funny as it seemed it would be. Most of the humor is very childish. Lots of young-ish sex jokes that aren't even barely veiled, they're blatantly obvious. Very Fox network type of show if you ask me. And while Heaton and Grammer did the best with the material provided (their non-sexual jokes and scenes alone are by far the best), I hate seeing both on something that is clearly so beneath them. Really, really disappointed. If there's nothing else on I might watch it for the sake of boredom but I'd rather do homework. Unless this has phenomenal ratings, this show's not going to see daylight for long.
          FINAL RATING: RASPBERRY (I'm hoping it gets better since the end of the episode was so good)

The Big Bang Theory:
           This is yet another show I wouldn't have watched had it not been something I wanted to review for the site. I really didn't think anything on the commercials had seemed all that entertaining. I haven't actually seen a sitcom in a long time I really enjoyed and while Back To You lured me in with the promise of a good cast and witty banter (neither of which I received) this promised neither. Two guys that are beyond dorky geeks, genius dorky geeks actually, live together in an apartment directly across from a new hot girl. And...I'm not sure if there's a plot besides that. Really. Two guys who have no hope of ever having sex with a woman are lusting after the new woman. End of the tale. Though there are some cute lines and I cracked a smile once or twice, I didn't find myself laughing near as much or as hard as the audience (and for those of you that don't know, they make you laugh during these things). I think I chuckled once or twice, but I'm not really impressed. However, in the scheme of things this show seems a lot better than Back To You and might very well be the best new comedy on air. Lack of plot aside, I could see this lasting a while and recommend giving it a chance. It is, however, up against Chuck which I liked much better.
          FINAL RATING: BEACH (Might give it a second chance if I'm not in class or watching something else)

Big Shots
           All right, ABC is attempting to create the first male version of Desperate Housewives...this time it's Desperate CEOs. Four white, rich businessmen who have serious sex addictions and lack of morals, get through their lives together as the best of friends. When things go wrong, or their wives start asking questions, it's the other men in their lives that give them the advice to get through it. They cheat, they lie, they steal and they get into problems that are probably fairly realistic in their world. The show will annoy you as much as it amuses you, which is something I think can be said about Desperate Housewives as well. There are situations and lines that will make you laugh and this new primetime soap comedy is actually a lot better than I thought possible. I actually had originally thought I'd skip this one, but following Grey's Anatomy is a great spot for it and it really is a show husbands and wives might enjoy together. Yea, I admit it. I liked this show despite not wanting to. Give it a shot and you might like it as well. It's probably something you might actually love watching.
          FINAL RATING: BEACH (I'll leave it on after Grey's Anatomy. It's cute enough)

Bionic Woman:
          Got a sneak peek of the premier on my Comcast box's On Demand feature, which I love. Premise: Jamie Sommers is your average woman until a serious car accident threatens her life. When the man she loves, who works at a Biotech firm, risks losing her, he saves her life by replacing her arm, both legs and an eye with bionic parts. Now, she has a choice: allow the government that saved her to train her to be a weapon or follow the path of the original bionic woman and work as a free agent. The show seems to start a bit slowly and leave you going "Ok, well..." but then it picks up exponentially. More action. A little humor. Even some romance. The special effects are awesome as well and despite being somewhat of a recycled plot I find it fascinating and entertaining. I've never seen the original, but I can only assume there are enough differences to make it different and worth tuning in. If you liked Heroes, you'll probably love this as well. Michelle Ryan, who plays Jamie Sommers, may be a little known actress, but she's wonderful in this role. The chemistry between her and Chris Bowers (Will Anthros her boyfriend) is perfect. They make a great on screen couple. I think this show is going to be worth investing some time in. Definitely going to last a while on NBC (and with the way shows get cancelled that's good news). Really impressed.
          FINAL RATING: TIARA (This could be a new hit for NBC)

Cane:
           I actually hadn't heard much about this series other than it was the first prime time show to focus on an entirely Cuban family. That's truly it. I didn't hear a single thing about plot and not a lot about the cast, but there were plenty of still ads for it. There are some big names among the cast (Jimmy Smits, Hector Elizando) and a few faces I recognize but don't know. The premise is still rather vague: Pancho is the head of a Cuban American family that runs a sugar plantation though he's just begun a business making rum. His two sons assist in the business, though they are different as night in day both when it comes to work and family. But everyone has secrets and it's only a matter of time before they come out. This isn't your family drama; it's definitely a prime time soap. I love most of the family scenes, they're really amusing especially when the grandmother is around. There are some very sad and touching moments, one that came damn close to making me cry. It's actually a good show, but a little slow and dry. And a little dark, not emotionally but lighting wise. Not sure what that's about. Also, not sure who the intended market on this was, but it lacks the action CBS usually intends for male viewers. As far as prime time soaps that aren't medical dramas or cop dramas too, this show is pretty good. They put together a great cast that is really likable and have a great chemistry together. The plots are engaging and intriguing, though, as I said, not exactly action packed and fast moving. There are definitely moments you'll be a little bored and others you'll be glad you watched. All in all, I rather enjoyed it (surprisingly) and I'd be willing to tune in again if it wasn't up against Law and Order: SVU. But the previews for the rest of the season looks really good so I might have to DVR it and see if it gets better.
          FINAL RATING: TIARA (If it was a little faster moving I'd be hooked.)

Cavemen:
           All right, you all know this one even if you don't want to. The famous Cavemen from the Geiko commercials are hitting the world and living in it. They have modern technology and brains and they don't grunt. So...some women might consider them further in the evolutionary chain than some of the men we date. My first reaction to the release of this show was "how sad it is that these people are so lacking ideas they are stealing them from commercials." Do I sense a cartoon gecko eventually hitting the air? And Cavemen racism? What? Ok, I just am flabbergasted that I liked Aliens In America which looked incredibly stupid and this I'm completely hating without even a desire to give it a second chance. I actually got so bored with the show I washed dishes. Yea, I washed dishes. I hate washing dishes so...just remember: your remote, so easy a Caveman could use it.
          FINAL RATING: ROTTEN EGG (If we had purely stupid, I'd rate it that.)

Carpoolers:
           Four Los Angeles men drive together to work on a daily basis. During the drive, three of the four old friends discuss their lives and marriages (or divorces), to the exclusion of the new man that they have affectionately nicknamed Junior. They are crude and very high school in their behavior and yet oddly fascinating and amusing. Each has their issues and those issues are so absurd and yet realistic that they make you want to laugh wildly. Seriously. I never thought I'd find something so silly so entertaining. This one is definitely something I'd recommend, even if there is no overlying arc that appears visible. The first episode, besides introducing our four guys, focused on Grayson, whose wife and newly employed son makes more many than he does (which is odd considering she's a real estate agent and God only knows what the son is doing.) But for the sake of space and time, I do recommend this one. It's not great, but it's good for a laugh.
          FINAL RATING: SWISS CHEESE (Hard to rate because it wasn't a 3 and wasn't a 4, but worth a view)

Chuck:
           This one was also on Comcast's On-Demand, but I didn't have the chance to get to it before they removed it. In all honesty, if I wasn't trying to give you guys a review of every premier and it's worth, I probably wouldn't have watched this show at all. I really had very little interest in the computer geek turned government operative by sheer accident. Didn't matter how funny it was supposed to be. Or how action packed. I wasn't buying. Sadly, I would have missed a really decent show. It's not sitcom funny, but it is amusing and well acted. Chuck is a very likable, humorous character. Flawed as he is, and geeky to boot, he's just someone you wouldn't mind knowing and he's surrounded by very realistic freaky friends. The only awkward part of the show, for me, are the neck up close ups they seem to enjoy shooting so very much. Yes, there is action. Yes, there is a lot of comedy. And no, the show doesn't appear to suck. If it stays as good as the premier, the series should be awesome. I'll definitely give it a second view.
          FINAL RATING: TIARA (This is actually promising, let's hope it stays this way)

Dirty Sexy Money
           How many of these shows have I said I didn't want to watch? I can't remember. this was another one. Come on, it has Billy Baldwin for goodness sakes. They couldn't even get the good Baldwin brother on the show! They had to get the wanna-be Baldwin. Now, I had assumed this was going to be a drama and was rather surprised to discover it was definitely a comedy...of sorts. I guess it's a dramedy of sorts. More amusing than anything else. Premise: Nick George had one rule for himself, that he wouldn't have his father's life. He watched as his father worked his life away for the Darling family, a rich Upper East Side family that has more money and fame than brains. But when his father is tragically killed in a plane crash, the Darlings make an offer he can't refuse: become their lawyer like his father was. And Nick agrees. For a price. So yea, the moral upstanding guy, totally sold out. So much for never having that life and not wanting anything to do with the family. Right there, in that moment, the show kind of bit it for me. (Not that ABC, or any station for that matter, is known for good shows that last forever.) For the record, I'll probably never watch this show again unless there's seriously nothing else to watch. It's cute and a little silly to boot. And sadly horribly true in the case of some families with money. Entitlement is funny thing. Think Tori Spelling. Digressing. Some of the characters of this show are annoying enough that you wish them ill. Most of them actually. You lose respect for the only good one the second he signs on as their lawyer. Yup. If you're looking for some stupid humor and some rich people to make you hate rich people, this is the show. Sadly, this one will probably last longer than I'd like.
          FINAL RATING: Personal rating -SWISS CHEESE; Rating for the public -BEACH. (Not my cup of tea)

Journeyman:
           Again, had no desire to watch this outside of this site. I had seen the lead actor work in Rome, which was an ok show but fascinating only to those interested in the subject matter. Dan Vasser is just an ordinary man, going about his life. That is until he starts disappearing for days at a time because he's traveling into the past. Sometimes shorter jumps, a year or so, and other times longer. At one point, he jumps back to 1987. To return, he has to change the life of someone in the past and right some wrongs along the way. Trouble is, his life in the present is suffering heavily because of his journeys. Now this one is way slower than some of the others I decided to pop in on, but it's still not all that bad. A little slow, but also something that has you trying to figure it out along with Dan. So here's the deal, the beginning of the episode was really slow but once you meet the person Dan is supposed to help, the plot speeds along. It's interesting, a little exciting and, when he gets back home, rather touching. The show is actually a lot better developed than I thought. And a lot more entertaining. I wouldn't make it part of my routine but if you like drama and mystery, plus a little fantasy or sci-fi like writing, this is going to be the type of show you want to add to your viewing schedule.
          FINAL RATING: BEACH (Not my favorite show, but definitely something to watch on Monday night).

K-Ville
           Ok, once again, not my type of show and I had not desire to watch it before decided to put this page up. I really hadn't seen much about it and what little I had didn't interest me. I am sticking to that prior notion. Set, and filmed, in New Orleans, the show takes place two years after Katrina (hence the K). Parts of the city are still in chaos and the understaffing of the NOPD is a major problem. But while some of the locals want to take home and rebuild, others are finding it is more of a reason to live. Except for the random white cop that moves to town post his tour in Afghanistan. You might recognize one of the female cops though. Clearly being killed off Heroes doesn't end your career. Personally, this show isn't my thing and I won't be watching it, but I could see it appealing to other audiences. It has a lot of action, the acting is pretty good and you do feel for and worry about the characters. Intriguing and interesting enough to hold the attention, this one will probably be around for a while. Though I could be wrong.
          FINAL RATING: SWISS CHEESE (Just because I don't like it, doesn't mean you won't.)

Kitchen Nightmares:
           I will admit the only reason I watched this is because I love Chef Ramsey. I think Hell's Kitchen is highly entertaining. Sure, Ramsey is a major ass, but these people sign up to be abused and turned into the chef of some five star restaurant. So when I saw that ITunes had this for free too, I knew I had to watch it and see if it was worth checking out, especially in my current obsession with cooking shows. OK, that said, this show is stupid. Yea, you heard me, stupid. Poor Ramsey. Perhaps I should tell you the premise: Ramsey, world renowned chef, is making his way across the country trying to save restaurants that are failing. His job: turn the kitchen nightmares into a success by the end of the hour. Of course, he's going to do that in classic Ramsey style: yelling, screaming, cursing and telling people to shove it. Where Hell's Kitchen is a great show building awesome chefs out of not so great wanna-bes (via many great competitions), this show is...just useless. And pointless. Fox must have really needed to fill space for this one, ladies and gents. This one might last because it's like watching a train wreck and we all love to see people get what they deserve (or just get screamed at and have that momentary "thank God it's not me" thing). Still, the show is pointless with a capital P. The best part is seeing the restaurants fall to pieces because Ramsey thinks that they are terrible. Well, he wouldn't be there if he didn't guys. Welcome to 'get a clue.' Also, you might learn enough about how crappy things are at the places you frequent that you start eating at home.
          FINAL RATING: RASPBERRY (Higher than planned because I liked seeing the nasty guy get his) 

Life:
           Another sneak peek from Comcast (they had several from NBC and CBS). The premise: after being imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit, Detective Charlie Crews is freed and returned to the force. So you can imagine that most of the drama is the fact that an ex-con, who was clearly innocent, is a cop again. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, another cop drama. Who'd have thunk, right? The thing is, Charlie's a bit of an odd character and the best line by far is his response to the question "Why would the universe make fun of us?" (For the record he says "Maybe it's just insecure.") I find it really hard to like him and enjoy him, especially when he starts rambling or acting strangely. Entwined into the show are some interview-like scenes with characters that were around at the time of Charlie's arrest (like his ex-partner, his ex-wife etc.). Beverly Hills, 90210 fans might recognize Charlie's house because, unless I am mistaken, it's the Walsh residence --not important but amusing all the same. It's odd watching a drama that makes you want to laugh (I'm warning you, Charlie is just weird!) but it's a novelty. Almost mislabeled. Could definitely be a dramedy at least. Not a bad show, not great. Worth a watch or two, especially if nothing else is on. Careful though, this could easily hit the chopping block if it doesn't give NBC a Wednesday night win.
           FINAL RATING: RASPBERRY (I'll give it a second episode before I decide)

Life is Wild:
           Missed the premier. If I can find it somewhere I'll let you know.
          FINAL RATING:

Moonlight:
           Angel-like in premise, Moonlight begins with an interview with a vampire (no pun intended) that debunks the myths of the vampire realm (many of which were almost a direct attack against Buffy if you ask me.) Mick, our vampire detective living in Los Angeles (I'm telling you, this show screams Angel wannabe!), had a life changing experience saving a girl some time ago. Deciding he doesn't wish to be the typical vampire, he opts into helping the living with his immortality and supernatural abilities. Enter the girl (Beth Turner), yes the one he saved, some years later as a reporter doing live web-reports for a not so up-and-up web-paper. And his friend, Josef, who doesn't feed to kill and desires nothing more than secrecy and pain whore. The opening plot is intriguing and I might watch it when I'm bored and home on a Friday night. But the similarities to other vampire shows *cough-BUFFY/ANGEL-cough* are a little too much for me and though I love the "dark" world shows lately, I'm really missing the lingo that made some of the other shows a hit. However, if you liked those shows you'll probably like this one as well. It definitely moves fast enough and is entertaining enough to give a try to.
          FINAL RATING: BEACH (Good, but I'm annoyed by the Angel-like plot sans bitter sarcasm)

Nashville:
          I'm going to throw this up here and make it as brief as possible because it doesn't appear that Fox is going to keep this one. Debuting two weeks ago, the show is already missing from the Fox line up and has been replaced with "encore presentations" of K-Ville. Nashville is a docu-drama, yea you read that right. Five real people are trying to make it big on the country music scene and viewers can follow their progress to making it big. Well, you could have if Fox hadn't cancelled it. Or apparently cancelled it. I'm really not all that impressed with the show and I'm not all that surprised Fox took it off the air so quickly. Shows aren't given much of a chance and if they were trying to make this the country America's Next Top Model it was a failure. I don't expect to see this back unless the fans riot or Fox needs some filler. Not worth the time.
          FINAL RATING: ROTTEN EGG (Unless you like behind-the-scenes docu-dramas, skip it)

Pushing Daisies:
           To start, the show had one the most unnecessarily gruesome openings to lead you to learn of the main character's power. For the few of you who do live under a rock and don't know, he can raise the dead with a touch. This comes with two problems: if they are alive for more than a minute someone else must die and if they touch him again they are dead forever. At first, the plot seems quirky and fun until you watch five minutes and it starts to seem almost stupid. But then...then it gets truly great with lines such as "I used to think masturbation meant chewing your food." Seriously. How can you hate a show with a line like that? Now, I'm not saying that this show is perfect. The narrator, though  sarcastic know-it-all, is a bit irritating, especially when he gives ages and time changes in days, hours and minutes. And yes, there is a narrator which is a novel approach since he is completely unrelated to the story (unlike Desperate Housewives which is narrated by a deceased wife). The idea that his childhood crush is someone he brought back to life and will not touch again because he refuses to lose her is also rather sweet and...well odd in so many ways. The show itself is really funny at times, which I believe was the point. If not, sorry Pushing Daisies writers. However, it can also be a little dry and slow moving. Personally, I won't watch weekly but it is a novel idea and I really do think the general public will like it.
          FINAL RATING: For me: SWISS CHEESE The rest: BEACH (Not good enough to always get my hour)

Reaper:
           Oh, another show I wasn't sure was going to be something worth watching this season. See how much I love you people? Reaper is the story of Sam, a now twenty-one-year-old slacker whose parents sold his soul to the devil before he was born to save his father's life. Now, the devil has come to claim Sam in an odd way: he wants him to collect the souls of evil people who have gotten away and bring them back to hell. So, yea, it didn't sound like I show I wanted to rush out and watch. And because of a Diamondbacks game, I missed fifteen minutes of the show, but I am still going to give you my impression of the three-fourths of the show I watched. Here's the deal. Sam isn't a terrible character. He's amusing but a loser; still living at home, has no future and well, he's the devil's bounty hunter. He has loser friends, except for the girl he has a crush on that is a coworker at the home improvement store. Satan is charismatic and friendly, not the way you picture the master of supreme evil. The writing is ok...after all, it's a show about a guy who has to vacuum up the souls of people who escaped from hell. What are you expecting really? Sort of funny, definitely geared towards the audience the CW is looking for, Reaper isn't a complete waste of time, but it's also not a show you'll hate to miss. You'll chuckle at best and you'll be rather entertained, but go in with low expectations and you'll like it a lot more.
          FINAL RATING: SWISS CHEESE (It's a show you'll either like or hate, but not enough to view weekly)

Samantha Who?:
           Ok, once again, how the hell did the Gilmore Girl cast move on so quickly? Luke is on Aliens in America, Mr. Gilmore is on Grey's Anatomy and now Sookie is on Samantha Who? It's really distracting to see the cast on shows this season considering they barely finished the last run of GG. I guess I needed more time to get over it than they did. In any case, distraction aside, the premise is that after a hit and run accident, Samantha wakes up from a short coma to discover...she cannot remember anyone. Everyone talks to her like she's deaf, which is a bit annoying, and she discovers things like she hasn't spoken to her family in two years and she's been living with her boyfriend, that she doesn't remember. Oh and apparently she was a bit of a bitch too, at least that's how it appears. Oh, apparently a cheating bitch. Who'da thunk? And they pick on the fat girl. Another big surprise. Wow, a show full of stereotypes and bitchy moments. I'm actually really disappointed and I'm really hoping that nice Samantha stays around a lot longer. It's cute, but I'm not sure where it's going or how long it can go on.
          FINAL RATING: SWISS CHEESE (Cute, but like I said, where can it go?)

Viva Laughlin:
           Three words: musical mystery-drama. You heard me. Musical Drama. I'm serious. Based on a British show (because now it's either based on an old show, a book or something British), the show is primarily about a man who is trying to become a big shot casino owner in Laughlin. Trouble is, his funding is falling threw, he's spending more money than he has and the show uses music to advance the plot. Music that the characters tend to sing along with. Actors that probably shouldn't sing at all. Really...and it is as disturbing as it sounds. And I love musicals. The Buffy episode that was a musical, priceless. Broadway shows, classics. But this...whatever. How weird must it be to be filming a show and break into music. It's really freaking odd...sad because as good as the plot seems like it can be, the singing throws me off because...well they're singing over a soundtrack from someone else. Like singing with the radio only acting while doing so. Just...freaky. Personally, I won't watch it again and I can't see it captivating the world.
          FINAL RATING: RASPBERRY (Either let them sing or don't...preferably don't.)

Women's Murder Club:
           All right, I'll start this with the fact that my parents love this show. They thought the premier is great. So far, I'm inclined to agree. It is your typical cop drama: full of crimes, mystery and...sassy females! Yes, the four big players in this one are powerful female friends: the assistant DA, homicide inspector, crime reporter and medical examiner. And who can hate a show that opens with a women dropping from the roof of an apartment onto a car? This is the kind of show you want younger women to see. Smart, funny women who have powerful positions in society and aren't Britney Spears or Lindsay Lohan (LiLo? when did that happen?). Of course, there is some relationship talk but it's not Sex in the City at least. This is probably one of the best new dramas this season and, had I known that sooner, I would watch it more. Unfortunately, the witty reparte took thirty minutes to appear, but it was great once it came along. And poor WMC has been stuck in a bit of a sucky time slot considering it is on Friday night and that's a rough place to be. But the cast really is good and they play off each other well. And seriously entertaining. I actually think, should ABC understand the time slot isn't going to attract young men, the show could be a hit and go on for years to come.
          FINAL RATING: TIARA (My new favorite Friday night show!)