This week has a lot more good shows debuting compared to last week. There is a lot to recommend and hard to pick one as the pick of the week since I’ve seen Fringe and it is very good, but I’m going with True Blood as the pick since it is produced by Alan Ball and looks like HBO is finally getting back to its classic good shows after a run of pretty lames ones last year.
Pick of the Week
True Blood
Channel: HBO
Time: 9/8c
Premieres: Sunday, Sep 7
Starring: Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Sam Trammell, Ryan Kwanten, Rutina Wesley, Nelson Ellis
Trailer
Synopsis: Scientists have found a blood synthetic that vampires can use so humans are safe and vampires can live out in the open. Not everyone buys that they won’t be attacked though, especially religious folks. A waitress, who has her own special gift of hearing everyone’s thoughts, is thrilled by a vampire that comes into her diner since his thoughts are actually closed off to her. She finds his mysteriousness sexy.
My Take: I love Alan Ball. I loved Six Feet Under and I love vampires, so this seems like a natural show for me to watch.
Recommended
Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles
Channel: FOX
Time: 8/7c
Premieres: Monday, Sep 8
Starring: Lena Headey, Thomas Dekker, Summer Glau, Brian Austin Green, Garret Dillahunt, Shirley Manson, Leven Rambin, Richard T. Jones
Trailer
Synopsis: The first season picked up where the second movie left off (ignoring the third movie altogether). It wandered around and wasn’t very strong for the first couple of episodes, but actually got better after Brian Austin Green joined. Who would have thought!
My Take: I was about to give up on the show after the first couple of episodes, but gave the rest of it a shot when I heard that Shirley Manson (lead singer of Garbage) was joining the cast as a CEO that may or may not be evil this season. I have no idea if she can act, but I love her. I really hope she will have her Scottish accent since it’s awesome.
Fringe
Channel: FOX
Time: 8/7c
Premieres: Tuesday, Sep 9
Starring: Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson, John Noble, Lance Reddick, Kirk Acevedo, Mark Valley, Blair Brown, Jasika Nicole
Trailer
Synopsis: An FBI agent works with a former institutionalized scientist and his equally brilliant, but con-artist son to solve crimes that are a bit off the beaten path in terms of science, such as telekinesis, reanimation and teleportation. There is also some kind of pattern forming amongst all these strange cases.
My Take: I’ve already seen the pilot and really enjoyed it. I love JJ Abrahms’ shows and I like the supernatural element in this one. Joshua Jackson is actually surprising and my favorite part of the episode. It is a TV Guide Pick and The Futon Critic loves it.
Not My Thing
Hole in the Wall
Channel: FOX
Time: 8/7c
Premieres: Sunday, Sep 7
Starring: Brooke Burns, Mark Thompson
Trailer
Synopsis:It is a human Tetris game where people try to contort their bodies to fit into the shapes coming towards them quickly. If they don’t do it, they break through the wall and fall into some weird looking green water.
My Take: If I stumbled across it, I would most likely laugh at it, like I would laught at Wipeout, but I’m not going out of my way to see it.
Entourage
Channel: HBO
Time: 10/9c
Premieres: Sunday, Sep 7
Starring: Adrian Grenier, Jeremy Piven, Kevin Connolly, Kevin Dillon, Jerry Ferrara, Debi Mazar, Perrey Reeves, Rex Lee
Trailer
Synopsis: Vince tried to get some indie cred with his Cannes flop Medellin. He’s been hiding out on a Mexican beach but when he finally gets back to Hollywood, he realizes how far his star has fallen.
My Take: I tried several times to watch this show, but I just can’t get into it. Maybe if I was a guy, I’d like it more. Oh well!
Privileged
Channel: CW
Time: 9/8c
Premieres: Tuesday, Sep 9
Starring: Joanna Garcia, Ashley Newbrough, Lucy Kate Hale, Anne Archer, Brian Hallisay, Kristina Apgar, Michael Cassidy, Allan Louis
Trailer
Synopsis: A graduate student who wants a career in journalism writing about the rich and famous gets a live-in tutor job for some wealthy twin teens whose grandmother wants to have better SAT scores, but they just want to party.
My Take: It is from a book, which sounds more interesting than what comes across in the trailer. The trailer seems all fantasy world and lame. The Futon Critic says it actually has a lot of heart to it and that is mostly thanks to the lead character.
Don’t Forget the Lyrics!
Channel: FOX
Time: 9/8c
Premieres: Friday, Sep 12
Starring: Wayne Brady
Trailer
Synopsis: A song is played and then suddenly it stops. The contestant then has to sing the next line.
My Take: I thought for sure this show would just be on for a few weeks last season, but here it is again! I guess it makes a nice mindless companion to Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?
Why
‘Til Death
Channel: FOX
Time: 9/8c
Premieres: Wednesday, Sep 10
Starring: Brad Garrett, Joely Fisher, J.B. Smoove
Trailer
Synopsis:Last season, there was a mix up in the Big Brother program that Eddie volunteered for and he ended up with Kenny, a much older guy who isn’t a little brother at all. He ended up being so popular on the show that they are dumping the newlyweds that lived next door to focus on just Eddie, Joy and Kenny.
My Take: The married couple were so nasty to each other that I just didn’t find it appealing. I’m not sure why it got renewed.
Do Not Disturb
Channel: FOX
Time: 9:30/8:30c
Premieres: Wed, Sep 10
Starring: Jerry O’Connell, Niecy Nash, Molly Staton, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Brando Eaton, Jolene Purdy
Trailer
Synopsis:There is a white womanizer guy who manages a boutique hotel in New York City and a sassy black human resource woman who takes care of everything. Stereotypical wackiness ensues.
My Take: I didn’t laugh once at the trailer and cringed a little at how I had seen it all before done. Also, no matter how hard he tries, I haven’t seen Jerry O’Connell ever be successful at being funny, with the lone exception of Stand By Me. Maybe he lost the funny with the baby fat. I have no idea how long the show will last. It is hard to find information about it on the FOX site. It doesn’t even have its own page. They don’t seem to have much faith in it.
September 7th, 2008 7:48 am
I am sad that I do not have HBO. I will have to wait to add True Blood to the Netflix queue. I really like the idea of the Sarah Connor Chronicles, but wasn’t able to get into it last season, (I did only try parts of 2 or 3 episodes) I keep thinking that I should give it another chance. Maybe I will try this season.
September 7th, 2008 9:57 am
I will be sad with Stacy that I do not have HBO. I am very happy to have Sarah Connor Chronicles back. I can’t wait to see Fringe. I like Hole in the Wall as one component of the Japanese games shows I have seen do it but not a whole show just of that one activity.
September 7th, 2008 10:01 am
I think you can start watching this season of Sarah Connor and pick up what’s happening. The main thing that came out of last season was Brian Austin Green was sent back from the future by John Connor to help out and he’s John Connor’s uncle. Sarah Connor had no idea that John’s father had a brother and he didn’t know he was John Connor’s uncle when he was sent back, but he figured it out while he was there. He’s a bit messed up being from the crazy future though. Oh, and in the last episode the bad Terminator guy was killing FBI guys left and right, but he didn’t kill the main FBI guy that suspects there is something more to Sarah Connor’s crazy story. No idea why he didn’t kill him, but he just looked at him and walked away.
Now you are caught up! I’m sure they’ll do a brief recap at the beginning of the episode this season too.