A university is just a group of buildings gathered around a library. ~Shelby Foote

Thursday, September 07, 2006

Fall TV

Well, it's that time again, when the major TV networks roll out their fall schedules and pray to the TV gods, Comedy, Drama, Ambivalence, and Comfy Couch, that cable won't keep gnawing away at their market share. I don't watch all that much TV, but I do watch some, and there are some interesting developments rolling down the pipeline this year. So, what the hey.

New show I'm most looking forward to:
Studio 60. It has a fabulous cast in Matthew Perry, Amanda Peet, Bradley Whitford, Steven Weber, etc. and it has an impeccable writing/producing pedigree in Aaron Sorkin and Thomas Schlamme. The concept (behind the scenes at a live TV sketch show ala SNL) doesn't seem anywhere near as interesting to me as behind the scenes at the White House (ala, the West Wing), but I'm willing to give Sorkin the benefit of the doubt.

Returning show I'm most looking forward to:
House. Having caught up with this gem over the summer (on cable), I have to admit I was itching to see some new stuff from Hugh and the gang on Tuesday. I'm am still uncertain if I like the hallucination season-ending cliff-hanger leg no longer busted (or is it?) storyline, but the writing has still been tight, the medical mysteries interesting, and the acting fabulous, so I'm hopeful.

Change in an Existing Long Running Show I'm Curious About:
MNF moving from ABC to ESPN. I won't miss John Madden or Al Michaels, but Joe Theismann is terrible, Mike Tirico is about as bland as a breathing human being can be, and I've never liked Tony Kornheiser, so I don't have high hopes for the new guys, either. In a small dollop of encourgaing news, the concept of redoing the late season Monday night games to avoid yawners like last year's horrendous Packer/Raven match-up in December.

Are They REALLY Still On?
Yes, both the Simpsons and Law & Order (No initials) return for their 231st season. L&O will now be on Friday nights, otherwise known as the deadzone. I think that franchise is finally winding down.

Returning Show I Can't Believe is Returning:
CSI: Miami. Wow this show is dreadful. It was okay at first-- I like David Caruso, and the CSI schtick is one I enjoy. But the last season was just horrible. The storylines were stilted, the dialogue was even more stilted, and by the end, even the forensics side of things became forced and uninteresting. "Oh hey, a weird bit of sand-- only appears in one part of Miami!" Isn't that convenient. Die, Die, Die!

Cable Shows I'm Looking Forward to:
Monk. Psyche. Professional Poker Tour. South Park.

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