Fall 2011 TV Preview: What to Watch

OK, Freaks, here's where it gets complicated.

And awesome.

With almost thirty new shows coming to TV this fall, how will you possibly decide what to watch? I know, I know.

I can feel your panic.

Luckily for you, I've come to answer all of your questions with a whole week of day-by-day analysis of all the new shows and a breakdown of what to watch.

Trust me, I'm a professional (TV obsessive).

All shows premiere the week of September 19-25 unless otherwise indicated. 


Sundays

Once Upon a Time (8:00/7:00, ABC, premieres 10/23)

One of two fairy tale based shows, this trippy show centers around familiar fairy tale characters caught in a small-town alternate reality. Starring Jennifer Morrison (House) and Gennifer Goodwin (Big Love), it's getting the inevitable LOST comparisons (of course, what doesn't?) and looks to be pretty interesting. I love fairy tales from modern perspectives, so I'm giving it a shot, but I'm not convinced the high-concept premise will find a major audience.

What are the chances she's Little Red Riding Motorcycle Jacket? 

Pan Am (10:00/9:00, ABC)

Here's the deal: I just don't like ABC dramas. I know I am completely their target market, being a young-ish woman, but I can't even watch Private Practice, and Taye Diggs is in it. Pan Am looks like it's going to be exactly the same thing, Grey's Anatomy with flight attendants in the 60's, so you know if you'll like this show. I promise to admit if I'm wrong, but I don't think it's going to be anything special.

Starring Christina Ricci, the human anime character. 

Homeland (10:00/9:00, Showtime, premieres 10/2) 

Claire Danes (Who I totally said should come back to TV in this post!) and Damien Lewis (from the prematurely cancelled Life) star in this intense psychological thriller about a long-held prisoner of war (Lewis) and the one CIA agent who thinks he might be a traitor (Danes). Trouble is, she might be crazy! So who's telling the truth? It's way too intense for me to be watching to find out, but I have no doubt it will be great television.

Good job with the Photoshop, guys. 

So what should you watch?

Football.

If you're not doing that, check out Once Upon a Time, The Good Wife (CBS, 9/8) , and Pan Am, and DVR animation over on FOX if that's your thing. Lady Gaga is going to be on The Simpsons! (Yeah, I don't care either.)



Mondays

Terra Nova (8:00/7:00, FOX, premieres 9/26)

The season's biggest gamble, this Steven Spielberg produced epic drama stars Jason O'Mara (Life on Mars) as a father in the post-apocalyptic future who chooses to take his family back in time to join human colonies who are trying to restart the future. That made sense, right? Basically, it's Swiss Family Robinson meets Jurassic Park, with the tough old guy from Avatar thrown in. It's costing a ton of money, promises to feature exceptional special effects to make up for it, and could potentially be really amazing if it sticks to characters and storylines and not just flash.

Flashy, flashy terror. 

Two Broke Girls (8:30/7:30, CBS) 

Co-written by Whitney Cummings and Michael Patrick King (Sex and the City) and starring the delightfully snarky Kat Dennings, this new sitcom has great pedigree, great buzz,  and seems to be a great fit with the CBS comedy block on Mondays. I can't explain it, but I'm just not feeling this show. Well, OK, I can explain it. It's cliche. I can see the jokes coming a mile away. It has a laugh track. The blonde girl (Beth Behrs) is terrible, and even Kat seems to be working too hard for too little. I'm not saying it's going to be the terrible, but I don't think it's very good, either.

Interestingly, they work in a diner in 1976. 

Hart of Dixie (9:00/8:00, CW, premieres 9/26)

Sweet Home Alabama with a doctor, starring Rachel Bilson on the CW. You now know everything you need to know about this show and whether or not you will like it.

The CW: Not doing anything new because we love this shit. 

The Playboy Club (10:00/9:00, NBC) 

Featured as one of the five shows I'm most excited about, this "edgy" period piece from NBC focuses on Nick (Eddie Cibrian), an attorney and frequent club goer who gets entangled with one of the bunnies (Drive Angry's Amber Herd) who accidentally offs a mob boss. It will be flashy and pretty and lots of fun, but I don't think it will last up against veteran juggernauts Hawaii Five-0 and Castle.

Bye, show!

Enlightened (9:30/8:30, HBO, premieres 10/10)

Is there anything bad on HBO? Nope. It's a solid network that does solid programming. In this outing, Laura Dern plays a woman who, after a nervious breakdown, decides she wants to make a difference in the world. With co-stars Diane Ladd (Dern's real-life mother) and Luke Wilson, it looks to be thought-provoking, dramatic, well-written fare. Like I said, standard HBO.

PIctured: Standards

So what should you watch?

I'll be DVRing How I Met Your Mother (CBS, 8/7), Terra Nova, Hawaii Five-0 (CBS, 10/9), Castle (ABC,10/9), and The Playboy Club.

The rest of the country will be watching Chaz Bono learn to dance.





Stay tuned all week for the TV Freak's What to Watch guide, and if you haven't already, like me on Facebook (TV Freak) and follow me on Twitter (@theTVFreak)!