Fall 2011 TV Preview: What to Watch

Wednesdays

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


Up All Night (8:00/7:00, NBC, premieres 9/14)

I've already talked about this show on my top five of the fall post, but here's what you need to know if you missed it: Christina Applegate. Will Arnet. Maya Rudolph.

Or robot versions of them. Dear Photoshop Department...

Free Agents (8:30/7:30, NBC, premieres 9/14)

Starring Hank Azaria, Kathryn Hahn (How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days), and Anthony Head (Hey, Giles!), this show is an adaptation of a British comedy about co workers hooking up and the mess that follows. Azaria is in  full on crazy Hank Azaria mode, which is always fun, and if it stays edgy and original like the British version, it will be great.

That may have been a problem for NBC in the past...

Suburgatory (8:30/7:30, ABC)

I don't actually know much about this new sitcom, minus the basic premise that Jeremy Sisto moves his teenage daughter (Does anyone else feel weird that Elton is old enough to play a teenager's dad?) from NYC to the burbs, and she has to deal with...well, suburbia. It could be fantastic, and I've got high hopes if only because it earned the prime new show spot on ABC's comedy night (in between the underrated The Middle and comedy juggernaut Modern Family). Plus, Jeremy Sisto!

This was a long time ago. You are old.

Revenge (10:00/9:00, ABC)

I've already seen the pilot for this soapy show, starring Emily VanCamp (Brothers and Sisters) as a girl hell bent on revenge in the Hamptons, and it is exactly what you expect it to be, given what I just told you and the fact that it's on ABC. VanCamp is trying very hard and honestly almost pulling off some decent acting, and though the writers seem to feel the need to throw anvils at my head, (Really? The boy from her childhood is now a hot guy carrying a torch for her? I wouldn't have guessed that from the fact that he named his boat after her.) I am interested to see what happens. I imagine it will end up in the bin with all the other ABC shows for me, when the plot gets stale or the characters become utterly irredeemable, but I'm giving it a shot until then.

This has to be the worst picture of her ever.

American Horror Story (10:00/9:00, FX, premieres 10/5)

This new concept show from Ryan Murphy (Nip/Tuck, Glee) stars Dylan McDermott and Connie Britton as a couple who move with their teenage daughter into a haunted house complete with a creepy neighbor (Jessica Lange) and weird former residents (including Zachary Quinto). This show is a return to Nip/Tuck form for Murphy, and promises scares as well as lots of weirdo sexuality (the teen daughter has sex with a man in a rubber fetish suit, among other things). Not my cup of uncomfortable tea, but it's getting great reviews from critics.

Um, no thank you.

So what should you watch?

You're going to watch The X-Factor, aren't you? Don't lie to me. I know you too well.

In that case, throw some DVR love at Up All Night, Suburgatory, Modern Family (9/8, ABC) and Happy Endings (9:30/8:30, ABC), and then give Revenge a shot, unless you are watching Ted Danson join CSI (CBS) or the death knoll of L&O:SVU (NBC).

At least until October 12th, when Psych returns on USA network.

Then everything else is meaningless.






In exciting news, I will be a guest on the radio show Black Sheep on GVB Radio September 20th, talking Fall TV as well as a recap of the Emmy's! Tune in at 12:00am EST/ 11:00 pm CST on http://www.gvbradio.com/ and check out the awesome Back Sheep show here!


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)!