Question: Which are the top five new shows you would recommend this fall? From the previews I have read, I am most looking forward to The Nine, Heroes, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, Jericho and Ugly Betty. Six Degrees sounded intriguing to me when I read the premise, but critics have bashed it, so I'm uncertain. Although it does have J.J. Abrams involved, so I'm hoping.
Answer: I'll give you a top six: my three favorite new dramas and my three favorite new comedies (the latter is almost by default because there are so few of merit). Dramas, in no particular order: The Nine, Studio 60, Friday Night Lights. Comedies, in no particular order: 30 Rock, The Class, Ugly Betty. There are a handful of shows I'll be tracking that fall on a second tier, but I can tell you that Heroes and Jericho will not likely be among them. (I know that because I write this particular column on the Internet, I'm supposed to gush on and on about any show with an element of fantasy — call it the Comic-Con factor —
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Question: I just watched the Friday Night Lights pilot, and I have to say that, from the eight or nine new dramas that I've seen, it is by far the best of the bunch. I definitely feel Friday Night Lights fills most of the gap left by the late, great American Dreams. I was wondering how you think it will do in its time slot. It has some pretty formidable competition, all established shows in Fox's House, CBS' NCIS, ABC's Dancing with the Stars and CW's Gilmore Girls. I believe Friday Night Lights is definitely worthy of breaking out. NBC is on a roll this season with its new shows.
Answer: Without getting into how you've seen this already (I can't keep track of what's out there for download or from Netflix), I absolutely agree that Friday Night Lights is "worthy" of breaking out. It's one of my favorite fall pilots, and I love that it's not about crime-solving or courtrooms or kidnappings. It's that rarity about real people in an authentic place and time, not nostalgic like American
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Question: I know it's still summer, but have the networks announced tentative dates for their season premieres?
Answer: As of now, the only network not to announce premiere dates is CBS, which will likely launch most of its new and returning shows the weeks of Sept. 17 and 24.
Here's how the others shape up: The season kicks off early on Fox, with Prison Break and Vanished on Aug. 21; then the limited reality series Duets on Aug. 29; Justice and Bones on Aug. 30; House and Standoff on Sept. 5; the comedies 'Til Death and Happy Hour on Sept 7; Nanny 911 on Sept. 8; Cops and America's Most Wanted on Sept. 9; Fox's animated comedy lineup plus The War at Home on Sept. 10; and MADtv Sept. 16. (The O.C. won't return until after postseason baseball on Nov. 2.)
On ABC, 20/20 officially kicks off Sept. 8; Dancing with the Stars returns Sept. 12 and 13; Wife Swap premieres Sept. 18; Grey's Anatomy and Six Degrees on Sept. 21; Ugly Betty and Men in Trees on Sept. 22; Extreme Makeover: Home
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Question: Which fall pilots would you deem worthy of my time?
Answer: I finished watching the last of the pilots over the weekend and I have fantastic news: For the first time in recent memory, the good fall shows easily outnumber the bad ones — at least based on the pilots I saw. As Desperate Housewives taught us, the second and third episodes tell us much more about a show's creative bones than a season premiere. With that said, here are the fall offerings that have the most FauxVo potential.
* Vanished (Fox) and Kidnapped (NBC): Among the things these two thrillers share in common: They both&
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Question: Which new shows are you most interested in seeing next season?
Answer: I'll get into all of my fall picks in an upcoming AA, but at the top of my must-see list are NBC's Heroes and Friday Night Lights, CBS' The Class and Smith, ABC's The Nine and Six Degrees, and Fox's Vanished.
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