New and returning TV shows for the fall
With many new TV shows coming out at the same time, how does one find out what to watch and what to avoid?
NBC is coming out of the gates hard, with several new shows to spice up the mix this season. “The Jay Leno Show” will help kick things off, offering an interesting experiment by bringing the style of late night talk shows to primetime.
The station also has plans to bring Joel McHale, host of E Network’s “The Soup,” to primetime with the new and unique looking comedy “Community,” set at a suburban community college.
“Trauma” is another heavily advertised NBC show. The show is an action-packed medical drama following the lives of a group of paramedics in California.
Of course, where would NBC be without its heavy hitters? Big shows like “30 Rock,” “The Office” and “Heroes” are all returning with brand new storylines and cliffhangers to boot.
CBS doesn’t seem to have much in the way of new offerings, but they will be bringing back all their old hits.
“CSI” is returning for the new season, along with Lawrence Fishburne still trying to fill the shoes of William Petersen when he departed from the show last season. “NCIS” also will be returning, and viewers will finally be able to find out what Ziva’s fate in the Middle East is after last season’s cliffhanger ending.
The sitcoms “How I Met Your Mother” and “The Big Bang Theory” will both be returning as well, promising more great jokes and antics from the two highly successful shows.
ABC is looking like the most ambitious of the networks with all-new shows like “V” and “Flashforward” premiering. “V” is a remake of the 1980s series of the same name. It involves aliens arriving on Earth, covertly attempting to take over the planet from the inside-out and only a handful of people are willing to stand up and fight back.
“Flashforward”, based on Robert Sawyer’s novel of the same name, occurs after the entire populace of the Earth blacks out for two minutes and simultaneously see glimpses into the future. “Flashforward” follows different people as they come to grips with whether or not their fate can be avoided or is certain to pass.
ABC’s ever-popular “Grey’s Anatomy” returns for its sixth season as well.
The CW will continue its trend of providing new programs aimed at teens, bringing back hit shows like “Supernatural” and “Smallville,” and premiering new series such as “The Vampire Diaries.”
“Smallville” will finally see Clark Kent donning a variation of the classic Superman costume, and will introduce fan-favorite villain Zod. “Supernatural” will see the Winchester brothers finally taking on Lucifer himself, and is rumored to be the show’s final season.
Continuing the vampire cultural phenomenon, the CW will be brining “The Vampire Diaries” to the table. Vampire fans should give it a viewing to see if it is a suitable replacement for the classic “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”
No fall TV schedule would be complete without a few shows from Fox. Fox will continue its domination of the animation genre with hit cartoons like “Family Guy,” “American Dad” and “The Simpsons”.
Dramas “Fringe”, “Bones”, “House” and “Dollhouse” will all be returning with plenty of new storylines and plot twists to keep viewers hooked on all the drama.
Fox also has a few very promising new shows to look forward to. Spinning off from “Family Guy”, “The Cleveland Show” will bring the supporting character Cleveland to the forefront as he moves to California and brings a host of new characters to the Family Guy universe.
“Glee” also looks to be a smash hit, using the popularity of modern musicals such as “High School Musical” to bring a slightly darker (but still humorous) outlook on the life of high school students involved in their respective glee clubs.
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Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Ryan Brooks at ryan.j.brooks@colorado.edu
