What to Watch?
Ben Boychuk, the Vidiot Who Never Writes Nothin’, writes:
So what the hell am I supposed to watch? Looks like NBC’s Monday night line-up is solid, but other than that, I’m not seeing much worth my time.
I love a challenge, so let me map out for Ben — and anyone else who’s looking for some advice about what stuff to check out this fall — what I’m planning on watching, based on the pilots I saw this summer. I’ll also talk about what returning shows are currently on my must-watch list, just in case you’re not watching something you should be.
New Shows
Based on their pilot episodes, the four best new shows of the year are NBC’s Chuck, CW’s Reaper, CW’s Aliens in America, and ABC’s Dirty Sexy Money. I recommend that everyone check them out.
Beyond that, it really starts to depend on your taste. If you’re willing to try a soap, CBS’s Cane impressed me with its great cast and Cuban “Godfather” vibe that mixes corporate and family intrigue with out-and-out violence. If you’re a fan of Fox’s House and wonder what that show would be like as a police procedural, try NBC’s Life, which features a similarly quirky lead character and an askew take on the typical police show. Mystery buffs will dig Women’s Murder Club, a slick and breezy crime drama featuring a group of professional women — cop, lawyer, reporter, coroner — who solve crimes.
Sci-Fi fans will find lots of stuff to appeal to them. I am a litle worried about NBC’s Bionic Woman and Journeyman, both of which offered promising, but flawed, pilot episodes. Bionic Woman just doesn’t come together after one hour, but it’s got a lot of potential. I liked Journeyman a lot more than I expected to, but it takes itself so seriously that I think it’s going to collapse under its own emotional weight.
If you like reality shows, give Kid Nation a shot. Yes, it’s essentially Kid Survivor, but it’s very well done.
Finally, if you’re adventurous, I suggest you watch is ABC’s Pushing Daisies. A lot of people will absolutely adore it. Others will be perplexed by the show’s overwhelmingly precious style. Me, I’m convinced there’s a good show in there. I’m just not convinced that it hasn’t been suffocated under the sheer… tweeness of its music, cinematography, and art direction.
Returning Shows
Here’s what I recommend among returning shows, by genre.
Comedies: CBS’s How I Met Your Mother is a potentially classic sitcom in the making. Don’t let CBS’s history of making sitcoms with rounded-off edges deter you — this one’s the one to watch. NBC’s 30 Rock won the emmy for best comedy, but despite that let me assure you that it’s actually riotously funny, the show to which Arrested Development has passed the absurdist comedy baton. And yes, if you’re not watching The Office, there’s something wrong with you.
Dramas: I can not say enough good things about House, and the first two episodes of this new season have done nothing to dissuade me from my love of that show. It’s odd that a medical drama is the one show that will dependably make me laugh out loud, but House does it. I can write a similar love letter for Friday Night Lights, which deserves far more viewers than it had last season. Jump on board, get to know the kids (and adults) of Dillon, Texas, and you won’t regret it. Although superhero drama Heroes ended with a whimper last spring, I’m still looking forward to seeing how it deals with its sophomore season. And returning in February is Lost, quite simply the best series that network television has delivered in years.
Reality: What can you say? Last spring’s Survivor was lackluster, but hope springs eternal, and I’m not ready to write off the Cadillac of reality series just yet. Mark Burnett and Jeff Probst always vary it enough to keep it interesting, and I love thinking through the game strategy as I’m watching, which makes it a surprisingly active viewing experience. Coming back in the new year is The Amazing Race, which has slumped in the last year but is the best reality show of all time when it’s on its game.
So there you go. Now you’ll never have to read a book again.
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