Monday, September 7, 2009

Fall TV Lineup 2009: All the shows you should watch (Part 1)

Unfortunately, I am not a “real” TV critic; I don’t get to watch the season premieres of all the various television series. However, I will say that I have done a lot of reading about the shows, new and old, and for this year, the shows certainly seem more intriguing. I have a feeling I will be videotaping (also a prehistoric now thing to do now) a lot of shows while I am watching others. I will write here about all the shows that I believe are worth giving a try; after I watch, I will reevaluate and let you know what wasn’t worth your time or mine.

The Jay Leno Show-- Mon. thru Fri. 10-11 on NBC premieres Sept. 14, Jay will welcome fellow friend and comedian Jerry Seinfeld and musical guests Jay Z, Rihanna, and Kanye West on his debut. Leno looks to do something that has never been done before on TV, a variety show that airs Monday thru Friday. He’ll include segments like jaywalking and headlines which made him number one in late night for over twelve years. Other guests on premiere week include Miley Cyrus, Tom Cruise, Halle Berry, Bruce Hornsby, and Eric Clapton. http://www.thejaylenoshow.com/

Dancing with the Stars-- Mon. 8-10, Tues. 9-10 (results show) on ABC premieres Sept. 21, You know that you want to watch! Ok, let’s reveal the cast to all those who do not already know.
*Louis Vito, elite snowboarder and Chelsie Hightower, 2nd season, finished 4th with Ty Murray last season
*Donny Osmond, TV icon and Kym Johnson, 7th season, finished 2nd with Joey Fatone in season 4 and 2nd with Warren Sapp in season 7
*Kelly Osbourne, entertainer and Louis Van Amstel, 5th season, finished 4th with Lisa Rinna in season 2 and finished 4th with Monique Coleman in season 3
*Mya, Grammy Award winning artist and Dmitry Chaplin, 2nd season, finished 11th with Holly Madison last season
*Debi Mazar, TV and film star and Maksim Chmerkovskiy, 7th season, finished 4th with Laila Ali in season 4 and 2nd with Mel B. in season 5
*Chuck Liddell, Mixed Martial Arts Champion and Anna Trebunskaya, 4th season, finished 2nd with Jerry Rice in season 2
*Joanna Krupa, model and Derek Hough, 5th season, won with Brooke Burke in season 7 and finished 4th with Jennie Garth in season 5
*Michael Irvin, three time Super Bowl Champion and ESPN analyst and Anna Demidova, this is her debut
*Kathy Ireland, model and Tony Dovolani, 8th season, finished 3rd with Stacy Keibler in season 2 and 3rd with Melissa Rycroft in season 8
*Melissa Joan Hart, TV and film star and Mark Ballas, 5th season, won with Kristi Yamaguchi in season 6 and reigning champ with Shawn Johnson from season 8
*Ashley Hamilton, actor and Edyta Sliwinska, the only pro to compete in all 9seasons, finished 2nd with Jason Taylor in season 6 and 3rd with Joey Lawrence in season 3
*Macy Gray, singer and Jonathan Roberts, 7th season, finished 3rd with Marie Osmond in season 5
*Tom Delay, politician and Cheryl Burke, 8th season, won with Drew Lachey in season 2, won with Emmitt Smith in season 3, finished 2nd with Gilles Marini in season 8, and finished 3rd with Cristian de la Fuente in season 6
*Mark Dacascos, host of Iron Chef America and Lacey Schwimmer, 3rd season, finished 3rd with Lance Bass in season 7
*Natalie Coughlin, Olympic gold medal swimmer and Alec Mazo, 5th season, won with Kelly Monaco in season 1
*Aaron Carter, singer and Karina Smirnoff, 7th season, finished 3rd with Mario Lopez in season 3 and finished 5th with Billy Ray Cyrus in season 4 and also finished 5th with Mario in season 6

Biggest Mistake this season: Tom Delay! http://abc.go.com/shows/dancing-with-the-stars

Accidentally on Purpose-- Mon. 8:30-9 on CBS premieres Sept. 21, Golden Globe winner Jenna Elfman returns to TV as Billie, a single San Francisco, film critic in hers 30s who discovers she’s pregnant following a one night stand with a 20 something guy named Zack (Jon Foster). To make things worse, her ex James (also her boss, played by Melrose Place’s Grant Show) wants to get back together with her. Also starring: Ashley Jensen (from Ugly Betty) as Olivia, Billie’s best friend; Lennon Parham plays Abby, Billie’s younger sister; and Nicolas Wright plays Davis, Zack’s friend. http://www.cbs.com/primetime/accidentally_on_purpose/

Trauma-- Mon. 9-10 on ABC premieres Sept. 28, Trauma is a new drama about first response paramedics from San Francisco, those who are first on the scene of an emergency. The show is executive produced by Peter Berg of “Friday Night Lights” fame; that fact right there is enough in and of itself to watch. The series centers around a character named Reuben “Rabbit” Palchuk, a flight medic, who one year earlier survived a terrible rescue disaster. I don’t really understand why his nickname is “Rabbit” but I am certain that I will figure that out within the first couple of episodes, but word has it that “Rabbit” is a ladies man who has ego but vulnerability. Rounding out the cast is Aimee Garcia as Marisa Benez, a street smart Iraqi war vet who is “Rabbit’s” new partner. Anastasia Griffith as Nancy Carnahan is a paramedic with a gift for medicine who lost her partner in the same disaster that almost claimed “Rabbit”. Derek Luke as Cameron Boone is caught between work and family and is plagued by memories of a disaster that took the lives of two of his friends. Jamey Sheridan as Dr. Joseph Saviano works at San Francisco City Hospital and is detached from patients but too close to his own people. Kevin Rankin as Tyler Briggs is Boone’s EMT partner, the two see each other as equals and are close friends who know what the other is thinking. Taylor Kinney as Glenn Morrison is Nancy’s EMT partner, he is new and naïve but eager to learn, and write about his experiences. http://www.nbc.com/trauma

Gossip Girl-- Mon . 9-10 on the CW premieres Sept. 14, The gang is off to college, most of them at NYU. Hilary Duff is joining the show for a few episodes as Olivia Burke, a movie star who wants the college experience. Joanna Garcia is Bree Buckley, a high class bad girl who will join for the first four episodes of the season as Nate’s love interest. Gina Torres will play Vanessa’s mom, Gabriela Abrams. Just a few questions, why is Chuck kissing a boy? I thought he only had eyes for B. Why is S. coming back from Europe with Carter, and is this her only secret? Why is Nate sleeping with someone who is a member of a rival family? Motive anyone? Xoxo Gossip Girl. http://www.cwtv.com/shows/gossip-girl

CSI Miami-- Mon. 10-11 on CBS premieres Sept. 21, Last season ended with Calleigh having accidentally shot Eric; this will prove to be tumultuous for their relationship. It has been confirmed that Adam Rodriguez who plays the sexy Eric Delko is leaving the show, and I have heard the storyline surrounding his exit is pretty pathetic; I will definitely miss Adam, maybe so much so that I may not watch anymore. One thing is for sure, I still miss Gary Dourdan and William Petersen on the original CSI. Eddie Cibrian (now more famous for his affair with Leann Rimes than his acting) is joining the show as Jesse Cardoza; we’ll learn all about his past and his connection to Horatio, dating back to 1997. Read Adam’s interview with Latina magazine--- http://latina.com/entertainment/celebrity/adam-rodriguez-dishes-csi-and-making-out-taraji-henson official show site: http://www.cbs.com/primetime/csi_miami/

90210-- Tues. 8-9 on the CW premieres Sept. 8, “One Party Can Ruin Your Whole Summer”, was the title of last season’s finale, and by the end of the episode, I think everyone understood the title’s significance. Silver and Dixon’s relationship hit more than one complicated roadblock, including differences and Ethan. Naomi’s blossoming relationship with Liam came to a screeching halt when her sister Jen slept with him. Liam was drunk and didn’t know Jen was Naomi’s sister, and Naomi believed that Annie was the secret girl he slept with. Annie slipped into a crazy depression after being treated like the black sheep at school and got drunk and crashed her car injuring someone. Navid stood by Adrianna as she had her baby. This season, Naomi blackmails Annie because she still hates her since she doesn’t know the truth. Silver and Dixon continue to struggle with their relationship, and there are other people who each of them may become interested in. Navid plans a romantic night for Adrianna. Liam wants to tell Naomi what happened between him and Naomi’s sister Jen, but doesn’t know how. The boys will bond more this season and go surfing together, and the girls will bond more too, minus Annie. Dustin Milligan (Ethan) will not return this season, and Trevor Donovan (Jeremy Horton on Days of Our Lives) has been cast as rich boy tennis player Teddy (rumor has it he has eyes for Silver but Annie and Naomi will fight over him). John Schneider will play Liam’s step dad who is a plastic sugeon. Amalia Zinser is Ivy, a tomboy who surfs with the boys and both Dixon and Liam are attracted to. http://www.cwtv.com/shows/90210

V.-- Tues. 8-9 on ABC premieres Nov. 3, This show is large scale, it feels like a movie, and one of the shows stars Elizabeth Mitchell (Juliette from Lost) says the show is an escape of sorts, and just watching the trailer it totally feels like that. The show boasts arguably, one of the sexiest casts of this fall season. The premise of the series is based upon the 80’s sci fi classic of the same name; the V’s (visitors) come to town in their spaceships preaching peace but those are not their true intentions. They want to gain the trust of humans and then dominate mankind and take over. Here are the players and their parts:
*Anna played by Morena Baccarin is the leader of the visitors charming on the outside to humans but in private, she is as manipulative as they come.
*Chad Decker played by Scott Wolf (Bailey Party of Five) is a news anchor who is so hungry to make a name for himself that he may compromise his morals to do so by becoming a means of transmitting propaganda for Anna.
*Erica Evans played by Elizabeth Mitchell is an FBI Agent and a single mom raising her teenage son Tyler. She is in the middle of the biggest conspiracy of her life and not only in a race to save her son but the world.
*Father Jack Landry played by Joel Gretsch is a Catholic Priest whose faith is tested when the visitor’s show up and he is not just trying to save souls anymore but lives as well.
*Lisa played by Laura Vandervoort is a visitor’s recruiter who uses her charm and sex appeal to lure humans particularly men into the visitor’s world.
*Ryan Nichols played by Morris Chestnut is a business with a secret past. He is engaged to
Valerie but his past threatens to come between their future together.
*Tyler Evans played by Logan Huffman is a vulnerable high school student intrigued by the visitor’s, little does he know their intentions are not pure.
*Valerie Stevens played by Lourdes Benedicto (Eva on The Nine and Gina Martinez on NYPD Blue) is a psychologist in love with her fiance Ryan but worries when his behavior changes as soon as the visitor’s come to town. http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/v

So You Think You Can Dance-- Tues. 8-10 on FOX premieres on a Wednesday Sept. 9, Season 6 will be the first fall season of the dance series. http://www.fox.com/dance

The Biggest Loser-- Tues. 8-10 on NBC premieres Sept. 15, Jillian Michaels and Bob Harper return to coach people, and get them in shape and healthy on the eighth season of the series. Alison Sweeney returns once again as the host on a season dubbed “second chances”. http://www.nbc.com/the-biggest-loser/

NCIS: Los Angeles-- Tues. 9-10 on CBS premieres Sept. 22, The new series, a spin off of NCIS, focuses on the Office of Special Projects (OSP), a division of NCIS that captures dangerous criminals who pose a threat to the nation’s security. The special agents go deep undercover and put their lives on the line everyday to bring these criminals down. The two leads are played by the unlikely but likeable duo of Chris O’Donnell as G. Callen and LL Cool J as Sam Hanna. O’Donnell describes his character as an introvert, but a chameleon when it comes to his job. LL’s character is a surveillance expert and former U.S. Navy Seal. The supporting cast includes Oscar winner Linda Hunt as Henrietta “Henny” Lange, the office manager who runs all the team’s finances. Boston born, Daniela Ruah plays the sexy but bright Kensi Blye the daughter of a fallen marine. Adam Jamal Craig plays Dominic Vail, a highly qualified newbie who lacks field experience. Nate “Doc” Getz is an operational psychologist who gets into the minds of the criminals, and is played by Peter Cambor. http://www.cbs.com/primetime/ncis_los_angeles/

Melrose Place-- Tues. 9-10 on the CW premieres Sept. 8, We all knew it would happen eventually, Melrose Place is back and more scandalous than ever! Laura Leighton returns to her role as Sydney Andrews Mancini as does Thomas Calabro scheming Dr. Michael Mancini. Josie Bissett and Daphne Zuniga have signed to reprise their roles of Jane Andrews and Jo Reynolds, and many say there negotiations in the works to have many others from the original series to return. Critics are already saying that the series in nothing like the original and not worth your time, but I would like to watch the first few episodes before I make that determination. Some of the characters actually seem interesting, I will rate them one to four stars (one is boring and one dimensional and four is so interesting I’d like the have them as my friend).
-Ella Simms played by Katie Cassidy is an up and coming publicist who will do whatever it takes to get what she wants and make it to the top. (sound familiar?) Most like Heather Locklear’s Amanda Woodward *
-Auggie Kirkpatrick played by Colin Egglesfield is a chef who possesses sensitivity and a mysterious past. Most like brothers Kyle and Ryan McBride. ****
-Lauren Yung played by Stephanie Jacobsen is a struggling med student who pays her tuition by selling herself. Most like sisters Sydney Andrews (just cause Sydney used to strip, but not personality wise) and Jane Andrews ***
-Riley Richmond played by Jessica Lucas (last seen as Kimberly on 90210) is an inner city teacher engaged to Jonah but having second thoughts. Most like Jo Reynolds ***
-Jonah Miller played by Michael Rady is an aspiring filmmaker who lives with his fiance Riley. Most like Billy Campbell **
-David Breck played by Shaun Sipos is the estranged son of Dr. Michael Mancini. Most like, his dad, Michael Mancini **
-Violet Foster played by Ashlee Simpson Wentz is a presumably naïve, innocent young woman, but she hides a secret. Most like, too hard to choose, Allison Parker, Samantha Riley, and Megan Lewis. ***
Why is there no one like Jake? Or Matt for that matter? http://www.cwtv.com/shows/melrose-place

The Good Wife-- Tues. 10-11 on CBS premieres Sept. 22, Emmy winner Julianna Margulies most recently played a defense attorney on the failed FOX series Canterbury’s Law. She returns in The Good Wife to play Alicia Florrick, a wife and mother who returns to her old job as a defense attorney as a means of rebuilding, not only her life, but her reputation following her politician husband’s sex and corruption scandal.
The people in Alicia’s Life:
*Peter Florrick, her politician husband played by Chris Noth (Mr. Big Sex and the City)
*Diane Lockhart, the top litigator (at the firm Alicia joins) who offers to be her mentor, played by Christine Baranski (Maryanne Cybill)
*Will Gardner, longtime friend of Alicia, former law school classmate, and now her firm partner, played by Josh Charles (Jake In Treatment)
*Cary Agos, Alicia’s competition at the firm who is a recent Harvard grad, played by Matt Czuchry
*Kalinda, Alicia’s ally at the firm and also the in house investigator, played by Archie Panjabi
http://www.cbs.com/primetime/the_good_wife/

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