Here’s a look at the noteworthy premieres of the fall season. I’m skipping over the bland sitcoms (even if they’re based on a clever Twitter feed or star Joanna Garcia) and the procedural remakes (“Hawaii Five-O”) and spinoffs (like the one for “Criminal Minds”). But I encourage you to check out Zap2It’s guide for a more comprehensive look at the fall lineup, as well as the primetime grid.
By the way, I wasn’t intending to snub Fox with this list, but while none of their shows looked awful, none of them really grabbed me either. These eight shows did, to one degree or another.
“Hellcats” (The CW) — Commercially speaking, a show about a college cheerleading/dance team is a great idea. If done right, it could do for dancing what “Glee” does for singing. I imagine “Hellcats” will have off-the-floor drama between students (including Disney veterans Aly Michalka, as the blonde, and Ashley Tisdale, switching over to brunette) and pepper in dance numbers — accompanying tunes, of course — that illustrate the emotions of the storyline.
“My Generation” (ABC) — A faux documentary catches up with a handful of the Class of 2000 a decade later. The preview is all over the place, but ensemble shows tend to have a cushion where as long as one or two characters hook the viewer, it gives the others time to catch up (that’s kind of what happened for me with “Parenthood”). A lot of the characters’ lives will be affected by major events from the Aughts, and while that makes for natural drama, it probably won’t make for high ratings — people don’t want to be reminded of that decade right now.
“No Ordinary Family” (ABC) — If I loved “Heroes” I’d be offended that a similar show is starting right after its cancellation. But “Heroes” (which I stopped watching in Season 2) was by most accounts pretty bad, and while I’m not sure “No Ordinary Family” (about a family of four that acquires superpowers after a plane crash, natch) will be any good, it’s the only new sci-fi show on the fall schedule, so it’s worth a look.
“Mr. Sunshine” (ABC, midseason) — Matthew Perry is quite likable when he gets good material, and this one might deliver. He plays the manager of an arena, providing lots of opportunities for wild situations, similar to when Perry was running a late-night sketch show on “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.” The previews suggest that it doesn’t attain “Studio 60’s” level of quick wit, but still, it has potential.
“The Event” (NBC) — NBC put together a compelling preview for this show, where it says various major happenings (assassination attempt, disappearance, etc.) are not the major event of the series’ title. The network is blatantly trying to stir up an air of mystery so it will possess the next “Lost.” It’s kind of working, and it certainly doesn’t hurt that Jason Ritter (“Joan of Arcadia,” “Parenthood”) is among the stars.
“Love Bites” (NBC) — As a few main characters seek love in the ongoing story, we get weekly side stories with guest stars that give a different take on love. Shows exploring love are almost always commercial failures, whether they are good (“Miss Match”) or bad (the “Cupid” remake), but creatively at least, this one has a decent shot at success.
“The Cape” (NBC) — A guy framed for a crime escapes prison and reinvents himself as a superhero, like a middle-aged version of Kick-Ass. The training sequences in the preview suggest that the storytellers aren’t going to rush through this, so “The Cape” could have some depth to it. Summer Glau is part of the cast, and that helps its watchability factor immensely.
“Friends with Benefits” (NBC) — The preview makes the show look exactly like the title sounds. But it stars Ryan Hansen from “Veronica Mars” and Fran Kranz from “Dollhouse” (not exactly reprising their roles, but I’ll take it), and the writing staff includes the two “(500) Days of Summer” scribes. So I gotta give it a chance.