Fall Television Preview

After a long summer full of tired reality shows and formulaic cable dramas, it’s finally here: the fall television season!  Even with your DVR(s), though, it’s impossible to keep up with every show, so we here at Poptimal have just what you need — a cheat sheet to help you manage your schedule.  Keep reading to find out what we think is worth your time (Glee!), what you shouldn’t bother getting invested in (Dollhouse!), and what you should avoid (sorry, LL Cool J).

Most anticipated new show

FlashForward, because the premise is ambitious and high-concept, and David Goyer is (mostly) a very talented writer and idea man. – Cameron Cubbison

Glee. The pilot was so fun, and the characters seem genuine and likable. – Stephanie Jaar

Hank. It’s Kelsey Grammar! – Tanya Lane

V may not be on the grid until November, but this show could be ABC’s chance to fill the huge void Lost will leave when it bows out after its final season. V is a glossier version of its ’80s counterpart which was more campy than edgy, but with a solid cast, a timely plot and crazy sick special effects, V is a can’t miss show already.  Glee’s first episode premiered at the end of last season, and I don’t know another series that more people have been chomping at the bit to see. It’s original and witty and snarky, and yes, I’ve seen the episode three times already. – Inisia Lewis

Glee.  Glee is the new show to watch this fall.  Don’t believe me?  How about a second opinion: my review of the pilot.  While I’m leery of the iTunes cross-promotional, it’s a great marketing strategy and a way to hook the obsessive American Idol fans while we wait to find out if Paula will be returning in Season 9. – J.B. Perlow

Glee and FlashForward (the promos look fantastic, plus, it’s Dominic Monaghan’s return to TV!) – Robin Reed

Glee. Fox made the brilliant move of previewing this heartfelt dramedy with a delightfully dark streak last May after the Idol finale, and they’ve been building the buzz all summer with the pilot getting millions of hits on Hulu and new vids of its many musical numbers (it is about a glee club, after all) becoming burning news on the entertainment blogs. – Paul Secrest

Jay Leno – Renata Sellitti

Most anticipated returning show

Bones, because of the great, fun, layered performances by Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz and the chemistry between them, which is still as palpable as it was when the show began, even if the writing itself has gone down hill. – Cameron

House. No matter how bizarre this show may get, I always look forward to Hugh Laurie’s interpretation of Dr. House! – Stephanie

Fringe ended with a serious “WHAAAAT?”, followed by a “NO FRAKING WAY!”. And all summer long I’ve been waiting to see how they’ll play out the “alternate realities exist” storyline. – Inisia

Dexter.  It’s on a premium channel. I don’t know anyone who watches the show.  And, even I won’t be able to watch this when it returns this fall as I no longer subscribe to premium channels (thank you, The Tudors).  But I’m anticipating the show’s release on DVD next spring!  I’ve been with this show since the beginning and have few negative things to say about it (I can even watch the character Deb (Jennifer Carpenter) for more than five seconds now).  This season John Lithgow joins the cast as Dexter’s new nemesis and what’s not to love about Mr. Lithgow’s ability to play a psycho.  Add Mr. Lithgow to an already solid ensemble and Dexter balancing his moonlighting homicidal tendencies with married life and fatherhood, and this fourth season should be the best yet. – J.B.

Fringe. This X-Files for the new millennium thrill ride about a literal mad scientist and the cadre of friends, relatives, and federal agents who keep his discoveries in check featured a drastically mind bending finale with one of the ballsiest images ever put on TV (imagine an alternate dimension where 9/11 never happened). If the writers can keep the serialized plot elements from flying completely off the deep end, Fringe might ascend into a true classic. – 

Dancing with the Stars or Grey’s Anatomy, because Heigl and Knight are gonzo. – Renata

Most likely to stage a comeback

Lie To Me, because the protagonist is very House-esque, the show has a worthy, charismatic and talented star in Tim Roth, and with Shawn Ryan of The Shield and Nash Bridges coming over to run the show, it has the chance to catch on as a big property for Fox. – Cameron

Ugly Betty.  Last season the show suffered a bit, but it’s possible Betty’s makeover could bring back viewers. – Stephanie

Grey’s Anatomy – Tanya

Brothers & Sisters ran into some trouble last season, especially with Balthazar Getty’s martial issues affecting the show in very odd ways. Hopefully, they can get their act together and become the show we used to know and love. – Inisia

Gossip Girl.  I admit this one is more wishful thinking on my part than what I anticipate happening in the third season of Gossip Girl.  In the first season I developed an unhealthy obsession with this show.  In the second season, I remained ever so faithful even as the episodes diminished in quality.  I’m hoping the post-high school phase for our Upper Eastsiders will give a needed jolt to this series. – J.B.

The aforementioned Dominic Monaghan – Robin

House. The Dr. A-Hole show never got bad, per se, just lost its focus with the intro and exit of one too many new characters while many originals languished in the wings. But with Chase & Cameron’s return to the spotlight, a potentially awesome “House in a mental lockup” storyline, and a fresh wave of goodwill surrounding Fox’s genius “Snakes on a Cane” viral marketing blitz, look for Hugh Laurie & Co. to limp back to the top. – Paul

Can The Office be considered a comeback if it’s not really in a slump?  I just think people will appreciate it more now that a lot more garbage is on the air this season, ha! – Renata

Most likely to be a disappointment

NCIS: Los Angeles, because call me crazy, but when I think of success, a show starring Chris O’Donnell and LL Cool J doesn’t come to mind. – Cameron

Melrose Place. Can anything ever really live up to the original? – Stephanie

Trauma on NBC. How many hospital-type shows do we need? – Tanya

Please just make Georgina a series regular on Gossip Girl! Michelle Trachtenberg looks like the only good thing about the generic looking (and titled) Mercy. Hopefully, this medical drama doesn’t have to die a slow death. – Inisia

Modern Family.  I’ll be watching this new sitcom on ABC but my expectations are low.  ABC has been hyping this show almost as much as Emily’s Reasons Why Not, and we all know how that turned out for them.  But perhaps Modern Family will prove more in line with other recent ABC sitcoms like Samantha Who?, Notes from the Underbelly, and Big Day, i.e., I’ll like the show and the network will cancel it (and burn off the last episodes). – J.B.

House (again) – Robin

Hank. Kelsey Grammar is talented, no doubt about that. But instead of swimming in his Frasier residuals or sticking to the big screen (he was delightfully awesome as Beast in X-Men 3), the onetime Dr. Crane keeps feeling the need to pursue sitcoms. This tired fish outta water tale of a CEO moving to the Appalachians doesn’t look to do any favors for the ailing 3 camera laffer format. – Paul

Gossip Girl – Renata

Most likely to hit a sophomore slump

Fringe, because it already hit a freshman slump, and no matter how much money and effort Fox throws at it, they can’t erase the fact that the J.J. Abrams show is an exceedingly marginal, poor man’s descendant of The X-Files, and the stars have none of the chemistry, charisma, or talent of David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson. – Cameron

Parks and Recreation. The first season only consisted of six episodes, all of which were met with mixed reviews. A second season can either make or break this show. – Stephanie

90210 kind of hit a freshman slump, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it continued on the trend in its sophomore year. – Inisia

Fringe.  Last season’s non-cliffhanger cliffhanger opened the door to a new dimension and to infinite possibilities of what could happen on the show . . . as if the show’s storyline were already not tying itself into a Gordian Knot.  I fear that Fringe is quickly sailing on a rudderless ship, much like Alias, The X Files, and Lost (until the writers were given a firm deadline), became after their inception.  I hope I will be wrong on this because the nation needs more John Noble on television (and the show’s theme song was the best of last year’s new shows). – J.B.

Fringe, although as I understand it it had a freshman slump as well. – Robin

Lie To Me. I’m not gonna lie (no pun intended), I’ve never seen this show. So maybe I’m off base with this one, but I refuse to believe that a show based around something as esoteric as facial pattern recognition could possibly have legs. – Paul

Parks and Recreation – Renata

Most likely to get cancelled

Cougar Town, because the promos look stupid, the concept is hackneyed and unappealing, and Courtney Cox can’t carry a show. – Cameron

Eastwick. The plot description alone oozes of cliches. – Stephanie

NCIS: Los Angeles. Am I supposed to take LL seriously? I don’t. – Tanya

It looks like Fox is taking a shot at a 30-minute comedy that’s not a cartoon with Brothers. Face the facts, though. It’s barely gotten any promo time, is relegated to Fridays, and has an ex-NFL player as the show’s lead. Things do not look good. – Inisia

FlashForward.  Two words: The Nine. – J.B.

Dollhouse.  I mean, come on. – Robin

Dead heat between ABC’s three high concept dramas Eastwick, FlashForward, and V. Props to ABC for going out on a limb and dabbling in genre television instead of constantly rattling the bones of the crime procedural (paging CBS) but their track record with any non-Lost sci-fi/fantasy programming reads like a graveyard (RIP Life on Mars, Invasion, that sexy astronaut show that came out this summer that I can’t even bother remembering the name of…) so between these three new shows, one about witches, one about a worldwide psychic blackout, one about an alien invasion in the name of peace, I’d be pleasantly surprised if two of them see a second season. – Paul

Heroes - Renata

Most likely to get cancelled undeservedly

Castle, because ABC hasn’t launched a successful procedural or cop show in years, and even though Castle is a fresh take on the genre with talented and appealing stars, people won’t give it a chance until too late. – Cameron

The Good Wife. It definitely sounds like it has a strong plot, but will it pull in audiences? It might go the same way as Geena Davis’ Commander-in-Chief. – Stephanie

Accidentally on Purpose – Tanya

Dollhouse may have started out slow last season, but the final episodes were packed with drama, action and suspense. It’s an exciting show that too few people are watching, and I fear that FOX may not give it another chance if the ratings don’t pick up, no matter how good it gets. – Inisia

Community.  Two words: Chevy Chase.  However, it’s part of NBC’s classic Must See TV Thursdays, which launched such greats as Night Court and Wings, as well as the average Just Shoot Me, which managed seven seasons on NBC (in various time slots) before going into syndication. – J.B.

Glee.  Because despite the hype, I remember those disappointing premiere numbers back in May. – Robin

Dollhouse. Joss Whedon’s fourth fling with broadcast TV was met with a more lukewarm reception than his previous efforts, but this enigmatic tale of friends/lovers/assassins programmed to order blossomed throughout its freshman run and Fox miraculously granted the dolls a round 2. But if the cult following doesn’t parlay into big numbers, playtime might be over. – Paul

One Tree Hill (sniffle) – Renata

Show whose cancellation I’m rooting for:

Any of the Real Housewives shows, but we know that’s not going to happen… – Stephanie

Cougar Town. Come on, look at the name. – Tanya

Private Practice.  I admit I haven’t watched this show in some time (except for the last season finale), but I’m hoping this show goes the way of Eli Stone ASAP so Dr. Addison Montgomery (Kate Walsh) can get back to Seattle Grace and save Grey’s Anatomy, where the unlikeable characters are slightly more likable than the dysfunctionals on Private Practice. – J.B.

So You Think You Can Dance.  I can dream can’t I? – Robin

The Vampire Diaries. No pop cultural subgenre is more sickeningly overexposed at the moment than tweener vampire romance, and I just don’t need it spreading to the airwaves. I will die defending my love of Buffy and True Blood, but this show’s bound to suck. – Paul

Melrose Place or Glee. I know, it’s mean, and they haven’t even started yet, but somehow they annoy me already. – Renata

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Photographs courtesy of Fox, ABC, Showtime, The CW, and IMDbPro.