Fall TV premieres are almost here, so here’s a rundown of some of the major offerings on network TV.
Premieres Oct. 3 at 8 p.m.
This modern-day quirky fairy tale tells the story of Ned, a man who can bring the dead back to life with a simple touch and send them back to being dead for good with another touch. The pilot episode has already leaked online, and if the episode is any indication, the show will be really well-done, perfectly blending romance, drama and comedy.
Premieres Sept. 26 at 10 p.m.
This drama with a name that begs for attention is about a rich family and its lawyer, who was hired to protect the family from too much bad attention. Just like its name, the show’s all-star cast that includes Peter Krause and Donald Sutherland is just daring people not to watch.
Premieres Oct. 15 at 9:30 p.m.
Christina Applegate returns to her TV-comedy roots with this comedy, about a woman who wakes up from a coma with amnesia. For Applegate, this amnesia turns out to be an opportunity to start over with her life, which was previously filled with morally questionable behavior.
Premieres Oct. 2 at 8 p.m.
Yes, this show is about the cavemen from the Geico commercials. But this “evolutionary” comedy is about more than car insurance; it follows three cavemen as they struggle to fit into the Homo sapien world. GQ magazine says the show is actually funny. We’ll see if they’re right.
Premieres Sept. 26 at 9 p.m.
Since it’s a spin-off of hit “Grey’s Anatomy” and already had a semi-pilot episode late last season, “Private Practice” already has a relatively solid base audience for when it actually premieres this fall. The only question is whether that audience will show up as expected.
Premieres Sept. 24 8:30 p.m.
CBS has been pushing this, its only new sitcom, all summer. The show relies on the time-tested formula of geeks+beautiful women=hilarity. Kaley Cuoco stars as the hottie next door, and Johnny Galecki (of “Roseanne” ) plays one of the geeks, which seems like an odd casting choice.
Premieres Sept. 25 at 10 p.m.
“Cane” seems like it must be a marketing nightmare. Some previews for it tout it as an intense family drama about a feuding family that owns a rum business, while other promos focus solely on the show’s stars’ sexiness. Whether it’s a Latin-spiced drama or steamy soap opera is yet to be seen.
Premieres Sept. 19 at 8 p.m.
There’s no doubt that “Kid Nation” is already the season’s most controversial show. It’s a reality show that stars 40 kids and no adults – and there are already questions about whether CBS exploited the kids or broke labor laws. And, really, one has to wonder how much of the show will be the kids acting of their own accord versus the kids doing what the show’s producers tell them to do.
Premieres Sept. 28 at 9 p.m.
Alex O’Loughlin stars as a vampire who spends his nights as a private investigator in this new drama. The show’s promos showcase the character’s suave, cocky nature, but his nasty hair and even nastier timeslot (Fridays after “Ghost Whisperer”) will likely make him undesirable.
Premieres Oct. 21 at 8 p.m.
CBS has done very little to promote this addition to its schedule, but that’s not much of a surprise; how does one market a show that’s “part drama, part thriller, part musical”?
Premieres Sept. 24 at 8 p.m.
This new drama is about a computer geek who accidentally downloads government secrets and becomes a secret agent. NBC is calling it a drama, but its premise seems more like a comedic setup than a dramatic one.
Premieres Sept. 26 at 9 p.m.
Fans of “Quantum Leap” might enjoy “Journeyman,” a “romantic mystery-drama” about a newspaper reporter who begins to travel through time. It’s not necessarily the most original concept, but it could easily catch on with viewers.
Premieres Sept. 24 at 10 p.m.
Buzz for NBC’s remake of the ’70s classic has been gathering for months now – and for good reason. The Peacock’s darker, edgier re-imagining of “The Bionic Woman” is an intense adrenaline rush – the perfect contrast to the other networks’ lighter fare. Let’s hope the network can keep up the quality of work seen in the pilot, which has been leaked online.
Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton star in this sitcom, about a pair of TV news anchors who find themselves working together again – whether they like it or not. “Anchorman” proved that TV news can be funny, so “Back to You” should have no problem finding laughs.
Premieres Oct. 19 at 8 p.m.
The producers of “American Idol” bring you “The Next Great American Band,” which takes the national search for musical talent and applies it to undiscovered bands. The show is looking for bands of all genres, and the final three will compete for a recording deal.
Premieres Sept. 19 at 9 p.m.
The spotlight on rich white kids continues with “Gossip Girl.” The CW teen drama, based on a series of books, is about a bunch of rich New Yorkers who get “all the important news in their lives” from the blog of the mysterious Gossip Girl. Someone has to fill the teen sex quota after “The OC” was canceled, right?
Premieres Oct. 1 at 8:30 p.m.
This show, about an awkward high schooler whose parents try to help him by getting a foreign exchange student, looks offensive on so many levels. First, the exchange student is a Muslim, which is a touchy subject in today’s society, and the show’s creators apparently had to cut a scene in which the high school’s bullies hold a gun to another student’s head.
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