2008 Fall TV
Television is bad for you, and yet, I can’t seem to stop watching it. Last season was horribly disrupted by the writer’s strike, and since Lost came to an end, there hasn’t been much worth watching. For a while there, I was actually being productive during the prime time hours.
But have no fear, for those days are coming to an end with the dawning of the fall television season. Many shows have bigger budgets and a much longer run than they had last season, and with the surprising increase in television quality over the last decade, there is no better time to get hooked on the boob tube. Here are the shows I’m looking forward to, most of which are starting this month.
TERMINATOR:
THE SARAH CONNER CHRONICLES
Premieres: 09/08/2008
Network: FOX
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This show seemed like a bad idea when it was first announced over a year ago, and it had a lot to prove during the first season’s nine-episode run. It’s an expensive genre show based on a concept that seems too simple to last for an entire series, and one of the stars of the show is Brian Austin Green (of Beverly Hills 90210 fame), who plays a battle-hardened marine. Nevertheless, despite sounding like a terrible idea, the show has proven to be quite terrific, and I can’t wait to watch the second season premiere tonight.
The oddly-lovable Sherlockian asshole cynic is back for a fifth season. I’ve been a fan of Hugh Laurie since the first time I saw him on Black Adder, but the things he does as Dr. House are thus far the highlight of his career. The show is extremely formulaic, and last season’s experiment to shake up the cast met with mixed results at best. However, the sheer volume of authentic medical mysteries the writers come up with—along with Laurie’s performances—keep the show worth watching. If you haven’t seen House, M.D. yet, the USA network is currently running marathons as it prepares to syndicate the show every weeknight.
Yeah, I’m a Lost fanatic, and yet I don’t hate Heroes. I’m a pariah on Internet message boards, because you’re supposed to think one is the greatest show ever and the other is a steaming pile of dog poop. The early episodes of Heroes’s second season were troubled with sluggish storylines and too many characters in too many places at once, but picked up by the end to deliver the best the show has offered thus far. With the momentum of last season’s finale still going, season three promises to be pretty incredible, and so, yes, I’m very excited.
STAR WARS:
THE CLONE WARS
Premieres: 10/03/2008
Network: Cartoon Network
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Despite terrible reviews, I am a fan of the theatrical movie that serves as the springboard for this television show. Like the movie, the show will be geared more for kids than for adults, but I’m still looking forward to it. The art style is cool, the setting is beyond rich for storytelling, and the potential is reason enough to pay attention. If you’re not a fanboy, there’s no reason to care about this show. But hey, I’m a fanboy, and I’m not ashamed of it.
24 has been off the air for well over a year now, and it’s easy to forget how awesome it is. The break might be a good thing for the show, as the last season—despite a strong opening and ending—was easily the show’s worst to date. The proper show won’t air until next year, but this is a made-for-TV movie that will supposedly get people geared up for the new season and fill in the gaps of where Jack Bauer has been. Apparently, the short answer is Africa. This movie looks amazing, and here’s hoping Jack Bauer comes back at the top of his game, because when he is, 24 is the best damn thing on television.
-e. magill, 09/08/2008
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