'24' inspires new fall shows
By Bruce R. Miller Journal staff writer | Posted: Sunday, September 24, 2006
Blame "24."
The recent Emmy winner proved two things -- you can stretch a day over an entire season and you can get viewers to buy into a story that takes a year to end.
As a result, the new season contains nine new series that could leave viewers hanging if they never air a final episode. Remember "Invasion"? What about "Surface"? Know how they ended? Neither does anyone else.
But that doesn't stop us from watching two "missing persons" dramas ("Vanished" and "Kidnapped"), three "day in the life" series ("Day Break," "Notes from the Underbelly" and "Big Day") or one "day after" thriller ("Jericho").
Toss in two series about a "Saturday Night Live"-like show ("Studio 60 from the Sunset Strip" and "30 Rock"), several law dramas, the return of Brad Garrett, Calista Flockhart and Ted Danson, the arrival of James Woods and you pretty much have the new season in a nice, neat little flat-screen package.
Football? You get it on Sunday nights in real ("Football Night in America") and in comedy ("The Game") and Tuesdays in drama ("Friday Night Lights").
But, wait, there's more! After struggling to beat each other in the bottom of the ratings, the WB and UPN united to form The CW (not it's not a country music station), a fifth network designed to show the best of both worlds. That means "Smackdown" and "The Gilmore Girls" share air space. But also look for two new series, the return of "Everybody Hates Chris" and a revived "Seventh Heaven."
If that's not enough, just know "Deal or No Deal" is waiting in the wings, ready to fill more nights with mindless guessing games. But isn't that what this is about?
The season, by day (times are subject to change):
SUNDAY
The Game (7:30 p.m. The CW beginning Oct. 1) -- It ain't easy being the wife (or girlfriend or mother) of an NFL star, but the women in the sky box sure give it a try. Tia Mowry (without her twin sister) plays the newbie who tries to make it through their starting line of attitude. In a word: Incomplete. Grade: C
Brothers and Sisters (9 p.m. ABC beginning Sept. 24) -- Sally Field plays mother to Rachel Griffiths, Calista Flockhart, Balthazar Getty and several unknowns in this relationship drama about a family with big problems. Since it's also from some of the folks behind "thirtysomething," expect a similiar vibe. In a word: Ally-mentary. Grade: B
MONDAY
The Class (7 p.m. CBS beginning Sept. 18) Third grade classmates reunite in their 20s, only to discover how different their lives have become. It's Six Degrees of Integration. Cute, too, and created by one of the folks behind "Friends." In a word: Classy. Grade: A minus.
Runaway (8 p.m. The CW beginning 8 p.m. Sept. 25) -- An Iowa town welcomes a new family, but they have a big secret that could make them Most Wanted, not Most Welcome. Donnie Wahlberg and Leslie Hope play the parents. In a word: Fleeting. Grade: C plus
Vanished (8 p.m. FOX, now airing) -- A senator's wife turns up missing. The FBI has to figure out what happened. The victim of a kidnapping? A runaway? A hostage? Guess. Gale Harold stars as the FBI agent; Rebecca Gayheart turns up as a scandal-loving reporter. In a word: Derivative. Grade: C plus
Heroes (8 p.m. NBC beginning Sept. 25) The sci-fi geek's series of the year. Folks with super powers live all over the globe. How they exercise their powers becomes the crux of this so-so series. In a word: X-Men. Grade: C
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (9 p.m. NBC beginning Sept. 18) Matthew Perry and Brad Whitford star as writer/producers of a "Saturday Night Live" series that shows what happens behind the scenes. Well-written, it smacks of "Network," but audiences may not care. In a word: Inventive. Grade: A
TUESDAY
Friday Night Lights (7 p.m. NBC beginning Oct. 3) -- The acclaimed book became a great movie. Now that great movie becomes a watered-down TV series. A town, obsessed with football, lives for every touchdown. Kyle Chandler plays the coach but, from an acting standpoint, it's not exactly a winning season. In word: Fumbled. Grade: C minus.
Standoff (7 p.m. FOX beginning Sept. 5) -- Two FBI agents fall for each other while they're investigating crimes. They're trying for a "Moonlighting" mood, but it looks overcast. In a word: Standoffish. Grade: C.
The Knights of Prosperity (7:30 p.m. ABC beginning Oct. 17) -- Some misfits decide they're going to rob Mick Jagger (who appears in the series, briefly). How they stumble into the crime makes great television. This is a "My Name is Earl" cousin -- just as loopy and almost as much fun. In a word: Quirky. Grade: B plus
Help Me Help You (8 p.m. ABC beginning Sept. 26) -- Ted Danson returns as a shrink (shades of Bob Newhart) who has to solve others' problems while struggling with his own. Far too serious for its own good, it's one series that should have a laugh track. We'd know when to respond. In a word: Boring. Grade: D
Smith (9 p.m. CBS beginning Sept. 19) -- Ray Liotta plays an upstanding citizen by day, crook by night. Think: "Sopranos" lite. While the cast is filled with great actors (Virginia Madsen plays his wife), there's a disconnect that doesn't quite make this the great series it aspires to be. In a word: Defanged. Grade: B
WEDNESDAY
Jericho (7 p.m. CBS beginning Sept. 20) -- The folks in a small Kansas town see a cloud in the distance but don't know if war has broken out, a bomb has been dropped or someone's burning garbage. The mayor's estranged son (Skeet Ulrich) ambles back into town and tries to help. Even though it's a serial, this one compels you to watch -- as much as you may not want to. In a word: Intriguing. Grade: B plus.
30 Rock (7 p.m. NBC beginning Oct. 11) -- The second "Saturday Night Live" series is run by (and starring) Tina Fey, one of the real veterans. She has a sly wit that plays well into Alec Baldwin's hands. He's a network executive, just keen to fry someone. It could be better than the actual SNL. In a word: Sizzling. Grade: ATwenty Good Years (7:30 p.m. NBC beginning Oct. 4) -- Two old hams (John Lithgow and Jeffrey Tambor) play friends who decide to make the most of the time they have left. Think: An overacted "Odd Couple." In a word: Overbearing. Grade: D
Justice (8 p.m. FOX, now airing) -- The dad on "Alias" (Victor Garber) gets his Jerry Spence thrills as a charismatic lawyer who uses the media to try his cases. A group of young minions keeps the myth alive. In a word: Ambitious. Grade: B
Day Break (8 p.m. ABC beginning Nov. 15) -- Taye Diggs plays a man doomed to repeat his steps. It's "Ground Hog Day" without the comedy. It may be a good TV movie idea but it's an annoying series concept. In a word: Repetitive. Grade: C
The Nine (9 p.m. ABC beginning Oct. 4) -- Nine strangers find their lives changed when they're in a bank during the morning of a robbery. They bond in interesting ways, realizing recovery takes more than a few therapy sessions. It's too involved for regular viewers. Expect nine weeks max. In a word: Out. Grade: C
Kidnapped (9 p.m. NBC beginning Sept. 20 ) -- Seen "Vanished"? You may not need to tune in this similar drama about a rich couple's kidnapped child. Jeremy Sisto plays the agent who tries to straighten things out. In a word: Arresting. Grade: B
THURSDAY
Ugly Betty (7 p.m. ABC beginning Sept. 28) -- Based on a telanovela, "Betty's" the most charming series of the season. America Ferrera plays a smart editorial assistant who helps more looks-obsessed bosses understand what really matters. It has the ability to go over the top but, initially, it's pretty grounded. In a word: Attractive. Grade: A
'Til Death (7 p.m. FOX, beginning Sept. 7) -- Brad Garrett returns to the homefront, not as "Raymond's" Robert but as a beleaguered oldlywed who has to put with the perky newlyweds next door. Joely Fisher plays his wife. In a word: Cute. Grade: B plus
Happy Hour (7:30 p.m. FOX, beginning Sept. 7) -- Remember those friends we loved in New York? The ones who spent all their time in a coffee shop? These are their low-rent cousins. Stacked with unknowns, the series follows a guy who has been dumped by his girlfriend. He loses his job and has to move in with a new roommate. In a word: Crass. Grade: C minus
Shark (9 p.m. CBS, beginning Sept. 21) -- James Woods spits up and chews out junior attorneys, clients and opponents. This recalls the glory days of legal series, but it could be an overact-athon if Woods isn't reined in. The cases will determine its guilt. In a word: Aggressive. Grade: B plus
Six Degrees (9 p.m. ABC beginning Sept. 21) -- "Crash" started something with its tale of unrelated people grazing one another's lives. Now, this series from J. J. Abrams (the "Lost" guy) brings six New Yorkers together in a chain of events. While it may be too convoluted for casual viewers, it could become the next "appointment" show. Stick with it. It's that involving. In a word: Complex. Grade: B.
FRIDAY
Men in Trees (8 p.m. ABC beginning Sept. 22) -- Anne Heche plays a relationship counselor (don't laugh) who gets stuck in Alaska and realizes she likes it there. It's "Northern Exposure" without the great writing. In a word: Rooted. Grade: B minus
SATURDAY
No new shows.
UNSCHEDULED
Big Day (Midseason) -- Can you really watch a wedding unfold over 21 weeks? That's the premise behind this minute-by-minute comedy based on wedding preparations. Wendie Malick plays the mom, but she and Caesar salad aren't enough to keep us from watching "Father of the Bride" once more and calling this quits. In a word: Protracted. Grade: C minus
Notes from the Underbelly (Midseason) -- So if that weren't enough, you can follow the birth of a baby over the course of a year. Young parents take us from conception to birth in a year's worth of hilarious episode. Right. We're laughing. In a word: Epidural. Grade: C minus
The recent Emmy winner proved two things -- you can stretch a day over an entire season and you can get viewers to buy into a story that takes a year to end.
As a result, the new season contains nine new series that could leave viewers hanging if they never air a final episode. Remember "Invasion"? What about "Surface"? Know how they ended? Neither does anyone else.
But that doesn't stop us from watching two "missing persons" dramas ("Vanished" and "Kidnapped"), three "day in the life" series ("Day Break," "Notes from the Underbelly" and "Big Day") or one "day after" thriller ("Jericho").
Toss in two series about a "Saturday Night Live"-like show ("Studio 60 from the Sunset Strip" and "30 Rock"), several law dramas, the return of Brad Garrett, Calista Flockhart and Ted Danson, the arrival of James Woods and you pretty much have the new season in a nice, neat little flat-screen package.
Football? You get it on Sunday nights in real ("Football Night in America") and in comedy ("The Game") and Tuesdays in drama ("Friday Night Lights").
But, wait, there's more! After struggling to beat each other in the bottom of the ratings, the WB and UPN united to form The CW (not it's not a country music station), a fifth network designed to show the best of both worlds. That means "Smackdown" and "The Gilmore Girls" share air space. But also look for two new series, the return of "Everybody Hates Chris" and a revived "Seventh Heaven."
If that's not enough, just know "Deal or No Deal" is waiting in the wings, ready to fill more nights with mindless guessing games. But isn't that what this is about?
The season, by day (times are subject to change):
SUNDAY
The Game (7:30 p.m. The CW beginning Oct. 1) -- It ain't easy being the wife (or girlfriend or mother) of an NFL star, but the women in the sky box sure give it a try. Tia Mowry (without her twin sister) plays the newbie who tries to make it through their starting line of attitude. In a word: Incomplete. Grade: C
Brothers and Sisters (9 p.m. ABC beginning Sept. 24) -- Sally Field plays mother to Rachel Griffiths, Calista Flockhart, Balthazar Getty and several unknowns in this relationship drama about a family with big problems. Since it's also from some of the folks behind "thirtysomething," expect a similiar vibe. In a word: Ally-mentary. Grade: B
MONDAY
The Class (7 p.m. CBS beginning Sept. 18) Third grade classmates reunite in their 20s, only to discover how different their lives have become. It's Six Degrees of Integration. Cute, too, and created by one of the folks behind "Friends." In a word: Classy. Grade: A minus.
Runaway (8 p.m. The CW beginning 8 p.m. Sept. 25) -- An Iowa town welcomes a new family, but they have a big secret that could make them Most Wanted, not Most Welcome. Donnie Wahlberg and Leslie Hope play the parents. In a word: Fleeting. Grade: C plus
Vanished (8 p.m. FOX, now airing) -- A senator's wife turns up missing. The FBI has to figure out what happened. The victim of a kidnapping? A runaway? A hostage? Guess. Gale Harold stars as the FBI agent; Rebecca Gayheart turns up as a scandal-loving reporter. In a word: Derivative. Grade: C plus
Heroes (8 p.m. NBC beginning Sept. 25) The sci-fi geek's series of the year. Folks with super powers live all over the globe. How they exercise their powers becomes the crux of this so-so series. In a word: X-Men. Grade: C
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (9 p.m. NBC beginning Sept. 18) Matthew Perry and Brad Whitford star as writer/producers of a "Saturday Night Live" series that shows what happens behind the scenes. Well-written, it smacks of "Network," but audiences may not care. In a word: Inventive. Grade: A
TUESDAY
Friday Night Lights (7 p.m. NBC beginning Oct. 3) -- The acclaimed book became a great movie. Now that great movie becomes a watered-down TV series. A town, obsessed with football, lives for every touchdown. Kyle Chandler plays the coach but, from an acting standpoint, it's not exactly a winning season. In word: Fumbled. Grade: C minus.
Standoff (7 p.m. FOX beginning Sept. 5) -- Two FBI agents fall for each other while they're investigating crimes. They're trying for a "Moonlighting" mood, but it looks overcast. In a word: Standoffish. Grade: C.
The Knights of Prosperity (7:30 p.m. ABC beginning Oct. 17) -- Some misfits decide they're going to rob Mick Jagger (who appears in the series, briefly). How they stumble into the crime makes great television. This is a "My Name is Earl" cousin -- just as loopy and almost as much fun. In a word: Quirky. Grade: B plus
Help Me Help You (8 p.m. ABC beginning Sept. 26) -- Ted Danson returns as a shrink (shades of Bob Newhart) who has to solve others' problems while struggling with his own. Far too serious for its own good, it's one series that should have a laugh track. We'd know when to respond. In a word: Boring. Grade: D
Smith (9 p.m. CBS beginning Sept. 19) -- Ray Liotta plays an upstanding citizen by day, crook by night. Think: "Sopranos" lite. While the cast is filled with great actors (Virginia Madsen plays his wife), there's a disconnect that doesn't quite make this the great series it aspires to be. In a word: Defanged. Grade: B
WEDNESDAY
Jericho (7 p.m. CBS beginning Sept. 20) -- The folks in a small Kansas town see a cloud in the distance but don't know if war has broken out, a bomb has been dropped or someone's burning garbage. The mayor's estranged son (Skeet Ulrich) ambles back into town and tries to help. Even though it's a serial, this one compels you to watch -- as much as you may not want to. In a word: Intriguing. Grade: B plus.
30 Rock (7 p.m. NBC beginning Oct. 11) -- The second "Saturday Night Live" series is run by (and starring) Tina Fey, one of the real veterans. She has a sly wit that plays well into Alec Baldwin's hands. He's a network executive, just keen to fry someone. It could be better than the actual SNL. In a word: Sizzling. Grade: ATwenty Good Years (7:30 p.m. NBC beginning Oct. 4) -- Two old hams (John Lithgow and Jeffrey Tambor) play friends who decide to make the most of the time they have left. Think: An overacted "Odd Couple." In a word: Overbearing. Grade: D
Justice (8 p.m. FOX, now airing) -- The dad on "Alias" (Victor Garber) gets his Jerry Spence thrills as a charismatic lawyer who uses the media to try his cases. A group of young minions keeps the myth alive. In a word: Ambitious. Grade: B
Day Break (8 p.m. ABC beginning Nov. 15) -- Taye Diggs plays a man doomed to repeat his steps. It's "Ground Hog Day" without the comedy. It may be a good TV movie idea but it's an annoying series concept. In a word: Repetitive. Grade: C
The Nine (9 p.m. ABC beginning Oct. 4) -- Nine strangers find their lives changed when they're in a bank during the morning of a robbery. They bond in interesting ways, realizing recovery takes more than a few therapy sessions. It's too involved for regular viewers. Expect nine weeks max. In a word: Out. Grade: C
Kidnapped (9 p.m. NBC beginning Sept. 20 ) -- Seen "Vanished"? You may not need to tune in this similar drama about a rich couple's kidnapped child. Jeremy Sisto plays the agent who tries to straighten things out. In a word: Arresting. Grade: B
THURSDAY
Ugly Betty (7 p.m. ABC beginning Sept. 28) -- Based on a telanovela, "Betty's" the most charming series of the season. America Ferrera plays a smart editorial assistant who helps more looks-obsessed bosses understand what really matters. It has the ability to go over the top but, initially, it's pretty grounded. In a word: Attractive. Grade: A
'Til Death (7 p.m. FOX, beginning Sept. 7) -- Brad Garrett returns to the homefront, not as "Raymond's" Robert but as a beleaguered oldlywed who has to put with the perky newlyweds next door. Joely Fisher plays his wife. In a word: Cute. Grade: B plus
Happy Hour (7:30 p.m. FOX, beginning Sept. 7) -- Remember those friends we loved in New York? The ones who spent all their time in a coffee shop? These are their low-rent cousins. Stacked with unknowns, the series follows a guy who has been dumped by his girlfriend. He loses his job and has to move in with a new roommate. In a word: Crass. Grade: C minus
Shark (9 p.m. CBS, beginning Sept. 21) -- James Woods spits up and chews out junior attorneys, clients and opponents. This recalls the glory days of legal series, but it could be an overact-athon if Woods isn't reined in. The cases will determine its guilt. In a word: Aggressive. Grade: B plus
Six Degrees (9 p.m. ABC beginning Sept. 21) -- "Crash" started something with its tale of unrelated people grazing one another's lives. Now, this series from J. J. Abrams (the "Lost" guy) brings six New Yorkers together in a chain of events. While it may be too convoluted for casual viewers, it could become the next "appointment" show. Stick with it. It's that involving. In a word: Complex. Grade: B.
FRIDAY
Men in Trees (8 p.m. ABC beginning Sept. 22) -- Anne Heche plays a relationship counselor (don't laugh) who gets stuck in Alaska and realizes she likes it there. It's "Northern Exposure" without the great writing. In a word: Rooted. Grade: B minus
SATURDAY
No new shows.
UNSCHEDULED
Big Day (Midseason) -- Can you really watch a wedding unfold over 21 weeks? That's the premise behind this minute-by-minute comedy based on wedding preparations. Wendie Malick plays the mom, but she and Caesar salad aren't enough to keep us from watching "Father of the Bride" once more and calling this quits. In a word: Protracted. Grade: C minus
Notes from the Underbelly (Midseason) -- So if that weren't enough, you can follow the birth of a baby over the course of a year. Young parents take us from conception to birth in a year's worth of hilarious episode. Right. We're laughing. In a word: Epidural. Grade: C minus
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