Fall Preview, Pt. 3


Today I continue my fall TV season preview with a look at new shows I think might be good. Emphasis on the word might. Of course, like last year, I'll review new pilots and second episodes I've seen starting next week when the season begins! For now, let's feel hopeful!

1. Person of Interest, Thursdays at 9p.m. on CBS. Starts Sept. 22
This show, from super producer J.J. Abrams, features a fascinating concept. The show surrounds a wealthy genius (Michael Emerson) and a former CIA agent (Jim Caviezel) team up to try and stop crimes. This seems kind of like "Minority Report" but grounded a little more in reality in a post-9/11 world. I have high hopes based on the pedigree (also from Jonathan Nolan, brother of Chris and a co-writer of "The Dark Knight) and the cast.

2. Homeland, Sundays at 10p.m. on Showtime. Starts Oct. 2
This show is about a soldier (Damien Lewis), captured years earlier, is found and returned to the United States. To nearly everyone he's a hero, but a young security analyst (Claire Danes) isn't so sure, so she violates the laws regarding wire tapping to try and prove she's right, dragging her supervisor (Mandy Patinkin) along for the ride. This show has a fantastic premise and cast, and if it's done well it could be a great compliment to the fall.

3. Terra Nova, Mondays at 8p.m. on FOX. Starts Sept. 26
This show features a unique concept — it's like a cross between "Land of the Lost," "Avatar," and "Jurassic Park." With Steven Spielberg working his magic behind the scenes and a decent cast — led by Jason O'Mara and Stephen Lang — this could be one of the better shows of the fall. Plus, it has the added bonus of being billed as a family-friendly adventure.

4. Ringer, Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on the CW. Started Sept. 13
This show features Sarah Michelle Gellar's return to network TV. It's got an interesting premise, and the pilot was pretty strong. Gellar is a talented performer, and there is plenty of complexity to this premise. It may not work long-term, but for now I'm curious to see where it goes.

5. American Horror Story, Wednesdays at 10p.m. on FX. Starts Oct. 5
This show has a great cast — led by Connie Britton and Dylan McDermott — and a show created by the showrunners from "Glee." It's hard to say what, exactly, this show will be like, but consider me intrigued. This could be one of the most fascinating or it could be a train wreck. Welcome to the fall season of 2011....

A couple other disasters in the making...
Charlie's Angels, Thursdays at 8 p.m. on ABC. Starts Sept. 22
This is a re-make of a show that really isn't necessary. The movies were OK, but it's hard to see how this will work as a series again. Not to mention, the ads just don't look compelling.

The Playboy Club, Mondays at 10p.m. on NBC. Starts Sept. 19
There are two shows — "The Playboy Club" and "Pan Am" — are set in the 1960s, possibly trying to latch onto the momentum of "Mad Men." This looks like the worse of the two, and since NBC has pinned a lot of it's hope for the fall on it, that seems like a bad sign.

"Once Upon a Time" and "Grimm," start in October
These are two shows that rely heavily on fairy tales for the plot. It's hard to see how either will work on a long-term basis. "Grimm" might be the weaker of the two concepts, but it's hard to see how this is a step in the right direction.

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