Fall TV Preview: Mondays at 9PM

Is there a more exciting time than the beginning of the fall TV season? To get ready for the return of favorite series, and the debut of new ones, I will be taking a look over the next couple of weeks at each hour of programming. I'll be giving my thoughts on the many pilots that I've seen, and identifying which shows I will be watching and recording. Fall TV, here we come!

Mondays at 9PM

ABC
8-9:30PM Dancing with the Stars (premieres September 24)
Idol Thoughts readers know I love this show -- click here for a full list of postings on Dancing, including the list of this year's participants.

9:30PM Samantha Who? (premieres October 15) NEW SERIES
ABC Says: Christina Applegate returns to network television in a comedy that offers a do-over in life. What if you had the chance to start over, to do it all again? For Samantha Newly (Ms. Applegate), this fantasy becomes a reality after a hit-and-run accident leaves her in an eight-day coma. When she awakens in the hospital, she is surrounded by family and friends. The only problem is that she has no idea who they are or who she is. As she sets out to rediscover herself, Sam is forced to rely on the only people who can help her -- an eclectic bunch of friends and family.

I love Christina Applegate -- always have, always will. Loved her on Married...with Children, loved her on Broadway in Sweet Charity, heck I even loved her on Jesse. This looks to be the perfect vehicle, allowing Applegate the opportunity to use her humor and romantic comedy chops to their fullest extent. Add to that a stellar supporting cast, including 24's Jean Smart, Gilmore Girls' Melissa McCarthy, What About Brian's Barry Watson and Rescue Me's Jennifer Esposito, and this could be the best new sitcom of the season.

CBS
9:00 Two and a Half Men (premieres September 24)
Just not my thing.

9:30 Rules of Engagement (premieres September 24)
I didn't watched it last year, and I'm not going to start now!

Fox
K-Ville (premieres September 17)
Fox Says: A heroic police drama set – and filmed – in New Orleans. Two years after Katrina, parts of the city are still in chaos, but hope has emerged. Battling an upsurge of violence, understaffing of police forces and a lack of crime labs and other facilities, the cops who remain in the New Orleans Police Department have courage to burn and a passion to reclaim and rebuild their city. Through its no-holds-barred crime stories and dramatic personal stories, this intriguing series will take viewers from the Victorian mansions of the Garden District to the rubble of the Lower 9th Ward.

While some have said the timing of this show is in poor taste, I actually tend to disagree -- why not use the immediacy of the recent past to tell good stories, as long as they are done with respect? Anthony Anderson (who shone on The Shield a few seasons back) and Cole Hauser are excellent as the two leads, although the pilot screener Fox sent me was a little tonally uneven. Still, I'm willing to give this one a chance.

NBC
Heroes (premieres September 24)
It took me until about halfway through the season to figure out what all the hype was about, but once I gave in to the power of Heroes, I never looked back. I'm a little concerned that all of the new ensemble members may dilute the show's engaging storytelling techniques, but I'm more than willing to go along for the ride.

The CW
9:00 Girlfriends (premieres October 1)
Nope.

9:30 The Game (premieres October 1)
Um...nope.

Click for more of the Fall TV Preview

Next up: Mondays at 10PM

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