Fall TV Preview

As September wears on, we in this area get so weary of politics. It's as if during the elections, the rest of the country gets a small idea of what we experience all the time. It is all only amplified here. 

We need the occasional (if not permanent) break from all the attack ads, closed-off streets and fights over Virginia, Maryland and D.C. voters. What better way then to settle in front of the TV for shows from the new fall schedule?

But Cinema Siren, you ask, is there anything new and exciting to consider?  Well, I have your answer. Below is a list of when all your old favorites are having their fall premiere, as well as descriptions and links to previews of all the new shows on the horizon. Which ones look good to you?  Which ones will still be on the air in six months? Watch a few below and tell the Siren what you think…

Fall Premiere Schedule

MONDAYS
CBS

Sept. 24:

• "How I Met Your Mother" — Partners straight and gay BFF boys find friendship challenges with one introducing his girlfriend into  the proceedings. Stars David Krumholtz and Sophia Bush as the straight couple.  Brandon Routh is his gay friend's (Michael Urie) partner. Brought to you by the folks who gave us "Will and Grace." Comes off just like a "Will and Grace" with two boys, but who doesn't love the cast? TRAILER
• "2 Broke Girls"
• "Mike and Molly"
• "Hawaii Five-0"

NBC

Already airing: "Grimm"

Sept. 10:

• "The Voice"
• "Revolution" — All the electricity goes out in the world, and 16 years later a hodgepodge group of survivors navigate the dangers of the new world, while everyone tries to figure out how the lights went out and how to get them back on. With young star Elizabeth Mitchell's brown hair, leather jacket and boots, it's shades of Hunger Games… TRAILER

FOX

Sept. 17:

• "Bones"
• "The Mob Doctor" — Based on a true story (!) a surgeon (Jordana Spiro) lives the high drama of being tied to the mob in South Chicago from childhood and from making promises to them to save her troubled brother. Their demands on her escalate and she has to choose what to do. Great supporting cast makes this one we should give a chance. TRAILER

ABC

Sept. 24:

• "Dancing With The Stars"
• "Castle"

CW

Oct. 8:

• "90210"
• "Gossip Girl"

TUESDAYS
CBS

Sept. 25:

• "NCIS"
• "NCIS Los Angeles"
• "Vegas" — Dennis Quaid's TV series debut as real life rancher/sheriff Ralph Lamb, who went up against a Vegas gangster (Michael Chiklis) in the 1960s. High hopes for the show, given the impressive cast also includes Carrie-Anne Moss, Sarah Jones and Jason O'Mara.   TRAILER

NBC

Sept. 11:

• "The Voice"
• "Go On" — Matthew Perry plays a sportscaster forced into a grief therapy support group after a meltdown at work. It's a sitcom. The pilot tries too hard, but Perry is always watchable. If it finds its footing, and leans toward the edgier moments, it could find success. TRAILER
• "The New Normal" — Creator Ryan Murphy offers a show featuring a gay couple redefining family with their surrogate and her daughter. Ellen Barkin plays the bigoted grandmother. Already boycotted, and already sporting a strong fan base, as the writing shows promise…but who will win? TRAILER
• "Parenthood"

FOX

Sept. 25:

• "New Girl"
• "Ben and Kate" — Nat Faxon, who won a screenwriting Oscar for "The Descendants," plays a man/child who moves in with his sister and single mom  (Dakota Johnson, Melanie G. and Don J.'s kid). It aspires to tackle a bigger variety of issues and be less cliche. Audience may be hard to find. TRAILER
• "The Mindy Project" — It's very "Bridget Jones' Diary," right up to the smarmy English co-worker and narration by the lead. Add that the girl has a career in  obstetrics, an obsession with rom-com movies and a more American sensibility, and you've got creator/star Mindy Kaling's show. She does a lot of crashing and burning…It's funny and a bit tragic, just as singletons often are… TRAILER

Oct. 2:

"Raising Hope"

ABC

Sept. 25:

• "Dancing With The Stars" results show
• "Private Practice"

Oct. 23:

• "Happy Endings"
• "Don't Trust the B-"

CW

Oct. 2:

• "Hart of Dixie"

Oct. 16:

• "Emily Owens MD" —  Mamie Gummer (of "Off the Map") is Meryl Streep's daughter. Who knew? She's built a strong fan following in her own right, and now she has her own show, where she once again plays a doctor. This time she has to deal with hospital life, which turns out is just like high school. The mean girl who tormented her in high school turns up as competition in her internship. TRAILER

WEDNESDAYS
CBS

Sept. 19:

• "Survivor: Philippines" 

Sept. 26:

• "Criminal Minds"
• "CSI"

NBC

Sept. 12:

• "Guys With Kids" — Jimmy Fallon produces this show where guy friends (with kids) who live in the same building learn how to balance their lives and become good parents by helping each other. Fan faves Anthony Anderson and Jesse Bradford star, with Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Tempest Bledsoe co-starring. May it break some of the stereotypes. (In Hollywood? A siren can dream…) TRAILER

Sept. 26:

• "Animal Practice" — Now that "House" is over, this comedy gives us a grumpy vet who prefers creatures to humans, dealing with the daily workings of a successful yet chaotic clinic. Forgettable. TRAILER
• "Law and Order SVU"

Oct. 10:

• "Chicago Fire" — Producer Dick Wolf dips his toe into another type of procedural, one that highlights the lives of Chicago firefighters. Jesse Spencer (blonde "House" hottie) and Taylor Kinney (brunette "Vampire Diaries" hottie) argue with their shirts off and fight fires together.   Featuring a pretty cast and David Eigenberg (Miranda's Steve on "Sex and the City") as peacekeeping co-worker in Firehouse 51. Who  will watch?… if you're a fan of and sick of Grey's Anatomy.  TRAILER

FOX

Sept. 12:

• "The X Factor"

ABC

Sept. 26:

• "The Middle"
• "The Neighbors" — A family from Jersey plays fish out of water in a gated community populated by aliens. TRAILER
• "Modern Family"

Oct. 10:

• "Nashville" — Connie Britton plays fading 40ish country singing star who gets a touring partner in teen phenom Juliette Barnes (Hayden Panettiere, who looks like she's having a ball playing a mean girl), while her husband runs for mayor. Is this a more serious "GCB"? Fans of that guilty pleasure are still smarting from its cancellation. Written by Oscar winner Callie Khouri. TRAILER

Oct. 17:

• "Suburgatory"

CW

Oct. 3:

• "Supernatural"

Oct. 10:

• "Arrow" — Stephen Amell stars as Oliver Queen (the Green Arrow) who is a wealthy irresponsible playboy who builds up his body and sharpens his archery skills on a deserted island for the five years he is trapped after his dad and girlfriend's sister (with whom he was having an affair) die in a boating accident. He comes back to avenge his father's death and clear his family's name. This character is so hardcore vigilante he makes Batman look passive and sunshiney. TRAILER

THURSDAYS
CBS

Sept. 27:

• "The Big Bang Theory"
• "Two and a Half Men"
• "Person of Interest" 
• "Elementary" — Yet another opportunity to peek into 222 Baker Street.  Oh, wait. In this version, Holmes lives in modern day NYC. Jonny Lee  Miller (who worked with his friend, the other awesome Sherlock, Benjamin Cumberbatch in Danny Boyle's two-man show "Frankenstein") plays him with a woman Joan Watson (Lucy Liu) hired by his dad as his "sober companion." With Holmes on the big screen and the  small screen already, is there room for one more?  TRAILER

NBC

Sept. 20:

• "Up All Night"
• "The Office"
• "Parks and Recreation"

Oct. 4:

• "30 Rock"

FOX

Sept. 13:

• "The X Factor" results
• "Glee"

ABC

Sept. 27:

• "The Last Resort" — It's "Crimson Tide" meets "The Rock" with apocalyptic undertones. Acting heavyweight Andre Braugher stars as the leader of a  submarine crew under attack for defying nuclear missile firing orders.  Scott Speedman and Robert Patrick co-star. It could be very short-lived or exciting enough to last… TRAILER
• "Grey's Anatomy"
• "Scandal"

CW

Oct. 11:

• "The Vampire Diaries"
• "Beauty and the Beast" — Kristin Kreuk stars at the beauty, who also happens to be a tough detective (!) and the beast has no more than a scar, but this police procedural has them working together to fight crime  and keep her safe from some undetermined threat. At least it's on CW, so it will get a chance to find an audience. TRAILER

FRIDAYS
CBS

Sept. 28:

• "CSI: NY"— Made In Jersey British actress Janet Montgomery plays Martina Garretti, the Jersey girl who breaks family history and begins a career as  lawyer in  a big Manhattan law firm. It's like a backwards version of "Legally Blonde" or "Fairly Legal" with an underdog who is an actual  lawyer.  Kyle MacLachlan and Stephanie March co-star. TRAILER
• "Blue Bloods"

NBC

Sept. 28:

• "Dateline"

Oct. 19:

• "Whitney"
• "Community"

FOX

Sept. 28:

• "Kitchen Nightmares"
• "Fringe"

Oct. 26:

• "Touch"

ABC

Sept. 14

• "Shark Tank"
• "Primetime: What Would You Do?"
• "20/20"

Nov. 2

• "Last Man Standing"
• "Malibu Country" —  Reba McIntyre plays the same character, herself, in a new sitcom that has something new… Lily Tomlin as her mother. Will it be  enough to draw a new audience? Never underestimate Ms. Lily and her following. TRAILER

CW

Oct. 19

• "America's Top Model"
• "Nikita"

SUNDAYS
CBS

Sept. 30:

• "The Good Wife"
• "The Amazing Race"
• "The Mentalist"

NBC

Sept. 9:

• "Football Night in America"

FOX

Sept. 30:

• "The Simpsons"
• "Bob's Burgers"
• "Family Guy"
• "American Dad"

ABC

Sept. 30:

• "Once Upon a Time"
• "Revenge"
• "666 Park Avenue" — Creepy-yet-sophisticated couple played by Terry O'Quinn and Vanessa Williams hire a young couple as resident managers of the gorgeous New York apartment complex that seems to suck folks down to hell (or somewhere) at some point after they make a deal with the devil to live their ultimate dreams. Based on a book series. Highly anticipated. TRAILER

New shows promised for midseason:

• "The Following" — It's like "Silence of the Lambs," the TV show. Kevin Bacon stars as a tired ex-FBI investigator dragged back to find a serial killer on the loose.  TRAILER
• "Red Widow" — Rahda Mitchell and Goran Visnjic star in a show about a housewife in Cali whose husband is killed by the mob who has to continue to protect her family. TRAILER
• "Mistresses" Alyssa Milano plays one of the gals making bad choices, based on the UK hit.   TRAILER
• "Next Caller" Dane Cook plays an attitude laden shock jock saddled against his will with an on-air partner and co-stars Jeffrey Tambor and Colette Wolfe. TRAILER 

About this column: Leslie Combemale, "Cinema Siren", is a movie lover and aficionado in Northern Virginia. Alongside Michael Barry, she owns ArtInsights, an animation and film art gallery in Reston Town Center. She has a background in film and art history. She often is invited to present at conventions such as the San Diego Comic Con, where she has been a panelist for The Art of the Hollywood Movie Poster and the Harry Potter Fandom discussion. Visit her gallery online atwww.artinsights.com and see more of her reviews and interviews on www.artinsightsmagazine.com.