Fall 2011 Network TV Preview

Summer is over and the kiddies are back in school, which means the Fall television season is finally upon us. This year there are over 20 new shows debuting. That’s a lot to wade through, but don’t worry I have watched the previews for all of these new shows and can offer my expert couch potato opinion. Additionally, I have created charts to go along with my thoughts on this season’s new offerings so you’ll know exactly when and where your show airs!

The 2011 Fall TV preview continues below.

For the record, I’m very susceptible to the opinions of Aussielo on TVLine.com and Entertainment Weekly. In previous seasons, I said I wasn’t going to watch The Mentalist, Vampire Diaries, or Life but then the previews lured me in, so who knows.  I wouldn’t say I’m super excited about anything (except maybe Sarah Michelle Gellar’s The Ringer), although after making this list up, I’m eager to check out Once Upon a Time and New Girl. New shows are highlighted in green, and any titles in bold are shows I’ll be watching.

Once Upon a Time
Network: ABC
Premiere: October 23rd
Stars: Jennifer Morrison (House), Ginnifer Goodwin (Big Love)
One line: Fairy tales, particularly Snow White, are real.
Why I’m watching: I have to say, the preview made me a little giddy.

Pan AM
Network: ABC
Premiere: September 25th
Stars: Christina Ricci
One line: Night time soap that follows 1960’s era pilots and flight attendants.
Why I’m undecided: Remember when Friends was the biggest hit on TV and then the next year all the shows tried to be Friends? That’s what’s happening now with Mad Men.  But it is from Tommy Schlamme (Sports Night, West Wing, Studio 60) so I might check it out.

Allen Gregory
Premiere: October 30th
Network: Fox
Stars: Jonah Hill (Superbad)
One line: Cartoon about an uptight home-schooled student having to go to a public elementary school.
Why I’m not watching: Ehh. Just not interested.

The Playboy Club
Premiere: September 19th
Network: NBC
Stars: The guy that broke up Lee Ann Rimes’ marriage.
One line: 1960’s in the Playboy Club.
Why I’m not watching: See above Re: Mad Men.  And they are not even trying to hide it. The guy that broke up Leeann Rimes’ marriage is no Don Draper!!

Terra Nova
Premiere: September 26th
Network: Fox
Stars: Jason O’Mara (Life on Mars)
One line: Did you see Wall-E? Well instead of living on a spaceship humans go back to prehistoric times to survive. And if you haven’t seen Wall-E, you really need to rent it…immediately.
Why I’m (probably) not watching: I’m intrigued especially since it is attached to Mr. Spielberg, but Fox likes to cancel shows (especially sci-fi shows) before the World Series is over. So I’m not sure it is worth my time.  Jay gets really cranky when he gets invested in a show and then it gets cancelled with no closure.

Two Broke Girls
Premiere: September 19th
Network: CBS
Stars: The girl from Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist
One line: Two girls work at a diner.
Why I’m watching: The preview looks super sitcom-y, but I did laugh a few times.

Hart of Dixie
Premiere: September 26th
Network: CW
Stars: Jason Street from FNL and Summer from the O.C.
One line: Everwood meets Northern Exposure.
Why I’m watching: Executive producer Josh Schwartz said he hopes the show “has an old-school WB flavor”. I like old school WB flavor.

Last Man Standing
Premiere: October 1st
Network: Fox
Stars: Tim Allen (Home Improvement), Nancy Travis (So I Married an Ax Murder) and Hector Elizondo (Pretty Woman)
One line: Typical wacky family sitcom
Why I’m not watching: I don’t like typical wacky family sitcoms unless they make me fall off the couch laughing.

Man Up
Premiere: October 18th
Network: Fox
Stars: Teri Polo (Meet the Parents), Amanda Detmer (What About Brian?)
One line: Sounds like Traffic Light. But I’m sure that doesn’t help many of you since Traffic Light got cancelled because no one was watching!
Why I’m not watching:  Probably not as funny as Traffic Light (bitter much?).

New Girl
Premiere: September 20th
Network: Fox
Stars: Zooey Deschanel (500 Days of Summer) and Leo from Veronica Mars.
One line: Wacky but adorable girl moves in with three men after catching her live-in boyfriend with another woman.
Why I’m watching: Fox has been heavily promoting the show so I’m sure you have seen all of the Dirty Dancing references.  Three grown men singing “Time of My Life”? I’m so in.

Unforgettable
Premiere: September 20th
Network: CBS
Stars: Dylan Walsh (Nip/Tuck)
One line:  Detective with a super-sized memory (really?)
Why I’m not watching: Really?

The Ringer
Premiere: September 13th
Network: CW
Stars: SMG!!!
One line: A girl in trouble….Who cares, Buffy is back on TV!
Why I’m watching: Do you really have to ask? ! Update! I just read that one of my all-time favorite TV boyfriends (Jason Dohring, aka Logan Echolls) will guest star! Hooooray!!

Up All Night
Premiere: September 14th
Network: NBC
Stars: Christina Applegate & G.O.B.!
One line: Dealing with the joys of parenthood
Why I’m watching: Christina Applegate & G.O.B.!

Free Agents
Premiere: September 14th
Network: NBC
Stars: Hank Azaria (The Birdcage) and Giles from Buffy the Vampire Slayer
One line: Romance at a quirky PR firm.
Why I’m (probably) not watching: The preview was painful, but it is Giles.

Suburgatory
Premiere: September 28th
Network: ABC
Stars: Jeremy Sisto (Six Feet Under), Alan Tudyk (Firefly), Cheryl Hines (Curb Your Enthusiasm), Rex Lee (Entourage)
One line: Teen moves from the big city to suburbia with her dad. Dude, Jeremy Sisto is the dad?! Remember when he was in Clueless? I’m so old!!!!
Why I’m watching: I was all prepared to say this show looked craptastic but I think it was one of the best previews I watched. Hope the show lives up to it.

Revenge
Premiere: September 21st
Network: ABC
Stars: Amy Abbott! Oh, only 5 people watched Everwood? Then Rebecca from Brothers & Sisters! Oh still don’t know who she is? Sorry, that’s all I got.
One line: Female Count of Monte Cristo
Why I’m watching: I’m not really sure how this will play as a series (how long can she run around getting revenge?) but I love Amy Abbott so I’m watching. Plus, in the pilot Riley Finn makes a cameo!

The X Factor
Premiere: September 21st
Network: Fox
Stars: Simon Cowell & Paula Abdul
One line: 2009 American Idol –(Randy Jackson + Ryan Seacrest) + L.A. Reid
Why I’m (probably) not watching: My Wednesdays & Thursdays are pretty full, but it would be interesting to see how Simon & Paula do.

I Hate My Teenage Daughter
Premiere: November 23th
Network: Fox
Stars: Jamie Pressley
One line: Two moms deal with their mean girl teenage daughters.
Why I’m (probably) not watching: Jury’s still out, but doubtful. Looks too sitcom-y.

H8R
Premiere: September 14th
Network: CW
Stars: Mario Lopez
One line: Slater hosts this reality show where vapid celebrities try to convince regular people not to hate them (get it?)
Why I’m probably (not) watching: This is a train wreck waiting to happen, although sometimes people can’t take their eyes away from train wrecks. The question will be, is it fun to see annoying “celebrities” kiss some ass? Or will it just be annoying? The first episode features Snookie & Kim Kardishian so I tend to think it will just be annoying.

Charlie’s Angels
Premiere: September 22nd
Network: ABC
Stars: Minka Kelly (FNL)
One line: I’m sure you know this one.
Why I’m watching:  I’m a sucker for nostalgia, plus I loved FNL so I have to throw Minka Kelly a little support.

Whitney
Premiere: September 22nd
Network: NBC
Stars: Whitney Cummings (Comedy Central), Jane Kaczmarek (Malcolm in the Middle)
One line: Wacky-comedian centered sitcom
Why I’m not watching: The previews look wretched.

Prime Suspect
Premiere: September 22nd
Network: NBC
Stars: Mario Bello (ER), Aidan Quinn (Weeds), Kirk Acevedo (Fringe)
One line: Gritty crime drama about a female detective trying to make it.
Why I’m not watching: Apparently there was a British version that Helen Mirren starred in. And as history shows, the U.S. remakes British TV shows really well (I know tone doesn’t translate, so in case you were wondering..that’s sarcasm).

Person of Interest
Premiere: September 22nd
Network: CBS
Stars: Ben from Lost
One line: In a similar vein as Bones, Castle or The Mentalist where some type of law enforcement officer teams up with some kind of specialist.
Why I’m (probably) not watching: I already watch Bones, Castle and The Mentalist. Although this is from J.J. Abrams.

How to Be a Gentleman
Premiere: September 29th
Network: CBS
Stars: Johnny Drama (Entourage), Cricket (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), Chloe (24) and Dave Foley
One line:  The odd couple
Why I’m not watching: Preview had promise and there are a lot of great actors but I’m already triple booked for the timeslot.

The Secret Circle
Premiere: September 15th
Network: CW
Stars: Thomas Dekker (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles), Natasha Henstridge (Eli Stone)
One line: The new girl in town is a witch, but it is ok because the town is chock full of witches!
Why I’m (probably) not watching: I’m already watching too many CW shows. I’m 35 for the love of God!

Grimm
Premiere: October 21st
Network: NBC
Stars: The crazy inmate from Prison Break.
One line: Grimm’s fairy tales are real.
Why I’m not watching: The crazy inmate from Prison Break freaks me out.

A Gifted Man
Premiere: September 23rd
Network: CBS
Stars: Patrick Wilson (Angels in America), Julie Benz (Buffy, Angel & Dexter)
One line: A surgeon learns the meaning of life from his dead wife.  (Dr. Andy Brown has a new show?)
Why I’m not watching:  I already have two shows to watch on Friday nights, plus this sounds kind of lame.