Top New Shows for Fall 2010

NBC is desperate to fill air time after Jay Leno's debacle, ABC is looking to restock its repertoire across the board, CBS is cop and sitcom happy with mixed results, and FOX is on fire this year with innovative and heartfelt programs. Check out the upcoming shows for this fall. More in depth reviews are in store once the shows premiere.

Outlaw NBC- Looks like a feel-good courtroom drama. Jimmy Smits stars as a Supreme Court Justice who steps down from his post to right some of the wrongs that he feels he has created. Doesn't look like anything groundbreaking, and the best part of the trailer is Civil Twilight's "Letters From the Sky" playing. Worth keeping in the peripheral, but given the amount of airtime NBC is desperately trying to fill, I'm not too sure this would be a show that would've made it in any other year. No offense to any newcomers, but I don't think there's a whole lot of room left in the courtroom with The Good Wife absolutely blowing the competition out of the water. There's almost nothing feel-good about that show most weeks. Just weasel-like lawyers trying to find a way to make it sound like they mean well. All the good guys on that show lose. Call me a pessimist, but I don't think I can quite buy it any other way.

School Pride NBC- This one might actually make me feel good. Think of it as Extreme Makeover, School Edition. I have a hard time liking reality TV, but I can support something like this. While the pilot makes you feel good, I can't help but get a little depressed by the state of the school at the beginning of the episode. It's tragic when these institutions have a better shot of getting real help from a television show than from their own government.

Outsourced NBC- This one is about a call center manager for a novelty item company who gets transferred/outsourced to India. Looks promising. It'll probably be pretty painful to watch from the outset, but I'm curious as to how the characters will grow. Still, I find it obnoxious that on a show based in India, not only is the main character a white American, but the girl they clearly want him to be interested in is white also. This is India, people! He should probably meet some Indians who aren't insulting racial stereotypes of call center employees. Just saying. One will do.

Law and Order: Los Angeles NBC- Ugh. Most shows have run out of things to do, subjects to explore, characters to flesh out, and new ideas in general by the end of five seasons. This incredibly rehashed show has collectively been on the air for 41 seasons, each new season more predictable and less innovative than the last. A change in geography ain't gonna cut it, folks.

Undercovers NBC- Hmmm... A married couple that's been out of the spy game for five years gets recruited back into the CIA. A less than original premise, but the acting looks sharp, as does the production. NBC's been promoting this one like crazy, so they're obviously hopeful. It looks like it has a sense of humor, but I'm just not sure where the tension will come from. It doesn't look as though they have kids or a real stake in much of anything other than one another. That could get old fast. Still, I, for one, will definitely try this one out.

Chase NBC- A special team that tracks down criminals. Looks like it'll have a chance to be good, I just hope they choose to focus on their characters as much as the cases. It's not a real new concept, but I guess I should be thankful that it's not Law and Order: Topeka.


The Event NBC- An ensemble conspiracy thriller in the vein of Flashforward. I personally enjoyed Flashforward, but it was canceled, and largely because of its misunderstanding of the importance of the stakes. The main character in that show acted out of fear that his wife would find out he was drinking again. Meanwhile, the world was imploding. Here, it looks as if the main character has reason to act. I'm pleased by the promise of this one. After all, we can all use a new "Lost" in our lives, right? It's got a talented cast for sure. Let's see if they deliver.

Blue Bloods CBS- Family of cops. Doesn't sound fancy, but there's a lot of potential story in there. And who better to bring out those stories than the writer of The Sopranos? With an all star cast of Bridget Moynahan, Donnie Wahberg, and TOM SELLECK, this is a must watch. Definitely looking forward to this one.

The Defenders CBS- Jerry O'Connell and Jim Belushi star as attorneys in Las Vegas. These two look like they make for an entertaining duo, and I don't say that lightly. Man, I really don't want to like this one in premise, but it looks like it's shaping up to be pretty sharp. And, can I say in all seriousness that Jim is the talented brother? I'M NOT KIDDING! John had one facial expression, and it was only funny in Blues Brothers. That's it, folks.

Mike & Molly CBS- Well, the creator of The Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men brings you this doozy about a fat schoolteacher and a fat cop who fall in love. Complete with laugh track, this one will keep you rolling all the way down the hill to the hot dog stand. Not my cup of tea, but it looks like a decent sitcom.

Hawaii Five-O CBS- The second attempt at a reboot of this classic show. Special task force, beach, girls, bullets, you get the picture. It actually looks like fun. Mindless, sure, but sometimes we all just need some buttkicking goodness.

Shit My Dad Says CBS- When I first heard about this concept, I'll admit, I was...skeptical. A show based on a Twitter account? Didn't we already try something like this, only with a commercial and cavemen? But the moment Billy Shatner signed on, Shit just got real. Who can resist Captain Kirk? The show's about a dad(Shatner) and his son, who he convinces to live with him because he's lost his license and needs someone to drive him around. There seems to be a lot of wonderful verbal abuse flying around here. Just picture Frank Barone being played by Shatner on a spinoff of Everybody Loves Raymond.

Body of Proof ABC- Basically the female "House", except she's a coroner. She seems to have room to grow, though, unlike House. If you like medical dramas, here's a new one for you.


The Whole Truth ABC- A courthouse drama that claims to have a revolutionary look "behind the scenes" of criminal law and trials. Honestly, it doesn't look like something we haven't seen quite often before, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. The show looks like it's put together well, they have some talented writers on staff, and the cast is talented. Who knows?

Better With You ABC- Yes! Looks like a good sitcom in the vein of How I Met Your Mother. It's about a family, most specifically two sisters, who have a different outlook on marriage, and are at very different stages of their relationships. Their parents look particularly funny, played by Kurt Fuller and Debra Jo Rupp.

Detroit 1-8-7 ABC- Like Cops, only scripted, this show has the feel of Southland or The Wire. Gritty show attempting realism in a faux-documentary style, I'm excited to see how they take advantage of a new kind of format for police procedural dramas. Looks sharp, smart, and heartfelt. Can't ask much more than that.


Running Wilde FOX- Will Arnett is scrumtrelescent. Also, Keri Russell is super cute. Also, Mitch Hurwitz, creator of Arrested Development, is behind this piece of comedy and romantic genius. Arnett plays a rich, spoiled man who fell in love with the housekeeper's daughter(Russell) when they were both young. The housekeeper got fired, and they never saw each other again, until now. Now Russell has a daughter and she shows up at Arnett's door to ask for his help with an African tribe she's been trying to save.



Raising Hope FOX- A 25 year-old still living with his family gets custody of an infant from a one night stand when the baby's mother goes to prison. This comedy looks heartfelt and hilarious. The banter amongst the family is spot on, and the clerk at the grocery store giving "advice" is wonderful as an outlet for our lead.



Lone Star FOX- Oh man! Fox is on fire this year. I haven't met a cad I liked more since Don Draper. This is about a con artist living two or maybe three lives at a time, who wants to change his ways, but is in love with two women. Morally convoluted, character driven show. Can't wait.



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