Fall Television Picks

Already scheduled on my DVR: Top Five Returning Shows

Sons of Anarchy –FX (Tuesday, Sept 6)

Last season "Sons of Anarchy" got a bit off track with the club flying halfway across the world in search of a kidnapped baby.  This season show creator Kurt Sutter promises to bring the focus back to the existing tensions within SAMCRO.

  

Community – NBC (Thursday, Sept 22)

A show that’s wildly popular amongst its fans returns this fall to NBC for its third season.  Though it may be difficult to jump into "Community" without having seen the previous two seasons, the show rewards its fans by being uber-meta. 

Parks and Recreation – NBC (Thursday, Sept 22)

I began watching "Parks and Rec" at the recommendation of a friend, and have no regrets adding this comedy to my already packed television schedule.  This underrated NBC show is less quirky than "Community," and has the charm and shine that "The Office" lost long ago.

Boardwalk Empire –HBO (Sunday, Sept 25)

This critic favorite drama returns to HBO one week after the Emmy Awards, for which it has been nominated in 18 different categories, including Best Drama.  If doubters aren’t impressed by the season two preview, then I’m going to assume their favorite show is "The Big Bang Theory."

Walking Dead –AMC (Sunday, Oct 16)

With all the budget cuts at AMC there have been some questions about how the second season of The Walking Dead will hold up, especially with the loss of showrunner Frank Darabont.  If the writers remain unafraid of killing off main characters and making bold plot decisions, season two may be even better than season one.

  

Tell me more: Top Three New Shows
(Previews after the jump)

The Jersey Turnpike

Season four of The Jersey Shore premiered tonight, and just like The Hills, America’s favorite reality show has become overly produced, and less real.

Showrunners

Slated for release in 2012, the feature length documentary "Showrunners" takes a look inside the world of television writers.  The filmmakers interviewed the creators of "Lost," "House" and "Sons of Anarchy" among many others.  It's a film that will appeal to anyone who's passionate about quality television programming.

Downton Abbey: Season Two

British period drama, “Downton Abbey” is schedule to return to American television on January 8, 2012 as a part of PBS’s Masterpiece Theater.  Earlier this month the show’s executive producers and cast appeared at the Television Critics Association press tour and revealed details of the upcoming second season.

The timeline of season two will be similar to season one, spanning from 1916 through the end of the First World War.  Nearly all of the characters will be returning, with the exception of Gwen and one who has yet to be revealed.  While the focal point of season two will be the affects of the war on Downton and its inhabitants, the plight of Crawley daughters’ love lives will not be far from the spotlight. 

Another Masterpiece hit that’s scheduled to return in 2012 is the updated BBC version of “Sherlock Holmes”, which beat out Downton at this year’s BAFTA awards.

Wedding this weekend y'all!

Game of Thrones, episode six

Last night was the episode six of "Game of Thrones."  Below is a list of this week's winners and losers.  Be warned there are spoilers ahead!

Winners

Goodbye Oprah!

Oprah ends her show next week.  Among the things that I'll miss most when she's gone: her favorite things episode, her selection of creepy guests who have committed horrible crimes, and her yelling celebrity names...

UPDATE: What?

UPDATE: Stanley the Man Baby made waves with his appearence on The National Geographic Channel's "Taboo," so much so that Sen. Tom Coburn, R-OK, is asking the Inspector General to investigate Stanley's tax-payer funded cash flow.  In Coburn's letter he mentions Stanley's ability to determine what attire and actions are appropriate in public, his skilled crafsmanship used to custom-make adult baby furniture, and his thriving internet support group for other adult babies.

When asked to comment on the prospect of getting his social security benefits revoked, Stanley replied by email with the following:

"You wanna test how damn serious I am about leaving this world, screw with my check that pays for this apartment and food. Try it. See how serious I am. I don't care. I have no problem killing myself. Take away the last thing keeping me here, and see what happens. Next time you see me on the news, it will be me in a body bag."

Even more strange than his behavior, is his belief that people would be genuinely upset that he would no longer be a burden on taxpayers.

Airing tomorrow night on the National Geographic channel is "Taboo," a show that follows people with strange habits.  This particular episode focuses on Stanley, and adult baby, and his caregiver Sandra.  Perhaps "Taboo" belongs on TLC, not on a channel linked to a magazine established in1888. 

Neither Stanley or Sandra work, instead they make ends meet by living off of Social Security.  If Republicans need an arguement for entitlement reform, they should just show this four minute clip on the House floor.  I'm sold.

Oh, Rob Lowe.

Rob Lowe says, "Stop. Pooping."

Rob Lowe is as lovable as ever. 

Lowe has been making the rounds for his New York Times Bestseller book, which details his rise from Midwestern boy to Hollywood leading man, and struggles he endured with substance abuse. 

Lowe has had a successful run on cult favorite “Parks and Rec.” 

And last week Lowe inked a deal to star in the film “Knife Fight.”  Though it won’t be a reprisal of his role as “West Wing’s” Sam Seaborn, it will bring him back to the world of politics.  He’ll play a political crisis specialist navigating the October campaign surprises.

Just like Jon Hamm and Justin Timberlake, Lowe has the leading man looks and the comedic chops to set him aside from the rest of the bunch.  Lowe is able to poke fun at himself and go places other actors would be afraid might tarnish their image.  See the above GIF. 

Game of Thrones, episode five

Last night was the episode five of "Game of Thrones."  Below is a list of this week's winners and losers.  Be warned there are spoilers ahead!

Winners

Gary and Ace

By now everyone has seen the live-action "Ambiguously Gay Duo" sketch from this week's SNL.  It was a stand-out for many reasons.  First, Jon Hamm has the jaw line of a leading man, yet doesn't take himself seriously the way Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise do, so he's adept to do comedy.  Second, "The Daily Show's" line up of correspondents from the early-2000's (Steve Carrell, Stephen Colbert, Ed Helms) reunite as the legion of evil-doers in the sketch.  Third, the sketch did not involve Kenan Thompson or any other current cast members from SNL.  Sadly, the quality of the show has gotten progressively worse since Will Ferrel's departure, and this sketch just punctuates that SNL has long since jumped the shark. 

Game of Thrones, episode four

Last night was the episode two of "Game of Thrones."  Below is a list of this week's winners and losers.  Be warned there are spoilers ahead!    

Winners

The return of Sawyer

This is just a friendly reminder that Josh Holloway, better known as Sawyer from "Lost," will be on "Community" tonight.  It's the first of a two-part season finale, and even better it's the paintball episode redux.

She's DARK SIDED!

ABC's "Wife Swap" is adapting its format to feature Z-list celebrity moms trading lives for two weeks.  We can only hope to see a meltdown like the God Warrior's on the a 2005 episode of "Trading Spouses."

Hell on Wheels

AMC's "Hell on Wheels" begins production later this month, as the cable channel continues to build its repertoire of quality original programming.  Set just after the Civil War, the show centers on a fomer member of the Confederacy searching for the Union soldiers that killed his wife.  He ends up becoming a part of a dangerous, lawless town that travels with and services the construction of the transcontinental railroad.  The show is set to debut in late 2011.

AMC will challenge HBO's dominance at the Emmy for the next few years with their strong lineup of "Mad Men," "Breaking Bad," "The Walking Dead," "The Killing," and "Hell on Wheels."  How is it possible for the networks to compete with those shows and HBO's "Boardwalk Empire," and "Game of Thrones?"

Snooki meets 19th century British literature

Since the season finale of Jersey Shore aired one month ago, my Thursday night television schedule has been left with a gaping hole.  Luckily the cast of Broadway's "Importance of Being Earnest" has adapted the Jersey Shore dialogue to the literary stylings of Oscar Wilde.  Amazingly, Algie and Jack are able to make the words of The Situation and Snooki seem clever. 

Game of Thrones, episode two

Last night was the episode two of "Game of Thrones."  Below is a list of this week's winners and losers.  Be warned there are spoilers ahead!    

Winners

It’s a locomotive that runs on us.

When I heard "Community" was doing a clip show I was a little disappointed especially because the show is only wrapping up its second season.  I was pleasantly surprised to find that "Paradigms of Human Memory" featured 78 clips of brand new material.  As always the writers found such a clever way to bring in laughs while poking fun at stale television gimmicks.  Why is this show so good, and so under appreciated?

For those who watch the show, my favorite part was the montage of Annie/Jeff stolen glances which was actually a spoof of a fanmade tribute to Jeff and Annie:

And of course Dean Pelton's different outfits:

Game of Thrones

"Game of Thrones" was just as good as expected, and critics across the board seem to agree it will do well at the TV awards later this year.  Anyone who enjoyed the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, "The Tudors," or any show that has at least 15 main characters, should give "Game of Thrones" a try.

I won't rehash the plot of the first episode, but I will establish some bullet points of what they should expect, and why they should tune in.  SPOILER ALERT!

• Heavy fantasy elements including a Predator lookalike, and zombie children.

• A lot of boobs, rape and twincest.
• Wolf puppies

• A promiscuous dwarf
• Decaptiation, dismbowelment, and a ten year old being thrown out of a window
• Serious facial hair

Napolitano and Draper

AMC has announced that they are ready to launch their first two network reality television series.

"Inside the DHS” will follow Homeland Security employees and tell the real story of the day-to-day battles to keep America safe.  It will premiere in the fall.

Feeding off the success of “Mad Men,” “The Pitch” goes inside the cutthroat world of creative ad agencies as they pitch to clients and prepare campaigns. It will premiere in early next year

Both of them sound interesting and could perform well if they’re able to catch the real drama. It sounds like AMC is trying to do a white-collar version of what the Discovery Channel did with “Deadliest Catch” and “American Loggers.”