The new TV season always makes an auspicious arrival right around now. Networks are already running flashy promos for the new crop of shows, which means the fall season is just around the corner.
And while there's normally a theme found in the new fall offerings, this season is the exception. Both the U.S. and Canadian networks appear to be taking the safe-and-steady route to new shows.
There is hardly a single unique idea among the new lineup of fall fare. Even to the practiced eye, the only identifiable theme involves an increase in the number of intense ensemble dramas in primetime -- which only means networks are trying to repeat the success of shows like Lost, Desperate Housewives, 24, Prison Break, et al. Welcome to the era of no-surprise television.
But it's hardly our place to question the motives of broadcasters. In the pages ahead, you'll find reviews of each and every new fall entry arriving in the weeks ahead. Kindly remember each show is being judged on the pilot episode only, so try to keep an open mind. Sometimes bad shows get better, and sometimes good shows turn bad. As always, the best advice is to use your own judgment. Let the new season begin.
Brothers & Sisters
**
(ABC, CTV, 10 p.m.; starts Sept. 24):
Radio personality Kitty Walker (Calista Flockhart) simultaneously receives a job offer in her native Los Angeles and a marriage offer from her New York boyfriend. And then her father dies. Returning home, Kitty is forcibly reunited with her disparate siblings, which includes her corporate-minded sister Sarah (Rachel Griffiths, Six Feet Under), lothario brother Tommy (Balthazar Getty) and their long-suffering mother (Sally Field).
Pedigree: Six Feet Under meets Arrested Development.
Short take: Another wacky TV clan, but deep down they really love each other a whole lot.
Vanished
***
(Fox, Global, 9 p.m.; began Aug. 21)
The abrupt disappearance of a Georgia senator's wife becomes a national sensation on the TV news. Was she kidnapped? Is it a terrorist act? And what does her husband know about it? The task of finding the missing woman falls to FBI agent Graham Kelton (Gale Harold, Queer as Folk), who immediately suspects duplicity behind the disappearance.
Pedigree: 24 meets Prison Break.
Short take: Like 24, it's in near real-time, and the tech-toys used by the FBI are terrific.
The Class
*
(CBS, CTV, 8 p.m., starts Sept. 18)
Hopeless romantic Ethan (Jason Ritter) surprises his longtime fiancé by arranging a reunion with their grade-school classmates in recognition of the 20th anniversary of the day they met. She dumps him. The dazed and devastated Ethan is then forced to interact with people he hasn't seen since the third grade -- most of whom are still in some stage of arrested development.
Pedigree: Friends meets How I Met Your Mother.
Short take: CBS tries to work a new sitcom into its rotation.
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
****
(NBC, CTV, 10 p.m.; starts Sept. 18)
A team of talented writer-producers (Matthew Perry, Bradley Whitford) are rehired by the late-night sketch-comedy series (read: SNL) they departed in a storm of controversy years before. When the duo arrive, they're faced with temperamental talent and ongoing interference from the bold network president (Amanda Peet).
Pedigree: The West Wing meets Sports Night
Short take: Written and produced by Aaron Sorkin, creator of The West Wing, it's sharp, tight and funny -- and likely this fall's best new show.
Heroes
**
(NBC, Global, 9 p.m.; starts Sept. 25)
For no apparent reason, a handful of people around the globe are suddenly bestowed with super-powers. A young man in the U.S. has the ability to fly; a Japanese office worker can teleport himself; a California cheerleader is impervious to harm. The group inevitably come together and it's only a matter of time before they're required to save the world.
Pedigree: Lost meets The Greatest American Hero.
Short Take: It would be this fall's biggest hit -- if 12-year-old kids were the only ones watching.
Runaway
*
(The CW; starts Sept. 25)
A bland guy named Paul Rader (Donnie Wahlberg) is framed for murder and forced to take it on the lam with his wife and kids. Worse, the real killer is also chasing the family.
Pedigree: The Fugitive meets The Waltons.
Short take: It's pretty cheap-looking, and predictable -- with dubious star power. Donnie Wahlberg? There's a reason why no Canadian network picked it up.
Standoff
**
(Fox, Global, 9 p.m.; started Sept. 5)
Two FBI agents (Ron Livingston, Rosemarie DeWitt) carry on a secret romance, in between their regular day jobs as hostage negotiators. Their superiors tolerate the forbidden affair -- until it starts to become really obvious in crisis situations.
Pedigree: Moonlighting meets SWAT.
Short take: Occasionally compelling, though still rather strange and decidedly contrived. Further proof it's never a good idea to date someone at work.
Smith
***
(CBS, CTV, 10 p.m.; starts Sept. 19)
Bobby Stevens (Ray Liotta) is the mastermind of an elite group of crooks known for pulling off precision heists. At the same time, Bobby is a family man and father of two, and his wife (Virginia Madsen) is quite unhappy with her husband's criminal pursuits. Bobby is looking for one last big score to finally retire.
Pedigree: Seventh Heaven meets Wiseguy.
Short take: A very strong pilot, and Liotta is fine, but the concept seems impossible to sustain. How long can Bobby keep stringing his wife along?
Help Me Help You
***
(ABC, 9:30 p.m.; starts Sept. 26)
Renowned shrink and best-selling author Dr. Bill Hoffman (Ted Danson) helms a group-therapy for lost souls, which includes a woman afraid of dating and a man who doesn't realize he's gay. On the personal front, Dr. Bill is a mess, mostly because he's still smitten with his ex-wife (Jane Kaczmarek, Malcolm in the Middle).
Pedigree: Frasier meets Cheers.
Short take: Filmed in semi-improv style, it's a sitcom oddity that works courtesy of Danson's undeniably strong presence.
Friday Night Lights
**
(NBC, Global, 8 p.m.; starts Oct. 3)
Based on the feature film, it's set in a small Texas town where rednecks abound and high-school football is pratically a religion.
Pedigree: Monday Night Football meets American Dreams.
Short take: Likely a thrill for anyone who saw the original movie, but ho-hum for the average viewer. Also: There are virtually no recognizable names or faces among the young cast.
Knights of Prosperity
***
(ABC, CTV, 9 p.m.; starts Oct. 17)
Slacker extraordinaire Eugene Gurkin (Canadian Donal Logue) is a janitor who dreams of owning a bar. In a fit of inspiration, Eugene dreams up a scheme to rob rock icon Mick Jagger's New York apartment, which first requires the assembling of a team of like misfits.
Pedigree: Married. . .with Children meets Alias.
Short take: Formerly titled Let's Rob Mick Jagger, the show rides entirely on Logue's shoulders as Eugene. TV loves an oaf, and he's one of the best to come along since Homer Simpson.
Justice
***
(Fox, CTV, 9 p.m.; started Aug. 30)
Hotshot lawyer Ron Trott (Canada's Victor Garber) is the top gun of an L.A. law firm that handles high-profile celebrity cases. His crack team includes a fierce former prosecutor (Eamonn Walker) and a capable forensics expert (Rebecca Mader).
Pedigree: L.A. Law meets CSI.
Short take: It's very good, which shouldn't surprise anyone. The multi-faceted Garber is the nucleus of Justice and even though his character is a fast-talking lawyer, it's impossible to dislike him. A worthy addition to the pantheon of legal dramas.
Jericho
***
(CBS, A-Channel, 8 p.m.; starts Sept. 20)
Residents in the sleepy farm town of Jericho, Kansas, are dismayed to witness an enormous mushroom cloud billowing in the near distance. Terrified to leave, but afraid to stay, the citizens are suddenly cut off from the outside world -- and understandably distrustful of any new faces that roll into town.
Pedigree: Lost meets Twin Peaks.
Short take: Both odd and unsettling, Jericho shines on the strength of its ensemble cast, which includes Skeet Ulrich, Pamela Reed, Ashley Scott and Gerald McRaney, most recently of Deadwood. It's far too strange to last long, so better watch early.
Kidnapped
**
(NBC, Global, 10 p.m.; starts Sept. 20)
The teen son of millionaire Conrad Cain (Timothy Hutton) is abducted, which begins a frantic search from opposite directions: On one front, a veteran FBI agent (Delroy Lindo) is scouring New York to find the kidnappers; at the same time, the victim's father has hired a savvy private investigator (Jeremy Sisto, Six Feet Under), with a reputation for working outside the confines of the legal system.
Pedigree: Law & Order meets America's Most Wanted
Short take: A very tense, often graphically violent pilot should grab viewers at first. It's doubtful the show's writers can maintain the tension over 22 episodes, however.
The Nine
***
(ABC, CTV, 10 p.m.; starts Oct. 4)
Nine people (including Tim Daly, Scott Wolf, Chi McBride and 24's Kim Raver) have the misfortune of being caught right in the middle of a bank robbery -- which turns into a 52-hour hostage situation.
Pedigree: Lost meets Prison Break.
Short take: Most of the action takes place after the fact, with each of the nine hostages recalling the events from their own perspective. Arguably this fall's most innovative new show.
30 Rock
***
(NBC, CTV, 8 p.m.; starts Oct. 11)
Welcome to the behind-the-scenes world of The Girlie Show, a TV series created by women, for women. The fictional cable series is fronted by head writer Liz Lemon, a beleaguered TV veteran beset with two hopeless hosts and the constant tinkering of an addled network executive (Alec Baldwin).
Pedigree: Ally McBeal meets Sex and the City.
Short take: Though derivative of Studio 60, it's not bad. Fey is a slight presence, but the show is aided greatly by Baldwin's performance.
Twenty Good Years
*
(NBC, CTV, 8:30 p.m.; starts Oct. 11)
John Mason (John Lithgow) is a snooty, thrice-divorced surgeon; Jeffrey Pyne (Jeffrey Tambor, Arrested Development) is a widower and ex-judge who treats everyone equally. While they have nothing in common, the unlikely amigos surmise they have about 20 years left on this mortal coil, and strike a pact to live each remaining day to its fullest.
Pedigree: The Odd Couple meets The Golden Girls.
Short take: Both Lithgow and Tambor are engaging fellows, but not much chemistry on display here. The only thing in common is their ages, and the show resembles a throwaway sitcom that might have aired decades ago.
Daybreak
*
(ABC, Global, 9 p.m.; starts Nov. 1)
L.A. detective Brett Hopper (Taye Diggs) wakes up to the alarming news that he's been accused of murdering a prominent state attorney. On the plus side, Hopper keeps waking up to the same day over and over again, thereby enabling him to unravel the crime and find out who arranged the frame-up in the first place.
Pedigree: 24 meets The X-Files.
Short take: The time-warp gimmick is clever -- for the first 10 minutes. Also: Wasn't this a movie called Groundhog Day?
'Til Death
0
(Fox, CH, 8 p.m.; started Sept. 7)
Bickering couple Eddie and Joy (Everybody Loves Raymond's Brad Garrett and Joely Fisher) have new neighbours: Too-cute young newlyweds Jeff and Steph (Eddie Kaye Thomas, Kat Foster), who spend most of their time billing and cooing over each other. Though diametrically-opposed, the couples spend all their time together.
Pedigree: The Flintstones meet The Rubbles.
Short take: Simply awful, on all counts. Garrett is loud and overbearing -- unlike his character on Raymond -- and each storyline ends on an ain't-love-grand? note.
Happy Hour
*
(Fox, CTV, 8:30 p.m.; started Sept. 7)
Nerdy and needy Henry (John Sloan) moves to Chicago to be with his girlfriend, who promptly dumps him on arrival. For no apparent reason, Henry moves in with a wannabe lounge lizard named Larry (Lex Medlin), a self-professed lounge lizard and man of the world.
Pedigree: Swingers meets Freaks & Geeks.
Short take: Along with 'Til Death, it's a strong contender for this fall's worst new show. And it doesn't help that there isn't a single recognizable face in the cast.
Shark
**
(CBS, Global, 10 p.m.; starts Sept. 21)
Cocky Los Angeles defense lawyer Sebastian Stark (James Woods) has a change of conscience when a former client murders his wife. He joins the prosecution side and is handed a group of inexperienced charges who cling to his every word. At the same time, Stark is devastated to learn his ex-wife is moving to New York with their beloved teenaged daughter.
Pedigree: Perry Mason meets Murder One.
Short take: It's House with lawyers. Shark certainly isn't the best legal drama ever made, but the pilot is slick and there's some curiosity factor since Woods is a TV novice.
Six Degrees
***
(ABC, Global, 10 p.m.; starts Sept. 21)
Six complete strangers wander through their lives in New York City. In the mix: Laura, a distraught single mom; Whitney, the distrustful businesswoman; Steven, a self-doubting photojournalist; Damian, a law-abiding student with a criminal brother; Mae, the reformed party girl with a dangerous past; and Carlos, who simply seems to be a nice guy. All six are plodding along, and then, suddenly, their life-paths cross.
Pedigree: thirtysomething meets The Twilight Zone.
Short take: Probably the most ambitious of the new fall offerings, Six Degrees benefits from an attractive cast, including Hope Davis and Erik Christenson. Of course it's earnest and corny, but it's a nice change from ER on Thursday nights.
Big Day
**
(ABC, CH, 8 p.m.; starts Oct. 5)
Young lovebirds Danny and Alice are about to walk down the aisle. Their special day is covered in real time, which is rolled out over 22 episodes.
Pedigree: According to Jim meets Bridezillas.
Short take: The show focuses on the excruciating details that come with any wedding -- ranging from the place settings to a missing pastor -- and should ring true to anyone who's been through the process. And Wendie Malick is very good as the manic mother of the bride. It's hard to imagine the idea stretched into a second season, however.
Notes from the Underbelly
*
(ABC, 8:30 p.m.; starts Oct. 5)
Andrew and Lauren are going to have a baby. The big announcement naturally causes all kinds of ripples in their immediate families, who are immediately suggesting baby names. Even worse: The child-rearing tips from yuppie friends who already have children.
Pedigree: Yes, Dear meets Life's Birth Stories.
Short take: Cute at times, but the concept is held back by the no-name cast. And it's far too insular to draw a mainstream audience.
Ugly Betty
****
(ABC, Citytv, 8 p.m.; starts Sept. 22)
You have to admire spunk. Painfully shy and woefully unattractive Betty Suarez (America Ferrera) somehow lands the job of assistant-secretary to the editor of a women's fashion magazine (mostly because the publisher figures his son, the editor, won't try to sleep with her). The keen neophyte is forced to navigate her way through the cutthroat fashion world.
Pedigree: That Girl meets Models Inc.
Short take: Based on a popular Spanish telenovela, Ugly Betty is one of the very few guaranteed hits this fall. Ferrera is a joy as the hirsute fashion newcomer and Vanessa Williams is very good as a bitchy fashion diva. It can't miss.
Men in Trees
***
(ABC, Citytv, 9 p.m.; starts Sept. 22)
Professional "relationship coach" and author Marin (Anne Heche) travels to Alaska for a speaking engagement and decides to become a permanent resident in the small town of Elmo. The locals think she's weird, and vice versa, but she appears to fit in and even has a fling with a local in the first show. And in no time at all, Marin has made friends with a raccoon.
Pedigree: Northern Exposure meets Blind Date.
Short take: The yuppie-among-yokels theme has worked before, so no reason to think it won't work again. Heche is surprisingly adorable in her first significant TV role, and the local characters are nicely underplayed. For some strange reason, it works.
OH, CANADA
As always, there is some effort from this country's broadcasters to generate their own new-season excitement. Coming soon:
Dragon's Den
CBC, Wednesdays at 8 p.m.; starts Oct. 4
Based on a Japanese TV concept, the ambitious reality series features unknown Canadian inventors pitching their supposed brilliant ideas to successful entrepreneurs -- heretofore known as "the dragons." The same competitors are also ushered into the precarious realm of business financing.
Hockey: A People's History
CBC, Sundays at 8 p.m.; starts Sept. 17
The definitive history of our beloved national game. Airing over ten weeks, the CBC series was produced by Canadian documentary kingpin Mark Starowicz, so you just know it's going to be good.
Intelligence
CBC, Tuesdays at 9 p.m.; starts Oct. 10
A new Canadian crime series from Chris Haddock (Da Vinci's Inquest). The gritty series brings back Da Vinci regular Ian Tracey as a drug lord operating out of Vancouver.
Jozi H
CBC, Fridays at 9 p.m.; starts Oct. 13
Commissioned by CBC in tandem with South African television, it's a medical drama set in Johannesburg hospital and focuses on the lives of the men and women working there.
Rumours
CBC, Mondays at 9 p.m.; starts Oct. 9
Executive-produced by Moses Znaimer, it's a half-hour comedy set behind the scenes of a Toronto-based gossip magazine. Can we talk?
Global Currents
Global, Saturdays at 7 p.m.; starts Sept. 23
Kevin Newman hosts a 10-part series featuring independently produced Canadian films. The series kicks off with the film Greenpeace: Making a Stand, a look how the environmental group has changed since the 1970s.
October, 1970
CBC, Thursdays at 10 p.m.; starts Oct. 9
The dark days of the FLQ crisis are recalled in the eight-part docudrama series. Did Pierre Trudeau invoke the War Measures Act to silence his critics in Quebec? Just watch it.