Flash Forward stars Joseph Fiennes as Mark Benford.RON TOM
FlashForward
(ABC, A; starts Sept. 24) Based on the book by Canadian Robert J. Sawyer, FlashForward has a terrific grab-you opening episode, all action and intrigue. What happens is a worldwide disaster; everyone, it seems, blacks out for just over two minutes. Planes fall from the sky, and across the planet there is one huge and bloody car pileup. Thing is, most people who blacked out got a glimpse of their lives six months into the future. Why? And what the heck happened? We follow the lives of a core group of characters, including a Los Angeles cop (Joseph Fiennes) who feels he's at the centre of events. Mind you, his wife's glimpse into the future doesn't include him. The first episode ends with a superb cliffhanger. Touted as the next Lost , FlashForward is, for now, much less dense storytelling than Lost and even more intriguing. It's exhilarating TV drama.
Modern Family
(ABC, CITY-TV; starts Sept. 23) This is this season's smartest comedy, and it opens with a beautifully droll, engaging half-hour. Made as a faux documentary about modern American mores, it slowly reveals that the motley crew of characters, all either sweet or recognizably weird in a mundane way, are in fact related. This ain't no ordinary sitcom. It probes, and sprawls across generations and multiple characters; it feels strangely real but very funny. A standout is Ed O'Neill ( Married … With Children ) as Jay, a middle-aged guy coping with a young trophy wife (Sofia Vergara) and far too many in-laws and ex-wives. On the evidence of the deftly made pilot, this is small-scale satirical genius.
The Good Wife
(CBS, Global; starts Sept. 22) A popular, powerful U.S. state politician is caught in a scandal. Young prostitutes are involved. He confesses, sort of, and resigns. At his side is his mortified but dependable wife. What does she think and feel? What does she do when hubby ends up in jail? The Good Wife is about the answer to these questions. Julianna Margulies is the wife, Alicia. Chris Noth ( Sex and the City ) is the sleazy husband. Alicia has to return to work as a lawyer, at a firm where a boss (Christine Baranski) makes it subtly clear that she has contempt for her. Complications ensue. This is a good, not brilliant, drama. The pilot episode has a too-neat conclusion. But its treatment of the stand-by-your-man politician's wife is vividly compelling. The interaction between wife and fallen husband is absolutely acid.
Glee
(Fox, Global; started Sept. 9) This is a killer show, and, if it can sustain its wit and energy, is likely to be a huge cultural phenomenon. Created by Ryan Murphy ( Nip/Tuck ), it's a hybrid of high-school drama and musical comedy. Teacher Will (Matthew Morrison), an optimist, starts a glee club at his school. Through promises, bribes and trickery, he manages to corral a motley crew of kids who have some talent. They sing. They dance. The inside-school antics are sublime black comedy. Starring a small posse of Canadians (including Cory Monteith and Jessalyn Gilsig in lead roles), it manages to be feel-good, satirical and an outstanding offshoot of the American Idol culture.
Community
(NBC, CITY-TV; sneak peek was Sept. 17, starts Oct. 8) It's hard to believe that Chevy Chase has comedy juice left, but he does. This deadpan social satire has layer upon layer of arch, prickly humour. At its centre is Jeff (Joel McHale), an oily lawyer who has his bogus degree exposed. So he enrolls in community college and forms a study group, mainly with the intention of impressing a cool, blond siren. But the study group takes over his life and emerges as a community unto itself. That's when Chase as obnoxious senior comes into play. Coming from Emmy-winners Joe and Anthony Russo ( Arrested Development ), Community is very sharp and finely tuned. Rich in sardonic humour, it will be excellent if it transcends the hinting at sentimentality in the pilot episode. McHale is excellent as the twerp in search of redemption, and Chase is surprisingly hilarious as the coot of the group.