People have been asking this question or a variation of it a lot the past few weeks. What should I watch this fall? What new shows look good? What to watch this fall? These are a few of the ways the question has been posed. So, here is what I think looks good for the Fall 2006 Season. These are the shows you will want to check out. Below find my Prime Picks for each night, given what the network TV landscape looks like as of now. That is, what is the best choice for each hour of primetime for each night of the week? Or, if I could only watch one TV show in each hour of primetime every night, what would they be?
Prime Sunday Picks
The Simpsons (FOX): Already Premiered. The show has been around for a long time but it is still the best pop culture satire on TV. What should you do for the next half hour? Well you could watch the new show The Game on The CW, American Dad on FOX, the second half of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition or the second half of The Amazing Race. None of which sound very good to me, so I will probably go make a snack or something and get ready for the next couple of hours.
Desperate Housewives (ABC): Premieres Sept. 24th. It had a bit of a sophomore slump as it lacked an interesting mystery like the first season. Yet it still had plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and wacky situations to keep you watching.
Without a Trace (CBS): Premieres Sept. 24th. It moves from its cozy timeslot after CSI on Thursday night to the final hour of Sunday this season. This is a great drama and as of now, with all the casting and show runner changes over at Brothers and Sisters on ABC, it looks like the best option. Brothers and Sisters hasn’t even aired yet and it is already having Commander In Chief like problems and we all know how well that worked out.
Prime Monday Picks
Prison Break (FOX): Already Premiered. This show has been on for a few weeks and it is as good as the first season. Nothing else in this hour even comes close to being a Prime Pick except for How I Met Your Mother which I really liked a lot last season also.
Heroes (NBC): Premieres Sept. 25th. This drama about people discovering their super abilities looks really good. Vanished has yet to really pull me in. The Runaway on The CW looks interesting but if I had to choose only one show in this hour as of now it would be Heroes.
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (NBC): Premieres Tonight. Aaron Sorkin is the creator and writer behind one of my favorite short-lived shows, Sports Night and the long running The West Wing. He is back with this show set behind the scenes of a Saturday Night Live type show. The cast looks stellar and his writing style gives his shows great pacing, which draws you in and keeps you interested.
Prime Tuesday Picks
House (FOX): Already Premiered. This is one of the best shows on TV right now and until October it will be in this timeslot. It switches with Standoff after the MLB playoffs.
Veronica Mars (CW): Premieres Oct. 3rd.This is the best show that not enough people are watching. This season they go away from the season long mystery arc to three shorter arcs. This should allow people a better chance of joining the show later in the season and not feeling lost. The show has a great heroine, very good writing and plenty of twists and turns for those who like a good mystery.
Smith (CBS): Premieres Sept. 19th. I really like the outlandish Boston Legal but this show looks really good. I am a sucker for a great caper show and this could fill the bill. Last season’s foray into this territory didn’t fare to well so let’s hope for a better outcome this season.
Prime Wednesday Picks
Bones (FOX): Already Premiered. The cast of this show has really meshed well together. The fun dialogue and banter is what I really like. Anything that harkens back to the chemistry of David Addison and Maddie Hayes works for me. While this doesn’t quite reach that level it is pretty good in it own right.
Lost (ABC): Premieres Oct. 4th. I watched all of last season and really got hooked even though many think it was a bit of a let down after the first season. I never watched the first season until this summer when I got caught up via my Netflix account. I watched the whole season over the course of four days, which included watching the second half of the season in one day.
The Nine (ABC): Premieres Oct. 4th. This show is getting a lot of good buzz. Kidnapped on NBC also looks interesting and premieres this week but as of now The Nine would be my pick.
Prime Thursday Picks
My Name Is Earl (NBC): Premieres Sept. 21st. This show can be pretty funny at times. It really picked up the second half of the season. Yet in this hour the real reason to watch is what comes on next.
The Office (NBC): Premieres Sept. 21st. This is the best half hour comedy on network TV right now and nothing new this season looks like it will top it. Last season got better and better with each episode leading up to the season finale, which was outstanding. Are you watching, if not, why? Smallville is a really close second and what cable splitters, VCRs and now DVRs were invented for.
Grey’s Anatomy (ABC): Premieres Sept. 21st. This is a great show. The way the writers weave the medical cases into the story of these excellently portrayed characters to illustrate what is happening in their lives is brilliant.
Six Degrees (ABC): Premieres Sept. 21st. This slick looking show from the guy behind Alias and Lost looks good. It looks like they took the flashbacks from Lost and used them as inspiration for this show. Six characters touch each other’s lives in ways they don’t even realize since they have yet to meet.
Prime Friday Picks
Crossing Jordan (NBC): Premieres Oct. 20th. Jordan gets a new night and time due to Sunday Night Football this fall. Don’t you want to see who killed her ex and how they are going to get her out of this predicament and back disobeying orders at the morgue?
Las Vegas (NBC): Premieres Oct. 20th. The Northern Exposure vibe of Men in Trees will have to suffice until this gets underway but I would have to go with the campy Las Vegas in this case.
Numb3rs (CBS): Premieres Sept. 22nd. This is a good cop drama but a great family drama. The interaction of the brothers and their father is what is really great about this show. The extended family including some of the other agents and the college associates only adds to each story.
Prime Saturday Pick
Saturday Night Football (ABC): Already Premiered. Watch the primetime college football game of the week. They have had some really good match ups this season already and it is definitely better than reruns, Dateline NBC or Cops.
Well those are my picks. This is what I would choose to watch if I had to narrow it down to one show for each hour of primetime. Thank goodness for my TiVo like recording devices, I won’t have to, but it was fun to think about. Where have I gone wrong? What are your can’t miss shows this season? Leave your list in the comments.
