The fall season is always an exciting time for television. Popular shows return to the airwaves after the summer hiatus, mid-season cliffhangers are at long last resolved and audiences are exposed to an overwhelming amount – and overwhelmingly hyped – batch of new programming.
Sifting through the selection of premiering series in search of something worthwhile is no easy task. The networks would have you believe every new show is worthy of your time, but veteran television viewers know better.
Here’s an assortment of shows worth setting the DVR for, and a couple that warrant consideration.
Fringe
– Premieres Tuesday, September 9 on FOX
From Lost creator J.J. Abrams comes a new series in very much the same vein as previous FOX excursions into the sci-fi genre (The X-Files, Millennium). An FBI agent (Anna Torv), an eccentric scientist (John Noble) and his genius son (Joshua Jackson) must work together to get to the bottom of a rapidly spreading paranormal phenomenon.
Abrams is one of the most creative minds working in television and film today and this series looks to be one of the standouts in the new fall season. Of course, even if it lives up to the legacy of its spiritual predecessors, FOX has a tendency to cancel promising genre shows before their time (remember Firefly?). Let’s hope that trend does not continue should Fringe prove a quality series.
Life on Mars
– Premieres Thursday, October 9 on ABC
Based on a popular BBC series of the same name, Life on Mars features the adventures of a present day detective (Jason O’Mara), who finds himself transported 35 years into the past after a car accident. The catch is, by all indications he belongs there. He has the same name and the same job, but instead of 2008, it’s 1973.
The mix of genres is an interesting one as the show infuses a traditional detective drama with a science fiction premise. The cultural differences between the 70s and today will play an important role, as Life on Mars will be as much a societal commentary as a "crime and punishment" series.
Crusoe
– Premieres Friday, October 17 on NBC
In a retelling of Daniel Defoe’s "Robinson Crusoe," the title character (Philip Winchester) is shipwrecked and stranded on a tropical island for 30 years with only his determination to return home and the friendship of liberated slave, Friday(Tongayi Chrisa), keeping him sane.
A remote island setting is always a good bet (Cast Away, Survivor, Lost), as is using a timeless classic as source material. However, keeping things interesting over the course of an entire series may prove a challenge, as will the Friday night timeslot – a most undesirable place to be on the schedule.
America’s Toughest Jobs
– Premiers Monday, August 25 on NBC
Using the popularity of ‘real men in danger’ series like The Deadliest Catch and Ice Road Truckers as a template, NBC apparently thought it would be a good idea to turn the concept into a reality show akin to Survivor. America’s Toughest Jobs pits 12 contestants against each other in challenges such as oil drilling, logging, extreme fishing, and rodeo work.
The inherent problem with this is that it’s not reality at all. Part of the charm of the ‘real men in danger’ genre is that it features hardworking men performing their actual jobs. Cameras or not, they put their lives on the line every day for their profession. The contestants on America’s Toughest Jobs are doing it for a prize, which just isn’t as endearing as someone making an actual living in these dangerous occupations.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
– Premieres Friday, October 3 on Cartoon Network
George Lucas is at it again. A follow up to the theatrical "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" film, the television series will continue to follow Jedi Knights Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi fighting to protect the Republic from separatist traitors. Both the pilot movie and the series are set between "Attack of the Clones" and "Revenge of the Sith" in "Star Wars" continuity.
While anything "Star Wars" is always an event and the CGI animation is impressive, the question becomes, why? There have already been two short miniseries set in this same time period utilizing traditional 2-D animation. Lucas has gone to the well one too many times with this new series (and the preceding movie), and is in danger of oversaturating the market with more "Star Wars" than anyone has desire for.
