It’s that season again. No, not football season. It’s Fall TV show season, people! Yes, it’s that time of year, when your favorite shows return, just in time to taunt you during midterms. But, if your priorities are like mine, and you’ve become the queen of procrastination, or just really good at coming up with excuses to
watch the latest episode of Glee, there’s still plenty of time to catch up on a few shows even with Hopkins’s crazy workload. Did someone say, study break?
But, with so little free time, how’s a girl supposed to choose what to watch?
I know I’m going to catch up on returning shows, like The Vampire Diaries; Gossip Girl; and Dexter. But, what’s new out there?
Let’s be honest, there are just too many TV shows these days to keep track off – no wonder so many people wait for the summer to go on a TV watching spree. But, if you’re like me and can’t wait that long to see where a good story ends up, catching up on shows in the fall is necessary for keeping stress levels to a minimum.
In order to make your lives a little easier though, I’ve tried to organize my Fall TV reviews, so you can easily pick what shows to check out, and which ones to skip.
To start off, here are two returning shows, stacked up with their shiny new counterparts. Are you going to be a loyal fan? Or is it time for a change?
Category: Doctor Shows
Returning show:
Grey’s Anatomy
Season 9
Airs: Thursdays, 9:00pm on ABC
Who doesn’t love a good medical drama? Especially at Hopkins, where pre-meds can actually kind of understand the medical lingo, and fantasize about their future hook-ups in the on-call room? But, after watching the premiere, Grey’s and I may have reached the break-up point in our relationship. Last season ended with a plane crash, and (SPOILER ALERT) killed off two of the main characters in the season premiere. I think I may have to follow Christina’s lead on this one: after a bomb, a shooting, a flood, a ferry disaster, and now a plane crash, I’m not sure how much more bad luck Seattle Grace can handle; it may be time to leave town for good this time.
Newbie:
Emily Owens, M.D.
Season 1
Airs: Tuesday, Oct. 16th at 9:00pm on the CW
So, if Grey’s Anatomy’s heavy drama has gotten a bit too ridiculous for you, you may want to look into Emily Owens, M.D., CW’s lighter, more comedy driven take on the medical drama. The dramedy revolves around the title character, Emily, “an awkward first-year intern at Denver Memorial hospital who’s trying to balance work with romance” (TV Guide)…Sound familiar? Think Grey’s Anatomy crossed with New Girl; there are also plenty of young, attractive docs to tide you over from Grey’s too.
(Note: If you’re looking for other doctor centric shows, even lighter on the drama, check out The Mindy Project, about an OBGYN who doesn’t understand why her life isn’t like a rom-com. We don’t understand either. Or if you really like ridiculous drama, look no further than The Mob Doctor. The title pretty much explains itself).
Category: Shows Created by Ryan Murphy
Glee
Season 4
Airs: Tuesdays, 9:00pm on FOX
I am always going to be a loyal Glee fan, but after last season with many of the original members of the cast having graduated, it’s going to be hard to walk down McKinley’s halls without seeing their faces, or hearing their voices in the choir room. Yes, Rachael and Kurt are still technically on the show, but the jury’s still out on whether I’m ready to accept the whole “spin-off within the original show” idea. I do applaud the writers of the show for trying to keep the show somewhat believable by bringing in a set of fresh new faces to the cast, but I think their success will depend on whether the new cast members develop into their own unique characters, or whether they merely become the “new Finn,” or “new Rachael,” which frankly, would be boring. Been there, done that.
Newbie:
The New Normal
Season 1
Airs: Tuesdays, 9:30pm on NBC
Ryan Murphy, the creator of Glee fame is back! And he seems to have graduated to the real world, along with his Glee kids. This time he’s writing a quick-witted comedy loosely based on his own adult life. The show centers on Bryan, and David, a gay couple living in L.A looking to start a family. Enter, Goldie, a single mother and aspiring lawyer, who agrees to be their surrogate. Add Goldie’s quirky daughter, Shania, and an ultra-conservative grandmother who’s against the whole arrangement, and you’ve got one unique family dynamic. If you like Glee’s humor, but you’ve also graduated from the High School drama and Top-40 music covers, you might like this one.
(Note: If you like Ryan Murphy, but want something really different than Glee, check out the new season of American Horror Story, premiering Wednesday, October 1 at 10:00pm on FX. No need to catch up on the first season either, the series is set up as an anthology, so nothing from season 1 carries over.)
Three New TV Shows In Three Sentences, or Less:
Elementary
Premieres: Tuesday, Sept. 25 at 10:00pm on CBS
Modern day Sherlock Holmes lands on our side of the pond, with Lucy Liu as Watson. I bet Sir Arthur Conan Doyle never imagined Holmes and Watson’s relationship quite like this. Are we in for a Holmes and Watson fling?
Chicago Fire
Premieres: Wednesday, October 10 at 10:00pm on NBC
From the creator of the Law and Order franchise, Dick Wolf brings us an action-filled drama about firefighters in Chicago. Maybe not your first choice, but apparently there’s a lot of relationship drama, and a lot of hot, shirtless men. Do I need to say more?
Nashville
Premieres: Wednesday, October 10 at 10:00pm on ABC
Add country music, politics, and a mean Taylor Swift-like character, and you get either a sappy mess, or the country music version of what Smash was for Broadway.
What I’m catching up on next: Girls on HBO
This new show just went on hiatus, but it has been mentioned in my Writing Seminars classes on at least five separate occasions. Apparently, as an aspiring writer, Girls is what I have to look forward to after graduation…I guess I should start preparing.
By Contributing Writer: Kathryn Alsman
Sources and Photo Sources:
Tvguide.com
http://skinnyms.com