TV Time with Tim: Fall’s Best and Worst Season Starts

By: Tim Wilkins

The new TV season has started and I’ve been anxiously awaiting the new shows and my old favorites.  One thing about TV, one person’s love for a show is like another’s hate for the same show.  Here’s my list.

Best New Comedy: For me, I love ABC’s Wednesday night combo of “Modern Family” and “Cougar Town.”

“Modern Family” is well cast and written.  Ed O’Neill is great in his role as an older man married to a much younger woman with a young son.  Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Eric Stonestreet, a gay couple with adopted baby girl, are hilarious.  Rounding out the cast is the sublime Ty Burrell as the ‘cool dad’ and his uptight wife played by Julie Bowen.  I love the fact that this is a ‘modern look’ at families today.

“Cougar Town” is Courtney Cox as Jules Cobb shines.  She’s willing to go for the funny even if that means throwing her leg up on the shoulder of her much younger love interest.  Dan Byrd is great as Jules teenage son.  Created by Bill Lawrence, this show is all about dating younger and all that goes with it.  Jules attempts to do what others did in their 20’s is funny.  Her girl’s night out was hilarious and made me flash back to my own misadventures in fun.

Worst New Comedy: For me, I think Kelsey Grammar’s ‘Hank’ is horrible.  I watched the pilot and you know its bad when the laugh track tells you what is suppose to be funny and yet, you sit there rolling your eyes and wondering how much longer this crap is on.  One episode was enough for me.  Skip this ABC comedy.

Worst New Comedy (Animated): “The Cleveland Show” created by Seth MacFarlane should have been left on the cutting room floor.  The pilot episode was horrible and not even funny for me.  FOX’s latest attempt at ‘animation domination’ sucks, bottom line.  As I told a friend, “There are not enough drugs in the world to make think this show is funny.”

Worst First Episode Premiere: (comedy) this award goes to “The Simpsons” written premiere by Seth Rogen..  This whole episode had a ‘been there, done that’ feel to me.  Enough said.  I expect better even if “The Simpsons” has been on for 20 years.

Worst First Episode Premiere; (drama) “Grey’s Anatomy” left us last year with 2 possible life or death situations involving core characters, Izzie and George.  This being the age of ‘there are no secrets’; viewers knew ahead of time that George O’Malley was a goner.  I expected more from the death of George.  The fallout has been lacklustre for me.

Best New Drama(s) With Potential: The CW has given us vampire lovers something to look forward to after the summer that was “True Blood” with “The Vampire Diaries.”  Despite its teen angst, this show is slowly building on mythology and giving us something a bit more than ‘90210.”  Ian Somerhalder is the one to watch as bad boy Damon.  Who doesn’t love a ‘bad boy?’  Also, one of my favorite actresses will soon join the cast:  Jasmine Guy.  Despite the fact she’ll play someone’s ‘grandmother’ I look forward to seeing Jasmine.  This show just keeps me coming back for more.

Let’s add ABC’s “Flash Forward” to this list too.  This show had great buzz and after 2 episodes, I’m still waiting for the potential to kick in.  I’m all about mind-blowing puzzles, but how will this play out week after week?  So far, I think it’s good, but it’s not great.  Time will tell.

Worst New Drama: By far, the recently cancelled “The Beautiful Life” was bad.  The secondary characters were weak and badly acted.  It only aired 2 episodes and was promptly cancelled.  The storylines were ‘been there, done that’ and Misha Barton brought nothing new to the table.  It was just a ‘hot mess.’

NBC’s “Mercy” nurse drama, I watched exactly 15 minutes of and promptly turned it off.  This show is lackluster and has no bite.  “Nurse Jackie” is much better.  “Mercy” will be what viewers will be asking for after a few minutes of this crap.  It can’t be cancelled soon enough for me.

Worst Show Period: “The Jay Leno Show” wins this.  I hate this show so much I have even refused to watch one minute of it.  That’s how much I dislike the idea of this show.  I’m glad I’ve heard it’s not good.  It saves me from even having to look.  I’ll take your word for it!

Best Feel Good Show: ABC’s “Glee.”  This little gem written by Ryan Murphy leaves me with a smile on my face after every episode.  I love the singing and the fact that characters will ‘break out into song’ even if it’s in their own mind.   Example:  ‘Bust Your Windows.’  Matthew Morrison is adorable and Jane Lynch is hilarious with her dry line delivery.

So, what are you enjoying or hating this new fall season?  What are your favorites?  Until next time, enjoy your TV Time!

Posted by Adam Wright on October 4, 2009. Filed under Features. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry