Posted by: Michelle Smith on September 30, 2009 at 5:12 pm
It’s pretty easy to come up with my top five fall TV shows, because that’s exactly how many of them I watch! I tend to prefer drama over comedy and serial storytelling over procedurals, and that, combined with my terrible HGTV addiction, rather limits the pool of shows that appeal to me. That said, here are my top five.
I’d be the first to admit that the first season had some serious problems, but the miraculous-that-it-even-exists second season is off to an intriguing start by focusing less on the engagement of the week and more on questions of identity. I’ll watch for as long as this show exists!
I have mixed feelings about Glee. I don’t like the lead character much (and can’t stand his wife!) and episodes that focus too much on him or the “stars” of the Glee Club don’t entertain me much. However, I fell in love with it again after episode four, in which a heretofore background character receives more development and inspires the football team to learn a dance routine to Beyonce’s “Single Ladies.” I swear it made me verklempt.
The one procedural I’ll deign to watch, Castle boasts a fun dynamic between its two leads. The investigations are usually uninspiring, like the season opener featuring tattooed Russians and poker (yawn!), but I’m happy enough just to watch for the characters. Mostly Fillion, I admit.
Only one episode of this beautifully-produced sci-fi drama has aired thus far, but I was pretty impressed by it. It manages to introduce a slightly challenging concept along with half a dozen or so characters without being either condescending or confusing. I missed the boat on the whole Lost phenomenon, so it might be fun to follow a show with that kind of watercooler potential from the beginning.
Most reality TV makes me cringe, and sometimes The Amazing Race does, too, when it persists in casting couples who clearly should not be together in the first place, but the mix of travel and bizarre challenges lends it an addictive appeal. Plus, a couple of friends and I bet on the results each season (very high stakes—we’re competing for Amazon gift certificates!), so that’s always fun.
V! I don’t even care about ABC’s weird plan to show four episodes then take a long hiatus until, like, February or something. Bring on the V!
(Read more from Michelle at PopCultureShock’s Manga Recon, where she’s the Senior Editor! :)
3 Responses to "Michelle’s Take: The Fall TV Hotlist … PCS Style"
1 | Shola Akinnuso
September 30th, 2009 at 5:37 pm
Fun list! I forgot about V! I still have the old movies on DVD. I loved the original. Fast Forward was a surprise. I just hate storytelling that takes YEARS to tell.
2 | chanzero
September 30th, 2009 at 5:59 pm
Wow, that’s cool you bet on TAR. But do you put your money on who you want to win or who you think will win? I’m currently rooting for the Globetotters and possibly the team with the kid who gave the Thai guide his jacket in the massive downpour. Inexplicably, I am also currently liking the conniving poker girls — possibly because the Asian one showed the heart to eat TWO wasabi bombs — although they will surely become a team to HATE soon enough. (Wow, you just helped me write the first of my five shows. Now I just need 4 more…)
3 | Michelle Smith
@Shola: Thanks! I vividly remember watching V when it aired during the ’80s. I’m kind of sad that the new one won’t have the same cheesy effects, but it’s hard to argue with slick, smart sci-fi!
@chanzero: I’ve been burned in the past with betting on who I want to win—remember those comic book guys that got booted disappointingly early?—so now I try to focus on who I think will win.
The Globetrotters are among my picks to make it to the final episode and I think the team with the jacket-giving kid (his name is Zev) is going to make it pretty far. I think I have them going out in episode 9 or something like that. :)
I’m not a big fan of the poker girls so far just because they’re already showing signs of implosion, which is never good.
