While September may be a month loathed by many SCAD students for a return to the daily grind of projects and early classes, they can at least take solace in the fact that their evenings are about to get more interesting. Yes, this is the time of year when the doldrums of TV reruns cease to exist and a crop of new and returning programs hope to grab your attention and engage your senses. Back in May, all of the major networks announced their fall programming and slowly released tidbits and trailers over the summer. Now, with premiere week upon us, here are five of the most promising shows, new and old, to keep your eyes on this season …
The Event
Judging by the frequency of its commercials, NBC is putting most of its eggs in the basket of this serial drama, hoping to fill the void left by ‘Heroes’ and ‘Flashforward.’ I have seen the pilot already, and while the show is certainly impressive ⎯ with a twist that places this political drama squarely in the science fiction realm ⎯ there’s no indication based on this episode alone that the series won’t buckle under the weight of its own mythology like ‘Flashforward’ did last year. Still, the show’s solid cast and potential to be the “next big thing” is sure to grab some curious, if not interested, viewers.
“The Event” airs Mondays at 9 p.m. on NBC.
Undercovers
Perhaps overloaded with sprawling mythologies and Internet fandom, J.J. Abrams is taking a much-deserved tack to the lighthearted with his newest series. No Rambaldi, no Dharma Initiative and no Trekkies are to be seen in “Undercovers,” a spy series that finds a husband and wife duo coming out of their catering business to rejoin life in the intelligence agency. These former spies battle thugs, past lives and kitchen mishaps as they jet across the globe. (Consider the series to be a small-screen version of the Pitt-Jolie flick, Mr. and Mrs. Smith.) The show is certainly breezier than “Alias” or “Lost,” but no less fun. Abrams’ team’s writing skills are evident here in the believable, fun dialogue and character work. Oh, and the action sequences aren’t half bad either.
“Undercovers” airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on NBC.
Modern Family
Last year’s best comedy returns for a sophomore season, fresh off of winning the Best Comedy Emmy and a host of other awards. This mockumentary about an extended family and their hijinks never once let us down last season, and this year should be no different. “The Office” in a house, this show delivers the trials, tricks and tribulations of the Dunphy clan mixed with hilarious writing, pitch perfect acting and the truths of parenting. Though at times a bit saccharine, “Modern Family” is the comedy to watch, better than many of the potential new entries into the genre.
“Modern Family” airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on ABC.
Fringe
Now that “Lost” is gone, another J.J. Abrams-created show must carry the genre serial torch into uncharted territory. What started off as a sci-fi crime show in the vein of “The X-Files” has, over the course of its second season, slowly evolved into something much more nuanced. From its final crop of episodes last spring, “Fringe” delved into the notion of parallel universes, ending with a cliffhanger in which one of the main characters was trapped “over there.” Early tidbits for season three hint at several episodes dealing with the alternate universe and its backstory. With most of the principle actors having to play polar opposites of the same character, the upcoming season looks to mix the serial weirdness that fans love with something altogether more daring than many shows on TV, science-fiction or otherwise.
“Fringe” airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. on FOX.
The Walking Dead
This AMC series doesn’t premiere until October, but the buzz is already building. Debuting a trailer at the ComicCon 2010 convention to much fanfare and applause, this TV adaptation of a graphic novel depicting the aftermath of a zombie plague will premiere, fittingly, on Halloween. While I’m not the biggest zombie fan, the fact that this show was filmed in and around Atlanta should provide an interesting element, and the network’s pedigree (“Mad Men,” “Breaking Bad”) gives me hope that “The Walking Dead” will be another winner.
“The Walking Dead” will premiere October 31 at 10 p.m.