10 shows worth giving a second look this fall
In sizing up the new series for fall, it's worth remembering that a new show usually premieres with its pilot episode. And a pilot isn't always representative of the series that will follow.
So judge the success of a pilot this way: Once you've seen it, does it make you want to come back for more?
Among the broadcast networks' 21 fall series, here are 10 whose debut episodes just might whet your appetite:
"Melrose Place" (CW, premieres Tuesday, Sept. 8) Here's romance, glamour, naughtiness, mystery and (of course) Spanish-modern architecture in L.A. It's a smart-but-not-too-smart re-imagining of the 1990s soap, with the apartment digs significantly posher than before.
"Glee" (Fox, Wednesday, Sept. 9) Maybe you already saw the pilot (which Fox aired last spring and currently is putting online). A musical comedy about a struggling high school glee club, it was pitch-perfect. Created by Mount Prospect native Ian Brennan and inspired by his days at Prospect High School, the series picks up with the second episode. It is quirky, tuneful, up-tempo fun.
"Community" (NBC, Thursday, Sept. 17) No disrespect meant to community colleges, but this one (Greendale Community College) is an ideal backwater for goofballs, schemers and slackers. Sharp writing and a classy ensemble (including Chevy Chase) earn the very funny pilot an A-plus.
"The Good Wife" (CBS, Tuesday, Sept. 22) Julianna Margulies has never been better as a wife and mother forced to pick up her long-dormant career as an attorney in a pressure-cooker law firm after her politician hubby lands himself in jail.
"Mercy" (NBC, Wednesday, Sept. 23) A skilled, outspoken nurse, Veronica Callahan is back at New Jersey's Mercy Hospital after a tour in Iraq, with more personal problems than when she left. "I don't need to talk to anybody about it," she tells her boss sarcastically. "You know why? Because, I'm on delicious Paxil." The Paxil's not working. But viewers, keep your fingers crossed that "Mercy" keeps on working as well as its pilot, where Taylor Schilling is terrific as its star.
"Modern Family" (ABC, Wednesday, Sept. 23) A lively half-hour boasting interlocked tales of three disparate families and a full-to-bursting ensemble (including Ed O'Neill and Julie Bowen). Can this ambitious comedy stay as brisk and funny as the pilot? Here's hoping.
"Cougar Town" (ABC, Wednesday, Sept. 23) Courteney Cox as a woman with cellulite?! This comedy about a 40-year-old divorced mom is both riotous and strangely true-to-life.
"FlashForward" (ABC, Thursday, Sept. 24) It happens to everyone on Earth, including all the characters who populate this eerie thriller: They black out for two minutes, during which they see visions of their future as they might (or might not) live it on a certain day next April.
"Brothers" (Fox, Friday, Sept. 25) The premise sounds like a sitcom cliché: Two squabbling adult brothers (played by Michael Strahan and Daryl "Chill" Mitchell) and their parents (Carl Weathers and CCH Pounder), all living under the same roof. The appeal of the pilot is its execution. It's fresh, relatable, engaging. And funny.
"Trauma" (NBC, Monday, Sept. 28) Lots of action. Lots of blood. Lots of hanky-panky. The first-responder paramedics from San Francisco City Hospital are a trauma team who, in various ways, are themselves traumatized. What makes the series worth a second look are the fiercely complicated characters, who soar above the formulaic melodrama.