FOLIO
by Kellie Abrahamson
New Network Shows for 2010-2011
It’s September so say goodbye to your favorite summer shows (True Blood- sniff) and hello to what could very well be your new favorite fall series. The networks are rolling out most of their new arsenal this month and here’s a look at what they’re packin’.
ABC
Detroit 1-8-7 (premieres September 21)- A cop drama revolving around the men and women working to clean up the streets of Detroit, the murder capital of the nation.
Better With You (September 22)- This comedy follows three very different relationships tightly intertwined in one family and how their differing points of view mesh and clash.
The Whole Truth (September 22)- A unique legal drama that takes a look at how a case is built from the perspective of both the defense and the prosecution.
My Generation (September 23)- A documentary crew reconnects with a group of people they filmed as high school seniors ten years later to see if they turned out the way they thought they would all those years ago.
No Ordinary Family (September 28)- Hands down the best new series on ABC’s slate, a family of four crashes into the Amazon River and returns home to discover they each have a unique super power.
Body of Proof (Fridays TBA)- A world-class surgeon finds her world turned upside down when an accident takes her out of the operating room and she’s forced to take a job as a medical examiner. But instead of merely doing autopsies on the bodies that end up on her slab, she takes it upon herself to track down their killers.
CBS
Mike & Molly (September 20)- This comedy from Chuck Lorre is about two Chicago natives who find love in the most unlikely of places: an Overeaters Anonymous meeting.
Hawaii Five-0 (September 20)- A contemporary take on the classic series, this cop drama focuses on an elite task force assigned to rid the Aloha State of crime.
The Defenders (September 22)- This dramedy centers around the colorful defense attorneys of Morelli & Kaczmarek, a law firm based in Las Vegas and determined to keep their Sin City clients happy while juggling their own, sometimes messy, personal lives.
$#*! My Dad Says (September 23)- Based on the Twitter feed of Justin Halpern, this comedy series stars William Shatner as a cantankerous father whose politically incorrect observations drive his live-in adult son up the wall.
Blue Bloods (September 24)- This cop drama is about a multi-generational family of cops dedicated to New York City law enforcement, and each other.
CW
Hellcats (September 8)- A pre-law student is forced to dust off her long dormant gymnastic skills and try out for the cheerleading squad in order to stay in school after losing her scholarship.
Nikita (September 9)- After being betrayed by the secret government agency who trained her to be a super spy, a teen is determined to expose and destroy their operation before they ruin more young lives.
Fox
Lonestar (September 20)- In this soapy drama, a charismatic con man juggles two separate lives, bilking his wife’s mega-rich Texas oil family and, 400 miles away, fending off angry investors while romancing his trusting girlfriend. When suspicions begin to arise, he ends his scheming but tries to keep both lives he built.
Raising Hope (September 21)- This comedy centers around a dysfunction extended family living under one roof who gets thrown for a loop when the going-nowhere son discovers he has a baby with his one-night-stand, a wanted felon who is headed back to jail.
Running Wilde (September 21)- The new comedy from the creator of Arrested Development stars Will Arnett as a filthy-rich, immature playboy trying desperately to win (or buy) the heart of his childhood sweetheart.
NBC
Outlaw (September 15)- Disillusioned by the legal system after serving as a U.S. Supreme Court justice, a man steps down from the bench and opens up his own private practice to use his inside knowledge of the justice system to represent “the little guy.”
The Event (September 20)- Possibly the most hotly anticipated show this season, The Event is a high-octane conspiracy thriller that follows an Everyman who investigates the mysterious disappearance of his fiancée and unwittingly begins to expose the biggest cover-up in U.S. history.
Chase (September 20)- This Jerry Bruckheimer-produced drama focuses on a team of U.S. marshals charged with hunting down America’s most dangerous fugitives.
Undercovers (September 22)- Acclaimed writer/producer/director J.J. Abram serves as co-writer, executive producer and director in this sexy, fun, action-packed spy drama about a married pair of CIA operatives.
Outsourced (September 23)- When all-American company Mid America Novelties outsources their call center to India, a white bread middle-manager is sent to train the new staff on all things USA and ends up learning a few things himself along the way.
School Pride (September 24)- This new reality series shows the power of community as students, teachers and parents work together to transform their aging and broken public schools into institutions to be proud of.
Law & Order: Los Angeles (September 29)- In this new addition to the Law & Order franchise, police officers and district attorneys in the City of Angels work together to bust and lock up bad guys.
what’s hot in september
PREMIERES
The third season of Sons of Anarchy (FX) starts on September 7th. I don’t know about you, but fall just wouldn’t be complete without leather-clad tough guys beating the crap out of each other for my viewing pleasure. • One of my biggest guilty pleasures is The Vampire Diaries, which returns to the CW on September 9th. In my defense, these vamps actually drink human blood and they don’t sparkle in the sunlight. • Hands down one of the best shows to come out of last season, NBC’s Parenthood starts its 2nd season on September 14th. I was predisposed to like it because of Lauren Graham and Peter Krause, but who knew Dax Shepherd could be so loveable? • Question: How good does HBO’s new prohibition-era drama, Boardwalk Empire look? Answer: So good! The cast is mind-blowing and Martin Freakin’ Scorsese is directing. Clear your calendar on September 19th and settle in for the 75-minute premiere. • Prepare for non-stop laughs on 23rd when NBC and CBS premiere their new and returning world-class comedies. CBS is bringing the 4th season of The Big Bang Theory and the new Twitter-inspired, Shatner-approved $#*! My Dad Says. Over on NBC, check out Community, 30 Rock, The Office and newbie Outsourced, based on the 2006 film of the same name. • My absolute favorite serial killer of all time is returning for his 5th season of slayings on the 26th. Showtime’s series Dexter is a stabby good time if you dig seeing bad guys get theirs courtesy of a sympathetic psychopath. • Finally, filling the void the Big Love has left since it went on summer hiatus comes the TLC reality series Sister Wives, a new show that follows the day-to-day lives of a polygamist and his three wives. While I’m certain they won’t be nearly as entertaining as the Henricksons, my inner-voyeur’s interest in piqued.
FINALES
USA’s summer schedule has been the bright light in the TV darkness and I’m sad to see it go out for even a few months. Coming to a close this month are the summer seasons of White Collar (September 7), Psych (September 8) and Covert Affairs (September 14). See you soon. • HBO’s Sunday programming will perhaps be missed even more. True Blood, Hung and Entourage will all have their finales on the 12th and we won’t see them again until next summer! Sad.
SPECIALS
Country music fans will want to check out the CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock over on ABC on the 1st. Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley, Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum and many more will be performing. • On September 10th ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC will all be airing the Stand Up to Cancer, an hour-long, commercial-free fundraiser with 100% of the proceeds going to cancer research. The star-studded event will feature live music, celebrity interviews, videos and more. • Tune into MTV on the 12th for the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards, where Lady Gaga is guaranteed to wear a different crazy outfit every five minutes and Kanye West will (hopefully) be gagged and bound somewhere backstage. • Finally, Adrian Grenier’s documentary Teenage Paparazzo airs on HBO on the 27th. The film follows Austin Visschedyk, a paparazzi that started shooting celebs at 13.
new on dvd
SEPTEMBER 7
Killers (PG-13)
Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam (G)
Solitary Man (R)
MacGruber (Not Rated)
SEPTEMBER 14
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (PG-13)
America: The Story of Us (Not Rated)
Letters to Juliette (PG)
Just Wright (PG)
Princess Kaiulani (PG)
SEPTEMBER 21
Robin Hood (Not Rated)
Secret of Moonacre (PG)
Ondine (PG-13)
Tinker Bell & the Great Fairy Rescue (G)
SEPTEMBER 28
Iron Man 2 (PG-13)
Get Him to the Greek (Not Rated)
Babies (PG)
The Killer Inside Me (R)
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