Some of these shows have already debuted, such as Superstars of Dance, True Beauty and Momma's Boys. Each of these shows seemed promising, if only for the trainwreck/entertainment factor. Sadly, each has disappointed and been either maddenly dumb, or just plain boring thus far. Promos for True Beauty show potential for promise, but I'd give up on the other two if I were the kind of person who could do that midstream. As it is, I'll probably not return for a second season (though ratings indicate neither is a sure bet for a sophomore outing at all).
Upcoming things to look forward to still include some Joss Whedon love, in the form of his new show Dollhouse, starring Faith--er, Eliza Dushku as a cross between Alias's Sydney Bristow and a fembot. Also, Firefly and Serenity alum Nathan Fillion stars in the Bones-esque procedural Castle. Both of these shows sound pretty enjoyable on the surface, but the total lack of commercials for both makes me a little nervous about their quality. Especially given the shooting of a new pilot for Dollhouse and it's lameduck programming slot on Friday nights paired with underperforming Sarah Connor Chronicles, this show seems destined for a short run if it doesn't catch on quick. Fillion alone should lift up the humor factor on Castle, but the premise is going to need some serious hook to compete with the existing oversaturation of procedural dramas. Hopefully, it'll work out for him though.
The biggest news of the January TV premieres are the returning shows. While these other shows are/were unknown quantities, some of the most anticipated shows air only in the spring.
I'm ecstatic to hear that American Idol was tweaking it's first several weeks this season, eliminating the endless nights of horrible performances and overconfident hacks in place of showing actually talented performers. The first half of Idol was always the part that appealed to me the least, and I'd actually skip it if I wasn't so interested in seeing the complete journey of the people I'll eventually get to vote for (though I imagine I'll be uninspired to actually vote, as I have been ever since Chris Daughtry was given the boot and Taylor Hicks went on the win in the shows biggest farce of a season ever.) I also love that Hollywood week will be extended, as it was my favorite part of the debut season of the show, and that the wildcard round is being brought back, as it proved effective with both RJ Helton (who placed 5th in season 1) and Clay Aiken. This is an opportunity to give someone good a second chance to prove themselves after stumbling earlier in a high-pressure situation.
Medium is a small show that I used to describe as "the sign you know you're a 50+ year old woman." However, during the writers strike last January, this is a show that my wife and I fell in love with. I love the sci-fi premise with the procedural/family drama mixed in. Since last season was really short, I didn't get a full flavor of the show, but it was enough to whet my appetite for more in the weeks to come.
But the two biggest shows coming back for me are 24 and Lost, and I couldn't feel more differently about the two of them. 24 is the show I used to LOVE and watch every week religiously, even during my busiest college days. However, it didn't air at all last year and the year before that, I actually lost interest in the show in about hour 6, and never saw the end of the season widely dissed as the worst in the show's history. Lost, however, was the show I dismissed right away, without ever watching, as someone annoying and short-lived, that I didn't have time to invest in. Last year, as a result of this same writers strike, I decided to give the first season a shot. Roughly a year later, I'm completely hooked on this show and find myself compelled to watch every moment as soon as possible. They won't exactly be competing with each other since they air on different nights, but I find myself only really wanting to invest in my new love, perhaps casting Jack Bauer aside. A single lingering desire to watch 24 rests in the casting of Janeane Garofalo. She's a great treat to see in mostly anything, and I can't wait for her dry, bitchy bite to dig in at CTU.
Even though my wife finds Lost's Kate to be more annoying than Momma's Boy's Mrs. B, I'm anxious to get back to the island, I'll be counting the days until I find out whether she gets to keep Aaron, or he goes back to his spontaneously insane birth-mother Claire. And I can't get enough of this January TV...except for you, Michael Flatley.
Excited,
Patrick James
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