New Fall Season - Part II

The new fall season is under way and every year there seem to be more and more shows vying for our attention. Here is the second part of my fall TV round up from what I’ve seen so far (both old and new) and thank you TiVo for making this possible. Oscar movie reviews will return once I get through all the new shows. Check out my earlier blogs for my thoughts on other shows.

Glee – Talk about a show that is on the bubble for me. I am back this year because there is a writer’s room this time around. Previous seasons were only written by two people. Hopefully this larger group will inject fresh ideas and bring consistency to the characters. The first season was great and last season was a big old mess. The first episode featured a mixture of the good things from the first season and the mess of season two. So far it remains on the bubble, but it got a little closer to popping it this week.

Modern Family – The show won a ton of Emmy’s a few nights before the premiere, so it had a lot to prove. And it proved that it deserved every single one of those awards. It was funny, touching and great. The process of following Cam and Mitchell as they adopt a son looks to be hilarious. There isn’t much for me to say about this show because it just continues to be great.

Community – The most under-watched show on network television. The series came back with a strong opener. Setting up some great conflict while at the same time setting up some great comedy for the rest of the season. Can’t wait for more.

Parks and Recreation – The second most under-watched show on network television and the best comedy on television, period. This episode did not disappoint. The season long arch of Leslie running for council is established and more hilarity from Ron Swanson is had. The show is so full of fun that a lot of people just don’t get it, but I am laughing every week.

The Office – With a new boss and a new CEO the Office returned to try and prove that it still belongs on television. Did it work? A little. Robert California and Andy Bernard being co-bosses allows the writers to keep both the crazy ideas and child like stupidity that was Michael Scott. The California character was exciting and fresh, while Bernard got on my nerves. Being in its eighth season the characters on the show are now simply caricatures of their former selves. Either you like the goofiness or you don’t. Right now, I still like the goofiness.

Person of Interest – I am not a big procedural fan, but the names attached to Person of Interest were to big for me to ignore. Unfortunately the show could just not capture my interest. Acting was solid and there wasn’t anything glaringly wrong with the story. It just didn’t hook me. I wasn’t engaged with anyone. If you like a crime a week type of story, this is probably right up your alley. Me, I need something meatier.

More to come!