Nowadays, when I list my hobbies, I include television amongst them, even though I don't think many people know what I'm referring to. I'm not vegging out on the couch zoning to stupid VH1 reality shows or whatever reruns are playing on the CW (though that's how I spent a large portion of my teens) - this is specific, target watching of artful television. I think that there is TV today that is producing at a quality similar to that of films, and it can be approached similarly. Looking forward to the next few months, there's a daunting 23 shows whose seasons are premiering, and all but four of them are during the month of September.
I've already written a review of the Season 6 premiere, but hopefully Season 6 will get us away from the unfunny Mexican storylines and try something fresh.
The Big C - 16 Aug - Showtime
A new show about an older woman who discovers she has stage 4 melanoma. Stars Laura Linney, Oliver Platt, and Gabourey Sidibe (Precious). Between this, Weeds, United States of Tara, Nurse Jackie, and The L Word, Showtime has a good track record with strong leading ladies.
Sons of Anarchy - 7 September - FX
Though I have yet to watch The Shield, Kurt Sutter has created some great characters, and the writing has kept tensions high throughout all of last season. With the resolution of the Nazi gang last season, I wouldn't be surprised if SoA takes on another season-long storyarc this season.
Terriers - 8 September - FX
A new series costarring the dude who played Renée on the first season of True Blood, it's about a couple of misfits operating a makeshift detective agency. I don't have any reason to believe this will be good other than FX being one of those basic cable channels like AMC which I will try just about anything they put to series.
The Venture Bros. - 12 September - Cartoon Network
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - 16 September - FX
After Seinfeld ended, there were a deluge of crappy sitcoms that directly tried to emulate their style, but I believe Sunny features the irrelevant storylines, callous characters, and wild situations to be as close as we dare to get to another Seinfeld while still pushing the boundaries for 2010.
The League - 16 September - FX
Boardwalk Empire - 19 September - HBO
A new show from HBO, the first episode directed by Martin Scorcese, starring Steve Buscemi as a mafia boss in the days of 1920s prohibition in Atlantic City? There's no way this can't be good.
Chuck - 20 September - NBC
Chuck is one of those shows that I download but have yet to watch, but there's been enough positive buzz over the past three years, not to mention a Cinderella story with Subway for season 2, and with a failed Jay Leno Show for Season 3, have kept Chuck around for far longer than would be allowed at a more successful network.
How I Met Your Mother - 20 September - CBS
Parenthood - 21 September - NBC
Peter Krause, Craig T. Nelson, Mae Whitman, and Lauren Graham give Parenthood some serious television clout, and the first season more or less maintained the balance between the troubles of the families and the feelgood moments.
Glee - 21 September - FOX
The first of two seasons to be ordered by FOX before the show concluded its freshman season, Glee is a hot property right now. While I don't mind most musicals, I don't find the format for television quite as endearing. For the fast storylines and whiny archetypes, I appreciate the quirk, and I champion Jane Lynch's role as Sue Sylvester as the primary reason why I continue watching. She is an amazing comedic talent and it's too bad it's taken this long for it to be recognized.
Modern Family - 22 September - ABC
Cougar Town - 22 September - ABC
Scrubs Med School may have flopped, but luckily that wasn't the only show Bill Lawrence had last season. Originally a pretty average sitcom about a woman trying to find sex with younger men, Cougar Town quickly evolved into a suburban ensemble comedy that was much funnier than the title would have you believe. Lawrence tried to change the title over the summer, but alas, we're still stuck with "Cougar Town."
Community - 23 September - NBC
An excellent first season featuring some great comedic talents, Community struggled but ultimately succeeded to straddle the line between pop culture references and storytelling (as well as two very attractive leading ladies). What's next? Keep the streak alive, plus more John Oliver.
Outsourced - 23 September - NBC
Sadly, Parks and Recreation is on hiatus until midseason because of Amy Poehler's baby, but NBC has been doing pretty well the past few years with Must-See TV Thursdays, and presumably they feel strongly enough about Outsourced to place it amongst these veterans. The premise is interesting enough - focusing on Indians who take over an American call center - if the show can set aside cheap "culture differentiation" jokes, if the characters are likable, and if the writing passes muster, it might be something worth watching. (There's a lot of qualifies in that last sentence)
The Office - 23 September - NBC
Last season was pretty weak, establishing and quickly abandoning storylines, and featuring a Michael Scott that was dumb even by Homer Simpsons standards, hopefully the announcement of Steve Carell leaving at the end of the season will spur some more thoughtful and fleshed-out writing for the popular series.
30 Rock - 23 September - NBC
30 Rock may not have had its best season last year, removing some believability from the characters and introducing the boring Wesley storyline, but we can still hope that as the show approaches its 100th episode, it might get a creative shot in the arm.
Eastbound and Down - 26 September - HBO
Bored to Death - 26 September - HBO
About as far from Eastbound and Down in terms of theme, Bored to Death's first season was a little light on comedy, a bit heavy on the hipster side of New York, but featured some great performances from Jason Schwartzmann, Ted Danson, and Zach Galifinakis.
The Simpsons - 26 September - FOX
It's been on the air for nearly as long as I've been alive - it wouldn't be television without The Simpsons. As someone who's seen literally every episode, there has been a boon in creativity since The Movie, and I've been getting a good solid laugh or two from most every episode. Not bad for a show in its 22nd season.
In Treatment - October - HBO
Peep Show - Autumn - Channel 4
A long-running UK cult sitcom that is shot entirely from the POV perspective of one of the characters, Peep Show has an everything-goes-wrong element similar to Curb Your Enthusiasm. The entire series is available to watch on Hulu, if you're so inclined.
Good Eats - ? - Food Network
Scripps has no rhyme or reason as to when it shows new episodes of its Nighttime lineup, so I can assume that there will be some episodes shown in the fall, coming off of a sweet 7-week run a few weeks ago. Continuously entertaining and informative even after 14 seasons, I learn something new about cooking in every episode.
Food Wars - ? - Travel Channel
Another hammy food travel show in the vein of Man v Food, I haven't seen Food Wars in months, though I know they're still filming.
A lot of good television to be watched, for sure. This is just a snapshot for the season - there's going to be a dozen more for the midseason and summer seasons, too - but the point is that there is a very large amount of high quality television that is being produced today - you just have to go find it. I'm sure I'll find the time to watch them all, though this is the hardest time of year to keep up, especially given my profession, but I'll enjoy as much as I can. It's a great medium.
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