Fall TV Premiere Week 2011 Recap
It came, I saw, I’ll be back for more next week. Our shows are back and some new ones are here to stay! Some other ones won’t last past September (I’m looking at you, Hank Azaria), so I’m here to sum up what happened in the world of TV for this week, the first full week of the Fall TV season.
Two & A Half Men wooed us with Ashton Kutcher’s naked body, and all the women watching said a collective, “YES WE WILL WATCH NEXT WEEK.”
Glee wrote off Troutpout with a simple, “His dad got a job out of state,” while Quinn became a Madonna throwback emo kid. I’m hunting down a copy of Emma Pillsbury’s “Me & My Hag” for when I find that special gay of my own.
Biggest Loser added Anna Kournikova in Jillian’s place, and while I like the name Anna and watching uber-fit sports stars play their sports, I don’t want to watch overweight people being yelled at by someone whose never known any clothing over a size 2.
2 Broke Girls was funny and smart for being a pilot while Up All Night‘s pilot didn’t impress me. I’m sticking with Up All Night just because it’s Will Arnet, Christina Applegate, and Maya Rudolph playing her version of Tyra Banks. Up All Night this week was better than the pilot, as I expected. It has a ways to go, but even Friends started off in the toilet. I’ll keep it on my DVR for the season. Free Agents though? I give it one more week on the air, then it’s hasta la pasta for Hank Azaria.
I was really hoping Unforgettable would be good, but I’d rather watch, Marilu Henner, the real-life inspiration for Poppy Montgomery character, make out with Sean McNamara. Plus, I kept hearing Poppy Montgomery’s Aussie accent creep into her speaking, so I kept getting lost in the (very predictable) story. I’ll forget about watching it next week.
Sons of Anarchy started their 4th season 3 weeks ago, but I’m bringing it up because it’s the best season yet. I can’t even put together the words to tell you how good this season is to watch. Oh, and Jax. ::lick:: If you don’t know SoA, do yourself a favor and watch the first three seasons. Or maybe at least the last season? Or if you need the condensed version, start with this season. You WILL thank me.
It was makeover day on America’s Next Top Model! You’d think that with this being the all star cast season, these girls would roll with whatever Tyra and the J’s want to do. But no. These divas whined and cried and OH THE DRAMATICS MAH HAIRS IS CUT all through the show. It’s pretty much my favorite show of the season.
Raising Hope‘s premiere included Burt yelling out, “I made that boy with my wang!” in the middle of a music showcase. That’s some fine TV comedy writing right there.
American Idol? The Voice? X Factor? Nothankyouverymuch. Been there, seen that, and I like my singing contests sprinkled with Adam Levine’s 6-pack and/or Ryan Seacrest’s affectations.
Even though I said I wasn’t going to watch it, I recorded Revenge and watched it. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but it wasn’t bad. There’s the whole campy Hamptons rich people done wrong drama happening, but I’ll watch next week if there’s a slot available on my DVR.
Big Bang Theory made us laugh out loud as it usually does. And while The Middle is always funny, the hour-long lead-in to Modern Family could have been cut down to a regular 1/2-hour show.
Community and Parks & Rec were back with the same which is a good thing, but The Office was a bit of a let-down without Michael Scott. James Spader is no replacement for Steve Carrell. I hope it can only get better from here because I love me some Jim and Pam.
I watch a new show coming on Showtime called Homeland with Angela Chase Claire Danes was on a pre-preview, and I have to say, it was one of the best hopes for a new government-gone-awry dramas I’ve seen this year. It starts the first week of October, so set up your DVRs to record now.
SNL is back with Alec Baldwin, and though he’s no Justin Timberlake, he’s worth watching for Schweddy Balls alone.
Boardwalk Empire starts up on Sunday. I don’t care if you watched last year’s first season, start watching it Sunday. Again, you will thank me.
I still have Whitney, The New Girl, Grey’s Anatomy, and Prime Suspect waiting for me on the DVR because this has been a crazy week chock full of non-TV-related activities, but I hope to catch up this weekend.
For all of us soap lovers, RIP All My Children. Your 1pm hour can never be filled with some crap-hole ratchet job of a “cooking lifestyle” show with a name my 7-year-old can’t hear without laughing hysterically.
What did you love this week? What did I miss? What shows shot down the toilet for you?
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I was giddy with the return of HIMYM- BABY! But I am DYING to know how he met their flipping mother! I also enjoyed 2 Broke Girls.
Glee- eh. Lame songs this week… pick it up, Ryan Murphy.
Biggest Loser- I don’t have a problem with Anna yet, I will give her a chance, but me likey new guy, Dolvett. I am an avid BL watcher for all 12 seasons, Anna won’t make me stop watching (I HATED the 2 new trainers last year and they had bad results and didn’t return so I trust that if Anna’s not good at getting results, she won’t stick.) I did, however, not feel like we ‘met’ the contestants or got a good grip on their stories yet… I’m holding out, but I think they were slow on the punch there. Everyone’s still being presented as forgettable.
Totally agree that The Middle should have been a half hour episode- yawn. HIMYM did it right and aired 2 1/2 our episodes.
Parks and Rec did not disappoint and Raising Hope…! you quoted my favorite line of the week- that writer deserves a RAISE!
I am over Free Agents. Up All Night, though I am trying to like it, and for the most part, do, but they’re hung up a little on “we were party animals- let’s get DRUNK” thing. It’s a little cliche.
Curious to how you’ll feel about Grey’s. We turned it off after the LONG 2 hours, pulled the series off our DVR for good. After 8 years of a love/hate relationship, I finally put that thing to rest.
Really liked Revenge and starting to enjoy Ringer (that show has the sexy men).
2.5 men was funning (and i am not a fan of that show).
HIMYM – barney better pick robin!
Big Bang is always funny.
loved criminal minds – glad prentiss and jj are back.
didnt bother with grey’s – havent really liked that show since Izzy left….not watching it this year.
Supernatural was good as always…i will miss Cass’s odd personality (looks like the big bad has taken him over).
Ringer! How could you not watch Ringer. I don’t watch much tv, but this has already become a staple.
I loved How I Met Your Mother and Big Bang Theory. I did not enjoy Whitney at all… stopped watching about 1/2 way through the episode. Just wasn’t worth my time. I still have to catch up with Modern Family this weekend. :)
Revenge was pretty good.
I’ll be interested to see what you think of Whitney. I thought that the laugh track was incredibly annoying. And I know, I know, they made that “taped before a studio audience” announcement, but I have to assume that was meant as a joke, because I noticed a couple of occasions where the laughter began before the punch line was delivered. My husband didn’t dislike as much as I did, but he did point out how much the show was featuring Whitney’s ass, so I think that might account for his mild review :)
How could you not talk about the Modern Family premiere. Hands down the best sit-com on television and deserving of every Emmy they won. I’d like 2 episodes of that show every week it is done so well. You call yourself a professional….humph, I dunno about that cactus flower.
Giving Revenge a chance because it’s by the same writer who did Swingtown, which was really well-written. Hated New Girl with a passion, although I usually love Zoey D. Grey’s has jumped the shark, but can still make me cry, so I will soldier on. WILL NEVER WATCH 2-1/2 MEN EVER. Someone tell Ashton Cluther that hair does NOTHING for him but make him look even slimier.
Loved 2 Broke Girls & The New Girl.
I loved Grey’s. And I’m always a Biggest Loser fan!
New Girl ftw, yo. Shit was hilarious.
I’m am very fickle with my TV love. And quite frankly there aren’t many shows anymore that really hold my attention. I’ll have it on in the background while I do something else, like read or paint my nails, but I’m not riveted. You know?
I wasn’t exactly disappointed with Glee because quite frankly I wasn’t expecting much. I haven’t expected much out of Glee for a while, but I’ll keep watching.
I did however LOVELOVELOVE New Girl. OMG. New. Favorite. Show! When I posted about it on facebook, one of my friends said she didn’t watch the show, but every time she saw a preview for it, Zooey’s character reminded her of me. Probably because we’re both inadvertently socially awkward & sing at inappropriate times. It’s my new must see. I hope the rest of the season is as funny as the pilot.
I also watched the last half hour of the second episode of Ringer. And you know what? Even without knowing what was going on, I was hooked. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for an SMG comeback.
Great round-up! I’ve also been using this list of the best Fall TV for women that a co-worker created:
http://www.skinnyscoop.com/list/jackie/great-tv-for-women-watch-this-skip-that
Biggest Loser & Ringer are my faves so far…
You missed Castle! Catch up on abc.com and then tune in. Episodes 1 and 2 of this season were both fantastic in different ways, one darker, one lighter. Neither to be missed!