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| "Girl with TV" by guerrilla artist Banksy courtesy of Milan Giana's MySpace Page |
My Husband's deployment was the climax of a series of life-changing events that occurred over the summer of 2009. We got married in July. Three days later we moved 1500 miles away to his duty station. We'd never lived together before...in reality, we'd never spent more than two consecutive weeks together (long distance relationship from the get-go). We got a puppy. He deployed. And I found myself alone (except for the puppy), completely isolated from everyone and everything I'd grown up with...a married woman with no husband. All in the span of 8 weeks.
There were times in those first weeks he was gone that commenting to the television about something I was watching were the only words I'd speak all day. Modern Family and Cougar Town actually made me laugh out loud, a sound that was foreign to my ears after hours of solitude.
I digress. But you get my point.
So I'm pretty enthusiastic about new shows as they arrive. Here's my list of what looks good for the fall:
ABC
- Pan Am: I love me some Mad Men inspired drama since we don't watch the original that much here (My Husband finds it beautifully shot but very depressing), and this soapy series seems promising...ever since Zooey Deschanel ran away from home to be a stewardess in Almost Famous, I've found this 60s era occupation fascinating.
- Once Upon a Time: ABC is cashing in on the dark fairy tale market with this show about a troubled young woman who moves to a strange backwoods town in Maine only to discover the stories she heard as a child may be based in reality. I don't think the market is ready for all the magical shows the big networks are financing (see Grimm down below), so I'm not sure this one will make it.
NBC
- Smash: Debra Messing (Will & Grace) and American Idol alum Katherine McPhee star in this mid-season airing song-and-dance infused series chronicling the ins-and-outs of a Broadway show about Marilyn Monroe (how's that for a sentence full of hyphenates?). I'll try anything about Marilyn once, but this actually looks good. Plus, there will be singing. By people who can actually sing (you can thank Glee for that bit of genius).
- Grimm: David Greenwalt (the guy behind a staple of mine, Angel) is working on this fairy-tale inspired detective show that promises to be gritty as well as enchanting. From what I've read it seems dangerously close to the policeman/witch angle of Charmed's later seasons, but I think we could all use a little more magic in our evenings.
- The Playboy Club: Hugh Hefner is a marketing genius and the idea and execution of the Playboy Magazine empire is a highly underrated piece of American history. I think Eddie Cibrian, who stars as a Chicago lawyer, is a real-life cad...perversely, this might make him really shine in the role. Hopefully for new wife LeAnn Rimes he can keep his hands (and all other appendages) off the Bunnies.
- Brave New World: Rumor has it Robby Benson (voice of Disney's the Beast) stars in this half-hour comedy about historical reenacters in a 17th century-era village. This just sounds like fun.
FOX
- The New Girl: Eccentric-but-charming elementary school teacher breaks up with her boyfriend and starts a new life in an apartment with three male roommates. The formula may seem archaic, but this series stars Zooey Deschanel, whom I love (along with her sister, Bones star and Boston University graduate Emily Deschanel) so I will definitely be tuning in.
- Finder: Speaking of Bones, this new series by creator Hart Hanson is loosely based on the "Locator" novels about a man who has a slightly ridiculous ability to find anyone or anything anywhere in the world. Since the backdoor pilot is connected to one of my favorite shows (and despite having been burned in a similar situation with Private Practice) I will give this one a shot.
FX
- Wilfred: Suicidal Elijah Wood has to put off offing himself for his cute female neighbor when she asks him to get involved in the care of her dog, Wilfred. The twist? Depressed Wood sees a man in a grody dog costume when he looks at Wilfred (and converses with him as such) while the rest of the world sees a regular dog. I've been looking forward to this one since the promos came out in January.
TNT
- Franklin & Bash: They grow up so fast...Breckin Meyer (of Clueless fame) and Mark-Paul Gosselar (the immortal Zack Morris) play Devil-may-care lawyers who's non-orthodox practices come under fire after they're hired by that slightly creepy guy from the Fantasy Island remake for his stuffy marble-and-glass firm. I wasn't into this one at first, but the more commercials I see for it the more I think I may like their chemistry.
CANCELLED!
- Mr. Sunshine: Got a little taste of this light but witty comedy over the spring: the man-child manager of the Sunshine Arena (played comfortably by Matthew Perry) makes a conscious effort to be a better person in all aspects of his existence. I worked in a sports arena through college, and though it wasn't the size of the building in the show this particular setting really spoke to me. I'm pretty sure Matthew Perry is not the liability that Charlie Sheen is even if he's heading for rehab again, so what's with the cancellation? Not happy about this one.
- Off the Map: Come on, seriously?! I loved this Grey's Anatomy-meets-Gilligan's Island doctor fest. It had the right amount of drama and humor to keep it watchable even when 25-foot anacondas were strangling tourists in the middle of the jungle. And of course I can't rhapsodize enough about the gorgeousness that is Nicholas Gonzalez. The worst part is all 13 ordered episodes have aired, so I don't even get any closure :(
