TV shows premiering this fall you definitely need to see

By Rachel Marcus     8/17/12 7:00pm

 

Revolution

Premieres Monday, Sept. 17, at 9 p.m.

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J.J. Abrams, one of the creative minds behind "Lost" and "Super 8," is again trying to bridge the gap between sci-fi cult TV shows and true entertainment success with this new drama. While his last two attempts at television, "Un- dercovers" and "Alcatraz," did not manage to survive, "Revolution" is looking to be more promising. The drama focuses on a post-apoc- alyptic world completely devoid of electricity, so much so that apparently the world has turned to more primitive methods like bows and arrows. The show stars Elizabeth Mitchell ("Lost," "V"), Billy Burke ("Twilight"), Giancarlo Esposito ("Once Upon a Time"), and relative newcomer Tracy Spiridakos, chronicling their struggle to gain power in this world of survivors and their attempts to discover how the power went out.

 

Last Resort

Premieres Tuesday, Sept. 11, at 8:00 p.m.

Mathew Perry, best known for his role as Chandler on "Friends," is making yet an- other attempt at returning to TV in this com- edy about grief counseling. While just a tad counter-intuitive, this show tells the story of a man trying to find comedy in his grief after his wife is killed while texting and driving. The show seems like it might be promising and boasts what can certainly be called in- teresting personalities; the main character is a radio sportscaster who clearly has a knack for sports puns, and the leader of his grief counseling group apparently discovered her calling while coaching others through Weight Watchers. It will be interesting, however, to see if Perry can overcome his character as Chandler and really differentiate between the two roles. That being said, could we be any more excited to see him try?

 

Elementary

Premieres Thursday, Sept. 27, at 7 p.m.

Basically, this is a standard drama from the writers of "The Shield," but it takes place on a submarine. Let's face it: That's infinitely more awesome. Starring Andre Braugher ("Homicide: Life on the Street") as the head of the crew, the show tells the story of a renegade U.S. ballistic missile submarine crew that finds refuge at a for- eign NATO base after refusing to launch nuclear weapons and promptly declares it- self the world's smallest sovereign nation, one with nuclear missiles at that. The show tells the story of both the crew and their families, and while the premise seems a little far-fetched, the show will hopefully surpass its unlikely plot with sheer "cool factor."

 

Arrow

Premieres Wednesday, Sept. 26, at 7:00 p.m.

For those who love "Weeds," Justin Kirk has moved on to his next TV project with this comedy about a vet who prefers animal com- pany to his fellow humans. The show boasts a cast of experienced TV actors including Jo- anna Garcia ("Reba," "Better With You") and Tyler Labine ("Reaper"), but concentrates on Justin Kirk's character as he tries to over- come his bias towards animals and manage his own clinic. Perhaps the most impressive cast member, though, is a pet monkey played by the famous Crystal the Monkey ("The Hangover: Part II", "Community") as the tal- ented and very obedient Dr. Rizzo. Beyond this general theme of comedic monkey busi- ness, however, the show will need to work on overcoming its generally outlandish plot to become a true success and balance comedic timing with actual plot.

 

Go On

Premieres Thursday, Sept. 27, at 9 p.m.

This new drama is a new take on the no- torious Sherlock Holmes and John Watson relationship, offering a modern twist with Johnny Lee Miller ("Eli Stone") as Holmes but Lucy Liu as Watson. In this version, Holmes is a somewhat mentally unstable consultant for the NYPD, and Watson is a meticulous former surgeon who supervises Holmes' erratic ac- tions and keeps him on track while he uses his nonsensical ways to make sense out of the most complicated of crimes. The show is in- triguing, if nothing else; will Holmes and Wat- son ever have a romantic relationship in this twist on the iconic duo? Only time will tell, but maybe their combination of quirks and crime solving could help them to become the next Booth and Bones.

 

Animal Practice

Premieres Tuesday, Sept. 11, at 8:30 p.m.

This new show is at first somewhat intrigu- ing; it tells the story of gay partners who decide they want to start a family through surrogacy and promptly begin the search for the perfect surrogate to help them with their happy ending. They think they've found their match in Goldie, a single mother who is looking to better the life of her daughter. What they don't realize, howev- er, is that she comes with an eccentric and fairly offensive mother completely opposed to their idea. The show poses a more modern take on what a family is, has a good ensemble cast, and could end up being decently funny, especially as Ryan Murphy, the mind behind "Glee," also created this show. However, most of the promo- tions look like a copycat of the clearly superior "Modern Family." This show might deserve a chance, but it's doubtful that it will live up to the genius that is the Dunphy family.

 

The New Normal

Premieres Wednesday, Oct. 10, at 7 p.m.

For anyone who wants to reminisce about the middle-school afternoons they spent watch- ing "Smallville," this is the show for you. "Ar- row" tells the origin story of Green Arrow, both a comic book hero and secondary character from Smallville itself. The show boasts a cast of excep- tionally good looking people, as is only custom- ary on the CW, and seems to be full of drama and mystery. Realistically, this new show is probably most comparable to a Spanish soap opera, but the hot cast and superhero-centric plot might propel it into stardom similar to the Vampire Dia- ries' climb to fame. Stephen Amell, although not an actor who has previously played the charac- ter, will play Oliver Queen, the wealthy playboy turned vigilante, in this new series that promises to be your next guilty pleasure.

 

Emily Owens, MD

Premieres Tuesday, Oct. 16, at 8:00 p.m.

Mamie Gummer is back to playing a young, eager doctor in this new dramedy that tells the story of a medical school graduate still trying to live down her days as the high school geek and become a suc- cessful medical professional. In contrast to her cynical character on the medical dra- ma "Off the Map," Gummer plays a sweet, soft-spoken but undeniably talented doc- tor just trying to find a balance between work, life and romance. The show could be interesting and, as with the CW's "Ar- row" (and all the CW's other shows), has a generally very good looking cast. What ev- eryone is really hoping for, though, is that Mamie Gummer's mother, the lovely Meryl Streep, will grace this new show with her presence and make what can only be a tru- ly amazing guest appearance.

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