Friday, September 7, 2012

What to watch this fall

I love it when Hulu gives us early access to fall TV pilots! I've begun devouring them, of course, and here are my thoughts.

The Mindy Project



Yes, please. As if I didn't already want to be best friends with Mindy Kaling, the pilot of "The Mindy Project" is a super-fun introduction to the probably-pretty-legit world of fictional Mindy. It speaks to me - the titular character feels real, feels like me. She carries a few extra pounds, has bad luck with men, wishes her life were a Sandra Bullock movie, and occasionally ends up drunk in a pool. My favorite, most resonant quote from the entire episode? "Maybe I'll do an 'Eat, Pray, Love' thing... ugh, nah, I don't want to pray. Forget it. I'll just die alone."



Sidebar: I love Chris Messina. LOVE Chris Messina. Love him in everything I've ever seen him in, especially Away We Go, Julie and Julia, and "Six Feet Under"... I am super excited that he is going to be on my TV screen this fall. And his Springsteen/Mellencamp schtick in the premiere? Beautiful.





Official website for "The Mindy Project" // Tuesday, September 25th at 9:30 on FOX


Go On



THE BING IS BACK, BABY! Could I be more excited to see Matthew Perry on my TV again? Sure, his last couple of projects haven't found success, but it looks like "Go On" might be the winner he's been waiting for. Perry stars as Ryan, a sportscaster whose wife died in a tragic accident. Unable to properly deal with his emotions, Ryan must attend a therapy group for people who've gone through major life changes. Sure, it doesn't sound like a comedy, but it promises to be very funny, with a big heart. The cast of characters in Ryan's therapy group are kooky and charismatic, and Perry is as funny and likeable as ever. I've got a good feeling about this one!

Official website for "Go On" // Tuesday, September 11th at 9:00 on NBC


The New Normal



How long can Ryan Murphy go without screwing this up? I'm not trying to be mean, but let's be honest: he's known for creating shows that have great first seasons: "Popular", "Glee"... jury's still out on "American Horror Story". Guess we'll find out this year. So you'll excuse my skepticism while viewing the premiere of "The New Normal". The first episode is a good introduction to the characters, and gets the plot moving. It offers a few chuckles, but I worry that, like "Glee", it may be too aware of itself to be genuinely funny. Self-awareness can work well for some shows; "30 Rock" and "Community" wink to the audience once in a while and it's great. But "The New Normal" could slide down the slippery Ryan Murphy slope into preachy, but let's hope it doesn't because it has the potential to be really good. The standout characters from the pilot are Ellen Barkin's "Jane" (hilariously offensive) and Bebe Woods' "Shania" (precociously adorable). Fingers crossed it lives up to its promise!

Official website for "The New Normal" // Tuesday, September 11th at 9:00 on NBC


Ben and Kate



You're gonna love Nat Faxon. The Oscar-winning cowriter of The Descendants stars as Ben and is instantly loveable despite his character's quirks. In this FOX sitcom, chaotic and rootless Ben moves in with his sister Kate to help her with her (super cute) daughter Maddie as Kate tries to get back into the dating world. The straight-laced sibling vs. wacky sibling thing has been done before, but "Ben and Kate" is fun and lighthearted, with both main characters showing potential for adorably awkward hi-jinks (just watch Kate botch a date in the series opener).

Official website for "Ben and Kate" // Tuesday, September 25th at 8:30 on FOX


Looks like there's some promising new comedy heading to TV this fall! What are you excited for?