Fall Guide to Good TV: Trauma
Mondays at 9 p.m. on NBCIn tele-trauma land, you’ve got your gritty (Third Watch) and your pretty (Grey’s Anatomy). NBC’s bluntly titled Trauma falls in the middle. A paramedic squad dealing with a deadly crash (to the tune of The Clash’s M.I.A.-sampled “Straight to Hell,” no less) could be sentimental suicide, but writer Peter Noah (The West Wing) does a fine job balancing disaster scenes and peeks into characters’ emotional distress. ... read more
Fall Guide to Good TV: Southland
Update: NBC decided to cancel Southland, though recent reports suggest the show may move to TNT.--Fridays at 9 p.m. on NBC, beginning Oct. 23Gritty police procedurals have been a dime a dozen for the last decade, but Southland’s first season was smart and deep enough to warrant a second look. We’re optimistic that the rumors of network-induced attempts at making the show more palatable to the mainstream won’t neuter one of the best new dramas on network TV. ... read more
Fall Guide to Good TV: Occupation
Sundays at 8 p.m. on BBC AmericaThoughtful BBC film tackles the Iraq warIn the riveting, wrenching Occupation, Northern Ireland native James Nesbitt plays Mike Swift, leader of a unit of British soldiers on a tour of Iraq. The series opens with a harrowing 10-minute battle scene, dramatically scored by Massive Attack’s “Teardrop.” Then the action shifts back to England, and the viewer realizes that war itself is only part of the story. Occupation is also interested in what Nesbitt calls “this terrible gulf between the soldiers and their families when they come back home, in terms of trying to release... read more
Fall Guide to Good TV: Dollhouse
Fridays at 9 p.m. on FoxAfter a slow start, Dollhouse shook off its mediocrity and reworked itself into something more befitting of Joss Whedon’s genius, but its cataclysmic (unaired) Season 1 finale wrote the show into a corner. The question remains: “What could possibly come next?” ... read more
Fall Guide to Good TV: Flash Forward
Thursdays at 8 p.m. on ABCThe premise—everyone on earth blacks out for two minutes and 17 seconds, experiencing a vision of their lives six months in the future—sounds more clever than compelling, but the plot delivers the kind of brain-stretching drama that made Lost famous. And in a fall lineup packed with new procedural cop/doctor/lawyer shows, we'll give it bonus points for originality.... read more
Fall Guide to Good TV: Heroes
Mondays at 8 p.m. on NBCTim Kring is calling his latest chapter of Heroes “Redemption,” and the show could certainly use a fresh start. Cheerleader Claire heads off to college in Season 4, but we’re betting new villain Samuel (Robert Knepper) is going to distract her from her studies. ... read more
Fall Guide to Good TV: Glee
Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on FoxLeave it to a bunch of dweeby, show tune-singing teenagers to send the Internet into throes of ecstasy. But will Fox’s new comedy live up to the buzz of its early premiere? With Nip/Tuck’s creators at the helm, and a multi-talented cast on board (including Jane Lynch as the hard-nosed cheerleading coach), we think so. ... read more
Fall Guide to Good TV: House M.D.
Mondays at 8 p.m. on FoxEver since that chopper came crashing down on ER’s Rocket Romano, we’ve relied on Hugh Laurie’s House to fill that lovably crotchety doctor void. But just as House needs to bounce back after checking himself into rehab, the show needs to bounce back from a lackluster Season 5. ... read more
Fall Guide to Good TV: Mad Men
Sundays at 10 p.m. on AMCA British invasion has made things even more interesting at Sterling Cooper during Season 3. So pour yourself an Old Fashioned (or better yet, have your kid pour you one), relax and head back to the Kennedy years. ... read more
Fall Guide to Good TV: Dexter
Sundays at 9 p.m. on ShowtimeDexter Morgan is a young, handsome blood-splatter analyst for the Miami police department. In his spare time he stalks murderers, ties them up, slices them to pieces and dumps them in the ocean. Every episode leaves you rooting for a serial killer - a twisted but gratifying feeling.... read more
Fall Guide to Good TV: Phineas and Ferb
Fridays at 9 p.m. on DisneyTucked among horrific shows like Wizards of Waverly Place and Hannah Montana is one of the smartest shows on TV—an 11-minute cartoon from a couple of Simpsons and Family Guy alums that’s packed with intersecting plot lines, suburban adventure, and a pet platypus doubling as a secret agent. ... read more
Fall Guide to Good TV: Venture Bros.
On Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim, beginning in NovemberWhat began as a simple parody of Jonny Quest and Hanna-Barbera clichés has matured into one of the most complex comedy series of the decade. With its fourth season, Venture Bros.’ deep mythology is becoming increasingly difficult to jump into, but it’s worth the effort. ... read more
Fall Guide to Good TV: The Cleveland Show
Sundays at 8:30 pm on FoxFor those of you who think Family Guy is funny but a little bit mean, Seth MacFarlane’s new spin-off follows one of the show’s few characters with a conscience, Cleveland Brown. His randy new step-son, Rallo, serves as the show’s Stewie, but we’re mostly looking forward to Kanye West as Cleveland Jr.’s soccer rival. ... read more
Fall Guide to Good TV: 30 Rock
Thursdays at 9:30 p.m. on NBCThe line, “TGS has two years left, tops!” was repeated a few too many times for our comfort during 30 Rock’s Season 3 finale. Despite recent meandering plotlines and a rash of guest stars, we think the best is yet to come for this infinitely smart comedy. ... read more
Fall Guide to Good TV: The Office
Thursdays at 9 p.m. on NBCThe Dunder Mifflin gang hit its stride late in Season 2 and has remained the most consistent source of laughter on television. This season, we're hoping Michael gets to officiate Jim and Pam's wedding.... read more
Fall Guide to Good TV: Community
Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. on NBCGiven the abysmally unfunny Kath & Kim and Park's Recreation, which NBC rolled out last year, their newest sitcom (about a crew of misfits at a junior college) should be approached with more than a bit of trepidation. But with a hilarious cast (including Joel McHale, John Oliver and Chevy Chase) and a nice mix of silliness, subtlety and substance, it looks like the network has found another keeper. ... read more
Fall Guide to Good TV: Cougar Town
Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m. on ABCSeinfeld won’t be the only Must-See reunion this fall, as the Friends cast will be dropping by Courteney Cox’s new sitcom. We were initially worried that this was a reality show inspired by 30 Rock’s “MILF Island,” but it’s actually pretty funny thanks to creator Bill Lawrence (Scrubs, Spin City). Cox plays a 40-year-old divorced mom re-entering the dating world. Her son Travis (Dan Byrd) sums it up best: "I wish she didn’t have to say exactly what she’s thinking the second she thinks it." ... read more
Fall Guide to Good TV: Modern Family
Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on ABCThis offbeat half-hour mockumentary looks at the extended family of patriarch Jay, played by Married With Children’s Ed O’Neill. Much of the humor is supplied by Jay’s uptight son Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) and Mitchell’s flamboyant partner Cameron (Eric Stonestreet) with their “sports-guy chest bump” and prepared speech for anyone who dares judge their adoption of a young Vietnamese girl.... read more
Fall Guide to Good TV: The Middle
Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m. on ABCEverybody Loves Raymond’s Patricia Heaton and Scrubs janitor Neil Flynn are mom and dad Heck in this stressed-to-the-limit family sitcom that picks up right where Malcolm in the Middle left off. ... read more
Fall Guide to Good TV: The Colbert Report
Mondays through Thursdays at 11:30 p.m. on Comedy CentralStephen Colbert has taken his right-wing-blowhard act to such hilarious extremes that it's hard to tell where Colbert ends and "Colbert" begins. Somewhere beneath the pomposity lies comic genius.... read more
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