The networks sure can churn out many many new hours of television for your viewing pleasure (or viewing torture, whichever the case may be). On tap for the fall season are so many new shows, your eyes may bleed if you want to give them all a chance. Hopefully, the link I provide will help you weed out the crap from the not-so-crappy. I already have my list. The previews saved me a ton of time since quite a few of the shows I will probably never bother with.

 

http://tvweek.com/page.cms?pageId=733

I always had my doubts about how the men behind "The Dark Knight" would handle the implementation of the Joker. He's such a powerful and prominent character in the world of comic books, one has to wonder how much of an impact he'd have on the film and whether they would handle his character and not botch it (Venom in Spidey 3 immedaitely comes to mind). But then I take a step back and realize, this is Chris Nolan at the helm, who gave us quite possibily the best Batman movie ever and one of the best comic book movies of the last decade. Now in the last few days and weeks, the trickling out of marketing material has been stellar, from Harvey Dent website to the one-sheet of the newest (I suppose modified) Batman logo. Now we got (and subsquentlely deciphered) the first true pic of the Joker, and let me tell you off the bat, this sure won't be your Daddy's Batman. This will most likely be a very hard PG-13 (as was the case with Begins) and younger kids might have to stay away. But I, for one, welcome some more mature themes and I am eager to see how they are handled. Read 'em and weep, folks. Next year is the year of the Bat.

Even though there are only 2 more episodes left, I'm still midly exicted for it. It's been a guilty pleasure of mine since it's debut. And Supernatural is back as well, however, I'm not a fan of the CW's constant week and sometimes month-long breaks of this show. This is similar to how FOX handled 24's early seasons before going to a non-stop format. More networks should defintely try their best to follow in FOX's footsteps as it pertains to that.

24 and Rome. For fans of the show, not much else needs to be said. Unfournately, if you are a new viewer and need to have your hand held in terms of following the characters and their respective plights, you may be lost. However, I would highly recommend both (especially Rome, since there's only one season before this so you can easily catch up). 24 needs no more praise from me since I identify it as one of the top 3 shows on television. What other show can leave you biting your nails at the end of EVERY EPISODE?

Yes, we get 24 episodes and 24 heart-stopping surprises. It's the biggest rush on television. I implore all who read this, and have yet to experience the greatness of 24, ask a friend about it. Read a review of it. Then when you're convinced (since I know you will be), start from scratch and get that Season 1 DVD. Trust me, you'll never look back.

One of my favorite shows of the last 4 years is now coming to a close. In a way, I'm partly happy because in the summer of 2003 when the show debuted, it was said to be nothing but than a summer filler that will go away in time. Little did FOX realize that this show gained a cult following that wouldn't be denied, and an acceptance that couldn't be ignored. So, we got even more episodes, a great prime-time slot, and O.C moments that no fan will ever forget.

So now we bid it goodbye, but it'll never be forgotten. The stake in the coffin was the common fan's reluctance to accept the death of Marissa. I, for one, was fine with it as it allowed Taylor to step into the spotlight (and I adore her, alot more than Marissa) but with that, and not to mention the best time slot (but also the worst going up against powerhouses like Grey's Anatomy, and CSI) all but sealed it's fate. I was anticipating this for some time, and at the most I was hoping for a full 24-episode season to close it out, but I'll be content with the 15-16 they are given. At least FOX is generous enough to allow them to tell their story and end it, O.C-style. Bye, Gang. It has been real.

For me, this is always one of the best times of the year. However, with happiness comes sadness as in these past 2 weeks, we have beared witness to the fifth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Albeit a New Yorker myself, I was not personally affected by the tragedy, but by God, I was deeply moved by everything that happened. The faces of evil...and despair. The looks of triumph....and horror. It's an event we should never forget, and something that will resonate through time.
However, on to the main reason for this entry: The new season of great shows. To me, this is like Christmas come early since we always drag through the swamp of bad summer shows and spin-offs, the networks saved their best for when people return to the tube (or like me, never left). The following are the shows I watch (or have an interest in)
Kicking things off on Sunday, we have the FOX lineup which consists of Simpsons, American Dad, Family Guy, and The War At Home. All decent shows, in my humble opinion. Family Guy is as good as ever while the Simpsons are dwindling down in terms of quality. You also have Desperate Housewives, which is a guilty pleasure of mine. Then you have HBO's The Wire, which is one of the best shows no one watches. 'Tis a shame since I have the feeling it will end prematurely like Deadwood, which fell in the same boat.

On Monday, you have two more great FOX shows, Prison Break and Vanished. This is followed by the much anticipated Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip, which has an all-star cast headed by an all-star writer. Definitely check out the pilot at least.

Tuesday brings us the Unit (which I watch solely for Dennis Hasybert), L&O: SVU (my favorite of the many L&O spin-offs), and a new one (Smith, headed by Ray Liotta). The premise of that show sounds promising, and it has some decent names attached to it.

Fridays and Saturdays are moot since most networks dump their reality, news magazine, and low-rated shows there so we'll skip those days.

Wednesdays and Thursdays are where the meat and potatoes are (ie: those really damn good shows). Leading into Wednesday, weve got one of my personal favorites, Lost. I cant recommend it enough. Before Lost, weve got another promising CBS drama in Jericho.

Finally, after Lost, weve got two more potential winners in the serialized drama category in Kidnapped (promos make it out to be very intense) and The Nine (which documents how certain peoples lives change after they are involved in a bank robbery. Part of it gives off a supernatural vibe, but Ill hold off on that). Speaking of Supernatural, that brings me to Thursday which kicks off with the second season of said show. Supernatural really surprised me last season with its combination of heartfelt brotherhood and downright scary stories. The second season can only go up from here. Then, we have my most guiltiest pleasure The O.C which, thankfully for some haters, may be broadcasting its final season (FOX cut the .. of episodes from 25 to 15) Afterwards, we have Shark (another legal drama but one that may be elevated over the pack thanks in large part to James Woods) and E.R (what else can be said? Its STILL the best medical drama on TV). Six Degrees looks promising, but Ill get a vibe from it after the pilot (which is its intention anyway). So, there you have it, my viewing schedule for a typical week (and maybe if youre a TV fan, yours as well). If you bothered to read it all, I thank you. If not, well.I hope you at least skimmed. Until next time,remember Katie Couric's legs=Ratings