Winter TV Preview

The Definites or the shows I'll definitely be watching every week ASAP

New Seasons:

Battlestar Galactica, Friday 10:00, premieres 1/16 (Sci-Fi)
Finally! Finally... after way too long, BSG returns with the second half of the fourth, and final, season to finally resolve what the hell happens between the Colonials and those crazy toasters. I'm more excited about this than any other show this winter by a long shot. While I think the show was ended by Sci-Fi too soon, at least we get a logical ending on the series creator's terms, which is all I ever wanted.

Lost, Wednesday 9:00, premieres 1/21 (ABC)
Lost returns with more plot twists and confusion than any one person can handle, and I for one am extremely excited about it. If you haven't seen this show yet, I really wouldn't recommend coming into the middle of the series, but if you can handle the odd and often convoluted plot, go start watching this from the first episode, it's worth it.

Scrubs, Tuesday 9:00, premieres 1/6 (ABC)
Scrubs returns for its eighth season now on ABC, and supposedly in a more "family friendly" format. Whatever the hell that means, though I don't really like the sound of it. Courtney Cox will be on the show, at least for a while, which seems to be a slightly iffy move. While I think it hasn't been as funny the last few seasons, it is still a quality show and one that I need to see the end of if only to see what happens to some of my favorite characters on TV.

Returning Shows:

30 Rock, Thursday 9:30, returns 1/8 (NBC)
Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin and Tracy Morgan are all great in this show about a TV show. The humor is a nice mix of smart and outrageous and makes for a great comedy.

The Big Bang Theory, Monday 8:30, returns 1/12 (CBS)
Simply hilarious. I have no idea how they put together a show that is so smart, yet so accessible or how they avoid dumb blonde jokes. The show is dorky as hell, yet my grandmother and my sister's mom still really enjoy it. I'm constantly vacillating whether I like this or How I Met Your Mother more, but I can't really decide.

Chuck, Monday 8:00, returns 2/2 (NBC)
This show is on the borderline between a watch every week and catching it occasionally. It's not great, it's extremely formulaic, but the characters are interesting and likable. I really think that Chuck is getting too good at his job, which sort of does away with the bumbling secret agent aspect of the show, but oh well... I seem to turn it on every Monday night, so it must be doing something right.

Fringe, Tuesday 9;00, returns 1/20 (Fox)
It took me several months to actually watch the first episode of this show, but I was really awarded once I did. It reminds me of a cross between The X-Files and Law and Order (minus the court drama), which really makes for a fine show. The plots are weird and interesting, characters are great (especially John Noble as the insane scientist) and the show seems truly original. My only complaint is the way they superimpose the name of wherever the characters happen to be on the screen... it's kinda cool at first, but gets a bit annoying.

House, Monday 9:00, returns 1/19 (FOX)
Same old, same old... House really great character, show way too formulaic. I keep watching this show, because it is still pretty good, but I'm not sure how long I can keep going.

How I Met Your Mother, Monday 8:30, returns 1/12 (CBS)
As funny as every and now that CBS Mondays also have Big Bang Theory, it makes this an even more must-watch show. Besides, I really want to find out who the hell the mother is.

The Office, Thursday 9:00, returns 2/1 (NBC)
Great, just great. Somehow they keep bringing great episode after great episode. I really don't think there is anything else to say.

The Probables, or the shows that I'll be watching every week sometime, probably

Family Guy 9:00, returns TBD (Fox)
This show is funny at times, but also incredible stupid. I'll watch it if I have time, but I never look forever to it.

Sanctuary, Friday 10:00, returns 1/2 (Sci-Fi)
I can't claim this is a good show... Everything is done in front of a green screen and it shows, the acting is pretty bad, and the overarching plot about some sort of Illuminati pretty uninteresting. I put this on here because I usually watch it and there have been some really good episodes. It has a lot of potential, but it keeps wandering outside its wheelhouse. You are a show about monsters, stick with that... and please give me more than one per episode.

The Simpsons 8:00, returns TBD (Fox)
I wish this show would just end, I really do. It's still decent, but mostly I just miss how amazing this show used to be. The new episode are just too overdone and heavy handed. The MyPod episode? Come on...

The Newcomers or shows I have yet to see, but which look interesting

Castle, Monday 10:00, premieres 3/9 (ABC)
Nathan Fillion (Firefly) stars in this show about a mystery writer who has to help the NYPD solve a series of murders based on his books. While it's not that great a premise in my mind, it could be good, so I'll give the pilot a shot.

Dollhouse, Friday 9:00, premieres 2/13 (Fox)
I have a vague idea of the premise of this show: a group of people get memories implanted in their brains to make them believe they are any person a customer wishes them to be and once their assignment is over, their memories are wiped. You can imagine what could go wrong with this. It seems like a really weird and interesting premise. Fox has already been fucking with the show, and I doubt it will last all that long, but the only thing I really care about is that it's Joss Whedon's new show, and no matter what, I'm going to at least give it a shot.

Dropped or shows I will not be watching

My Name is Earl, Thursday 8:00, returns 1/9 (NBC)
It's not that I don't like this show, but the whole trailor-trash angle annoys me a little at times. Jason Lee is great, but I didn't watch a single episode of this during the year. It probably has something to do with me being behind, but if I really had a desire to see the show I would get caught up. I'm sure I'll end up watching re-runs of this eventually, but for now it's gone.

The No-Shows or shows that won't have new episodes this winter

Aqua Teen Hunger Force, returns March 2009 (Cartoon Network)

The Boondocks, return TBA (Cartoon Network)

Californication, return TBA (Showtime)

Venture Brothers, return TBA(Cartoon Network)