With summer finally reaching an end, the time approaches to return to the fall season of television. While some are clamoring for returning favorites like Lost, Grey’s Anatomy, The Wire and CSI, others are excited about the new pilots airing on their favorite networks.
The general theme of the new shows is serialized dramas, dramas with continuing storylines and cliffhangers, which include Kidnapped (NBC), Vanished (FOX), The Nine (ABC), Jericho (CBS), Runaway (CW), Smith (CBS), and Day Break (ABC). But what one ends up watching is usually dictated by personal taste.
Kaustubh Pimputkar, a senior in computer engineering, has a few shows already lined up to watch. He said he wants to see Day Break because “it’s described as Groundhog Day meets 24.” But his main choice is Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (NBC), a new drama from Aaron Sorkin, creator of The West Wing, that revolves around the behind the scenes of a variety show similar to SNL.
“It seems like it could be the best of the new pilots because of Aaron Sorkin and its star-studded cast,” Pimputkar said.
Patrick McElroy, a sophomore in communication, chose two shows to keep an eye out for.
“I would watch The Nine because it looks to be an intense action show. I’d also watch Jericho because it has an interesting plot and the mystery of the show draws me in,” McElroy said.
The Nine and Jericho are two of the most buzz-worthy pilots going into the fall season, primarily because of their similarities to Lost. The Nine revolves around a botched bank robbery, and Jericho follows the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust in a small town.
But anyone worried about the surplus of action and serial dramas should feel safe in learning that there are other interpersonal dramas and comedies on the way, like Six Degrees (ABC), a new drama about the parallel and intertwining lives of six strangers.
Alina Patel, a sophomore in art and design, said she wants to watch it because “I love to see how interconnected everyone gets in life.”
Also on the radar is Shark, a new CBS drama where James Woods plays a celebrity defense attorney turned prosecutor. Benjamin Wingler, a senior in computer engineering, said it will be the only new show he watches because “it looks like an intense legal drama that will keep you glued to the screen.”
Among the sitcoms generating buzz are 30 Rock (NBC), with Tina Fey, The Knights of Prosperity (ABC), about a group of losers who plan to rob Mick Jagger’s apartment, and The Class (CBS), from the writers of Friends.
But as is the case with every new season of television, it’s hard to predict what will get cancelled and when, but with the advent of DVRs and TV on DVD, it will be easy to get caught up on anything you’ve missed.