DVR Guide--It's Almost Over

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Most of the new fall network shows and even most of the cable shows have made their debuts.  Some shows have hit pretty well and some have totally missed the mark with 5 shows already being cancelled:  The Playboy Club, Free Agents, H8r, Charlie's Angels and How to Be a Gentleman.

I am doing mid-term report this week on what's happened and happening on each network.  I'm going alphabetically:  Saturday was a look at ABC; Sunday was CBS.  Coming soon Fox, NBC and The CW.  If I get a chance, I will also do a quick look at the cable channels, but there's lots of fish to fry.

This week (and next) there are just a few new shows premiering.  I'll discuss those at length below, but the rest of the post is going to be a highlight list of what's coming up.

So let's get on with it:

Monday, October 17
How I Met Your Mother, 8:00 on CBS
Ted and the gang debate whether it's better to Google a date beforehand or treasure the mystery.  This was funny when Sex and the City did it 8 years ago.

Terra Nova, 8:00 on FOX
The folks in the compound encounter a runaway, which means my least favorite part of this series (the Sixers) will be the focus.


2 Broke Girls, 8:30 on CBS
To make me feel really old, the Girls throw a 90's party.

Two and a Half Men, 9:00 on CBS
To make me feel really inadequate, Ashton Kutcher throws a party for Ducky.

Tuesday, October 18
Last Man Standing, 8:00 on ABC
I got nothing.


Man Up, 8:30 on ABC
ABC's last comedy to premiere this fall.  This show examines interpersonal relationships at different stages, kinda like last year's Perfect Couples on NBC.  Yeah, but this show illuminates the relationship dynamics by filtering the comedy through a male perspective, kinda like last year's Traffic Light.  Yeah, but this is got Terri Polo.  Okay, but I'd rather have more episodes of Perfect Couples (which turned into a pretty funny show).  Oh, well.

Parenthood, 10:00 on NBC
Cee Lo Green guest stars as he checks out Adam and Crosby's new recording studio.

Wednesday, October 19
The Middle, 8:00 on ABC
The Hecks have a messy house, so they consider selling it.  Just like the Johnsons....


Up All Night, 8:00 on NBC
Flashback to the birth of the baby.

Suburgatory, 8:30 on ABC
Tessa's teenage age neighbors including "Scarlett Johansson.  Dead." move in after a Shirley Temple doll is stolen from their house.


Modern Family, 9:00 on ABC
Phil and Hailey visit colleges just like Tony and Meadow but probably with less killing.

Happy Endings, 9:30 on ABC
Jane wants everyone to create Vision Boards, and while I'm not sure what those are, I can't wait to see Penny's.

Thursday, October 20
The Vampire Diaries, 8:00 on The CW
The kids start their senior year.  That's right, they go to this thing called "school".


Big Bang Theory, 8:00 on CBS
Sheldon's ultra-religious mom visits and wants to spend time with Sheldon's friends.  Not Sheldon.  I am assuming that he creates something to destroy them all.


Parks and Recreation, 8:30 on NBC
It's repeat night on the Peacock network, but this episode, featuring Ron and his three Tammys, started the show on a great three episode roll.

Friday, October 21
Supernatural, 9:00 on The CW
Cordelia and Spike play married witches who go all War of the Roses on Sam, Dean and unsuspecting small town.

Boss, 10:00 on STARZ
Kelsey Grammer comes to pay cable in a show about the mayor of Chicago who is running for Governor.  This is a dark and twisty drama, which allows Grammer to show a side of himself as an actor that few have got to witness.  I've been a fan of Grammer's for a long time, especially liking his non-Frasier Crane work.  Here he gets to really sink his teeth into a meaty role, and thankfully he doesn't ham it up.  The show itself is rife with the kind of political intrigue that people often liken to Shakespeare.  It's not that good, but it has the potential to be as good as HBO's Boardwalk Empire.  STARZ believes in the show so much that they renewed it for a second season a month before the first episode even aired.

Sunday, October 23
Once Upon a Time, 8:00 on ABC
The first of two network series to feature fairy tales as a storytelling backdrop, Once Upon a Time splits time between re-telling the classic stories, and following their modern day counterparts who have no idea that they are under the spell of an evil queen.  It's Lost meets Fables.  Jennifer Morrison (House), Ginnifer Godwin (Big Love), Lana Parilla (Boomtown, Swingtown) and Josh Dallas (Thor) star in this twisty tale of good versus evil.  They are playing up the family show angle a little too strongly, as I would have guessed this was a more adult oriented entertainment.  We shall soon know, as The Kid is beyond excited.

The Good Wife, 9:00 on CBS
The always creepy and always excellent Dylan Baker guest stars as a convicted killer that Alicia must ask for help in a case.


The Walking Dead, 9:00 on AMC
Rick and that thing that happened in the last minutes of the premiere find a farm house filled with characters that will become very important to the series.

Homeland, 10:00 on Showtime
Brody starts to crack further under pressure of being a media darling, and Carrie continues to "watch" him.

Monday, October 24
How I Met Your Mother, 8:00 on CBS
The gang realizes that they are dating their parents, which isn't really that creepy.

Hart of Dixie, 9:00 on The CW
Dr. Hart starts to uncover the dark and twisty secrets of Bluebell--wait who am I kidding--it'll just make you smile and feel good.


Prime Suspect, 10:00 on NBC
NBC is going to strip all the episodes of Prime Suspect this week at 10:00 on each night.  This vote of confidence smacks a bit of desperation to get people to watch this terrific new show, but I am heartened that they care and are doing their best to make this deserving show a hit.

Wednesday, October 26--LET THE HALLOWEEN EPISODES BEGIN
The Middle, 8:00 on ABC
It's the Halloween episode with Sue and Mike on what makes boys tick after her costume fails to hit with the guys at school.

Suburgatory, 8:30 on ABC
In the continuation of an ABC theme, Tessa's Halloween costume stirs up the locals in fairly inappropriate ways.


Happy Endings, 9:30 on ABC
The gang goes to a warehouse Halloween party, but here none of the costumes are working the way they're supposed to.

Thursday, October 27
Big Bang Theory, 8:00 on CBS
Sheldon tries to scare the guys.

Community, 8:00 on NBC
The study group takes on scary stories as Britta thinks there's a psychotic in the group.  Really?  You think?


The Vampire Diaries, 8:00 on The CW
Ghosts invade Mystic Falls.  Don't worry the Scooby Gang 3.0 are on the case.

Parks and Recreation, 8:30 on NBC
April and Andy throw a Halloween party at their house and don't tell their roommate, Ben.  Uh, oh.  Batman's mad.

Friday, October 28
Chuck, 8:00 on NBC
The final season (this time they mean it) begins with Chuck and Sarah out of the CIA and forming their own crew for hire spy business.  Chuck may be Intersect free, but don't worry now Morgan's got the mojo.  We have been promised that this is Chuck's final chapter, but I wonder if when the ratings come in for the show and they are unspectacular but solid, if NBC won't reconsider, yet again.  For the last two seasons, NBC bought a specific number of episodes, but once the season commenced, and so many of their other shows tanked, they asked Chuck for more episodes.  This should be a win-win.  But the folks behind the scenes carefully plot out every story beat and have never failed to deliver a satisfying story for when they were first told their season would end.  Once the season goes over that original allotment, Chuck suffers.  The stories meander around, occasionally misfiring totally.  Not to say there isn't brilliance to be found within a few of them, but in general there a coda that goes on to long.  If NBC needs to bring Chuck back, and that would make me happy, then I would prefer for them to wait until next season, rather than extend this one further.  Let them tell their story, dammit.

Grimm, 9:00 on NBC
The original promos for this show looked dark, dense and destined for one season.  Recently, they have lightened up a bit and made the show look more intriguing.  Still, the show is the show, and it all seems a little desperate.  I'm not sure that network television can support 2 fairy tale based series.  This one is masked in a monster hunting/crime procedural format, but isn't that what Supernatural is?  And isn't in on at the same time?  It is.  And aren't most genre fans watching/recording Fringe?  Sigh.

Fringe, 9:00 on FOX
Peter's back but no one remembers him.  Fortunately he remembers everything about the shape shifters.  And is Nina Sharpe Olivia's mother figure?  Creepy and wonderful.

Sunday, October 30
The Simpsons, 8:00 on FOX
Treehouse of Horror XXII:  Parodies of 127 Hours, Avatar and Night of the Hunter?

Once Upon a Time, 8:00 on ABC
Kristin Bauer (True Blood's secret weapon Pam) guest stars as Maleficent, Sleeping Beauty's baddie.

Allen Gregory, 8:30 on FOX
Allen is a precocious 7 year-old (voiced by Moneyball's Jonah Hill) raised by his doting father (voiced by Third Rock From the Sun's French Stewart) and his mortal enemy, his father's life partner.  He has done a lot of things, but now he must tackle public school, fortunately he finds himself hopelessly smitten by the 68-year-old principal.  Sounds wacky and bizarre, and will either work beautifully like Bob's Burgers or be a horrible misfire like Sit Down, Shut Up.  I'm hoping for the former, as FOX needs to look outside the Seth McFarlane animation house.

The Good Wife, 9:00 on CBS
Parker Posey guests as Eli's ex-wife, which will finally reunite the former Josey and the Pussycat stars.