There's Nothing On...Wednesdays

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New series are blocked in red; returning series in a new time slot are blocked in orange.

One of the chief complaints about television programming is that there's nothing on.  This is the fourth part in a daily series to look at what actually is on each night.  The focus will be on broadcast network programing and some of the key offerings on cable; there's no way to cover the hundreds and hundreds of cable networks.

The Big Gun: Modern Family (ABC)

ABC hit the goldmine when it sent Modern Family to series three years ago.  It raised not only the shows around it, it raised the profile of the network.  While I don't find the show to be as consistent as it once was, I know I will never miss an episode.  I have nothing but the fondest hope that each next episode will be a great one.

DVR Gridlock:  Wednesdays at 8:00

I've been a big fan of Survivor since the very first episode, which I saw in Sister #2's condo during a re-airing on a Saturday night.  I've mostly loved The Middle, especially as Modern Family waned.  Arrow is based on one of my absolute favorite DC Comics super heroes, Green Arrow.  FOX has The X Factor, which will garner lots of eyeballs, but probably not mine every week.

Survivor rises and falls solely on those cast, and this season not only some longtime players returning to play after having to be medically removed from the game, but there's also Blair Warner and Jeff Kent.  And since Survivor is sports for non-sports watchers, you really can't watch it later that week, so it gets priority.  The Kid loves The Middle, so it will get the other spot, and deservedly so.  The cast on that show is terrific.  Arrow concerns me enough that it will get the OnDemand slot.  My fear is fully grounded in lofty expectations, both mine and the creators.  I want it to be more like the early Smallville and fear that it will be more like the later Smallville.  I want Arrow to take its time and let the series and concept naturally build to a point; I fear that Arrow will pile on unfounded conspiracies and needless complications from the start all in the name of kewl.  I fear I want it to be something that the current television landscape won't allow it to be (see the overly complicated runs and early demises of Alcatraz, Ringer, The Secret Circle, etc.).

Most Eagerly Anticipated Returning Show:  Suburgatory

After Happy Endings finished it season early last spring, Suburgatory was the best comedy on ABC on Wednesday nights.  The creepy subtext between Tessa and George was excised, and the kids became one of the best ensembles working on television.  Jane Levee (Tessa) had been good from the beginning, but Carly Chaikin (Dahlia), Maestro Harrell (Malik), Parker Young (Ryan "Scarlett Johansson.  Dead." Shay) and especially Allie Grant (the hopefully adopted Lisa Shay) really clicked together and propelled the story in positive ways.  The adults were still mostly played as bizarre grotesques, which would be fine if the show was only interested in presenting the teenagers' perspective and their skewed view on the adults in their life (like Suburgatory soul sisters Awkward. and Easy A do).  But the show wants to tell realistic stories with both age groups.  There was good movement in that direction with the adults last winter, even as late as Alicia Silverstone's first appearance, but then the adult storyline became very childish.  Which in and of itself could be a very cool concept, but one that the show isn't willing to commit to.  I hope that this will be ironed out as the show moves into its second season.  It's moved to a post-Modern Family time slot, which gives Modern Family its most compatible lead out ever.  They've also cast Tessa's runaway mom (with Watchmen's Malin Akerman) which is a story direction I want to follow.

Most Promising New Series:  Nashville

I need to follow another prime time soap, like I need another dog.  But Nashville has Mrs. Coach, Connie Britton, and an intriguing All About Eve/country music premise.  I know I will be in for at least a few weeks, and I'm pumped to see where it might go.

Also:

--Okay, so ABC is launching The Neighbors between The Middle and Modern Family.  The Neighbors is about a family that moves to the suburbs only to find out that the people that live there are very weird.  While this sounds very much like Suburgatory, in this suburb all the residents are aliens.  From outer space.  Even The Kid is a bit skeptical.  It will either flop enormously or be a moderate sized hit.  Here's what I would like to see happen:  Happy Endings and Don't Trust the B--- falter a bit (but not enough to be cancelled on Tuesdays); The Neighbors is a moderate hit; then Endings and Trust can move back to Wednesday and The Middle and The Neighbors can move to Fridays which would make two pretty killer comedy blocks.

--Animal Practice and Guys With Kids are NBC's new beachhead into a Wednesday comedy block, this follows last year's attempt of Up All Night (now on Thursdays), Whitney (now on Friday) and the cancelled Free Agents and Chelsea.  Animal Practice is NBC's The Neighbors--it could go either way, a moderate-sized hit of a complete bomb, but I had absolutely no reaction to the pilot.  It exists; there's that.  And Guys With Kids looks awful.  It sneaks tonight, before it's official debut next week.

--I know I will at least watch a little of Britney and Demi on The X Factor, but unless something miraculous happens, I can't see any way that I'll be in for the long haul.  Too many other good things to watch.

--I love the idea that American Horror Story will be a new series every year.  I love that most of the cast will be returning in new roles.  I want to love the series more.

--Supernatural used to be one of my favorite shows.  The show was elegantly structured and had great performances.  The past two seasons were difficult to sit through, with last season being almost unbearable.  But I'm nothing if not an optimistic creature of habit.  I have every hope that the series will get better (and there's a new Executive Producer to that end), and if not I will see it through to its bitter end.

--I often suffer from Top Chef fatigue.  Thankfully the producers are trying something new, instead of another edition of Top Chef:  Just Desserts.  The new series is titled After Top Chef, and follows four of the favorite past cheftestants as they ply their trade and deal with their newly found fame.  It sounds slight, but that's not always a bad thing.

--I'm a recent convert to the Storage Wars franchise, and while I won't watch it live, I can't imagine a world without the series now.

--Key & Peele is a fine sketch comedy series, and I expect that the election cycle will give it plenty of material, but I petered out by the end of their short first season.  I'm willing to try again, but my patience isn't infinite.

Series blocked in green get an unequivocal recommendation; series blocked in yellow are recommended but cautiously.