Fall Preview

I started my week off swimmingly - with a great workout & healthy eating!
Despite the fact that I loathe Mondays with every bit of my being, yesterday wasn't too bad of a day. I didn't have orientations in the morning and only 3 in the afternoon, which I started early. Because of this, I got the heck out of the office by 4:35 and headed straight to the gym. I got on the elliptical and did my 33-minute program [resistance 8, incline 4 & 10], then ran a mile on the treadmill. My run was a little rough [have been out of the habit for the last couple of weeks], but I got through it and that's all that matters.
When I got home around 5:45 and fixed a fancy dinner out of a box [tuna helper, YUM.] as well as broccoli [for me, to go in my pasta, for matt with cheese on top :) ] and carrots.
Afterwards I hopped in the shower so that I could sit down on the couch and finish my book, waiting for my shows to start. I didn't finish at that point, but I stayed up a little late last night to do the trick. The tragedy of Harry Potter being no more hit me again as I finished the last pages of The Deathly Hallows once again. Sad face. :(

Mondays are a good new shows day for us. Well, for me anyway. Matt has to endure an hour of The Lying Game before he can enjoy his shows, but last night he made an excuse to go over to his parents for an hour so he didn't have to watch [though, I think secretly he likes it].

So, in the spirit of this new show season I figured I would share my thoughts on the new shows I've watched. [italicized summaries courtesy of tvguide.com]

 

Wednesday, 9 pm, NBC

Featuring one of the more high-profile new casts, the Emily Spivey (Parks and Recreation) comedy stars Christina Applegate and Will Arnett as Reagan and Chris, new parents juggling work (Maya Rudolph is Applegate's boss and BFF), romance and, oh yeah, that baby, who has put a little damper on their social life. That doesn't stop Reagan and Chris from partying it, uh, up all night, only to be hungover when their daughter needs a new diaper the next morning. See, the title works on so many levels! 

Love, love, LOVE, this show. It's hilarious. A little awkward at times, but thankfully not as painstakingly cruel as The Office has a tendency to be. Will Arnett [otherwise known as the magical genius from Arrested Development] is AH-mazing and Christina Applegate doesn't do too bad herself. Talk about comedic awesomeness. I recommend the latest episode - the pilot dragged in some spots, but that's pretty much how all pilots go.

Mondays, 8pm, CW

Call it Southern Exposure. Rachel Bilson reunites with The O.C. creator Josh Schwartz for this medical drama, playing big-city doc Zoe Hart, who heads to tiny Bluebell, Ala., when she inherits a practice. Expect culture clashes galore and Zoe to stay put after coming through in a medical emergency and discovering an old secret. Having Scott Porter play your potential beau doesn't hurt either. 

Had the pleasure of watching this one last night [Mom, you MUST watch this one]. Thankfully, Matt was sleeping - as I'm sure he would have had some irritated comment to add for me making him suffer through another chicky TV premiere. Rachel Bilson, surprisingly, does not annoy me in this show. I was an avid O.C. watcher when it first started but it became way to dramatic, even for me [and I watch Grey's Anatomy, so that's saying something]. I think this one has some major potential, and I'm already looking forward to the next episode. 

Wednesdays, 9:30 pm, NBC
A remake of a British (duh) comedy, the sitcom stars Hank Azaria and Kathryn Hahn as Alex and Helen, newly single coworkers who start to develop feelings for each other after having a drunken one-night stand. (Isn't that how it always is?) Buffy alum Anthony Head, who starred on the U.K. version, will reprise his role as Stephen, their boss.

What can I say? It's the typical Oh-no-we-slept-together-now-what? work comedy. I was a little bored with the last one, not gonna lie. I'll give this one a couple more episodes but if they don't step it up a little bit, I have a feeling it's getting kicked off the DVR list. 

Mondays, 8:30, CBS

As the title suggests, the sitcom is about two broke girls: Max (Kat Dennings), a smart-mouthed Brooklyn waitress who also works as a nanny, and her new coworker Caroline (Beth Behrs), an heiress who must now make her own living after her Bernie Madoff-like pops is locked up in jail. They don't get off on the best foot, but they end up moving in together and plan to start their own business (Max makes some killer cupcakes). It's like a modern-day Laverne & Shirley!

If you're wanting a feel good comedy with some witty humor [courtesy of Kat Dennings a-thank-you-very-much] this one's for you. The blonde is trying to get the not-so-blonde to start up their own cupcake business. And the blonde brought a horse with her to stay with Max, which is entertaining in itself.

Tuesdays, 8 pm, FOX

Zooey Deschanel joins big sis Emily on Fox as Jess, a socially awkward gal who moves in with three bachelors (Max Greenfield, Jake Johnson and Damon Wayans Jr., whose part has been recast since Happy Endings was renewed) after getting dumped by her boyfriend. The guys only take in her blubbering, Dirty Dancing-watching mess because her BFF is a model (Hannah Simone). But they soon come to appreciate Jess' quirkiness (Zooey's quirky? You don't say!) and try to snap her out of her funk to help her re-enter the dating scene. So yes, you'll have to suspend disbelief that Zooey Deschanel has trouble attracting guys. 

Okay, I seriously, with all of my heart, LOVE Zooey Deschanel. Maybe it's because she sings like a 1940's Jazz singer, or maybe it's because her humor is just as weird as mine. Either way, I will watch anything that she is a part of. And the best part? This one isn't chicky. She's living with 3 dudes that are just as disgusting as the typical male tends to be. Must see.

Sundays, 9 pm, ABC

Come fly with them! Set in the '60s, the drama centers on the loves and lives of stewardesses (led by Christina Ricci) of the iconic titular airline. Although lauded as symbols of sleek, Jet Age glamour, their personal lives are full of turbulence. Kelli Garner, Margot Robbie and Karine Vanasse round out the Barbie doll-like crew, who are as adept at coffee service as they are at… oh wait, we can't ruin that twist. 

I had high hopes for this one [it reminds me of Megh, simply because the flight attendant experience seemed so amazing. Except the flying part..], and it did not disappoint. There were several different stories that kept your eyes glued to the screen, waiting for the next thing to happen. Talk about a great Sunday night show. 

 

Wednesdays, 9 pm, ABC

The drama stars Emily VanCamp as Emily Thorne, a mysterious woman who heads to the Hamptons under the guise of wooing Daniel (Joshua Bowman), the son of Victoria Grayson (Madeleine Stowe). But she's actually there to exact revenge on the people (ahem, Victoria) who destroyed her family. It's a contemporary re-telling of The Count of Monte Cristo, but Emily Thorne makes for a much prettier little liar than Edmond Dantes.

Meh. That's all I can say about this one. It had another one of those pilots that required a lot of background information and it got a little overwhelming. They still have yet to divulge all of the details you need to know to figure out what in the world is going on. But, I think it's worth watching another couple of episodes to see how things unfold.

Any of these shows can be viewed [full episodes!] at www.hulu.com or on the individual network websites.

And that is all the wisdom I have to share with you, folks. Tonight I have nothing going on. I am going to step class & then home to do laundry & watch more shows [the exciting life we lead. ;) ]

Have a great Tuesday!!

Mal