The Fall Season

The new television season began a few weeks ago and I've done my best to see some of the premieres. A few look promising, but many look bland and unwatchable. Of course, I might be tempted to view them if I'm provided with a plasma television, a comfortable recliner and an endless supply of coffee and Skittles.

This season seems to be inundated with police procedurals (a term TV Guide overuses this year that I've never seen before), science fiction dramas (Lost, Surface, Invasion, Night Stalker, Threshold, Medium, Ghost Whisperer, Supernatural and Charmed) and movie stars (Martin Sheen, Charlie Sheen, Glenn Close, James Spader, Kiefer Sutherland, Donald Sutherland, Geena Davis, Dennis Hopper, Chris O'Donnell, Melanie Griffith and Freddie Prinze, Jr.). I suppose I shouldn't complain. It could be worse. There could be more "reality" shows.

Anyway, it's always fun to make a list of the shows I plan to watch and then review it next season to see how many were canceled. The following are the stop-and-drop-everything-I-must-vegetate-now shows:

• How I Met Your Mother
• My Name is Earl
• The Office
• Scrubs
• Lost
• Desperate Housewives
• Grey's Anatomy

That's five hours of television a week, three hours of comedy, two hours of drama. Other shows I wouldn't mind seeing (if they happened to be on while I was in the same vicinity of a set) would include Arrested Development, Bones, ER, The OC, Law & Order and Law & Order: SVU. I know Smallville and Everwood already began, but this year, I'm just not interested in seeing them. I might catch an episode or two when repeats roll around, but that's all.

Of the new shows I've seen, my favorite is My Name is Earl. I don't know why I remember the following exchange from the premiere. It's not exactly funny, but it sums up the premise nicely:

Earl: You see, Kenny, my life sucks and it's because I've been a bad person. I'm hoping if I can do some good things, then maybe some good things might finally happen to me.
Kenny: You're talking about karma.
Earl: You're a Carson Daly fan, too, huh? Yeah, I'm talking about karma.
Kenny: You're really trying to change?
Earl: If I don't, I think life's going to kill me.