Fall TV Preview

It was an overwhelming task this year to single out a select few television shows for my Fall TV Preview; there is an overabundance of new selections being offered on every major network, and I must say, most of them surpass the not-bad category.

We’ve got shows coming out of every which era, including a reboot of “Charlie’s Angels” on ABC, NBC’s risqué “The Playboy Club,” and everyone’s favorite animated dimwits from the ’90s, “Beavis and Butthead,” return to MTV on Oct. 27.

We’ve also got plenty of returning sitcom stars gracing our presence: Tim Allen is back with ABC’s “Last Man Standing”; Christina Applegate — who played clueless teen Kelly Bundy on “Married with Children” — will be taking on the role of a first-time mother in NBC’s “Up All Night,” alongside SNL vets Will Arnett and Maya Rudolph; and we have the return of Ms. Buffy the Vampire Slayer herself, Sarah Michelle Geller, playing somewhat-evil twins on the CW series “Ringer.”

We’ve even got fairy tales with ABC’s “Once Upon a Time” starring Ginnifer Goodwin (“HBO’s “Big Love”) and Jennifer Morrison (“House”), and NBC’s “Grimm,” a tale about detectives who have the ability to see nonhuman creatures, and set out to catch the mythological bad guys.
From there you’ve got your usual cop procedural (NBC’s “Prime Suspect” starring Maria Bello), medical drama (CBS’s “A Gifted Man” with a he-can-see-dead-people twist), sci-fi time-travel (FOX’s “Terra Nova”) and (girl) buddy comedy (CBS’s “2 Broke Girls”).

And, of course, “Two and a Half Men” sans Charlie Sheen.

The start of the season is just around the corner so take a look at the plentiful group of newbies headed to your television screen and add some to your list of favorites. To get you started, here’s some choice picks from yours truly.

“New Girl” — FOX — 9 p.m. — Tuesday, Sept. 20
“New Girl” stars the ever-adorable Zooey Deschanel (“Elf,” “(500) Days of Summer”), and that should be reason enough for you to tune in. The premise of the show revolves around her character, Jess, who after a major breakup from her boyfriend, runs off to live a new life. From here, she decides to move in with three random dudes who help her learn the way to winning over a man’s heart. Deschanel’s quirky, yet charming Jess is infectious, and along the way the new boys in her life, who are more brotherly than anything, learn a little something from her, as well.

“Pan Am” — ABC — 10 p.m. — Sunday, Sept. 25
A period drama set in 1963, “Pan Am” revisits the days when stewardesses were some of the most desired women in the world, especially if you worked for the sleek, luxurious Pan Am airlines. Following four attendants, one role taken on by indie-darling Christina Ricci, “Pan Am” is out to show them, and us, the world, at a time when most women’s ambitions were pushed to the side. With “Mad Men” being as popular as it is, “Pan Am” should garner an easy following and take off without a hitch.

“American Horror Story” — FX — 10 p.m. — Wednesday, Oct. 5
So far the previews for “American Horror Story” have been vague — which makes it all the more intriguing. What we do know is a family (led by Dylan McDermott) moves into an old haunted house — unbeknownst to them — where previous residents have been doomed to death. From the creator of “Nip/Tuck,” it’s sure to push boundaries and take us on a weird and wild ride.

“The Chew” — ABC — 1 p.m. — Monday-Friday — Starts Sept. 26
Mix it up with a little daytime television with “The Chew,” which was made to fill the void left from the daily soaps. It features a number of co-hosts including Iron Chef Michael Symon and nutrition expert Daphne Oz, and aims to teach viewers every facet that revolves around food — from home entertaining to affordable meals to new food trends. If you’re any sort of Food Network lover, “The Chew” should be just your taste.

“Person of Interest” — CBS — 9 p.m. — Thursday, Sept. 22
From executive producers J.J. Abrams (“Fringe,” “Lost”) and Jonathan Nolan (screenwriter “The Dark Knight"), “Person of Interest” essentially revolves around two guys: One, an engineer (“Lost’s” Michael Emerson) who has designed software that can recognize if a person is about to be a victim or an assailant of a particular crime; and two, an ex-CIA agent (Jim Caviezal — you may know him best as Jesus in “The Passion of the Christ”) who teams up with the engineer to help track down these people and put an end to a crime that could have happened.

CBS tends to get it right when it comes to investigation shows — see “C.S.I.” — and “Person of Interest” plays off that theme. It’s a definite action show with a thriller underlining, and it’s a role that fits Caviezal well, reminiscent of his role in “Frequency” back in 2000.

“Whitney” — NBC — 9:30 p.m. — Thursday, Sept. 22
Inspired by Whitney Cummings’ stand-up, the laughs in “Whitney” revolve around her and her boyfriend, who have been happily unmarried for three years. and the questions that arise from their friends on their unconventional lifestyle

Cummings’ stand-up can be a little off-putting, but having to tone it down for sitcom television, I think Cummings will do some funny stuff here.