3 fall shows to fill the void of those canceled

And so it begins — or should I say, ends. Over the last week, a crop of fall TV shows met their demise.

First went the sexy bunnies from NBC’s “The Playboy Club.”

Then “Free Agents,” the Hank Azaria-Kathryn Hahn workplace comedy got the ax from NBC.

From here, CW’s reality show “H8R” got canned. Not surprising for a show that involved celebrities such as Eva Longoria and Kim Kardashian confronting their biggest non-fans as to why they hate them and then trying to win them over.

Next, CBS’s “How to Be a Gentleman” starring Matt Dillon “stopped production” — which is essentially a cancellation — after their episode count dropped from 13 to 9, and was moved from Thursday to Saturday nights.

And finally, it was announced today that ABC’s first cancellation of the season would be the reboot of “Charlie’s Angels” after only four episodes.

Tough luck, eh? It’s a rough world out there. With the amount of money networks spend to produce new shows, they expect them to deliver. And when the ratings don’t go their way within a matter of weeks, away the shows shall go — quicker than you can change the channel on them.

Luckily for you, I have a solution or two...OK three, to fill the voids left on your DVR. A few shows that far exceeded their expectations, and that I should have included on my fall TV preview. Hey, we all make mistakes, right NBC?

Replace “The Playboy Club” or “Charlie’s Angels” with “Revenge”

“Revenge” is exactly that — a show about a young woman who heads to the Hamptons to enact revenge on the people who caused her father’s death, and in turn, ruined her family. Emily VanCamp, of “Everwood” fame, plays the part of the young woman leading a double life; she is only known as Emily Thorpe to the wealthy residents of the Hamptons, not Amanda Clarke, who they knew as a child.

Each week Thorpe gets rid of one of the people responsible for her father’s death in an ever-so-revengeful way — whether it be exposing an affair of a senator or causing best friends to turn on each other.

It’s a delightful little drama with the perfect amount of innocence that leaves you wanting more each week.

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“Revenge” airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on ABC

Replace “Free Agents” or “How to Be a Gentleman”
with “2 Broke Girls”

A laugh-out-loud comedy from the mind of Whitney Cummings. Now I bet you’re saying, doesn’t she have her own show this fall? Why, yes, she stars in “Whitney” over on NBC, but the Whitney writer has far exceeded the Whitney actress.

“2 Broke Girls” follows Max (Kat Dennings), a waitress in a NYC diner with a sassy attitude, and Caroline (Beth Behrs), a spoiled princess of a girl who comes to work at the diner after her father was caught in a Bernie Madofff-like Ponzi scandal and goes to jail, leaving Caroline with nothing.
Eventually the two become roommates and strive to open a bakery with Caroline’s business skills and Max’s knack for tasty cupcakes. Dennings and Behrs play off each other is great, and the comedy stylings are reminiscent of “Two and Half Men,” where sexual innuendoes and brass comedy fill the air.

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“2 Broke Girls” airs Mondays at 8:30 p.m. on CBS

Replace “H8R” with “Work of Art — The Next Great Artist”

From the mind of Sarah Jessica Parker, this reality show adds a bit of class to the reality world. After the first season’s brief run in the summer of 2010, “Work of Art” returned to Bravo on Wednesday and is as creative as ever.

The premise involves 14 artists — from painters to sculptors to performance artists — all vying for their own private art show at the famed Brooklyn Museum and a $100,000 prize. A gallery show is put on at the end of each week and, with the input of three judges, one person is then eliminated.

As kooky as some of the self-proclaimed artists are, the show is really about the art they produce. Each week the participants are given a theme, and it is their job to produce a piece of art in the medium of their choice. It’s not only interesting to see each artist bring out strengths within their forte, but also to see them step out of their comfort zone and produce an exquisite piece in a different medium they’re not used to. As the viewer, it’s intriguing to see how each artist interprets the idea and puts their own unique spin on things.

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“Work of Art” airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on Bravo.