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<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   Related Stories • Fire up the TiVo 9/14/08   CONTACT THE HERALD Melanie Munk, Features Editor munk@heraldnet.com   Published: Sunday, September 14, 2008 Still smarting from strike, networks roll out new shows By Rob Owen Pittsburgh Post-Gazette One thing we know with certainty about the new TV season: The networks are not treating it as business as usual. To make things easier on everyone, they aren't rolling out a slew of new shows. With development and production of pilots delayed by the writers' strike, their cupboards were almost empty. They're stocking up now. Here are some highlights of the scanty season. Keep in mind that Saturday night remains Rotating Rerun Theater for most of the broadcast networks Premiere dates follow each capsule in parentheses. SUNDAY "Valentine" (8 p.m., The CW): A family of Greek gods keep their identities secret while helping soul mates find one another. A romantic dramedy, the show stars Jaime Murray (Lila on "Dexter"), Kristopher Polaha ("North Shore") and Autumn Reeser ("The O.C."). Not available for review. (Oct.5.) "Easy Money" (9 p.m., The CW): Laurie Metcalf ("Roseanne") and Judge Reinhold ("Beverly Hills Cop") star in this drama about a family that runs a high-interest loan business. Not available for review. (Oct. 5.) MONDAY @1. Body Copy Bold Lede-in Name:"Magic's Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed" (9 p.m., MNT): The Masked Magician from Fox's spoiler-filled specials returns to reveal how magic tricks are staged. Not available for review. (Oct. 6.) "Worst Week" (9:30 p.m., CBS): This single-camera comedy has a great pilot, but a premise that seems better suited to a one-shot movie than a weekly series. Sam (Kyle Bornheimer) is a victim of terrible luck, particularly when it comes to the parents of his pregnant girlfriend (Erinn Hayes). He often looks like a fool, but frequently it's not his fault in this hilariously uncomfortable comedy. But how can Sam's missteps sustain the comedy and not grow old? (Sept. 22.) "My Own Worst Enemy" (10 p.m., NBC): A Jekyll-and-Hyde drama about a man (Christian Slater) with two distinct personalities, one of whom is a proper family man and the other an operative who's trained to kill. Not available for review. (Oct. 13.) TUESDAY "The Mentalist" (8 p.m., CBS): A competently made procedural crime show, this latest CBS series to star Simon Baker ("The Guardian") actually allows the actor to smile and display a rakish charm. He plays a California police investigator who once feigned psychic power but really just uses his keen observational skills to solve cases. It sounds a lot like USA's "Psych," and it is, but Baker brings an undeniable star presence that could make this show a hit. (Sept. 23.) "Fringe" (9 p.m., Fox): The latest J.J. Abrams-produced sci-fi-tinged drama follows two government agents (Joshua Jackson, Anna Torv) who investigate scientific oddities. The pilot was a poorly constructed mess, but an underlying theme of paranoia regarding the corporate conglomerate Massive Dynamic holds some promise. (Already premiered.) "Privileged" (9 p.m., The CW): A young woman (JoAnna Garcia) who aspires to be a writer tutors rich kids in Florida. Cute drama with a touch of "Gilmore Girls" whimsy and characters who defy expected stereotypes. (Already premiered.) WEDNESDAY "Knight Rider" (8 p.m., NBC): A reboot of the 1980s series about a man and his talking car, this new "Knight Rider" began as a TV movie this past spring. Gary Scott Thompson, executive producer of the canceled "Las Vegas," is now calling the shots on this show. Not available for review. (Sept. 24.) "Stylista" (9 p.m., The CW): Fashionistas vie for a job with Elle magazine, working as assistants on a set more spacious than the real Elle offices. "Stylista" comes from the executive producer of "America's Next Top Model" and stars Elle's "fashion news director," Anne Slowey, as the reality-TV version of Miranda Priestly from "The Devil Wears Prada." (Oct. 22.) THURSDAY "Hole in the Wall" (8 p.m., Fox): Teams of contestants must use speed and agility to advance to the next level on this game show. A wall with odd cutout shapes moves toward players, who must contort their bodies to match the cutouts to fit through the wall or they'll be swept into a pool of water. Not available for review. (Already premiered.) "Kath & Kim" (9:30 p.m., NBC): An adaptation of an Australian comedy about trashy fortysomething Kath (Molly Shannon) and her self-absorbed daughter, Kim (Selma Blair), who separates from her husband after six weeks of marriage and moves back in with her mother. Not available for review. (Oct. 9.) "Life on Mars" (10 p.m., ABC): A remake of the British series of the same name that aired on BBC America, this show follows the adventures of NYPD Detective Sam Tyler (Jason O'Mara), who's hurtled through time from 2008 to 1973 after he's hit by a car. Now he has to try to find his way "home" while adjusting to a different era. Not available for review. (Oct. 9.) "Eleventh Hour" (10 p.m., CBS): Dr. Jacob Hood (Rufus Sewell) investigates scientific oddities for the government, riding in at the 11th hour. Special agent Rachel Young (Marley Shelton) keeps tabs on him. Not available for review. (Oct. 9.) FRIDAY "Crusoe" (8 p.m., NBC): In this new adaptation of Daniel Defoe's "Robinson Crusoe," Philip Winchester ("Flyboys") stars as the title character who struggles to survive on an island. Flashbacks will detail Crusoe's love affair with his wife (Anna Walton, "Hellboy II"), who is back in England, and his relationship with a mysterious mentor (Sam Neill, "The Tudors"). Not available for review. (Oct. 17.) "The Ex-List" (9 p.m., CBS): A psychic tells single, thirtysomething Bella (Elizabeth Reaser, "Grey's Anatomy") that she's already met the man she'll marry, but if she doesn't marry him in a year, she'll be alone forever. Bella starts making a list of her exes and revisiting past prospects. It's a cute concept that seems better suited to a movie than an ongoing series with no end date. The romantic nature of the show will draw some viewers and then push them away with one character's obsession with grooming down there. (Oct. 3.) READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet. To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here. Log out

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