Fall TV: A Season of Women

This Fall, there is a lot to see on TV! And most of the new shows feature some very talented women. I explorer a handful of those shows, recently. 

“2 Broke Girls” (CBS) Airs Mon @ 8:30 ET

This new CBS sitcom is absolutely hysterical! Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs are 2 Comic Gems of Fall TV.  Max (played by the outrageously funny Dennings) is a waitress at a diner in Brooklyn, and by certain circumstances meets Caroline (the truly entertaining Behrs), a snobby UES princess who’s just lost everything−her money, her apartment, her life. Max, who recently broke-up with her boyfriend, needs a roommate and decides Caroline will fit the bill. “2 Broke Girls” is the next “Odd Couple!” The clash of their personalities makes for a great thirty-minutes of TV. And the one-liners are priceless! (With co-creators Michael Patrick King and Whitney Cummings, that comes as no surprise.) This show is also a front-runner in ratings. As Caroline would say, “You go guuurls!”

“New Girl” (FOX) Airs Sat @ 12 ET

Zooey Deschanel is the “New Girl” in FOX’s new series. When Jess finds her boyfriend in bed with another girl, she needs to find a new place to live. She then meets 3 dudes who reluctantly let her move-in. It’s a fine show, but my one issue is the star, Deschanel. She bothers me so much, and it makes it hard to enjoy. Hopefully she’ll get some tips from her big sis, Emily Deschanel who does a phenomenal job on the same network with “Bones.” But with decent ratings, this show may stick around for a while. 

“Pan Am” (ABC) Airs Sun @ 10 ET

“Come Fly Away” with the stewardesses of “Pan Am.” ABC’s new television series is a charming look at the lives of these Pan Am employees in the 1960s. It is well-acted, colorful and a complete bore. I just don’t give a damn about any of these women. I’ll be interested to see how it does… The show lost 4 million viewers from the pilot to the second Episode. We might be saying, “Bon voyage” before you know it. But “Pan Am” is a gem compared to the next “Mad Men”-lookalike.

“The Playboy Club” (NBC)

NBC’s latest drama “The Playboy Club” was a major flop for the network. After only 3 Episodes, they pulled the plug. I found the show entertaining but misguided. Competing with ABC’s “Castle” the show didn’t have much of a chance. On the plus side, adorable actor Sean Maher came out during their short run. 

 “Prime Suspect” (NBC) Airs Thurs @ 10 ET

Detective Jane Timoney finds herself at a disadvantage in a boy’s club squad. Despite being the only female, she steps up to the plate with gusto and balls. Maria Bello is a tour de force in “Prime Suspect.” This is one of those rare performances, that people will be talking about for years to come. If you are not watching NBC’s latest cop drama, you are missing out.

“Revenge” (ABC) Airs Wed @ 10 ET

It’s payback time! Emily Thorne moves back to the Hamptons after a traumatizing childhood. This time with a new name and a thrill to seek “Revenge,” on the people who sent her father to prison. The brilliant Emily VanCamp (“Brothers & Sisters,” “Everwood”) leads the cast of ABC’s new drama. I admit she wouldn’t be my first choice for this role, but she plays it very well. The over-dramatic plot is exactly what you’d expect, for a show like this. Somehow I think it may have a life, possibly in the role of “guilty pleasure” of your TV schedule. 

“Up All Night” (NBC) AIrs Wed @ 8 ET 

NBC’s “Up All Night” is laugh out loud funny! Reagan (Christina Applegate) and Chris (Will Arnett) are parents of a newborn, but parenting might be harder than they expected. While Reagan tries to keep-up with her job at the hit Daytime Talkshow “Ava,” things get a little hectic. Applegate warrants many laughs (PS−She is styled a lot like Rachel Zoe.), Maya Rudolph is divine as Oprah-like diva Ava and Arnett has never been better. The show works so nicely because the writing is catered to each individual comedian. It is a joy from start to finish!  

“Whitney” (NBC) Airs Thurs @ 9:30 ET

Whitney Cummings, co-creator of “2 Broke Girls,” is the star of NBC’s new sitcom “Whitney.” I had high hopes for this show, but after watching 2 Episodes I called it quits. Cummings’ new series about relationships often falls short of funny. It is well performed and directed, but leaves you wanting more. 

This truly is a year for women! With so many excellent actresses on TV, the Emmy pool just got over-flowed. I should mention that these are only a small handful of new shows this Fall. I still have not seen the following: ”American Horror Story” (FX), “Charlie’s Angels” (ABC), “Free Agents” (NBC), “A Gifted Man” (CBS), “Homeland” (Showtime),  “How to Be a Gentleman” (CBS), “Last Man Standing” (ABC), “Man Up” (ABC), “Person of Interest” (CBS), “Suburgatory” (ABC), “Terra Nova (FOX) and “Unforgettable” (CBS). 

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