Believe it or not, the Fall season starts this week with some early premieres on the CW. Vampire Diaries and Nikita will get the genre shows kicked off and then the week after next the season proper will begin with the premieres of Chuck and The Event on NBC followed by a whole slew of other debuts. Actually, though, this year has the fewest number of genres entries that we have seen in a Fall season in quite some time (seventeen if you include The Event, Undercovers, and Nikita) and by far the fewest new entries. I think this definitely points toward a waning presence of Science Fiction and Fantasy on the broadcast networks, which does not disappoint me because network execs have demonstrated time and again that they do not understand the genre or its fans. I like the other trend that we seem to be seeing, though, with more of the cable channels expanding on their genre offerings like The Walking Dead (AMC), The Game of Thrones (HBO), and all of the British imports on BBC America. But I will be exploring that in more detail in another column, so for now I will take a look at what shows will debut/return in the coming weeks and give you my thoughts on which ones are worth checking out. I have grouped these into the same three interest categories that our readers voted on: High, Medium, and Low. I have also included the readers’ poll results for each show. And for more information on each of the shows, check out our Fall Season Preview Page. Also, keep a lookout for my first Cancellation Watch column of the season with my predictions on which shows will live on for another season and which ones will get the axe.
High Interest:
The Walking Dead (AMC, Debuts Oct 31st) – This series, based on the zombie comic book of the same name, has received a lot of advanced buzz and I just finished reading the first TPB (The Walking Dead, Vol. 1: Days Gone Bye) that collects the first six issues of the comic (which was a can’t-stop-turning-the-page affair). The advanced trailer for this looks good as well and AMC has already pretty much rubber-stamped a second season for the show.
Readers’ Interest Level: High – 62%, Low – 24%, Medium – 14%
Human Target (FOX, Returns Oct 1s) – In its first season this over-the-top action/adventure romp was just good fun and added a revolving door of genre vets as guest stars to up the ante. Don’t like FOX scheduling it on Fridays and I don’t know how well the new female co-star (Indira Varma) will mesh with the three male leads, but I will still tune in each week.
Readers’ Interest Level: Low – 42%, High – 34%, Medium – 24%
Outcasts (BBC America, Debuts Dec 5th) – This sci fi/western sounds like it will mix elements of Firefly and Earth 2, but should definitely be worth a look. As far as cable channels go, BBC America has been out sci fi-ing Syfy for well over a year now.
Readers’ Interest Level: High – 67%, Medium – 30%, Low – 3%
Fringe (FOX, Returns Sept 23rd) – I’m still on the fence with this show, but I do admit that when it is hitting on all cylinders it really excels. If they can finally steer clear of the X-Files-clone episodes this season and stay focused on the central story arc, this show could work its way into the upper-echelon of genre shows.
Readers’ Interest Level: High – 80%, Medium – 11%, Low – 9%
Supernatural (CW, Returns Sept 24th) – I consider my interest level medium-high on this because I felt like the show fell short of delivering the apocalypse it promised last season and has not really left itself much to work with this year (mostly the CW’s fault for not letting Eric Kripke end it after its fifth season like he wanted). Still, I got to check in on the guys and see what they are up to.
Readers’ Interest Level: Low – 45%, High – 36%, Medium – 19%
The Event (NBC, Debuts Sept 20th) – Another medium-high interest show, NBC’s new conspiracy-theory series is hoping to fill the Lost/24 void this season. I will give it a few episodes, but after wasting my time on Persons Unknown throughout the Summer (which started out promising then went absolutely nowhere), I’m taking a quick exit if this one does not show promise early.
Readers’ Interest Level: Medium – 36%, Low – 36%, High – 28%
Stargate: Universe (Syfy, Returns Sept 28th) – Yet another at medium-high on the interest scale, I loved this show when it first started last year, but it really began to meander and lose steam as the season progressed. I’m hoping it can return to form with the new season, though.
Readers’ Interest Level: High – 66%, Medium – 21%, Low – 13%
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Medium Interest:
Chuck (NBC, Returns Sept 20th) – I’m not a Chuck fanatic, but this show is always good for some light-hearted fun. Plus, Season 4 has lined up an impressive slate of genre-friendly guests stars like Linda Hamilton, Harry Dean Stanton, and Lou Ferrigno, so there should be plenty of reasons to tune in.
Readers’ Interest Level: High – 46%, Low – 41%, Medium – 13%
Smallville (CW, Returns Sept 24th) – I have never followed this show previously and have not been too impressed when I have sampled some episodes (though I liked last season’s “Absolute Justice” special which brought the JSA into the fold). But this season (Number 10 and allegedly the last) will pit Clark and his compadres against Darkseid, so I got to tune in for a few eps at least and seen how that pans out!
Readers’ Interest Level: Low – 49%, High – 27%, Medium – 24%
No Ordinary Family (ABC, Debuts Sept 28th) – Ho hum, another superhero show and this one looks like a small screen derivative of The Incredibles. I will at least give it a shot, though.
Readers’ Interest Level: Low – 53%, Medium – 32%, High – 15%
$#*! My Dad Says (CBS, Debuts Sept 22nd) – Yeah, it’s not a Science Fiction show, but you know you want to tune in to see what sort of shit a cranky old William Shatner will be spouting.
Readers’ Interest Level: Low – 51%, Medium – 30%, High – 19%
Undercovers (NBC, Debuts Sept 22nd) – This marginal genre entry comes to us from J.J. Abrams and he returns to the spy/espionage territory he previously covered in Alias. Consider this one medium-low on the interest scale.
Readers’ Interest Level: Low – 61%, Medium – 24%, High – 15%
Nikita (CW, Debuts Sept 9th) – Another marginal genre entry with spy/espionage elements, this time from the CW. Medium-low interest, just like Undercovers.
Readers’ Interest Level: Low – 40%, Medium – 35%, High – 25%
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Low Interest:
V (ABC, Return date not set) – I realize that V had (slightly) better numbers than FlashForward, but it was a much worse show. This one should never have received a second season order.
Readers’ Interest Level: Low – 45%, High – 30%, Medium – 25%
Sanctuary (Syfy, Returns Sept 28th) – This could have really been a great show and it had promise during its first season. But it just keeps cranking out cheesy, formulaic, uninteresting episodes.
Readers’ Interest Level: Low – 44%, High – 40%, Medium – 16%
Vampire Diaries (CW, Returns Sept 9th) – It may have given the CW its biggest hit in years, but it appeals to a completely different age-group than the one I fall in.
Readers’ Interest Level: Low – 82%, High – 10%, Medium – 8%
Medium (CBS, Returns Sept 24th) – A lot of people think highly of this show, but it has never won me over. Not a bad show, just not one that interests me.
Readers’ Interest Level: Low – 81%, Medium – 17%, High – 2%
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Cartoon Network, Returns Oct 8th) – When this one turned out better than expected at the start of its first season, I had high hopes for it. But it never has done much since then, cranking out mostly indistinguishable, formulaic episodes.
Readers’ Interest Level: Low – 54%, High – 24%, Medium – 22%
