Friday Five: New Shows

September is pretty much over so we are even closer to a deep freeze, snow days, and it getting dark by 5:00 p.m. than we were even 2 weeks ago. The good thing is, all of the new shows have premiered and besides work, school, invitations, and any other hobbies I pick up from now until Christmas, I will have a full schedule of new shows to watch. There are a lot of new shows, but I think I’m going to stick with these five and drop the rest of the dead weight.

Ringer, The CW – Buffy’s back! Full disclosure, I loved Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The Prom was probably the best episode of television ever to air in 1999. Angel and Buffy 4EVA. Anyway. This show is pretty fun too – it’s a bit soapy and campy, but overall, I’m sticking around for the season. It has identical twins, stolen identities, hidden pregnancies, a Native American mob boss out to kill someone, a white collar investment crime that I haven’t figured out yet (probably because I still pay some bills in person, at the bank, and have my “emergency fund” in rolls of quarters and loonies stashed in some closet in my house), and did I mention, Buffy the Vampire Slayer is in it? If that wasn’t enough, rumor has it that Jason Dohring will be part of a love triangle in that show. Eeek! I loved Logan Echolls and his crazy yellow Nissan X-Terra on Veronica Mars, and I loved him so much that I watched every episode of the trainwreck Moonlight that he was on after VM was unceremoniously cancelled. Ironically, he played a vampire on that show. And Sarah Michelle Gellar was the vampire slayer. And now they’re on the same show. And hopefully going to fall in love. Oh TV Fates, you have a wicked sense of humor!

New Girl, Fox – I thought I would hate this show, because I have a bit of an irrational hate on for Zooey Deschanel and her hipster ways, but I actually ended up really liking the show, and her. She plays a super dork that breaks up with her boyfriend, and then moves in with 3 random guys. Hilarity ensues. And in fact, hilarity does ensue. It is funny, and cute and she isn’t nearly as annoying as I thought she would be. When trying to explain their unorthodox living arrangements and relationship, one of her new roommates calls them “reverse mormons.” See? Hilarity ensues.

Up All Night, NBC – I can’t necessarily relate as, I don’t have kids or a new baby, but it is still pretty funny. The premise is a married couple that is juggling a new baby and returning to work (mom) and staying home (dad). I laugh because they seem like real people – swearing in front of the baby, and they look like a real couple - I’m sort of over all these hapless husbands having smoking hot wives - that doesn’t really happen, and they say stuff that I imagine you would really say when dealing with a new baby. After trying to relive their pre-baby days and getting drunk, the next morning, hungover and in bed, Arnett’s character offers his wife one million dollars if she goes and gets the crying baby. That is something I can relate to. I’ve offered my husband one million dollars to pass me the phone when it’s out of reach and I’ve already sat down.

Prime Suspect, NBC – I’ve never seen the original that this is based on, but going in totally blind, I kind of liked this. Maria Bello is believable as a detective and there was a good balance between cop stuff, and personal back story stuff, which can always be a challenge. Plus Kenny Johnson from The Shield is on it, and although he seems to play the same character over and over again, I still love him. I almost had to dump him as one of my TV boyfriends after Saving Grace though – I hated that show. Anyway. Prime Suspect gets a pass for now. Also, is this an old person's show?

Revenge, ABC – This is a pretty harmless fun show. A bunch of good looking rich people living in the Hamptons, and one of them is plotting revenge against the rest of them. It’s not rocket science, but it does give me something to do at 11 o’clock on Wednesday nights. The one character “Queen” Victoria is your classic evil stepmother/mastermind and I sort of love her. I’m curious to see what happens, and how everything resolves itself over the season, though I could do without the flashbacks. Either way, it sucked me in, so now I’ll stick around and see what happens to all the beautiful people.

So those are my winners for this year – duds include, but are not limited to, Terra Nova (this is lame), 2 Broke Gals (I like the blond, hate the mean brunette, plus it’s not funny) and Suburgatory (main character is miserable, and Jeremy Sisto gives me the creeps).

Did I miss anything? What are your favorite new/returning shows? Set your Tivos/DVRs people!