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The new television season is already under way. Remember I’m not a television critic and don’t claim to be but this is the best season of new shows that I’ve seen in a long time. Rather than try to tell you about all the new shows I’m going to pick out the ones I enjoyed and let you decide from there. Watch the new series for yourself and don’t let the critics sway your decisions. I’ve found from experience that critics have a tendency to just look for quality and not if the shows entertaining and fun to watch. Besides we all have different tastes and quality really doesn’t define what everyone considers quality. I hope that makes sense to you but I think you get the idea. In other words judge these shows for yourself and not what a critic tells you what’s good, after all it’s just their opinion.

 

There is no longer The WB or UPN this season; they have been combined into The CW. They have taken the best shows of the two networks and only added two new series. The only complaint I have with the new network is they canceled the popular WB series Everwood.   I guess you can’t have everything because they did pick-up 7th Heaven and from what I heard one of the two series had to go.

 

The Camdens will be back when 7th Heaven the longest-running family drama in television history, returns for a record-breaking 11th season on Monday, September 25th (7:00-8:00 p.m., CST). Then following the Camdens is the premiere of the CW’s new drama series Runaway (8:00-9:00 p.m., CST). I was very impressed with this show it reminded me a little of the television series The Fugitive.    

 

This new drama follows the Raders, a normal middle-class American family on the run and hiding from the legal system who has falsely accused Paul Rader (Donnie Wahlberg) of a terrible violent crime. Adding to the danger is the real killer is threatening the lives of the Rader children. Paul works to protect his family and at the same time trying to uncover the evidence that will clear him. The family lives in constant fear that someone will accidentally reveal their dark secret and true identities. Runaway definitely held my interest and am looking forward to the next episode. This series should in my opinion be a hit for The CW.

 

The CW is also bringing back The WB’s Gilmore Girls, Tuesday, September 26 (7:00-8:00 p.m., CST), One Tree Hill, Wednesday, September27 (8:00-9:00 p.m., CST) and Smallville, Thursday, September 28 (7:00-8:00 p.m., CST). The shows from UPN that are returning are Everybody Hates Chris, Sunday, October 1, (6:00-6:30 p.m.,CST) and Veronica Mars, Tuesday, October 3(8:00-9:00 p.m., CST) following The Gilmore Girls.

 

The CW also has a new sitcom, The Game which will premiere on Sunday, October1 (7:30-8:00 p.m., CST) on their Sunday Night Comedy Block. I’m not a big fan of sitcoms so you need to judge this one for your self. The Game takes a comedic behind-the-scenes look at the lives of the wives and girlfriends of the star athletes on an NFL team. Also on Sunday, UPN sitcom’s All of Us (6:30-7:00 p.m., CST) and Girlfriends (7:00-7:30 p.m., CST) will return.  

 

The FOX Network has two new comedies and three new dramas airing this season. I have to admit all three dramas I found very entertaining but was most impressed with Vanished (Monday, 8:00-9:00 p.m., CST). Gale Harold (Queer as Folk) plays Senior FBI Agent Graham Kelton who tries to find a beautiful young wife of a prominent Georgia Senator who is missing. But before the FBI can solve the mystery of where she is, they first need to figure out who she really is. Through the eyes of Kelton, an ambitious reporter Judy Nash (Rebecca Gayheart, Nip/Tuck) and the distraught members of the Senator’s family, viewers will journey inside a mysterious national soap opera. Clues may suggest the disappearance of the Senators wife is the part of a large, sinister conspiracy. Vanished combines the investigative twists and turns of CSI, the nonstop pace and tension of FOX’s 24 and the scope of The Da Vinci Code. The series has already aired and has me sitting on the edge of my seat anticipating the next episode. Personally I think Vanished has a real shot of being another FOX hit, but then what do I know.

 

The other two FOX dramas, Standoff (Tuesday, 7:00-8:00 p.m., CST) and Justice (Wednesday, 8:00-9:00 p.m., CST) are also excellent series. Standoff is another FBI series with a little different twist. There is no crisis the two star agents can’t handle, unless it involves each other. The stars of the show are Ron Livingston (Sex and the City) and Rosemarie DeWitt (Cinderella man) are the top-ranked negotiators in the FBI’s Crisis Negotiation Unit (CNU). They’re trained to talk their way through dangerous situations. The fun between the two’s romantic situation is what makes this show interesting to watch…for me anyway.

 

Justice as you’ve probably guessed by the title is a lawyer series. The show is a behind the scenes look at the way high-profile cases are tried in the media age. It features a dream team of four lawyers from disparate backgrounds who join forces to tackle the most controversial and newsworthy cases. Victor Garber (Alias) as Ron Tuck is the leader of the team and is the face seen on every talk show in the country and he likes it that way. It was good and I enjoyed watching it; in my opinion it has an excellent chance for success.

 

Two new comedies from Fox are Til  Death (Thursday, 7:00-7:30 p.m., CST) starring Brad Garrett (Everybody Loves Raymond) and Happy Hour (Thursday, 7:30-8:00 p.m., CST) from writers Jeff and Jackie Filgo who are responsible for That 70’s Show. I already mentioned I’m not a big fan of sitcoms but I have to admit I really enjoyed Til Death. I not only enjoyed seeing Brad Garrett back again but also loved seeing Joely Fisher (Desperate Housewives) as his wife. They are on day 8,743 of their marriage and have the battle scars to prove it. Newlyweds move in next door to them and have them revaluating their marriage. It’s a story about new marriage versus old marriage, about keeping the romance a live. Fisher and Garrett compliment each other and are great together. For me this sitcom works and I hope I’m not wasting my time getting involved with the show only to see it get dumped.

 

In my next column we will take a look at the new ABC, NBC and CBS shows. Until then let your voice be heard.