This Season's Fall Lineup

I get excited about the fall.  Not just because the temperatures drop to an only slightly uncomfortable 90 degrees.  Not only because the school year starts up.  I get excited every September because it's the beginning of the Fall television season.  A great percentage of my childhood was spent  in front of the television during primetime, watching whatever the networks decided we would like, and this year will be no different.  It's like I'm the Bachelorette in a room full of eligible TV shows. New shows try to pique my interest, while old shows entice me to return.

This time of year I am more than willing to spend hours poring over TV Guide or Entertainment Weekly, setting up my fall television watching schedule.  Adjustments will have to be made for homework and soccer practices, but that's what DVRs are for, right?  Also, this year, I have it set up so I can watch some of these shows on my Kindle, which is just all kinds of awesome.   I'm especially excited that more action adventure type shows are making it to prime time; I prefer a little escapism to thrill me after a long day.  These are some of the shows that I am looking forward to returning, and new shows that already have my attention.

Arrow(CW)  I didn't want to like this show.  I grew up with The Green Arrow comics, and Oliver Queen is just supposed to be a good looking blonde with a nice goatee, darn it!  (Interestingly, I just realized that Oliver Queen was really a variation of Batman, right down to the nonsuper nature of his arrow slinging.  Hmm.)  My husband and I decided to revisit the show during the summer when we just could not take one more animal reality show.  We agreed to give the show at least three episodes.  If we didn't like it after three episodes, we were done.  Of course, we watched everything we could download from Netflix, and have hopes of being completely caught up by October. I love the character of Felicity Smoak, because she's an actual intelligent woman, even if her clothes would never pass muster in an actual business setting.

Supernatural(CW)  I have been watching this show since it all began.  I fully expect to be watching it when the actors are pulling retirement.  It's that good.  Sam and Dean Winchester are hunters of a different sort, protecting humanity from the monsters that are hidden in the dark. I've watched these actors from Texas grow into their characters, and the storylines keep me riveted.  The idea that these brothers would do anything for each other, and that they have each other's back, is something that appeals to me.  Who wouldn't do anything for their family, if they could?  Consistently, I've been drawn to the brothers and their attempts to keep us all safe from the Big Bad.  We have most of the blu rays, and occasionally we start rewatching the entire show from the very beginning of Season 1.

Gotham(Fox)  Having grown up with an unhealthy obsession with Batman via comic books, I have some concerns regarding this show, which purports to reveal the 'backstory' of Bruce Wayne's childhood and what shaped him, beyond the murder of his parents. The dude needs a backstory.  I mean, let's face it--the idea that post-traumatic stress alone created such a darkly complex superhero is a bit much to accept in this day and age.  The kid didn't sit alone in his room for ten years.  He went to school.  He had friends.  Surely he smiled once a year on his birthday. But I still love my Batman, in spite of his crazy.  Hopefully, the show will keep the same tone from the comics.

Flash(CW)  This is a spinoff from Arrow, and the reason that we're looking forward to the premiere is because we like the character. What mom wouldn't occasionally like to use hyper speed too accomplish all those last minute tasks. The promos have certainly been intriguing. The actor who plays him is not quite as self-confident as the comic book Flash, but hey, we all gotta start somewhere, don't we?  I expect that he'll grow into the role. There will likely be more special effects in this show, as opposed to Arrow. The Flash had better run faster than the Six Million Dollar Man, with all that fancy CGI, or else I'll be very disappointed.  

Constantine(NBC)  Do you sense a theme here with the comic book type heroes? Yeah, I'm all about the escapism in my television watching.  John Constantine is an interesting character, and there's a lot of ways the producers could get this show right.  They already seem to be on the right track, taking a number of cues from the comic books, if the promos aren't lying.  Constantine is more of an anti-hero than what some people might be used to, and probably there will be people losing their minds that Keanu Reeves isn't playing the main character.  I plan to give the show the benefit of the doubt until I've seen a few episodes.  

The Walking Dead(AMC)  Before you open your mouth to tell me that a zombie apocalypse would be over in about a month, especially with the heat and humidity of the South, hush.  I know the science.  I've read the Zombie Apocalypse plan from the Pentagon. I don't care.  As disturbing as it might be, the end of the world isn't necessarily the end of the world for all of us.  What would you do to survive?  At the end of the last season, the main character Rick came to terms with the fact that he will do just about anything to protect his son, and now he is just going to be issuing smack downs that I just can't wait to see. I love decisive characters, and these people are survivors.

The Big Bang Theory(CBS) What?  Did you think I wouldn't have at least one sitcom?  I am looking forward to Sheldon pursuing his relationship with Amy, and I'm curious about the direction the show will take with Leonard marrying Penny.  I think that part of the reason that people like Sheldon is that, even though he appears to have Aspergers, we are familiar with many of his behaviors.  Who hasn't laughed at their own jokes?  Who hasn't completely broken down with anxiety at the thought of doing something new?  Who hasn't said the wrong thing without meaning to offend? I'm sharing too much, aren't I?

But enough about me. What new shows are you looking forward to?


Go visit everyone at Mamakat's to share some more about the upcoming television season!