Let the Insanity of Fall TV Begin (Conclusion)

As I mentioned in my column last week, the official start of the 2011-2012 fall TV season got underway. And, this week just adds on even more programming to an extremely busy landscape for the TV viewer (avid or otherwise).

In addition to the already jam-packed Monday night which includes stiff competition at 10 PM with Castle and Hawaii Five-0, several new dramas –Hart of Dixie and Terra Nova – will be trying their luck to pull eyeballs away from the CBS comedy line-up while the Syfy summer show Alphas came to a close last night with an all-day marathon, leading to its summer finale and with Warehouse 13 getting its two-hour summer finale next Monday. ABC Family also has its late summer entry The Lying Game that is holding its own as the little “guilty pleasure show that could” and The Big C coming to a close on Showtime.

As for tonight, all the big shows are back on their respective networks, the newcomers have made their debuts and now it is the battle to see who will reign supreme. There isn’t any question that CBS will hold its lead with the NCIS franchise owning the night, but it will be interesting to see which of the other primetime series get to tout themselves as number one for their network. Will FOX still have a winner in the New Girl-Raising Hope combo or will the “chased-away” fans of Glee come back to make the musicomedy a hit once again?

Moving over to tomorrow night, the evening will, most assuredly (thanks to their recent Emmy Awards domination), belong to Modern Family. But what about all the legal dramas: which one will be crowd king of their timeslot – Criminal Minds vs. Harry’s Law and CSI vs. SVU? And don’t count out the return of Luther on BBC America. This short-run series is a tremendous hit in Britain and is certainly making strides here in the States. The 4-episode return starts tonight and you don’t want to miss actor Idris Elba at his absolute best. And then there is Revenge on ABC. I cannot recommend this show enough for its delish tale of “getting what you deserve”. Check it out!

Thursday night can be seen as the kind of “wild card” night simply because there is such a wide mix of programming from which to choose. Whether you are into action-adventure mixed with medical mysteries via ABC (and the return of Private Practice) or you want to venture into the supernatural, teen-angst angle via The CW or if you want to laugh and then be involved intrigue and suspense via CBS, there is plenty to offer on what used to be “must see TV” night. One word of advice, though, skip Prime Suspect because while it has had every intention of being a stand-up USA remake, watch the original with Helen Mirren.

As we roll into Friday, No!, it’s not time for Chuck and Grimm to air (yet), but they will be here soon enough. In the meantime, folks can delve deeper into Division and what goes bump in the night via The CW or stand by CBS for their offerings of a not-so-scary-haunting, murder mysteries galore and a dedicated brood of family cops. But, don’t forget to check out the summer finale of Haven on Syfy, you’ll regret if you miss what that scary little town has in store for its residents.

Saturday will be filled with reairs of various shows for those who wish to catch up on Terra Nova, Harry’s Law , Prime Suspect (Note: refer to what I said earlier about this show) and SVU. Or you can check out the much anticipated finale of Doctor Who and the downright terrifying debut of Bedlam on BBC America. For those looking for lighter, more family-friendly fare you can watch the new Hallmark Channel movie Love’s Everlasting Courage.

Then on Sunday it will be the fight between the housewives and the good wife and the stewardess against the Miami cops. Or if you prefer something a little more hardcore, Dexter will be back with its season premiere followed by the military drama Homeland both on Showtime. Cable fans can also get more of the early days of the mob with Boardwalk Empire on HBO, the ultimate scary drug dealer on Breaking Bad on AMC and the family of cops on Against the Wall on Lifetime.

Needless to say that is a lot of TV to watch, figure out how to watch given all the timeslot competition and what to eventually walk away from. Mark your calendars wisely and get those DVR’s cleaned up so you can fit all your programming on there. Welcome to fall TV folks!

Dido

Musician Spotlight: Dido is an English singer-songwriter whose older brother, Rollo, is a record producer. Because of her brother and the dance act he spearheaded as well as her collaborations with the British electronica band Faithless, Nettwerk Management signed her and in 1995 she began recording demo tracks that would eventually be put together in a collection called “Odds & Ends”. This collection brought her to the attention of Arista Records. In 1999 she released her debut album “No Angel”. The first single off this album “Here With Me” was featured as the theme song to the TV series Roswell, and used in the TV series ER, in film Bounce and on the soundtrack for Love Actually. This debut album went on to become the top-selling album of 2001 both in the UK and worldwide. She then went on to release her second album “Life for Rent” in 2003, featuring the singles “White Flag,” “Don’t Leave Home,” “Sand in My Shoes” and the title track. It wasn’t until five years later when she released her third album “Safe Trip Home,” featuring the single “Don’t Believe in Love”. Dido has sold over 6 million albums in the US and approximately 32 million albums worldwide. You can get more information on Dido, here.