This Week's TV Premieres

Photo by Trae Patton/NBC

Last week was really just a tease when it came to season premieres. Starting tonight, it's the real deal. If you're not lucky enough to have a DVR which programs more than a few shows at a time, you have some serious and difficult decisions ahead of you.

Monday, September 20, 2010
While we root for Florky (Florence Henderson and Corky Ballas) on Dancing with the Stars, we plan to Tivo a few new series. Premiering tonight on Fox is their modern-day take on Dallas called Lone Star, about a dude who has a wife and a girlfriend and is swindling all of them.

NBC is offering up Jerry Bruckheimer's new show, Chase, and while we're not typically police drama fans, it's Bruckheimer so it seems worth a viewing. And for all the retro cop fans out there, the re-imaging of Hawaii Five-O hits the air tonight with Alex O'Loughlin as McGarrett, Scott Caan (James Caan's son) as Dano and Daniel Dae Kim (from Lost) as Chin. One immediate plus, they use the old tried and true theme song. If McGarret says, "Book 'em Dano" in the first episode, we're fans.

And in what might possibly be the most hyped and over-anticipated show of the season, The Event premieres on NBC. It's a sort of Lost meets FlashFoward meets 24, with Jason Ritter (from our favorite Joan of Arcadia), Lara Innes, and Blair Underwood as the President of the U.S.

Read about the rest of this week's premieres after the jump.


Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Of course the big draw on Tuesday is the return of Glee. With promises of guest stars like John Stamos, and themed episodes like Britney Spears and Rocky Horror, it should to live up to last year's phenom status.

And while we'll always tune in to The Biggest Loser to shed a few tears, the newcomer to Tuesday nights is Raising Hope with special guest star Cloris Leachman. That mean's Cloris is going head-to-head with Florkey's DWTS results show. Let the battle of the '70s comebacks begin.

Following Cloris and the gang on Fox, Will Arnett and Keri Russell join forces in Running Wilde. The show was created by the geniuses behind Arrested Development, so we have high hopes for it.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Our most highly anticipated returning show this year is Modern Family. The best sneak peak to date is a clip of Phil dancing up the steps and telling Claire he fixed the stairs and now he's like, "Shirley Temple and that black guy." If this is any indication, season two should be just as funny as the first.

J.J. Abrams is back in a post-Lost haze with Undercovers, an action-comedy. Two married caterers return to the spy game and report to Major Dad (Gerald McRaney). We think it might be a metaphor for good vs. evil or purgatory, but that's just a guesss.

Jerry Bruckheimer offers up his second new fair of the season with The Whole Truth. It's yet another lawyer show. Why tune into this one? Rob Morrow stars opposite Maura Tierney, who has returned to TV after pulling our of last season's Parenthood to undergo cancer treatment. Looking forward to cheering her on.

And don’t forget to set you DVR for the new season of Hell's Kitchen. We can pretty much guarantee Gordon Ramsey will call someone a donkey at least once.

Thursday, September 23, 2010
Thursday night sees the return of some of our favorites—30 Rock, with Matt Damon as a special guest star and Community with Betty White. It really is old home week—FloHen, Cloris, and now Betty. It's like 1974 all over again.

Plus, another retro TV star makes a comeback in a premiere that has everyone buzzing. Sh#t My Dad Says, starring the one and only William Shatner, is based on a dude's Twitter account, quoting the outrageous stuff that his father blurts out.  Reviews are mixed, so we plan on judging for ourselves.

Friday, September 24, 2010
As usual, not much goes on in TV land on weekends, and new shows relegated to the Friday night death slot don't generally have long shelf lives, but we're hoping Blue Bloods will break the rules. After all, how can you go wrong with a cop drama starring Tom Selleck and Donnie Wahlberg playing father and son?

Sunday, September 26, 2010
Sunday brings back three more Passionistas must see TV shows. Brothers & Sisters returns (sans Rob Lowe) and we find out what happened to the Walker family after that devastating car accident in last year's cliffhanger. The Amazing Race, post-Emmy loss, is back for Season 17 promising 32,000 miles, four continents, and the team's first trek across the Arctic Circle.

But we're most excited about tuning in to HBO for a second go round with Bored to Death starring Jason Schwartzman, Zach Galifianakis, and, we're hoping, lots more Danson.

COMPLETE PREMIERE SCHEDULE FOR WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 20

Monday, September 20, 2010
8:00 PM ABC Dancing with the Stars (Season Premiere)

CBS         How I Met Your Mother (Season Premiere)
FOX House (Season Premiere)
NBC       Chuck (Season Premiere)
8:30 PM CBS        Rules of Engagement (Season Premiere)
9:00 PM CBS        Two and a Half Men (Season Premiere)

9:00 PM FOX Lone Star (Series Premiere)                                              
             NBC The Event (Series Premiere)
9:30 PM CBS Mike & Molly (Series Premiere)
10:00 PM ABC Castle (Season Premiere)
NBC Chase (Series Premiere)
CBS Hawaii Five-O (Series Premiere)

Tuesday, September 21, 2010
8:00 PM NBC The Biggest Loser (Season Premiere)
FOX Glee (Season Premiere)
9:00 PM   FOX Raising Hope (Series Premiere)
9:30 PM FOX Running Wilde (Series Premiere)
10:00 PM  ABC Detroit 1-7-8 (Series Premiere)

Wednesday, September 22, 2010
8:00 PM   ABC The Middle (Season Premiere)
FOX Hell's Kitchen (Season Premiere)
NBC Undercovers (Series Premiere)
8:30 PM ABC Better With You (Series Premiere)
9:00 PM ABC Modern Family (Season Premiere)
9:31 PM ABC Cougar Town (Season Premiere)
10:00 PM ABC The Whole Truth (Series Premiere)

Thursday, September 23, 2010
8:00 PM ABC My Generation (Series Premiere)
CBS   The Big Bang Theory (Season Premiere)
NBC   Community (Season Premiere)
8:30 PM NBC   30 Rock (Season Premiere)
CBS    $#*! My Dad Says (Series Premiere)
9:00 PM ABC Grey's Anatomy (Season Premiere)
9:30 PM NBC   Outsourced (Series Premiere)
10:00 PM ABC  Private Practice (Season Premiere)

Friday, September 24, 2010
10:00 PM  CBS  Blue Bloods (Series Premiere)

Saturday, September 25, 2010
11:29 PM  NBC Saturday Night Live: Amy Poehler (Season Premiere)

Sunday, September 26, 2010
8:30 PM CBS The Amazing Race (Season Premiere)
10:00 PM  HBO Bored to Death (Season Premiere)
10:01 PM  ABC Brothers & Sisters (Season Premiere)

For other Fall TV Stories check out:
Martha Stewart Takes Over the Hallmark Channel
Gail Simmons Gets Her Just Desserts
2010-2011 Fall Season Kick-Off


Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.