Fall Television Hits Nashville
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ISSUE: 09/13/07 > A&E > Fall Television Hits Nashville
With an abundance of comedies, dramas and reality shows both new and old, the upcoming fall television season promises to keep viewers satisfied.
Fox’s line-up relies heavily on reality television, with three of its shows following the formula. Perhaps the most highly anticipated reality show on Fox this season, at least for Nashville residents, will be Nashville, a Real World-esque reality drama from the makers of Laguna Beach in which young locals fight to make their respective dreams come true.
Fox has several new non-reality shows this season as well, including Back to You, a Frasier fan’s dream with Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton in the starring roles.
With the cancellation of The O.C., Fox will have to compensate with the returning shows, which include Prison Break, Bones, The Simpsons, King of the Hill, American Dad, Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?, and House.
Sophomore Ola Osinusi is excited about the upcoming season of House.
“I’m looking forward to who’s coming back,” said Osinusi. “And I want to see what kind of crazy stuff House is up to this time.”
Family Guy is also returning in all its animated glory. And with special permission from Lucasfilm, the show will air an hour-long Star Wars tribute premier in which Lois, Peter, Brian, Meg, Chris, and everyone’s favorite diabolical baby will be Star Wars characters.
With several of the most popular shows on television, ABC will undoubtedly attract a huge audience this fall. Audience favorites Desperate Housewives, Boston Legal, and Ugly Betty will all be returning.
“I’m really excited about Ugly Betty because the last episode was such a cliffhanger,” said sophomore Amanda Shoffner. “I love that show because it’s hilarious.”
One of ABC’s most popular shows, Grey’s Anatomy, will also be returning for its fourth season. Sophomore Brianna Conrad is eagerly anticipating the new season but fears the show is moving in the wrong direction.
“I’m excited and I’m not excited because I’m afraid they’re going to ruin Grey’s Anatomy,” she said. While Conrad fears the writers are “slowly phasing out the new cast,” she promised, “I am still going to watch it.”
ABC reality shows returning include Dancing With the Stars, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and The Bachelor.
ABC has several new shows, notably Pushing Daisies, which has received a great deal of buzz for its unique premise in which an ordinary man brings murder victims back to life and asks who killed them. Other highly anticipated shows include medical drama and Grey’s spin-off Private Practice, starring Kate Walsh as Dr. Addison Forbes Montgomery, and Cavemen, a sitcom based on the “So easy a caveman could do it” Geico commercials.
The CW’s lineup relies on the return of several of its staple hits this fall, such as America’s Next Top Model, Beauty and the Geek, Smallville and One Tree Hill.
Sophomore Allora McCullough is anticipating the new season of Top Model.
“It hooks you because it’s so much like a game show,” she said. “I don’t watch it for the drama. My favorite parts are the photo shoots.”
New shows on CW include Aliens in America, starring the adorably geeky Dan Byrd of Hills Have Eyes, and drama Gossip Girl from The O.C. creator Josh Schwartz.
Notable CW cancellations are 7th Heaven, Gilmore Girls and Reba.
CBS returns for fall with comedies How I Met Your Mother and Two and a Half Men and dramas Cold Case, Shark, Without a Trace, Ghost Whisperer and the hugely successful CSI and its spin-offs.
CSI has been a staple of my family’s viewing schedule ever since the first season came out,” said junior Daniell Leipply. “When they went over to Miami, at first we were skeptical, but Horatio won over our hearts and minds.”
Arguably the most controversial new show on television this season is CBS’ Kid Nation, a socially experimental reality show in which 40 children ages 8-15 are left to fend for themselves for 40 days in a deserted mining town. The show, which has garnered immense criticism, culminates with a town meeting in which the children decide which child will receive $20,000.
The NBC fall season is powered by popular returning shows like Heroes, The Office, Law and Order and Scrubs, now entering its last season. Office fans can look forward to an hour-long premiere, followed by four more hour-long episodes. Comedies My Name is Earl and 30 Rock, and drama Friday Night Lights are also returning.
Game shows The Singing Bee, Deal or No Deal, and 1 vs. 100, hosted by the lovable Bob Saget, will be renewed in the fall, as well.
The network’s new shows include Bionic Woman, Chuck, Journeyman, and Lipstick Jungle.
