2009 Previews

[Cat]

Bob started a discussion on Three Rivers and it looked interesting enough to share with everyone. I really like O'Laughlin and am happy to see him back so quickly after Moonlight was cancelled.

[Cat]

Past Life
Genre: Drama | Family | Mystery | Thriller
Status: New Series
Network: FOX ( USA)
Airs: Tuesdays at 09:00 pm
Runtime: 60 Minutes
Premiere: October, 2009
Color: Color
Episode Order: 13

•Kelli Giddish played Kate McGinn
•Nicholas Bishop played Price Whatley
•Ravi Patel played Rishi Karna
•Richard Schiff played Malachi Talmadge


Have you ever experienced déjà vu or met someone you thought seemed familiar? Do you believe in karma, fate or love at first sight?

From writer David Hudgins (“Friday Night Lights”), and inspired by the book “The Reincarnationist” by M.J. Rose, comes PAST LIFE, a new drama series about an unlikely pair of past-life detectives who investigate whether what is happening to you today is the result of who you were before.

DR. KATE MCGINN (Kelli Giddish, “All My Children”) is not your typical psychologist. Confident, outspoken and highly educated, she works at The Talmadge Center for Behavioral Health in New York City, a world-renowned institute dedicated to the study of the science of the soul. After experiencing a past-life regression in her 20s, Kate became a believer in reincarnation. Using regression therapy and her natural gift for reading people, Kate helps solve the mysteries of her troubled clients who suffer from present-day problems caused by past-life traumas. She believes there are levels of consciousness and explanations for human behavior that science can’t begin to explain. Accustomed to skeptics, but not bothered by them, Kate is an unapologetic believer and a force of nature who marches to the beat of her own drummer.

Her partner, PRICE WHATLEY (Nicholas Bishop, “Home and Away”), is a different story. A former NYPD homicide detective, pragmatic and cynical, Price is a damaged soul who constantly battles grief and guilt over the accidental death of his wife. Price feels that Kate, though not certifiable, certainly operates on the fringes of science. It's a volatile relationship, but with Price's solid detective skills, and Kate's penchant for out-of-the-box thinking, together they make a formidable, if somewhat dysfunctional, team.

A fast-paced emotional thrill ride, each episode finds Price and Kate working with their colleagues to unravel a new mystery involving the past-lives of their clients. DR. MALACHI TALMADGE (Richard Schiff, “The West Wing”) is Kate’s mentor and the center’s namesake, an avuncular but gruff elder statesman who is a legend in the field of cognitive research. DR. RISHI KARNA (Ravi Patel, “Scrubs”) is the rookie of the group, a baby-faced therapist from Calcutta who loves bad American TV, Cuban jazz and driving everyone crazy.

Produced by Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Warner Bros. Television, PAST LIFE is executive-produced by David Hudgins and Lou Pitt. Hudgins also serves as writer. Deran Sarafian (HOUSE, “Lost”) directed the pilot.

[the Captain]

It MIGHT be okay--I am reserving judgement and hoping! At least--once again--SOMEONE is trying to do something a little DIFFERENT!!

[Juli]

I will have to look for this one, hadn't heard of it. I hope they have a second repeat time slot. I won't give up Biggest Looser. : :) :) I think I'm safe though.

[Cat]

Sons of Anarchy

Genre: Drama
Status: Returning Series
Network: FX ( USA)
Airs: Thursdays at 10:00 pm
Runtime: 60 Minutes
Premiere: September 03, 2008
Color: Color
Episode Order: 13

•Charlie Hunnam played Jackson 'Jax' Teller
•Katey Sagal played Gemma Teller Morrow
•Ron Perlman played Clarence 'Clay' Morrow
•Mark Boone Junior played Robert 'Bobby' Munson
•Kim Coates played Alex 'Tig' Trager
•Tommy Flanagan played Filip 'Chibs' Telford
•Johnny Lewis (1) played Kip 'Half-Sack' Epps
•Maggie Siff played Tara Knowles

From the producer of The Shield comes Sons of Anarchy, a drama that follows the lives of members a community watched over by a motorcycle club who strive to protect the town from newcomers and all that may be a threat to it. However, loyalty to the club is tested when lawlessness begins to run rampant.

[Cat]

Sons of Tucson

Genre: Comedy
Status: New Series
Network: FOX ( USA)
Airs: Sundays at 08:30 pm
Runtime: 30 Minutes
Premiere: 2010
Color: Color
Episode Order: 13

•Davis Cleveland played Robby Gunderson
•Frank Dolce played Gary Gunderson
•Troy Gentile played Brandon Gunderson
•Tyler Labine played Ron Snuffkin
•Natalie Martinez played Maggie Morales


In the tradition of “Malcolm in the Middle” and “The Bernie Mac Show,” SONS OF TUCSON is a family comedy about three brothers who hire a charming, wayward schemer to stand in as their father when their real one goes to prison.

What begins as a business relationship evolves into something more complex and compelling: a family unlike any we’ve ever seen.

The three brothers find their dad-for-hire, RON SNUFFKIN (Tyler Labine, “Reaper”), at the local sporting good store. Ron will be forced to draw on a wide array of skills and a vast bag of tricks as he steps into the patriarch role to take care of the boys of the Gunderson family. ROBBY GUNDERSON (Davis Cleveland, “How I Met Your Mother”), 8, is a loose cannon who doesn’t take garbage from anyone; GARY GUNDERSON (Frank Dolce, “Doubt”), 11, is a bright and street-savvy leader who is every bit the con man his father is; and BRANDON GUNDERSON (Troy Gentile, “Entourage”), 13, is a gentle free spirit who goes along for the ride. MAGGIE MORALES (Natalie Martinez, “Saints & Sinners”), Robby’s second-grade teacher and the object of Ron’s affection, might just be the only stable figure in the lives of this quirky quartet.

While SONS OF TUCSON is grounded in the day-to-day challenges of a single-parent home, nothing in the Gunderson household is quite what it seems. An ongoing chess match between Ron and the boys will keep both parties on their toes, as neither side can afford to give up too much power or independence.

SONS OF TUCSON is directed by three-time Emmy Award-winner Todd Holland (“Malcolm in the Middle,” “The Larry Sanders Show”) and produced by 20th Century Fox Television. Justin Berfield, Jason Felts, Harvey Myman and Todd Holland serve as executive producers. Tommy Dewey and Greg Bratman wrote the pilot.

[Cat]

Trauma

Status: New Series
Premiere: September 28, 2009
Genre: Drama
NBC - 60 Minutes
Airs: Mondays at 9:00 pm
Color: Color
Episode Order: 13


•Aimee Garcia (1) played Marissa
•Anastasia Griffith played Nancy
•Billy Lush played Sam
•Cliff Curtis played Rabbit
•Derek Luke played Cameron Boone
•Jamey Sheridan played Joe
•Kevin Rankin played Tyler

Executive producer Peter Berg delivers "Trauma," the first high-octane medical drama series to live exclusively in the field where the real action is. Like an adrenaline shot to the heart, "Trauma" is an intense, action-packed look at one of the most dangerous medical professions in the world: first responder paramedics. When emergencies occur, the trauma team from San Francisco General is first on the scene, traveling by land, by sea or by air to reach their victims in time. From the heights of the city's Transamerica Pyramid to the depths of the San Francisco Bay, these heroes must face the most extreme conditions to save lives -- and give meaning to their own existence in the process.

Source: NBC

[the Captain]

There are waaay too many medical shows on just now--2 or 3 is PLENTY! The ONLY reason for another one--is that its head and shoulders above the rest--I doubt this is the case here.....

[Cat]

Yo Teach

Status: New Series
Premier: September 27, 2009
Genre: Comedy
NBC - 30 Minutes
Thursday 8:00 PM on NBC


Mark Taylor Jackson - Mr. Bradford (Teach)
Principal Andrews ?
Miki ?
Calvin ?
Mandy ?


Yo Teach! follows wise-cracking mentor Mr. Bradford, who oversees a class of diverse high school underachievers. Each week, Mr. Bradford tosses his lesson plan to the wind and tackles moral dilemmas while keeping one step ahead of Principal Andrews and the politically correct PTA.

A high school substitute teacher takes over a class of spunky inner city youth. When he sees them, he sees that they don't understand the joys of learning, so he tries to teach the kids that what they learn in school pertains to the world in which they live.

[Cat]

The Vampire Diaries

Status: New Series
Premiere: September 10, 2009
Genre: Drama | Family | Horror/Supernatural | Mystery | Thriller
Network: The CW - 60 Minutes
Airs: Thursdays at 08:00 pm
Color: Color
Episode Order: 13

•Nina Dobrev played Elena Gilbert
•Paul Wesley played Stefan Salvatore
•Ian Somerhalder played Damon Salvatore
•Steven R. McQueen (2) played Jeremy Gilbert

Based on novels of the same name, Vampire Diaries follows Elena, a young heroine, who is the object of passion for two vampire brothers. Four months after the tragic car accident that killed their parents, 17-year-old Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev, DeGrassi: The Next Generation) and her 15-year-old brother, Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen, Everwood) are still trying to cope with their grief and move on with their lives. Elena has always been the star student; beautiful, popular and involved with school and friends, but now she finds herself struggling to hide her sadness from the world. As the school year begins, Elena and her friends are fascinated by a handsome and mysterious new student, Stefan Salvatore (Paul Wesley, Army Wives). Stefan and Elena are immediately drawn to one another, and Elena has no way of knowing that Stefan is a centuries-old vampire, struggling to live peacefully among humans, while his brother Damon (Ian Somerhalder, Lost) is the embodiment of vampire violence and brutality. Now these two vampire brothers - one good, one evil - are at war for Elena's soul and for the souls of her friends, family and all the residents of the small town of Mystic Falls, Virginia.

[the Captain]

WHEN is the CW going to take a chance on doing a series that isn't skewed all out of proportion to the distribution of age groups in the Real World? I KNOW that they are trying to be a "niche" network--but 1. That rarely works for non-cable enterprises

2. They are NEVER going to become a TRULY successful BROADCAST Network , until they show that they can attract more than one demographic group!