A fall season to get excited about plus Reunion review

September 14, 2005

I haven’t been this excited about a new fall season in, well, never.

Yes, gauchos are back, but I’m talking about TV, people.

The answers to who is at Veronica’s door, what is in that blasted hatch on Lost, and who bought the casino on Las Vegas aren’t far away.

As if that weren’t enough to make me giddy, it seems the sitcom isn’t dead, after all. Some of the most promising new shows of the season are comedies. Perhaps the best news for fall is that only two new reality shows are among the lineup. That’s progress, folks.

Several new shows are premiering this week. Here’s a list of what looks interesting:

My Name is Earl – Imagine winning the lottery, then getting hit by a car and losing your ticket. It’s all about karma for Earl, the redneck who sets out to right his past wrongs. Jason Lee (Chasing Amy and Almost Famous) stars as the unlucky Earl. The show premieres Tuesday at 9 p.m. on NBC.

How I Met Your Mother – Doogie Howser returns to TV in this new comedy. The cast alone is reason enough to tune in. Jason Segal (Freaks and Geeks), Alyson Hannigan (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and everyone's favorite television genius, Neil Patrick Harris (Doogie Howser, M.D.) are the players in this comical, romantic retrospect of how the main character met his wife. The show premieres Monday at 8:30 p.m. on CBS.

Kitchen Confidential – Another Buffy alumnus, Nicholas Brendon (Zander), rounds out the cast of this flirty comedy about the life of a chef. Alias and Jack & Bobby fans will recognize Bradley Cooper as one of the main characters. The show seems to have all the ingredients to make a good recipe for laughter. It premieres Monday at 8:30 p.m. on Fox.

Head Cases – Big-screen star Chris O’Donnell comes to the small screen in this comedy about a hotshot attorney who has a nervous breakdown. He is teamed with eccentric partner Adam Goldberg (Dazed and Confused and Friends.) Richard Kine (Spin City) also stars, as does Krista Allen. Head Cases premieres tonight at 9 p.m. on Fox.

Reunion review:
For those of you stuck in the 1980s (you know who you are), I’ve found a new show for you. Reunion, on FOX, has enough ‘80s fashion-don’ts to make you cringe in embarrassing recognition and enough outstanding ‘80s music to make you want to dig out your old cassette collection and hum a few bars of Simply Irresistible.

Watching this show, you’ll feel like you never left the decade of decadence. The plot centers on a murder mystery involving six high school friends from 1986. As they approach their 20-year reunion, one of the friends is murdered. After watching the debut show, however, we still don't know which of them is the unlucky victim. But it was a great cliffhanger, that’s for sure. Each episode represents one year, a unique concept that promises to take us through a video yearbook of fashion, music and hairstyles.

Reunion had a decent first showing in terms of ratings. The show pulled in 6.6 million viewers. I give it two stars out of four. It’s a bit campy, and the main character reminded me too much of Tom Cruise in Risky Business.

Still, for those who love the ‘80s, check it out. Cue Careless Whisper, put on your old pink polo shirt, and flip up the collar. Reunion is a fun walk down memory lane, if nothing else.

Emmy Awards
Don't forget the 57th annual Primetime Emmy Awards at 8 p.m. Sunday on CBS. If Scrubs doesn't finally get its due and snag the Outstanding Comedy Series award, I may just give up on award shows forever.

Originally published 9/14/05 in The Exponent Telegram newspaper.

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