My Annual Fall TV Preview-The Good, The Bad, and The "Ugly"

Not very original, you might say. But the new fall TV season, seems to have a little of each.

The talk all seems to be about “Ugly Betty” , a new show premiering Thursday, Sept. 28, 8 p.m. on ABC. This show features the "ugly"brains does not meet beauty, Betty Suarez (America Ferrera), as a girl unsure of herself, with braces, frizzy hair and an outdated wardrobe, who goes to work at Mode, a Vogue-like fashion magazine.

It seems that Betty is the only assistant in town that Mode's editor-in-chief won’t take to bed. While trying to prove herself, Betty must deal with all the other bitches at the magazine, including this TV seasons, "Devil",head fashion writer, Wilhelmina played by former Miss America, Vanessa Williams and her flaming gay associate, Marc played by Michael Urie, who is probably playing gay.

While this could be really "ugly" since the concept of the show is imported from a Colombian telenovela, "Betty La Fea" if not totally screwed up in the translation, the show could be another breakout hit or it could be the first big bomb of the new TV season.

Other shows that might be promising this year is "Smith". The show stars big screen star Ray Liotta better know for his ace role in Martin Scorsese's epic film, "Goodfellas", as a criminal mastermind in this drama "about a close-knit crew of criminals who plot and execute high-stakes robberies" (Borrowed from the CBS web site). The main character, Bobby, played byLiotta, while appearing to be a regular family man with a nine-to-five job, he's actually an expert thief who is seeking a few last big hits "so he can finally leave the business for a comfortable, lawful lifestyle with his wife, Hope (Virginia Madsen), and their two children". (Another quote from the CBS promo". She is not quite happy with Bobby, even though they never openly discuss Bobby's illegal pursuits. She will stand by her man, only to a point.
Virginia Madsen is the kind of actress that can mezmorize me just by reading a phone book.
This could be a real big breakout show or a disappointment. Catch it Tuesdays at 10 pm on CBS.

Likewise another hit could be The Nine. The show's premis focuses on what happens when nine people are forced into a traumatic situation? This compelling drama nine gives insight into how each of them interact during the immediate aftermath. Again, something of a "24" knockoff since the show takes the viewer along to watch what actually happened during the 52 hour hostage situation. Each week something is leaked out, adding another piece to the puzzle. Tyne Daly's little bro, Tim Daly, stars. This is on Wednesdays, ABC at 10 pm.

Heroes - what happens when a group of everyday people find out that they have special powers that might allow them to save the world? Sounds like a comic book premise or something ripped off from the Sci-Fi Channel. But on network TV, really nothing is original. Catch it on NBC, Mondays at 9 p.m.

Six Degrees - created by jj abrahms, the "Lost" guy, this show has an amazing cast (hope davis, campbell scott, jay hernandez) . These actors have made great indie movies and now are testing the waters on the small screen. Check it out on ABC, Thursdays at 10 p.m.

Well this is some of the good. How about the "bad". Well I think Ted Danson should just stay home and grow old. His latest sitcom, "Help Me, Help You" is a rip off of "Dear John", but according to some advance press, without the laughs. Also another sitcom that seems to be dead on arrival is Brad Garrett's piece of misery, "Til Death", a bad "Married with Children", but without the children. Brad loves to play the "sad sack", but even his frown can't help save this turkey.

Hope you find these recommendations useful. If only there were a 24 hour TV channel showing hot hunky hairy men giving each other big hairy muscle hugs and other pleasures. Now that would be TV worth watching.