Fall TV 2011: The New Class

The new season of television is nearly upon us, and I for one am very excited (probably too much so, in fact).  I can't wait for my favorites to return, but more than usual I'm excited to see what new material the networks have up their proverbial sleeves.  Because I will no longer be watching or reviewing the weekly train wreck that is Glee, I have an open slot in my review-roster, and I think that I may just fill it with one of the somewhat promising new shows headed our way.  I've narrowed the field to three candidates I plan on watching, and in a few episodes' time I hope to decide which one, if any, will become a part of my weekly lineup.

Up All Night  (NBC, Wednesday September 14th)
This show has so many ingredients that should make it a smash hit.  Genius producer who also produces a little show called Saturday Night Live?  Check.  All-star, proven hilarious cast?  Check.  Potentially amusing premise?  Check.  Of all the pilots I plan on watching, this is definitely the one that seems most like a sure thing, provided the writing isn't overshadowed/overcompensated for by all of the aforementioned factors, and provided that they haven't already shoved every funny moment into the onslaught of promos I've already seen.  There are few people I'm willing to give the benefit of the doubt to more than Will Arnett, though, so for now this remains my frontrunner.

New Girl (FOX, September 20th)
I am definitely intrigued by this one, even if I still don't know that I buy Zooey Deschanel as awkward in a non-hipster, non-ironic way.  I do think I might like her better on the small screen (and in smaller doses) than carrying an entire movie, and the premise definitely has potential.  I'll be interested to see what kind of role the supporting characters play, as right now it just seems like a vehicle for Deschanel's character.  I think I'll like it as long as her roommates stay platonic, because I really do think the idea of her becoming kind of their new bro would be much more fun than her developing a default romance with one of them.  Don't know that I'll be able to glean evidence of all of this from the pilot, so it may take a couple of weeks for me to make a judgment call on this one.

2 Broke Girls  (CBS, September 19th)
Two girls, different sides of the tracks, unlikely friendship... I'm a little bored already, I'll admit.  However, I will give this one a chance if only because I do enjoy Kat Dennings and if the Upfront for the pilot is any indication, the show will at least be full of her trademark sass until it either settles into a groove or gets canceled.  I honestly think this show could go either way, but I'll watch it primarily because I like the idea of having a pilot out there that seems very much a throwback to the classic sitcom and could be part of a revival I'd very much like to see.

*  Additionally, there are two other shows that will probably come across my radar and which I may or may not be inclined to comment upon here.  The first is the ABC series Once Upon a Time, which doesn't premiere until October and the premise of which I'm not entirely sold on, but turning down something from the writers of LOST is something I'm just not able to do.  The other is, unfortunately, NBC's new comedy Whitney, which I will inevitably wind up watching by accident when I don't change channels fast enough following The Office.  This show looks by far the worst of the over-hyped pilots, which is a shame because I actually do like most of Whitney Cummings' stand-up.  I'll probably see one of the few episodes before NBC comes to its senses and boots it, and I hope that it won't be the torture-fest promised by each and every ad I've encountered.