TV TREND 2006: SERIALS!

Oh yes, I am ABSOLUTELY excited that today is the official start of the FALL TV season. I am really pumped about seeing STUDIO 60 ON THE SUNSET STRIP tonight, and I may even re-watch the premiere of THE CLASS on CBS (Thanks for the free preview the other day, TiVo!). Further, THE MEGAN MULLALY SHOW preems today, along with the season premieres of HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, TWO AND A HALF MEN and THE NEW ADVENTURES OF OLD CHRISTINE. Later in the week I will be giving reviews of STUDIO 60, JERICHO and SHARK (the sole reason I am watching this one is to see Jeri Ryan out of her SEVEN OF NINES character - I missed her performance on BOSTON PUBLIC a few years back, so for me this is my chance to see her on Earth). Now, the trend this year is serialized TV shows. Sure, there are the pure soaps (like DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES), but even comedy has gotten serialized (BIG DAY). And still other shows take on a serialized format (STUDIO 60) even though they arent offically classics serials. And of course the biggest trend in TV is the year-long 'mystery' (as seen on 24 and the past two seasons of VERONICA MARS). Even reality TV is something of a serial when the cast goes from 12 to 1 in a season. So here are the serials vying for your milk: NBC: HEROES, STUDIO 60 ON THE SUNSET STRIP, FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS, KIDNAPPED, ER (and to a lesser degree MY NAME IS EARL and LAS VEGAS); ABC: WHAT ABOUT BRIAN, THE KNIGHTS OF PROSPERITY, DAY BREAK, BIG DAY, NOTES FROM THE UNDERBELLY, LOST, THE NINE, SIX DEGREES, UGLY BETTY, GREY'S ANATOMY, DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES, BROTHERS AND SISTERS (and to a lesser degree MEN IN TREES); CBS: JERICHO (and to a lesser degree HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER), FOX: PRISON BREAK, VANISHED, THE OC; THE CW: RUNAWAY, VERONICA MARS, GILMORE GIRLS, ONE TREE HILL, SUPERNATURAL (and to a lesser degree SMALLVILLE). WHEW!!!