I’m not sure what they put in their Wheaties last year to make it happen, but American primtime network television may actually be interesting this fall.  There are even enough new paranormal shows that my TiVO might finally get a workout.  Plus (and for Bam this is a big plus), some primo shows like Supernatural and Heroes are returning.

What I am particularly looking forward to are the new paranormal shows.  Paranormal romance fans already know the appeal: characters can do or be anything, supernatural abilities are the norm, time periods are fluid making some for some compelling shit.  Plus, paranormal characters all seem to feel MORE, do MORE, and be MORE.  Very seductive reading/watching for those of us who daily sing the “commute-work-commute-sleep-repeat” dirge.

Here’s a quick rundown of what’s happening on the boob-tube this fall, new and old.

CBS

Returning: The Amazing Race (YAY!), Cold Case, 60 Minutes, How I Met Your Mother (boring), The New Adventures of Old Christine, Two and a Half Men, Rules of Engagement, CSI: Miami, NCIS, The Unit, Criminal Minds, CSI: NY, Survivor, CSI, Shark, Without A Trace, Ghost Whisperer (yawnfest but the husband is cute), Numb3rs, 48 Hours Mystery.

New: Viva Laughlin (HUGH JACKMAN singing and dancing!  American version of the Brit show Viva Blackpool), Swingtown, Moonlight (see below), Cane, Big Bang Theory, Power of 10, Kid Nation

Out: King of Queens, Jericho (this started so good and just moved too slowly to keep my interest), The Class, Close To Home

Moving: Without A Trace moves back to Thursday at 10. Shark heads to Sunday at 10.

Moonlight is a paranormal based on a private investigator/vampire, Alex O’Loughlin.  He struggles with immortality, vampire enemies, and romance with a mortal.  Fridays starting 28 Sept, at 9pm ET/PT.

 

Returning: Grey’s Anatomy, Ugly Betty, October Road, Notes from the Underbelly, Men In Trees (yay! I can drool some more over James Tupper, who looks so much better with a beard), Brothers & Sisters (yawn), Wife Swap, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Desperate Housewives, The Bachelor, Dancing with the Stars, Lost, Supernanny, America’s Funniest Home Videos, Boston Legal, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, 20/20, Primetime

Out: The Nine, Six Degrees, The Great American Dream Vote, Show Me The Money, Day Break, In Case of Emergency, The Knights of Prosperity, What About Brian, George Lopez, According to Jim (never even heard of several of these)

New: Big Shots, Carpoolers, Cashmere Mafia, Eli Stone, Dirty Sexy Money, Cavemen, Miss/Guided, Private Practice, Pushing Daisies, Sam I Am, Women’s Murder Club, Oprah’s Big Give

Moving: Men In Trees moves from Thursdays at 10pm ET to Fridays at 8pm ET. Notes from the Underbelly and October Road (along with Cashmere Mafia) will premiere when Dancing with the Stars and The Bachelor end their seasons. Lost will begin airing in February (what!? DAMMIT) and show no repeats, in a Wednesday time slot that’s TBD.

Pushing Daisies – Starring Lee Pace.  It’s a paranormal that’s “an unprecedented blend of romance, crime procedural and high-concept fantasy.” It is a love story about a young man who can return a dead person briefly back to life with just a simple touch.

Returning: Friday Night Lights, Law & Order, Law & Order: CI, Law & Order: SVU, Deal or No Deal, 30 Rock (why the hell are they keeping this dog?), The Office, Heroes, Scrubs (yay!), ER, The Biggest Loser, Las Vegas, My Name Is Earl, 1 vs. 100, Dateline, Football Night In America, Medium, and Saturday Night Live.

New: The Bionic Woman, The IT Crowd, Chuck, Journeyman (really looking forward to this one), Life, Lipstick Jungle, The Singing Bee (bad singing and stupid people), World Moves, and Heroes: Origins.

Out: Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip (finally!), Crossing Jordan (finally, part 2), The Black Donnellys, Kidnapped, Andy Barker, P.I., Identity, Raines, 20 Good Years, Grease: You’re The One That I Want, The Real Wedding Crashers, Thank God You’re Here.

Moving: Friday Night Lights moves to Friday nights at 10pm. On Thursdays, 30 Rock moves to 8:30, The Office to 9, and Scrubs to 9:30. Law & Order will move to Sundays at 8pm (in 2008). Law & Order: CI will be on USA Network first, then NBC will air the repeats.

 

Returning: ‘Til Death, House, Bones, The Simpsons, Family Guy, King of the Hill, American Dad, America’s Most Wanted, Cops, Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?, American Idol, 24 (ah crap – give it a day off already!), Prison Break (yummy)

New: K-Ville, New Amsterdam (very cool new paranormal), The Sarah Connor Chronicles (think, Terminator‘s Sarah Connor), Back to You, Return of Jezebel James, Rules for Starting Over, Kitchen Nightmares, Canterbury’s Law, Nashville

Out: The Winner, Standoff, Drive, The War at Home, The O.C., Justice, Happy Hour, The Rich List, Vanished, The Wedding Bells (ah man – this one was funny but it was scheduled weird and I never caught it), The Loop

Moving: ‘Til Death, Bones (spring)

New Amsterdam is the one I think I’m looking forward to the most.  It’s about an immortal who is sick of being alive.  The lead is a Danish hunk, Nikolaj Coster Waldau (“Kingdom of Heaven”).  Here’s a paraphrase of what the Fox site says about the show: In 1642, JOHN AMSTERDAM then a Dutch solider in the colony of New Amsterdam was given immortality thru an ancient native American spell. He will not age until he finds his one true love.  But when Amsterdam suffers and then recovers from a massive heart attack while chasing a suspect, he realizes that the prophesy may have come true. His soul mate must have been nearby. Amsterdam understands that his life – and possibly his death – have changed forever.

 

 (could they have an uglier logo?)

Returning: Everybody Hates Chris; America’s Next Top Model (for all the teenage boys out there); The Game; Girlfriends; Smallville (yay!  Tom Welling – I so want to get next to you!); Supernatural (Jensen Ackles, ’nuff said); One Tree Hill (mid-season); Pussycat Dolls: The Search for the Next Doll; WWE SmackDown! (I still don’t get professional wrestling)

Out: All of Us; Gilmore Girls; Reba; Runaway; Seventh Heaven; Veronica Mars

New: Crowned: The Mother of All Pageants; Hidden Palms (Premieres on May 30th); Aliens in America; Gossip Girl; Reaper; Life is Wild; Online Nation (formerly Viewsers); CW Now; Farmer Takes a Wife

Moving: Beauty and the Geek (Tuesdays at 8PM)

That’s it for network television.  I’ll do another post next week for what’s new on basic cable (USA, FX, etc.).  What are you looking forward to this fall, other than the kids going back to school?