Charts

Our panel of TV fanatics rate the new fall shows in order to give you a broad range of opinions. View the chart below for the editors rankings of each show from “love it, setting a new season pass now” to “won’t watch again.” Give the shows a try and see if you agree.
DRAMA
 
  Brian Cochrane Daniel Frankel Rick Kissell Stuart Levine Cynthia Littleton Kathy Lyford Erin Maxwell Jon Weisman
90210
(CW; CBS Par)		 Shenae Grimes and Jessica Walter stand out in what is more a continuation than re-envisioning of the original. Two hours was a bit much first time out, but there's potential there. Much better than feared. It captures the tone of the original, and looks and feels like a 2008 update of that show. Manages to succeed by beating low expectations. Casting Jessica Walter was genius. Better than expected but I’d rather watch "Gossip Girl." An extremely guilty pleasure the harkens back to the days of old with references to past guilty pleasures. Thought ex-"Freaks and Geeks" showrunners would give us something better.
Crusoe
(NBC; Power Ent.) *		 Lush look, but feels more like “Pirates of the Caribbean: Friday’s Revenge” than the Defoe classic. Feels more like a syndie action hour than a primetime network show, but it's engaging. A hunkified rendition of the classic tale feels juvenile compared with 'Lost.' Might have worked as a telepic, but a series? No. I feel like I spent my early 30s watching this show and it was time not well spent. Lush, even a little cheeky, but ultimately not involving enough.
Eleventh Hour
(CBS; WBTV) *		 Pseudo-science filtered badly through “CSI” and with preachy morality. I’m clocking out. Some of the most hamfisted writing you'll ever see on TV. Not terrible, but I knew it wasn’t for me by the eleventh minute. Sewell is a fresh face but does the world really need one more medical whodunnit? Indistinguishable from all the other procedurals on the air. Convoluted concept would make a good two-part 'X-Files' episode. It will be interesting to see how they can stretch it out for a few years… if they make it past this season. Too melodramatic.
The Ex List
(CBS; 20th Century Fox TV)
 Cancelled		 Bella’s a winner. Hope her quest is sweeter than it is pathetic. Didn’t like a single character. More like 4 thumbs down, but I'll round down. What a waste of Reaser's talents. Flawed, but cute enough to try again. Smart and funny writing could make this laffer a surprise hit if auds give it a chance. Subtle as Cupid's sledgehammer — this show is trying too hard to be liked.
Fringe
(Fox; WBTV) 		Intriguing hook and cast plus big-budget visuals. Could be a worthy successor to “The X-Files.” Silly at times… but certainly less so than “Heroes.” Not my kind of show, but I'm intrigued enough to watch again. I'm willing to along for the ride. For now. Consider me intrigued. I’m not a sci-fi fan, but even so, this entry seems particularly hokey. Plot is nothing new, acting is mediocre, characters are unlikable and the script is dry. Competent and at times engaging (and at other times gross!), but also missable.
Life on Mars
(ABC; 20th Century Fox TV, ABC Studios) *		 I’m a sucker for a good time-travel premise, and this one’s well-executed. Definitely an interesting premise. Hopefully ABC/20th can sustain it better than the BBC did. Better than expected but not really my kind of show. Great chemistry among the cast and the ’70s references are a blast. Suprisingly good given the circuitous route it took to getting on the air. High concept crime show doesn't completely capture the allure of the original Brit series, but still makes for some entertaining TV. The ’70s cop show viewed through a 21st-century prism might have just the right balance to succeed.
Knight Rider
(NBC; UMS) *		 The nav system in my Prius has more personality than both KITT and his co-stars Someone should get rolled under the Mustang for this one. might have liked this when I was 11. Just seems pretty awful to me now. Might be the worst drama of the past 20 years. The novelty of talking cars kind of wore off with the advent of GPS systems, didn’t it? A painful and bumpy ride from beginning to end. Cinemax-level sophistication thinly cloaked in primetime respectability.
The Mentalist
(CBS; WBTV) 		Read my mind: I’d rather see Simon Baker as sham psychic than pseudo-cop. A silly, highly derivative take on NBC's "Life." I like SB, but this show is BS. Baker has appeal and charm but another procedural? Please Simon Baker can't save this one. Staggering good looks might make great eye candy, but not compelling drama. Despite appealing talent, the script kind of sucks the life out of the room
My Own Worst Enemy
(NBC; UMS) *
Cancelled		 Christian Slater makes it work. Hope the series delves into its edgier side. A little hard to follow, but there is a series there. Intrigued by the concept, but I wanted to like it more than I did. Weak spy drama has two personalities: ridiculous and silly . I like Slater but this was all too implausible and confusing. Not sure if can sustain this plot for more than two years, but it will be an interesting ride to watch them try. A bit of a head-scratcher but not without its clever moments.
Privileged
(CW; WBTV, CBS Par) FORMERLY NAMED SURVIVING THE FILTHY RICH 		The rich are different. And JoAnna Garcia is pure charisma. Pilot felt a little crammed with story, but seems to have real possibilities. Perfectly cast pilot that sets up the series very well. A nice fit for the CW brand, though not particularly distinctive from other teen skeins. Well written, well cast. Rina Mimoun is a Berlanti protege and it shows . Completely adorable. JoAnna Garcia exudes star quality. I get it. Everyone on TV has more money than me. This is a poor man's "Gilmore Girls" at best. One scene from JoAnna Garcia is as winningly sincere as you'll find on any of the new fall series.
 
 
COMEDY
 
  Brian Cochrane Daniel Frankel Rick Kissell Stuart Levine Cynthia Littleton Kathy Lyford Erin Maxwell Jon Weisman

Do Not Disturb
(Fox; 20th Century Fox TV)
Cancelled

 Apart from Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Molly Stanton, neither the upstairs nor the downstairs staffers are very compelling. Disturbingly unfunny. Such a stale concept would need much better execution than this to stand out from the clutter. How can Fox cancel "Back to You" and then get away with airing this piece of dreck? Aside from Jesse Tyler Ferguson, it didn’t give me a reason to try again Imagine describing the plot of "Upstairs, Downstairs" to a 10-year-old and then have them recite it back to you a year later. Then make a show from it. Aims for sass and heart but feels like something pulled out of 1993’s rejected sitcom file.
Gary Unmarried
(CBS; ABC Studios, CBS Paramount Network TV) FORMERLY NAMED PROJECT GARY		 Jay Mohr umuzzled is a smart start. Supporting cast clicks, too. Pairing this with “Christine” is simply too much divorce. Not that funny. Not nearly as bad as I would have guessed. Has potential. Lets see if the writing keeps up Had promise but shrill laugh track and over-the-top acting will keep me away. Basic formula of snarky adults with adorable, smart-mouthed kids leaves a lot to be desired. I miss “Action” Nothing special, but anything with Paula Marshall gets a second chance.
Kath & Kim
(NBC; UMS) *		 Mother-daughter dysfunction hasn't been this much fun since 'Mommie Dearest.' I've never laughed at anything Molly Shannon has done, but I'd be willing to give this one more shot. Pilot was funny enough, but I was a bit disappointed in the second episode. Oz import should never had made the journey to the States. Strong cast gives this one potential. Selma Blair sealed it for me. Brimming with potential, but falls slightly flat in the pilot. In the hands of someone like Christopher Guest, this might have worked.
Worst Week
(CBS; UMS, CBS Par)		 Premise worked for the Brits, but it feels unsustainable here. Not everybody will have the stomach for this roller coaster, but I thought it was fun. More like 1.5, but I'll round up. Not sure where they go from here, but as pilots go, it made me laugh all the way through Great cast and really funny; hope they can sustain it. “The Office” draws laughs from uncomfortable situations, but this was tedious and predictable. Will never understand what is funny about endlessly repeating the same "bad things happen to good people" gag.
 
* Screener unavailable
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