The July-August stretch is usually the most boring period for TV shows. If it weren’t for the Olympics, people like me would have very little reason to watch any sort of TV series at all. Well, thank God it’s September and dozens of TV shows — old favorites and promising pilots alike — are premiering.
But let’s face it, with every great season, like Heroes’ maiden year, there are disappointing ones, like 24’s incoherent and grossly unrealistic 6th season. I’ve done some research on this upcoming TV season, and hopefully I can accurately pick which shows are going to be worth watching. Keep an eye on the following:
NFL Season ’09. Okay, so it isn’t a TV show. But you’ll be hard-pressed to find anything with the NFL’s combination of brutality, skill and drama.
Tom Brady is out for the year. The New York Giants lost their two best pass rushers. With last year’s Super Bowl finalists missing key players, it’s anybody’s guess what teams are coming out on top.
Heroes (Season 3.) I must admit that I was quite disappointed at how last season turned out. The show didn’t have the vitality and depth that made the first season such a big hit. The old villain we came to know and hate, Sylar, was practically irrelevant. The new villain that we were supposed to hate, Adam, fell kind of flat. That skinny white guy just does not strike me as an immortal serial killer with plans of world domination.
However, Season 3 (titled “Villains”) looks a lot better. Not to mention a whole lot darker. From the footage I’ve seen, it appears Season 3 will explore the darker side of our beloved Heroes. After all, who’s a better villain than a hero turned bad?
Dexter Season 3. Michael C. Hall’s second run as Dexter literally ended with a bang. The way the storyline evolved from season one to season two was just brilliant, and that kind of crafty writing bodes well for the third installment.
Emmy award-winning actor Jimmy Smits joins Dexter this season as a powerful and beloved public servant whose family gets entangled in one of Dexter’s bloody pursuits.
The Office (Season 5.) The last time we saw the guys over at Dunder-Mifflin Scranton, Toby was gone, Michael was happy, Kevin appeared to be mentally challenged, Ryan was on drugs, Andy proposed to Angela, Dwight slept with Angela and Jim and Pam are still together, though not engaged. Season 4 was just another day in The Office.
Season 5 looks to be more of the same. Though with a show as funny as this, that’s actually a good thing. I’m looking forward to more of Jim pulling pranks on Dwight, more annoying Michael Scott moments and more fighting between Dwight and Andy. Those two would make the most entertaining showdown in TV history.
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (Season 4.) No other show last season made me laugh as hard as this one. The combination of Danny Devito and The Gang is just hilarious. Even with his best days behind him, Devito proves he can still illicit laughs with boisterousness and a mouth dirtier than a gas station toilet.
More crazy schemes and irreverent humor are in store for our fourth stay in Sunny Philadelphia.
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For questions, comments or corrections, e-mail me at carlfrancisramirez@gmail.com.