Dec 28 2008
Primetime TV Shows in the New Year
The TV guide in my local newspaper has been wrong for about a month now. With series randomly ending their ‘08 runs and the networks running various reruns, specials, and marathons, it’s been tough to keep track of what’s even on. The new year promises some returning favorites, however. After a dismal fall season, viewers need something to look forward to. Here are a few dates to mark on your 2009 TV calendar:
JANUARY 6:
Scrubs makes the switch from NBC to ABC, reportedly for just one more season.
JANUARY 9:
Flashpoint returns to CBS. While it’s a quality show, I was left a little numb by the cold-as-ice charcters. This Canadian drama was a big summer success, however, so I expect a lot of fans will be excited to see its return.
JANUARY 13 & 14:
FOX’s American Idol returns with fourth judge Kara DioGuardi (songwriter and producer), one less week of auditions, and “wild card” finalists. American Idol popularity has tapered off over the years, and the showrunners are looking to shake things up and entice more viewers.
JANUARY 16:
Battlestar Galactica returns for a final season on Sci Fi. This dark, exciting series has had its ups and downs, but it’s always compelling and it will be interesting to see how the story concludes (or doesn’t).
JANUARY 21:
ABC finally brings Lost back to primetime. I’m hoping we viewers get another one of those recap shows beforehand to help us remember all the various plot twists and turns that happened last season.
JANUARY 22:
I, for one, was glad that USA gave Jeffrey Donovan another shot after Touching Evil unfortunately didn’t pan out. Burn Notice is a spy/adventure show that’s one part James Bond, one part A-Team and one part pure slick, sexy madness. With Gabrielle Anwar and Bruce Campbell, Burn Notice is a treat to watch, with exciting storylines, unexpected twists, and plenty of wit. Tune in for a short teaser season before it returns for its regular run in the summer.
JANUARY 26:
Kyra Sedgwick’s The Closer makes a five week appearance on TNT, and then returns in the summer for a full run. It will be paired with Trust Me, a dramedy about two ad men who are coworkers in a harmonious yin-yang friendship–until one of them gets made boss. Eric McCormack of Will & Grace and Tom Cavanagh of Ed and Scrubs star. I’m not sold on this one, as Cavanagh seems to be playing the same type of immature, scattered character he always plays, while McCormack is stuck in the straight (no pun intended) role again. It also doesn’t help that series regular Monica Potter stands out in my mind as the worst thing about movie thriller Along Came a Spider–and that’s saying a lot, considering how bad that film was.
Catch up on more of your favorite returning series and check the list of canceled TV shows at Arizona Daily Star .
