This week in NEW TV: ‘2 Broke Girls’, ‘New Girl’, ‘The X Factor’ & ‘Person of Interest’

Last year I posted my Fall TV PreviewThis time around I’m breaking that idea in pieces with a new kind of post called This week in NEW TV. Essentially they will serve as expanded versions of my usual TV RemindersThese posts will crop up through October as new TV shows premiere this fall. I will recommend new shows to watch and remind you when returning favorites are coming back. If you want a broader overview of all the new series airing on the big four networks, check out 2011-12 Upfronts coverage.

::MONDAY::

2 Broke Girls — CBS — 9:30PM

Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs star in this new sitcom that’s got a ton of positive buzz. They are being described as a young, female version of the odd couple; Dennings has street smarts and works two jobs just get by, while Behrs is a spoiled princess who’s being forced to work the waitress job due to a string of bad luck and misfortune in her life. The writing is supposedly stellar and the comedic situations that are set up each week are easily relatable: these girls are living in a bad economy and we get to watch them duke it out as minimum wage waitresses to survive. Trailer after the break. (Note: After this week 2 Broke Girls will air in its normal Monday night slot at 8:30PM.)

Give this pilot episode a chance: The Playboy Club (NBC, 10PM)

Returning shows you should be watching: Hawaii Five-0 (CBS, 10PM); Castle (ABC, 10PM)

Charlie Sheen alert: Don’t forget the Roast of Charlie Sheen hosted by Seth MacFarlane airs Monday night at 9PM on Comedy Central. And if you’re interested to see how his Two and a Half Men replacement Ashton Kutcher performs, DVR the CBS sitcom; it also airs at 9PM.

::TUESDAY::

New Girl — FOX — 9PM

Zooey Deschanel is the New Girl and boy is she “adorkable.” The ads plastered all around town don’t have to tell us that. Much like 2 Broke Girls, this show has a lot of exciting positive buzz surrounding it. If there’s one new comedy you tune into this fall season, this is it. The 500 Days of Summer actress brings her enviable charm to the small screen, and we get to watch what happens when her character goes through a messy breakup and then moves into an apartment occupied by three guys. Fair warning: Deschanel can carry a tune and she will be showing off her skills more than once throughout the pilot and series. Are you bouncing up and down in anticipation? Relax–you can get a head start and download the pilot episode for free via iTunes right now. (Note: Damon Wayans Jr. appears in the pilot episode, but he gets replaced by Lamorne Morris after that. Why? Because ABC’s Happy Endings got renewed (thankfully) and he is obligated to remain on that show. New Girl will address the switcheroo.)

Returning shows you should be watching: Glee (FOX, 8PM), Raising Hope (FOX, 9:30PM) …so basically Tuesday night you won’t need to change the channel–FOX comedies dominate.

::WEDNESDAY::

The X Factor — FOX — 8PM

Four words: Simon Cowell is back. And so is his Idol muse Paula Abdul. They will be joined by Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger and former Def Jam CEO L.A. Reid at the judges table for this new singing competition imported from the UK. Sure it’s reality TV, but you cannot deny how much fun it is to watch Cowell destroy dreams. Get a lengthy 8-minute taste of what’s in store right here. (Note: British judge Cheryl Cole appears in the first half of the episode and then she vanishes. Don’t let your eyes play tricks on you.)

Give this pilot episode a chance: Revenge (ABC, 10PM)

Returning shows you should be watching: The Middle (ABC, 8PM, Glee‘s Chord Overstreet (Sam) guest stars in the 9/28 episode), Modern Family (ABC, 9PM, special 1 hour episode)

::THURSDAY::

Person of Interest — CBS — 9PM

From producer J.J. Abrams (Lost, Fringe) and writer Jonathan Nolan (The Dark Knight) comes a show with an intricate plot shrouded in mystery and paranoia starring Lost‘s Michael Emerson (Ben Linus) and Christ himself Jim Caviezel. Really, need I say more? The story follows Caviezel, a presumed dead former-CIA agent, as he teams up with Emerson’s mysterious Mr. Finch to prevent crimes before they happen. Finch understands the ins and outs of the surveillance technology that’s installed inside every crevice of New York City, and he uses this information to his advantage to save lives. I was lucky enough to view the pilot at Comic Con earlier this summer, and I can say with full confidence that this show is not one to miss. It’s a classic, adrenaline-filled procedural with a Michael Emerson-fronted mythos attached. I mean, what more could you ask for?

Returning shows you should be watching: The Big Bang Theory (CBS, 8PM); Community (NBC, 8PM), Parks and Recreation (NBC, 8:30PM), The Office (NBC, 9PM)

::FRIDAY::

Give this pilot episode a chance: A Gifted Man (CBS, 8PM)

Returning show you should be watching: Fringe (FOX, 9PM)

[Images via IGN 1, 2, 3, 4]

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.