Welcome To The New Fall TV Season

Yawn.

For years -- OK, for decades -- I have always looked forward to the New Fall Television Season. I used to eagerly await the old-style mini TV Guide, buying it as soon as it popped up on the newsstand. It was always chockful of cool info about what to watch, what would be the "hot" show, and who would be the newest stars. There was also a nifty 1-2 page "preview" of what would be happening on Your Favorite Returning shows.

Through the years, the "Returning Favorites" morphed into its own "special preview issue". In the pre-internet world, information was always at a premium. And TV Guide delivered.

I saved each and every Fall Preview Edition since the early 1980s. TV Guide was regionalized back in those days, so I have preview issues from St Louis, DC, Kansas City, San Diego....Wherever I was living at the time.

As each season arrived, I could map out my weekly scheduled viewing pattern. I was an early adopter of time-shifting, juggling as many as six VCRs at one point in the late 1990s

It always seemed like there were 3-4 interesting new network programs each season. They would have a buzz or an actor I liked or some campy storyline.


Over time, TV Guide morphed from its handy handbook size to the full-size gossip-y tablooid with no useful TV listings ! And so, a couple years back, my annual magazine purchase came to an end. Competitors such as Entertainment Weekly would do a better job previewing the season.

Over the past few years, there has usually been a program or two that piqued my interest. One year it was LOST and 30ROCK -- and the horribly dreadful STUDIO 60 ON THE SUNSET STRIP. Last year brought the delightful no-laughtrack Samantha Who?

This year?

Well, not so much.

For the first time in my life, there isnot a single new network television program that has any interest to me. Sure, it's partly me. I am after all, not in the beloved 18-34 demographic. Then again, I'm not one of those Matlock-loving seniors.

Sure, there will still be some appointment television for me. My Sundays are spoken for with the quality quartet of 60Minutes, AmazingRace, Simpsons, DesperateHousewives, and BrothersAndSisters. Monday will still bring me my Samantha Who? -- and the dreamy buzzcut Barry Watson. Wednesday will still have Dirty Sexy Money -- until it's cancelled, that is. And of course, there's always Survivor Thursday.

The rest of the week?

Oh well there's always my daily dose of Hardball.