Wot's New On The Tele

Here's a brief rundown of what's new on TV for the Winter/Spring season. Some are new, some are returns, some are new to me only. Maybe you'll get some ideas for new stuff to watch, because maybe you, like me, stopped watching Eleventh Hour once the fat black guy joined the cast:

Dollhouse (Fox)
Despite all its negatives (like being incredibly obnoxious and reality TV-oriented), I will give Fox credit: when it comes to going out on a limb in terms of programming, no one takes more chances than Fox. Shows that wouldn't even make it to the pilot stage on other networks sometimes make it to full seasons on Fox. And, more oft than not, the shows turn out to be quite good. (Its sister station FX airs some of the best scripted programming on television.) But, that being said, Fox is a network that is just as focused on ratings as any other network. So, even though shows like Profit and Action! are original and groundbreaking programming, they get canceled in less than a year because they're ratings dogs. Hopefully, Fox will give Dollhouse (which is a slightly different take on the now-canceled My Own Worst Enemy) its due, because it's a pretty good show with lots of possibilities.

Damages (FX)
The problem with serialized TV is that, in between seasons, you tend to forget what happened the previous season. That's why I'm glad they include those "Previously on..." segments before every episode, or shows like this, that constantly refer to things in the past, would make no sense at all.

Flashpoint (CBS)
Hey! Another fucking Crime Show on CBS! Who saw that coming?

The Beast (A&E)
Pretty much a less-ludicrous version of Training Day, with a more ludicrous lead actor in Patrick Swayze. And even though Training Day was borderline idiotic, it sure beats the hell out of this.

Lie to Me (Fox)
If I didn't actually prefer Simon Baker's character on The Mentalist to Tim Roth's in this, I'd say Lie to Me was the better show. In fact, put Simon Baker in this premise and I think you've got a winner.

The F Word (BBC America)
By no means new, this is the first time that Gordon Ramsay's latest foray into (British) reality TV has aired in the Americas. A little Hell's Kitchen, a little Food Network, and subtle little political grandstanding make for the most entertaining cooking show on television. And I always appreciate the fact that the British versions of Ramsay's shows highlight his sense of humor, as opposed to the U.S. versions, which highlight his ability to scream. And, as long as we're overseas...

Mistresses (also BBC America)
The first season of a show that just began airing its second season in the U.K. I've only seen the one episode aired, so it's hard to make a call on how good it is. Maybe it'll turn out to be like Tell Me You Love Me, a show I started watching on a lark, but got hooked on as it depicted all my greatest relationship fears.

One can only hope, but at least I know it'll be better than Eleventh Hour turned out to be.