The Coming Fall

Well, Labor Day is over. Put your white pants away, and prepare for the coming chill. Except if you live in San Francisco, where "Indian Summer" is the closest we ever get to summertime.

The end of summer means the beginning of Fall TV, a time I look forward to and dread at the same time. As much as I love TV, I really do like getting a break from shows I have to watch. But, duty calls, and watch I must.

And write too. But, once again, most of it can be found elsewhere. For the next few weeks, I'll have daily posts up on The San Francisco Appeal about each night's Fall premieres, so please be sure to look for those over there.

And you can continue to see my daily picks over on the SFGate Culture Blog.

Summer is over! Time to get back to work! And prepare for the coming of Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas!

There Are Angels In the Clouds...Doing It

In case you didn't know, you can watch the second season premiere of "Flight of the Conchords" on HBO.com, RIGHT NOW!

Turn Up the TV, No One Listening Will Suspect

Elvis Costello has a new show on the Sundance Channel called "Spectacle." Each week he'll interview a guest, and in the cases of the musically inclined, perform with them. This week is Elton John. It premieres at 9pm (and will be repeated on Thursday at 11pm). Here's a clip.

Baby Mama

The season premiere of "30 Rock" isn't until next Thursday, but Hulu has posted it online today!

You can watch it below, or go over there to see a higher res version.

The Fall of TV: My Own Worst Enemy

Chalk up "My Own Worst Enemy" as another one of those shows I had hopes for that were dashed about halfway through the pilot. The plot is as such: Christian Slater plays Henry, your average suburban dad. He's also Edward, a superspy that works for some secret spy organization that only exists on TV. In fact, I think this agency is located in the same building as SD-6 from "Alias." At the beginning of the pilot, Edward the spy is aware for his other life as Henry the husband, but Henry is not aware of Edward, since the purpose of having a secret identity is that it remains secret. Or something. But that conceit is shattered pretty quickly, which seems to make the whole set-up of the series completely moot. Now they both know about the other. How is that advantageous to anybody?

Monday's on NBC had potential, but "Chuck" (which is a lot like "My Own Worst Enemy" with the average Joe as spy scenario) is completely boring me, "Heroes" is laughably bad, and now this. Not that I'm complaining. There's enough other crappy TV on for me to watch.

Here's an early trailer for the show which features a totally different actress as Henry's wife (she's now played by Madchen Amick). It also plays up the "neither one knows about the other" angle, which isn't true by the end of the pilot, and is only half true at the beginning.

Also, do you think Christian Slater wears a rug?

Mommie Dearest

Martha Stewart's daughter Alexis continues to forge a career out of making fun of her mother in a new series called "Whatever, Martha," in which she and friend Jennifer Koppelman Hutt watch old episodes of the Martha Stewart show and mock them ala MST3k. A funny concept, I suppose, but the fact that Martha Stewart produces the show just makes it kind of...sick. Martha and Alexis have supposedly mended all their fences, but I think Alexis still can't stand her mother and is totally getting off on all this.

It premieres tonight at 6pm (and 9pm) on Fine Living, a channel I had no idea I got, but I apparently do.

The Fall of TV: Fringe

This year I just couldn't find the time nor the energy to do a really comprehensive look at all the season and series premieres that are headed our way like a freight train, so instead I'll just try to highlight the shows I think are worth a gander on the day of their premieres. For kicks!

Tonight's big show is "Fringe," which comes from J.J. Abrams. He's got a pretty good track record so far, with "Felicity," "Alias," and, of course, "Lost." However, I'm a bit worried about this one. While the title brings to mind a show about the joys and horrors of a particular kind of hairstyle, the trailer just make it seem like an "X-Files" rehash. I've also heard mixed things about the screening they had down at Comic-Con. Nonetheless, it's got a season pass on my old TiVo, and aside from Joss Whedon's "Dollhouse," which still doesn't have a firm premiere date, (probably sometime in January), it's the only new show this season that I'm even slightly excited about. It premieres at 8pm tonight on Fox, and then moves to 9pm next week. Here's the trailer.

Hey, Isn't This Blog Supposed To Be About TV?

Well, kinda.

So here are two TV tips for tonight.

The series premiere of "Swingtown" on CBS at 10pm. It's been getting so-so reviews, but I'm a sucker for anything retro, especially retro 70s. Plus, Liz Phair did the show's soundtrack music.

The series premiere of "Fear Itself" on NBC at 10pm. Not sure about this one. I still haven't gotten through that "Masters of Horror" series that was on Showtime, so I'm not sure how a network-based horror anthology show will do much better to capture my attention. But, then again, it's horror, and some interesting directors are involved. Aside from tonight, that is.

No, He Won't Be Back

I watched the first two episodes of "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles," or "TTSCC" for stupid, and I enjoyed it. Which isn't to say I thought it was good. But I really, really liked the first two movies, so perhaps it's just my longstanding hope that some kind of sequel or off-shoot will come close to being as entertaining that is making me like it. (And no, "Terminator 3" didn't come close.)

I don't think the actress playing Sarah Connor this time around comes close to being as bad-assed as Linda Hamilton in "T2," which is a problem, but I am enjoying Summer Glau as the perky, good Terminator. Of course the physics of her being able to kick the shit out of a 500 pound, 6 foot 5 boy terminator doesn't make a lot of sense. But then again, if I try to figure out how any of the time travel stuff could actually work, my head starts to vibrate.

But the biggest issue I have with the show, and with the sequels, is that John Connor always comes across as being a whiny little weakling. Shouldn't he be bucking up and taking charge at this point in his life? Or is it the ultimate irony that he never turns out to be the revolutionary he's supposed to be, and is always being dragged reluctantly into battle, when he'd rather sit at home listening to emo records.

Viva Craplin

I've got a review of "Viva Laughlin" over on SFist, and in summation, the show is bad. Bad bad bad. Watch the "Mad Men" finale at 10 on AMC instead.

Moooore?!

Yes, there are even more fall TV premieres this week. Read about tonight's on SFist now!

Whips and Appendixes

This week's reality TV locals post is now up on SFist!

And no premieres tonight! YAY! (Well, there's one, but I mentioned it in yesterday's post...)

Sunday Sunday (and a Little Monday)

I have yet ANOTHER TV post up on SFist.

And with that done, I will go back to recovering from Blue Angels madness.

Friday Friday Friday

Read about tonight's only season premiere over on SFist now!

Thursday Thursday Thursday

Yes, there are even more shows premiering tonight. Learn about them on SFist now!

And the second part of my San Fauxcisco post is now up on SFGate's Culture Blog.

Wednesday Wednesday Wednesday

Today's guide to TV premieres is now up on SFist.

My SFGate post should be up sometime today. I'll add the link when it is.

Edited to add: And here it is! Part two will be up tomorrow.

Tuesday Tuesday Tuesday

Yup. There's another post up on SFist now. And if you've been waiting and waiting for the premiere of the commercial/sitcom that is "Cavemen," tonight is your night!

Monday Monday Monday

Believe it or not, there are even more season premieres tonight, and more this week! Read about tonight's on SFist now.

Sunday Sunday Sunday

Yes, the Fall TV premieres keep on coming. Read more about it on SFist now!

Moonlighting

Today's guide to tonight's Fall TV premieres is now up on SFist.

TGIF! I am so ready for things to calm the f down, that's for sure.