So Hot Right Now
by Nicholas Freilich
TV Guide recently published a ‘Hot List’ as part of its Fall Preview issue that promised to reveal to us — the TV viewers of America — the top 10 most buzzworthy (buzzed about? buzzing?) new fall programs. Who better to deconstruct the list than someone who: a) has read the last eight issues of TV Guide, b) was aware that TV Guide still existed in magazine format, and c) has not one but two TV Guide keychains? No one, I say. On with the list.
[Show potential is rated on a scale of 1-27, 1 being the rating I’d give Magic Johnson’s short-lived talk show if someone told me it was coming back to TV, and 27 only applicable to Lost or, were we only so lucky, a series based on Lost called ‘Lost 2‘.]
“Looking at the World From the Bottom of a Well” — Mike Doughty (mp3)
1) Pushing Daisies [Potential Rating: 11]
The Gist: Socially inept pie-maker Ned (Lee Pace) can bring dead people back to life by touching them. A second touch from the pie-man, however, will send the resurrected party back to the other side. Brilliant private dick Emerson (the unsinkable Chi McBride) exploits Ned’s skill to solve murder mysteries.
The Twist: Ned’s childhood crush, Chuck (Anna Friel) is a murder victim. He touches her, she comes back to life, but he can never touch her again. (Rogue and Ice-Man, anyone?)
The Verdict: McBride is one of those rare actors who can turn lemons into beef jerky, so he could carry the program by himself. Pace’s look — to say nothing of his acting, about which I know absolutely nothing — only helps further Aziz’s theory that hipsters are the new jocks, but it’s good to know that doofy-deer-in-the-headlights is IN this season.
“Imaginary Ordinary” — Architecture in Helsinki (mp3)
2) Back to You [Rating: 19]
The Gist: Kelsey Grammer is back, and balder than ever. He plays a Pittsburgh news anchor and admitted in an interview that his ‘stuff is bad’ and that he had a lot of reshooting to do. Patricia Heaton (Everybody Loves Raymond, except me, of course. I often wonder if that program was some colossal prank played on me by American society) plays his co-anchor.
The Twist: The two shared an intimate relationship ten years before being reunited as anchors.
The Verdict: Although I never watched Frasier regularly (I actually went out of my way to change the channel when it came on, mostly because it competed head-to-head with King of the Hill), it was pretty damn funny. Can Grammer do for Pittsburgh newscasting what he did for Seattle radio?
3) Dirty Sexy Money [Rating: 3 or 23]
The Gist: A bunch of rich people behave badly and look fabulous. Idealistic lawyer, Nick George (Peter Krause — Six Feet Under) tries to keep them out of trouble.
The Twist: None that I’m aware of. I think Natalie Zea may have played Melissa in the most recent incarnation of Hell’s Kitchen, though. Zing!
The Verdict: With both a Baldwin (William) and a Sutherland (Donald), the show has tremendous upside potential. On the other hand, it also has tremendous downside potential as it’s a program offering fictitiously what Paris, OJ, and every other nutty celeb gives us for real, and as we all learned from The Matrix Trilogy: real always wins.
4) Chuck [Rating: 5]
The Gist: A doofy guy, Chuck (Zachary Levi), accidentally becomes a spy when government data is downloaded into his brain (WTF alert).
The Twist: Chuck doesn’t realize he’s a spy until all hell breaks loose.
The Verdict: Josh Schwartz — the mastermind behind The OC — overcome by his own hubris, compares his new show to 24 and Alias: ‘It’s LIKE Chuck is being protected by both Jack Bauer and Sydney Bristow.’ As we all learned from Honeymoon in Vegas, ‘LIKE unbeatable is not unbeatable.’ My interest in this show is LIKE my interest in bread pudding. Actually, it IS my interest in bread pudding. Next!
5) Private Practice [Rating: 17]
The Gist: In this Grey’s Anatomy spin-off, attractive doctors have personal problems.
The Twist: Taye Diggs and Tim Daly finally costar in a project.
The Verdict: I can’t talk trash about a show that employs both the guy who singlehandedly diversified Go‘s super-whitey cast and the guy who helped make Wings a hit. I just can’t.
“While My Heart Is Still Beating” — Roxy Music (mp3)
6) K-Ville [Rating: 21]
The Gist: A Post-Katrina Nawlins cop show shot on location in the Big Easy.
The Twist: For his part, Anthony Anderson dropped 120 pounds before shooting commenced.
The Verdict: Sign me the f*%& up. Of course, if this show was on HBO and featured some of the guys and gals from The Wire, I’d say sign me the FUCK up. (Can I curse on This Recording?).
7) Gossip Girl [Rating: 16]
The Gist: A bunch of rich people behave badly and look fabulous. (See, also, Dirty Sexy Money). To be fair, the ‘rich people’ are all private NYC high schoolers, so the OC Corollary* will come into play for many potential viewers.
The Twist: Some of the girls wear ties.
The Verdict: It’s been done to death. I anticipate a middling guilty pleasure production that will be canned after its first year. (Up against Private Practice, Bionic Woman, and the new Chef Ramsey vehicle Kitchen Nightmares, it doesn’t stand a chance).
*OCC: Lusting after high school-aged characters is OK if they are played by 23 year-old actors.
8. Reaper [Rating: 12]
The Gist: Kid named Sam (Bret Harrison) turns 21 and finds out that his parents sold his soul to the Devil. The Devil (Ray Wise) comes to collect, making Sam his bounty hunter.
The Twist: For his ‘day job’ Sam works at Home Depot. Whole Foods would have been way funnier, but I’m not sweating it.
The Verdict: Seems like every show on TV is using a piece of the old guard to inject life into the new guard. Casting Twin Peaks’ Ray Wise is a shrewd move here and gives Reaper a chance. I don’t like the look of the kid, however. Maybe I’m just a bitter wannabe actor who sees all these unconventionally attractive brunettes running TV and wondering ‘why not me? why not now?’
Ray Wise
9. Cane [Rating: 9]
The Gist: Sopranos on a sugar cane plantation on primetime network TV. Set in Florida, filmed on a sound stage in LA.
The Twist: 80% of the cast is only pretending to be of Latin heritage.
The Verdict: I am torn between my love for Jimmy Smits and my disappointment that Nestor Carbonell — the ageless Richard from Lost — will have less time to dedicate to everyone’s favorite island drama. This seems like another show that would be several notches better on HBO or Showtime.
“The Infinite Pet” — Spoon (mp3)
10. Bionic Woman [Rating: 3]
The Gist: A ‘reimagination’ of the 1970s hit. If you don’t know, now you know.
The Twist: The producers, in reimagining the show, took out all the stuff that made the original fun. I guess that kind of qualifies as a twist.
The Verdict: Please. Anyone who has ever spoken with me for more than five minutes knows that the only thing I hate more than people who leave the water on while they brush their teeth are remakes of old movies and TV shows (Ocean’s 11 the sole exception — though I still haven’t seen 3:10 to Yuma).
If these are the 10 best new shows on television, I might have to start my own online petition to bring back Falcon Crest. Good thing Gregory House and Larry David are back with a vengeance, or else I’d be forced to stop watching TV entirely and take up something more stimulating, like calculus.
BONUS: The best video blog in the world is here. I love Jay Smooth. If he ran for president, I would volunteer — no, pay — to work for his campaign. Long live the Smooth.
Nicholas Freilich is the legal correspondent of This Recording. He lives in Santa Monica.
PREVIOUSLY ON THIS RECORDING
Danish and I had a conversation I’ll never forget.
Molly talked comic strips.
A painter was basically us if you thought about it long enough.
This Recording 
Well, unlike Honeymoon in Vegas, Chuck is actually decent! I’m excited to read your opinions on this coming season though! Thanks!
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Going to go do some karaoke tonight and wanted to know what songs are popular right now, to sing..
Anyone know any Karaoke Party Games please ??
What the hell is music theory and why should I know it?
Are there any good karaoke games online?