Fall 2011 TV Trailers: What To Check Out

I have an insane schedule. Seriously, I barely have time to sit down some days. But when I do have time, I love some really good food with some really good TV to catch up on. A few years ago, TV started to become a better and better medium for great storytelling and I jumped on board. The networks are on a greenlighting spree and there are a ton of new shows this fall. Here are a few that I think are really worth checking out (time permitting, of course):


Terra Nova
Dinosaurs and Steven Spielberg. Need I say more? The Jurassic Park generation has been waiting for this show for over a year now, and while the delays had made me nervous, the few minutes of the trailer deliver awesome action and CGI sequences. I only wish they had decided to air the two-hour pilot in May as planned. I'm expecting great things from you, Mr. Spielberg. I hope this lives up to the hype.



Awake
I'm a sucker for really complex, high concept shows. Initially, I am intrigued and addicted to the mysterious plot, but I'm inevitably let down when these shows move too slowly to stick around (I'm talking to YOU, J.J Abrams). Still, I can't help but be hopeful after seeing the trailer for this show about a man who responds to being in a horrific car accident with his wife and son by coming up with a bizarre coping mechanism. He begins to alternate waking up between two realities: one in which his wife survived the accident, and one in which his son did. Kind of a Memento meets Sliding Doors thing going on. Jason Isaacs is best known as the sleazy Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter franchise and "that bad guy" from The Patriot. I think he's an excellent actor and I'm looking forward to seeing him in a starring role.



Ringer
OK, this show has the odds stacked against it, but I'm somehow rooting for it. This Sarah Michelle Gellar vehicle almost didn't make it on the air because CBS didn't pick it up, but The CW swooped in and now it's the most adult show that the Tween network has. It looks dark, twisty, and surprisingly well written, which is not a typical draw for The CW's Hellcat Gossip Girls of Tree Hill audience. It's about twin sisters, both of which are charmingly played by Buffy. When the wealthy twin commits suicide (OR DOES SHE???), the recovering addict twin assumes her life. And then things get weird! Ok, it's somewhat cheesy and the trailer has Buffy looking in a mirror saying "What did you DO?!" all Desperate Housewives-like. But I still think I'll check it out.



Happy watching!
PS. I'm going to go out on a limb, and say that you guys can skip Charlie's Angels, Once Upon a Time, and How to Be a Gentleman. Just saying.