2011-12 Season Outlook- Cable

Here at the Quiet Pool Perspective we like to give you a head start on figuring out what to watch heading into a new television season. Although we aren't cool enough to get all of the pilots in advanced, we have seen each and every trailer, have done the research, and have listened to what the critics are saying about all of the new shows for the 2011-12 season. So below are some my opinions on what should be watch, as well as some early insight on what I will be watching this year.

Here’s what’s new on cable…

A Quick Look

Excited For
  1. Luck
  2. Homeland
  3. Hell on Wheels
Interested In
  4. American Horror Story
  5. Boss
Giving a Chance
  6. Enlightened

And Some More Depth

American Horror Story – FX – Premieres 10/5
Need to Know: It comes from Ryan Murphy of Glee and Nip/Tuck infamy. From the title and the commercials it seems to be very creepy. It stars Connie Britton and Dylan McDermott.
Quiet Pool Plan: I am all for the crazy and the creepy so I will give this a whirl. I have been told Nip/Tuck was good before getting too crazy, and I’ve enjoyed Glee to a point, so I’m sure this will start out with a bang, even if it falls quickly.

Britton and McDermott on American Horror Story

Boss – Starz – Premiers 10/21
Need to Know: It’s not Hank. Kelsey Grammer returns to tv after his most recent failure for this Starz drama. He plays the mayor of Chicago with a terrible neurological disorder. It also stars Kathleen Robertson as Grammer’s personal aide.
Quiet Pool Plan: The guy from Back to You and Claire Arnold? That will hook me for a while. Starz doesn’t have the greatest history of scripted drama, but you gotta start somewhere right?

Enlightened – HBO – Premiers 2011
Need to Know: Half hour series starring the Jurassic Park lady and Luke Wilson. That’s all there is to know.
Quiet Pool Plan: It’s HBO, so they’ve earned my attempt.

Hell On Wheels – AMC – Premiers 11/6
Need to Know: It’s a western about a confederate soldier, who is seeking revenge on Union soldiers that killed his wife.
Quiet Pool Plan: Since I am now a southerner, I am all for getting back at those terrible Yankees. And I love me some period drama, so I am in this one.

Homeland – Showtime – Premiers 10/2
Need to Know: It’s the pick by most critics as the best new drama of the season. More importantly, I will be reviewing it this fall for TV Fanatic. It’s a psychological thriller starring Claire Danes as a CIA agent. A marine POW Damian Lewis returns to the U.S. and Danes thinks he was turned by Al-Qaeda and is a threat to the country.
Quiet Pool Plan: Even if I wasn’t getting paid to watch this, I would be excited. It sounds a lot like what Rubicon wanted to be, but failed so miserably at. It should be a good one.

Luck – HBO – Premiers January
Need to Know: This is the one folks. The one I’m probably most excited about. It stars Dustin Hoffman and Nick Nolte, and it’s about gambling at a horse track. It will be run by David Milch of NYPD Blue and Deadwood fame. The pilot was directed by decorated filmmaker Michael Mann.
Quiet Pool Plan: This is as easy as it comes. I am on board. Let’s start the train now folks.

Dustin Hoffman in Luck

Cable Fall Lineup Preview

Last but definitely not least.  So with the cable fall lineup I basically just put the shows that I watch or am looking forward to trying.  There is so much cable programming that I couldn't go over all of it, especially when a bunch of it (like so much broadcast programming) is bad.  I really like how the cable networks bring out their shows in waves.  It's a much better format.  Instead waiting for three weeks to see the seventh episode of a season in December or March, you usually get 13 eps in about 14 or 15 weeks.  Then the next set of shows comes in.  With HBO right now we have True Blood, Entourage and Hung.  Next wave is Boardwalk, Eastbound and Bored.  I'm sure after that we'll get more Treme, maybe Curb and Ricky Gervais.  It's a good way to work.

The other network that makes up most of today's list is FX.  They're really coming into their own here.  With one great comedy in It's Always Sunny, and one up-and-comer in The League.  One of my top three shows in Sons of Anarchy, and now adding a hopeful in Terriers.  Justified in the spring.  It doesn't get much better than this for cable.

Sunday
9:00- Boardwalk Empire (HBO)
If you aren't excited for this prohibition drama from Sopranos writer Terrence Winter, then you got some issues. Steve Buschemi in the lead, Omar from The Wire, it's gonna be classic.
9:00- Dexter (Showtime)
I'm really glad I got caught up on this. Apparently they're not going to have one 'big bad' this season, which will be a nice change of pace.
10:00- Bored to Death (HBO)
The trailer for season two makes it sound exactly like season one. That's fine by me...I don't need development in my comedies.
10:30- Eastbound & Down (HBO)
Danny McBride is rumored to be in talks for the new head gig at The Office. Does that spell an end to Eastbound? How many seasons could this shtick really work for?

Monday
10:00- Men of a Certain Age (TNT)
Andre Braugher is great and all, but if anyone deserved an Emmy nod from this show's first season it was Ray Romano.

Tuesday
10:00- Sons of Anarchy (FX)
Probably the show I'm most excited for a return. Number three in the current power rankings but I can absolutely see it gaining the new number one spot with a good start to season three.

Wednesday
9:00- Top Chef: Just Desserts (Bravo)
Doesn't sound all that exciting. I need a full meal to be satisfied. If it's not as good as the original, I might quit.
10:00- Terriers (FX)
I've been hearing good things about this private investigator show. I also am a big Donal Logue fan from his Grounded for Life days, so here's hoping.

Thursday
10:00- It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia (FX)
If you're not watching this, you should be. Always listen to Joe Buddens.
10:30- The League (FX)
Here's a situation where the hate went too far. Sure the first couple of eps were terrible, but it did get much better as the season went on. The hate was multiplied by the fact that there wasn't enough fantasy football. Rumor is that the second season has much more fantasy.

Cable Fall Preview

Although many of these cable shows have already started, I believe they need their just due here.

HBO
Entourage
I thought I'd mention the two HBO programs that are finishing up their current seasons. Entourage has four episodes left and it has been as lackluster of a summer as ever for the entertainment dramedy. Lowlighted by Tom Brady's awful performance, season six has been less than stellar. Stop following E's love life. Nobody likes him. It's torture.

True Blood
True Blood, on the other hand, has taken as giant leap in the right direction in its sophomore season. What started out as a weak-charactered vampire show, has turned into a fantastic-storylined supernatural thriller. The 10th episode of this second season was one of my favorite eps of any show in a long time. After this past Sunday's penultimate ep, there is only one left this summer.

Curb Your Enthusiasm
Curb Your Enthusiasm finally returns on September 20. After what was one of the two best seasons in the show's history, Larry David had a lot to live up to this fall. He found a way to get me even more excited. Prettttty, pretttttty, pretttttty excited. A Seinfeld Reunion. All four of the main actors from Seinfeld, yes Jerry Seinfeld, Jason Alexander, Julia Louis-Dreyfuss and even Michael Richards, will be major contributors on this season of Curb. Not only that, but the premise of the season will be Larry and the gang putting a Seinfeld Reunion in the works.

Disney
After the DVD release of Hannah Montana The Movie this month and the television premier of Wizards of Waverly Place The Movie this past Friday, the Disney Channel's big three are picking up major steam. Joined by Sonny with a Chance, these three shows have gotten me hooked on the Disney Channel as I used to be with Even Stevens back in the day. They don't come without major success either, as the Wizards Movie recorded the highest viewership of the summer, with 11.4 million viewers. I'm assuming most of them are not 23 year old dudes.

Greek
I have yet to watch the season 3 premier of Greek that aired tonight (Monday) but I'm definitely excited for it to be back. Whether it's hating on Rusty's awkwardness, loving Cappie's wit, or crushing on Casey for some inexplicable reason, Greek always brings plenty of entertainment.

Mad Men
Mad Men is three eps in now, and it started up where it left off. Interesting, but not entertaining. I find myself a bit intrigued by the stories and historical elements of the show, but they don't manage to portray them in a way that gets me excited for the next episode. I'd much rather watch a show that can entertain without being smart (the late Las Vegas) than a smart show that fails to entertain (Mad Men).