---

BY ALEX ISRAEL

In print | Published October 8, 2009

It’s now October, which can only mean one thing: no, not that the air is getting colder, that the leaves will soon be changing, or that fall break is almost upon us, although all of those things are true. And not that my 21st birthday is in less than two weeks, although that is also true. (On a side note, if you are interested in showing some love to your favorite columnist, birthday wishes and expensive gifts can be campus mailed to Alex Israel 2011 on or before Oct. 19.)

The most important thing about the month of October is that, with the exception of ABC’s “V” revamp (which I am unduly excited for, as it stars the incredible Elizabeth Mitchell), almost all of the new fall shows have aired. That means that I can now judge the new shows, mete out criticism and make some recommendations about what to watch. So, without any further ado, here are four new shows that fall into the category of Must-See TV:

Community: “Community” holds the very special distinction of being the only Chevy Chase project in the last 20 years that has actually been funny. However, Chase is far from the only thing that this quirky, quick-witted little show has going for it. “Community” tells the story of Jeff Winger (Joel McHale of E!’s “The Soup”), a lawyer who is forced to go back to school at the local community college after it comes out that his law degree is from Colombia, not Columbia.

Jeff forms a Spanish study group in order to flirt with Britta (Gillian Jacobs), a pretty, caustic blond who will barely give Jeff the time of day. McHale has a rakish, slacker charm that works very well for his character, and he and Jacobs have an easy (although sarcastic and competitive) rapport. Chase turns in an excellent performance (in other words, actually tries for once) as Pierce, a painfully unhip baby boomer trying desperately to fit in.

Other standouts are Yvette Nicole Brown (recognizable from a whole lot of one- or two-episode stints on various shows) as Shirley and Allison Brie (Trudy Campbell on “Mad Men”) as Annie, two women who over the course of three episodes have become quite a comedic duo. Keep an eye out for guest appearances by John Oliver (“The Daily Show”) and John Michael Higgins (“Best In Show”). Airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. on NBC.

The Vampire Diaries: I didn’t have a lot of faith in “The Vampire Diaries” when I first heard about it. As a “True Blood” addict with an aversion to “Twilight,” I assumed that the CW’s teen vampire soap would have too much in common with the latter and not enough with the former. However, I watched the pilot and was pleasantly surprised.

Unlike in “Twilight,” the cast of “The Vampire Diaries” (led by Nina Dobrev of “Degrassi: The Next Generation” and Paul Wesley, who has appeared on both “24” and “Army Wives”) can actually act. Also unlike “Twilight” (but rather like “True Blood”), “Diaries” acknowledges that a good deal of a vampire’s allure is sexual and that teenagers actually do have sex. Obviously, since it isn’t on HBO, “Diaries” can’t be as graphic as “True Blood” but the show acknowledges teenage sexuality in a way that few TV shows manage. Plus, there was a great crack about the absurdity of sparkly vampires in the most recent episode, spoken by Damon Salvatore (brother of Wesley’s Stefan), a fantastically villainous character played by Ian Somerhalder of “Lost.”

Somerhalder is wonderful in the role, and the true appeal of the show lies in Damon’s wisecracking villainy, which Somerhalder clearly relishes after spending a season playing the whiny (but smokin’ hot) Boone on “Lost.” Airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. on the CW.

Glee: You’ve probably already heard about Fox’s endlessly buzzy “Glee,” so I won’t spend too much time discussing the general brilliance of the musical hit about a high school glee club. I will, however, pause to say that Lea Michele and Amber Riley have truly spectacular voices, Chris Colfer is hilarious and endearing as the androgynous Kurt, and Cory Monteith’s Finn is completely adorable.

Also, the most recent episode of the show contained a guest appearance from Kristin Chenoweth. Let me repeat that: Kristin Fuckin’ Chenoweth! If you aren’t already watching this show, you really need to start because honestly, where else are you going to hear international superstar Josh Groban utter the words “Josh Groban loves a blowsy alcoholic”? Airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on Fox.

FlashForward: ABC’s first promising attempt at replacing the brilliant, complex and unbelievable phenomenon that is “Lost.” (Not that “Lost” can ever be replaced, and not that anything can ever fill the hole that will be rent in my heart after the upcoming final season. Sigh…)

“Flashforward” is a beautifully acted, addictive and puzzling series that deals with the aftermath of a worldwide blackout in which almost every person on the planet loses consciousness for two minutes and seventeen seconds, during which time he or she see a vision of him or herself in six months. The show stars Joseph Fiennes (“Shakespeare in Love”) as FBI agent Mark Benford, a former alcoholic who finds himself investigating the cause of the blackout and struggling to deal with his wife’s vision of the future. The wife, Olivia Benford, is played by the brilliant Sonya Walger (Penny of “Lost”). Olivia is a surgeon who sees herself in bed with Lloyd Simcoe (Jack Davenport, who played Commodore Norrington in “Pirates of the Caribbean”), the father of a boy whose life she saves. The most moving performance, however, is given by John Cho (Harold of “Harold and Kumar”). Cho plays Demetri Noh, Mark’s partner, who doesn’t see anything during his blackout and struggles to deal with the implications of this. Airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. on ABC.

Alex is a junior. You can reach her at aisrael1@swarthmore.edu.

---

« RETURN TO LIVING & ARTS

« PREV ARTICLE | NEXT ARTICLE »