New Season Surprises, and Some Not So Surprising

With all the new shows that the networks put out it can be hard to tell which ones will be sure fire hits and which ones just won’t click with anybody, not no way not no how.   So I decided to look at the new shows this season, the ones that are still around anyway, and look at the new stock that are doing surprisingly well and the ones that shouldn’t be too surprising are hits.   And I’d like to give a shout out to Trauma. Sorry Trauma, but it looks like the world doesn’t need yet another medical show, but at least Mercy seems to be hanging in there for the moment.

The Surprising:

1. Cougar Town- I’m sorry but I thought this show had disaster written all over it.   Mostly for the fact that its main focus is to just jumping on a fad that has sprouted up in recent years, a fad of super hot older women.   I guess that shouldn’t be too surprising of a draw but it just seems like the light version of Desperate Housewives with a one joke premise.   Plus after the failure of her show Dirt I’m surprised anyone really wanted to see Courtney Cox helming yet another show.

2. FlashForward-I really thought that this show was going to face an almost expected Heroes like failure, even though Heroes is still on but look at the ratings.   This show on the other hand has ratings to spare.   I guess maybe it’s just it has a Lost style of appeal and a catchy sci-fi plot that people really seem to be digging.   I haven’t really watched it and I’ve heard it’s good so I will at least give it props for that.   But usually good and sci-fi-ish plot don’t mix well with network viewers on a mass scale.

The Not So Surprising:

1.NCIS:Los Angeles-This really has to be at the top of the list because who wouldn’t have seen this being a monster huge hit? It’s become a tired and true formula.take a popular procedural, slap another cities name on the end, and boom you’ve got yourself an all new sure fire ratings hit.   I’m not a huge fan of procedurals or the fact that everyone else seems to love them and watch everyone stupid spin off they shoot down the line.   This one even has the added benefit of Chris O’Donnell and LL Cool Jfor your team up of having two washed up stars being the leads.

2. Glee-Who doesn’t love Glee?   This show had hit written all over it the second it aired on the tube.   You’ve got your basic High School drama that all the teens love these days.   Then you have kids singing harmonized versions of hit songs that I will admit that I even love.   And for added effect you thrown in a little Jane Lynch as one of the best and kookiest villains this side of John Adams High, Boy Meets World reference for all you TV geeks.   So that’s all you really need to have probably the best new show of the season and its future secure for quite awhile.

3. Modern Family-It’s a really a how the whole “modern” family can love.   God I can’t believe I went with that pun.   Anyway, this show is a no surprise hit for a very good reason, it does its humor smart.  It keeps it very family oriented and never going too vulgar but also keeps the jokes fresh and inventive and always with a witty tone.   I watched the pilot and have to say I was convinced enough of the goodness of the show and usually the pilot is the weakest of the episodes you can get.   So it should be no surprise that it keeps chugging along as a hit and one of the better reviewed shows of the season so far.