Last fall, the TV networks introduced about two dozens new prime-time shows. I sampled the first episodes of nearly all of them, to see if any were worth adding to my roster. Of those that survived, here are the ones I’m still watching:
“30 Rock”
“Heroes”
“Friday Night Lights”
That’s it. Two dozen shows, and I only stuck with three. (There would be a fourth, “Help Me Help You,” but ABC canceled it.) It’s worth noting that all three are on NBC, which is currently suffering from some of its lowest ratings in history. Maybe being in last place has helped the network regain its will to live by seeking out quality programs? Or maybe it’s a coincidence.
I watched “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,” ravenously at first, and then increasingly halfheartedly. When it returned from its winter hiatus, I did not return with it. I realized I was only interested in the behind-the-scenes-at-a-TV-show aspect, and not the slightest bit in the characters’ personal lives, which was becoming the central focus.
I watched the first few episodes of “Jericho” and found it mildly compelling but not enough to keep going.
I couldn’t make it through even the entire pilot episode of “Ugly Betty.” So ham-fistedly whimsical! So over-the-top cheesy! So unbearably cutesy! I wanted to grab the show by the shoulders and smack it repeatedly in the face.
Nothing else really grabbed me this year. What about you?
