My favorite new show of the fall season is … Gossip Girl! It is a true guilty pleasure, that I feel absolutely no guilt whatsoever about watching. Now, let’s hope it just stays on for the rest of the season. [E.T.A. Gossip Girl was just picked up for the full order of 22 episodes!]

I think the show has been brilliantly translated from the book series. It may not always be perfect—I mean, really? A stretch limo can follow a girl throughout New York City without her noticing?—But it comes pretty close to perfectly trashy. I especially love how they play with the format in the extended recaps and other little tricks to give the show the effect of gossip itself. Put it together with Dirty Sexy Money and you’ve got a night of high quality decadence.

And Kristen Bell, I don’t know why I ever doubted. You make a perfect Gossip Girl. Can’t wait to see you on Heroes.

I do find it funny that the main criticism of Gossip Girl is that we spend too much time with the parents. Usually on teen dramas, people are always complaining about the kids’ parents never being around. Now we finally have some folks and nobody wants them. Go figure.

Speaking of the parents … I feel an overwhelming urge to have some words with The CW’s casting department. Now, I’ve always loved the teen dramas on The CW, especially back when it was The WB (and, to a lesser degree, UPN). But watching these shows has never made me feel old … until now. Both Gossip Girl and Reaper feature moms I used to watch on other shows when I was younger. Coincidentally, they were younger too. Around my age, it seemed. Now, suddenly, they’re old enough to have teenage—or in Reaper’s case, 21 year old—children?! What’s with that? Okay, sure, mathematically speaking, I could have teenage children myself. But I’ve always hated math. I don’t need a fictional TV show forcing me to deal with that kind of reality.

Oh, and here’s the reason why you have to give a new show a chance. I liked Chuck when it premiered. I enjoyed the second episode. But I absolutely fell in love with it on tonight’s episode. AND it’s now got the best opening credit sequence on TV!

And finally, my TV Moment of the Week comes from Gossip Girl. Last week’s episode opened with the school choir singing Fergie’s hit song, “Glamorous.” This was perfect on so many levels that I can’t even see them all from where I’m sitting. The choice of song, the way it was adapted for a choral performance, the venue in which the song was performed, and how it reflected on the show itself … Pure Genius. I remember back when I was in my high school choir (oh, like this is surprising news) and my friends convinced the choir director that we should sing “Wind Beneath My Wings.” We thought that was such a major coup at the time. I now hang my head in shame when I realize we could have been singing “Toy Soldiers” by Martika.

Step by step
Heart to heart
Left, right, left
We all fall down
Like toy soldiers

Sigh.

Now that we’re on the eve of the new TV season, I’ve had a chance to learn a bit more about the new shows premiering this fall. I haven’t watched any of them yet, but I’ve seen the commercials, read the previews, and have a generally better feel for what we’re about to receive. Maybe there’s a potential new book deal awaiting me in this new batch. Maybe there’s a show that will be the first cancelled right out of the gate. Who knows? Here are the ones I’ll be watching…

Wait. Before we get to that. I do have a question.

Moonlight, why do you tease me so? When I first heard of this new vampire detective show, it was called Twilight, and I thought, a vampire detective? Haven’t we seen that a few times before? And Twilight? Sorry, but there’s already a pretty popular vampire book series with the same title. Can we do some research here?

But then, David Greenwalt came on as Executive Producer. And I thought … hmmm … The man who (along with Joss Whedon) brought us Angel? Not only is he a spectacular writer, but he’d also be pretty good at making sure this show (now, thankfully, called Moonlight) would be noticeably different from at least one of the vampire detectives out there. Then they announced that Shannyn Sossamon was cast in the show. Loved her since A Knight’s Tale (What? It’s an acquired taste). And then Jason Dohring came onboard. Logan? From Veronica Mars? I am SO there.

THEN it was announced that David Greenwalt had left the project for health reasons. Personally, I prefer creative difference to health reasons, but we’ll send our most positive vibes out to Mr. Greenwalt and try to mask some of our disappointment. So where does that leave us with Moonlight? I know that I’ll be watching the premiere, but the jury’s still out.

Now, on to three of the shows I suspect that I’m going to love … Though I’m fully prepared to be disappointed…

Gossip Girl: The creator of The O.C. unleashes his take on the scandalously popular young adult book series. I do have concerns about Kristen Bell providing the voice of gossip girl herself—I LOVE La Bell more than any other TV actress out there, but I think her voice has a bit too much gravitas for gossip girl. Than again, if anyone can make it work, I know she’s the best bet.

Pushing Daisies: This was one of the shows I was most looking forward to when the announcements were made last May. Since then, I’ve had the chance to see the commercials running on ABC and I have to say, I still love it. It looks quirky, slightly bizarre, and totally unique. Add in the fact that the critics love it, and I give the show about four weeks before it’s cancelled due to lack of ratings. But I expect to enjoy every second before it’s gone. And then I can get the rest of the episodes on DVD.

Private Practice: I was wary after watching the backdoor pilot that was woven into the two-hour Grey’s Anatomy episode last season, but apparently so was the creative team behind the series. I hear some important tweaks have been made. Considering it still boasts one of the best casts on television (now minus one of my favorite actresses, but at least she was replaced by another wonderful actress), it’s still high on my must see list.

To find out what show I’m most looking forward to, check out my first posting on the Simon Pulse Romantic Comedy blog (you have to scroll back to the September 9th post).

Other shows I’ll be testing include: Reaper, Samantha Who? Bionic Woman, Cane, K-Ville, Dirty Sexy Money and, controversy aside, I’m actually intrigued by Kid Nation. Of course, that’s not to say that I won’t be looking at some of the other new shows, too. I do have such trouble turning off my television. Especially when there’s actual work to be avoided.

Oh, one last thing. For the returning shows, I BEG all three people reading this blog to watch the second season of Friday Night Lights. I am not associated with the show in any way (though I’d love to write a book for them), but it is consistently one of the best written and best acted shows on television.

Even though it’s (almost) summer and original TV programming is mostly gone for the next few months, there’s still a lot of interesting news about some of my favorite shows coming out. Let’s start with the self-serving.

Check out issue #4 of the official Prison Break magazine (the one with Sara and Michael on the cover) for an article on my latest book Prison Break: The Classified FBI Files.

Also, there’s an interview with me about my upcoming book Bones: The Official Episode Guide (for Seasons 1&2) in the final issue of the official Buffy, The Vampire Slayer / Angel magazine. I think it’s fitting that I would appear in the last issue of this magazine as it was Buffy, The Vampire Slayer that got me started as a writer. The first professional gig I ever had was a short story in the Buffy anthology, How I Survived My Summer Vacation Vol. 1 (oddly … there never was a volume 2). The story was about a vampiric theatre group … not to be confused with the soul sucking rich kids from Orion Academy in DRAMA!

Now, onto the non-me related TV news…
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It’s that time of year again. The excitement of learning what new shows will be premiering in the fall is tempered by regret over the end of the current TV season. Yes. I do take my television viewing too seriously. I did make a career out of it, after all.

With a tip of Bryan’s fedora (read DRAMA! The Four Dorothys if you don’t understand the reference), I bid a fond farewell to Gilmore Girls, Jericho, and … well, I simply refuse to believe that Veronica Mars is gone, so I can’t bring myself to say goodbye yet.

I would also like to thank NBC for bringing back Friday Night Lights next year. I implore the two-or-three people who actually read this blog to start watching this show. It is seriously one of the best dramas on television.

And now, with an eye to the future, I’d like to share what new series I’m most looking forward to in the fall season. (more…)