I’m really hopeful about a couple of this season’s new shows.  I mean, they’ve already axed several of them – Charlie’s Angels anyone? – but thankfully the ones I’ve been tuning in to are still safe.

Revenge (ABC, Wednesdays)

This show stars Emily VanCamp, an actress that I’ve been watching since Everwood was on the WB.  She was also on Brothers & Sisters, which I was slightly obsessed with last year (through NetFlix); and while I really loved the first two seasons, I lost interest around the third.  However, I didn’t realize that the show was no longer airing – in fact, when I first flipped onto Revenge, I thought it was a new episode of Brothers & Sisters.  Emily acts basically the same in every show she’s in – coy, charming, sweet – so it took me a a few minutes to realize these rich people weren’t the Walkers.

This show is right up my alley, as it’s targeted towards high school/college-age students.  That’s just about my TV mentality level – I’m partial to the Glee‘s and Gossip Girl‘s of the world 🙂  I was actually surprised ABC is airing this, as it seems much more suited for the CW or Fox.  I love the drama on this show – the acting is solid, there’s a good storyline, and a (mostly) non-cheesy script.  It centers around VanCamp’s character, also named Emily, who is seeking to avenge her father’s death.  He was framed for a crime he didn’t commit and, as a result, is left to rot in federal prison while his daughter is sent to a juvenile detention center.  I mean it’s no LOST, but still an entertaining way to pass through hump day.

Still not convinced?  It couldn’t hurt you to watch a few episodes – there’s plenty of eye candy 😉

 

Once Upon a Time (ABC, Sundays)

ABC is on a roll!  Once Upon a Time has actually become one of my favorite series that’s on.  And yes, it’s probably geared towards a younger (than me) crowd, but I’ll take it.  This ridiculous-sounding premise actually translates into a very entertaining show, complete with great acting, great storylines, and a compelling cast.

Jennifer Morrison stars as Emma Swan, who is brought to the city of  Storybrooke by her son, Henry, whom she gave away for adoption at birth.  Henry is under the impression that everyone in town is actual a character from one of the classic fairytales in his book.   They are all living in Storybrooke because of a curse cast by the Evil Queen (his adopted mother!), and currently have no memory of their former lives.

Yes, I know what I just told you, let it sink in.  Sounds crazy, and it is, but we’ve been given stranger plots and gone with it (again, LOST).  The key to breaking the curse is Emma, who is actually the grown-up child of Snow White and Prince Charming (stop laughing).  Henry convinces her to stay in Storybrooke and help him, even though she is more than a bit skeptical about the whole thing (READ: she doesn’t believe him at all).

Each episode focuses on a different character, and their lives in Storybrooke and the fairytale world.  We see how their past lives seeps into their current, influencing them even though they are unaware.  And it is this storytelling, quite like a fairytale, that captured my interest.  While the basic elements of each fairytale matches what we’ve grown up reading, it is the writers’ adds-on that really make the show.  The spin they place on certain classic tales, the layers and dimensions they give the characters, that’s what holds my interest.

And yeah, and there are some hot people starring in it:

So yes, there you have it, a couple of new shows that you would do well to watch; stress-free, entertaining, and full  of good-looking people.  What more do you want?

Oh, I know…
http://cdn.hark.com/swfs/player.swf?pid=qqhzrzzbjw
I Watch Boston Legal Before Realizing It Wasnt Star Trek ***

A classic line from Tracy Jordan, featured in Season 3’s Premiere, “Do-Over.”

***Still trying to figure out how to get the audio clip to embed in the post.