The Fall Season is Upon Us

Ugh. I'm pretty sure I've complained about having TV homework earlier in the summer but oy. I still have the last 6 (or so) episodes of The Office, Cold Case, Numb3rs, SVU, NCIS and Medium to catch up on... and I don't really want to. I mean, I want to know what happens and I am still going to watch the new seasons and whatnot but I just don't feel like sitting down and watching all of these stockpiled episodes. Will they ever get watched? Probably... but I'm not 100% sure. And it will definitely take some time and effort!

Unfortunately for me, however, the start of the fall season is rapidly approaching. Here's a cheat sheet, courtesy of Ausiello, on many shows' premiere dates:

Tuesday, September 8:
90210, 8 p.m. (The CW)
Melrose Place, 9 p.m. (The CW)
Sons of Anarchy, 10 p.m. (FX)

Wednesday, September 9:
America’s Next Top Model, 8 p.m. (The CW)
Glee, 9 p.m. (Fox)
So You Think You Can Dance, 8 p.m. (Fox)

Thursday, September 10:
Supernatural, 9 p.m. (The CW)
The Vampire Diaries, 8 p.m. (The CW)

Friday, September 11:
Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?, 8 p.m. (Fox)

Saturday, September 12:
America’s Most Wanted, 9 p.m. (Fox)
Cops, 8 p.m. (Fox)

Monday, September 14:
Eddie Griffin: Going for Broke, 10 p.m. (VH1)
Gossip Girl, 9 p.m. (The CW)
The Jay Leno Show, 10 p.m. (NBC)
Lincoln Heights, 8 p.m. (ABC Family)
One Tree Hill, 8 p.m. (The CW)

Tuesday, September 15:
The Biggest Loser, 8 p.m. (NBC)

Wednesday, September 16:
The Beautiful Life, 9 p.m. (The CW)
Launch My Line, 10 p.m. (Bravo)

Thursday, September 17:
Bones, 8 p.m. (Fox)
Community, 9:30 p.m. (NBC)
Fringe, 9 p.m. (Fox)
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, 10 p.m. (FX)
The Office, 9 p.m. (NBC)
Parks and Recreation, 8:30 p.m. (NBC)
Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday, 8 p.m. (NBC)
Survivor: Samoa, 8 p.m. (CBS)

Friday, September 18:
Brothers, 9 p.m. (Fox)
Crash, 10 p.m. (Starz)

Sunday, September 20:
Bored to Death, 9:30 p.m. (HBO)
Curb Your Enthusiasm, 9 p.m. (HBO)

Monday, September 21:
Accidentally on Purpose, 8:30 p.m. (CBS)
The Big Bang Theory, 9:30 p.m. (CBS)
Castle, 10 p.m. (ABC)
CSI: Miami, 10 p.m. (CBS)
Dancing with the Stars, 8 p.m. (ABC)
Heroes, 8 p.m. (NBC)
House, 8 p.m. (Fox)
How I Met Your Mother, 8 p.m. (CBS)
Two and a Half Men, 9 p.m. (CBS)

Tuesday, September 22:
The Forgotten, 10 p.m. (ABC)
The Good Wife, 10 p.m. (CBS)
NCIS, 8 p.m. (CBS)
NCIS: Los Angeles, 9 p.m. (CBS)

Wednesday, September 23:
Cougar Town, 9:30 p.m. (ABC)
Criminal Minds, 9 p.m. (CBS)
CSI: NY, 10 p.m. (CBS)
Eastwick, 10 p.m. (ABC)
Gary Unmarried, 8:30 p.m. (CBS)
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, 9 p.m. (NBC)
Mercy, 8 p.m. (NBC)
Modern Family, 9 p.m. (ABC)
The New Adventures of Old Christine, 8 p.m. (CBS)

Thursday, September 24:
CSI, 9 p.m. (CBS)
Flash Forward, 8 p.m. (ABC)
Grey’s Anatomy, 9 p.m. (ABC)
The Mentalist, 10 p.m. (CBS)

Friday, September 25:
Dollhouse, 9 p.m. (Fox)
Ghost Whisperer, 8 p.m. (CBS)
Law & Order, 8 p.m. (NBC)
Medium, 9 p.m. (CBS)
Numb3rs, 10 p.m. (CBS)
Smallville, 8 p.m. (The CW)

Saturday, September 26:
48 Hours Mystery, 10 p.m. (CBS)
Saturday Night Live, 11:30 p.m. (NBC)

Sunday, September 27:
60 Minutes, 7 p.m. (CBS)
The Amazing Race, 8 p.m. (CBS)
American Dad, 9:30 p.m. (Fox)
Brothers & Sisters, 10 p.m. (ABC)
Californication, 10 p.m. (Showtime)
The Cleveland Show, 8:30 p.m. (Fox)
Cold Case, 10 p.m. (CBS)
Desperate Housewives, 9 p.m. (ABC)
Dexter, 9 p.m. (Showtime)
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (ABC)
Family Guy, 9 p.m. (Fox)
The Simpsons, 8 p.m. (Fox)

Monday, September 28:
Lie to Me, 9 p.m. (Fox)
Trauma, 9 p.m. (NBC)

Wednesday, September 30:
Hank, 8 p.m. (ABC)
The Middle, 9 p.m. (ABC)

Thursday, October 1:
Private Practice, 10 p.m. (ABC)

Friday, October 2:
Stargate Universe, 9 p.m. (Syfy)
Til Death, 8:30 p.m. (Fox)

Sunday, October 4:
America’s Funniest Home Videos, 7 p.m. (ABC)
The Next Iron Chef, 9 p.m. (Food)
Three Rivers, 9 p.m. (CBS)

Monday, October 5:
Sherri, 7 p.m. (Lifetime)

Tuesday, October 6:
Scare Tactics (Syfy)

Wednesday, October 7:
Secret Girlfriend, 10:30 p.m. (Comedy Central)
South Park, 10 p.m. (Comedy Central)

Friday, October 9:
Sanctuary, 10 p.m. (Syfy)
Ugly Betty, 8 p.m. (ABC)
Wizards of Waverly Place, 8 p.m. (Disney)

Thursday, October 15:
30 Rock, 9:30 p.m. (NBC)

Friday, October 16:
Supernanny, 8 p.m. (ABC)

Friday, October 23:
Southland, 9 p.m. (NBC)
White Collar, 10 p.m. (USA)

Wednesday, October 28:
Friday Night Lights, 9 p.m. (DirecTV)

Monday, November 2:
I Want to Work for Diddy, TBD (VH1)

Tuesday, November 3:
V, 8 p.m. (ABC)

Saturday, November 7:
The Wanda Sykes Show, 11 p.m. (Fox)

Oh! And if, like me, you missed the premiere of Glee (a show I was sort of ambivalent about when I first heard about it but have since heard and read nothing but raves and so now feel compelled to catch the pilot) just a heads-up that Fox will be re-running the first episode this Friday.

Now! I also culled some tidbits from Ausiello's column today so here are some spoilers on Chuck, Bones, Monk, Numb3rs, Cold Case and The Mentalist:

CHUCK:
1.) Erstwhile Superman Brandon Routh is joining Chuck for a multi-episode arc...

Routh’s character, Shaw, is a mysterious new spy who takes control as the new leader of Operation Bartwoski, becoming a mentor to Chuck and a rival in his affections for Sarah. He first appears in this season’s fourth episode.

2.) Smallville vet Kristin Kreuk is joining Chuck for multiple episodes as Hannah, a girl Chuck meets on a flight to Paris. “Chuck and Hannah definitely have feelings for each other,” teases an insider.

Laid off from her glamorous publishing job, Hannah ends up working at the Buy More. (I’m sure that won’t prove distracting to the horny nerd herders at all!)

BONES:
Will Brennan rethink wanting Booth’s baby?
Ausiello: Booth’s baby? No. A baby? And how. “She does not want to have his baby if he doesn’t want her to have the baby,” says series creator Hart Hanson, adding that “it was really significant that once he had doubts, she wasn’t like, ‘Oh, I’ll have the baby with someone else.’ If Brennan wants to have a baby, she wants to have Booth’s baby. Her interest in having a child declines to zero when she considers having anyone else’s baby.”

MONK:
Any scoop on whether or not Monk will finally figure out who killed his wife Trudy? It’s the last season of the show, and so far USA Network hasn’t given us any indication that they’ll wrap up this thread before the show calls it quits.
Ausiello: A USA insider assures me that we “will have closure on Trudy’s murder by the end of the season. Viewers will start seeing clues to that in the upcoming episodes.”

THE MENTALIST:
Ausiello: Series creator Bruno Heller confirms that Rigsby and Van Pelt “will take their courtship to the next level. We’ve been working toward this. The push and pull of should-they-or-shouldn’t-they is a big part of their dynamic in the office. But once they do take it to the next level, that presents a whole fresh set of problems for them: Who do they tell? Can they tell anyone? What happens when the bureau finds out?”

Will they finally catch Red John this season?
Ausiello: Not by a long shot. “I don’t foresee finding Red John,” Heller confesses. “I think finding Red John is a lifetime’s journey. But never say never.”

COLD CASE:
Ausiello: Look for Nick to spin out of control after he receives some overwhelming news about his health.

NUMB3RS:
Is this the last season?
Ausiello: “With the reality of what the business is, we would love it to come back another year after this, but we don’t know,” concedes Numb3rs co-creator Cheryl Heuton.

Also, there will be a Rashomon-type episode where there’s a shooting and everyone there tells a different version of what happened. So the team uses the mathematical concept of “Combinatorics” to filter through the different points-of-view and make sense of what actually happened. In other news, Peter MacNicol’s Larry will disappear for a chunk of the season to gain a new perspective on things.

TV Tidbits 58 - CBS Finale Spoilers

Courtesy of EW.com, here's a rundown of season finale "spoilers" (they're so NOT - they're sanctioned by the network for goodness sake!) and air dates for all CBS shows:

COLD CASE
Sunday May 3 and Sunday May 10
The music of Pearl Jam will rock throughout the two-part sixth season finale. Rush and the team delve into the 2005 murder of the first female cadet of a local military school who didn't live beyond her first semester. The stakes of the case are raised after the cadet's unknown killer commits a shocking act against Rush designed to thwart the investigation. Bonus scoop: Friday Night Lights' Jesse Plemons guest stars!

THE UNIT
Sunday, May 10
The Unit must locate and defuse three sets of dirty bombs headed for unknown locations across the U.S. Meanwhile, the team prepares for a wedding of one Unit member and the end of a marriage for another.

THE BIG BANG THEORY
Monday, May 11
As he prepares for a three-month science expedition, Leonard reconsiders his feelings for Penny.

THE NEW ADVENTURES OF OLD CHRISTINE
Wednesday, May 13
Christine learns some shocking news about New Christine's father (Scott Bakula) after the two of them rekindle their romance at Richard and New Christine's wedding. James Lesure guest stars as a wedding guest and potential hook-up for Barb.

GARY UNMARRIED
Wednesday, May 13
Gary and Allison's frustrating personal lives lead them back into the bedroom… repeatedly.

CSI
Thursday, May 14
The CSIs investigate a series of murders tied to a scam involving valuable poker chips from a long-gone casino and Det. Ray Langston must use deadly force for the first time in his career as a CSI. Cynthia Watros and Gerald McRaney guest star.

GHOST WHISPERER
Friday, May 15
When a ghost pays Melinda an unexpected visit, she worries for her unborn baby. Meanwhile, wedding bells ring for Melinda and Jim.

NUMB3RS
Friday, May 15
When Amita is abducted, Don and the team's frantic search leads to a charismatic sociopath (James Callis), but it is up to a distraught Charlie to discover what's behind the suspect's bizarre plans for her. The situation causes Charlie to reassess his relationship and future with Amita. Lou Diamond Phillips returns as Agent Ian Edgerton.

HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER
Monday, May 18
Ted gives Barney his blessing to finally profess his love to Robin.

TWO AND A HALF MEN
Monday, May 18
Charlie starts to question his relationship with Chelsea when he hears that Mia is back in town. Meanwhile, when Judith goes into labor, Charlie, Alan and Herb rush her to the hospital.

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
Monday, May 18
Jeff wonders if he and Audrey are lacking spontaneity in the bedroom.

CSI: MIAMI
Monday, May 18
Horatio fights to save Yelina while Delko goes against Calleigh's pleas and helps his dangerous father with life-threatening consequences. Brian Austin Green guest stars as an alleged carjack victim.

NCIS
Tuesday, May 19
Ziva's homecoming to Israel with Gibbs leads to a tense reunion with her father, the enigmatic and powerful head of Mossad. As this delicate situation escalates, Gibbs is forced to make a decision that sends shockwaves through NCIS.

THE MENTALIST
Tuesday, May 19
Lisbon suspects that serial killer Red John is drawing Patrick Jane into a trap when the CBI team investigates the murder of a young girl and the abduction of her twin sister.

WITHOUT A TRACE
Tuesday, May 19
The team searches for a man who disappears after a late-night ocean dive that includes stolen drugs and three dead bodies. Meanwhile, Danny and Elena take their relationship to another level. Martin Landau reprises his role as Frank Malone, Jack's father. Adam Kauffman, Poppy Montgomery's real-life boyfriend, reprises his role as Brian Donovan, the father of Samantha's son, Finn.

CRIMINAL MINDS
Wednesday, May 20
The BAU tracks a serial killer who picks up junkies, prostitutes, and the homeless off the streets of Detroit and takes them across the border into Canada. After solving that case, another killer returns to exact his revenge.

CSI: NY
Wednesday, May 20
A member of the team is murdered after a deadly group of kidnappers snatch Robert Dunbrook's son while he is being transferred from prison to court. And, if that loss isn't enough, the life of another CSI is threatened.

TV Tidbits 42 - The Office, Life on Mars, Medium...

Chuck, Pushing Daisies, The Mentalist and Monk!! That's right - it's time for some Wednesday scoopage. Here's what I've culled from TVGuide.com and EW.com this morning:

Question: I am absolutely in love with the Jim/Pam relationship on The Office! My body is just itching to see their wedding. Will it be this season, or are the writers going to make us wait?
Ausiello: I assumed it would take place this season... until, that is, I spoke to exec producer Greg Daniels. "If people assume it'll happen this season, then I don't want to do it," he countered with a laugh. "There are so many stories about a couple getting married that I want to explore." The post-Super Bowl episode on Feb. 1 will introduce one such story when Pam learns that her parents are having marital problems, causing her to wonder, "If they can't make it work, what chance do Jim and I have?"

Question: The Office? Pretty please.
Ausiello: BJ Novak confirms to me that Ryan will make a "dramatic" return later this season as part of a top-secret storyline. Theories? Post 'em in the comments!

Question: Chuck. Any scoops on upcoming episodes?
Ausiello: Exec producer Josh Schwartz is hesitant to use the words "game changing" to describe this season's final batch of episodes -- even though it's wholly appropriate. "Everyone uses that term," he harrumphs. "Let's call it show changing. Or Chuck changing...Let's just say someone is going to start figuring out the truth in Chuck's world." Schwartz adds that he's cramming "three seasons worth of stories into the next 10 episodes," in part because there's no guarantee the show will see a third season. (Note to NBC: The forecast calls for a s--tstorm in the event Chuck is axed.) "We're leaving nothing on the table," he says. "We're taking nothing for granted. We're going for it." To wit, did you see who they got to play Chuck's dad?!

Question: Anything new on Chuck?
Ausiello: This just in: Jordana Brewster's returning as Chuck's ex Jill in the season finale!

Question: How about you give us a, ahem, large scoop on Medium? (See what I did there?!)
Ausiello: Hey, no fair -- that's my shtick! Eh, I suppose I have a big enough, ahem, shtick to go around. (See what I did there?!) Anyway, to answer your question, yes, I have some, ahem, large Medium scoop for you: Upcoming Private Practice guest star Amanda Detmer has been cast as Joe's sister! "She comes to visit at a time when her marriage is falling apart," previews exec producer Glenn Gordon Caron. "And it's awkward for Joe, because he genuinely likes his brother-in-law. But his sister is convinced he's been unfaithful." Further complicating matters, "Allison starts to get impressions about what might have happened." And here's another Medium tidbit, and this one is size XL: James Van Der Beek has signed on to guest star later this season. His character seeks Allison's help when his mother goes missing.

Question: When is ABC going to air the last episodes of Pushing Daisies?
Ausiello: Based on Steve McPherson's remarks at press tour last week, I'm guessing sometime between never and when hell freezes over. Something tells me those final three eps won't see the light of day until Daisies' season 2 DVD drops -- assuming it does drop. In far happier news, Warner Bros. has give Bryan Fuller the okay to keep Daisies alive in comic book form. Now it's just a matter of Fuller ironing out all the details with DC Comics. I suspect there will be something official to report by month's end. [Lauren's note: WTF?!!! This is ridiculous!!!!!!!!! I still have the last 3 episodes on my TiVo because I didn't want to watch them too far in advance of whenever the final episodes air. And now I find out that's going to be, uh, NEVER?!!!! That sucks!! The episodes are already done - you're telling me ABC can't sacrifice a crap hour or two on a Saturday night (when no one's watching TV anyway) just to make fans happy? Really? Ugh. I'm disgusted. Some of us don't want to read a friggin' comic book!! Some of us just want to watch TV shows the way they were intended... on TV!]

Will they ever catch Red John on The Mentalist? And will Lisbon and Jane ever hook up?
MICKEY: Ever watch Moonlighting after David and Maddie did the deed? (Less sexual chemistry than the Clintons.) According to series creator Bruno Heller, the answer to both of those questions is no, at least not for a very long time.

If what's coming up this summer is Monk's last season, will we find out what really happened to his late wife, Trudy?
TIM: Yes, Lesa, a show rep confirms that "we'll definitely find out who killed Trudy."

Is there any word on the rest of Life on Mars' first season? I want to know if it really ends differently than the British original.
MICKEY: You can wait and find out when Mars returns on Wednesday, Jan. 28, at 10 pm/ET (following Lost), but all signs point to a very different reason behind Sam Tyler's time-tripping. "In this next installment [of episodes], you'll see that the mythology is not as per the British version," ABC prez Steve McPherson said at the TCA winter press tour.

No Love for Simon?

Here's today's Blind Item from Ausiello:

The theme of today's blind item: "Hindsight is 20/20."

When a certain series you're likely enjoying was casting its lead, the studio suits knew exactly who they wanted. The network suits, on the other hand, knew exactly who they didn't want. And -- what a coincidence! -- they were one and the same.

Since the performer in question was just coming off a failed show, the network brass felt that this individual was a star with no star power. But the studio stood behind its pick, to the point where there were threats of taking the hour-long drama to the competition.

Now, of course, the show is looking like a hit, and the network is singing a very different tune. (Which has gotta be hard when their bigwigs are also eating their words along with a steaming plate of crow.)

So, who was the small screen's most unwanted lead?

Most of the guesses on the comment board say Simon Baker and I concur - that's immediately who popped into my head reading this. His show last year, Smith, was canceled after only a handful of episodes so he definitely fits the "coming off a failed show" criteria. Well, I'm certainly glad the studio won out because I think Simon is awesome in The Mentalist - he adds just the right amount of impishness to the part. And he's not hard to look at. Did I say that already?

TV Tidbits 29: The Mentalist

You all know that Do Not Disturb was the first show of the season to get the axe. Now it looks like The Mentalist is (one of if not) the first show to get very, very close to a full season pick-up. According to EW.com's Ausiello:

Even a fake psychic could've seen this coming: CBS has inched closer to granting a full-season order to its freshman smash The Mentalist, ordering six additional scripts for the Simon Baker-led drama. The move comes as The Mentalist has emerged as this season's only surefire hit. In its first two outings, the show has won its time slot with an average 15.4 million viewers. An official back-nine order, which would bring The Mentalist's season 1 episode total to 22, could come as early as this week.

Robert and I watch this show so I'm glad to see it's doing well. It's not a knock-your-socks-off show but it's solid and I enjoy it. Simon Baker isn't hard to look at, either, though Robert's informed me that the more he hears about how cute Simon is, the less likely he is to keep watching the show. So, I'll just end by saying that even though I hate Robin Tunney (her voice, her hair, her tough-gal facade... yuck!), I think the show is worth giving a try.