New Fall TV Shows (2006)

It's that time again. Every autumn the television networks march out their crop of new shows for the viewing public. Granted, more and more successful shows are launched at other times of the year than ever before, but September and October remain the prime time for introducing new shows to, well, prime time.

If you've been reading this site for a while, you'll recognize this as one of our traditions around here - the Good/Bad/Ugly rating of new fall TV shows. As always, the rule is that we don't rate a show without watching at least two episodes. And as tempting as it is to break this rule, we're sticking with it.

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (NBC Monday/CTV Sunday): It often happens that two or three shows with a similar vein often debut at approximately the same time. Sometimes this works out well — Alias and 24 both launched in the fall of 2001; the former ran five years, the latter will be back in January for Day 6. Other times it doesn't, such as the slate of alien invasion shows for last year, none of which is getting a second season. Usually when these similar shows happen they are on competing networks, which only makes sense. The fact that NBC has launched two shows about the behind-the-scenes goings on of network-variety-shows-that-bare-a-striking-resemblance-to-Saturday-Night-Live is, well, somewhat unusual. Thankfully, apart from sharing the same basic premise, these shows couldn't be more different.

The first of these to debut was Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. Yes, I know the title is a tad on the long side, especially in these days of short, punchy, single word titles. Studio 60 is from Aaron Sorkin, who brought us Sports Night (one of this reviewer's all time favourite shows, and, incidentally, another behind-the-scenes-of-a-TV-show show) and The West Wing. As to be expected from a Sorkin production, the writing is smart, the characters clever, likeable, and interesting, and the humour present but generally understated. If you appreciate well written shows with subtlety and intelligence, you will agree that Studio 60 is really Good.

30 Rock (NBC Wednesday/CTV Tuesday): This is the second behind-the-scenes-of -a-variety-show show, and it really couldn't be more different from Studio 60. For starters, it's a half hour sitcom, while S60 is an hour long drama. And while Studio 60 is heavy on experienced TV talent, 30 Rock features the single biggest name to descend to network TV this year, Alec Baldwin. Baldwin plays something he's very good at playing — a massive, massive jerk. Of course, the show's not really about him, he's the antagonist. No, the main character is played by Saturday Night Life alumnus Tina Fey, who also has along former SNL players Rachel Dratch and Tracy Morgan to make that whole variety show ambiance complete.

Let me take a moment and explain the situation of this sitcom. Tina Fey plays the producer of something called The Girlie Show, a sketch comedy show aimed at women. It's doing okay in the ratings, but not a lot of guys aged 18-34 are watching it. So the network sends in a new boss, played by Alec Baldwin, who specializes in fixing things that aren't broken. His solution is to add Tracy Morgan to the cast, with the goal of bringing in a new demographic. Morgan plays this role with all the subtlety and tact he brought to SNL sketches like Brian Fellow's Safari Planet and Astronaut Jones; i.e. pretty much none. So if you think Tracy Morgan is funny and you desire to see him waving a plastic lightsabre and yelling "I am a Jedi!" then by all means you should enjoy this show. For the rest of us, this show is probably going to seem pretty Bad.

The Class (CBS/CTV Monday): Do you miss sitcoms from early '90s? You know the ones, weak on premise, plot and memorable characters, but heavy on cliches and laugh tracks? Yeah, I don't miss those either, but if you do, I have good news. The Class has all that and more. Not much more, mind you, but more. The Class features one of the most heavily contrived and unlikely situations you'll ever find outside of an episode of Survivor. I won't go into detail, but suffice that it involves a reunion of a third grade class twenty years later.

As weak as the premise might be, the characters are even weaker. Everyone is a cliche, from the Ditzy Girl to the Angry Girl to the Newly Single Guy to the Loser Who Still Lives in Mom's Basement. As for plot, they go looking for humour in such delightful and hilarious places as adultery, suicidal behavior, and accidental stiletto heel rabbit impalement. No, I'm not making that last one up. And yes, this show is basically as Ugly as it sounds.