Forget tailgating and Thanksgiving—the best thing about fall is finally getting our weekly dose of TV goodness!
If your DVR repertoire needs some freshening up, consider adding these new network shows to the mix. There’s even a show to watch with your kids and a couple that your husband might enjoy, too …
NBC, Wednesdays at 9, starting Sept. 14
Maya Rudolph. Will Arnett. Christina Applegate. Need we say more? (Or did we have you at Maya Rudolph?) In this sitcom, Ava (Maya Rudolph) is the childless, compassion-devoid boss of Reagan (Christina Applegate), a former party girl who recently had a baby with her husband Chris (Will Arnett). There’s also humor in the travails of the young couple—poopy diapers and the like. The laughs here left us hungry for more.
CBS, Mondays at 8:30, starting Sept. 19
“Don’t get too attached” is the motto of the snarky waitress, Max, played by indie star and mysterious brunette Kat Dennings (“Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist”), who makes a living waiting tables at a diner in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The blonde and clueless rich girl-turned-pauper Caroline (Beth Behrs) becomes her unlikely co-worker, roommate and friend. The show is executive produced by Michael Patrick King, of Sex & the City, and comedian/actress Whitney Cummings (whose own much-anticipated show debuts this fall as well).
NBC, Thursdays at 9, starting Sept. 22
In this crime drama, Detective Jane Timoney, played by Maria Bello (“ER,” “Coyote Ugly”), struggles to hold her own as the only woman in a New York City homicide department that’s so male-dominated the guys refer to themselves as “The Beef Trust.” The impeccable (not to mention swoon-worthy) Aidan Quinn, who learned his trade at Evanston’s Piven Theatre Workshop, plays her boss. For all those CSI/SVU fans, or those mourning the late “The Chicago Code” with Jennifer Beals, this one’s for you.
FOX, Tuesdays at 8, starting Sept. 20
Who can possibly resist falling in love with the adorably quirky Zooey Deschanel from “(500) Days of Summer”? Finally, the goddess has her own sitcom. She plays the dorky Jess, fresh out of bad breakup, who decides to move in with three guys—who proceed to school her in cool. Unfortunately, the show has to do without the marvelous comic stylings of Damon Wayans Jr., who was originally cast as one of the roommates but couldn’t fill the role due to the continued success of the ABC sitcom “Happy Endings”— written by two guys from Glencoe.
ABC, Sundays at 7, starting Oct. 23
Fairytale-obsessed children will relate to the 10-year-old character Henry, who is convinced that his mom, Emma Swan (Jennifer Morrison), is the child of Snow White and Prince Charming. The Evil Queen’s curse froze the fairytale world and now the beloved characters are trapped in the real town of Storybrooke, unaware of who they really are. Ginnifer Goodwin (“Big Love”) plays Mary Margaret/Snow White in this TV series seemingly inspired by “Enchanted.”
