Skip to main content

Paley Center Premiere Week 2008; Which Series Are You Dying to See... Or Can't Wait to Be Canned?

Once again, the Paley Center for Media is offering a week-long series of screenings of new and returning series this year. The premiere episode screening series, kicking off in Los Angeles on September 5th (and in New York on September 4th), will feature network-oriented screening nights and small panel discussions.

The schedule for the Beverly Hills-based location of the Paley Center is as follows:

Friday, Sept. 5th: Fringe, Do Not Disturb (FOX)
Saturday, Sept. 6th: Privileged, 90210 (CW)
Monday, Sept. 8th: My Own Worst Enemy, Kath & Kim, Crusoe, Knight Rider (NBC)
Tuesday, Sept. 9th: Gary Unmarried, The Ex List, Worst Week, The Mentalist (CBS)
Wednesday, Sept. 10th: Pushing Daisies, Private Practice, Eli Stone, Life on Mars preview (ABC)

While I've already seen nearly all of those above (though I'd be kidding if I said I wasn't salivating over the Pushing Daisies premiere), I probably won't be rushing to the Paley more than once for what promises to be a SRO event (though the CW's 90210 will have already aired by then so it might be a little less crazy).

Which leads me to my question: which of the above new and returning series are you most anxious to see? Who is already hotly anticipating FOX's Fringe? Who is curious to see Christian Slater in NBC's My Own Worst Enemy? And which of these new series do you think will be canceled by Christmas? Discuss.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Fringe is at the top of my list along with the new season of Pushing Daisies. I have to admit that I'm curious about seeing Christian Slater in My Own Worst Enemy but can't say that my expectations are too high.
I hope Life on Mars disappears quickly. I know they've recast several parts but the pilot I saw was pretty bad. And, even if it was pretty good, nothing can compare to the original UK version.
joy said…
I go to this every year, and every year, I'm both surprised...and not surprised by some of the shows.

And, the odd thing is, that after I've seen them and as new shows begin, I start to get confused. To wit, one day last fall, I was walking down the street, and saw a film production notice for Cashmere Mafia. And in my head I wondered, wasn't that already canceled? It hadn't even aired yet.

I honestly don't know how you reviewers function with your reviewer copies. :-)


Anyway, can't wait to see:
- (the revamped) Fringe
- (the not-screening in advance, so it might be scary) 90210
- (the I'm getting Simon Baker's show confused with Rufus Sewell's show) The Mentalist
- (the no way it will be good and therefore cancelled before Thanksgiving) Life on Mars

I don't want to predict any other cancellations, because I'm afraid of jinxing Pacey, I mean Joshua Jackson.
Anonymous said…
90210 premieres on Sept. 2nd, so the cat will be out of the bag before the Paley screening.
Anonymous said…
Um yeah. That's why Jace said "90210 will have already aired by then so it might be a little less crazy".

I can't wait to see Fringe and I kinda want to see the Mentalist even though I hear its not very good.
Page48 said…
"Fringe" and MOWE are the only 2 of the above that I will be watching.

"Fringe" has some work to do to become a hit. The leaked pilot came up short of being the "thriller" I was promised. These guys need to reach into their "Alias" backpacks and whip out some of that Bristow magic. An adrenaline spike here and there wouldn't go amiss in a show like this. I want to use the edge of my seat when I'm watching "Fringe", not the back of my seat. I remain very hopeful, though, and this is the only way I'll ever get to hang out with Anna Torv, so I'm in.

As for MOWE, we desperately need a spy show ("Chuck", although cute, does not qualify), so I'll be checking it out with an open mind, but I haven't heard much about it.

Popular posts from this blog

Katie Lee Packs Her Knives: Breaking News from Bravo's "Top Chef"

The android has left the building. Or the test kitchen, anyway. Top Chef 's robotic host Katie Lee Joel, the veritable "Uptown Girl" herself (pictured at left), will NOT be sticking around for a second course of Bravo's hit culinary competition. According to a well-placed insider, Joel will "not be returning" to the show. No reason for her departure was cited. Unfortunately, the perfect replacement for Joel, Top Chef judge and professional chef Tom Colicchio, will not be taking over as the reality series' host (damn!). Instead, the show's producers are currently scouring to find a replacement for Joel. Top Chef 's second season was announced by Bravo last month, but no return date has been set for the series' ten-episode sophomore season. Stay tuned as this story develops. UPDATE (6/27): Bravo has now confirmed the above story .

BuzzFeed: Meet The TV Successor To "Serial"

HBO's stranger-than-fiction true crime documentary The Jinx   — about real estate heir Robert Durst — brings the chills and thrills missing since Serial   wrapped up its first season. Serial   obsessives: HBO's latest documentary series is exactly what you've been waiting for.   The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst , like Sarah Koenig's beloved podcast, sifts through old documents, finds new leads from fresh interviews, and seeks to determine just what happened on a fateful day in which the most foul murder was committed. And, also like  Serial  before it,  The Jinx may also hold no ultimate answer to innocence or guilt. But that seems almost beside the point; such investigations often remain murky and unclear, and guilt is not so easy a thing to be judged. Instead, this upcoming six-part tantalizing murder mystery, from director Andrew Jarecki ( Capturing the Friedmans ), is a gripping true crime story that unfolds with all of the speed of a page-turner; it

BuzzFeed: "The Good Wife Is The Best Show On Television Right Now"

The CBS legal drama, now in its sixth season, continually shakes up its narrative foundations and proves itself fearless in the process. Spoilers ahead, if you’re not up to date on the show. At BuzzFeed, you can read my latest feature, " The Good Wife Is The Best Show On Television Right Now," in which I praise CBS' The Good Wife and, well, hail it as the best show currently on television. (Yes, you read that right.) There is no need to be delicate here: If you’re not watching The Good Wife, you are missing out on the best show on television. I won’t qualify that statement in the least — I’m not talking about the best show currently airing on broadcast television or outside of cable or on premium or however you want to sandbox this remarkable show. No, the legal drama is the best thing currently airing on any channel on television. That The Good Wife is this perfect in its sixth season is reason to truly celebrate. Few shows embrace complexity and risk-taking in t