7 shows that should be on your radar this week (Sept. 14-20)
Joan Allen and Jeremy Irons in Lifetime's "Georgia O'Keeffe."
The official start of the fall TV season is Sept. 21, but this week is busy enough, thank you very much. Fox and the CW have more premieres and season premieres (see the list at the bottom), and NBC launches “The Office” and sophomore “Parks and Recreation” on Thursday, along with a short run of “Saturday Night Live” and the new “Community.” Here’s more:
‘The Jay Leno Show’
9 tonight (and every weeknight) on NBC
Expect to love it? Planning to avoid it? Leno’s debut is the big question mark of the new fall season — the show that could save NBC, or flop miserably, or do just well enough, cheaply enough, to change the rules of prime time. First up: Jerry Seinfeld, plus performances by Jay-Z, Rihanna and “Video Music Awards’ villain Kanye West.
‘Community’
8:30 p.m. Thursday on NBC
In a promising ensemble comedy, Joel McHale (”The Soup”) is a lawyer forced back into community college after his law license is revoked. A little of costar Chevy Chase goes a long way, but the Russo brothers, whose credits include “Arrested Development,” use him just enough.
‘VH1 Divas’
8 p.m. Thursday on VH1
After five years, the Save the Music Foundation fundraiser returns. Paula Abdul is host of the live concert, with performers including Kelly Clarkson, Leona Lewis and more.
‘Guiding Light’
2 p.m. Friday on CBS
After 72 years on radio and television, the soap opera signs off.
‘Georgia O’Keeffe’
8 p.m. Saturday on Lifetime
Joan Allen (who also produced) plays the painter, with Jeremy Irons as Alfred Stieglitz, the photographer who became her lover.
The Emmy Awards
7 p.m. Sunday on CBS
Neil Patrick Harris is host.
‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’
8 p.m. Sunday on HBO
Don’t expect the much-touted “Seinfeld” reunion to take place in the season premiere of “Curb” — first, Larry David has to get himself out of the entanglements of the previous season. (Remember the previous season? It wrapped up in November 2007?) But if the first two episodes are marginally annoying, once the “Seinfeld” stuff begins to take shape, the payoff is huge. Look for more on David and “Curb” in Friday’s GO! section.
Season premieres:
‘Lincoln Heights,’ Monday on ABC Family
‘One Tree Hill,’ ‘Gossip Girl,’ Monday on the CW
‘Melrose Place,’ Tuesday on the CW
‘Bones,’ ‘Fringe,’ Thursday on Fox
‘Survivor: Samoa,’ Thursday on CBS
‘Parks and Recreation,’ ‘The Office,’ Thursday on NBC
‘Crash,’ Friday on Starz
Season finales:
‘Big Brother 11,’ Tuesday on CBS
‘More To Love,’ Tuesday on Fox
‘America’s Got Talent,’ Wednesday on NBC
I’m looking forward to Jay’s show. I’m not saying I’ll watch every night. But, I’ll be watching tonight and other nights where none of the other 9 PM offerings interest me.
Regarding the Emmys, is there going to be a print or online edition ballot that we can mark off our choices and check our results while watching?
And, of course, thanks for the Guiding Light shout out. It is still a bit surreal that this show won’t be on next week. Sad, too.
I hope to have an Emmy ballot in Sunday A&E with my picks, which I expect to be as hilariously wrong as usual.
You forgot to list House (on tonight) under Season premieres. That’s a HUGE omission.
As an MMA fan, The Ultimate Fighter also premieres Wednesday on Spike, but I wouldn’t expect to see that listed. =)
(Those are 2 shows I’m eagerly anticipating this week at least.) Glee has so far been the best new show I’ve seen.
Nick, you’re going to be disappointed if you tune into the season premiere of “House” tonight — it’s next week. Tonight is a repeat of the season finale.
You go, Gail!!
I will only watch Jay tonight if he bans Kanye West from appearing ever on his show. I am still boiling over what he did to poor Taylor at the VMAs last night.
So excited for the new seasons of Survivor and The Office!! Woot Woot!
Bummer they cancelled ‘My Nmae is Earl’.
I refused to watch anything that supports Kanye West’s rude antics (to put it nicely) in anyway. Sadly, I was looking forward to Jay’s new show, but if this is what he has to offer on his “debut” program…
Was looking forward to watching leno’s new show. But I think I’ll pass after seeing his guest list.
What is Leno thinking with that guest list??? All four have tremendous egos and with exception of Seinfeld they find their selfs in wrong public view. If Leno wants to promote this crap take it to MTV. I would rather watch Fox News. I was curious to format but trash begets trash
Is Leno’s new show taped several days in advance, or same day as his Tonight Show was? If same day, Leno’s debut may set a record of sorts. First Show to Have a Guest Booed on Opening Night.