TV Tues - Cap'n Neurotic's Crisis of Infinite Monkeys Denton Meredith Palmer Memorial Celebrity Rabies Awareness Pro-Am Fun Run Race for the Cure

Still a bit behind on TV viewage, due to a full day of activities on Saturday, so no thoughts on the premieres of Journeyman, Grey's Anatomy, Moonlight, or Stargate Atlantis .

MONDAY

Chuck (NBC 7:00): Haven't had a chance to watch last night's ep yet, but as of the pilot this one is in the lead in the "best new show" category. Sure, the bloodthirsty NSA agents required a bit of a suspension of disbelief, but, honestly, so does the whole "secrets downloaded into a guy's brain by email" conceit. Funny script and likable cast; am curious to see how this plays out week to week.

Heroes (NBC 8:00): I sort of wish I'd rewatched Season 1 before this season started, if for no other reason than to keep track of who knows who from where. Couldn't remember who all Ando had had contact with, how many of the Petrellis Parkman had actually met, if Suresh and the Haitian had ever bumped into each other before, etc.

How I Met Your Mother (CBS 7:00): The tramp stamp and Slapcountdown.com made the season premiere worthwhile; Marshall's letter to Lilly was my favorite part of last night's ep.

Big Bang Theory (CBS 7:30): Some potential here, but I'm not sure how much the witty one-liners can make up for the social awkwardness of the characters which makes me uncomfortable in turn.

TUESDAY

Reaper (CW 8:00): A bit torn on this one. On the one hand, I love the cast, and the decision to play the devil as this self-assured, outwardly charming yet inherently cruel and heartless manipulator works remarkably well. On the other hand, despite some laughs here and there, I felt that much of the pilot was forced, but that could have been a result of trying to cram so much exposition and set-up into an hour. Reserving judgment until I see how the next couple of eps shape up.

PREMIERING TONIGHT (Tuesday Oct. 2):

Cavemen (ABC 7:00): You know, while I'm pretty sure this is going to be complete and total car-wreck from beginning to end -- which is kind of appropriate considering where the whole caveman premise started -- I still feel that morbid curiosity which might draw me into actually watching it just so I can make sure that my undying hatred for it is actually well-formed and based in facts.

Carpoolers (ABC 7:30): New sitcom whose previews haven't done much for me, but I'm going to give it a shot just because it has Fred Goss, the brillianns mind behind the late, lamented Sons and Daughters in it.

WEDNESDAY

Back to You (Fox 7:00): I thought the pilot was a little stronger than the second episode, which was a bit too traditional sitcomy in its "must replace dead fish" running gag, but as the fish deaths got more ludicrous, it actually increased my enjoyment. Still on my watch list for the foreseeable future.

Bionic Woman (NBC 8:00): This reimagining of the late 70s series had one thing going for it in the pilot, which was the inclusion of Katee Sackhoff (a.k.a. Starbuck on the new Battlestar Gallactica) as the evil prototype bionic woman; beyond that, I didn't have a lot of sympathy or connection to any of the other characters, with the exception of the OSI (at least, I'm assuming they're going to call it OSI, don't think they ever said for sure) head shrinker. They're going to have to make the new Jamie Sommers a lot more interesting and engaging before the show has a chance to become a must-watch for me. Plus, a lot of the CGI was reeeeeeeeeealy bad. The premise, along with the promise of more badass Katee Sackhoff, has me on board for at least the next couple of eps, but some character tweaking needs to happen, stat.

Private Practice (ABC 8:00): You know, I really enjoyed the Grey's Anatomy episode which set up this spin-off series, so I was a bit surprised at how little I enjoyed the series premiere. I think the constant bickering of the characters turned me off. The talented cast and the fact that Grey's took a little while to find its footing buys this one a couple more shots.

Dirty Sexy Money (ABC 9:00): I enjoyed some of the quirkier moments of the pilot, but too much soap opera folderol for my taste; doubt I'll be watching it again.

PREMIERING TONIGHT (Wednesday Oct 3rd)

Pushing Daisies (ABC 7:00): By far the most anticipated new show of the season for me, and probably the most well reviewed one to boot. Supposed to be smart, funny, and quirky, so it probably won't last, but with Bryan Fuller (creator of Dead Like Me and Wonderfalls, as well as co-executive producer of Heroes) behind the helm I have to give it a shot.

THURSDAY

Survivor (CBS 7:00): So far this season I haven't really found anybody to cheer for; doesn't seem to be an Ozzie or Yau-Man in the bunch. Gotta give props to Frosti for his competitive spirit, though; throwing himself at man-mountain James during the muddy reward challenge bumped him up a few notches in my book.

My Name is Earl (NBC 7:00): Excellent season premiere; loved all of the psycho threats from Glen (played with violent gusto by Ben Foster), and loved Joy's tough love program for Randy. Curious to see how long the Earl-in-prison storyline lasts.

The Office (NBC 8:00): A couple of Michael moments made me very uncomfortable, but those squirm-in-my-seat moments were more than made up for by the Dwight/Angela storyline. Was also fun seeing Ryan reacting to all of Michael's shenanigans. Oh, and if you have a Facebook account, be sure to join the "Meredith Palmer Memorial Celebrity Rabies Awareness Pro-Am Fun Run Race for the Cure" cause; for those of you without Facebook, you can show your support by buying a "Michael Scott's Dunder Mifflin Scranton Meredith Palmer Memorial Celebrity Rabies Awareness Pro-Am Fun Run For The Cure" T-Shirt or "Support the Rabid" bracelet. Remember: if you don't devote time and energy raising money to research a disease for which there's already a cure, who will?

PREMIERES TONIGHT (Thursday, Oct 4)

30 Rock (NBC 7:30): One of the surprises of last season was just how much I enjoyed this show, which seemed to get stronger as the season went on. Tonight we get to see if it falls prey to the Sophomore Slump.

SUNDAY

Dexter (Showtime 8:00): After finally getting a chance to catch the first season of Dexter on DVD last month, the roomies and I were really looking forward to the start of the new season. While I enjoyed the season premiere, the previews for the rest of the season have me a little concerned about the direction the show is headed; not so much with the manhunt directed at Dex, which I could see giving the series some nice tension if handled correctly, but with the weird "Dex joins an AA-style group to combat his serial killing nature" plot, which just left me scratching my head.