Top 10 Shows I'm Looking Forward to in the Fall

Sorry for the long delay... anyway, onto the rules of the list. Basically for a show to count on this list it must have a fall premier between August 20th and November 1st, otherwise it counts as winter or spring. This eliminates shows like True Blood and Rubicon (which premiered late summer) or Greek (that premiers in January). Also I am not counting the Directv FNL because I won't watch it til its on NBC. In the end, its just what I am most excited about in the upcoming fall tv season... There are some new shows that are completely on hype, and some classics I know I enjoy. Also, Don Awards coming out next week in quick fashion, so be wary.

10 . Parenthood (NBC)- In many ways, Parenthood is a modern day American Dreams (a worse American Dreams too, of course). With that said, I always enjoy a good rooted family drama, and Parenthood has fulfilled that lacking void. So why not higher on the list? I am not a fan of Lauren Graham or her character or the grandparents, which is one huge chunk of the show. However, a second season should improve on this, so there are expectations.

9. Boardwalk Empire (HBO)- First off, the two new pay channel shows I am most excited about (Borgias and Game of Thrones) aren't until 2011, and True Blood is a summer tv show, so suddenly the pay channels are in a bad place. So anyway, I only come across this today while doing research for this list, but I am all ready greatly intrigued. A TV show about prohibition, how couldn't that be stellar? Plus HBO has a strong track record, and the writing class is out of this world, so I feel ok having quick lofty expectations.

8. Sons of Anarchy (FX): I did a crash course through the first two seasons of Sons of Anarchy this fall, and in many ways this is the successor of The Shield in grit and questionable characters. On face value, a show about motorcycle gangs shouldn't be for me, but the combination of brotherhood and crime always appeals to me (exemplified by my fascination with gangs) and out of all the shows I watch right now, SOA does it best. Plus the war with the irish coming up this season seems very intriguing.

7. Nikita (CW)- My mom loved the original, "le femme nikita", but I was too young to really understand what the show was all about. So when I heard about a CW remake, I was intrigued. In many ways it is similar to a show like Alias (which was decent, but I didn't really love). However, it was Ausiello's prodding that got me on board. He has consistently touted the pilot as one of the best for the new season, and I always love a good CW show, so I am definitely behind Nikita.

6. Gossip Girl (CW)- The only Josh Schwartz show to make the list (Ok... I may have just said that to give Thiell a heart attack). Gossip Girl is one tv show I know exactly what I am getting. The upcoming season will be no better or no worse than the previous, as its more of the same teen soap drama I have come to love. It's hard to believe I am on the fourth season of this show, and yet I definitely wouldn't want a fall schedule without it.

5. Event (NBC)- Needless to say, almost anyone has seen a commercial for "The Event". Those commercials, however, give no clue as to what the "Event" actually is. However, what I have gathered is that it is very serialized and basically a successor to a show like 24... My concern is that every year there is a show like this (for example, flash forward or vanished) with a huge serial mystery premise, that doesn't last more than 2 underwhelming months. I assume this show follows in those footsteps, where I enjoy it more when I am not watching it.

4. Chuck (NBC)- In all likelihood Chuck will have a better season then two of the shows above it. Yet, unlike Thiell, I just don't get as excited for the premier of the show. This may partially be because Chuck typically starts of slowly and picks up steam as the season unfold. Also the trailers and adds I have seen haven't shown me anything that has increased my interest (seeing the majority of it is guest actors).

3. Walking Dead (AMC)- Welcome to the AMC effect. The network has currently produced three shows: Mad Men, Breaking Bad, and Rubicon. All three shows I have watched and enjoyed, and continue to watch two of them (particularily the stellar Breaking Bad), so this is clearly the best career track record for any network. So needless to say, that plays a large role in my excitement. The other reasons? It's a tv show about a zombie apocalypse and it has a massive cast. Which means death, drama, and did I mention zombies.

2. Dexter (Showtime)- This is the effect a good trailer can have. Prior to the Dexter trailer, I wasn't that pumped for the show. I mean, I love Dexter and all, but I wasn't sure of the grand scheme for Season 5 and how the show would develop from the climatic season 4. Then I watched the trailer and I was absolutely hooked. Will Season 5 disappoint? Possibly, but at this moment in time I am counting down the days until my favorite serial killer is back.

1. Vampire Diaries (CW)- Yes, I love Vampire Diaries. I also love the things I have read about the upcoming second season. Two of my favorite characters teaming up? Count me in. More of Elena and Damon (and hopefully some new developments), my favorite male-female tv combo these days (even if they aren't an item on the show)... Count me in. Vampire Diaries moves as fast as a hat, and takes the best parts of a show like True Blood and combines them with the best parts of Gossip Girl. The mix of fast paced action, massive mythology, and teen soap creates a tv show made for me, and I CANNOT wait for the second season.