Fall TV Report: New shows

I held off on this post so that I could see a couple episodes from each of the new series I gave a try. That way I could have a better assessment of their value.

The Event: This of course was the show that tried to bill itself as a replacement for Lost. Thus far, it's failed to achieve that crown. The show has a decent enough mystery for now, but its severely lacking in the character department. Most of the central figures are bland and forgettable, which makes it tough to care about their role in this mystery. Still, I'm a sucker for mythologically-driven shows and I figure I'm in for the ride at this point. If things get too crazy or ridiculous without offering sufficient answers along the way, I'll abandon it like I did FlashForward last year. Verdict: Sticking with it

Undercovers: As soon as I heard J.J. Abrams was attached, I was instantly interested. This is the first thing I've seen his name attached to that I did not immediately fall in love with. There's nothing inherently wrong with the show. It has a couple of likable leads (and credit goes to the show for putting two African-Americans in the leads) and some fun spy action. The main problem is that there was nothing here to make me come back every week. Given how loaded my TV schedule is already, I can't make time for procedurals if they offer no incentive for me to tune in every week. I wish the show luck, but I don't see me making this 'appointment tv'. Verdict: Pleasant, but skippable.

Running Wilde: This is a new sitcom on FOX that comes from the people that created Arrested Development and stars Will Arnett. I was surprised to see this get such poor reviews from critics. While this show is a far cry from the genius that was AD, I find there to be enough quirky humor here to keep me entertained. They've gotten a good cast that not only includes Arnett, but Keri Russell and David Cross. Thus far, it has not done well in the ratings, which may mean it's on life support, but I'm hopeful it can stick around. And if it doesn't well then hopefully that will just encourage Mitch Hurwitz to get back to work on that Arrested Development movie. Verdict: Enjoying it while it lasts

No Ordinary Family: Filling the hole that Heroes left, this shows provides me with my superhero fix. I still haven't gotten a great sense yet on whether or not this show will be good. At times it's a bit too light and concerned with the family elements. The fact that none of the family members' superpowers are very original is a bit disappointing too. Still the lead actors are solid and they've established some mysteries involving who else may have abilities to keep me intrigued for a while. Verdict: Hoping for a hero, but fearing the show may be merely mortal.