Fall Preview Continued

From the beginning, my intent was always to do a second part to my earlier Fall Preview, but honestly, the second crop of shows didn't demonstrate nearly the promise that the first did, and I had a hard time mustering the enthusiasm. However, there were a couple of winners, and with their pending premieres, I thought I'd pass along a heads up.

Heroes - One of the first new shows I heard about, one of the last I watched, but overall? Quite possibly my favourite of the pilots. Well-written, well-cast (Milo Ventimiglia, Ali Larter, Greg Grunberg (!!!), and the fabulous Masi Oka), and well-acted, the pilot Heroes introduces us to ordinary people just as they're discovering some extraordinary powers. At a concept level, it maybe sounds a little cheesy, but the end result was actually very dark, very gritty, and completely engaging. Heroes premieres this Monday at 9/8c on NBC, before Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.

Also on NBC is Kidnapped. While not a show I'll probably watch due to it falling just behind the really obscene number of other shows I've got on my agenda, it's still worth mentioning. Movie-calibre cast (Jeremy Sisto, Delroy Lindo, Mykelti Williamson, Timothy Hutton, Dana Delany, and though he's not credited in IMDb as such, I swear to god Doug Hutchinson is in it as the guy behind the kidnapping), interesting premise (the season-long mystery will be solved in the finale, and replaced by an entire new kidnapping plot in season two, if it makes it that far), and decent writing make it something to keep an eye on if you're looking for a good suspense program this fall. Kidnapped premieres tonight on NBC, at 10/9c.

And speaking of movie-calibre casting... Smith premiered last night on CBS, and holy crap. Ray Liotta, Virginia Madsen, Simon Baker (SIMON BAKER!!!), Amy Smart, and Johnny Lee Miller star in yet another attempt to capture the glory that is BBC's The Hustle. Much to my surprise, it comes close. While it lacks the glorious whimsy of The Hustle, this is actually part of what makes it succeed. It's more of a drama than a comedy (though there are some great moments of levity, thanks to the smoking hotness that is Simon Baker's munitions expert), more about thieves than con-artists, and the differences help to avoid direct comparisons with the greatest heist show of all time. The team in Smith has a definite chemistry and sense of history that draws you in right from the beginning, and the art heist in the premiere was well-plotted and made exciting by the moments where things didn't go according to plan. While I really wasn't looking to add another show to an already tight schedule, I think I'm going to have to make room for this one. And not just because I love Simon Baker.

Note, in my last Fall Preview, I mentioned that the apocalyptic Jericho, premiering tonight, would be up against LOST. This was an error on my part. LOST has moved to the 9/8c timeslot, while Jericho remains at 8/7c on CBS, so there will be zero conflict to taint your armageddon. Don't forget to watch!