Contemplating the 2009-2010 TV Season

Have I shied away from talking about the television season as of late? I haven't meant to, but have the feeling that I may have and consequently have spent a lot of time trying to figure out exactly why that may be the case.

The first question I asked myself — the most important question — is whether the issue lay with me or with television. Quite clearly, I'm not the problem, how could it possibly be me? No, the problem lies with television — as excited as I was for the new season to begin, as excited as I am about some of the shows that are currently airing, there feels like there is less there this year than in past years.

Some of that is easily explained away with the simple fact that there is less. Jay Leno takes up five hours of prime real estate in primetime, hours that I used to spend watching stuff like ER, My Own Worst Enemy, Southland, and Law & Order. I didn't always like those shows and what they delivered, but (save for the latter seasons of ER) I always watched.

I think, though, that fewer options actually feeds into the real problem — I just haven't found that new show to watch, that new show in which I get so heavily invested that I feel compelled to praise it to the heavens or trash it mightily week after week.

Don't mistake that, however, for my not really enjoying some of the new programs airing. I was highly anticipating ABC's Wednesday night lineup (everything but Hank anyway), and while I may have dropped Eastwick from my schedule, I really am enjoying The Middle, Modern Family, and Cougar Town (and dying to see tonight's episodes). I stated on Screen Time last night that while Cougar Town was initially my favorite, last week's Modern Family was absolutely brilliant — a great bit of television and I'm embedding the episode below so that you can marvel in its hilarity. I think ABC's risky proposition of an all-new Wednesday night lineup, one populated with a two-hour sitcom block, is working brilliantly, at least from 8:30 to 10:00. What they're going to do with the rest of the night I'm not quite sure.

Let me also say that I really am looking forward to some stuff this fall, things that I'm pretty sure that I'll rant and rave about. V is coming. Sure, it's only coming with four episodes before the new year, but that just may be enough to get me hooked, and I'm definitely a sucker for the premise (and the original).

So, in conclusion, don't worry. There's still a ton of television out there and as the season progresses I'll be there to point out all the good, the bad, and the ugly. Because, if there's no one around to tell you just how bad Brothers is (and it is bad), you may make the mistake of tuning in, and no matter how much you scrub (or watch Rocky), you'll never feel clean again. Seriously Carl Weathers, why… why are you doing this? If you're that desperate for cash surely we could start a collection for you.

And now, to try and wipe away that horrific memory, Modern Family.