Television, 2010

Hellcats (The CW):
Revolves around Marti (played by Alyson Michalka), a college student from the wrong side of town. When she loses her scholarship, she is forced to look for a new one and tries out for (and makes) the cheerleadering squad. Hilarity ensues, one would presume...because there's nothing funnier than college cheerleading squads.

Terriers (FX):
An ex-cop (played by Donal Logue) partners with his best friend in an unlicensed private investigation business. Hilarity ensues, one would presume...because there's nothing funnier than unlicensed private investigators.

Nikita (The CW):
A secret organization known as "Division" takes troubled teens and turns them into spies and assassins. The title character (played by Maggie Q) escapes and tries to destroy the organization that trained her.

Outlaw (NBC):
Supreme Court Justice Cyrus Garza (played by Jimmy Smits) resigns from the bench to start his own law firm, as a way to more directly promote the ends of justice.

Boardwalk Empire (HBO):
Adapted from Nelson Johnson's book, "Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times, and Corruption of Atlantic City", and starring, amongst others, the ever brilliant Steve Buscemi, this is the story of the rise of the crime-ridden Atlantic City, mostly focused during the Prohibition era.

Lone Star (Fox):
Con-man Robert Allen (played by James Wolk), leads a double life - and in one of them, is working his way to the top of the Texas oil business.

The Event (NBC):
Trying too hard to be Lost, this show features Sean Walker (played by Jason Ritter), as a man who - while investigating the mysterious disappearance of his girlfriend - begins to discover the biggest cover-up in U.S. history.

Mike & Molly (CBS):
A Chuck Lorre production, this sitcom features Officer Mike Briggs (played by Billy Gardell) and fourth-grade teacher Molly Flynn (played by Melissa McCarthy), who meet at Overeaters Anonymous and fall in love. Hilarity ensues, one would presume...because there's nothing funnier than fat people.

Chase (NBC):
Annie Frost (played by Kelli Giddish) is a deputy U.S. Marshal. She and her high-priority fugitive-apprehension team trace down dangerous criminals in South Texas...because, it would appear, there's a high concentration of wanted fugitives there.

Hawaii Five-0 (CBS):
A remake of the original series, it will follow an elite unit/task force set up to fight crime in the state of Hawaii. It's a safe bet that the central character will be Chin Ho Kelly (played by Daniel Dae Kim - whom most of you will probably recognize as Jin Kwon from "Lost"). I'll take a break here to mention that Mr. Kim will also be appearing in a movie coming out in 2011 which has a premise that fascinates me: The Adjustment Bureau.

Raising Hope (Fox):
Jimmy Chance (played by Lucas Neff) must raise his infant daughter, conceived during a one-night stand, with the help of his family after the baby's mother is sent to jail. Hilarity ensues, one would presume...because there's nothing funnier than extra-marital sex, mothers doing jailtime, or single-parenting.

Running Wilde (Fox):
Re-uniting Will Arnett and David Cross (respectively, GOB and Tobias from the brilliant-but-cancelled "Arrested Development"), this comedy series features Arnett as the filthy-rich, immature playboy Steve Wilde, who is trying desperately to win (or buy) the heart of his childhood sweetheart, Emmy (played by the always beautiful Keri Russell ) - all told through the perspective of a 12-year-old girl.

Detroit 1-8-7 (ABC):
Detective Louis Fitch (played by the dashing Michael Imperioli) is a respected while deeply misunderstood man fighting crime on the streets of Detroit.

Undercovers (NBC):
"Created" by J. J. Abrams, this show appears from the advertising to be a respin of the awesome action flick "True Lies". Samantha and Steven Bloom (played respectively by Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Boris Frederic Cecil Tay-Natey Ofuatey-Kodjoe - man, I sure hope I spelled those correctly!) are a husband/wife spy team who, somehow, are pulled out of retirement. Hilarity ensues, one would presume...because there's nothing funnier than spies.

Better With You (ABC):
Maddie and Ben (played, respectively, by Jennifer Finnigan and Josh Cooke) have been dating for nine years and are happy despite their relationship not advancing in that period. Things begin to change, however, when Maddie's younger sister Mia announces that she is pregnant and is about to marry Casey, a guy that she has only known for seven weeks - and their parents, who've been married for 35 years and have their own issues, approve. Hilarity ensues, one would presume...because there's nothing funnier than getting pregnant out of wedlock, getting a divorce, or grown adults behaving like teenagers.

The Defenders (CBS):
Jerry O'Connell (ah, Andrew, how you have fallen!) plays Pete Kaczmarek*, who is described as "a free-wheeling playboy" while Jim Belushi plays Pete's partner Nick Morelli, described as "very passionate about his work and the clients he helps". Hilarity ensues, one would presume...because there's nothing funnier than Jim Belushi being the straight man to Jerry O'Connell.

The Whole Truth (ABC):
Jimmy Brogan (played by Rob Morrow - wait, Numb3rs got cancelled?!) plays opposite Maura Tierney in a legal drama which chronicles legal cases from the points of view of both the prosecution and the defense.

My Generation (ABC):
A mockumentary which alternates between on the lives of several teens just before their graduation, and their lives ten years later. No one worth noting to appear as a main character.

$#*! My Dad Says (CBS):
Reportedly pronounced as "Bleep My Dad Says", this show based on the twitter feed "Shit My Dad Says", appropriately stars none other than The Shat Himself as a 72-year-old curmudgeon who has been divorced three times, and lets his grown son move back in because (as a professional blogger) the son can't make rent. Hilarity ensues, one would presume...because there's nothing funnier than The Shat.

Outsourced (NBC):
An adaptation of the film by the same name, it's the story of Todd Dempsy (played by Ben Rappaport) who - when his job is outsourced - travels to India to train his replacement. Hilarity ensues, one would presume...because there's nothing funnier than American jobs being outsourced to India.

Blue Bloods (CBS):
Frank Reagan (played by Magnum, P.I.) is the patriarch of a multi-generational family of cops who will stop at nothing to see justice served. Hilarity ensues, one would presume...because there's nothing funnier than that guy's mustache. Oh, sorry - this one is supposed to be a drama...

No Ordinary Family (ABC):
Jim Powell (played by The Commish The Shield The Thing...wait...) is the patriarch of a family that suddenly find themselves endowed with superpowers. Hilarity ensues, one would presume...because there's nothing funnier than Michael Chiklis' career.

Law & Order: Los Angeles (NBC):
It's just like Law & Order. Except, Los Angeles.

School Pride (NBC):
It's just like "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition". Except, schools.

Walking Dead (AMC):
Based upon the Image comic book series of the same name, the show follows a small group of survivors traveling across the country in the wake of a zombie apocalypse. I don't recognize any of the actors reportedly attached to the show.

Luther (BBC):
Detective Chief Inspector John Luther (played by Idris Elba who also played Charles Miner on NBC's "The Office" and Stringer Bell on HBO's "The Wire" - I like this guy a lot) works in London's SCU ("Serious Crime Unit"). The press releases on this show describe the character as a combination of "both Sherlock Holmes and Columbo". I don't normally highlight BBC shows in this post, but I think this one deserves special mention.



* By the way, how weird is it that you have a character named "Kaczmarek" in a legal "dramady" while Jane Kaczmarek is starring in another legal "dramady"?