Barrelhouse Takes on the New Fall Season

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip -- This show's well-written enough that it's forced me to reconsider my position on both Matthew Perry and Amanda Peet, which, believe me, is really saying something.

The Class -- Here's the premise of this show: A doofus tries to impress his girlfriend by rounding up everyone from their third grade class for a party -- and not only do people show up, their lives are indelibly linked afterward. If this set-up sounds intriguing to you, by all means tune in. And then smack yourself over the head with a mallet, because you're the reason so many crappy sitcoms get put on the air.

Friday Night Lights -- The jury's still out on this one. I wasn't a big fan of the movie, which I thought glossed over some of the book's more interesting sociological observations about life in West Texas. So far the TV show seems to have potential -- Kyle Chandler is particularly good as the new coach -- but it's maybe a little too Varsity Blues, minus the bad Dawson-Leery-trying-to-sound-tough-and-Southern element, of course. I'll probably keep watching, though, because I love football. Plus NBC's making it hard to avoid by airing each episode roughly eighteen times a week.

How I Met Your Mother -- God, this show pisses me off. It would be one thing if it was just consistently lousy and I could stop watching (see: The Class). But all the secondary characters are really funny and fun to watch -- on a recent episode, Doogie Howser Barney takes Nick Andopolis Marshall out to meeet girls, but then keeps stealing the girls for himself with his "Do you like magic tricks?" line. High-larious. On another episode, Barney leaves a note for his one night stand explaining that he's in fact a ghost who's only allowed to appear in the flesh once every ten years -- maybe, the note says, he'll see her again in a decade, "if [she] hasn't lost her figure." Unfortunately, we eventually have to go back to the main storyline about dopey Ted and his pie-faced girlfriend and God I just want to smash them both in the back of the head with a fucking brick. Do the show's writers know how annoying Ted is? Are they setting us up for a twist ending in which we find out he's been narrating the entire story from The Great Beyond after getting run over by a delivery truck? Is that too much to ask?

Grey's Anatomy -- Speaking of annoying narrators, am I the only one who finds Meredith unbearably whiny and self-absorbed, even by the admittedly lowered standards of television dramedy? Really? Just me, huh? I'm all alone on this one?

The Office and My Name is Earl -- still really, really funny.

Men in Trees -- Quirky single girl from the big city trapped in Alaska. Not enough cliche potential for you? What if I told you she was a relationship advice expert? Whose fiance recently cheated on her? Yeah, there we go.

Brothers and Sisters -- I've been Tivoing this, but I've only mustered the energy to watch the first episode, which seemed a little ... I don't know .... rudderless, maybe? There were a lot of characters, and a lot of yapping, and then someone died, and maybe there's a financial scandal? Also, Calista Flockhart plays a conservative pundit, which is pretty much the only way Ally McBeal could become less likeable.

Everybody Hates Chris -- I think this show's really funny. Why aren't you watching it? Because you people like to disappoint me.

So there you have it. I'm sure I've left out some shows -- both good and bad ones. So feel free to add your own reviews in the comments.