Today's Entertainment

COVER STORY The ones to watch for: The fall TV season's top new shows By TMS Writers © Zap2it new shows come rushing at viewers: Which ones should I watch? It's a quandary every fall, as With a few weeks left until the 2012-13 season officially begins, here's some early help. The pilot episodes for upcoming series have been available to industry insiders, and — based on those first blushes that also sold the programs to their respective net- works — here, in alphabetical or- der, are Tribune Media Services TV writers' recommendations for the ones to keep an eye on. "Elementary" (CBS, Thurs- receives orders to fire warheads at Pakistan, but it comes via a channel to be used only if the U.S. homeland is destroyed. Skeptical, the captain questions the order and is subsequently relieved of command, after which the sub is fired on by a U.S. war- ship. Crippled, the vessel crawls to days, premieres Sept. 27): Sir Ar- thur Conan Doyle's 19th-century consulting detective is already a hit in the 21st century with PBS' London-set "Sherlock," but Hol- mes and Watson hit the streets of New York in this sharp take on the oft-adapted tale. British actor Jonny Lee Miller gets to keep his native accent as a drug-addicted Sherlock Holmes, and "South- land" veteran Lucy Liu gender- switches Dr. Watson — now named Joan — who's Holmes' sober-living companion. The American series doesn't go for the whiz-bang visual ef- fects of the British show, but Holmes is just as irascible here, while Watson may be prettier if a bit grumpier. Asked if a man and a woman can really be friends, Miller said he thought they could but added that it may mean "friends with benefits." There's no indication of any sort of romance in the pilot, but executive produc- er Rob Doherty promises arch- nemesis Moriarty and Sherlock's dad. Fast, fresh and fun. (Kate O'Hare) days, premieres Sept. 27): In a world on the brink of war, a U.S. nuclear submarine in the Indian Ocean connects with Navy SEALs on the run from an unseen enemy. The sub's captain "Last Resort" (ABC, Thurs- a rustic tropical island, where the crew members soon find them- selves at odds with the corrupt mayor and at war with their own country. But where, exactly, did the order to fire come from? And why is their own country trying to kill them? From executive producers including Shawn Ryan ("The Shield," "The Unit"), "Last Resort" plays like an addictive thriller with a hint of island whimsy, though the mixture of the two can seem a bit incongruous at times. The ensemble cast includes Andre Braugher ("Homicide: Life on the Street"), Scott Speedman ("Felic- ity"), Daisy Betts ("Sea Patrol"), Autumn Reeser ("Entourage") and Robert Patrick ("The Unit"). (George Dickie) "Nashville" (ABC, Wednes- ("Glee") revolves around commit- ted male couple Bryan and David (Andrew Rannells, Justin Bartha), who decide to have a baby with a sweet single mom (Georgia King) as their surrogate ... to the unmitigated horror of her nar- row-minded grandmother (Ellen Barkin). Murphy's clearly on Team days, premieres Oct. 10): It's too easy to call this a country version of "All About Eve" or another rendition of "A Star Is Born," which is some of the buzz. The drama — starring Connie Britton ("Friday Night Lights") as a coun- try singer whose star is on the descent, and Hayden Panettiere ("Heroes") as one whose star is on the rise — is its own show. Beautifully written by Callie Khouri ("Thelma & Louise"), the series portrays believable tension between the women. Both ac- tresses really sing, and the city of Nashville is featured prominently. Unlike in the Bette Davis classic, Rayna (Britton) never takes the younger Juliette (Panettiere) un- der her wing. Rayna knows how nasty and dangerous this woman is from the start, and after work- ing her way up, certainly not without a few bumps, Rayna is Camille de Pazzis, Sahr Ngaujah, Autumn Reeser, Jesse Schram, Scott Speedman, An- dre Braugher, Daniel Lissing, Daisy Betts and Dichen Lachman (from left) star in "Last Resort," premiering Sept. 27 on ABC. not going to abdicate her crown so easily to an overly confident upstart. (Jacqueline Cutler) "The New Normal" (NBC, Gay here, but he's even-handed enough to show (at least initially) that Bryan is a shallow preppie who views the prospective child as the ultimate accessory, one he wants to customize like a new car. Barkin, meanwhile, barks outrageously bigoted lines that would make Archie Bunker blush. The conservative group One Mil- lion Moms — the folks who tried to get Ellen DeGeneres fired as the face of JCPenney — have called for a boycott of the show sight unseen, not that they were Murphy's target audience any- way. Did we mention the series is very, very funny? (John Crook) "Vegas" (CBS, Tuesdays, pre- mieres Sept. 25): To start with, there's the title — which always makes the imagination leap, on television or otherwise, with visions of glittering marquees and high-kicking showgirls. In this case, though, the subject is largely how Las Vegas became Las Vegas as mirrored by the experiences of real-life Sheriff Ralph Lamb. Played in perfectly stolid style by Dennis Quaid, he's tasked with instilling a sense of law and order in a region sud- denly teeming with newcomers looking to stake their own claims. Tuesdays, premieres Sept. 11): Reflecting a growing national ac- ceptance of gay parenting, this new sitcom from Ryan Murphy Money tied up in old 3 x 3" ad 2 – AUGUST 26 - SEPTEMBER 1, 2012 – BRAINERD, MN/DISPATCH furniture? Sell it in the Classifieds!!! 1 x 4" ad 855-5898 2 x 4" ad

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