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| Jennifer Garner of “Alias” |
By Scott Huver, Hollywood.com Staff
ABC
All times EST/PST
Returning Shows
Alias
The Players: Jennifer Garner, Victor Garber, Michael Vartan, Ron Rifkin, Merrin Dungey, Carl Lumbly, Kevin Weisman, David Anders
Major Changes: With Alias‘ emphasis on double agenting, practically every new development constitutes a major change.
What’s Ahead: The re-emergence of Sydney’s long-lost mom (Lena Olin) will place her daughter’s life in jeopardy, even as she exerts greater influence on Sydney and reopens old wounds for Jack; Dixon questions Sydney’s true allegiances; Sloane makes a career advance but questions if it’s for the better; Will gets sucked deeper in Sydney’s world; and Syd may find romance.
Premieres: Sept. 29; airs Sundays at 9 p.m.
The Practice
The Players: Dylan McDermott, Camryn Manheim, Kelli Williams, Steve Harris, Lisa Gay Hamilton, Michael Badalucco, Lara Flynn Boyle, Marla Sokoloff
Major Changes: Jessica Capshaw joins the cast as fresh-faced Jamie Stringer, a new associate straight out of law school. Ron Livingston is out as D.A. Lowe.
What’s Ahead: Even those of you who were tempted to think David E. Kelly’s legal drama had jumped the shark had to be intrigued by Lindsay’s conviction for murder last season–look for her imprisonment, Bobby’s personal and professional torment and a hard-fought appeal to come.
Premieres: Sept. 29; airs Sundays at 10 p.m.
My Wife and Kids
The Players:Damon Wayans, Tisha Campbell-Martin, Jennifer Nicole Freeman, George O. Gore II, Parker McKenna Posey
Major Changes: More of the same Wayans wackiness.
What’s Ahead: The one-hour season premiere sends the Kyles on vacation in Hawaii, where Janet thinks guest star Tyson Beckford is trying to flirt with her. Also this season Colombian bombshell Sofia Vergara makes a guest appearance as a samba dance teacher, and look for a guest appearance by Damon‘s sister Kim Wayans (also a story editor on the show).
Premieres: Sept. 25; airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m.
NYPD Blue
The Players: Dennis Franz, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Gordon Clapp, Henry Simmons, Charlotte Ross, Bill Brochtrup, Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon, Esai Morales, Jacqueline Obradors, Austin Majors, Joe Spano
Major Changes: Entering its tenth season, Steven Bochco‘s venerable cop show once known for pushing TV’s envelope may sharpen its edges yet again. On the cuddlier side, Austin Majors, who plays Sipowicz’s son Theo, becomes a regular cast member.
What’s Ahead: Sounds more like Melrose Place than the 15th Precinct: Clark and Ortiz’s romance sizzles until Clark’s name shows up on a hooker’s john list (or is it Clark Sr’s?); Baldwin discovers a pushy female officer has eyes for him and won’t take no for an answer, while ADA Valerie is surprised by the depths of her own feelings for the hunky detective; John the PAA may find a boyfriend; Lt. Rodriguez’s ex may stop by; and Connie’s younger sister’s attempts to leave an abusive ex complicates anything–and we mean anything–that’s happening between Connie and Sipowicz. Another Dennis Franz nude scene, anyone?
Premieres: Sept. 24; airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m.
Notable New Shows
Eight Simple Rules…
The Players: John Ritter, Katey Sagal, Kaley Cuoco, Amy Davidson, Martin Spanjers; based on Bruce Cameron’s best-seller, produced by director Tom Shadyac (Liar, Liar)
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The Upshot: A dutiful dad (Ritter) copes with the hormonal coming of age of his two teen daughters, much to the bemusement of his tart-tongued wife (Sagal).
The Down-Low: Ritter proved he could handle sex-crazed bombshells for ABC in the ’70s–but because they’re his daughters this time, he might insist they wear bras.
Premieres: Sept. 17; airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m.
Life with Bonnie
The Players: Bonnie Hunt, Mark Derwin, David Alan Grier, Marianne Muellerleile, Anthony Russell, Samantha Browne-Walters, Charlie Stewart
The Upshot: Hunt (who also exec produces) finally finds a vehicle for her exquisite improv skills to play Bonnie Malloy–wife, mother and TV talk show host; her home life is scripted, her talk show segments–featuring non-actors–are not.
The Down-Low: Hunt, one of the funniest females on the planet, should have been a household name years ago; fortunately she put her name in the title here.
Premieres: Sept. 17; airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m.
Push, Nevada
The Players: Derek Cecil, “a dazzling array of guest stars,” co-writer/producer Ben Affleck
The Upshot: Mild-mannered IRS agent (Cecil) heads to the mysterious desert tiny town of Push to solve the puzzle behind some missing money; every episode contains clues that, if calculated correctly at season’s end, could help one real-life viewer actually win the cash in question.
The Down-Low: Sure, Affleck won an Oscar, but isn’t this essentially a case of the network literally paying viewers to watch their show?
Premieres: Sept. 17; airs Thursdays at 9 p.m.
More Newbies:
Dinotopia: The Series (Oct. 10) picks up where last season’s miniseries chronicling a family’s adventures in a dinosaur-ruled utopia left off Thursdays at 8 p.m.; Less than Perfect (Oct. 1) has Sara Rue, Andy Dick and Eric Roberts climbing a vicious corporate ladder in a sitcom from ex-Sex in the City scribe Terri Minsky Tuesdays at 9:30 p.m.; another set of HMO-challenged MDs (Sept. 25) fight the system on Wednesdays at 10 p.m.; and That Was Then (Sept. 27) has star James Bulliard time-tripping between ages 30 and 16–the second such network series this season–on Fridays at 9 p.m.
The Rest of the Schedule:
The Wonderful World of Disney (Sept. 29) summons the magic Sundays at 7 p.m.; The Drew Carey Show (Sept. 9) rolls its Buzz beer barrels to Mondays at 8 p.m., followed by Whose Line Is It Anyway? (Sept. 9) at 8:30 p.m and Monday Night Football (Sept. 9) at 9 p.m.; According to Jim (Oct. 1) returns Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m.; George Lopez (Oct. 2) bows on Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m.; first we get a new The Bachelor (Sept. 25) before last season’s runner-up Trista becomes next winter’s The Bachelorette Wednesdays at 9 p.m.; Primetime Thursday (Sept. 12) returns Thursdays at 10 p.m.; America’s Funniest Home Videos (Sept. 27) rolls tape 8 p.m.; and 20/20 (Sept. 13) puts the latest news in focus Fridays at 10 p.m.
Bryson York contributed to this story
