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| “Will & Grace” |
By Scott Huver, Hollywood.com Staff
NBC
All times EST/PST
Returning Shows
Will & Grace
The Players: Eric McCormack, Debra Messing, Sean Hayes, Megan Mullally, Shelley Morrison, Michael Angarano
Major Changes: Will and Grace do it. Just kidding.
What’s Ahead: After being knocked out last season, Grace encounters the man on the white horse, played by Harry Connick Jr, who’ll stick around for at least the first half of the season; Matt Damon returns as Jack’s hetero-posing-as-homo rival; Jack gets a job as the personal assistant of the celebrity he stalks, Kevin Bacon; and the show celebrates its 100th episode with a gay-la, er, gala retrospective with favorite clips and outtakes.
Premieres: Sept. 26, airs Thursdays at 9 p.m.
Ed
The Players: Tom Cavanagh, Julie Bowen, Josh Randall, Jana Marie Hupp, Lesley Boone, Michael Ian Black, Justin Long, Mike Starr, Rachel Cronin
Major Changes: Former stay-at-home mom Nancy becomes a guidance counselor at Stuckeyville High; Daryl “Chill” Mitchell, recently confined to a wheelchair in real life, comes aboard as Eli, the bowling alley’s new manager and clashes with Phil.
What’s Ahead: When teacher Carol and her principal beau return from summer vacation closer than ever, Ed considers leaving Stuckeyville for good; Carol’s relationship may not be as cozy as it appears; and Danny DeVito cameos on the season premiere.
Premieres: Sept. 25; airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m.
Friends
The Players: Jennifer Aniston, Matthew Perry, Courteney Cox Arquette, David Schwimmer, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc
Major Changes: The six become seven with the addition of Emma, Ross and Rachel’s baby, and the show heads toward what looks to be its final episode.
What’s Ahead: We won’t spill the beans about last season’s cliffhanger, in which a lonely Rachel mistook Joey’s discovery of the engagement ring Ross stashed as an offer of marriage, except to say that the season opener is titled “The One Where No One Proposes” and that the triangular relationship will only get more complicated; Paul Rudd guest stars in several episodes as potential suitor for Phoebe; Matthew Perry‘s done a lot of talking lately about he’d like to see the series end with pending parenthood for Chandler and Monica.
Premieres: Sept. 26, airs Thursdays at 8 p.m.
The West Wing
The Players: Martin Sheen, Bradley Whitford, John Spencer, Richard Schiff, Allison Janney, Dulé Hill, Janel Moloney, Stockard Channing and (for a little while longer) Rob Lowe; executive producers Aaron Sorkin, Thomas Schlamme and John Wells
Major Changes: Sam Seaborn (Lowe) will depart the senior staff by year’s end–unless Lowe‘s behind-the-scenes negotiations with producers come to fruition.
What’s Ahead: The campaign to reelect President Bartlet heads to Indiana for the two-hour premiere, where the staff contends with a local volunteer’s romantic woes, the state’s shifting time zones and Josh’s encounter with the proverbial farmer’s daughter. Also, the Prez conducts interviews to replace Mrs. Landingham, a secret assassination threatens to go public and a White House sex scandal breaks.
Premieres: Sept. 25, airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m.
Notable New Shows:
Good Morning Miami
The Players: Mark Feuerstein, Ashley Williams, Jere Burns, Suzanne Pleshette, Tessie Santiago, Brooke Dillman, Matt Letscher; executive producers David Kohan and Max Mutchnick (creators of Will & Grace)
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The Upshot: A hot young TV producer is charged with revamping the lowest-rated (for good reason) Miami morning show, but his real interest lies in the show’s beautiful, down-to-earth hair stylist.
The Down-Low: A strong mix of appealing TV newcomers like Williams and Santiago, savvy vets like Pleshette and Burns and long-burgeoning leading man (Feuerstein). Kohan calls it “the Will and Grace that are actually romantically linked and can make out.” We can’t wait. No, really.
Premieres: Sept. 26; airs Thursdays at 9:30 p.m.
In-Laws
The Players: Dennis Farina, Jean Smart, Elon Gold, Bonnie Somerville (Friends); executive produced by Kelsey Grammer
The Upshot: Newlyweds Gold and Summerville move in with her parents, a flinty Farina and saucy Smart, causing familial sparks to fly.
The Down-Low: Farina and Emmy-winner Smart are pro’s pros, so if there’re laughs to be mined here, they’ll find them. However, Grammer’s previous attempts to launch a series that doesn’t star himself have yet to bear Frasier-esque fruit.
Premieres: Sept. 24; airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m.
American Dreams
The Players: Gail O’Grady, Tom Verica, Brittany Snow, Will Estes, Sarah Ramos, Ethan Dampf, Vanessa Lengies, Jonathan Adams, Arlen Escarpeta, Virginia Madsen; Dick Clark is one of the exec producers
The Upshot: A family’s journey through the turbulent 1960s, as viewed through the prism of pop music (via footage from Clark‘s venerable American Bandstand program)
The Down-Low: So far there’s been lots of hype about current pop stars like Michelle Branch playing ’60s icons like Lesley Gore, but the real buzz should focus on the solid storytelling and vibrant newcomer Snow.
Premieres: Sept. 29; airs Sundays at 8 p.m
More Newbies:
Hidden Hills (Sept. 24) follows two couples Justin Louis and Paula Marshall, and Dondré T Whitfield and Tamara Taylor exploring the wild side of the suburbs on Tuesdays at 9:30 p.m.; and Boomtown (Sept. 29) depicts street crime Rashomon-style through the differing perspectives of various characters on Sundays at 10 p.m.
The Rest of the Schedule:
Dateline NBC continues on Sundays at 7 p.m., while Law & Order: Criminal Intent (Sept. 29) airs Sundays at 9 p.m.; Fear Factor (Sept. 23), Third Watch (Sept. 30) and Crossing Jordan (Sept. 23 at 9:30 p.m.) resume on Mondays at 8, 9 and 10 p.m., respectively; Just Shoot Me (Sept. 24) moves to Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m., followed by Frasier (Sept. 24)–with a Niles-Daphne wedding in the opener–at 9p.m., while a second Dateline NBC airs at 10 p.m.; Law & Order (Oct. 2) again bangs the gavel Wednesdays at 10 p.m.; Scrubs (Sept. 26) makes medicine funny–Ed’s Tom Cavanagh guests as J.D.’s big brother–on Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. while ER (Sept. 26) keeps doctors dramatic with the return of Sally Field and a Carter-Abby romance on Thursdays at 10 p.m.; Providence (Oct. 4) returns on Fridays at 8 p.m., joined by a third installment of Dateline NBC Fridays at 9 p.m. and Law & Order: SVU (Sept. 27) at 10 p.m. And Saturday Night Live launches its 28th season (Oct. 5) with host Sen. John McCain and musical guest Faith Hill in its perennial time slot, Saturdays at 11:30 p.m.
Bryson York contributed to this story
