By Francesca Sales, News Correspondent
The fall semester has started, and with it a slate of new fall TV shows. Many are premiering within the next months, but will old fans of cult favorites,– such as the recently-ended “Lost”– take the bait? Sure, your TV calendar might already be filled with current hit series like “House” and “Glee,” but perhaps it’s time to make some room on your planner. Here’s a small sampling of what you can look forward to this season:
1. The Event
In this mystery thriller, Jason Ritter (of “The Class” fame) leads the cast as Sean Walker, a geek-next-door who inadvertently stumbles upon a presidential assassination attempt and a CIA cover-up, among other things, in the midst of investigating the disappearance of his girlfriend Leila (“Disturbia’s” Sara Roemer). Sean’s decoding of various interconnected riddles will eventually impact the lives of many previously disconnected individuals, among them the President (Blair Underwood), an inmate leader of detainees (“E.R.’s” Laura Innes), and even Leila’s father (Scott Patterson from “Gilmore Girls”). Suggestive of a combination between “Flash Forward” and “Heroes,” this has the potential to be NBC’s “Lost,” (or so they hope). Only time will tell if it will become the cult favorite that “Lost” still is. The show premieres Monday, Sept. 20 at 9 p.m. on NBC.
2. Hawaii Five-O
Australian actor Alex O’Loughlin (“The Shield”) portrays detective Steve McGarrett, with Scott Caan (“Varsity Blues”) and Daniel Dae Kim (“Lost”) playing his partners Danny Williams and Chin Ho Kelly (respectively) in this remake of the hit 1970s cop procedural. O’Loughlin’s character returns to Hawaii to investigate the murder of his father, and under the governor’s orders creates an elite task force for the job. The makers of this reboot plan to add the twist of McGarrett being a former Navy Seal and a car-restoring aficionado. Additionally, Grace Park (“Battlestar Galactica”) plays Chin Ho’s cousin and rookie detective Kona and possibly a potential love interest. Will this new version capture as many fans as the old one? The show premieres Monday, Sept. 20 at 10 p.m. on CBS.
3. Nikita
CW’s new thriller-drama stars Hong Kong starlet Maggie Quigley (“Mission Impossible: 3”) in the title role, a gone-rogue spy and assassin. Her mission is now to try and take down Division, the secret government organization that targets teenagers from troubled backgrounds and erases any trace in their memories of their former lives, turning them into cold-blooded spy-assassins. The catch is it’s the very same agency that first enlisted her. The series is a remake of the 1990 French movie of the same name and the popular 1997 Canadian TV series “La Femme Nikita,” and also stars Shane West (“A Walk to Remember”) as Division operative and trainer Michael. The show premiered Thursday, Sept. 9 at 9 p.m. on the CW.
4. Boardwalk Empire
Steve Buscemi (“Reservoir Dogs”) leads the cast of this new HBO series, as crooked politician Enoch “Nucky” Thompson. The show is set during the American Prohibition and takes place in Atlantic City, N.J. in the 1920s. The series is an adaptation of Nelson Johnson’s bestseller “Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times, and Corruption of Atlantic City.” With the executive producers including Emmy-award winning writer Terence Winter (of “The Sopranos”) and Martin Scorcese directing the pilot episode, the installment promises to attract a large, shoot-’em-up fanbase. The show premieres Sunday, Sept. 19 at 9 p.m. on HBO.
