There's a lot of bad TV out there. But there's also a surprising amount of really good TV, and with the start of each new season there are shows that just rise like the proverbial cream to the top.
There's more cream this season than might have been expected, given NBC's odd decision to replace its prime-time 10 p.m. grown-ups-only time slot with – Jay Leno. (That does make for some odd choices for the 8 p.m. slot, on the network that comes in ratings dead-last for a reason.)
Several new shows that stand out include the ABC mockumentary-style comedy Modern Family, which is, in a word, hilarious. Three families – one of them two gay men and their recently adopted baby daughter – have intersecting members, and as such, represent the blended America most of us now inhabit. This, of course, makes for many, many opportunities for humor.
The great comic bits stand out, but there is an overall tone of barely suppressed hilarity that continually bubbles just below the surface. If you aren't laughing, you may not have a sense a humor and should see your doctor, health-care plan permitting. (Wednesdays.)
A quirkier new comedy is NBC's Community. The promos for this managed to highlight scenes that out of context held no humor whatsoever, but then that's NBC. They can't even get a good promo going for 30 Rock, despite the major Emmy haul, Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin. Go figure.
Joel McHale (The Soup) is singularly dead-pan funny and does stand out as the show's guiding comedic light, but Chevy Chase is quite good as an aging philanderer. Ken Jeong is also stellar as the Spanish prof in this superb multi-cultural cast. Alas, Community is on the hits-heavy Thursday-night lineup, so Hulu might be another option if you can't fit this small gem into your regular viewing.
Serial killing never seemed to be a topic for humor, naturally. Then came Dexter. The show's fourth season began Sept. 27 with a whole new perspective, now that Dexter is married and has a new baby.
Some shows simply would not work without certain actors. Could there be Monk without Tony Shaloub's by-turns frantically funny and painfully poignant performance? No. Dexter is much the same. Michael C. Hall imbues the character with such depth and nuance that we fall for the killer every time, and have come to see his vantage point over the course of several seasons. Not enough to become killers ourselves, hopefully, but nevertheless understanding where our friendly neighborhood sociopath is coming from.
We also have to applaud Julie Benz for being the perfect foil for Hall as his sweet, complicated but endlessly understanding wife, Rita. Benz previously played Darla, one of the most vicious and soulless vampires to ever walk fangdom in both Buffy, the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off, Angel. The difference between Darla and Rita is worlds and an eternity apart, yet Benz's got it down perfectly. Superb casting makes for great TV. There are many good shows on Sunday nights, but Dexter is the best of the best.
Sibling rivalry
Also returning for a new season on Sundays is Brothers & Sisters. We were slow to warm to this "family drama," but the level of dysfunction (plus the gay characters) lured us in. Sally Field is often a bit over-the-top as the suffocatingly understanding matriarch, but other performances, like Rob Lowe's as a moderate Republican politician, are consistently understated and thoroughly engaging.
Another new show we recommend is ABC's much-anticipated (and rightly so) FlashForward. If you like Lost, you will love FF – it's cut from the same complex, political, worlds-collide and laws-of-physics-are-upended cloth. But be warned: this is not a show where you can miss an episode and pick up where you left off. But it is monumentally compelling. (Thursdays.)
Also back for another gripping season is Fox's Dollhouse. Joss Whedon (Buffy, Angel, etc.) is a cult favorite, to be sure, but what a cult it is. Dollhouse is likely the best sci-fi-ish show in the entire TV landscape, and has such a lesbo-erotic underpinning that it has great queer appeal as well. Eliza Dushku is fabulous as Echo, the lead "doll" in this extra-governmental place, The Dollhouse, where operatives are sent to make dreams come true and do quite different work at the same time. The metaphors about identity, and who we are, are mind-altering. (Fridays.)
Then there is the TV we don't watch. ABC's major hit Dancing with the Stars falls into that category. It's not that we don't like dancing, we do. A lot. Fox's So You Think You Can Dance is a really excellent talent show. Fox's new hit Glee is also dance-worthy. (And it stars Jane Lynch, lesbian actor par excellence, at her dead-pan best in the new show.)
Dancing with the Stars just isn't dance-y enough for us. Too much back-story about people we never believed were stars, and who can't dance. (Okay, George Hamilton maybe, but his son Ashley? And we'll also give ABC the Osmonds, but many of these other folks we never even heard of. Dancing with Some Stars and a Lot of Wannabes would be a more accurate title.)
Yes, we said it: They can't dance. It doesn't matter how much Cheryl or Eddyta or Maxim do to help their two-left-feet partners, these "stars" are not dancers. Now, we thought Susan Lucci did a great job when she was on a few seasons back, and when you factor in (portrait in the closet) that the soap diva is in her 60s, even better. And we had fun with Cloris Leachman, who at 83 was at least able to move across the floor, which already meant she was doing better than most of the folks she shared the stage with. But Juliet Prowse, Cyd Charisse and Fred Astaire, these folks are not.
That said, we did have to look at the season opener just to catch "The Hammer," Tom DeLay, former Majority Leader of the House (pre-disgrace), cut the rug. As train wrecks go, though, it wasn't much of one. We used to believe that DeLay was first minion to Satan (that would be Dick Cheney), but now he just looks silly and even more badly dressed.
Interestingly, he was not the most despicable person on the show. Macy Gray managed to fill that slot, cursing her way off the show. So much for reviving her career. Incivility really is making a comeback. Alas. Bruno Tonioli was actually admiring of DeLay's dancing, noting that it was part magic, part tragic, and that DeLay was "crazier than Sarah Palin." No doubt the audience will keep DeLay around for comic relief. Catch his bits on Hulu or YouTube (it was nice to see him crawling, we admit).
Kelly Osbourne is also on DwtS this season. She looks amazing, and is making every effort to actually dance. For sheer aplomb, she deserves a vote, if you are so inclined.
Anatomy habit
We had hoped we'd kick our Grey's Anatomy habit over the summer. Really hoped. But we didn't. We just had to see George officially die and Izzie officially live. And we had to find out if Callie was going to be a lesbian still, and still be in love with Arizona, or if Arizona was going to be one of the casting cuts that were rumored, and Callie was going to go back to sleeping with men.
Callie and Arizona are still a couple. Really a couple. And Arizona is so perfect for Callie that it almost makes up for not having Olivia and Natalia around anymore since Guiding Light ended on Sept. 18. Almost. This is, however, the singular overt lesbian relationship on a major show. One.
Speaking of major lesbians, we just aren't sure how Ellen is going to play out as the replacement for Paula Abdul on American Idol. But Paula Abdul did a fantastic take on Ellen on Ellen that is worth watching. Check it out on YouTube. Who says Paula is insane?
We can't imagine Simon being able to take Ellen for long. While Paula was able to retreat to her own world, Ellen isn't likely to just let things go. Expect fireworks.
Speaking of fireworks, is the thrill gone for Luke and Noah on As the World Turns? Luke moved out of the love nest and back in with his mother after Holden's accident. Now Noah is asking where he fits into Luke's life. Meanwhile, Mason is just waiting in the wings to see what will transpire. It's clear he wants to be far more than just a mentor to Noah. Much as we love Luke and Noah together, it might be nice to see a fresh menage a faggot on the tube. Especially since Mason is so sexy.
Over at One Life to Live, there's another threesome in the works. Oliver and Kyle are not quite getting it together, but Nick is ready to move in with Kyle. OLTL will be promoting a major queer storyline throughout October. Dorian (Robin Strasser) is going to marry another woman (yes, the hopelessly het Dorian is doing this to get an edge in the mayoral election, and the other woman is also African American!). Then she's going to officiate at a series of same-sex weddings. Among them will be Kyle and Nick. Of course, Llanview is in Pennsylvania, which doesn't have legal same-sex marriage, but that isn't going to stop Dorian. (More on this next column as the big day approaches and more is revealed. Robin Strasser has a huge queer following, so it will be interesting to see the response to this un-PC plotline.)
Finally, our bon mot of the week comes from the delightful and ever-so-erudite Rachel Maddow. The other night she introduced a segment of her show with "The L word is back! No, not lugubrious! Liberal!"
Be still our lugubrious, liberal hearts. And stay tuned.