Remote fantasies: Science fiction provides premise for several fall shows

A VAMPIRE AND A TIME TRAVELER. A collector for Satan and a bionic woman. A man who can bring people back from the dead, but only for a minute. And a slacker turned secret agent with a spy database inside his skull. Add it all up and what do you get? Well, you get the slate of new fall TV shows, but more than that, you get evidence of television’s newfound love for science fiction and fantasy. Blame it on “Heroes.” Blame it on “Lost.” Blame it on “Battlestar Galactica.”

But reality is out and unreality is in this fall. TV does this, of course: A bandwagon is better than a BMW for TV execs. Last year, the bulk of new shows were serials, with complicated, ongoing plots that aped “Lost” and “24.” Nearly all of them tanked. But “Heroes” was the serial that survived. And so the networks went looking for shows that looked like comic books, shows about people with superpowers, shows about the battle between good and evil.

If Harry Potter and “The Lord of the Rings” left you cold, however, never fear: There are also police procedurals (only some of which involve vampires and superpowers), a handful of pretty standard sitcoms, a teen soap opera or two, and the usual spate of lawyer shows. So, you won’t be forced into fantasy. Here’s everything you need to know about the new shows to plan your remote possibilities. Shows marked with a star are my favorites.

WHAT’S NEW FOR THE FALL TELEVISION SEASON

ABC

“SAMANTHA WHO?” 8:30 p.m. Mondays, premieres Oct. 15

The plot: A woman awakens from a coma with amnesia and discovers that the old her wasn’t a very nice person.

The buzz: Christina Applegate tries on yet another sitcom for size. It’s mildly funny, but formulaic.

“CAVEMEN,” 7 p.m. Tuesdays, premieres Oct. 2

The plot: Cavemen step out of Geicoads and into modern society.

The buzz: The pilot turned the cavemen into a not-so-subtle allegory for race in America. That was apparently too touchy for the network, which is re-shooting the whole thing. Who would have thought a simple insurance commercial could cause so many problems?

“CARPOOLERS,” 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays, premieres Oct. 2

The plot: A group of men bonds behind the wheel.

The buzz: Roadkill.

“PUSHING DAISIES,” 7 p.m. Wednesdays, premieres Oct. 3

The plot: A man has the power to bring the dead back, but only for a minute. If they live beyond that, someone else must die. If he ever touches them again, they’re dead for good. And the love of his life is now one of them. So is his dog.

The buzz: This Technicolor bit of whimsy feels lifted straight out of a Tim Burton movie, circa “Edward Scissorhands.” Like Burton’s movies, though, there’s a chilliness behind the bright colors and quirky characters, which may not wear well in a weekly series.

“PRIVATE PRACTICE,” 8 p.m. Wednesdays, premieres Sept. 26

The plot: “Grey’s Anatomy’s” Dr. Addison Montgomery heads for sunnier climes and the pitfalls of private practice.

The buzz: It’s deeply weird that ABC gave the post-“Grey’s” slot to “Big Shots” rather than this spinoff with the former Mrs. McDreamy, especially since “Private Practice” doesn’t completely stink. “Completely” is the operative word . . . but “Grey’s” fans should find some stuff to like.

“DIRTY SEXY MONEY,”

9 p.m. Wednesdays, premieres Sept. 26

The plot: Nick George’s father spent his whole life taking care of the multibillionaire Darling family. Nick would do anything to stay away from them. But money has a way of changing everything.

The buzz: Peter Krause (“Six Feet Under,” “Sports Night”) is a critical darling, no pun intended, but he appears to be miscast in this campy soap opera. Donald Sutherland, on the other hand, seems to be having great fun hamming it up as the Darling patriarch.

“BIG SHOTS,”

9 p.m. Thursdays, premieres Sept. 27

The plot: They’re rich, they’re successful, they’ve got problems — it’s “Sex and the City” for wealthy, male jerks.

The buzz: Not good. Given the high-powered cast — Dylan McDermott, Michael Vartan and Christopher Titus — you’d expect to find at least one likable character. But no.

“WOMEN’S MURDER CLUB,”

8 p.m. Fridays, premieres Oct. 12

The plot: A cop, a district attorney, a medical investigator and a reporter compare notes to solve crimes. And they’re all women.

The buzz: The concept is trite and condescending — exactly why can’t these women work with their male colleagues? And the pilot does nothing to dispel that idea.

CBS

“THE BIG BANG THEORY,”

7:30 p.m. Mondays, premieres Sept. 24

The plot: Two nerds try to get a little closer to their sexy new neighbor.

The buzz: Stupid in the way that only TV writers trying to be smart can be.

“CANE,”

9 p.m. Tuesdays, premieres Sept. 25

The plot: A family of Cuban immigrants has risen to prominence and power in Florida. Now, they have to fight to keep it.

The buzz: With Jimmy Smits and Nestor Carbonell heading the cast, “Cane” is bound to get a few hearts beating. The complicated plot may be too smart for its own good, but there are enough good pieces here to give it a chance.

“KID NATION,”

7 p.m. Wednesdays, premieres Wednesday

The plot: A reality show that took 40 kids, plopped them down in a New Mexico ghost town, and let them run things for 40 days.

The buzz: This is already the most-talked-about show of the fall, but for all the wrong reasons. Allegations of breaking child labor laws and child endangerment have plagued the show, but if it can make it to air, the premise is original enough that viewers should tune in.

“MOONLIGHT,”

8 p.m. Fridays, premieres Sept. 28

The plot: He’s a PI. And a vampire.

The buzz: CBS didn’t provide a screener for this one — not a good sign, given the warmed-over Anne Rice vibes it’s giving off. Wasn’t this already a show in the 1990s — the syndicated “Forever Knight”?

“VIVA LAUGHLIN,”

7 p.m. Sundays, premieres Oct. 18

The plot: An idealistic Nevada dreamer tries to build his casino, and America sings along.

The buzz: This is an adaptation of the BBC’s “Viva Blackpool.” It’s not exactly a musical — the characters sort of sing along with originals rather than go strictly karaoke — but it’s close enough to a musical to remind folks of “Cop Rock.” That’s not a good thing. And stars Hugh Jackman and Melanie Griffith aren’t going to save it.

CW.

“ALIENS IN AMERICA,”

7:30 p.m. Mondays, premieres Oct. 1

The plot: Two up-and-coming parents try to rescue their nerdy son from high school oblivion by bringing in an exchange student. Too bad the exchange student is from Pakistan, forcing their small Wisconsin town to deal with an honest-to-Allah Muslim in their midst.

The buzz: One of the funniest shows of the fall, “Aliens” is the kind of quirky show that could grow into a cult favorite, if the CW can exercise a little patience.

“REAPER,” 8 p.m. Tuesdays, premieres Sept. 25 The plot:

A slacker stocker at a home-improvement store learns on his 21st birthday that his parents sold his soul to Satan, and now the devil wants him to be his bounty hunter, collecting evil souls that have escaped hell.

The buzz: A funny, high-concept vehicle that feels like a Judd Apatow movie (“The 40-year-old Virgin,” “Knocked Up”) with a “Heroes” twist. “Reaper” is hard not to like.

“GOSSIP GIRL,”

8 p.m. Wednesdays, premieres Wednesday

The plot: A pair of middle-class New York teens find themselves in over their heads in the tony, back-stabbing world of an elite prep academy.

The buzz: It would be easy to mock this as a “Beverly Hills, 90210” redux, but “Gossip Girl” has a nasty edge and a stylish flair that “90210” couldn’t touch. If young viewers take to it, this could become the next “The O.C.”

“LIFE IS WILD,”

7 p.m. Sundays, premieres Oct. 7

The plot: A New York vet takes his blended family to live in South Africa, at the safari camp run by his dead wife’s father.

The buzz: Teen angst and tigers! Well, actually, lions and the like. It’s “Crocodile Hunter” meets “The Brady Bunch.” Wait, that sounds terrible . . .

Fox

“K-VILLE,”

8 p.m. Mondays, premieres Monday

The plot: As New Orleans struggles to rebuild from Hurricane Katrina, a cop tries to protect his city and family, and learn to trust his new partner.

The buzz: It’s a dynamite premise for a drama. This drama, however, is far from dynamite. The best thing it has going for it is that it’s shot in New Orleans — the city is by far the most compelling character in this disappointing mess.

“BACK TO YOU,”

7 p.m. Wednesdays, premieres Wednesday

The plot: Kelsey Grammer stars as a hotshot L.A. anchorman who has an on-air meltdown and is forced to return to Pittsburgh, a one-time way station on his trip to the top.

The buzz: Although the setup is as standard as sitcoms get, the show’s writing is sharp, and Grammer is pitchperfect as an arrogant buffoon — a role he’s practically trademarked. Patricia Heaton (“Everybody Loves Raymond”) is also good as the anchor, and woman, he left behind.

“KITCHEN NIGHTMARES,”

8 p.m. Wednesdays, premieres Wednesday

The plot: Chef Gordon Ramsay visits failing restaurants for a toughlove makeover in this reality show.

The buzz: There’s been controversy boiling behind the scenes, with one makeover client claiming Ramsay’s crew planted spoiled meat and broken chairs. Still, audiences keep coming back for more of Ramsay in “Hell’s Kitchen,” so they’ll probably like him here, too.

“THE NEXT GREAT AMERICAN BAND,”

7 p.m. Fridays, premieres Oct. 19

The plot: The powers that be behind “American Idol” try to adapt the formula to launch an entire band.

The buzz: A band competition is simply a harder sell than individual singers, and the Friday time slot doesn’t show much confidence on Fox’s part.

“NASHVILLE,”

8 p.m. Fridays, premiered Friday

The plot: Music hopefuls try to find their way to stardom in the streets of Nashville in this reality show.

The buzz: It’s “The Real World: Nashville.”

NBC

“CHUCK,”

7 p.m. Mondays, premieres Sept. 24

The plot: Chuck, a tech-support geek at a big-box electronics store, accidentally gets a giant spy database downloaded into his brain and finds himself fighting crime.

The buzz: Much like “Reaper,” this slacker-makes-good-comedy show feels like a Judd Apatow version of “Heroes.” Funny but uneven.

“JOURNEYMAN,”

9 p.m. Mondays, premieres Sept. 24

The plot: A newspaper reporter in San Francisco finds himself jumping back in time, drawn by the death of his fiancée and a need to fix other people’s problems.

The buzz: “Rome’s” Kevin McKidd speaks volumes with his perpetually furrowed brow, but the show isn’t much more than a gloomy “Quantum Leap.”

“BIONIC WOMAN,”

8 p.m. Wednesdays, premieres Sept. 26

The plot: Jaime Sommers awakens from a car accident to find herself turned into a cyborg, sucked into a secret government agency and fighting a renegade bionic predecessor.

The buzz: Although the serious update on a cheesy 1970s show is an obvious imitation of the Sci Fi Channel’s “Battlestar Galactica,” the plot here is more comic booky and feels much more like “Heroes.” “Battlestar’s” Katee Sackhoff steals every scene she’s in as Jaime’s nemesis.

“LIFE,”

9 p.m. Wednesdays, premieres Sept. 26

The plot: A cop returns to the force after being wrongly convicted of murder. He deals with the lingering distrust of his fellow officers, and with the millions he got from a wrongfulimprisonment lawsuit.

The buzz: This reminds me of those great ’80s detective shows such as “Matt Houston.” Well, maybe not great, but certainly fun. And “Life” is just that — fun, dumb fun.

CONTACT THE WRITER: 636-0275 or awineke@gazette.com