Every year around September, TV addicts brace themselves for an onslaught of new shows and the return of old favorites, which signify the start of the Fall TV season. This is a time when a great number of new shows from all the TV networks in the US gamble with their timeslots by showing new, untested programs. Some will succeed and have a number of shows gaining audiences. Some will fail and will have new shows canceled in just a few episodes – or maybe even in just one! Then there are the really lucky ones who will have a runaway hit on their hands. These are shows that become water cooler topics and closely followed by millions all over the world. Below are some shows for Fall 2010 that may have the potential to become huge hits:
1. Walking Dead
Based on the award-winning comicbook series by Robert Kirkman, The Walking Dead is the story of a bunch of people who try to survive in a world that has been overrun by zombies. This can become a huge success for three reasons. First, Frank Darabont is directing the series and we all know how well he makes movie adaptations of literary materials – just look at The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile. Second, Robert Kirkman’s comics is excellent source material. It is a deftly written story, with characters you will really feel and root for. The story is not so much anchored in horror but in human relationships, with the overarching theme being ‘how do you survive in a world that has gone to hell?’ Lastly, zombies are cool! Who wouldn’t want to watch a story involving zombies week in, week out?
2. Nikita
Nikita could be considered both a remake and an adaptation. It is based on the Luc Besson movie of the same title, which was remade into a Hollywood movie starring Bridget Fonda and then turned into a short-lived TV series years ago. If you’re thinking that this is going to be more of the same, oft-repeated story of a femme fatale assassin, then think again. The new series not so much as remakes the Nikita lore but moves it forward. The series will tell the story of Nikita AFTER she ran away when her fiancé was killed. This is Nikita taking revenge on the government unit that created her. With sexy Maggie Q in the lead, this can become the go-to series for the action junkies.
3. Raising Hope
White trash humor never gets old especially if it is superbly written. If you loved the quirky, almost unPC humor of My Name is Earl then you’ll love Raising Hope. The new series, also written by My Name is Earl creator Greg Garcia, is about a dysfunctional family who try their best to raise a baby name Hope. Sounds typical enough, right? Until you see the family that is, and the fact that Hope’s mom died from the electric chair. The situations the whole family gets into is just hilarious and will make you want to watch succeeding episodes as soon as it airs.
4. The Event
With Lost gone and FlashForward failing miserably to live up to the lofty expectations heaped on it, The Event is the de facto ‘weird’ show this fall. Practically taking pages off the ‘Lost’ book, The Event will keep you guessing in each episode and will also leave you with more and more questions as each episode ends.
5. No Ordinary Family
No Ordinary Family could be described as The Incredibles meets Heroes. It’s the story of a family that is growing apart but find themselves gifted with superpowers. It’s described as a dramedy, and it’s one of the rare times when you can honestly say it’s the right label being used. Michael Chiklis is excellent as the loving dad and this could prove to be another series that will be a regular addition to people’s TV viewing schedule.