The new TV shows of 2009 debuting as midseason replacements.

[Barbados Slim]

ABC

CASTLE
(Nathan Fillion, Stana Katic)
Monday, March 9 at 10 p.m.
Richard Castle, a successful mystery writer, has just killed off his main character--but now a real murderer is mimicking the crimes detailed in Castle's books, and the writer must help the NYPD trail and trap the killer.

This looks very much like Bones. I can't get into Bones. I like Fillion but if he's not working with Whedon, it's usually not that awesome.

CUPID
Tuesday, March 24 at 10 p.m.
Get ready for the resurrection of Cupid, Rob Thomas' failed 1998 series about a man who believes he is Cupid himself, sent to Earth with the task of matching 100 happy couples without the aid of magic.

Such a weird idea to remake a show that wasn't a hit in the first place. I'll check it out because I like Thomas and Veronica Mars but these high-concept rom-com hourlongs always fail (Love Monkey, The Ex-List, Cupid, Miss Match)

THE UNUSUALS
(Harold Perrineau, Adam Goldberg, Amber Tamblyn)
Wednesday, April 8 at 10 p.m.
This new "comedic procedural" follows Casey Schrager, an undercover vice detective whose devotion to honesty lands her a spot on the homicide squad.

I couldn't care about Tamblyn but I like Adam Goldberg and I have the uber-hots for that latina from The Dark Knight and she's in it.

CBS

HARPER'S ISLAND
(Katie Cassidy, Gina Holden, Harry Hamlin, Richard Burgi)
Thursday, April 15 at 10 p.m.
Described as a "13-episode mystery event," Harper's Island will tell the story of a group of family and friends who arrive on an isolated island to celebrate a wedding--and wind up being murdered one by one. Everyone's in danger, everyone's a suspect, and things can only get stranger once the season begins.

I'm in because this is close-ended and has been compared to Twin Peaks. However, it's CBS and if it ain't a procedural, they don't know how to do it.

NBC

KINGS
(Ian McShane, Susanna Thompson, Wes Studi)
Thursday, March 19 at 10 p.m.
Deadwood's own Ian McShane stars as King Silas in this modern-day reimagining of the biblical dale of King David.

This sounds awesome. I'm in.

SOUTHLAND
(Tom Everett Scott, Regina King, Michael Cudlitz)
Thursday, April 9 at 10 p.m.
This promising NBC drama project puts the spotlight on the lives of police officers living and working in Los Angeles. Southland is produced by John Wells Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television.

I hate cop procedurals, but I like LAPD based shows. This seems like that show from the 90s with Blair Underwood, High Incident. Or like the Julian/Dani stuff on The Shield. Count me in.


FOX

LIE TO ME
(Tim Roth, Kelli Williams)
Wednesday, January 21 at 9 p.m.
Catch the series premiere of this new drama, which stars Tim Roth as Dr. Cal Lightman, the world's leading expert on deception detection. Watch as Lightman and his team dig deeply into the criminal world with an unwavering mission to uncover the truth, whatever it may be.

Nope. Too stupid.

DOLLHOUSE
(Eliza Dushku, Amy Acker, Reed Diamond, Tahmoh Penikett, Olivia Williams)
Friday, February 13 at 9 p.m.
YES--Joss Whedon's latest series is finally here, complete with a starring role for Buffy alum Eliza Dushku. Penetrate the strange world of the Dollhouse, a top-secret organization that rents out human beings whose minds have been wiped clean and imprinted with whatever information their clients desire.

I haven't been this excited for a new series in forever. I will watch it, even if it sucks, even if it's cancelled, to the bitter end, because it's Joss.

 

[Harvey]

Since I don't have television right now, I won't be tuning into any new programs (it's hard enough to find the time and a computer to stream 24 and Battlestar Galactica online). That said, Ian McShane and Wes Studi in anything sounds good to me.

I have an intense man-crush on Fillion, but he can't seem to get a break on television, whether it's on the decent but doomed to cancellation Firefly and Drive, or the abysmally shallow and doomed for renewal Desperate Housewives. Castle looks incredibly short-sited in its premise. Which might be a good thing, because I gather it will be gone sooner rather than later.

 

[Barbados Slim]

Grain of salt but I heard from someone in television. They said Kings was awful, Castle was really good and Harper Island is "amazing."