Tuesday of Fall Launch week brings the return of several shows, including Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (CTV at 10; tomorrow night at 9 on NBC), the Rick Mercer Report (CBC at 8), This Hour has 22 Minutes (CBC at 8:30), Being Erica (CBC at 9), Dancing with the Stars (results, ABC and CTV at 9), The Biggest Loser (NBC and City at 8), Glee (Fox and Global at 8), NCIS (CBS at 8, tomorrow night on Global at 9) and NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS and Global at 9). As for the brand new shows:
Raising Hope (Sept. 21, 9 p.m., Fox)
A family of misfits face an unexpected challenge: raising a baby. The off-kilter cast–Lucas Neff, Martha Plimpton (The Good Wife), Garret Dillahunt (Deadwood), Skyler Stone, Shannon Marie Woodward and 84-year-old Cloris Leachman–give Hope an indie film feel.
STARWEEK RATING: Critics are wildly divided on this one. Some can’t stand this freaky family, others can’t get enough of them. All I know is that there are moments in the pilot that are laugh out loud funny and others that are surprisingly sweet and touching. That’s enough to make it my favourite new show of the season.
Running Wilde (Sept. 21, 9:30 p.m., Fox)
A rich, arrogant jerk (Will Arnett) tries to woo an old high school sweetie (Keri Russell). One’s a tree hugger, the other’s a silly bugger. Hilarity ensues.
STARWEEK RATING: It’s from Mitch Hurwitz, God to critics who still mourn the loss of Arrested Development. So why was this pilot such a shocking misfire? Scrub that hurried mess out of your memory banks, Hurwitz begged critics at press tour. Sweeping changes in cast and tone are coming (including the addition of Arnett’s Bluth buddy David Cross). Now they just have to rename it: Arrested Expectations.
Detroit 1-8-7 (Sept. 21, 10 p.m., ABC)
…Maple Leafs nothing. Michael Imperioli (The Sopranos) plays a detective patrolling the mean streets of Motor City in this gritty drama. A fine cast, including Jon Michael Hill, Natalie Martinez, Aisha Hinds and a surprisingly sober Shaun Majumder (This Hour Has 22 Minutes).
STARWEEK RATING: Canadian networks, not needing a Tuesday at 10 fix, passed on this series. That doesn’t mean it’s not a good cop show. It’s just that there are already 187 cop shows.
