Thoughts on Fall Lineup: Wednesdays

Quite a few new shows on the Wednesday schedule.  Over on ABC, Modern Family and Suburgatory (in a new slot) are staples for me, and I'll be checking out Nashville with the hope that it will erase the memory of totally-fell-flat Country Strong and maybe actually prove to be what I had hoped for that movie (plus a catty Hayden Panettiere should be interesting).  Predicting these will rate solidly with the audience.  On the flip-side for the alphabet network, The Neighbors, about a family that moves into a subdivision filled with quirky aliens, has been getting the worst pre-season reviews of any new show.  "It's not Third Rock from the Sun!" the critics rant ... when a new show is this universally hated, I basically am going to have to watch just to see for myself ... with any luck it'll be so bad it's funny, or at least lend itself to be adapted into a drinking game ...

A couple of other not-so-well-received sitcoms are moving in (temporarily until the ratings settle anyway) on NBC - Animal Practice (vet running an animal clinic) and the title-wise even more self-explanatory Guys with Kids.  I thought the concepts for both were ridiculous and cliche.  However, having watched each pilot, I was actually pleasantly surprised.  No no, neither is a cutting-edge show that will take comedy to a higher level a la Arrested Development or other such pioneering (or just excruciatingly funny) shows, but neither was really offensively bad either.

Disclosure: I LOVE monkeys and babies, so the above paragraph may be a bit biased ... but seriously, the monkey in Animal Practice is my favorite new character this season, no contest.  It looks like the Hangover II monkey and reminds me of Ross' Marcel on Friends - most brilliant thing ever.  **Edit** It IS the Hangover II monkey - awww!  Her name is Crystal : )

Finally, the CW (not big on procedurals or reality TV, so this is all that's left).  The trailer for Arrow was sort of a mixed bag - the acting seemed inconsistent, and the Smallville Green Arrow story is still pretty fresh on this fan's mind, but it is dark and seems to follow a plot.  Will try to give it a chance.  Haven't watched the recent seasons of Supernatural, but it certainly has been a workhorse for the network.  Wishing it the best of luck on its new night (no competition with other genre shows - should draw in and retain the fanboys - not much more can be asked for).