What to watch, what to watch, what to watch.

Ah September, the month made for couch potatoes, the networks unleash their new season of brilliance upon an entertainment deprived populace and hope like hell, that not too many have migrated to the pay channels over the summer never to be seen from again.

This year sees more than a few interesting approaches for the TV diet, with a possible Armageddon holding down the fort on NBC, Two shows about a weekly late night comedy show, using the ever popular show within a show genre and the run of usual crime and terror type shows, including a much anticipated CBC project, Intelligence; from the creators of Da Vinci’s inquest.

The upcoming season which is already under way as we cobble together our little effort here, has been described by a few critics as perhaps the strongest one offered up in a long time. A welcome change from the steady staple of dreck we’ve seen over the last few years. A glut of programming that has probably done wonders for the bottom line at Movie Central with its vault of excellent shows such as The Wire, Brotherhood, The Soprano’s, Rome, Deadwood and others.

Such is the impact of the premium channels now that the over the air ones have to counter program not only their fellow networks, but those programs punching out over the cable and satellite systems.

The Big Buzz show so far is apparently on NBC, Studio Sixty on the Sunset Strip, a project from the folks (the original folks, Aaron Sorkin and Thomas Schlamme) that brought us the West Wing, back when it was as they say must see TV. Its set in the world of the weekly late night television show, modeled to a degree on Saturday Night Live we assume and has much of the same thing that made West Wing the hit it was for so many years, a good ensemble cast, some terrific dialogue and a filming style that is all action all the time. Taking on the backstage antics of a long time fixture of NBC's, shows that at least they still have their sense of humour over at 30 Rock.

As with the West Wing we had best put on our walking shoes, as the shows main characters seem to wander around a lot off to do important things in record time.

This quote from John Doyle of the Globe and Mail tells you all you need to know about the show: “The actors on the fictional show are hideously neurotic and ego-driven, the writers are back- stabbers and the network execs are callous creeps.”

Now that sounds like at least a few seasons of material available there for NBC. The debut show featured guest stars such as Ed Asner portraying a network big shot and Judd Hirsch (it seems that Hollywood Liberals will have a place to hang out at for the season) as the embattled producer of the title show. He makes a Network like diatribe during a live broadcast, his live from LA soliloquy seals his fate as a one time guest star and paves the way for stars Bradley Whitford and Matthew Perry to begin to weave their TV magic.

After the first sixty minutes of Studio Sixy, there’s a good chance it may live enough lives, to make it to the Holy Grail of syndication.

Another interesting concept for a TV program is CBS's Jericho, set after some unmentionable apparently nuclear incident somewhere in the southern USA; over the weeks we will be introduced to a cast of characters who will be endeavouring to carry on their lives, while the world around them has gone to hell in a hand basket. Of course we’re not sure how much entertainment there is in a program, in a real world where terrorists and rouge states are supposedly on the cusp of doing what Hollywood has long suggested was possible. Maybe it can double as a training film for when destiny calls.

How they can keep the program current week after week will be interesting to watch, once you’ve seen the mushroom clouds forming on the horizon it’s kind of hard to think of what comes next. There probably won't be a CSI or Law and Order like spin off factory for this one.

One other program that is getting a bit of attention is The Knights of Prosperity an offering from ABC , which had a sudden name change from Let’s Rob, which takes a satirical look at the rich and famous and what should be done with them.

In the case of the Knights it’s to rob them blind apparently, the debut episode on October 17 targets Mick Jagger and his New York condo for a criminal intervention.

There’s a lot of pomposity with the rich and the famous, so a show that levels the field and wreaks its revenge probably has a pretty good future... And well you can't really go wrong with a motto "to rob from the rich to give to the poor, us."

Fox didn't seem to get a high regard this time around, perhaps the success of 24, House and Prison Break is resulting in creative decline at the home of the Simpsons, the only show that I found that had a bit of buzz to it was Standoff, and it was more of a bu, bu bu, rather than buuuuuzzzz. The debut episode last week didn't leave me circling the calendar as a must watch hour.

Those are just three of the crop that caught my eye; I’m certainly not going to go over the entire shopping list of network canned goods tonight. In fact, I’m sure more than half of these epics will be cancelled before I even get to watch an episode.

Should I spot one that catches my interest and I figure has a long shelf life (or gets canned despite my admiration) I’ll post my thoughts in my It’s Showtime blurbs.

Of course the real sharp knives can be found on the internet web sites.

Television without Pity, regularly reviews and praises the worthy and eviscerates those shows that don’t quite make the grade. They do a great job of keeping a viewer up to speed and at times, their capsules are actually more entertaining than the shows they review.

Another site I stumbled across tonight (Who knew what you could find out on CNBC!) is Brilliant But Cancelled a website that is a treasure trove of television goodies. Including, their very own Death Watch sweepstakes where you can log on and cast your vote for those shows that are going to be optioned off to Satan for inclusion in the circles of hell television rotation. As I write this I’m glancing at a train wreck called Wife Swap, Satan you have a winner!

TV.com is more of a straight ahead information site, where you can pick up tidbits and reviews of your favourite shows. Not quite as cynical or mean as the Pity site but still a worthwhile stop in your quest for information.

For those not wishing to sit through hour after hour of really bad TV looking for gems, we’ll finish things off with a few of the TV critics and their choices for the upcoming season.

A season where dreams are floated and crash down to earth in record time, leaving the careers of actors, writers, directors and network execs lying in the streets in tatters.

Hmmm, that reminds me, I think I have an idea for a pilot….

The sooth Sayers say:

John Doyle, Globe and Mail

Elaine Corden, The Tyee.ca

Heather Havrilesky, I LIke to Watch, Salon.com

Salon's TV pages, Salon.com

TV Club, Slate.com

Entertainment Weekly, EW.com