2011 Pilot Scoop

Good news for those who love traditional sitcoms and seeing men dressed up as women: ABC is introducing midseason comedy Work It tonight, about two men (Ben Koldyke and Amaury Nolasco) who can't find good jobs because of the poor economy. When they hear that pharmaceutical sales are hiring, they jump at the chance — but there's just one catch: they prefer to hire women, so obviously, they just decide to dress as ladies.

Where it works: If you're a fan of slapstick and prefer light TV fare, there are definitely some silly moments that may allow you to escape (then again, if you've been hit hard by the recession too, it may not be such an escape).

Where it doesn't: There is one joke on this show: men dressing as women. It gets old fast.

You might like this show if: You really miss Tom Hanks's '80s sitcom Bosom Buddies.

When it's on: Tuesdays at 8:30 on ABC.

Keep reading to see some photos and a preview of Work It.

Most of the new shows of Fall have already aired, but there are still a few left waiting in the wings, like new new Fox sitcom I Hate My Teenage Daughter, which premieres tonight.

What it's about: Two friends and single moms (Jaime Pressly and Katie Finneran) bond over the fact that their respective teen daughters have become mean girls after years of being spoiled. Not only are they terrorizing their high school classmates, the girls also undermine their mothers in this half-hour comedy.

Where it works: The humor is a bit funnier than typical sitcom fare because the writers aren't afraid to get edgy portraying how mean the teenage girls are. Plus, Pressly and Finneran have some good chemistry as women who are kind of afraid of their kids but also want to be their best friends.

Where it doesn't: Pressly and Finneran start to get pathetic in their desperation to please their daughters. Their relationships with the girls also come off as a bit inauthentic.

You might like this show if: You miss Pressly since My Name Is Earl went off the air, or you really like traditional, formulaic sitcoms.

When it's on: Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m. on Fox.

Watch a preview for I Hate My Teenage Daughter when you read more

Most of Fall TV's new shows have already bowed, but tonight brings some more fresh meat with the spooky NBC drama Grimm. It's one of two Fall shows that has a heavy fairy-tale theme (the other is ABC's Once Upon a Time).

• What it's about: The life of a soon-to-be engaged homicide detective turns upside down when he starts seeing horrific visions. Nick (David Giuntoli) learns that his hallucinations of ordinary people morphing into monsters aren't hallucinations at all — they're an inheritance. As it turns out, Nick is one of the last living members of the Grimm family, and those fairy tales are actually true. Now that Nick has the power to sniff out the evil that's lurking inside certain criminals, he has an edge at work, but his life is in danger.
• Where it works: We all know that vampires, werewolves, and the like are so hot right now, and the supernatural twist definitely sets Grimm apart from your typical cop drama. The pilot centers on the Little Red Riding Hood fairy tale, and if each episode centers on one story, it could make for a fun series.
• Where it doesn't: The premise has a lot of potential, but there's so much supernatural setup to get through that we don't get much character development. Nick seems vanilla at best, and you can't build a must-see series around a forgettable leading man. Plus, as the pilot tries to set up the rest of the series, some of the dialogue discussing the magical elements comes off as forced and silly.
• You might like this show if: You favor the creepier side of supernatural series (like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The Vampire Diaries) over the love story side.
• When is it on? Fridays at 9 p.m. on NBC

To watch a preview of Grimm, just read more

Believe it or not, NBC's Grimm isn't the only upcoming TV show inspired by a fairy tale. Tonight, ABC will unveil Once Upon a Time, a new drama that explores the idea that fairy tale characters are real — they've just forgotten who they are.

What it's about: Jennifer Morrison stars as Emma Swan, a woman who gets an unexpected visit from a 10-year-old boy on her 28th birthday. When she takes him back to his hometown of Storybrooke, the lonely lad tries to convince her that the Wicked Queen in his fairy tale book cursed everyone in the Enchanted Forest (like Snow White, Prince Charming, Rumpelstiltskin, and so on) by taking away their happy endings. Now they're living regular lives (Snow White is a teacher) with no recollection of their magical past. Though Emma is skeptical, we learn that she is, in fact, the key to making everything right again in Storybrooke.

Where it works: The pilot has cheesy moments, but it also has enough edge and twists to keep me invested. I was happy to see both Ginnifer Goodwin (as Snow White) and Morrison back on the small screen, and they both fit their roles nicely (though Goodwin is a teeny bit bland). The juxtaposition of the characters in their magic lives and real world is also fun to see; the kid in me enjoyed each new character reveal (Pinocchio, Little Red Riding Hood, etc.), and there are plenty more that aren't even touched on in the first episode.

Where it doesn't: The special effects are a little cheesy, and none of the leading men was particularly compelling. I'm also skeptical of how far the show can go beyond one season since the premise hangs on whether or not Emma can send the fairy tale characters back home.

You might like this show if: You still love old-school Disney animated movies.

When it's on: Sundays at 8 p.m.

To see pictures and a preview of Once Upon a Time, just read more

There are ton of new shows fighting for your attention this Fall, and Man Up! enters the mix tonight as one of ABC's comedy contenders. Mather Zickel plays Will, one third of a group of lifelong guy friends, which also includes Dan Fogler and Christopher Moynihan (who is also the series' writer and exec. producer). The guys struggle to define their masculinity in the face of their romantic relationships, jobs, and friendship.

Where it works: The cast has some funny members, like comedian Fogler, Jake Johnson (who plays Will's son), and Henry Simmons, who plays an intimating but friendly beefcake.

Where it doesn't: The characters are a little uninspired. What's even worse is they feel like clones of those on other shows, like Will's wife Theresa (Teri Polo), who is a carbon copy of Modern Family's Claire. It's even eerier that Polo and her onscreen husband Zickel are so physically similar to Claire and Phil.

You might like this show if: You wish Modern Family had a bigger focus on the lives of the adult male characters.

When it's on: Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m. on ABC.

To see photos and a video preview of Man Up!, just read more

It's been over a decade since Tim Allen was a staple sitcom dad on Home Improvement, but he's giving it another shot with tonight's premiere of ABC's new comedy Last Man Standing. Once again, Allen is playing an alpha male, only this time he's living in a house filled with ladies instead of raising three sons (he's a little less accident prone this time around, too).

What it's about: Allen plays Mike, a father of three daughters who loves his family but also needs his fix of masculinity — which he gets from working for a catalog for men. When his boss (Hector Elizondo) cancels the catalog in favor of a website, Mike finds himself faced with the challenge of spending more time at home and wrestling with a new technology he's not totally comfortable with.

Where it works: Allen's still got his comedic timing, and he slips back into the dad role with the greatest of ease. Though the crux of the show lies in Mike's need to assert his manhood whenever he can, he still comes off as a believable doting dad rather than a pig.

Where it doesn't: Though Allen and Nancy Travis (who plays his wife) have easy chemistry, their daughters are a lot more one-dimensional and come off as kind of annoying. The show also feels very much like a '90s sitcom, which might not still hold up in the days of less traditional family comedies like Modern Family.

You might like this show if: You miss Tool Time.

When it's on: Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on ABC.

To see some photos and preview of Last Man Standing, just read more

Tonight, CBS brings us a new odd couple in How to Be a Gentleman, a comedy that pairs an exceedingly polite, buttoned-up guy named Andrew (David Hornsby) with macho trainer Bert (Kevin Dillon). When the former classmates reconnect for the first time since high school, they agree to form a friendship that can help Andrew loosen up and Bert tidy up.

• Where it works: I was happy to see Flight of the Conchords's Rhys Darby bringing some of the humor as Andrew's brother-in-law, and Dillon has one singing bit that works.
• Where it doesn't: Most of the characters are irritating and the jokes fall flat. The premise feels like it's been done before, and I had a hard time getting by Hornsby as the leading man.
• You might like this show if: You're a die-hard Johnny Drama fan.
• When it's on: Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. on CBS

Watch a preview of How to Be a Gentleman when you read more

ABC is adding another family comedy to its Wednesday night lineup this Fall, but this time the family unit is only two: father and daughter pair George and Tessa (Jeremy Sisto and Jane Levy). In Suburgatory, George decides it's time to leave Manhattan when he finds a box of condoms in high schooler Tessa's room. He moves them into a big house in the suburbs, where Tessa feels like an outsider among the foreign culture of malls, SUVs, and fake classmates.

Where it works: The dialogue is wickedly funny. Tessa is whip smart while still being a realistic, clever teen (without being too snarky). She's not the only asset to the cast: Cheryl Hines is hilarious as big-haired neighbor Dallas.

Where it doesn't: The show is cute but it may not be distinctive enough from other family comedies like Modern Family to attract viewers.

You might like this show if: You wish Daria had been a live-action comedy.

When it's on: Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m. on ABC.

To see some photos and a video preview of Suburgatory, just read more

Rachel Bilson hasn't starred on a TV series since her breakout role on The O.C., but she's heading back to the small screen tonight for the premiere of The CW's Hart of Dixie. This time around, she plays Zoe Hart, a confident doctor with dreams of being a cardiothoracic surgeon. Her plans change when she's informed that she's in need of a serious bedside-manner adjustment before she can get a promotion. Zoe then heads to the deep South where a job as a general practitioner awaits her. Naturally, her NYC attitude isn't exactly welcomed with Southern comfort when she arrives.

• Where it works: It's good to see Bilson back on TV, and though I didn't immediately take to Zoe, I was definitely warming up to her by the end of the episode. Plus, fish-out-of water shows come with plenty of entertaining fodder, from Zoe's criticism of her new community to jokes about having the rare female doctor in town. The pilot also sets up plenty of drama for the rest of the season, from relationships to family secrets.
• Where it doesn't: Bilson has no problem playing a beautiful girl with a side of sass, but Zoe's personality makes it hard to take her seriously as a doctor. Zoe is supposed to have graduated at the top of her class at medical school, but she often comes across as a valley girl. The pilot also goes a bit overboard with the Southern theme: all the country music and bad accents grow tiresome after 40 minutes.
• You might like this show if: You'd happily watch an O.C. spinoff where Summer becomes a doctor and moves to Alabama (sadly, without Seth).
• When it's on: Mondays on The CW at 9 p.m.

To watch a preview of Hart of Dixie, just read more

The success of Mad Men has inspired TV to go back to the '60s, and the new Fall slate has a couple of contenders set in the same era as AMC's hit. ABC has the drama Pan Am, set in the friendly skies and the city the legendary airline was based out of: New York. The series, which premieres tonight, follows a group of stewardesses (they weren't yet flight attendants, you see) and pilots as they navigate their love lives and their travel routes — with a dose of some Cold War mystery thrown in for good measure.

What it's about: The core group of stewardesses is led by bohemian Maggie (Christina Ricci); Kate (Kelli Garner), a young woman getting caught up in the spy game; and her sister, Laura (Margot Elise Robbie), a beautiful girl escaping a prosaic life in the suburbs for a career.

Where it works: The pilot plants the seeds of some entanglements (both romantic and otherwise) and a few secrets under the surface without revealing too much. Plus, they manage to make the airline industry fascinating and glamorous, which would probably not be the case if it were set in present day.

Where it doesn't: Ricci is the most recognizable face in the cast, but her character seems the least interesting of the bunch — bad news if she ends up getting the most focus.

You might like this show if: You like to imagine that the life of a jet-setting flight attendant is exciting.

When it's on: Sundays at 10 p.m. on ABC.

To see some photos and preview of Pan Am, just read more