With my staple viewing piece Heroes thus far not upping the ante in terms of entertainment value and plot excitement, I have turned my attention to a couple of promising newcomer series that premiered this TV season.

And so far so good! Here are the new stuff I fire up on my idiot box:

1. Eastwick is an American television drama series created by Maggie Friedman. The series is a television adaption of the John Updike novel, The Witches of Eastwick, and its 1987 film adaptation. The show premiered on September 23, 2009 at 10:00 PM ET. The show follows the lives of three strangers, Roxanne, Joanna and Kat, who meet at a wishing fountain and soon become friends. A mysterious man named Darryl Van Horne has moved to Eastwick and has sinister plans for the women, but befriends them. Even more dangerous, he unleashes their supernatural powers. By igniting their hearts’ desires, he might just be opening Pandora’s box.

My thoughts: This series looks like it’s a cross between Charmed (starring Shannen Doherty and Alyssa Milano) and some girl-centric comedy drama (think Sex and the City, Lipstick Jungle, or Desperate Housewives). It’s light and frothy fare, a worthy time-passer.

,.,.,.,.,.,

2. FlashForward is a science-fiction television series currently in production by ABC Studios for the 2009–2010 television season for ABC. It is based on the 1999 novel Flashforward by Canadian science fiction writer Robert J. Sawyer. It began airing on September 24, 2009. A mysterious global event causes everyone on the planet to simultaneously lose consciousness for 2 minutes and 17 seconds, during which people worldwide see what may be visions of their lives approximately six months in the future, April 29, 2010. The event results in deaths from accidents and leaves the survivors wondering whether what they saw will really happen.

My thoughts: With no less than Shakespeare in Love’s Joseph Fiennes at the lead, FlashForward looks to be the intriguing sci-fi hit I’d get giddy downloading — much in the mold of Heroes season 1 and Fringe. I’m about to watch episode 2 right after publishing this entry!

,.,.,.,.,.,

3. Melrose Place is an American television series for The CW Television Network,^[1] that premiered on September 8, 2009. The fifth series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise, it is an updated version of the 1990s FOX prime time drama Melrose Place, featuring a group of young adults living in a West Hollywood, California apartment complex. Smallville producers Todd Slavkin and Darren Swimmer are show runners of the series. According to Entertainment Weekly, the first season will feature a murder mystery involving characters Sydney Andrews (Laura Leighton) and Dr. Michael Mancini (Thomas Calabro) from the original series, as well as a crop of new residents.

My thoughts: I watched the original Melrose Place series back in the day, and found the ludicrous partner-switching and shameless betrayals amusing. Soapy, sappy, and full of eye candy, this show looks to be part of my regular downloading stash for a while.

,.,.,.,.,.,

4. Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox. It focuses on a high school show choir, also known as a glee club, set within the fictional William McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio. A pilot episode of the show was broadcast after American Idol on May 19, 2009, and the first season began airing on September 9, 2009. On September 21, 2009, Fox officially gave the series a full-season pick-up. The show was created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian Brennan, and originally envisioned as a film rather than a TV series. Murphy selects all music featured within the series himself, and intends to maintain a balance between show tunes and chart hits.

My thoughts: Glee has the inimitable appeal of old school teenybopper series, laced with loads of crowd-tested musical pop. Surprisingly entertaining to some and hugely successful with most, the series has captured a massive global audience since its debut. I like the good music, the formidable cast, and so far, the bouncy plot. B)