ABC fall television lineup is no breath of fresh air

Yes it’s that time of year again. The fall broadcast television lineups are being announced now. And as usual there is a dearth of anything really woryth watching if you have a mental capacity above that of a kindergarten kid.

NBC so far seems to be satisfied with its current lineup. There seems to be little if any change. Bully for them.

But ABC is going all out. They are frantic with hopes of drawing viewers away from cable, which offers a far superior quality and range of shows worth watching. Here are a couple of “new” ideas from ABC.

Shark Tank – not what you think. Yes it’s a reality show. But instead of people having to survive being in a tank with sharks (hopefully with bleeding cuts if they are so stupid) this is a remake of a popular British television show Dragon’s Den. And that was a remake of an old Japanese television show to boot.

Still the program might be interesting and inspire some to start their own business. I wouldn’t be surprised if it is funded by the Obama Stimulus Paclkage. Even odds it will make one season.

Castle – the revisioned remake of Murder She Wrote will continue for another season. Odds are that this is the final season.

The Forgotten – in a twist on the current anti-war, anti-military theme of late this show will emphasize the paranoia and mistrust of the Government. Viet Nam vets are released from North Viet Nam after 17 years. They are then interrogated, and likely pursued, by the Government outside of the U.S. Expect a run at Republicans in this show. Odds are it won’t make the season.

Oh another bright spot is Cougar Town. Single mom trolls for young men while raising teenaged son. That’s a family show. Plus it has Courtney Cox, so all the single guys alone on a Wednesday will have something to do.

Then there is Flash Forward. Well this is like Lost, with a better timeline. Or maybe Quantum Leap with far more people. Though you have to take a leap to get the origin point of the story.

The World blacks out, and sees their future. Everyone. When everyone wakes up (minus the people that died in plane crashes, on operating tables, and so on) they now have to decide if they will continue on that path. Which is stupid. Because the second anyone does change what they saw, it’s ripple effect changes things for everyone.

But since Lost and Quantum Leap have done so well, this will likely go 2 seasons.

I could go on but you get the gist. Watch some DVD’s of old quality television, or find something on cable.