Unlike last fall when they seemed to be inclined to throw everything at the wall and see what stuck, this season the networks are mostly content to give last year’s writer-struck shows a better shot at gaining an audience. And that lack of effort is apparent in the offerings they have rolled out … because there’s not a lot to get excited about.

The new kids

Will it be 9021-whoa! or 9021-blow?

90210 (The CW, 8 p.m. Tuesdays; already premiered): You’ve got some of the old characters — Brenda and Kelly — and a whole bunch of new people, including some greats like Arrested Development’s Jessica Walter. But will it be more iconic (Gossip Girl) or sardonic (Saved by the Bell: The New Class)? My guess is the latter. This generation already has its mainstay teen drama.


Crusoe (NBC, 9 p.m. Fridays, premieres Oct. 17): As the name implies, it’s about Robinson Crusoe surviving on an island. No doubt kids in English classes everywhere will be using it to get out of having to read the book.


Do Not Disturb (Fox, 9:30 p.m. Wednesdays; premieres Sept. 10): Jerry O’Connell runs a hotel and wacky hijinks ensue. Or not.


Easy Money (The CW, 9 p.m. Sundays; premieres Sept. 21): A family runs a payday loan business together. It’s funny because working with family is hard! It’s a good thing those loans have high interest, because I have none in this show.


Eleventh Hour (CBS, 10 p.m. Thursdays, premieres Oct. 9): Thank goodness there’s another crime procedural this season. We were starting to run low. This one involves a guy who tries to prevent science from being used for evil. Dr. Frankenstein, consider yourself on notice.


The Ex List (CBS, 9 p.m. Fridays; premieres Oct. 3): A woman finds out from a psychic that she has already dated her future husband and if she doesn’t find him within a year, she’ll be alone forever. Ugh. This is why psychics are for entertainment purposes only.

I wonder if this mystery can be solved
with teen angst …

Fringe (Fox, 9 p.m. Tuesdays; premieres Sept. 9): This is one of the season’s biggest buzz shows. It is, after all, from J.J. Abrams (Lost and Alias, if you didn’t know). Crazy things are happening in the world and it’s up to Pacey (OK, fine, Joshua Jackson) to figure it all out. Of course, knowing Abrams, that could be a very lengthy and frustrating journey.


Gary Unmarried (CBS, 8:30 p.m. Wednesdays; premieres Sept. 24): Single dad juggles kids, ex-wife and girlfriend. I wasn’t really that keen on the premise anyhow, and then I found out it stars Jay Mohr, who I have never liked in anything. I wonder: When his show dies, will Jennifer Love Hewitt be able to talk to it on Ghost Whisperer?


Hole in the Wall (Fox, 8 p.m. Thursdays; already premiered): OK, I’ll be the first to admit that this is a stupid show. Styrofoam walls advance at people who have to try to fit themselves into the random, crazy shape of the hole in the wall. Most of the time, the people get knocked into a pool of water. That’s all there is to it. It’s ridiculous and absolutely captivating. I can’t explain it. It’s just funny seeing people wearing silver spandex try to bend themselves into silly shapes and then get knocked into water. Clearly, I am not a deep person.


Kath & Kim (NBC, 8:30 p.m. Thursdays; premieres Oct. 9): Molly Shannon and Selma Blair play a mother and daughter, respectively. The grown daughter has just moved back home and is a brat. This could be painfully funny or just painful.

KITT says: I can kick a Prius’ ass.

Knight Rider (NBC, 8 p.m. Wednesdays; premieres Sept. 24): Remember that two-hour ad for Ford last season? Now it’s a whole series!


Life on Mars (ABC, 10 p.m. Thursdays; premieres Oct. 9): A cop gets hit so hard by a car that it sends him back in time to 1973. What Mars has to do with it, I have no idea. Maybe he gets hit by another car that sends him into space. Man, I gotta make sure I never get hit by a car …


The Mentalist (CBS, 9 p.m. Tuesdays; premieres Sept. 23): A fake psychic who solves crime with his observational skills. Um, yeah … Psych called and they want their premise back, thanks.


My Own Worst Enemy (NBC, 10 p.m. Mondays; premieres Oct. 13): This is one of the few new shows I’m excited about. Partly because it involves spies and lots of action and partly because I think Christian Slater is great for the role of a guy with split personalities — one of whom is a normal family guy and one who is a superspy. Besides, it’s gotta be a step up from Broken Arrow, right?


Opportunity Knocks (ABC, 8 p.m. Tuesdays; premieres Sept. 23): Find out how much families don’t know about each other. The game show is hosted by J.D. Roth, which mostly just makes me miss Fun House.


Paris Hilton’s My New BFF (MTV, 10 p.m. Tuesdays; premieres Sept. 30): Paris Hilton picks a best friend through a reality show. Sad for her. Sad for us. We all lose.


Privileged (The CW, 9 p.m. Tuesdays; premieres Sept. 9): Spoiled, rich twin sisters get a tutor. No, this isn’t another Paris Hilton reality show. Although that idea might actually be interesting. Although to its credit, it does star JoAnna Garcia, who was funny on Reba.

Maybe he gets his legal
powers from his hair, like
a lawyer Samson.

Raising the Bar (TNT, 10 p.m. Mondays; already premiered): Pretty people in the courtroom. What will they think of next?? Mark-Paul Gosselaar’s hair seems to be getting most of the exposure and probably rightly so. It seems more about hook-ups than habeas corpus, so just think of it as Grey’s Anatomy for lawyers.


Sons of Anarchy (FX, 10 p.m. Wednesdays; already premiered): Bikers protect their town while also dealing arms and doing other unlawful things. So it’s like Robin Hood and his Hell’s Angels.


Valentine (The CW, 8 p.m. Sundays; premieres Sept. 21): Greek gods live among us and help people in Los Angeles find love. The show could be cute, but it could also fall flat on its face like the defunct Cupid (although that show is getting rebooted soon and relocated to L.A., because apparently it’s really tough to meet people there).


Worst Week (CBS, 9:30 p.m. Mondays; premieres Sept. 22): This comedy features a lovable lout who can do nothing right in front of his future in-laws. It’s already a tired premise and the main actor is most known for T-Mobile ads, and we all know how transitioning from commercials to a TV series went for those cavemen.

Old favorites

At least we’ll still have these:

The Big Bang Theory (CBS, 8 p.m. Mondays; premieres Sept. 22): In my opinion, the most surprising new show of last season. With its nerd premise and laugh track, I expected a bad sitcom, but it was one of the most consistently funny shows on TV last season. Of course, I’m a geek, so maybe I would find physics jokes funny.


Bones (Fox, 8 p.m. Wednesdays; already premiered): Yes, it’s a crime procedural in many ways, but the rapport between the two main characters alone makes it worth watching.

Want to know if someone is a spy?
Are they hot? They’re probably a spy.

Chuck (NBC, 8 p.m. Mondays, premieres Sept. 29): One of my favorite new shows from last season; it’s a nice mix of comedy and action. Plus there are spies and a hot girl. What’s not to like?


Eli Stone (ABC, 10 p.m. Tuesdays; premieres Oct. 14): It took me a little while to get into this show about a lawyer who has visions that might be prophetic. But its mix of comedy and drama got me hooked and now I can’t sing its praises loud enough.


Gossip Girl (The CW, 8 p.m. Mondays; already premiered): Not really my thing, but I’m sure you’ll love it if you’re 10 years younger than I am or if you’re Aaron.


Heroes (NBC, 9 p.m. Mondays; premieres Sept. 22): OK, yeah, last season kind of sucked, what with all the black tears of death and all that stuff we didn’t care about. Sophomore slump, I say. This season focuses on villains, and in my book, badder is always gooder.


How I Met Your Mother (CBS, 8:30 p.m. Mondays; premieres Sept. 22): I’m still loving this show, especially with the addition of Sarah Chalke as Ted’s girlfriend. It’s a great, comedic ensemble cast, led by the one and only Doogie Howser, M.D.


The Office (NBC, 9 p.m. Thursdays; premieres Sept. 25): Still one of the funniest shows on TV. ‘Nuff said.

Did I mention that the show is pretty? It is.

Pushing Daisies (ABC, 8 p.m. Wednesdays; premieres Oct. 1): Probably last season’s most unique show. This love story about a guy who can bring dead people back to life and his (formerly) dead childhood sweetheart is saccharine in its sweetness, film noir in its storytelling, and captivating as a whole.


Smallville (The CW, 8 p.m. Thursdays; premieres Sept. 18): OK, I can’t really recommend this in good consciousness if you’re not already watching it. It was a pretty uneven season last year and I’m a little wary of the loss of Michael Rosenbaum (Lex Luthor), not to mention that apparently Clark is going to become a reporter at The Daily Planet (where the hiring practices continue to baffle me). But I’ve come this far with the show, I may as well see it through what I hope is the end.


Supernatural (The CW, 9 p.m. Thursdays; premieres Sept. 18): Dean’s in Hell and the apocalypse is nigh. Good times.


Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (Fox, 8 p.m. Mondays; already premiered): It wasn’t as totally awesome as I had hoped last season, but I’m sticking with it to see where things go this season. The special effects are still top-notch and seeing Firefly’s Summer Glau kicking ass never gets old.