Fall TV catch-up

1) I saved the last Swingtown to watch until fall weather hit. Well, it finally dropped below 50 degrees one night so I finished off the series. I really liked it, but I also appreciate the fact that it's probably going to be a one-shot limited series. It worked quite well as a seasonal show, going through the summer of 1976 in something like real time (4th of July to Labor Day), and I liked the relative unpredictability (relative because we are still talking about network TV) of the plotlines. The swinging couple experimented with fidelity, then went back to swinging, and we left the pregnant Trina deciding whether or not to have her child (as it's network TV, an abortion is probably out of the question). Both members of the formerly "straight" couple, who did some swinging during the season, are on the verge of extramarital affairs. And Janet, the "square" tradtional wife and mother, got a backbone and took some stands. I'd love it if it came back--apparently it's going to be rerun on Bravo, and it will be out on DVD before Christmas--but the show was fun while it lasted and came to an ending that was both a cliffhanger and satisfying at the same time. And Lana Parrilla (Trina, pictured) deserves another show post haste.

2) As a sitcom fan, I am sampling Worst Week and Gary Unmarried. Worst Week is a one-camera, no-laugh-track show (like Arrested Development) about a semi-schlubby guy who's about to marry his pregnant girlfriend and is trying like hell to get along with her parents. It helps that the lead, Kyle Bornheimer, is cute and funny, and he and his gf, Erinn Hayes, have a nice, casual chemistry. But each episode so far has been a long slapstick pile-up of errors that leads up rather frantically to a big visual climax. The first time was fun, the second time was a little nerve-wracking, and I'm not sure how many more I want to subject myself to. It seems to be the kind of show I could just drop in on now and then.

3) Gary Unmarried is a more traditional sitcom, seemingly shot before a studio audience and features Jay Mohr (pictured with Jaime King) as a single father of two dealing with 1) his ex-wife's marriage to their former marriage counselor; 2) the raging hormones of his teenage son; 3) his own current foray into the dating world. This is less frantic and not terribly original, but Mohr, like Bornheimer, is a charming doofus, and Paula Marshall is good as his ex. Frankly, I could do with a little less of the kids, but this has promise.

4) Already given up on Fringe and Chuck (an hour-long drama has to be really special for me to stick with it), and Pushing Daisies started off OK though it was a loser in the ratings. I hope it makes a comeback. Big Bang Theory is back and just fine, though I think Sarah Gilbert should just be a recurring regular rather a real regular--her name is in the opening credits so I assume we'll see a lot more of her. How I Met Your Mother had a good season debut, but frankly I hope Sarah Chalke doesn't really turn out to be the "mother.

5) We're catching up with Mad Men on DVD. If there are any other shows worth watching out there, I don't know about 'em.