So Far So Good: One Blogger's Quick Review of Fall TV

OK, so it's only been like a month since the Fall TV season started, but what better time to evaluate the shows that have invaded my weekly routine and a few that just haven't quite made the leap to must-watch.

With "30 Rock" returning this week -- featuring a delightful guest spot from the ever-creepy Steve Buscemi -- the demands on my television watching (and my DVR) will only increase, so it's time for a little editing down of my weekly watching routine. So, who's in and who's out?

"The Good Wife": OK, so the politico-geek in me nearly squealed when last night's episode made reference to a shady real estate developer named Gerald Koztco that Chris Noth's embattled state's attorney Peter Florrick may have had dealings with. Ummm, Tony Rezko, anyone? Anyone? This show just seems to get better with every episode, and it's become a must on my list.

"Community": If John Oliver and Ken Jeong are in every episode, I would watch nothing but this show on repeat. Although it was hit-or-miss last week, the show has managed to pull off its ridiculousness with ease. It's a got a great "Scrubs"-esque cast of secondary characters like Jeong as Señor Chang that'll definitely keep me hooked for the season.

"Glee": Unfortunately this one's out. It's not that I don't find it funny. It's not that I dislike it. It's not that I don't think Jane Lynch deserves every award under the sun for her hilarious turn as Sue. It's just that the whole musical angle of it -- kind of important to the premise of the show -- bugs me in a scratch-your-eyes-out way, and I just can't get past it.

"Modern Family": Here's another critical hit I'm just not feeling the love for, although I may watch for Shelley Long and Benjamin Bratt who show up as exes on the show. It's funny and well-written, but I'm feeling underwhelmed by the premise and the characters. I think this'll just have to be one of those I watch when there's nothing else on.

"The Vampire Diaries": Oh, I admit it. This is my guilty pleasure for the season, but I don't feel so guilty anymore since I found out that Ken Tucker of EW enjoys this show almost as much as I do. It's a lot darker than I originally imagined (there have already been a couple of fairly gruesome deaths that I may have fast forwarded through on the DVR). And ever since the show revealed a potential anti-vampire coalition including the local Sheriff and a TV news reporter, it seems the show actually has a plot that goes beyond teen angst and brooding looks.

All in all, it seems like the fall season has been shaping up pretty well. Any fall shows you think I should be watching or shows that you think I've treated unfairly? Let me know in the comments below.

-- Malavika Jagannathan, mjaganna@greenbaypresssgazette.com

"Community" could be your new favorite comedy

Name recognition alone doesn't provide the funny. But headed by "The Soup's" Joel McHale, "The Daily Show's" John Oliver and an ancient looking Chevy Chase, "Community" got off to a promising start last week.

The show follows several misfits in action at a beleaguered community college, most notably Jeff Winger (McHale, in a name nod to Bill Murray's "Stripes" character, no doubt.), a suspended lawyer who is about to become disbarred because of his phony credentials. While trying to woo Elizabeth Shue look-a-like Britta (Gillian Jacobs) from his Spanish class, Winger resorts to sleazy lawyer tactics, only to see his diabolical plan fall apart thanks to a motley crew study group that includes a semi-creepy seven-time divorcee (Chase), a former pill-popping underachiever (Alison Brie, or Trudy from "Mad Men"), a disgraced jockhead who won't shed his high school letterman's jacket (Donald Glover), a temperamental mom who made bad life decisions (Yvette Nicole Brown) and a fast-talking '80s movie buff with Asperger (or as Troy puts it, "assburger") syndrome (Danny Pudi).

It's a pretty straightforward pilot in terms of plot introduction, but the jokes are rapid-fire and justifiably acidic. Winger, bitter at finally being caught by the law he's supposed to uphold, wants to take every short cut in the book so he can get back to the comfort of his Lexus lifestyle. Since he's above a rinky-dink community college -- playing off that loser stereotype is a huge component of the show -- Winger figures he can bully a former client/psychology professor (Oliver) and perhaps score with Britta before going back to his old tricks.

Except everything that brought these community college rejects to this stage in their lowly life will be turned into something deeper, something redemptive they probably didn't know was there. For instance, Chase's eccentric businessman character, Pierce, seems oblivious to how he is universally perceived. Yet he's harmlessly kooky and might even be incredibly savvy. Same goes for Glover's Troy, who is aware that he's no longer a high school prom king, but still wants to cling to his glory days past while making something of himself in the future. "Community" will likely strike a balance between personal and professional maturation while also allowing its main characters to engage in "Office" like hi-jinx within the fertile community college setting.

After all, it's a half hour comedy, so I'm not sure how much meat you actually want to bite into here. "Community's" pilot already paid tribute to John Hughes (both with a hilarious "Breakfast Club" bit and with a memorial screen at the end) and its characters, while dysfunctional, appear worth rooting for. It's a premise that should work as a sort of sitcom version of "PCU" with a dose of "Revenge of the Nerds" -- and that's just fine considering NBC's Jay Leno experiment is your current alternative to original comedy on network TV.

"Community" airs at 8:30 p.m. Thursday on NBC.

-- Thomas Rozwadowski, trozwado@greenbaypressgazette.com