FALL TV SEASON has arrived aka Christmas morning for TV Junkies

It's Fall and for a TV junkie like me it's the most wonderful time of year. When a slate of new programming hits the airwaves and I once again hold out hope that I will find a new sitcom to make me laugh the way Frasier does 20 years after it premiered and a new drama that instantly makes me invest in its characters and mystery like Orphan Black did earlier this Spring. 

That’s right it is time to clear out the DVRs, set up the recording schedule and manage our various queues on Netflix, Amazon and Hulu Plus. Unlike critics I am not privy to advance screenings but based on my holy three - previews, plots and performers I come up with a rotation of shows I hope will entertain me well into the spring. If you are looking for insight to the best of what's new in TV, I would recommend taking a gander at Robert Bianco's picks for Fall over on USA Today. If you are looking for a comprehensive guide to what's available for the 2013 Fall season, I offer you TVaholic's ultimate guide. If it's not there, it doesn't exist.

With the expanding options on cable and streaming it is impossible to watch everything that is of interest. Even with all the technology at my disposal I still only have but so many hours in my day to dedicate to television. This is why I have a strategic approach to my TV watching. It’s ritualistic if not scientific.

My 3 Rules to Fall TV viewing 

1) Prioritize: There are three categories for TV show; returning, new and on the fence. This represents my order of preference; some would place new shows above returning favorites. For me shows that have entertained me in the past and left me waiting on their May cliffhangers (ahem, Castle) get my priority attention and usually are watched the night they air. All new shows receive DVR preference and the shows that I am mildly curious about get taped if they aren’t in direct competition with something else. On the fence is often benched to ON Demand or streaming.

2) 3 Episode Rule: All new shows get a minimum of three episodes to prove their worth. If they fail to interest me at that point I abandon them and move on. It’s hard core, but trust me it’s necessary. Otherwise you can spend a season waiting for a show to improve simply because you like the actors. (Private Practice, I am looking at you!) Fact is, there are so many shows and so little time. If for some reason a show starts slow but picks up momentum after you abandon it, you can always revisit it over the winter break 90% of broadcast shows take thanks to On Demand and streaming.

3) Moving Box Mentality: I like to apply a great moving theory to my DVR. When you move if 6 months later you come across a box you never unpacked and you don’t know what’s in it, throw it away unopened. Therefore if more than three episodes of a given show pile up on my DVR without an attempt to watch (assuming no extenuating circumstances) I delete the show and scheduled recording without viewing it. Brutal yes, but generally speaking it tells me that the idea of the show isn’t compelling enough for me to make time to watch it so I pass and move on. 

Armed with my methodology I am able to enjoy all that the new season has to offer and still get to sleep at a decent hour. With the large numbers of new shows my secret hope is to find a sitcom I can really enjoy rather than merely occasionally laugh at each week. Here are my priority picks for what’s new in the TV landscape.

MONDAYS

Almost Human (FOX 8PM –premieres 11/4) $6million dollar man meets I Robot seems like a very likely absurd premise but all JJ Abrams shows get an automatic 3 episode viewing from me. I don’t think it’s going to be the next LOST but I am guardedly optimistic it won’t be the next Revolution either. 

Sleepy Hollow (FOX 9PM –premiered 9/16) Offers a Sci-fi/Fantasy series where Ichabod Crane rises from the dead into modern day upstate New York. It is a premise that could get old very quickly, especially given some of the wildly silly moments in the pilot. Case in point, the headless horseman had a terminator-like action sequence involving machine guns that was absurd. It did however establish an interesting mythology based in the Book of Revelations and the two leads shared a solid chemistry. My hope is it will settle into story that leaves it closer to Charmed and Buffy when it is all said and done. 

Mom (CBS 9:30PM –premieres 9/23) Allison Janney can get me to watch anything she’s in because she makes everything she is in better. Combine that with Anna Faris as her daughter and I am more than intrigued. Given Chuck Lorre’s track record it’s a safe bet that this one will last. But as much as I loved Cybil I have no love loss for Two and a Half Men or Mike and Molly. I am hopeful that there is finally going to be a sitcom that makes my DVR cut for weekly recording but fear 22 minutes of crass bathroom humor may be on the horizon. 

TUESDAY

Agents of S.H.E.I.L.D (ABC 8PM –premieres 9/24) – Joss Whedon, Avengers and the resurrection of Agent Coulson. That’s really all I require and because it’s a Whedon show, it will get six episodes before I make a DVR determination.

Brooklyn Nine Nine (FOX 8:30PM –premiered 9/17) I abandoned Saturday Night Live 15 years ago, so Andy Sandberg isn’t the draw for me. That distinction belongs to Andre Braugher. As with Last Resort in 2012, I am in for this show on the strength of my enjoyment of his acting. Based on Tuesday’s first outing I am going to need a lot more laughs to remain. It was uneven and did little to establish anything but its lead. Two and counting.

Trophy Wife (ABC 9:30PM –premieres 9/24) I adore Bradley Whitfield and miss seeing him on TV so I am want this one to take hold. The trailers for this show leave me worried that I am going to get Modern Family framework through the prism of ex-wives instead of extended family. I hope I am wrong.

THURSDAY

Once Upon a Time in Wonderland (ABC 8PM –premieres 9/26) If I had a most likely to drop off my DVR first, this would be it. But it looks visually spectacular and the producers are promising more contained storytelling rather than the large overarching plots/mysteries its older sibling Once Upon a Time has. If that holds true, then this one may stick.

The Millers (CBS 9PM –premieres 9/26) I am not going to lie; Margo Martindale is the only reason this show is getting a look. I am not a fan of Will Arnett and while I don’t think he’s the reason Up All Night failed, he certainly was a big part of the problem. That said a family comedy with Martindale as matriarch would make my weekly TV viewing complete. So if there is a show I am rooting for to love, this would be it.

Why I am most excited about returning shows and what's on the fence in my TV Queue will be up next. In the meantime, what's new for your 2013 Fall TV watching? Here's a TV grid to make planning your Fall viewing easier.