life with more cowbell

Just like it’s the start of the fall season in theatre, it’s also premiere time for fall t.v. And, yes, I still watch t.v. shows the old-fashioned way. On t.v. Here’s what I’ve checked out this week so far:

Monday: Castle (CTV) left us with a gut- and heart-wrenching cliff-hanger last season. Beckett got shot at the end of an episode that saw Captain Montgomery implicated in her mother’s murder and killed while trying to protect Beckett. Castle tells Beckett he loves her, but she may already be unconscious. The premiere finds Beckett fighting for her life – with the help of her hunky surgeon boyfriend, who’s forced to leave the O.R. when another surgeon finally arrives and then has crack open her chest. She pulls through, but says she doesn’t remember getting shot (or Castle’s words) and wants some space/time away from Castle. The new captain (Victoria “Iron” Gates) is a hard-ass and forbids the gang from investigating Beckett’s case, so they work a murder case. Castle receives a warning from a mysterious outside source – that to keep Beckett healthy, they should keep their noses out of her mother’s case. Professional and personal drama continue to mix in this exciting – and funny and sexy – show.

Tuesday: Originally, I was just planning on watching the Glee premiere (Global), then I learned that New Girl, Raising Hope and Body of Proof (all three on Citytv) were also kicking off their respective seasons too. It was an evening of great, quirky fun and murder mystery-solving. I’ll just include some highlights here. Big news at Glee high: Kurt’s bf Blaine has transferred schools and is the newest member of the Glee club. Quinn has gone alt, and looks like she’s taken a page from Lost Girl Kenzi’s fab fashion sense. The gang continues to struggle with finding enough members and dealing with bullies, and Sue Sylvester and Cheerios sidekick Becky continue to plot against them. And how adorable were Mr. Shue and Ms. Pillsbury getting ready for school together, with their Superman and Wonder Woman lunch boxes?

Speaking of adorable – New Girl lead Zooey Deschanel (younger sis of Bones lead Emily Deschanel) has quirky cuteness to burn! Recently dumped, Jess moves in with three single male roommates: an intimidating personal trainer, a corporate hipster player dude and a sweet, recently dumped bartender. Big fun opening to their first season – love the douchebag jar! I’m going to be watching these guys.

Raising Hope is into its second season and the wacky Chance family now has a toddler Hope on their hands. This premiere included a guest appearance by singer/songwriter wunderkind Greyson Chance (coincidence? I think not), playing a 13-year-old Jimmy, who was apparently a gifted singer/piano player in his youth – until getting smacked in the head by a putter flung at the local mini-putt. Getting hammered on beer with his parents seems to get it back for him. Unfortunately, my multi-tasking while watching this show caused me to miss the end of the episode – and it’s not online yet. Can anyone tell me what happened? I have a feeling that Jimmy’s regained talent was fleeting.

Body of Proof is also in its second season. Another funny, sexy crime show. Dana Delany’s character Dr. Megan Hunt continues to struggle with life and work – though life seems to be more of a challenge for this gal, especially since her ex – who has full-time custody of their teenaged daughter – is dating her boss (played by the also sexy/smart Jeri Ryan) and they’re now having “sleep-overs” at his place.

What have you been watching these days? Anything you’d recommend? Anything new on the tube that caught your eye?