It's Fall: What New TV Will You Be Watching?

Welcome to Pop Goes Patch. In this little corner of the vast Patch universe we’re going to have some fun talking about all things pop culture. Whether it's music or movies, television or theater, amateur couch surfing or professional wrestling, it’s all up for discussion.

With fall right around the corner, let’s start by talking about the new TV season. The broadcast networks are bringing out some familiar faces and some interesting concepts to get us to tune in. So, with that in mind, here are some of the new TV shows that we are most looking forward to watching this fall.

And just to be fair, we’ve picked one show from each of the major broadcast networks:

REVOLUTION, NBC, premiering Sept. 17: This is the show for everyone who’s ever been annoyed by a cell phone going off in a theater or anyone bugged by friends and family sending you photos of the tiramisu they just had at the new restaurant in town. Imagine if your cell phone, your work Blackberry, your computer and everything else stopped working because the world lost all its power. Oh sure, we’d miss a few things – like refrigerators, microwaves and even our friendly television set. But I take the more optimistic view – no more Facebook notifications, no calls after work from the boss, no having to slog through countless inane and pointless emails. Coming from the production company of “Lost” mastermind J.J. Abrams, it should be no surprise that “Revolution” is following the “Lost” template with an unexplained, vague mystery behind it all. Let’s hope they also follow “Lost’s” lead and have some good acting and compelling writing.

LAST RESORT, ABC, premiering Sept. 27: Andre Braugher is back on television and all is right with the world. One of the best actors in TV, or anywhere for that matter, Braugher plays the captain of a nuclear submarine who disobeys a murky order to launch a nuclear missile and start World War III. Disobeying the order makes Braugher and his crew outlaws and they race to establish their own nation on an exotic island. Interesting concept + great lead actor = must-watch television. Sure, this show could go all sideways. The concept would seem to limit this show to a short, powerful conclusion. But anyone who ever watched Braugher interrogate suspects as Det. Frank Pembleton in the great “Homicide: Life on the Streets” must be looking forward to this. Frank Pembleton with a nuclear sub? Can’t wait!

THE MINDY PROJECT, FOX, premiering Sept. 25: It’s been painful watching “The Office” circle the drain the last year as this once truly funny series painfully stumbles to the end. One of the show’s saving graces was the celebrity-obsessed Kelly Kapoor, as played by actress Mindy Kaling. Kaling was also one of the show’s writers and producers and now, she gets a shot at her own show, playing a skilled doctor whose dating life is in need of adrenaline, stat! The Mindy Project will follow one of last year’s breakout hits, New Girl, which should make for one funny hour of television. Plus, in 2012, we get a person of color (Kaling is Indian) playing a romantic comedy lead. I’m rooting for this project to succeed.

VEGAS, CBS, premiering Sept. 25: Anyone who’s ever visited Las Vegas has probably stood there among the glitter and lights of the Strip and wondered how Sin City came to rise out of the desert. This show promises to answer that question and more, taking us back to when Vegas was starting to emerge as a gambling and tourist mecca. The driving story of the show will be the clash between Sheriff Ralph Lamb (Dennis Quaid) and Chicago mobster Vincent Savino (Michael Chiklis), who is trying to set his mob crew up to take over Vegas. That’s two impressive actors going at each other against a backdrop of corruption and glamour at the birth of one of the world’s most famous cities. That’s television that should keep us glued to our seats.

ARROW, THE CW, premiering Oct. 10: Two of the biggest movies this summer were superhero flicks and The CW, home of the former “Smallville” Superman saga, jumps in with “Arrow.” This promises to be a grittier, more substantial version of the DC comics Green Arrow story and with archery popular now because of the “The Hunger Games” it could find a steady, young audience.

That’s it for now. What new shows are you looking forward to watching?