When Does Vampire Diaries (and other shows) Return? Premiere Dates for Fall 2012 TV

TV's new season usually kicks off in the Fall, right after the Emmy's (which is what I'd like to call TV's graduation period). Shows begin their season run around mid-September, when pilots and season premieres trickle down till the end of October. It's the best time for tv junkies like me, and it's probably why I love fall season best, despite "fall season" being actually non-existent where I'm based.

This is the list of premieres for Fall 2012. It answers the life-changing :P question: "When does [insert favorite show's title here] return?"

Notes:

• To date, there are only two network schedules released. I will be updating this page when the rest come in. Complete!
•  The CW is starting late this year. Last year was different, since they started really early in September and then went on hiatus by November-January. Does this mean there will be less of that this season? I am not a fan of hiatuses and I would imagine a lot of you aren't either.
• What is up with those "time period" premieres, NBC?

NBC

Wednesday, Aug. 8
"Go On" (commercial-free sneak following Olympics coverage)

Sunday, Aug. 12
"Animal Practice" (commercial-free sneak following Olympics closing ceremony)

Monday, Aug. 13
8 p.m. "Stars Earn Stripes"
10 p.m. "Grimm"

Wednesday, Sept. 5
7:30 p.m. "NFL Kickoff Special"
8:30 p.m. NFL kickoff - Cowboys at Giants

Sunday, Sept. 9
7 p.m. "Football Night in America"
8:15 p.m. "Sunday Night Football"

Monday, Sept. 10
8 p.m. "The Voice"

Tuesday, Sept. 11
9 p.m. "Go On" (time period premiere)
9:30 p.m. "The New Normal"
10 p.m. "Parenthood"

Wednesday, Sept. 12
10 p.m. "Guys With Kids"

Friday, Sept. 14
9 p.m. "Grimm" (time period premiere)

Monday, Sept. 17
10 p.m. "Revolution"

Thursday, Sept. 20
8:30 p.m. "Up All Night"
9 p.m. "The Office"
9:30 p.m. "Parks and Recreation"

Wednesday, Sept. 26
8 p.m. "Animal Practice" (time period premiere)
8:30 p.m. "Guys With Kids" (time period premiere)
9 p.m. "Law & Order: SVU" (two hours)

Thursday, Oct. 4
8 p.m. "30 Rock"

Wednesday, Oct. 10
10 p.m. "Chicago Fire"

Friday, Oct. 19
8 p.m. "Whitney"
8:30 p.m. "Community



THE CW

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2
8:00-9:00 PM HART OF DIXIE

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3
9:00-10:00 PM SUPERNATURAL

MONDAY, OCTOBER 8
8:00-9:00 PM 90210
9:00-10:00 PM GOSSIP GIRL

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10
8:00-9:00 PM ARROW
9:00-10:00 PM SUPERNATURAL

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11
8:00-9:00 PM THE VAMPIRE DIARIES
9:00-10:00 PM BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16
9:00-10:00 PM EMILY OWENS, M.D.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19
8:00-9:00 PM AMERICA'S NEXT TOP MODEL: COLLEGE EDITION
9:00-10:00 PM NIKITA



FOX


Wed., Sept. 12
8-10 p.m. "The X Factor" (Part One)

Thurs., Sept. 13
8-9 p.m. "The X Factor" (Part Two)
9-10 p.m. "Glee"

Mon., Sept. 17
8-9 p.m. "Bones"
9-10 p.m. "The Mob Doctor"*

Tues., Sept. 25
8-8:30 p.m. "New Girl" (new episode)
8:30-9 p.m. "Ben and Kate"*
9-9:30 p.m. "New Girl" (season premiere)
9:30-10 p.m. "The Mindy Project"*

Fri., Sept. 28
8-9 p.m. "Kitchen Nightmares" (new episode)
9-10 p.m. "Fringe"

Sun., Sept. 30
8-8:30 p.m. "The Simpsons"
8:30-9 p.m. "Bob's Burgers"
9-9:30 p.m. "Family Guy"
9:30-10 p.m. "American Dad"

Tues., Oct. 2
8-8:30 p.m. "Raising Hope"

Sun., Oct. 7
7:30-8 p.m. "The Cleveland Show"

Fri., Oct. 26
8-9 p.m. "Touch"

CBS



Wednesday, Sept. 19
8pm: Survivor: Philippines

Monday, Sept. 24
8pm: How I Met Your Mother
8:30pm: Partners (NEW)
9pm: 2 Broke Girls
9:30pm: Mike & Molly
10pm: Hawaii Five-0

Tuesday, Sept. 25
8pm: NCIS
9pm: NCIS: Los Angeles
10pm: Vegas (NEW)

Wednesday, Sept. 26
9pm: Criminal Minds
10pm: CSI

Thursday, Sept. 27
8pm: The Big Bang Theory
8:30pm: Two and a Half Men
9pm: Person of Interest
10pm: Elementary (NEW)

Friday, Sept. 28
8pm: CSI: NY
9pm: Made in Jersey (NEW)
10pm: Blue Bloods

Saturday, Sept. 29
10pm: 48 Hours Mystery

Sunday, Sept. 30
7pm: 60 Minutes
8pm: The Amazing Race
9pm: The Good Wife
10pm: The Mentalist

ABC

Friday, September 14
8-9pm: Shark Tank
9-10pm: Primetime: What Would You Do?
10-11pm: 20/20

Monday, September 24
8-10pm: Dancing with the Stars: All-Stars
10pm: Castle

Tuesday, September 25
8-10pm: Dancing with the Stars: The Results Show
10-11pm: Private Practice

Wednesday, September 26
8-9pm: The Middle
9-9:30pm: Modern Family
9:30-10pm: The Neighbors

Thursday, September 27
8-9pm: Last Resort
9-10pm: Grey's Anatomy
10-11pm: Scandal

Sunday, September 30
8-9pm: Once Upon a Time
9-10pm: Revenge
10-11pm: 666 Park Avenue

Wednesday, October 3
8:30-9pm: The Neighbors

Sunday, October 7
7-8pm: America's Funniest Home Videos

Wednesday, October 10
10-11pm: Nashville

Wednesday, October 17
9:30-10pm: Suburgatory

Tuesday, October 23
9-9:30pm: Happy Endings
9:30-10pm: Don't Trust the B--- in Apartment 23

Friday, November 2
8-8:30pm: Last Man Standing
8:30-9pm: Malibu Country
9-10pm: Shark Tank

So, I cried while watching HBO's The Newsroom

This is hardly a review, or a recap...or even a coherent blog entry about The Newsroom, this new HBO series that premiered hours ago.

But if someone were to ask me what I thought about the pilot after I've seen it, my reply would have to be this:

I may have been the only one who watched the first episode with tears. (Please tell me you were in tears, too?! Just me??)

And I cried not because the scenes were sappy and heartbreaking, but because I was just so moved by the moment.

Having seen every bit of Aaron Sorkin's TV shows --- and there were not many, there were only three before this one: Sports Night, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, The West Wing --- I'm pretty much familiar with the writing style and formula. It's actually almost similar. There's a common vibe to his TV shows, in that every bit of it commanded arrogance. Like Aaron Sorkin knows he's written the best shows in the world and you don't have to tell him that. He knows.

Which, in truth? It's what I actually love about all of his TV work. It IS arrogant. It is intelligent TV laughing at you for liking stupid product-placement heavy shows, steered by network suits. And it may sound sick of me to say this but....I don't really mind when someone's being a dick. Only, they've got to have the balls to back up all that smugness.

Like all of Sorkin's work, The Newsroom may probably feel preachy and righteous.  Like of all Sorkin's work, viewers could get all worked up and forget for a moment that this is just make-believe world, and what's really happening is partly for dramatic impact. Sorkin has earned haters this way because he's always accused of pushing his own beliefs and agenda into his shows. (And yes, he's smug enough to ignore all the hate!)

But I got worked up watching today's show for a different reason: the vibe. And it's probably why I cried over some of the pilot's poignant moments. The guy CAN freakin' write a good story. He's smug and he owns it.

I think I may have also been moved because at one point, I was set to map a career in TV journalism 20-something years ago.

Well, that didn't happen.

But stepping into the make-believe world of The Newsroom made me realize I still love being in it.

Only now, I love being in it more as I watch the on-goings and behind the scenes of broadcast television from my corner in the bedroom, with brilliant stars like Jeff Daniels and Sam Waterson spewing lines written by Aaron Sorkin.

Take a look:





Are you planning on following The Newsroom?

TV Style: Leslie Knope's Anchor Printed Blouse on PARKS & RECREATION

So, I've gotten around to watching Parks & Recreation. Finally! I've been putting off following the series when the first season left me slightly unimpressed.

But after a bit of character tweaking, the show, which was created and written by the same people that did The Office (once a favorite of mine), Parks & Recreation was able to hold its own.

The lead character Leslie Knope, for example, was sort of like a blockhead in the first season. But in succeeding seasons, she developed into this public servant who could deliver results, no matter how insane her methods were.

And from a blockhead, Leslie also turned into a bit of an egghead. Which made me like her character better.

I've also noticed that as the season progressed, the way she dressed also improved. Like this anchor-printed blouse, which she wore just at the end of the 3rd season:

I don't wear clothes like this for work. But I would snag one like this, if I did!

Leslie Knope is played by Amy Poehler, who I loved on Saturday Night Live, along with Tina Fey. (Weekend Update, anyone?)

I could easily describe and commend Amy with words like funny and talented. But I could never consider her as sexy. Or at least I didn't think I could.

Not until Parks and Recreation. Especially when she came out looking like this in one episode:

The (coiffed) hair and the dress? Gorgeous! I saw a side of Amy I didn't really notice before and my admiration for her grew 10x more. Funny is indeed sexy! Amy's husband, Will Arnett, is a lucky dog.

Have you been watching Parks & Recreation? Give it a try if you haven't. Sit through the 6 episodes of a slow first season, because the episodes after that? Pretty hilarious!