Fall TV picks

My choices from this fall's TV lineup... drum roll please... The Good Wife and Eastwick. I hope both these shows stick around for a while. I'm getting used to seeing these fabulous ladies light up the screen every Tuesday and Wednesday respectively.

The Good Wife (CBS, Tuesday nights at 10 pm), starring Juliana Margulies last seen in ER, is about the wife of a politician who has to re-start her career in law because her husband is in jail following a very public sex and corruption scandal. Her old friend gives her a job as an associate in his law firm and she soon finds herself competing against a 20-something yuppie lawyer for a coveted spot in the firm. Serene is the word that comes to mind when you see Juliana tackling this role. She plays the character with admirable restraint while at the same time, very effectively, portraying the betrayed wife with anger and resentment simmering under the surface. It has a solid supporting cast with Archie Panjabi (from Bend It Like Beckham) as the investigator, Matt Czuchry (from Gilmore Girls) and Christine Baranski. I've watched 3-4 episodes so far and I am impressed with the storyline including the individual cases that come her way and her unique manner of resolving each and everyone of those. I recommend this - 2 thumbs up.

My second favourite show this fall is Eastwick (ABC, Wednesday 10 pm) - it's somewhat similar to Charmed in that the show is about 3 women that live in the witchy town of Eastwick and discover each other and their fledgling powers with the arrival of a mysterious stranger in town. The cast includes Rebecca Romijn, Lindsay Price, Jaime Ray Newman and Paul Gross (who I first saw in this teeny-tiny show, called 'Due South', about a Canadian Mounty and his loyal wolf who end up in the US). I had a big crush on the guy so I was pleasantly surprised to see him back on the small screen after all these years. Darryl Van Horne, the mysterious stranger in town brings together 3 women in town who, on the surface, appear to be your average late 20-somthing, 30-something women from different walks of life - one is a nurse, the second a journalist and the third a hippy sculptress. Strange events start occurring in their lives making them aware of their own powers. There is something sinister however, about Mr. Van Horne, as one of the ladies discovers that a businessman with his identical face was killed a few decades ago. The plot thickens... I am slightly less enthused about this show than the former for some reason. But at the same time, I think its one of the better shows on TV.

Another show I've heard good things about is Glee - but since I have not watched it myself, I cannot endorse it. The third show I added to my lineup is Cougar Town and the only reason I am watching this is because of Courteney Cox and my loyalty to her other show Friends. The acting is over the top and comes across as trying too hard. I'm hoping it gets better - Courteney is a fabulous actor - if only she could attempt her hand at some of the restraint from The Good Wife.