thePeanutBloggery

Let’s begin this penultimate edition of the Fall Premiere Challenge with a bit of good news. On Tuesday, our top scoring show “Reaper” posted a gigantic 25% increase in household ratings, resulting in the largest audience in the 18–49 range to date for the CW.

And now the bad news…

Life is Wild (CW) – I hope children do watch this show. Oblivious to the bad acting and clichéd script, they may pick up a couple of phrases in Zulu or learn some interesting facts about African animals. Adults, on the other hand, tend to be more discerning, so they may want to learn about South Africa some other way. Last Week’s Score: 5. Score: 5

The three shows below can be summed up together: they’re more painful than funny, so don’t waste your time or brain cells.
Aliens in America (CW) – First Week’s Score: 4. Last Week’s Score: 4. Score: 3. Final Total: 11
Cavemen (ABC) – First Week’s Score: 3. Last Week’s Score: 2. Score: 2. Final Total: 7
Carpoolers (ABC) – First Week’s Score: 3. Last Week’s Score: 3. Score: 3. Final Total: 9

Because the four series scheduled for this edition of the Fall Premiere Challenge are so lame, we decided to look at a couple of shows that started too late to be included in the competition. While, at this time, they’re ineligible for the Primetime Index, if they’re good enough, we’ll place them on deck with some of the shows that just missed the top six. In the inevitable case that some of our favorite get canceled, these standbys will be called up to the Index.

Women’s Murder Club (ABC) – Based on a series of books by James Patterson, this show is not, as it may sound, about a pack of homicidal females, but rather involves a detective, a DA, a medical examiner, and a reporter (yes, all women) who work unofficially as a team to solve murders. It isn’t ground-breaking, but it’s fairly entertaining television. Of course, it airs opposite “Friday Night Lights”, so if you watch it, do so by DVR or download. Score: 7

Samantha Who? (ABC) – This is the latest vehicle for the underrated Christina Applegate. Samantha (Applegate) wakes up from a coma with her memory erased. As she becomes acquainted with her life, she discovers she wasn’t a very nice person. Perhaps they had too much information to get out in a half hour, but this pilot episode feels forced. Still, with a stellar supporting cast that includes Jean Smart (“Designing Women”), Jennifer Esposito (“Spin City”), and, my favorite, Melissa McCarty (“Gilmore Girls), it could prove to be a solid sitcom. Don’t forget, “30 Rock” had a disappointing first two episodes. Score: 6

Join us on Sunday night when we’ll post the final part of the Fall Premiere Challenge and announce this year’s official list of shows on the Primetime Index.

If you’re interested in watching any of the shows you missed, most are available for download on iTunes. You can also check out the shows’ websites. Many of them stream episodes for free.