It’s early on of course, but I had a “new TV season epiphany” last night while watching a recording of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.  You see, I really really liked Studio 60.  It was fast-paced, had good writing, good acting, and surprisingly well done characters.  In fact I liked it so much that I realized the other shows that I thought were going to be keepers are now looking very much like stinkers.  Here’s the winners and losers in our household so far this season:

Winners:

• Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
• ‘Til Death (cheesy, but I really like the two leading men)

Thought they were good, but probably going to be losers soon:

• Justice (it’s a cool show, but after 3 weeks I feel like I’ve seen the same thing every time)
• Vanished (I was hooked, but now it’s just not pulling me back in every week.  Plus I read that they’re going to put it on hold once 24 is back on the air.  We really got into another serial called “Reunion” last year and when they canceled it without tying up any loose ends I was unhappy.  I fear the same thing with Vanished)
• Standoff (I like most of the action but c’mon that dating partners subplot is just dumb)

Losers:

• New Adventures of Old Christine (not a new show, but we decided to give it a shot this season and blech)
• Happy Hour (the definition of suck)
• Men In Trees (still have to watch episode 2 so it might get better but unlikely)

Anxiously awaiting:

• Heros (it just looks neat, and yes I’m a geek)
• 30 Rock (although given how much I like Studio 60 this is unlikely to work for me)
• Ugly Betty (it just looks interesting but also high risk of suckage)
• Smith (it’s recorded, just haven’t seen it yet.  I love Heist flicks but Ray Liotta is going to be a tough sell)

And the returning shows:

• Likely to stay in the watching lineup:  CSI:LV, CSI:Miami, Prison Break, Family Guy, Desperate Housewives, Amazing Race, Survivor (not me, but Jodie still loves the show), Everybody Hates Chris, Two and a half men, NCIS, Veronica Mars, House, Grey’s Anatomy (Jodie’s again, I’m not a fan), My Name is Earl, NUMB3RS, Las Vegas
• Likely to drop:  Law & Order:Everything, Without a Trace, Simpsons, American Dad, The War at Home (that made it to season 2?), Criminal Minds, The Unit,
• And the rest we gave up on a long time ago

Doing up this list it’s clear that we watch way too much TV, but to be fair it’s not all at the same time.  I record all of this on Media Center and watch when convenient, including for many shows taking them with me on the plane and watching them them while traveling.  That’s what I’ll tell my sponsor when I go to my first TV-Anonymous meeting and start the 12-step program.