Coral Amber

Fox started off the fall season early with some strong returning dramas and some weak new comedies.

Probably my favorite show from last fall that made it another season is Bones. The show still follows the forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance Brennan (Emily Deschanel), her team of geeks, and FBI agent Seely Booth (David Boreanaz, getting hotter and more charismatic every day) as they solve murders every week based on the bones of the victims.

This season's premiere did a good job of establishing characters and dynamics for newcomers, but didn't have the umph of some of last season's nail biters. It made the extra effort of immediately pointing out the Brennan has poor social skills, but is highly intelligent. I'm hoping they will stop being so obvious and just let the character develop like she did last season.

All characters, almost from their opening lines were painted so anyone could catch on to their quirks. Angela (Michaela Conlin) is tactful, nice, friendly and the least geeky of the scientists. Zack (Eric Millegan) is smart but naive and Hodgins (T.J. Thyne) is into conspiracy theories and wacky experiments. In a single scene where Booth interrogates a drug dealer he establishes that he is tough, street smart, and caring.

The premiere managed to throw in a fair amount of back story, including last seasons finale involving Brennan's bank robber parents and missing father. Additionally they threw in a bit of info about how heroin is made, sold, and how it affects the body; and an economy lesson about the profit of shorting stocks. But wait, they had to introduce an entirely new character, Dr. Cam Sayoran (Tamara Taylor).

Cam was promoted over Brennan's head as the new Head of Forensics. She has had an implied sexual relationship with Booth in the past. I didn't know if I would like her, but she seems nice and personable, giving out cute nicknames like Zack-A-Roni and Hodge-Podge. She's pretty no-nonsense and likes to point out that she's the one in charge, alternately endearing and scaring her new employees.

What really struck me is how the characters are interacting this season. Brennan seems much more open with Booth, being able to ask him personal questions and let her guard down around him. So much so that even though they still have scenes where they talk in hushed tones with their noses inches apart, there is less of a sexual tension vibe and much more of a friend vibe. What the show is playing up is the budding romance between Angela and Hodgins. Again, they are almost being too obvious about it all. Mostly I feel sorry for Zack. With so many complex storylines and new character relationships he has hardly any screen time at all.

Still it's early and not only was the case a bit (overly) complicated, but the big draw was the aftermath of a train wreck. I'm really surprised that the producers went with that idea over the initial pitch of a serial killer after FBI agents. That has much more drama and is so promising that I hope they use the idea later in the season.

The season is off to a slow, but interesting start and there are definitely some promising episodes on future Wednesday. Episodes in which certain hot actors get lucky (and naked), imprisoned serial killers continue to terrorize, and mysteries are explored. I'm sure the writers will hit their stride right around sweeps.

Tuesday night's House, the medical diagnostic procedural show with the most interesting characters is back again with a few new twists. The premiere started with House running pain free, being off drugs, and even being a little less mean than before despite his best efforts. Luckily they didn't keep him without his vices for long. He's already back to limping, popping vicodin and attempting to kill people.

Really I like House because of the main character. He's mean, bitter, depressed, lonely, and makes it funny. It's too bad his ex-wife is gone, because that was a fun storyline and made his character act in unexplainable ways. At least his best friend and boss are still messing with him. In the first episode they already started lying to him. By the second episode House started making jokes about his boss being pregnant. Although she denies it I'm sure it will mean something later on.

Unfortunately by the second episode they already started to reach over the deep end by once again delving inside the mind of someone whose brain is acting oddly. I really wish they would keep the special effects to a minimum, because I don't tune in because I miss X-files. What I find far more interesting is the sexy but underage young girl who has a crush on House and starts stalking him. I'm sure it will get everyone's panties in a twist.

Fox's first sitcom premiere was Thursday night's new show 'Til Death. May I just start by saying that I love Brad Garrett. He's hilarious. Which is why I don't understand why they cast him in a show where he ends up being just another Raymond. The show has him as one half of an older married couple who meets a couple of newlyweds who are still full of ideals. Oh gee, I've been married a long time, but I still screw up with my wife. Plant hand on forehead, repeat joke about never having sex. I might have laughed once during the entire half hour.

The next half hour I was pleasantly surprised by the show Happy Hour. It's an interesting group of New Yorkers who live in the same apartment complex, maybe a little like Friends if they were cynical and drank more. Henry was just dumped by the girl he moved to New York to be with. He moves in with a swingin' bachelor whose old roommate just left. That old roommate moved in with his controlling girlfriend that everyone else hates. Add in another funny but smart girl who is just one of the guys and you've got something that made me laugh repeatedly. It's really too bad that it will probably be one of the first shows to get cancelled.