New and Premiering in 2010

Well, the first non-college football entry in ages is a yearly tradition. That's right, the annual New and Premiering entry. As a side note, Lost will not be on this list, mostly because this final season will not be TV show, but an event. With no BSG or Lost to choose from, the number one will be tough to pick. Anyway, enough about my inability to create a simple list and let's get to the countdown.

5) Southland - 1/12 on TNT at 10PM

This is more of a F You to NBC than my wanting to actually watch this show. I normally stay away from your average cop drama, if only to stave off becoming my parents for another year. However, I've heard nothing but good things about this show.

Critical acclaim is something that NBC seems to shy away from, considering they canned it even before it got to premiere and gave the 10PM time slot EVERY NIGHT to Jay Leno. If I had time, effort, and an actual following, I would have lead a campaign to ensure that Southland actually beat Leno in the ratings. It would be a noble goal.

4) Leverage - 1/13 on TNT at 10PM

This American version of Hustle probably would have been higher except for the fact that they replaced Gina Bellman's Sophie with Jeri Ryan's Tara. That's like replacing Sam Adams with Budweiser, sure, it's still beer, but which would you prefer? Thankfully, it's only a temporary switch while Bellman spits out a kid.

This pretty much going to follow the same formula as all the proceeding shows. Someone gets hosed by a company, businessman, politician, or local crime lord. Said victim gets in contact with Nate and his band of do-gooders and they take care of it, getting the victim back his money and turning a tidy profit. It's a winner of a formula and they should keep riding it. Don't fall into the trap of thinking you need to bog us down with plot or overall story arcs, that's not your bread and butter.

3) Human Target - 1/17 on FOX at 8PM

You know what? Screw all the "comic book background" on this. I have two reasons to watch this. One, it has the trifecta of guns, ass-kicking, and humor. Two, ever since Keen Eddie, I will support anything with Mark Valley in it (plus, high marks for his marriage to Anna Torv).

After seeing the first commercial for this show, I knew I wanted to watch it. Not only was he throwing himself in front of bullets meant for Tricia Helfer, but he looked like he was possessed with some sort of death wish. Just your classic "I don't give a shit" attitude. I can't wait.

2) Caprica - 1/22 on Syfy at 9PM

How can anything be bad that has Eric Stoltz in it? If they made a "Pulp Fiction" sequel that featured his drug dealer character, I would be first in line to watch. Anyway, this is the much anticipated Battlestar Galactica prequel that shows us the beginnings of the Cylons (which makes no sense, since they have been around for thousands of years, but I'm sure they'll explain that).

When I went to visit Seamus last year for SBSA 2009 (I'll explain later), he popped in the pilot for Caprica, since Syfy was nice enough to release the pilot on DVD back in June. I enjoyed it, it was good. A little cerebral, but overall a good watch. It definitely needed some time to mature, but it has a lot of potential.

1) 24 - 1/17 on FOX at 9PM

Jack Bauer is back again to save us from terrorist who want to do us harm. God knows our President won't do it. This time, Jack and the newly minted CTU are taking up in New York, if only because it makes more since than Los Angeles.

The last time we saw Jack, he was dying from a deadly pathogen that was to be released by an evil Jon Voight (being almost as evil as Coach Bud Kilmer from "Varsity Blues"). Obviously, the experimental treatment worked and Jack is right as rain. I give a thumbs up to the return of Agent Renee Walker, Jack's potential love interest and lump of clay which he can mold into a female version of himself. I give a big old thumbs down to Jack's new partner, the excruciating Freddie Prinze Jr. The only role he was ever good in was his role as the idiot brother in "House of Yes" and that's because he got to play to this strengths, as an idiot.

Even Freddie can't dull my enthusiasm for the new season. However, my enthusiasm will dull quickly if they keep recycling the "mole in CTU" storyline. It was classic with Nina Myers (because we all thought Tony was the bad guy). After seven seasons, it just gets old. I would forgive the rehash of this if you gave me a half hour in some episode where we see the terrorist doing there thing and we get the split screen of Jack on the crapper with the New York Times. Seriously, everybody poops.