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Fall 2014 TV premieres this week: What to watch, and what to DVR [The Oregonian, Portland, Ore.]
[September 16, 2014]

Fall 2014 TV premieres this week: What to watch, and what to DVR [The Oregonian, Portland, Ore.]


(Oregonian (Portland, OR) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Sept. 16--It's Fall TV season time, and though the first big wave of new and returning shows won't come crashing towards us until next week, we've got a few early arrivers this week.



How to tell which shows to watch? Which ones can wait in the DVR? Here are my recommendations for this week's choices.

Watch -- worth making time for: 1. "The Roosevelts: An Intimate History." I've been going on and on about how good Ken Burns' film about Theodore, Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt is, and it's continuing nightly on PBS (10) at 9 p.m. through Saturday. Catch up on episodes you may have missed online.


2. "The Mindy Project": Last season, this underrated show offered some of the funniest moments on TV, as well as a smart spin on modern romantic comedy, with Mindy (Mindy Kaling) and her colleague and sparring partner, Danny (Chris Messina) getting together. But can the magic hold as Season 3 begins? I can't wait to find out, and I'll be watching (9:30 p.m. Tuesday, Fox/12) DVR -- worth checking out when you get a chance: 1. "New Girl": The Fox comedy veered off track last season when Jess (Zooey Deschanel) and Nick (Jake Johnson) became a couple, which was both a) too soon; and b) a really bad idea, since all the fun went whooshing out of the show's bubbly appeal when they got together. I'll still tune in to see how the show handles Jess and Nick in their post-break-up status, but I'm not feeling very enthused. (9 p.m. Tuesday, Fox/12) 2. "Red Band Society": Premiere of a new series that might best be described as YA TV. Like the hugely popular Young Adult novel and movie, "The Fault in Our Stars," "Red Band Society" is about young people in the pediatric ward of a Los Angeles hospital, and while the Steven Spielberg-produced show yanks on our heartstrings pretty aggressively, the young cast is likable, and, as a tough-on-the-outside-soft-on-the-inside nurse, Oscar-winner Octavia Spencer grounds it with warmth and wit. (9 p.m. Wednesday, Fox/12) "The Mysteries of Laura": NBC is offering an early peek at this new show, starring Debra Messing as a top-notch New York homicide detective whose home life is as chaotic as her work life is squared away. It's kind of a mess, with scenes ranging from broadly played comedy to overly familiar cop-procedural stuff, but Messing seems to be having a ball, and her energy and crack timing kept me watching. (10 p.m. Wednesday, NBC/8) - -- Kristi Turnquist ___ (c)2014 The Oregonian (Portland, Ore.) Visit The Oregonian (Portland, Ore.) at www.oregonian.com Distributed by MCT Information Services

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