Jesus, skating celebrities and Lil’ Jon are all part of the new string of shows on the small screen, as television tries out its new batch of shows.
The old stand-bys, such as “American Idol,” “The OC” and “Lost” have all returned, and some fan favorites such as “Arrested Development” and “Alias” have been cancelled. But new shows are in the wings, hoping to take off as the new year progresses.
“The Book of Daniel,” which premiered Jan. 6 on NBC and shows on Fridays, is already stirring the emotions of the critics and the religious right.
Centered around Rev. Daniel Webster, the show looks at his life as he tries to deal with leading his flock, the loss of one of his children, a homosexual son and every now and then, speaking with a vision of Jesus who is a recurring character on the show.
Before the first episode had even aired, the American Family Association, a Christian organization, deemed the show anti-Christian and asked people to call their NBC affiliate, requesting that they not air the show.
“Witty, earnest, intelligent, overdone, overly ambitious, wildly entertaining and superbly cast which are just a few of the things that the people who decided to protest the show before it even aired have failed to mention,” Robert Bianco of USA Today said of the show.
Although not technically new, the “Chappelle Show” will return in the spring for a third season. Episodes will air but it is not a complete season due to the fact that Dave Chappelle left during the middle of production. What will air is what he completed before leaving.
“I am so stoked to hear Chappelle is coming back,” said Travis Collins, an agriculture business senior. “That show kills me.”
ABC premiered a new legal drama earlier this month “Injustice,” a story of people who have been wrongly convicted of a crime, and the people who work for the National Justice Project who are trying to help them out.
In the world of reality, CBS is premiering “What If …” later this season. Created by Allison Grodner, the same production team behind “Big Brother,” the show asks what it would be like now had you made a different decision in your past.
“‘What If …’ is turning back the clock and allowing you to see what would have happened had you stayed with that special someone in your life or if you had taken an alternate path,” is the pitch on the CBS Web site.
“Skating with Celebrities,” which premiered last week, shows B-list actors attempting to take on the professional skating world. The show includes actors such as Dave Coulier, better known as Uncle Joey on “Full House,” together with professional skaters such as Nancy Kerrigan.
“Fantasy fans and skating buffs unite,” Fox.com said. “Finally, here’s the chance to combine your love of fantasy sports with your love of figure skating.”
Cable network FX has had a string of breakthrough shows over the past couple seasons including “Nip/Tuck” and “Rescue me.” This March they will premiere “Thief,” the story of Nick Atwater who is just that, a thief, who is coming to terms with the need to steal and the desire to go straight.
Hollywoodreporter.com has reported that CBS has ordered “Orpheus,” which is produced by Tony Scott, (“True Romance” and “Enemy of the State”) and Ridley Scott (“Alien” and “Blade Runner”), and revolves around a modern day cult.