TV Update - Reviews:

Thanks to the networks getting a lot more free about previewing their shows, I've had the chance to see a few of the shows I was excited about. So far, the season is looking pretty good:

Smith (CBS): This one is available on Google Video, and it's well worth a look. The cast is great, Ray Liotta shines on TV, and there's some nice, dark modern crime caper stuff going on. Oh, and I loved Amy Smart on Scrubs, but she's even better here as a femme fatale. It's not quite at the level of, say, Heat, or what I've seen of Brubaker & Phillips' Criminal, but it's damn good.

Studio 60 (NBC): Netflix now has available a DVD that has Studio 60 and Kidnapped, two NBC shows, on disc. It's also available as a streaming preview from AOL. I watched Studio 60 for the second time, and I'm even more convinced that it's gonna be the best new show of the season. Matthew Perry, Bradley Whitford and Amanda Peet in particular are fantastic, but there are already hints of a great ensemble in the "Big Three" (D.L. Hughley, Nate Corddry and Sarah Paulson) and there's not a weak link in the cast.

Kidnapped (NBC): This one was also a really entertaining first episode. Jeremy Sisto is quite the badass as a young retrieval specialist for hire, Delroy Lindo is cool as hell (as always) and there's some nice style, action and tension at work. There's a jump-cut editing/directing style that reminds me of Tony Scott, which I like but which might put some people off. Jason Smilovic, who wrote the first episode and is either exec producer or at least one of the producers, has a pedigree that includes Karen Sisco, so I'm inclined to keep an eye on this one.

Add in Heroes, which I've already seen and really liked, and that's four new shows that look really good, alongside Veronica Mars, Lost, and Battlestar Galactica (back in October!)... plus the strong buzz on The Nine, and that's a lot of great TV this season. Three of those new shows are NBC... I don't know what happened in development this season, but it was a good thing for that network.