Once again, the fall tv season is upon us. And being the tv junkie that I am, this Top Five list is dedicated to the Best New Shows. I must say a few words about my bias because I primarily watch one-hour dramas instead of sitcoms, just as I prefer action movies to romantic comedies. Not all of the shows on the preceding list are cop shows, but they are all considered one-hour dramas.
Top Five Best New Shows:
5 - Threat Matrix / ABC Thursdays at 8
I would say this show is like Alias meets The Agency. It's about an uber-secretive elite security force that works in the background of the other security agencies (FBI, CIA, NSA, etc.). It combines cool gadgetry, forensics, crime-solving, and action to form a rather complete show. Unfortunately, the show competes against Friends and Survivor at 8 pm on Thursdays, which symbolically denotes ABC's lack of faith in the show, so it may not be around next season. But it's definately worth taping.
4 - Joan of Arcadia / CBS, Fridays at 8
From outward appearences this is a teenage version of Touched by an Angel, which I wouldn't be caught dead watching. But this show isn't about religion persay, it's about questioning religion. It's well-written and unique, which I have to respect being the television conosuer that I am. If you know me then you know I don't do any sort of religious/spiritual preach at me bullshit, therefore I wouldn't like a show that came anywhere close to that. So trust me, Joan of Arcadia is pretty cool.
3 - The Handler / CBS, Fridays at 10
Joey Pants is on the scene! That's Joe Pantoliano for those of you who live under a rock. The premise of this show is training undercover agents for the FBI. If that isn't right up my alley then I don't know what is. It's edgy like Law & Order: SVU, which is my favorite L&O. And finally, Pantoliano isn't playing a bad guy (the Matrix and the Sopranos). Fridays aren't usually great timeslots for new shows, but SVU was in the same timeslot until this season and it was consistently in the top ten.
2 - Cold Case / CBS, Sundays at 8
From the creators of CSI and Without a Trace comes another well done cop show. Cold Case isn't as fast-paced as the aforementioned shows, but the story is more involved, requiring a slower pace. Kathryn Morris, the lead, plays the fearless heroine fantastically. I was amazed and captivated by her performance, which made me want to tune in next time.
1 - Las Vegas / NBC, Mondays at 9
I honestly didn't expect to like this show. I thought it was going to be very "Las Vegas cliche." But to my surprise it's actually really good, astonishingly good. There really isn't any other show like it as far as storyline goes. What surprises me the most is the estrogen pumping through this show. Molly Sims...yowsa! Nikki Cox...yowsa! Vanessa Marcil...yowsa! And none of them are presented as stupid! In fact, they are all intelligent. The show actually reminds me of CSI, not because they're both set in Vegas, but because of the way it's shot, using quick zoom camera angles. The previews came off soap operay, but Las Vegas is anything but. It's smart, quick-paced, and well-acted, making it my number one pick of this Top Five list.
Honorable Mentions: Jake 2.0, Miss Match, The O.C. Lyon's Den
*this list is comprised of shows from the week of September 22. There are a few shows on my radar which haven't premiered yet, therefore they are not included in this list. (Karen Sisco, Tru Calling, Skin, etc.)

October 10th marks the date of the return of Quentin Tarantino. His fourth film, Kill Bill: Volume One, will be released, starring Uma Thurman, Daryl Hannah, Vivica A. Fox, Lucy Lui, Michael Marsden, and David Carradine. If you are a genre film fan and not excited for this event then there is truly something wrong with you. From the moment I saw the trailer I was hooked and counting the days.
I have, admittedly, never been a huge Tarantino fan. Pulp Fiction came out in '94 and I was too young to get into the "Tarantino is the greatest ever" hype. I rented it with some friends a few years after it's theatrical release and did not enjoy it. But as an enlightened, intellectual, young adult I have become a fan. I have seen and read recent interviews with Tarantino and I am so impressed by his pure love of movies. He loves what he does, and feels quite honored to be able to make a living from it, and I respect that attitude tremendously.
Kill Bill: Volume One promises action, and from what I hear, blood. And there are so many beautiful women in this movie. For that alone I would watch! (Go lesbo, it's your burfday) There is a lot of hype surrounding the movie, some are saying it's the only movie worth seeing this fall, ousting The Matrix Revolutions! That's huge in my world!
If you haven't heard anything about this movie then check out the film's website at www.kill-bill.com. Watch the trailer!

The USA Women's soccer team won their group yesterday in a game against North Korea. They now face Norway, the other women's soccer powerhouse, on October 5th on ESPN2. Norway is the only team with a winning record against the US. They won the heart-wrenching Olympic Gold Medal match in 2000 against the US, so I would definately say it's payback time. Be sure to support YOUR women's soccer team by watching the game this Sunday.