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When I took a look at the list of new shows premiering this season, I was incredibly disappointed.  The writers' strike forced the networks to put together fewer pilots than usual this year, and unfortunately most of them seem completely uninspired.  A reboot of Knight Rider?  A new sitcom starring Bob Saget?  That's a far cry from the likes of Gossip Girl and Pushing Daisies, both of which premiered in the fall of 2007 and became instant classics.

Thankfully, there are five shows premiering this season that I feel have the potential for greatness.  Only time will tell if they capture my attention, or if I quickly cast them aside to watch Pushing Daisies on DVD.

5. Privileged

What would happen if a down to earth, Yale-educated twentysomething had to deal with the scandal-loving teens from Gossip Girl?  That's the question at the center of Privileged, which hopes to strike a charming balance between soapy drama and wacky comedy.  Executive producer Rina Mimoun helped turn Everwood into one of the WB's signature hits, and I'm hoping she can work the same magic for the CW.  The network could use a show with some heart, and Privileged just might be it.


4. Stylista

With America's Next Top Model quickly getting more irrelevant and Project Runway changing producers and moving to Lifetime, the world needs a new girly reality show to get addicted to.  Stylista, which is executive produced by Tyra Banks but thankfully doesn't feature her in front of the camera, has 11 contestants competing for an editorial job at Elle Magazine.  It's basically the reality version of The Devil Wears Prada, and though that movie made me angry I think the real life version could be fantastic.  The preview for the series shows bitchy fashionista Anna Slowey harshly critiquing the contestants, which is something I could watch and cackle at all day.


3. My Own Worst Enemy

My Own Worst Enemy has the potential to be terrible, but it could also be the type of thrilling spy drama that's been missing on television since Alias went off the air.  Christian Slater plays the Henry-Jekyll-meets-Jason-Bourne lead character, a loving husband who isn't at all aware that he's also a kick-ass super spy.  Executive producer Jason Smilovic helped bring the late, great Karen Sisco to the tube, so I'll cross my fingers that he doesn't fumble this great concept.


2. Fringe

A couple of my co-workers who have seen the Fringe pilot have complained that the series seems too similar to shows like Alias, Lost and The X-Files.  Considering that these are three of my favorite TV shows of all time, I don't see how that can be a bad thing.  Co-creator J.J. Abrams has yet to let me down with any of his sci-fi projects, so I fully expect to get sucked into the mysteries and strange phenomena present in Fringe.  Besides, anything that brings Joshua Jackson back to television is something I must see.


1. 90210

The original Beverly Hills 90210 wasn't exactly great television, but there's no denying that it has a nostalgic pull for anyone of a certain age.  Just hearing the opening bars of the theme song or the phrase "Donna Martin Graduates" brings a smile to my face, and I barely even watched the show.  It's this nostalgia, mixed with my love of teen dramas and my faith in showrunners Jeff Judah and Gabe Sachs (Freaks & Geeks), that has me extremely excited for the new 90210.  Throw in awesome actors who have appeared on  Arrested Development, Degrassi: The Next Generation, Supernatural, The Wire and Nip/Tuck, and it's easy to see why I can't wait for this reboot.  The new 90210 will hopefully capture all that was great about the original while successfully updating things for the Gossip Girl era.


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- Don Williams, BuddyTV Staff Writer
(Image courtesy of the CW)