Roger Catlin | TV EYE
September 9, 2008
Joshua Jackson and Anna Torv star in "Fringe" tonight at 8 on Fox. It begins with a plane crash. (MCT / September 7, 2008)
J.J. Abrams' new series, " Fringe" (Fox, 8 p.m.), begins like his " Lost," with an opening airline tragedy setting the stage for the rest of the series. But the premiere drags on more like "Alias," with Anna Torv portraying the female agent trying to crack the mysteries of the dead plane, whose inhabitants' skin has melted off.
She works with a discredited scientist whose first idea is to cook up LSD. Hoping to grow a feverish fan base like that of "Lost," they drop all kinds of clues, visual and otherwise, in a manner that seems forced. Still, this may represent the best the fall has to offer.
Tonight's other premiere, "Privileged" (The CW, 9 p.m.) is yet another show about teens in the realm of the super-rich. This one is set in Palm Beach, where the super-quirky Megan (JoAnna Garcia of "Reba") has been hired to tutor a couple of the most spoiled brats. Meant to complement the new "90210" (The CW, 8 p.m.), it's more likely to be overshadowed by it.
Remote Patrol
With conventions over, the next big thing on the political calendar is the debates. To prepare, frequent moderator Jim Lehrer looks back on highlights from past debates. "Debating Our Destiny II" (CPTV, 9 p.m.) updates the original 2000 show that covered debates back to 1976, with new interviews from all but one of those involved in the last two cycles of debates. There's too much to cover in an hour, and it goes by quite quickly.
Denis Leary hosts the fifth "Fashion Rocks" ( CBS, 9 p.m.), taped Friday at Radio City Music Hall, featuring Justin Timberlake, Beyoncé, Black Eyed Peas, Kid Rock, Keith Urban, Lil' Wayne, Mariah Carey, Rihanna, Chris Brown and Lynyrd Skynrd in various duets.
The most annoying collection of people on TV today is, without a doubt, the stylist and staff of "The Rachel Zoe Project" (Bravo, 11 p.m.), the newest in the network's effort, after "Flipping Out" and "Million Dollar Listing," to present America's most off-putting people.
BET's first scripted show is a fresh take on the black sitcom, with a singular point of view. A comic named Hadjii wrote, produces and stars in "Somebodies" (BET, 10:30 p.m.). It's worth watching.
Susan Koch does a splendid job covering the sport and the social issues surrounding the Homeless World Cup soccer tournament in her compelling documentary "Kicking It" (ESPN2, 9 p.m.), narrated by Colin Farrell.
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