NEW TV GUIDE MEANS ALL'S WELL AGAIN -- FALL TV IS ABOUT TO BEGIN

By JOHN YOUNGREN

The air had a little cold snap and drizzle in it as I went into work today, and I knew for sure that the time had come -- fall is pretty much here.
When I opened the mailbox, I knew for sure.
For me, autumn's rites of recognition are always pretty definite, a mix of memories and passages that forever signify fall for me: The World Series. The start of the NFL season. School gets under way. RUSH week. Switching from sandals to boots, short sleeves to long, shorts to Levi's.
And the start of the new television season.
No kidding here, sadly enough. Since I was a kid, in fact, one of the more memorable days of any year -- right up there with sitting on Santa's lap and getting a new kite on my March birthday -- has been the start of the new TV season, signified more often than not by the arrival (wait for it) of the new TV Guide "Fall Preview" edition.
There was a time when this issue was so thick; it rivaled Sears' Christmas catalogue (a winter rite of passage). It'd be in the stores, at the checkout counters, for -- what? -- 35 cents a copy, full of insights and wonderful color pictures of all the new stars of all the new shows, as well as changes in returning favorites and a list of what else to look for in the TV season ahead.
I grew up loving (and watching, and watching, and watching) network television, so it should come as no surprise that to me, the annual TV Guide fall edition was akin to a new issue of the Bible arriving (which rarely happened, admittedly), so magical was the info it carried, photos it beheld, clever writing it boasted, predictions it advanced. It was everything to me.
My eyes would fill with wonder and glee, often with tears.
Alas, after a hard day at the office and a few other difficult hurdles in the past few weeks, I got home from work the other day and -- voila! -- there it was, the Fall Preview TV Guide edition, with David Caruso and Gail O'Grady and a few other stars I didn't recognize on the cover.
TV Guide does it a bit differently these days -- trying to spread the joy, I assume. So two weeks ago they talked about changes on "Returning Favorites" and next week, I think, they'll be doing something about their 50th anniversary (with spy babe Jennifer Garner on the cover -- but more in a moment).
But this Fall Preview edition is still the flagship -- they've been doing a special TV preview each autumn since 1953, apparently -- and still the surest sign that we're about to get serious about television again after a summer of repeats and (in this day and age) horrible reality series and so-so cable originals.
Needless to say, TV Guide isn't the only one that does a fall preview these days; I also got my Entertainment Weekly fall premiere edition on Saturday, and USA Today and a host of other publications will join in as well. Nevertheless, I offer a few thoughts and predictions on the upcoming TV season (and its related business), based on what I've gleaned from all of the above.
(Keep in mind, I was the one who predicted last fall that "Alias" would be a hit when I lost my breath for about 43 seconds after seeing Jennifer Garner's photo in the EW fall preview last year, so I do know what the hell I'm talking about).
To wit:
--ABC's best new show? "8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter." CBS' best new show? "CSI: Miami." NBC's best new show? "Boomtown." Fox's? "Fastlane." The WB's? "Birds of Prey." UPN's? "Haunted."
--The two I'll be watching for sure: "CSI: Miami" (if only to appreciate the irony of David Caruso and Kim Delaney together -- playing potential lovers -- in a drama after "NYPD Blue") and "Birds of Prey" (the daughter of Catwoman and Batman gets together with other babes and fights crime).
--All this fretting about John Madden joining Al Michaels on "Monday Night Football?" Fret no more. In a couple of games, the two have proven to be everything you'd anticipate: Informed, informational, funny and entertaining.
--My most anticipated returning series: Five-way tie between "Alias," "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "The West Wing," "Friends" and "Ed."
--I remain lukewarm on "ER's" continuing without Anthony Edwards.
--Any talk about "Buffy" continuing past this season without star Sarah Michelle Gellar should stop.
--Is it just me, or is "The Sopranos" a bit overrated?
--Has anyone really been hankering for a "Baywatch" reunion movie (yes, they're shooting it right now)?
--One dumb new show: "MDs" on ABC. Stars William Fichtner and John Hannah are two renegade surgeons, the "Hawkeye and Trapper" of this generation. But instead of fighting the Korean War, they're fighting HMOs. Thrilling. Maybe they'll do whole episodes about deductibles and pre-authorizations.
--Who was the network executive when, as producers pitched "Dinotopia," said, "let's go with it!"
--If this Ed and Carol business is going to go on for too much longer on "Ed," I might just give up on "Ed."
--Stop with the Joey and Rachel shit. It's Ross and Rachel, period.
--Is anyone still watching "Becker?"
--Why is it that David E. Kelley's new show looks a lot like "Ally McBeal," only with three Ally McBeals?
--I want to be touched by an angel.
--It's hard to imagine any new show creating as much buzz as "American Idol," and for that we should all feel ashamed.
--Rob Lowe can go ahead and leave "The West Wing." Perhaps he can join up with Judd Nelson, Emilio Estevez and Ally Sheedy for "St. Elmo's Fire 2."
--Everybody else might, but I've stopped loving Raymond.
--I'm going to miss that damn Felicity.
OK, that's about it for the moment -- I actually have to SEE some of these new shows to advance any further opinions. So, look for some more random TV thoughts in the next few days, because the fall TV Guide is here, the fall TV Guide is here, the fall TV Guide is here.
The new fall TV season isn't far behind.
Yes sir (or maam), we get down to business next week.

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