There’s something about the winter that tends to bring out the lazy in all of us. The bitter, cold wind makes sitting in front of a TV in your warm room that much more appealing (especially while wearing the Snuggie that you got for the holidays and wear to your roommates’s chagrin). The Scene is here to help you skip past all the reruns and find the new (and mostly returning) shows that are filling the spring schedule. Life Unexpected
According to its commercials, the CW’s new show “Life Unexpected” is “heralded as ‘“Juno”-meets-“Gilmore Girls.”’ Whether or not that’s a good thing remains to be seen. However, the premise seems unique enough. The show is about a young girl, Lux, who is under foster care and seeking to be emancipated. She soon finds that her biological parents are more interesting than she first thought. In an unusual decision by a judge, Lux is denied emancipation and ordered to live with her reunited family. Hijinx and emotional turmoil will undoubtedly ensue, and — if the “Juno” references are any indication — a lot of trendy slang and references that no one in our generation actually uses will be plentiful. American Idol
Say what you will about the cheesiness or actual validity of the program, but we’re all at least semi-interested in “American Idol.” Whether or not you can remember who won season five (Taylor Hicks) or have every magazine cover that Adam Lambert has ever graced, even the best of us tend to get sucked into, at the very least, the terrible singers in the audition rounds (William Hung, anyone?). This season of “Idol” promises to be epic with Ellen Degeneres as one of the new judges and Simon Cowell’s recent announcement that this will be his last season with the show. Lost
Hate it or love it, “Lost” is one of the most interesting and popular shows to hit primetime airwaves in the last decade (much to NBC president Jeff Zucker’s surprise, as he passed on the show idea). Its viewers are devoted, sticking with the show through ridiculous plot twists, flashbacks and supernatural creatures, hoping for some kind of redemption. The hour-long series recap followed by a two-hour premiere for the sixth and final season will no doubt reel in a monumental audience, but one can only imagine how much attention the actual finale of the series will attract. (There was even a petition for President Obama to move one of his State of the Union addresses so it didn’t interfere with the return episode.) Glee
Though the beloved FOX newbie won’t return until April for the second half of its first season, most self-proclaimed “gleeks” will be counting down until its debut. The show’s success — on both the TV and the Billboard charts — is undeniable. Though there are at least three months until the show returns to primetime, viewers can rest easy — “Glee” just got picked up for a second season. 24
Like “Lost,” the first episode of “24’s” eighth season will debut with a two-hour premiere on Jan. 17. Like “Glee,” fans will be rabid with anticipation, as their revered show will finally be returning to the television screen after a long, eight-month hiatus. Viewers are likely more than ready to accept Jack Bauer back into their schedules, despite how long it’s been since they’ve seen him last.
Anything with Conan O’Brien
The man is a comedic genius and should gain a fellowship of viewers whatever channel and time slot he ends up occupying. Viva Conando.
You can reach this staff writer at cmoore@theeagleonline.com.
