September 22 is a busy night when it comes to new Fall 2011 television shows. Three crime dramas premiere on ABC, CBS, and NBC — at 8pm, 9pm, and 10pm ET, respectively — and NBC also adds a new comedy to its popular Thursday-night sitcom block.

The first of the three crime newcomers is Charlie’s Angels on ABC at 8pm. An update of the classic 1976–1981 show, the reimagination stars Minka Kelly (Parenthood), Annie Ilonzeh (General Hospital), and Rachael Taylor (Grey’s Anatomy) as the latest trio of attractive bad guy catchers guided by intermediary Bosley (Ramon Rodriguez, The Wire). My hopes are not up, sadly, since one Charlie’s Angels was enough, and that includes the unnecessary movies starring Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz, and Lucy Liu.

However, I am very much looking forward to the second new crime drama of the night, Person of Interest on CBS at 9pm. Not only does the series have three fantastic stars in Jim Caviezel (The Prisoner), Michael Emerson (Lost), and Taraji P. Henson (Boston Legal), but the premise isn’t too shabby or derivative, either. Caviezel and Emerson play a pair of uniquely talented men who use their distinct resources to prevent crimes before they occur, and Henson portrays a New York Police Department detective who works the same beat they do.

I’m also excited to check out the last new Thursday crime drama, Prime Suspect on NBC at 10pm. If the Americanized version is even half as good as the Helen Mirren-led British original, it will rock. Maria Bello (ER) tops the cast as tough New York homicide detective Jane Timoney. When she’s not busy hunting down crooks, Jane spends much of her time getting into it with her coworkers, including her boss Lieutenant Kevin Sweeney (Aidan Quinn, Weeds).

The remaining September 22 scripted series premiere is the sitcom Whitney on NBC at 9:30pm. Whitney Cummings (Chelsea Lately) stars as the title character, who spends too much time obsessing about her three-year relationship with Alex (Chris D’Elia, Glory Daze) and not getting married prematurely. My cable TV provider had the pilot episode on demand before the premiere for whatever reason, so I checked it out earlier today. The comedy doesn’t work for me, primarily because the characters, plotlines, and jokes are all too tired, annoying, and uninteresting. Others may feel differently, of course.

Two new series starring popular actresses help their respective network kick off the Fall 2011 season properly tonight, September 20. First up is the Fox sitcom New Girl at 9pm ET, and the CBS crime drama Unforgettable follows at 10pm.

Zooey Deschanel (Tin Man), younger sister of Bones star Emily Deschanel, headlines the comedy as Jess Day. After Jess learns her no-good boyfriend has been stepping out on her, she moves in with three other dudes to get on with her life. Max Greenfield (Raising the Bar), Jake Johnson (FlashForward), and Lamorne Morris (The Middle) play her trio of roommates.

Over on the CBS drama, former Without a Trace star Poppy Montgomery portrays lead character Carrie Wells. The seasoned police detective happens to possess nearly perfect recall of past events, an awesome trait she uses to help solve difficult homicide cases. If only it would help her figure out who murdered her sister, though.

Sneak peeks at the two new shows in the videos below. Based on preliminary information, I think I’ll be watching both this fall.

Familiar television faces Christina Applegate (Samantha Who?), Will Arnett (Arrested Development), Hank Azaria (Huff), and Kathryn Hahn (Crossing Jordan) all open their brand-spanking-new sitcoms tonight, September 14, on NBC at the special times of 10pm and 10:30pm ET, respectively.

Applegate and Arnett star in Up All Night as husband and wife — and new parents — Reagan and Chris Brinkley. Public relations professional Reagan returns to work, while Chris is the home-based parent. The comedy focuses on how the pair cope with the trials and tribulations of parenthood and basic relationships in their lives. Saturday Night Live vet Maya Rudolph costars as Reagan’s demanding boss and BFF Ava.

Azaria and Hahn headline Free Agents as public relations (here we go again — must be a popular profession in some circles) coworkers Alex and Helen. An American adaptation of the popular U.K. comedy of the same name, the sitcom follows what happens after an unexpected hookup between two people who have experienced recent relationships that went wrong.

Sneak a peek at each new series in the videos below. The shows move to their regular 8pm and 8:30pm time slots on September 21.

The summer television season officially begins for me tonight, June 23, with the premiere of trippy new FX comedy Wilfred at 10pm ET. The time also marks the debut of new USA Network original series Suits, which I’m much less enthusiastic to see.

Based on the Australian comedy of the same name, Wilfred features Lord of the Rings star Elijah Wood as poor young Ryan, an average guy who’s having immense trouble just living. And then he gets into a surreal, twisted relationship with his attractive neighbor Jenna’s (Fiona Gubelmann, The Closer) dog Wilfred, which turns his world upside down, inside out, and numerous other convoluted ways. Jason Gann, the creator and star of the original show, reprises his canine role as the title character.

Over on USA Network, Suits stars Gabriel Macht (The Others) as corporate lawyer Harvey Specter. When he sets out to hire a new rising attorney to be his right-hand man, he ends up selecting Mike Ross, (Patrick J. Adams, Pretty Little Liars), a smart newcomer to the legal profession who lacks the most important thing of all — a law degree. Oops! Gina Torres of Alias (love her!) and Rick Hoffman (Samantha Who?) also star.

Sneak peeks at TV’s latest additions below. Wilfred precedes hilarious comedy Louie, which kicks off its second season at 10:30pm tonight, and Suits follows USA Network staple Burn Notice, which launches its fifth season tonight at 9pm.

Tonight, April 28, is the night many longtime fans of NBC sitcom The Office have been dreading. Day One series star Steve Carell departs the comedy during “Goodbye, Michael,” a very special extended 52-minute episode premiering at 9pm ET.

The swan song focuses on Michael Scott as he bids final farewells to his soon-to-be former colleagues before heading to Colorado for a new life with his future wife Holly (Amy Ryan). Saturday Night Live veteran Will Ferrell also reprises his role as Michael’s current replacement, equally quirky branch manager Deangelo Vickers, for what is sure to a touching and memorable installment.

Quick sneak peeks at the pivotal episode follow.

Comedian Paul Reiser officially returns to sitcom television tonight, April 14, when his new comedy The Paul Reiser Show joins NBC’s three-hour Thursday-night sitcom lineup in the 8:30pm ET time slot. The premiere doubles as a not-so-subtle “So long!” to the slot’s previous rookie inhabitant, Perfect Couples.

Reiser’s latest TV venture finds him playing himself as he attempts to move back into the entertainment spotlight years after his last popular television series ended. Cast members include Amy Landecker (Louie) as Paul’s wife Claire and Andrew Daly (Eastbound & Down), Omid Djalili (Whoopi), Duane Martin (Rita Rocks), and Ben Shenkman (Lights Out) as his friends-of-convenience Brad, Habib, Fernando, and Jonathan, respectively.

The series premiere, “The Father’s Occupation,” gets the plot rolling right along when his difficulty stating exactly what his job is on a school form for his son prompts Paul to schedule an audition with well-known reality-TV producer Mark Burnett (Survivor), who cameos. The audition is for hosting a new game show, and Paul’s main competition is fellow comedian and successful sitcom star Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm), who cameos, as well.

Get a feel for Paul Reiser’s new show in the following sneak peeks. We’ll know soon enough if it’s a good fit for NBC’s supersized comedy block.

And, yes, it’s typically “offbeat,” à la successful NBC staples such as 30 Rock, The Office, and Parks & Recreation. Or so says Fox itself in the official description for the network’s latest new series Breaking In, which premieres tonight, April 6, at 9:30pm ET.

Even if viewers don’t find the sitcom particularly funny, many will be happy to welcome back some of the main cast members. They include missed familiar faces like Bret Harrison (Reaper), Michael Rosenbaum (Smallville), and Christian Slater (The Forgotten).

The show revolves around Contra Security, a high-tech security company with a staff of quirky oddballs willing to use uncommon and daring tactics to market their services. Slater plays OZ, the big boss, while Harrison has the role of recent college grad and longtime computer hacker Cameron, the newest addition to Contra’s group of employees.

I’ll be checking out Breaking In for the cast alone, so if the show actually manages to make me laugh regularly — unlike many of the so-called comedies on TV these days — that will be a bonus. Get an early look at the series below.

Frosh Fox sitcom Raising Hope — a deserving success — returns to kick off its first winter season at 9pm ET tonight with “Romeo and Romeo,” followed by the series premiere of new comedy Traffic Light at 9:30pm.

The latest episode of Raising Hope finds Jimmy making a sad realization: he hasn’t had the opportunity to just hang out with people his own age since the arrival of his daughter Hope. Intent on improving his situation, he tries to start a friendship with another single father he met recently, but his dependably challenging mother Virginia puts a crimp in that plan immediately. Former Everybody Hates Chris and Martin star Tichina Arnold guests, which can only mean lots of funny stuff is in store.

Fox’s newest sitcom Traffic Light focuses on three male friends and the various stages of their respective romantic relationships. David Denman (The Office), Nelson Franklin (The Office), and Kris Marshall (Sold) head the cast as buddies Mike, Adam, and Ethan, and Liza Lapira (Huff) and Aya Cash (Mercy) costar as Mike’s wife Lisa and Adam’s live-in girlfriend Callie, respectively. If Traffic Light turns out to be worth watching — unlike NBC’s seemingly similar yet totally unfunny buddy-relationship “comedy” Perfect Couples, for instance — Fox just might have a hit sitcom block on its hands. That would be cool.

Executives at basic cable’s TBS are surely excited about the premiere of the network’s first original 60-minute comedy tonight, November 16, at 10pm ET. Called Glory Daze, the series features a mix of feel-good male camaraderie and familiar youthful — and often testosterone-fueled — hijinks.

Brought to us by creators and executive producers Walt Becker (Wild Hogs) and Michael LeSieur (You, Me and Dupree), Glory Daze revolves around four college-aged teenagers entering a new stage in their lives as they begin freshman year at an Indiana university in 1986. Playing the four college students are relatively unknown actors Kelly Blatz (Aaron Stone) as middle-of-the-road Joel, Drew Seeley (Freshman Father) as staunch conservative Jason, Harley Sawyer (Killian) as baseball ace Brian and clear comedy standout Matt Bush (High School) as aspiring non-virgin and ladies’ man Eli.

How the four distinct guys end up hanging out together and reluctantly checking out potential fraternities to pledge is just part of the story during the premiere episode. Most of the action depicts how zany situations can get when hormonal college students gather in one place for any length of time, as a continual stream of nostalgia-inducing 1980s music plays in the background. However, the extra length beyond a typical half-hour sitcom also allows viewers to get a taste of — among other things — Joel’s family, including his parents played by former Saturday Night Live cast member Cheri Oteri and Everybody Loves Raymond vet Brad Garrett, and a few quirky faculty members, or at least the bitter divorced professor that Saturday Night Live alum Tim Meadows portrays.

Is Glory Daze comedy gold? Not even close. But if you lower your expectations and accept the inevitable — namely that there’s going to be a lot that seems similar to past college-themed shows and movies, such as the ABC Family dramedy Greek and the oft-mentioned classic 1978 flick Animal House — you might be able to find enough in the newcomer to keep you watching.

Sneak a peek at Glory Daze below before its 10pm premiere.

The best television news of the day on October 6, hands down, was Fox’s announcement that the network has picked up nine additional episodes of freshman comedy Raising Hope, which means the series now has a full 22-episode season on its plate.

Raising Hope comes to us courtesy of Greg Garcia, the man responsible for the equally quirky sitcom My Name Is Earl, which ran for four seasons on NBC. Garcia’s latest show stars Lucas Neff (The Beast) as Jimmy Chance, a sweet and sincere guy in his early twenties. Jimmy unexpectedly becomes the father of the title baby girl Hope after he has a one-time fling with a serial killer who eventually ends up on death row.

Martha Plimpton (ER) and Garret Dillahunt (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) play Jimmy’s working-class parents Virginia and Burt Chance; Shannon Woodward (The Riches) portrays supermarket cashier Sabrina, the current object of Jimmy’s affections; and Cloris Leachman (Malcolm in the Middle) nearly steals the show whenever she’s in a scene as Jimmy’s frequently delusional grandmother Maw Maw.

Fox’s official announcement of the pickup notes Raising Hope‘s impressive ratings achievements for the three episodes aired since the comedy’s September 21 premiere. The sitcom is presently the top new comedy among both teens and young women, the second most popular new comedy among people ages 18 to 34, and in the top five new comedies among people ages 18 to 49. Nice.

It’s always great when a truly funny sitcom gets the respect and audience it deserves. I’ve watched every episode aired thus far of every new fall comedy, and Raising Hope truly is one of the best, along with Monday-night CBS rookie Mike & Molly.