The New Girl

8 p.m. on Tuesdays on Fox

Fox has promoted its new sitcom, the Zooey Deschanel-vehicle”New Girl,” with the tag “So Zooey.” There doesn’t seem to be muchmore to say about the show than “starring Zooey Deschanel as ZooeyDeschanel.”

Deschanel plays Jess Day, a standard manic pixie dream girl whoseterrible break-up provokes her move to an apartment with threestrangers. She spends her days teaching, singing songs aboutherself (Deschanel also sings the show’s theme song), quoting “Lordof the Rings” and just generally being every definition of the word”adorable.”

“New Girl’s” typical sitcom fare comes with a handful of laughsrooted in Deschanel’s endearing awkwardness. The pilot’s main cast,fleshed out by notable actors such as Damon Wayans Jr., JakeJohnson and Max Greenfield, is fine, albeit one-dimensional – atheme of the show. Wayans Jr. will soon leave the show, however,due to the renewal of his ABC sitcom “Happy Endings.”

For most, “New Girl” won’t be anything to write home about. Butfor those who can handle the saccharine sweetness of what couldaptly be known as”Stare-At-Zooey-Deschanel-Do-Cute-Things-For-30-Minutes,” there areworse ways to spend your time. -JE

Whitney

8:30 p.m. on Thursdays on NBC

Meet Whitney Cummings, the hilarious and loud-mouthed additionto NBC’s fall lineup. Originally a stand-up comedienne, Whitney’sarrival to primetime television is much-anticipated – and for goodreason.

Her perfect timing and comedic skill jump off the screen, providinga dynamic taste of her talent. Whitney’s world instantly entrancesthe viewer. Her “Whitney-isms” – advice on how she views life andits oddities – are cute and relatable. Whitney lives with herboyfriend Alex, played by Chris D’Elia, whose dry humor contrastswith Whitney’s eccentricity and often-blatant insanity. Whethershe’s inappropriately dressed at a wedding or trying desperately torevive her sex life, Whitney’s embarrassing moments keep the showlively and entertaining. A refreshing take on today’s modernrelationships – Whitney and her boyfriend live together but are notmarried – allows the show to explore more than the average sitcomdoes. Reminiscent of shows like “Cougar Town” or even a classicfavorite like “Friends,” most viewers will agree “Whitney” is bothengrossing and hilarious. -LM

Ringer

Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on The CW.

Sarah Michelle Gellar, best known as Buffy the Vampire Slayer,returns to television to play estranged twins in the much-buzzedabout neo-noir thriller “Ringer.” The show mixes Hitchcock withpulp to produce an engaging, if over-the-top, hour of drama. Afterwitnessing a murder, newly-sober Bridget flees to New York City toseek help from her socialite sister Siobhan. Bridget soon discoversno one in Siobhan’s life knows she has a sister. After Siobhandisappears overboard during a sisterly-bonding boat trip, Bridgetseizes the opportunity to escape her past by slipping intoSiobhan’s seemingly perfect life. But Siobhan, as it turns out, hasas many ghosts in her closet as Bridget. A solid cast of actors,including Ioan Gruffudd (“Fantastic Four”) and Nestor Carbonell(“Lost,” “The Dark Knight”), gushed about the show’s pace andwriting at this year’s Comic-Con, claiming that characters’ depthsplunge deeper each week, while promising that all questions raisedthroughout the season will be answered. Tuesday’s premiere, whichreceived warm reviews from critics, featured plot twists galore andset the stage for a suspenseful season. -HB

Up All Night

7 p.m. on Wednesdays on NBC

For those who miss “Arrested Development,” those who enjoy thebehind the scenes look at showbiz, and those who thought MayaRudolph was lovable in “Bridesmaids,” I offer you “Up All Night.”New parents Chris and Reagan – played by Will Arnett of “ArrestedDevelopment” and Christina Applegate of “Anchorman” – try not tolet clich?©d parenthood spoil their fun, with hilarious results.They try to maintain their pre-baby party lifestyle while motherReagan quickly resumes her job supervising Maya Rudolph’scharacter, the demanding host of the talk show she produces.Meanwhile, husband Chris plays a stay-at home dad who hunts for”normal cheese” in Whole Foods and bonds with other stay-at-homedads by discussing parenting techniques over the headpiece of hisPlaystation. Getting to watch a scene in which deeply hungoverparents try to change a diaper would be worth the 30 minutes on itsown. This irreverent sitcom brings some great comedy minds together- including “SNL’s” Lorne Michaels – and promises to be a cheekycounterweight to other sitcoms’ more emotional family fare. -HB

Boardwalk Empire

8 p.m. Sunday on HBO

The premise of Terence Winter’s sprawling Prohibition-era crimesaga “Boardwalk Empire” may sound familiar. It tells the story of acomplex crime boss forced to balance his New Jersey kingdom withhis personal desires. It may not surprise fans to hear that Winter- along with David Chase and current “Mad Men” mastermind MatthewWeiner – was one of the executive producers and head writers for”The Sopranos.” “Empire” retains so many of the things that madethe story of Tony Soprano and his family great: loads of engrossingsecondary characters, such as Michael Shannon’s self-flagellatingProhibition agent and Kelly Macdonald’s strong-willed suffragettelove interest. Michael Pitt shines in a stellar performance asyoung criminal upstart Jimmy Darmody, and Michael Stuhlbarg wows asrival mobster Arnold Rothstein. These characters swirl around thetitular empire of Nucky Thompson, portrayed by the sensationalSteve Buscemi. Buscemi firmly grounds Nucky in a sympathetichumanism, never failing to display the unblinking violence that haspropelled the program to popularity. But the true draw of “Empire”emerges as the sweeping glamour of 1920s Atlantic City. The sets,costume, soundtrack and language all immerse the viewer in a flashyworld long past. The upcoming season promises new troubles and newtriumphs for the many denizens of the boardwalk. -CB

Archer

Thursdays at 9:30 p.m. on FX.

“Archer,” which airs on the FX Network, has been described as”James-Bond”-meets-“Arrested-Development.” Secret missions,smooth-talking double agents and beautiful, exotic women are allhallmarks of the spy genre. In “Archer,” however, the characterscould not be more dysfunctional. An animated series created by AdamReed and featuring the voices of H. Jon Benjamin, Aisha Tyler andJessica Walter, “Archer” focuses on the exploits of Sterling Archer(Benjamin), a debonair and unbelievably self-centered super-spy whoworks for the International Secret Intelligence Service. WhileArcher is the world’s most dangerous secret agent, he’s moreinterested in traveling the world and sleeping with countlessbeautiful women than in his job, much to the dismay of hisnarcissistic, alcoholic boss and mother, Malory Archer (Walter) andhis violent ex-girlfriend and fellow agent Lana Kane (Tyler).

The best moments of the show combine rapid back-and-forthdialogue, esoteric referential humor and off-the-wall violence thatcan only happen because the show is animated. Also, any time Archeris a jerk to his long-suffering British butler, Woodhouse (GeorgeCoe), automatically qualifies as a highlight, with constant threatssuch as “If I find one single dog hair when I get back, I’ll rubsand in your dead little eyes.” It’s the funniest show ontelevision.

Grimm

Fridays at 9 p.m. on NBC

If you’re tired of the vampire boyfriends, underage werewolvesand demon hunters patrolling primetime television, look no furtherfor supernatural, crime-fighting horror than NBC’s “Grimm.” The newdrama series is a cross between “CSI” and “Supernatural.” Portlandhomicide detective Nick Burkhardt (David Giuntoli) thinks he’sready for a life of fighting crime until he starts seeing humanstransform into mythological beasts right before his eyes. Thesevisions aren’t hallucinations. Burkhardt discovers that he isdescended from an elite group known as “Grimms” whose duty is toprotect humanity from supernatural creatures. The Grimm Brothers’fairy tales weren’t just stories, they were warnings of themysteries to come. With help from his new confidant, a reformed”Big Bad Wolf” named Monroe (Silas Mitchell of “Prison Break”),Detective Burkhardt must keep his newfound supernatural callinghidden from his fianc?© and detective partner.

From the producers of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” thissupernatural mystery promises plenty of late-night scares andfantasy fun. Tune in for a dark, modern take on the Red Riding Hoodstory and get ready for edge-of-your-seat thrills. This is arevisiting of the stories that should have started with “once upona crime” -SC

Glee

Tuesdays at 7 p.m. on Fox

The hit musical comedy “Glee” took the stage Tuesday for itsthird season. A new school year has begun at McKinley High, and themembers of the Glee club cope with bullying, drama and sabotage,all in the pursuit of a shot at the national championships in NewYork City. The show, however, will be taking some new directionsthis year because many of the central cast will be graduating fromMcKinley. With six new writers contributing to “Glee,” storylinesthis season will be more character driven rather than last season,which was based on musical themes like Fleetwood Mac, BritneySpears and “Rocky Horror Picture Show.” Loose ends from May’sseason two finale will continue into this new season, includingstorylines such as cheerleader Santana Lopez coming to terms withher sexuality and Rachel Berry’s relationship with Finn Hudson.There will also be fewer guest stars this season, though IdinaMenzel and Gwyneth Paltrow will be reprising their roles as rivalglee director Shelby Corcoran and substitute teacher Holly Holiday,respectively. Samual Larsen and Damien McGinty, the joint winnersof Oxygen’s “The Glee Project,” will also appear on the show asguest stars. -LS

Community

Thursdays at 7 p.m. on NBC

Despite low ratings and no Emmy nominations, NBC’s half-hourcomedy “Community” has returned for a third season. The show, whichcenters on the seven members of a study group at GreendaleCommunity College, has gradually expanded its scope over the lasttwo seasons. In the last year alone, the show parodied zombiemovies, “Star Wars,” bottle episodes, “Apollo 13” and “My Dinnerwith Andre,” while also exploring the in-show universe beyond theschool with looks at characters’ home lives and outsidehobbies.

This season, uptight Annie (Alison Brie) faces an academic rivalwho brings out her worst instincts. Britta (Gillian Jacobs) finallydecides what she wants to do with her life, and viewers will meetthe elusive father of Jeff Winger (Joel McHale). Troy (DonaldGlover) and Abed (Danny Pudi) will take their bromance to the nextlevel by becoming roommates, and Chang (Ken Jeong) will regain someof his previous power with a new position as school security guard.On top of these developments, “Community” will continue with itsthemed episodes, most notably with a Halloween episode that playswith nonlinear storytelling. “Community” fans can expect a thirdseason that maintains the intertextuality and depth that makes itone of the most interesting shows on network television. -AW

 

Modern Family

Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on ABC

The three interconnected families of ABC’s Modern Family hit theair Wednesday night for their third season. For two seasons, Mitch(Jesse Tyler Ferguson) and Cam (Eric Stonestreet) bicker, getthemselves tangled in slapstick situations and adopt baby Lily. Jay(Ed O’Neill) and his decades-younger, Colombian wife Gloria (SofiaVergara) provoke laughs, especially when accompanied by theirgentlemanly son Manny (Rico Rodriguez). And theironically-dysfunctional-because-they-are-traditional family ofClaire, Phil, Haley, Alex and Luke supply a large amount of theshow’s comedy. Shot in the same documentary style as “The Office,””Modern Family” is distinct in that it does not rely on sexualtension and probable romances. Luckily for the show, this alsomeans that there is no lull after romances are resolved (cough, Jimand Pam).

Season two dropped a few plot hints for this season: Alexbraving high school and Mitch and Cam wondering about another baby.Online photos of the first episode’s shooting depict the crew inoutdoorsy gear and Gloria petting a horse. We can only guess whatthat means. -SU

 

It’s Always Sunny inPhiladelphia

Thursdays at 9 p.m. on FX

Cult favorite “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” made itsreturn to primetime on FX last week to begin its seventh season.Arbitrary arguments, debauchery and drunken antics filledThursday’s premiere, giving the audience a sumptuous sample of thehilarity to come. The gang returns to its usual ways this fall witha new twist in the form an obese Mac, a character who usuallyprides himself on his physical fitness. The show’s producer, RobMcElhenney, who plays Mac, actually gained 50 pounds for hischaracter’s new body shape. Though the gag initially seemed grossand extreme, the writers did well to incorporate the joke into theshow, with Mac defending his new girth by claiming that he hadsimply “cultivated mass.” Though the sixth season had its moments,many viewers were disappointed after a raucous, criticallyacclaimed fifth season. Hopefully, the gang can build on themadness of this season’s premiere, which was filled withprostitutes, projectile vomiting and crack jokes. As one of thefunniest and best-written comedy shows on cable, it will be hard tolook away from the sloppy mess as the new season gets underway.-EP

 

Parks & Recreation

Thursdays at 7:30 on NBC.

In its first season, “Parks and Recreation” was correctlyderided as a knockoff of “The Office,” but the show hit its stridein the second season and has gotten better with every episode. Witha stellar cast and terrific writing, “Parks and Recreation” is somuch more than a show about the wacky escapades of municipalgovernment in Pawnee, Ind. It is about the ability of people withdifferent backgrounds and views coming together with the commongoal of making the world a better place, one stray raccoon andharvest festival at a time.

Last season ended on quite a cliffhanger. Will Leslie’s (AmyPoehler) bid for political office be spoiled by her secretrelationship with Ben (Adam Scott)? Will shoulder tendonitis be theend of hyper-positive Chris (Rob Lowe)? Will Anne (Rashida Jones)ever find love? Will Andy (Chris Pratt) and April (Aubrey Plaza)ever stop being so adorable? Will Tom (Aziz Ansari) and 720Entertainment find success? Most intriguingly, will gruff,mustachioed Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman) finally meet his match inthe form of his first ex-wife Tammy? Tune in to find out. You won’tbe disappointed.

 

By Jonathan Estuart, Lindsay Meyer, Hope Barnard,Charles Bramesco, Zach Yanowitz, Stephanie Chen, Lucy Stratton,Abby Watkins, Sophie Unterman, Everett Phelps and HudColey