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It seems like there are a million new offerings this fall from the four major networks, and a million more from the cable networks. Unfortunately, new episodes of Firefly (buy the DVD set from Amazon.com) is still not on that list of premieres this month The good news is that Serenity is out on September 30th.

Among the new shows that have aired this week, I am particularly fond of How I Met Your Mother on CBS. First off, it gets a couple of free points for having Neil Patrick Harris and Alyson Hannigan. I found some of Neil’s roles in recent years to be entertaining, especially playing himself in Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle (Amazon). I should also really buy the Buffy: The Chosen Collection (that’s right - deluxe set coming in November) so that I can get my Willow, Spike or Anya fix as I please. For the time being, HIMYM will have to do.

The premise of the show is that Ted, played by Josh Radnor, is telling his kids the story of how he met their mother when he was just a 27-year-old architect in New York. He becomes obsessed with looking for the right woman after his best friend Marshall, played by Jason Segal, gets engaged to Lily, Alyson Hannigan’s character. Ted reminds me of Jonathan Silverman in The Single Guy, with the same pattern of speech and mannerisms (maybe it’s a New York thing). I really enjoyed the first episode. Like Chris said, I’m not sure if I enjoy it because it’s just funny, or if the show reminds us of the past four years of our lives. My favorite line of the pilot episode is when Neil Patrick Harris says, "This is so going in my blog!" That one made me giggle for a while Here’s to hoping it doesn’t get cancelled, like Committed did last year.

The other new series that I am enjoying is My Name is Earl on NBC. Again, the inclusion of familiar talent like Jason Lee, Ethan Suplee and the hot Jaime Pressly is part of the draw. While it is a new series, characters like Ethan’s "big lug" and Jaime’s "trashy chick" are familiar enough that it’s not like jumping into a brand new show. I also like how Earl has a list of 200+ wrongs that he wants to make right by, leaving the possibility for more than ten 22-episode seasons.

Part two of this post on the new fall TV schedule will come in a few days, after I get a chance to see more of the new shows and season premieres of the old shows. I am anticipating a good premiere for The West Wing, despite all of the changes made throughout last season. I am also looking forward to the return of Alias, but that’s isn’t until September 29th. I probably won’t get into Lost or Nip Tuck until after I see the DVDs and catch up.