Schedule your DVR for new shows
Here is a night-by-night breakdown to help you determine what is and isn't see-worthy.
Today
"Boardwalk Empire," 7 p.m., HBO: A corrupt politician (Steve Buscemi) presides over shady deals and violent deeds in Atlantic City at the dawn of Prohibition.
Monday
"The Event," 8 p.m., NBC: A sci-fi thriller that follows a man (Jason Ritter) as he investigates the mysterious disappearance of his would-be fiancee and unwittingly begins to expose a sinister cover-up. Bottom line: The turbocharged pilot had us intrigued, but we said the same thing last season about ABC's "Flash Forward."
"Lone Star," 8 p.m., Fox: A charismatic con man (James Wolk) delicately juggles two lives — and two wives — deep in the heart of Texas oil country.
"Mike & Molly," 8:30 p.m., CBS: A romantic comedy about two shy plus-sized people (Billy Gardell and Melissa McCarthy) who connect during an Overeaters Anonymous meeting.
"Chase," 9 p.m., NBC: Even in her cowboy boots, a spunky, twangy-voiced U.S. Marshal (Kelli Giddish) runs down the outlaws. Bottom line: Giddish gets our hearts racing, but we don't quite get the thrill of this chase.
"Hawaii Five-0," 9 p.m., CBS: A high-octane reboot of the 1970s crime series, featuring Alex O'Loughlin as the island's Big Kahuna, Steve McGarrett. Bottom line: Lots of crazy stunts, hot bods and gorgeous scenery make for escapist thrills. Book it, Danno.
Tuesday
"Raising Hope," 8 p.m., Fox: A young slacker (Lucas Neff) has a chance encounter with a wanted felon and is left to raise their child when she makes a trip to death row. Bottom line: Has the white-trash screwball tone of "My Name Is Earl," but is less funny and more hideous.
"Running Wilde," 8:30 p.m., Fox: A disjointed comedy about an immature playboy (Will Arnett) trying desperately to win (or buy) the heart of his childhood sweetheart (Keri Russell). Bottom line: We're not wild about it.
"Detroit 1-8-7," 9 p.m., ABC: Break out the body bags. Homicide cops hunt down killers in the Motor City.
Wednesday
"Hellcats," 8 p.m., The CW (began on Sept. 8): A young, hip pre-law student (Aly Michalka) loses her scholarship and reluctantly joins the cheerleading squad to stay in school. Bottom line: We'll let out a cheer when it's canceled.
"Terriers," 9 p.m., FX (began on Sept. 8): An immature ex-cop (Donal Logue) teams with a reformed thief (Michael Raymond-James) to run an unlicensed private investigation business. Bottom line: These mutts aren't the best in show.
"Outlaw," 9 p.m., NBC (began on Sept. 15): Jimmy Smits plays a Supreme Court justice who suddenly resigns when he realizes the system is flawed. Now, he's out to represent the "little guy." Bottom line: Slack writing and hokey twists have us declaring, "disorder in the court!"
"Undercovers," 7 p.m., NBC: Married former spies (Boris Kodjoe, Gugu Mbatha-Raw) get back in the game, adding spice to their romantic life in the process. Bottom line: The leads are incredibly gorgeous and engaging, and the concept has promise. But the uneven pilot has us concerned.
"Better With You," 7:30 p.m., ABC: Two sisters (Jennifer Finnigan, Joanna Garcia) have very different relationships with the men in their lives.
"The Whole Truth," 9 p.m., ABC: A legal drama starring Rob Morrow and Maura Tierney that examines a case from both the defense and prosecution's perspectives.
"The Defenders," 9 p.m., CBS: A comedic drama featuring Jim Belushi and Jerry O'Connell as best pals and partners in a Las Vegas law firm.
Thursday
"Nikita," 8 p.m., The CW, (began on Sept. 9): A super-hot spy and assassin (Maggie Q) goes into kick-butt mode as she tries to bring down a shadowy government agency from which she defected.
"My Generation," 7 p.m., ABC: Ten years after being tailed by a documentary crew, former high school classmates are revisited. And guess what? They've changed!
"$#*! My Dad Says," 7:30 p.m., CBS: A comedy based on a popular Twitter feed has a caustic father (William Shatner) spewing politically incorrect diatribes. Bottom line: How tweet it isn't. Turns out that 140-character outbursts work a lot better online than on TV.
"Outsourced," 8:30 p.m., NBC: An American (Ben Rappaport) moves to India to run a call center for a novelty company. Bottom line: We love the fresh setting and fresh faces, but the show could get old fast if it doesn't offer more than culture-clash jokes.
Friday
"Blue Bloods," 9 p.m., CBS: Tom Selleck and Donnie Wahlberg headline a multigenerational clan of New York cops.
Sept. 28
"No Ordinary Family," 7 p.m., ABC: A fantastical drama featuring Michael Chiklis as the leader of a clan that possesses amazing superpowers. Bottom line: "The Incredibles" did it better.
Sept. 29
"Law & Order: Los Angeles," 9 p.m. NBC: The venerable crime franchise jumps coasts and spawns another spin-off. Skeet Ulrich, Terrence Howard and Alfred Molina are among the cast.
Oct. 15
"School Pride," 7 p.m., NBC: Cheryl Hines hosts a reality series that focuses on communities coming together to renovate their aging and broken public schools.
Oct. 31
"The Walking Dead," 9 p.m., AMC: Comic book-inspired saga chronicles life in the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse.
This story was originally published September 19, 2010 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Schedule your DVR for new shows."