All through the hiatus, site upon site almost always have updates on the breakout show of last year, Glee. Personally, I’m a bit exhausted with the overexposure. There’s a huge possibility that it will turn into backlash for the sophomore season; but let’s hope not. It’s still, at the very least, a unique show with a talented cast; and its advocacy for arts education is worth our support.

What’s new this season —
– New characters:
Sunshine played by Charice (Sunshine, seriously?) – A foreign exchange student whose singing chops prove to be both an asset (to the club) and a threat (to Rachel)
Sam Evans played by Chord Overstreet – A new student that instantly becomes friends with Finn until he becomes the new quarterback of the football team
Carl the Dentist played by John Stamos – The guy Emma is dating
– Relationships:
Rachel and Finn are now officially together; and it will be that way for the rest of the season.
Artie and Tina are not dating anymore. Tina and Mike Chang is the new couple for season two.
– What’s gonna happen:
Everyone will be made to audition for glee club again and some won’t make it back in.
Quinn rejoins the Cheerios.
Season two, episode two is the Britney episode, with Brittany as the center of the storyline. (Britney Spears cameo alert!)
Rumor has it that another Madonna episode is in the works, and a Rocky Horror Picture Show episode is also being made.

Excited yet? Well, the promos don’t have much to offer (yet), and it’s shared with some new shows… so you just have to hope for more promos in the next few days.

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Only one name will make me watch a show instantly without the need for marketing: J.J. Abrams. The man behind Lost and Fringe has a new show on NBC called Undercovers.

What sets this show apart from Abrams’ other creations is that it’s not that unique a concept. It’s not serialized, at least from what I can see. It’s simply about a married couple who happen to be ex-spies, recruited yet again to go back to doing what they do best… being spies.

This show has the most buzz among the new series… mostly in part to J.J. Abrams and the heavy promotions being done by NBC (This network badly needs a hit new show). Still, the preview looks fun (much like Chuck, which I love) and action-packed. It’s got a lot of potential.

I’m not at all familiar with the original La Femme Nikita; but I’m curious to watch this new show on The CW, which is Nikita starring Maggie Q.

Nikita trained with the CIA only to find out that she’s being groomed to become an assassin. When she went against agency rules and fell in love with a civilian, they killed him and made it look like an accident. Now, she is on a mission to cease the operations of the department that trained her.

I haven’t really heard much about this show; but the previews look interesting, and The TV Addict listed it as one of the fall shows he’s excited for… I always believe recommendations.

Openings like that has got to be one for the record books.
Everywhere I looked and every second that passed, I recognized a face from a show I love. Jane Lynch! Joel McHale! Tina Fey! Nina Dobrev! Jorge Garcia! Jon Hamm! Glee! The star-studded opening is definitely a classic, one which I thoroughly enjoyed watching.

It’s definitely sweet (and surprising) the first time.
First-time winners dominated the ceremonies; and that was a pleasant surprise. I’m mostly happy about Modern Family winning Best Comedy. I know it was a tight race between this show and Glee; but I believe the better show won. I also found myself cheering for Jim Parsons (Best Comedy Actor for The Big Bang Theory), Archie Panjabi (Best Supporting Drama Actress for The Good Wife), Eric Stonestreet (Best Supporting Comedy Actor for Modern Family) and even Aaron Paul (Best Supporting Drama Actor for Breaking Bad, a show I’ve only seen the pilot of). And because of the outstanding sixth season with the amazing Voltaggio brothers, Top Chef finally beat seven-time Emmy winner The Amazing Race for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program.

Mad Men is virtually untouchable.
Three seasons. Three wins for Best Drama. When will the streak end? Not that I don’t like it. I love the show; and it has definitely gotten better and better with each passing season. But I was hoping something unexpected would happen… like Lost or Breaking Bad winning. That would’ve been sweet.

I gotta start watching Breaking Bad.
Two acting awards for its two leads. No other proof is needed. I have to start watching Breaking Bad.
I liked the pilot when I watched it; but I haven’t watched anything beyond that episode. I keep on hearing great things; so I know I gotta start tuning in. I promise to catch up soon. Promise. Promise…

I haven’t watched the whole show… I missed the first awards handed out. I plan to watch the whole show again in my own time; but from what I saw, I think Jimmy Fallon did a good job. That opening number… wow. The way nominees were presented was pretty good (having them answer a personal question) as well. It gave faces to the people working behind the shows we love; and it was fun. The surprising wins and winners made for an exciting 2 hours; but some disappointments were still there (barely any wins for Lost and no farewell for Ugly Betty, to name a few). Still, overall… Good show. ‘Til next year!

For your entertainment, here’s the opening number:

Thoughts to follow. Complete winners at the source.

BEST COMEDY SERIES
“Modern Family” (ABC)
BEST COMEDY ACTOR
Jim Parsons (“The Big Bang Theory”)
BEST COMEDY ACTRESS
Edie Falco (“Nurse Jackie”)
BEST SUPPORTING COMEDY ACTOR
Eric Stonestreet (“Modern Family”)
BEST SUPPORTING COMEDY ACTRESS
Jane Lynch (“Glee”)

BEST DRAMA SERIES
“Mad Men” (AMC)
BEST DRAMA ACTOR
Bryan Cranston (“Breaking Bad”)
BEST DRAMA ACTRESS
Kyra Sedgwick (“The Closer”)
BEST SUPPORTING DRAMA ACTOR
Aaron Paul (“Breaking Bad”)
BEST SUPPORTING DRAMA ACTRESS
Archie Panjabi (“The Good Wife”)

BEST TV MOVIE
“Temple Grandin”(HBO)
BEST MINISERIES
“The Pacific” (HBO)
BEST LEAD ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Claire Danes (“Temple Grandin”)
BEST LEAD ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Al Pacino (“You Don’t Know Jack”)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Julia Ormond (“Temple Grandin”)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
David Strathairn (“Temple Grandin”)

BEST VARIETY, MUSIC, OR COMEDY SERIES
“The Daily Show With Jon Stewart” (Comedy Central)
BEST VARIETY, MUSIC, OR COMEDY SPECIAL
“The Kennedy Center Honors” (CBS)

BEST REALITY-COMPETITION PROGRAM
“Top Chef” (Bravo)
BEST REALITY PROGRAM
“Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution” (ABC)
BEST HOST FOR A REALITY OR REALITY-COMPETITION PROGRAM
Jeff Probst (“Survivor”)

BEST VOICE-OVER PERFORMANCE
Anne Hathaway (“The Simpsons”)

BEST WRITING FOR A COMEDY SERIES
“Modern Family” (ABC)
BEST WRITING FOR A DRAMA SERIES
“Mad Men,” Matthew Weiner & Erin Levy (AMC)
BEST WRITING FOR A MINISERIES, MOVIE OR DRAMATIC SPECIAL
“You Don’t Know Jack” (HBO)
BEST WRITING FOR A VARIETY, MUSIC OR COMEDY SERIES
“The Colbert Report” (Comedy Central)
BEST WRITING FOR A VARIETY, MUSIC OR COMEDY SPECIAL
63rd Annual Tony Awards (CBS)

BEST DIRECTING FOR A COMEDY SERIES
“Glee,” Ryan Murphy (FOX)
BEST DIRECTING FOR A COMEDY SERIES
“Dexter” (Showtime)
BEST DIRECTING FOR A MINISERIES, MOVIE OR DRAMATIC SPECIAL
“Temple Grandin” (HBO)
BEST DIRECTING FOR A VARIETY, MUSIC OR COMEDY SERIES
“Saturday Night Live” (NBC)
BEST DIRECTING FOR A VARIETY, MUSIC OR COMEDY SPECIAL
Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games Opening Ceremony (NBC)

For Fringe, I stacked up on episodes and finished the entirety of season two in the span of a few days. IT WAS AWESOME. I’m not sure if I’m going to do the same this season; but I’m definitely looking forward to what happens next.

Last season ended with “our world” Olivia getting trapped in the alternate world. The “other” Olivia is now posing as “our world” Olivia. Are you catching up? Expect season three to shift between these two universes and witness what Walternate’s plans are. Meanwhile, we just have to wait and see if Walter and Peter will catch on about Olivia not being the real Olivia, if you know what I mean. Anyway, enough of this our-world, other-world merry-go-round. Just watch the promo to get excited about the new season.

The most endearing series that premiered this year is back for a much-deserved second season. I hope more people have caught up with the charm that Life Unexpected has to offer; because this show has to stay on the air. Not too many shows have this much heart wrapped in a nice simple package.

Cate is now married to Ryan; and season two kicks off after they return from their honeymoon… where some major changes apparently happened at the radio station. Baze is still dealing with his feelings for Cate after realizing it at the end of last season. Lux and Bug come at a crossroads in their relationship.

Regarding season two plans, creator Liz Tigelaar promises more focus on Cate, Baze and Lux as a family unit… much like the feel of the road trip episode last season. There will also be more focus on Lux’s personal and school life, much of which was sidetracked because of the Baze-Cate-Ryan love triangle. Also, expect a visit from some Tree Hill residents… Haley and Mia will stop by for an appearance at the radio station. The One Tree Hill – Life Unexpected crossover will happen some time in October.

I’m just happy the show, despite getting less-than-stellar ratings last season, will be back. If you haven’t tuned in, start catching up now.

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Let’s get this out of the way first. I’m not above watching teen shows about gymnastics and *ahem* well-endowed young men (case in point: Make It or Break It, The Hard Times of RJ Berger). They’re just really fun to watch. You don’t have to think as much; but to be fair to them, they have pretty good stories, no matter how cliched some of them might be. That, and my fascination with the subject of cheerleading (case in point: Bring It On), lead me to Hellcats.

The show centers around Marti, an indie type chick studying pre-law in Lancer University. When her scholarship is canceled, she is forced to look for another way to find funding for her education. She then has the opportunity to join Hellcats, the college cheerleading squad, one of the best in the country. Although her style may not be what the team is looking for, she definitely has the chops (read: gymnastics skills) to bring something new to the table.

I haven’t seen the pilot; but the premise is good enough to get me interested. I like these types of stories. I just hope the show will be enjoyable and smart enough to keep me watching. BE AGGRESSIVE! B-E AGGRESSIVE! Sorry, couldn’t help it.

I can’t believe this show is on its fourth year. There have been too many close calls and this show has always been on the bubble in terms of renewal. I’m just so happy the team of Chuck has made it this far.

We ended last season with Chuck discovering that his mom might have been involved with something much deeper… well beyond CIA secrets. And with Morgan, Captain Awesome and Ellie in on his secret, not to mention the relationship Chuck and Sarah now officially have, season four promises to be more exciting than ever.

This year, we can look forward to guest appearances by Linda Hamilton (as Mama Bartowski) and Timothy Dalton, the return of Nicole Richie, more stories about Casey’s and Sarah’s past, among others. Most importantly, Chuck and Sarah will experience being together together. I just hope it lasts for a little bit before more drama gets thrown into the mix.