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TV Buffet Opens Tonight, So Couch Spuds Can Fill Up Their Plates With New Treats

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By WALT BELCHER | The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 24, 2007

The wild, mysterious 'Heroes' swings back into action tonight on NBC. Nerds invade CBS. Dancing stars trot back to ABC. And there's a Tampa woman on 'The Bachelor.'

The couch potatoes' plates runneth over with goodies as the 2007-08 TV season gets into full swing this week with season debuts of new and returning series.

Here's how they stack up on my Spud-O-Meter:

•'Chuck' (8 p.m. on NBC) is like half of a bag of soggy fries. The dumb, 'can-you-believe-this?' moments outnumber the 'hey-that's-cool' stuff.

The comedy-drama follows the misadventures of a socially challenged computer geek named Chuck (Zachary Levi). He works for the Nerd Herd at a Buy More store.

Life gets complicated and exciting after a top-secret government file is downloaded into his brain and he needs the protection of a tough, sexy spy (Yvonne Strahovski).

•'Heroes' (9 p.m. on NBC) gets a big old fat baked Idaho loaded with butter, cream cheese and chives. It's that good. After saving New York from destruction, the various heroes with special powers head toward a new season-long mystery and challenge.

Among the stories: Indestructible teen Claire (Hayden Panettiere) will have a romance with a new hero (Nick D'Agosto); time-traveling Hiro (Masi Oka) will have his hands full battling his way through 17th century feudal Japan; and a new villain even more deadly than Sylar (Zachary Quinto) is on the prowl.

Also, brothers Nathan (Adrian Pasdar) and Peter (Milo Ventimiglia) will return this season. They appear to have switched looks: Nathan has a full beard, while his sibling is newly shorn and wearing a suit.

Several new superpowered heroes will be added to the cast, including a Spanish-speaking character portrayed by Dania Ramirez, seen most recently on 'The Sopranos.'

Also joining the show are Dominic Keating ('Star Trek: Enterprise'), David Anders ('Alias') and Eriko Tamura, a pop music star in her native Japan.

Nichelle Nichols, who played Uhura on 'Star Trek,' joins the cast as a survivor of Hurricane Katrina. George Takei, aka Mr. Sulu, returns in the role of Hiro's father.

•'Journeyman' (10 p.m. on NBC) is not nearly as satisfying as a plate of Waffle House hash browns smothered in onions. Moody-faced Kevin McKidd plays a San Francisco journalist who suddenly begins traveling back in time, apparently to right past wrongs. These mis- sions play havoc with his life and his already troubled marriage.

Compounding his angst are encounters with his late girlfriend, who died in an airplane crash. He is soon torn between his old life and his current one.

•'Big Bang Theory' (8:30 p.m. on CBS) joins the network's Monday block of comedies, which is like a big pot of cold potato salad. It's tasty as a side dish but not nourishing enough for a full meal.

Four geeky guys with amazing brain power drool and trip over one another in pursuit of a cute, academically challenged blonde.

Also in the pot are 'How I Met Your Mother,' 'Two and a Half Men' and 'Rules of Engagement' (where David Spade turns up like a rotten potato).

•'The Bachelor' (9:30 p.m. on ABC) is like a warmed-over dollop of mashed potatoes. But there's a splash of gravy this time because a woman from Tampa, Erin Gardner, 25, is in the hunt during this 11th season.

•'Dancing With the Stars' (8 p.m. on ABC) returns with some aging sweet potatoes such as Wayne Newton, Marie Osmond and Jane Seymour.

•'Prison Break' and 'K-Ville' (8 and 9 p.m. on Fox) debuted last week. These raw potatoes are a mouthful.

'K-ville' is exploring crime and redemption in post-Katrina New Orleans, while 'Prison Break' started its season in a savage Panamanian jail.

Look for beach and fort scenes that were filmed this summer at Fort DeSoto Park in Pinellas County. A 'Prison Break' film crew found parts of the area were suitable as a substitute for Panama.

'WAR' CONTINUES: The second night of Ken Burns' epic 'The War' continues at 8 tonight on WEDU, Channel 3.

The events of 1943 are recounted, including Gen. Patton's encounters on the battlefield with German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel.

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