Premiere Week - especially in the Fall, is always chock-a-block full of treats, surprises, gimmicks, and flair. But this season, the biggest surprise of all was how much good new programming there is – and I’ve only scratched the surface. Following are five things I particularly enjoyed (HIGHs), and one I definitively did not (LOW).

Merritt Wever’s 12-second acceptance speech for winning the Emmy for Supporting Actress-Comedy Series (Nurse Jackie) – “Thank you, so… Thanks, so much! Thank you, so much. I gotta go. Bye!” HIGH

Kat Dennings’ incredible all-encompassing answer to the query, “Anything new?” that kicked-off the new season of Two Broke Girls. “Anything new? Let’s see… Well, Facebook went public and Edward Snowdon went private. Kim and Kanye had a baby, so now there’s another Kardashian to not keep up with. Paula Deen is out; gay marriage is in; and a teacher in California is out for letting her students get it in. Justin Bieber got a hit-and-run. Chris Brown got a hit-and-run. Rihanna got hit, and still didn’t run. Oprah gave Lindsey two million dollars; cunnilingus gave Michael Douglas throat cancer; and Michael Douglas gave guys everywhere another excuse not to do that. Egypt went crazy; Amanda Bynes went crazier; and the NSA checks our phones, like a crazy ex-girlfriend. Oh, and Texas hates women; and Florida hates blacks; and everybody hates everything – with the exception of Angelina Jolie, who is totally awesome.” HIGH

Blooper/outtake from the premiere of The Crazy Ones, shown over the credits, of Kelly Clarkson (opposite Robin Williams and James Wolk) completely breaking character (as herself) in a peal of laughter; while listening to Williams and Wolk sing an overly sexed-up jingle, about a drive-thru window. HIGH

The Michael J. Fox Show. Too many things to list, herein; but two of my faves were the cop (who responded when Mike accidentally dialed 9-1-1 when trying to dial the 9-1-7 prefix of his wife’s mobile) who wants Mike’s autograph for his father with Alzheimer’s (Fox and his character, Mike Henry, are afflicted with Parkinson’s Disease); and Mike’s sister (played by the wonderful Katie Finneran) posing as a single mom to gain sympathy at the playground. Most of all, the way he has humanized this disease, thereby given the world permission to laugh with him, is immeasurable. Also, I’ve loved Wendell Pierce since Hackers. HIGH

Cher on Letterman. HIGH

Carrie Underwood’s performance, on the Emmys, of “Yesterday” by The Beatles, after the segment about the impact of televised benchmarks such as the assassination and funeral of President John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King and the March on Washington, and The Beatles appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, a half-century later. If they wanted someone whose career was due to being on a television series, to sing this ballad by this groundbreaking and pivotal rock n’ roll group, why not the original American Idol, herself, Kelly Clarkson? I have nothing against Ms. Underwood, and she looked lovely (although the midnight blue ball gown faded into the black backdrop, making her look like a disembodied head and arms), but for some reason this just missed the spot, on what should’ve been a beautiful, albeit solemn, moment. LOW

Fall Television

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