Picks of the Week: Great Expectations...

September is a magical time full of great expectations…

That more often than not turn into bitter disappointments.

Of the four new shows I’ve seen, I’ve only been slightly impressed with one of them (“Nashville”) and optimistic about another (“Chuck”). So, I hesitate to use my picks on shows I haven’t seen yet. However, because they’re two of the shows I’ve been anticipating the most, I can’t help myself…

This week’s Picks of the Week are “Back to You” and “Gossip Girl.”

If ever there was a show that should be a hit, it’s “Back to You.” It stars two comedy heavyweights, Patricia Heaton and Kelsey Grammer. Its creators created “Frasier” and “Just Shoot Me.” The pilot is directed by the legendary James Burrows. There’s really no excuse for it to fail…

But then again, didn’t we think that about “Studio 60” last year?

However, I’m holding out hope that this one is going to work—no matter how naïve that might be…

“Back to You” premieres Wednesday, September 19th at 8 p.m. on FOX…

“Gossip Girl” is one of two shows from “The O.C.” creator Josh Schwartz. This one teams him up with his “O.C.” cohort, Stephanie Savage, which is why I have the highest of hopes for it. But then, I had high hopes for “Chuck” too (More on that later.)…

However, since this one seems a little more “O.C.”-like, I think it will turn out better. And if it does, it would become the first CW show I have ever watched on a regular basis…

“Gossip Girl” premieres Wednesday, September 19th at 9 p.m. on CW…