NBC premieres two new comedies this fall & Jazz singer wins America’s Got Talent 2011

NBC premieres new TV shows ‘Up All Night’ and ‘Free Agents’

For those of us on the West Coast who don’t always keep up with the change in seasons, fall marks another significant season: that of new television shows.  This fall, NBC will debut two new sitcoms, “Free Agents” and “Up All Night”, both comedies about grown-ups in moments of midlife transition.

“Up All Night” stars Will Arnett (Arrested Development) and Christina Applegate (Married with Children) as new parents who are struggling to learn how to raise their newborn child.  Arnett plays Chris, a stay-at-home dad whose inept abilities to perform even the most basic day-to-day responsibilities like buying groceries (he ends up getting lost in the supermarket) prove to be nothing short of hilarious.  Applegate, who is no stranger to absurd and often crude humor (Anchorman, Hall Pass, Reno 911) delivers a convincing yet hilarious performance as a recognizably real person. 

The show also features SNL’s Maya Rudolph as Applegate’s boss, and Nick Cannon as her coworker.

The show premiered at 10p.m. Sept. 14, and then on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on NBC.

“Free Agents” stars Hank Azaria and Kathryn Hahn as two adults who are both on the rebound from long-term relationships.  Alex (Azaria) just got divorced, while Helen (Hahn) recently lost her fiance.  The two work together in the same public relations firm and, after a night of heavy drinking, find themselves awkwardly in bed together.  The show plays off this weird and uncomfortable chemistry between these two characters, which some critics are calling “repetitive”.

The show is based off the British sitcom of the same name, which may account for some of the humor.  Still, all the ingredients for a funny sitcom are there -funny cast, reputable writers, and an original plot setup.

The show premiered after ‘Up All Night’ at 10:30 p.m. Sept. 14, and then on Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m. on NBC.

America’s Got Talent Winner 2011

The sixth season of ‘America’s Got Talent’ drew to a close last night as four finalists remained: young shadow dance group The Silhouettes, glow-in-the-dark dancers Team iLuminate, teenage  rock band Poplyfe, and jazz singer Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr.

The winner of the $1 million grand prize and headlining Las Vegas act was singing jazz sensation Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr., whose Cinderella story starts in West Virginia, where he  was at one point washing cars at an auto dealership and living on the street.  Now, the newly-made millionaire says that he will use his earnings and “invest it in my kids’ future.”

Upon hearing his name announced at the end of the NBC summer talent competition, Murphy held back tears as the audience roared.

“It’s been a long hard journey,” he said.  “Ever since I was a kid.  And it’s finally paying off.”

Murphy will headline at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas next month, along with the other three finalists.

Images by Xurble via Flickr and NBC Universal.