The sounds of the Coles have finallystopped running around in my head.

    Specifically, Nat King and Natalie are no longer singing”Unforgettable” in my mind. Until recently, for some reason mybrain equated that song with the new CBS television show of thesame name.

    In it, Poppy Montgomery stars as a detective with an extremely rarecondition in which she is unable to forget anything she haswitnessed in her life. As the few episodes that have aired attest,that condition comes in handy when trying to solve crimes.

    For me, “Unforgettable,” the TV show, is one of the few highlightsof the new fall season. Last season, the new version of “Hawaii5-0” and “Harry’s Law” grabbed my attention, but I’ve shrugged atmost of this season’s new offerings.

    Two period-piece shows, “Pan Am” and “The Playboy Club,” seemed totry and capitalize on nostalgia like AMC’s “Mad Men” has done.

    “Pan Am,” about stewardesses in the airline’s hey-day, is off myviewing schedule after two episodes, and I didn’t even attempt towatch “The Playboy Club.” Nothing missed there. It’s already beencanceled.

    What may follow “The Playboy Club” into television oblivion isanyone’s guess, but the new “Charlie’s Angels” seems like apossibility. I’ve watched all the episodes so far, but I don’tthink I’ll miss the show too much if it is canceled.

    Around the time of the original “Charlie’s Angels,” the one withKate Jackson, Farrah Fawcett and Jaclyn Smith, in the 1970s, one ofthe things I looked forward to every year was getting the fall TVpreview edition of “TV Guide.”

    That was back when there were three channels – maybe four on a goodday – and cable or satellite service in nearly every home was yearsaway. And fall was about the only time new television showsdebuted.

    Now, there are multiple seasons for new debuts and hundreds ofchannels for our viewing pleasure. And the “TV guide” is the pushof a button on the remote control, although a good number ofviewers still enjoy following the daily show listings in The DAILYLEADER. 

    Still, there is a lot of build-up and much attention continues tobe given to the fall season debuts. In some cases, that build-upwill turn me off to a show before it ever comes on.

    A good case in point is Fox’s “New Girl.”

    I think that phone company commercial with the guy doing the trainstation flash mob ahead of schedule was the only one I got moretired of seeing than the ones for “New Girl.”

    There are a couple of other factors at play here too.

    One is that I tend to avoid sitcoms. I have nothing against them.It’s just that I haven’t regularly watched any since “Mad AboutYou,” “Seinfeld” and “Friends” back in the day.

    Another, somewhat inexplicable, factor is that my mind has equatedthe cancellation of “Human Target,” a favorite of mine, with thestart of “New Girl.” There’s really no connection, given that”Target” was an action-adventure show and “New Girl” a comedy, butthat’s my deal and I’m staying with it.

    And speaking of factors, one episode of “The X Factor” was enoughfor me.  My take on the newtalent-reality show from former “American Idol” icon Simon Cowellis that it is a cross between “Idol” and “America’s GotTalent.”

    While I’ll still watch when it comes on next year, “Idol” isgetting a little stale for me and I never watched “Talent.” So fornow, “X” is no “Factor” in my viewing plans.

    Everyone of course has his or her own tastes in television viewing,so it will be interesting to see which new shows take hold and gaina following and which ones bite the dust.

    My guess is there will be far more of the latter. AlthoughMontgomery’s TV detective may be “Unforgettable,” I believe most ofthe other new shows I’ve seen are merely forgettable.

    That’s all for now.

    Write to Managing Editor Matthew Coleman at P.O. Box 551,Brookhaven MS 39602, or send e-mail tomcoleman@dailyleader.com.