Fall 2011 TV Preview: MTV Premiere Schedule and Trailers

MTV's lineup is an interesting blend of reality shows, documentary shows, and scripted programming that somehow seems to hang on despite the huge successes of the reality/documentary offerings of the network. But I say kudos to MTV for continuing to put out scripted TV like "Teen Wolf" or the new "Death Valley" when they could easily bank on more shows like "Jersey Shore."

Read on for premiere dates and times for all of MTV's new and returning shows this fall, including the triumphant return of "Beavis and Butt-Head."

New Shows:

"Ridiculousness" - Monday, August 29th at 10pm ET/PT

Rob Dyrdek is all over MTV, as this new show marks his second series with the network. This time, he's hosting an internet video clip show...and yes, it's pretty much the same as "Web Soup" and "Tosh.0" except that instead of reading off jokes like Tosh and Hardwick do, Dyrdek mostly just reacts to nut shots and embarassing fails with some jumping up and down.

But hey, people wouldn't continue to make clip shows, especially ones featuring internet videos, if they weren't fun to watch. "Ridiculousness" can still be pretty entertaining, purely as a result of the clips themselves.

"Death Valley" - Monday, August 29th at 10:30pm ET/PT

Zombies, werewolves and vampires are all totally in right now, especially in the drama/romance departments. But "Death Valley" puts the ghouls and monsters in a different setting: a cop mockumentary comedy. "Death Valley" plays out like "Reno 911" with supernatural suspects, as the Death Valley police pull over and apprehend various baddies for their crimes. Some of it's just gross-out factor, but other gags are pretty funny...like when the cops pull over a werewolf in mid-transformation and play it like a DUI.

"Cuff'd" - Monday, August 29th at 11pm ET/PT

If "Death Valley" makes light of law enforcement at all, "Cuff'd" provides a perfect counterbalance on the same night. The show is a documentary reality piece that details the arrests of young offenders, filming them in the back of the police car...interestingly, that's usually the point that the camera is turned off on shows like "Cops." The premiere episode had a girl getting maced for trying to slip out of her handcuffs. How can you say no to that?

"The Substitute" - Monday, Sept. 12th at 4:30pm ET/PT

Here's an interesting idea: give MTV a brand-new game show. "The Substitute" is sort of the "Cash Cab" of the high school demographic, as the host takes over high school classrooms and challenges students to answer questions of all kinds for the chance to win $5,000. This one is more an after-school entertainer than a primetime heavy hitter, but could be fun nonetheless.

"Chelsea Settles" - Tuesday, October 11th at 11pm ET/PT

Like one big, long episode of "Made," the new series "Chelsea Settles" is all about a transformation. Chelsea Settles, a 23-year-old girl from Pennsylvania, starts out the show facing obesity, dealing with her mother's health issues, and putting up with a flaky boyfriend. But Chelsea has a dream of being a fashion designer in Los Angeles, so she works to transform her life and pursue that dream.

"Good Vibes" - Thursday, October 27th at 10:30pm ET/PT

With the return of the classic "Beavis and Butt-Head," it makes sense to give the show an animated companion on the same night. Enter "Good Vibes," a show about a pair of Jersey boys who move to California and spend their time surfing and picking up chicks...or attempting to, at least.

Returning Shows:

"Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory" - Monday, Sept. 12th at 9:30pm ET/PT

Less of a new season and more of a continuation, "Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory" returns with new episodes that are still part of season four, which took a hiatus back in late May. Dyrdek and his crew continue to make his crazy flights of fancy a reality by pursuing some of the strangest goals and projects. The good news is if you're a fan of Dyrdek, you'll get plenty of him this fall.

"The Real World: San Diego" - Wednesday, Sept. 28th at 10pm ET/PT

Last time "The Real World" was in San Diego, we all had to deal with the ridiculous drama of Frankie, who ended up leaving the house early since she was cutting herself, complaining about everything, and generally being a hazard to herself and everyone else. Oh, and also there was a rape allegation. Let's hope this season goes a little more smoothly, shall we?

"Beavis and Butt-Head" - Thursday, October 27th at 10pm ET/PT

They're back! After Mike Judge's underrated show "King of the Hill" finished, it looks like he's aiming to get back into animation by resurrecting the 90's duo of Beavis and Butt-Head. The boys will skewer pop culture as they always did, but now that there are no more music videos on MTV, it looks like they'll be focusing mostly on reality TV instead, especially "Jersey Shore." I, personally, can't wait.