I'm not much of a New Year's celebrant, and from a TV perspective it offers up two of my least favorite offerings - Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve and the Tournament of Roses parade. The former offers too much hype and the painful appearance of Dick Clark, whose post-stroke speech is often incomprehensible. I hope that every year will bring a sign of improvement, but have been disappointed. The parade, meanwhile, bores me. I don't like watching parades on TV generally, and am annoyed that this particular parade is covered by something like 20 networks at the same time.
The one New Year's TV tradition I absolutely love is the Twilight Zone marathon on SyFy. It's a great alternative to the aforementioned crap and when bowl games get out of hand. As a service to you, dear readers, here's a schedule of when some of the more notable episodes will run (all times Eastern):
Saturday
"In Praise of Pip" (9:30 am) - I tend to enjoy all of the Klugman episodes, and find this one about a bookie who learns that his son has been wounded in combat especially poignant. It's taken on greater meaning now that I have sons of my own.
"The Rip Van Winkle Caper" (12:30 pm) - one of my favorite "gotcha" episodes, though more for the way the gang at the center of this heist disintegrates, proving there truly is no honor among thieves.
"The After Hours" (4:30 pm) - I find this episode creepy, less for the ultimate reveal than for the department store, with its missing floors and such. I kind of fear having the same thing happen to me.
"A Game of Pool" (5:30 pm) - to me this is the first classic episode of the marathon, as Jack Klugman's pool shark faces off against the greatest hustler of them all (Jonathan Winters) - even though the hustler is dead.
"Stopover in a Quiet Town" (7 pm) - I have to admit I like this episode because I like the comeuppance served to the main characters, a disagreeable couple who wake up after a bender unsure where they actually are.
"A Penny for Your Thoughts" (8 pm) - Dick York plays a bank clerk who can hear people's thoughts. I like the comedic tone of the episode, and it's one of my favorite ones where an unexpected circumstance allows a meek character to succeed.
"Nick of Time" (10 pm) - a newlywed couple finds themselves at the mercy of a penny-operated fortune-telling machine when their car breaks down. The episode features William Shatner as the husband.
"Kick The Can" (11 pm) - I admit I like this story of a nursing home resident who tries to get his fellow elderly to play like children more for its later reference on The Simpsons than for the actual episode. But it's still a good one.
Sunday
"The Midnight Sun" (12 am) - an enjoyable episode, both for the way people cope with the slowly inevitable date Earth now has with the sun, and for the way the episode resolves as a quasi-gotcha.
"People Are Alike All Over" (12:30 am) - enjoyed for the idea that aliens, rather than being giant insectoids with a taste for human flesh, are jerks just like the rest of us.
"Two" (2 am) - Elizabeth Montgomery and Charles Bronson star as what might be the last combatants in a war that's killed everyone else. The leads do a nice job of acting this out without the help of lengthy dialog.
"The Lonely" (4 am) - a man sentenced to a long stretch alone on an asteroid is sent a robot companion to help pass the time. A bit predictable in the outcome, but a nice example on how no man can be an island.
"The Arrival" (5:30 am) - a plane arrives at an airport without passengers, and each of the three men investigating the incident see something different. If I'm remembering this episode correctly, the ending is given kind of out of the blue.
"The Last Rites of Jeff Myrtlebank" (7:30 am) - a young man comes back to life at his own funeral, and has to convince the town that he's not the devil. You can imagine how that turns out.
"The 7th is Made Up of Phantoms" (11:30 am) - three National Guardsmen get more than they bargained for during their weekend drill when they happen upon Custer's Last Stand. Probably my favorite time travel episode.
"It's a Good Life" (2 pm) - classic episode about a town that lives to please a small boy (Billy Mumy), who can use his mind to make life unpleasant - or non-existent - if you displease him.
"The Invaders" (4:30 pm) - dialog-free story about a woman fighting off alien invaders.
"Living Doll" (7:30 pm) - Telly Savalas plays a man who has his life threatened by one of his daughter's dolls. We have a number of toys here that speak in a similar voice and with similar phrases to the doll, so I've taken to making up creepy statements like "it's murder time" when the toys come out.
"The Obsolete Man" (8 pm) - the lesser known of Burgess Meredith's bookcentric episodes, in this one he plays a librarian who is to be put to death because society no longer needs books. I do like this one for the impassioned defense of knowledge at the end.
"Time Enough at Last" (9 pm) - the other episode, where Meredith plays a bank teller who only wants time to read - and gets it when a nuclear strike happens while he's in the vault. May have the best-known gotcha ending of the entire series.
"A Stop at Willoughby" (9:30 pm) - an ad exec finds himself wanting to get off at this idyllic town, but always just misses the stop. He finally makes it off at the end of the episode, with a neat gotcha as to the nature of Willoughby at the end.
"The Monsters are Due on Maple Street" (10 pm) - a neighborhood loses power, and the fear that it's due to an alien invasion leads residents to turn on each other, thinking that each is an advance scout for the invasion.
"To Serve Man" (10:30 pm) - the other entrant in the best-known gotcha ending, although there's a tacked on bit at the end that kind of ruins the surprise. Nicely done overall, though.
"Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up" (11 pm) - alien invasion played more for humor, as an alien is tracked to a local diner. The ending is a double gotcha, which I really enjoyed the first time I saw it.
"Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" - another classic, featuring William Shatner as an airplane passenger who keeps seeing a gremlin outside the plane, trying to cause a crash. He's the only person who sees it.
Monday
"Nightmare as a Child" (2 am) - a teacher is freaked out by a girl who knows too much about the teacher's past. I've probably under-represented the supernatural episodes, but this is one I remember liking.
"What's in the Box" (2:30 am) - a nagging couple finds their marital trouble is now being reported on the TV. I really think this would be a great basis for a movie version of The Lockhorns.
Enjoy this weekend's trip into an alternate dimension!
Friday, December 30, 2011
Thursday, November 03, 2011
New on TV: Pan Am
It's 1963. The jet age has dawned, and we're going around the world with the crew of a Pan Am Clipper. That crew is made up of a captain searching for his gone-missing stewardess girlfriend, his co-pilot who appears to be Pan Am's version of Pete Campbell, and four stewardesses. Two are sisters, one the black sheep of the family, the other the golden child who bolted from her own wedding and wound up on the cover of Life magazine after joining Pan Am. One is a burgeoning feminist/free thinker, as we're shown by her living in the Village and having some guy at her apartment using Marx as an excuse to not answer the phone. The fourth is a Frenchwoman who was apparently sleeping with a married man, which she learned when he brought his family on a flight.
Oh, and did I mention that the black sheep has been recruited by the CIA at the suggestion of the stew who went missing?
Ridiculous espionage subplots aside, there is a certain charm to this show. The sisters have a troubled relationship, but they're secure enough with each other to be honest and have each other's backs when their manipulative mom shows up on a flight. The captain, as much as he's trying to project the alpha male characteristics expected of someone in his position in 1963, is clearly hurting, and his dedication to find his girlfriend is a welcome vulnerability.
The other characters, well, I'm not so sure where they're going. They may be a little to tightly defined as horndog/bohemian/French, and it'd be nice to see them get some range.
As for the show's ability to capture Mad Men's vibe, well, no. They try very hard, certainly with the costumes and music, but try too hard by inserting incidental dialog that sounds like a forced attempt to remind us that it's 1963. The writers do not have Mad Men's ability to come up with dialog that sounds like it would be spoken by people in the 1960s but not sounding like they're trying to prove that it's the 1960s.
Still, this is a pleasant enough show, and the airline setting does allow for a broad range of locales and potential plots. I don't know how much of a chance we'll have to explore the world with this crew, though, as the show's ratings are dismal, thanks in no small part to the anemic numbers put up by Desperate Housewives, whose last season is, almost unbelievably, stupider than any of the previous seasons. I also don't see a good time for them to move the show to without possibly making the show weaker, ratings-wise.
So while this experiment in ripping off basic cable is going better than The Playboy Club, I wouldn't actually call it a success. It's likeable enough, but it doesn't keep me from hoping that March 2012 would just get here already.
Oh, and did I mention that the black sheep has been recruited by the CIA at the suggestion of the stew who went missing?
Ridiculous espionage subplots aside, there is a certain charm to this show. The sisters have a troubled relationship, but they're secure enough with each other to be honest and have each other's backs when their manipulative mom shows up on a flight. The captain, as much as he's trying to project the alpha male characteristics expected of someone in his position in 1963, is clearly hurting, and his dedication to find his girlfriend is a welcome vulnerability.
The other characters, well, I'm not so sure where they're going. They may be a little to tightly defined as horndog/bohemian/French, and it'd be nice to see them get some range.
As for the show's ability to capture Mad Men's vibe, well, no. They try very hard, certainly with the costumes and music, but try too hard by inserting incidental dialog that sounds like a forced attempt to remind us that it's 1963. The writers do not have Mad Men's ability to come up with dialog that sounds like it would be spoken by people in the 1960s but not sounding like they're trying to prove that it's the 1960s.
Still, this is a pleasant enough show, and the airline setting does allow for a broad range of locales and potential plots. I don't know how much of a chance we'll have to explore the world with this crew, though, as the show's ratings are dismal, thanks in no small part to the anemic numbers put up by Desperate Housewives, whose last season is, almost unbelievably, stupider than any of the previous seasons. I also don't see a good time for them to move the show to without possibly making the show weaker, ratings-wise.
So while this experiment in ripping off basic cable is going better than The Playboy Club, I wouldn't actually call it a success. It's likeable enough, but it doesn't keep me from hoping that March 2012 would just get here already.
New on TV: Terra Nova
It's 2149, and Earth is screwed. Population growth, pollution, whatever, it's clear that the planet is not going to be able to sustain life - at least human life - for much longer. At some point in the relatively recent past, a hole in space-time was discovered that allows people to be sent back 85 million years on to a parallel Earth. The idea, apparently, is that this new Earth will serve as a lifeboat for at least a segment of humanity.
That's where the Shannon family comes in. They've been selected for the 11th pilgrimage (mom is a doctor), but there's wrinkle; dad is in prison thanks to his assault on a police officer who discovered that the family had an illegal third child. Mom is apparently more resourceful than first thought, as she engineers a lame escape for her husband and lays down enough bribes to get him through the portal - with their third child.
Terra Nova is run in a quasi-military camp style, led the no-nonsense commander who founded the colony as the very first pilgrim. But there's trouble in the past, as a group of people from the sixth pilgrimage - know as Sixers - split off from Terra Nova and are actively trying to thwart it. They live in the jungle, steal supplies and energy as needed, etc. They also have a belief - not stated explicitly but suggested via comments as subtle as a jackhammer - that this new Earth is actually the old Earth, and the Terra Nova settlement is a ploy made by various people back in 2149 to gain or maintain power.
The Shannons, for their part, get mixed up in this pretty quickly when the dad saves the life of the commander, leading him to a favored spot on the commander's security team. The dad has also been a captive of the Sixers, and is beginning to suspect there's more here than meets the eye. There is also a variety of family drama - a son who resents his dad for being away, a daughter who's already caught the eye of a solider, and none of it is all that interesting.
In fact, this write up is, I think, at least as interesting as the show, a condition I ascribe to the lack of dinosaurs. Oh, there's at least one dino per episode - and there was one episode where a flock of flying dinos attack the Terra Novans, as they've built their settlement on the dino's nesting ground - but the real draw for watching this show isn't to see what bits they've ripped off from Lost or how problematically on the nose it was for them to cast the Marine commander from Avatar as the Terra Nova commander. I want to see dinosaurs, lots of them, preferably fighting each other. That would be at least as interesting as the whole thing with the Sixers (which I think they've tipped too early) and much more interesting than the family dynamics stuff.
Bottom line, I'm a little disappointed with the show, and the ratings suggest that I'm not alone. My thinking: more dinos, more ratings. Make it happen, Fox.
That's where the Shannon family comes in. They've been selected for the 11th pilgrimage (mom is a doctor), but there's wrinkle; dad is in prison thanks to his assault on a police officer who discovered that the family had an illegal third child. Mom is apparently more resourceful than first thought, as she engineers a lame escape for her husband and lays down enough bribes to get him through the portal - with their third child.
Terra Nova is run in a quasi-military camp style, led the no-nonsense commander who founded the colony as the very first pilgrim. But there's trouble in the past, as a group of people from the sixth pilgrimage - know as Sixers - split off from Terra Nova and are actively trying to thwart it. They live in the jungle, steal supplies and energy as needed, etc. They also have a belief - not stated explicitly but suggested via comments as subtle as a jackhammer - that this new Earth is actually the old Earth, and the Terra Nova settlement is a ploy made by various people back in 2149 to gain or maintain power.
The Shannons, for their part, get mixed up in this pretty quickly when the dad saves the life of the commander, leading him to a favored spot on the commander's security team. The dad has also been a captive of the Sixers, and is beginning to suspect there's more here than meets the eye. There is also a variety of family drama - a son who resents his dad for being away, a daughter who's already caught the eye of a solider, and none of it is all that interesting.
In fact, this write up is, I think, at least as interesting as the show, a condition I ascribe to the lack of dinosaurs. Oh, there's at least one dino per episode - and there was one episode where a flock of flying dinos attack the Terra Novans, as they've built their settlement on the dino's nesting ground - but the real draw for watching this show isn't to see what bits they've ripped off from Lost or how problematically on the nose it was for them to cast the Marine commander from Avatar as the Terra Nova commander. I want to see dinosaurs, lots of them, preferably fighting each other. That would be at least as interesting as the whole thing with the Sixers (which I think they've tipped too early) and much more interesting than the family dynamics stuff.
Bottom line, I'm a little disappointed with the show, and the ratings suggest that I'm not alone. My thinking: more dinos, more ratings. Make it happen, Fox.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Making it Better - The Walking Dead
While it attracted a huge audience, the start of the second season of The Walking Dead did remind me of some of the things I didn't particularly like about the first season. Unfortunately, they're mostly about the acting. Still, in the interest of improving things, here are my five suggestions for making the show even more zombieriffic.
1. Actually use the word 'zombie.' While I understand (to some extent) the use of the term "walker," I have hard time believing that no one has used that term to describe what, culturally, we've known as zombies. I can only assume that the world depicted on the show never considered zombies as a concept, or did and called them walkers from the start. Anyway, the occasional dropping of the z-word would be a nice touch, if just to remind us that the show putatively takes place in our present.
2. Less chat, more splat. AMC is developing a bit of a rep for shows that are slow-moving and very talky (I think the last episode of Rubicon is just wrapping up now). That's an unfortunate tendency when you have a show whose hook is zombies and the killing of zombies. It seems like most interactions with the undead happen off camera or from the zombie point of view. We get to hear the kill, but not to see it, which is a shame. If we've learned anything from recent zombie movies, it's that we want to see the Zs dispatched in a gruesome fashion. The direction this show is taking makes the Foley artists happy, I'm sure, but zombies are more of a visual thing, and the show should open things up.
3. Use the chaos to your advantage, cast-wise. Look, this show doesn't have the strongest cast, and on top of that a number of characters are downright annoying. With a show like this, it should be easy to correct such things; annoying cast member gets eaten, less annoying cast member is found along the road or something. I think most fans have at least one character they'd gladly sacrifice in the hopes of improving overall quality. And while we're on the subject...
4. Bring back Merle Dixon. If you're going to have stereotypical characters, you might as well have ones that are maximally stereotypical and, if possible, crazy. Merle Dixon hits on all cylinders, and probably moreso now that he's down to one hand. Michael Rooker made Merle a mesmerizing figure, and it's a shame we got so little of him. I'm hoping he does return soon as the king of the zombies or something.
I would also appreciate a reunion with Morgan Jones, if only so we could have...
5. An end to the walkie-talkie monologues. I don't need to hear Rick fill the first minute of the show with exposition and half-baked suggestions (for example, telling Morgan to stay off the roads when Rick and company are just about to get on the road). I also blame these for the torpor that the pace of the show is stuck in. Start with some action and keep the pace up.
Still, all of this takes a back seat to what may be the real problem with the show: turmoil amongst the staff. Between the plan to fire all the writers and use freelancers and the parting of the ways with two executives (including Frank Darabont), the mess in this part of the show must have an impact on the actual product. Get your house in order, folks. We want to see some good old fashioned zombie killin'.
1. Actually use the word 'zombie.' While I understand (to some extent) the use of the term "walker," I have hard time believing that no one has used that term to describe what, culturally, we've known as zombies. I can only assume that the world depicted on the show never considered zombies as a concept, or did and called them walkers from the start. Anyway, the occasional dropping of the z-word would be a nice touch, if just to remind us that the show putatively takes place in our present.
2. Less chat, more splat. AMC is developing a bit of a rep for shows that are slow-moving and very talky (I think the last episode of Rubicon is just wrapping up now). That's an unfortunate tendency when you have a show whose hook is zombies and the killing of zombies. It seems like most interactions with the undead happen off camera or from the zombie point of view. We get to hear the kill, but not to see it, which is a shame. If we've learned anything from recent zombie movies, it's that we want to see the Zs dispatched in a gruesome fashion. The direction this show is taking makes the Foley artists happy, I'm sure, but zombies are more of a visual thing, and the show should open things up.
3. Use the chaos to your advantage, cast-wise. Look, this show doesn't have the strongest cast, and on top of that a number of characters are downright annoying. With a show like this, it should be easy to correct such things; annoying cast member gets eaten, less annoying cast member is found along the road or something. I think most fans have at least one character they'd gladly sacrifice in the hopes of improving overall quality. And while we're on the subject...
4. Bring back Merle Dixon. If you're going to have stereotypical characters, you might as well have ones that are maximally stereotypical and, if possible, crazy. Merle Dixon hits on all cylinders, and probably moreso now that he's down to one hand. Michael Rooker made Merle a mesmerizing figure, and it's a shame we got so little of him. I'm hoping he does return soon as the king of the zombies or something.
I would also appreciate a reunion with Morgan Jones, if only so we could have...
5. An end to the walkie-talkie monologues. I don't need to hear Rick fill the first minute of the show with exposition and half-baked suggestions (for example, telling Morgan to stay off the roads when Rick and company are just about to get on the road). I also blame these for the torpor that the pace of the show is stuck in. Start with some action and keep the pace up.
Still, all of this takes a back seat to what may be the real problem with the show: turmoil amongst the staff. Between the plan to fire all the writers and use freelancers and the parting of the ways with two executives (including Frank Darabont), the mess in this part of the show must have an impact on the actual product. Get your house in order, folks. We want to see some good old fashioned zombie killin'.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Nostalgia Isn't What it Used to Be
So now that the expected cancellation of Charlie's Angels is official, can the networks agree to a five year moratorium on trotting out new versions of old shows? There are some successes (Hawaii 5-0) and qualified successes (Nikita, 90210) in these revivals, but then you have these: Knight Rider, Night Stalker, Bionic Woman, Cupid, V, and Melrose Place (and if you want go back a little farther, throw in Dragnet, Star Search, Hunter, The Twilight Zone, and Family Affair). It may be too early to say where Prime Suspect is going, but based on ratings it's more likely to join the latter group.
The danger in this, of course, is that we get more offshoots of existing shows. I'd hate to prevent the return of The Five Mrs. Buchanans if what we get instead is NCIS: Presque Isle. Actually, I'd like to see how CBS would pull that off, though the jokes about Presque Isle not being on the water would probably wear thin after the second episode.
The danger in this, of course, is that we get more offshoots of existing shows. I'd hate to prevent the return of The Five Mrs. Buchanans if what we get instead is NCIS: Presque Isle. Actually, I'd like to see how CBS would pull that off, though the jokes about Presque Isle not being on the water would probably wear thin after the second episode.
Monday, October 10, 2011
The Beauty of DVR Viewing
The number of shows we record on our DVR generally has us catching up with regular season shows over the summer and watching summer programming during the first half of the new season, with occasional sampling of new shows to see if we're going to keep watching them. This puts me behind the eight ball in discussing developments on existing shows (like how much Glee apparently sucks this year, save Dot Marie Jones), but it has given us a great new approach to some of the summer shows, most notably Hell's Kitchen and Master Chef.
.The approach is simple: watch one episode of each show each night until it's over. I know this sort of condensed season viewing isn't new for folks (especially those of you who stream seasons or watch DVDs), but it's been very helpful for these two shows specifically, as:
1. You can blow through episodes quickly, as you can skip over the ads and excessive recapping (really, I don't need 30 seconds to remind me of what happened two to four minutes ago). Not too unlike regular DVR viewing, but some added value for these shows.
2. You get to know the contestants very quickly. This is less of a problem on Hell's Kitchen, whose contestants tend towards oversized personalities. But it's really helpful for Master Chef, whose contestant pool starts large and, even with a quick cutdown, remains large enough to allow you to lose people in the first few weeks. You see these people every night, though, and it's easier to keep track of folks.
(An aside for Master Chef: please stop the in-program ads for your knives and cookware. Graham Elliot deserves better, I think.)
I will say that this has helped Master Chef seem more compelling this season, though some more interesting competitors have helped, too. They're certainly easier to take than the braying jackasses who tend make up most of Hell's Kitchen.
.The approach is simple: watch one episode of each show each night until it's over. I know this sort of condensed season viewing isn't new for folks (especially those of you who stream seasons or watch DVDs), but it's been very helpful for these two shows specifically, as:
1. You can blow through episodes quickly, as you can skip over the ads and excessive recapping (really, I don't need 30 seconds to remind me of what happened two to four minutes ago). Not too unlike regular DVR viewing, but some added value for these shows.
2. You get to know the contestants very quickly. This is less of a problem on Hell's Kitchen, whose contestants tend towards oversized personalities. But it's really helpful for Master Chef, whose contestant pool starts large and, even with a quick cutdown, remains large enough to allow you to lose people in the first few weeks. You see these people every night, though, and it's easier to keep track of folks.
(An aside for Master Chef: please stop the in-program ads for your knives and cookware. Graham Elliot deserves better, I think.)
I will say that this has helped Master Chef seem more compelling this season, though some more interesting competitors have helped, too. They're certainly easier to take than the braying jackasses who tend make up most of Hell's Kitchen.
Tuesday, October 04, 2011
Down the Rabbit Hole
Between the negative reviews and the falling numbers over its first three episodes, it should be no surprise that NBC's The Playboy Club was the first new show to get cancelled. Really, the writing was on the wall when Aaron Barnhart tabbed it American Dreams with boobs.
The more surprising info in that EW article is that Whitney got picked up for a full season. While it's not bleeding viewers, last week episode underperformed the previous year's episode of Outsourced. Then again, Outsourced got a full season, so it could just be that NBC will take the hit to have some stability. That must make Maria Bello happy, though reruns of Prime Suspect will show up in The Playboy Club's former spot for the next few weeks, which may help.
The show that's being mentioned as the long-term replacement is the newsmagazine Rock Center with Brian Williams. Based on the name I'm assuming the show is about football, or musicians, or football-playing musicians.
The more surprising info in that EW article is that Whitney got picked up for a full season. While it's not bleeding viewers, last week episode underperformed the previous year's episode of Outsourced. Then again, Outsourced got a full season, so it could just be that NBC will take the hit to have some stability. That must make Maria Bello happy, though reruns of Prime Suspect will show up in The Playboy Club's former spot for the next few weeks, which may help.
The show that's being mentioned as the long-term replacement is the newsmagazine Rock Center with Brian Williams. Based on the name I'm assuming the show is about football, or musicians, or football-playing musicians.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
New on TV: New Girl
If you read enough reviews of new TV shows, you start to see broad narratives develop as to why a show will succeed or fail. This isn't surprising, as mass media loves nothing more than adopting an already-developed narrative over something original. In the case of New Girl, though, the narrative is dead on.
The amount to which you love or hate this show will correlate exactly with how much you love or hate Zooey Deschanel.
But first, the set-up: a bohemian/free spirited/whatever adjective best describes Zooey Deschanel woman named Jess catches her boyfriend cheating on her, leading her to move out and find new lodgings with three (or four) men, who aren't that good with women to begin with, never mind the strange, weepy mess they've just taken on. The guys help Jess get back on her feet while she helps them... make rent, I suppose. Jess also has a model best friend (literally), whose main purpose here seems to be as translator between Jess and the guys.
So, Zooey. She plays Jess in the sort of charmingly quirky (or, as I've seen the role described, "adorkable") that doesn't exist in real life, but works on TV as a refreshing break from how women are usually portrayed in sitcoms. And it's a good thing that it's a sitcom, as I think it'd be hard to take Jess for more than 30 minutes in a sitting. Suffice it to say I'm on the fence about Zooey's adorkability, at least in this case.
The roommates are the sort of clueless men who, left to their own devices, would be on an ABC sitcom that gets cancelled before Thanksgiving. There's Schmidt, one of those "bro" guys who seems to put half of his take home pay into a "Douchebag Jar" and who, not surprisingly, has a highly inflated sense of self. Then there's Nick, a bartender who can't get over his last break up but at least acts rationally otherwise, making him the most likely roommate to fall in love with Jess whenever ratings demand that happen. Winston, a former pro basketball player (in Latvia), rounds out the group as the guy who is trying to figure out just what the hell happened while he was gone.
(There is also another character, Coach, who may or may not be a roommate, thought he was but he's apparently only in a couple of episodes. He owns a gym that also appears to be the location of the apartment.)
I know it'd be hard to have this show without the guy roommates - that being the whole point of the show, the guys and Jess trying to sort each other out - but they drag down the show. I'm especially not fond of Schmidt, who I think they're trying to make into some iconic supporting character, and trying too hard.
Overall it's not a bad show, but I'm not feeling compelled to watch regularly, which I guess tracks with the whole narrative I started with.
The amount to which you love or hate this show will correlate exactly with how much you love or hate Zooey Deschanel.
But first, the set-up: a bohemian/free spirited/whatever adjective best describes Zooey Deschanel woman named Jess catches her boyfriend cheating on her, leading her to move out and find new lodgings with three (or four) men, who aren't that good with women to begin with, never mind the strange, weepy mess they've just taken on. The guys help Jess get back on her feet while she helps them... make rent, I suppose. Jess also has a model best friend (literally), whose main purpose here seems to be as translator between Jess and the guys.
So, Zooey. She plays Jess in the sort of charmingly quirky (or, as I've seen the role described, "adorkable") that doesn't exist in real life, but works on TV as a refreshing break from how women are usually portrayed in sitcoms. And it's a good thing that it's a sitcom, as I think it'd be hard to take Jess for more than 30 minutes in a sitting. Suffice it to say I'm on the fence about Zooey's adorkability, at least in this case.
The roommates are the sort of clueless men who, left to their own devices, would be on an ABC sitcom that gets cancelled before Thanksgiving. There's Schmidt, one of those "bro" guys who seems to put half of his take home pay into a "Douchebag Jar" and who, not surprisingly, has a highly inflated sense of self. Then there's Nick, a bartender who can't get over his last break up but at least acts rationally otherwise, making him the most likely roommate to fall in love with Jess whenever ratings demand that happen. Winston, a former pro basketball player (in Latvia), rounds out the group as the guy who is trying to figure out just what the hell happened while he was gone.
(There is also another character, Coach, who may or may not be a roommate, thought he was but he's apparently only in a couple of episodes. He owns a gym that also appears to be the location of the apartment.)
I know it'd be hard to have this show without the guy roommates - that being the whole point of the show, the guys and Jess trying to sort each other out - but they drag down the show. I'm especially not fond of Schmidt, who I think they're trying to make into some iconic supporting character, and trying too hard.
Overall it's not a bad show, but I'm not feeling compelled to watch regularly, which I guess tracks with the whole narrative I started with.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
New on TV: The X Factor
If you've consumed mass media for more than three minutes over the last year, you've seen or heard something about Simon Cowell's new singing competition show, The X Factor. And if you've consumed mass media for more than three minutes over the last decade or so, you've probably seen a show that's very similar to The X Factor.
As much as the show would like to stake a claim to originality or uniqueness, it's pretty much American Idol meets America's Got Talent meets The Voice meets (insert show here). Auditions happen, some good and some bad (thankfully, this show isn't drawing out the bad like AI does). Judges say things, and some contestants are passed through to the next stage of the competition, all in the hopes of winning the $5 million grand prize (now actually in cash rather than a potential for making that much).
That being said, there are some differences between this show and Cowell's old show. Contestants can be any age 12 and up, and can include groups. Those making it past the audition are put into four groups (men, women, groups and "older performers") for mentoring and development prior to competing. In fact, this sounds a lot more like The Voice than anything else.
The auditions also take place in front of a live audience (like The Voice, again, which makes me wonder who is ripping off who here), comprised of 4300 of the loudest, most easily entertained people the producers could find. Seriously, this audience will clap and holler for pretty much anything (outside of the guy who dropped his pants during his audition, he got booed). I do think the audience makes a difference - it can build or erode confidence depending on the performance, certainly - but I wish it was a little less manic.
The judging panel is comprised of Cowell, Paula Abdul, Nicole Scherzinger (replacing Cheryl Cole and her Geordie accent) and L.A. Reid. They do pretty much what judging panels do on these shows, and are thankfully more willing to be honest than the AI folks. I especially like L.A. Reid, who manages to be no-nonsense without being a jerk. The producers did try to drum up some sort of conflict with him and Cowell based on their disagreements over contestants, to no avail. At this point at least, there's no ill will there.
People who are into the whole Simon-Paula dynamic, or into the glitter and unicorn-filled world that exists in Paula's head, will be disappointed. In the early going, at least, they played nice and Paula was as coherent as the next person.
There's a heavy redemption angle to the show, as the ratio of successful contestant to compelling/emotional backstory was pretty much one to one. I will say that hearing about the importance of the audition or how someone's whole life is about this moment resonates more when its from a single mom in her 40s than some 19 year old whose "struggle" only exists in their head. I have nothing against redemption, just hoping this doesn't turn into Dr. Phil: The Musical or something.
Whether or not the show is worth watching hinges on your expectations. If you're expecting a singing competition that's new and fresh and full of Fox attitude, well, sorry, you're going to be disappointed. If you just like singing competitions and are sick of the parade of meh that's been coming out of AI the last few years, you may find something to like here.
As much as the show would like to stake a claim to originality or uniqueness, it's pretty much American Idol meets America's Got Talent meets The Voice meets (insert show here). Auditions happen, some good and some bad (thankfully, this show isn't drawing out the bad like AI does). Judges say things, and some contestants are passed through to the next stage of the competition, all in the hopes of winning the $5 million grand prize (now actually in cash rather than a potential for making that much).
That being said, there are some differences between this show and Cowell's old show. Contestants can be any age 12 and up, and can include groups. Those making it past the audition are put into four groups (men, women, groups and "older performers") for mentoring and development prior to competing. In fact, this sounds a lot more like The Voice than anything else.
The auditions also take place in front of a live audience (like The Voice, again, which makes me wonder who is ripping off who here), comprised of 4300 of the loudest, most easily entertained people the producers could find. Seriously, this audience will clap and holler for pretty much anything (outside of the guy who dropped his pants during his audition, he got booed). I do think the audience makes a difference - it can build or erode confidence depending on the performance, certainly - but I wish it was a little less manic.
The judging panel is comprised of Cowell, Paula Abdul, Nicole Scherzinger (replacing Cheryl Cole and her Geordie accent) and L.A. Reid. They do pretty much what judging panels do on these shows, and are thankfully more willing to be honest than the AI folks. I especially like L.A. Reid, who manages to be no-nonsense without being a jerk. The producers did try to drum up some sort of conflict with him and Cowell based on their disagreements over contestants, to no avail. At this point at least, there's no ill will there.
People who are into the whole Simon-Paula dynamic, or into the glitter and unicorn-filled world that exists in Paula's head, will be disappointed. In the early going, at least, they played nice and Paula was as coherent as the next person.
There's a heavy redemption angle to the show, as the ratio of successful contestant to compelling/emotional backstory was pretty much one to one. I will say that hearing about the importance of the audition or how someone's whole life is about this moment resonates more when its from a single mom in her 40s than some 19 year old whose "struggle" only exists in their head. I have nothing against redemption, just hoping this doesn't turn into Dr. Phil: The Musical or something.
Whether or not the show is worth watching hinges on your expectations. If you're expecting a singing competition that's new and fresh and full of Fox attitude, well, sorry, you're going to be disappointed. If you just like singing competitions and are sick of the parade of meh that's been coming out of AI the last few years, you may find something to like here.
The Fifth Dentist
If you're my age you probably remember the ads for Trident gum that noted that four out of five dentists would recommend Trident for their patients who chew gum. And if you were like me, this ad left one question: what did the fifth dentist recommend? (Turns out it was not to chew gum at all.)
The ad never impacted my gum chewing habits, but it did give me an early lesson in the importance of language. A lesson that was piqued again this morning when I heard an ad on the radio for NBC's Thursday night sitcoms. The announcer wanted us to tune in to Community, Parks and Recreation, The Office and "the critically acclaimed Whitney."
That caught me aback, as the critical reaction to Whitney has been tepid at best (as noted here and here and here (scroll through), and here and here, for starters). So it makes me wonder: who, in this case, is the fifth dentist who is recommending Whitney?
The other idea that popped into my head is that NBC is trying to convince us that Whitney is critically acclaimed so it will fit with the other sitcoms, all of which actually are critically acclaimed (more or less, I'm hoping James Spader will bring some luster back to The Office). I'm thinking the people who actually watch the other shows will notice the difference (and those of us who watch the shows on DVR or On Demand will not really notice Whitney at all).
The ad never impacted my gum chewing habits, but it did give me an early lesson in the importance of language. A lesson that was piqued again this morning when I heard an ad on the radio for NBC's Thursday night sitcoms. The announcer wanted us to tune in to Community, Parks and Recreation, The Office and "the critically acclaimed Whitney."
That caught me aback, as the critical reaction to Whitney has been tepid at best (as noted here and here and here (scroll through), and here and here, for starters). So it makes me wonder: who, in this case, is the fifth dentist who is recommending Whitney?
The other idea that popped into my head is that NBC is trying to convince us that Whitney is critically acclaimed so it will fit with the other sitcoms, all of which actually are critically acclaimed (more or less, I'm hoping James Spader will bring some luster back to The Office). I'm thinking the people who actually watch the other shows will notice the difference (and those of us who watch the shows on DVR or On Demand will not really notice Whitney at all).
Wednesday, September 07, 2011
Bring Out Your Dead 2011
Another year, another entry in the Ted Marshall Open TV death pool. As in years past, you choose ten shows that you think aren't going to be around for the next TV season, and you get 20 points for each show that goes away, with bonus points based on how you rank them (10 points for the show you most expect to get the axe, 9 points for the second-most, etc.). So who did I go with this year?
10 points - Desperate Housewives, it was announced last month that this will be the final season for the residents of Wisteria Lane, probably for the best as it's likely going to spend this year getting its clock cleaned by The Good Wife over on CBS. Truthfully, ABC should have cut their losses and cut this show when they did the time jump a couple of seasons ago.
9 points - One Tree Hill, also announced last month that this would be the venerable CW show's final season. I have no real comment on that, having never watched a second of the show.
8 points - Chuck, OK fans, NBC has already announced that the show is going away after this season, so please don't send me hate mail. You can send cans of chickpeas or inflatable giraffes or whatever signature item Chuck may have to NBC in an attempt to change their minds, but I think this time it's for real.
7 points - Rules of Engagement, now in the territory of shows I think will get cancelled, I went with this one as it is the only first-run scripted program scheduled for Saturday night. Make whatever jokes you want about a Friday night death slot, but at least each network is trying to program the night. Being stuck in the Saturday night gulag with Cops, college football and reruns suggests that CBS isn't particularly concerned with how this show fares.
6 points - How to Be a Gentleman, an effete magazine columnist links up with a manly man to learn how to be more masculine in this show that will air in the post-Big Bang Theory timeslot. The casting gives some indication as to how the show landed such a nice slot - it includes Kevin Dillon, Dave Foley, and Mary Lynn Rajskub - but it is one of the least well-reviewed new shows, and will be competing with The X Factor, Parks & Rec and Charlie's Angels. Not a good combination.
5 points - Man-Up, which is one of the many shows ABC has tried to foist on us over the last few years about men being men, not the least of which is its lead in, the Tim Allen-led Last Man Standing. Odd that these two manly men shows will lead into Dancing With the Stars and Body of Proof, both of which you think would skew female. I suppose a lack of manly competition at the 8 pm hour may give these shows some life?
I had considered going with Last Man Standing as well, as there is almost nothing nice being written about it, but after getting burned by Jim Belushi for years while incorrectly guessing the demise of According to Jim I get a little gun shy going after older male sitcom stars in relationship comedies.
4 points - Free Agents - speaking of poorly-reviewed shows, most of the real vitriol I've seen regarding new series has been for this latest adaption of a British comedy. At least until today, when Matt Gilbert of the Boston Globe kinda sorta said it was OK. It makes me wonder if most of the spleen vented at the show was over the ongoing inability of Americans to properly convert British shows. Regardless, it's apparently a stinkeroo that will not be saved by cast members like Hank Azaria and Anthony Head.
3 points - Whitney, one of NBC's two shows related to Chelsea Handler (the other, Are You There, Vodka?, bows in midseason, and while I was sorely tempted to choose it I've been swearing off midseason shows as the ones I pick tend to get renewed), starring comedian, Comedy Central roast regular and frequent Chelsea Lately guest Whitney Cummings. I've never seen her perform and don't watch Chelsea Lately or the Comedy Central roasts, but I know that both are edgier than your usual network fare, which makes it sad that she's been saddled with what might be the least edgy sitcom concept - the continuing saga of an unmarried couple living together. Reviews have been much more positive for Two Broke Girls, the CBS show she co-created and co-produces. Expect guest appearances starting sometime in January.
2 points - Unforgettable, the CBS show about a homicide detective who remembers everything from every day of her life - except, inconveniently, the details around the murder of her sister. Pretty much every review I've read of the show notes the irony of a show with this title being so, well, forgettable. Poppy Montgomery apparently adds nothing memorable outside of her first name, with this apparently being another in the long line of interchangable police procedurals.
1 point - Happy Endings, one of the 47 relationship comedies to premiere last season and apparently the only one that got renewed. Not sure why I went for this and not, say H8r, the CW's reality show where disliked celebs try to convince their biggest detractors that they aren't so bad. In retrospect I really should have gone with H8r, especially as Happy Endings will get to live in the shadow of Modern Family. Not that that helped Cougar Town all that much. Looking at the time slot, I could have also gone with I Hate My Teenage Daughter, which has racked up some of the most caustic reviews I've seen this season. So maybe a goof here.
And, as usual, there is an entry in the contest consisting of the top 10 shows picked by all participants. The ones I managed not to pick:
All My Children and One Life to Live, both of which I kind of assumed were already off the air, even though they were on the entry form. Pissed that I left so many easy points on the board.
The Playboy Club, NBC's attempt remora off of Mad Men. It's been getting fairly tepid reviews, and I'd toyed with the idea of including it, but in the end figured there were shows out there more likely to get cancelled.
Suburgatory, which I'm really surprised to see here based on the variety of positive reviews it's picked up. I suppose there's some resistance to the trope of the suburbs being hell compared to the city - it's not the most original premise - but from what I've read the show does manage to rise above its beginnings and fare well. Time slot may be a factor here, too - it's up against The X Factor and Survivor - so maybe ABC will do me a solid and swap it with Happy Endings?
10 points - Desperate Housewives, it was announced last month that this will be the final season for the residents of Wisteria Lane, probably for the best as it's likely going to spend this year getting its clock cleaned by The Good Wife over on CBS. Truthfully, ABC should have cut their losses and cut this show when they did the time jump a couple of seasons ago.
9 points - One Tree Hill, also announced last month that this would be the venerable CW show's final season. I have no real comment on that, having never watched a second of the show.
8 points - Chuck, OK fans, NBC has already announced that the show is going away after this season, so please don't send me hate mail. You can send cans of chickpeas or inflatable giraffes or whatever signature item Chuck may have to NBC in an attempt to change their minds, but I think this time it's for real.
7 points - Rules of Engagement, now in the territory of shows I think will get cancelled, I went with this one as it is the only first-run scripted program scheduled for Saturday night. Make whatever jokes you want about a Friday night death slot, but at least each network is trying to program the night. Being stuck in the Saturday night gulag with Cops, college football and reruns suggests that CBS isn't particularly concerned with how this show fares.
6 points - How to Be a Gentleman, an effete magazine columnist links up with a manly man to learn how to be more masculine in this show that will air in the post-Big Bang Theory timeslot. The casting gives some indication as to how the show landed such a nice slot - it includes Kevin Dillon, Dave Foley, and Mary Lynn Rajskub - but it is one of the least well-reviewed new shows, and will be competing with The X Factor, Parks & Rec and Charlie's Angels. Not a good combination.
5 points - Man-Up, which is one of the many shows ABC has tried to foist on us over the last few years about men being men, not the least of which is its lead in, the Tim Allen-led Last Man Standing. Odd that these two manly men shows will lead into Dancing With the Stars and Body of Proof, both of which you think would skew female. I suppose a lack of manly competition at the 8 pm hour may give these shows some life?
I had considered going with Last Man Standing as well, as there is almost nothing nice being written about it, but after getting burned by Jim Belushi for years while incorrectly guessing the demise of According to Jim I get a little gun shy going after older male sitcom stars in relationship comedies.
4 points - Free Agents - speaking of poorly-reviewed shows, most of the real vitriol I've seen regarding new series has been for this latest adaption of a British comedy. At least until today, when Matt Gilbert of the Boston Globe kinda sorta said it was OK. It makes me wonder if most of the spleen vented at the show was over the ongoing inability of Americans to properly convert British shows. Regardless, it's apparently a stinkeroo that will not be saved by cast members like Hank Azaria and Anthony Head.
3 points - Whitney, one of NBC's two shows related to Chelsea Handler (the other, Are You There, Vodka?, bows in midseason, and while I was sorely tempted to choose it I've been swearing off midseason shows as the ones I pick tend to get renewed), starring comedian, Comedy Central roast regular and frequent Chelsea Lately guest Whitney Cummings. I've never seen her perform and don't watch Chelsea Lately or the Comedy Central roasts, but I know that both are edgier than your usual network fare, which makes it sad that she's been saddled with what might be the least edgy sitcom concept - the continuing saga of an unmarried couple living together. Reviews have been much more positive for Two Broke Girls, the CBS show she co-created and co-produces. Expect guest appearances starting sometime in January.
2 points - Unforgettable, the CBS show about a homicide detective who remembers everything from every day of her life - except, inconveniently, the details around the murder of her sister. Pretty much every review I've read of the show notes the irony of a show with this title being so, well, forgettable. Poppy Montgomery apparently adds nothing memorable outside of her first name, with this apparently being another in the long line of interchangable police procedurals.
1 point - Happy Endings, one of the 47 relationship comedies to premiere last season and apparently the only one that got renewed. Not sure why I went for this and not, say H8r, the CW's reality show where disliked celebs try to convince their biggest detractors that they aren't so bad. In retrospect I really should have gone with H8r, especially as Happy Endings will get to live in the shadow of Modern Family. Not that that helped Cougar Town all that much. Looking at the time slot, I could have also gone with I Hate My Teenage Daughter, which has racked up some of the most caustic reviews I've seen this season. So maybe a goof here.
And, as usual, there is an entry in the contest consisting of the top 10 shows picked by all participants. The ones I managed not to pick:
All My Children and One Life to Live, both of which I kind of assumed were already off the air, even though they were on the entry form. Pissed that I left so many easy points on the board.
The Playboy Club, NBC's attempt remora off of Mad Men. It's been getting fairly tepid reviews, and I'd toyed with the idea of including it, but in the end figured there were shows out there more likely to get cancelled.
Suburgatory, which I'm really surprised to see here based on the variety of positive reviews it's picked up. I suppose there's some resistance to the trope of the suburbs being hell compared to the city - it's not the most original premise - but from what I've read the show does manage to rise above its beginnings and fare well. Time slot may be a factor here, too - it's up against The X Factor and Survivor - so maybe ABC will do me a solid and swap it with Happy Endings?
Sunday, July 17, 2011
At Least it Wasn't Raining
OK, I've finally seen the last episode of The Killing, and there are three things that bother me about the finale:
1. There is no way Belko Royce would get that close to Darren Richmond. The police and the press got their show by arresting Richmond at his rally, it seems highly unlikely they'd make him do the perp walk as well. Unless Mayor Adams is hoping for a Jack Ruby moment, in which case, thank you Belko.
2. How long will it take Richmond's defense to figure out the toll photo is a fake? If the cameras haven't been working for weeks, it's not going to be hard to discredit the photo. Unless the conspiracy against Richmond is very thorough, there's not going to be a way to remove all of the documented history of the cameras being out and produce "real" camera footage to back up the photo.
3. There is still no real physical evidence tying Richmond to Rosie as far as I can tell, making this Casey Anthony redux. Which I suppose will be OK if the purpose of Richmond's arrest is just to thwart his campaign.
Still, it was a very solid series and I'm looking forward to the second season. Kudos for the Emmy nods, especially Michelle Forbes, whose depiction of the shattered Mitch Larsen was quietly impressive.
1. There is no way Belko Royce would get that close to Darren Richmond. The police and the press got their show by arresting Richmond at his rally, it seems highly unlikely they'd make him do the perp walk as well. Unless Mayor Adams is hoping for a Jack Ruby moment, in which case, thank you Belko.
2. How long will it take Richmond's defense to figure out the toll photo is a fake? If the cameras haven't been working for weeks, it's not going to be hard to discredit the photo. Unless the conspiracy against Richmond is very thorough, there's not going to be a way to remove all of the documented history of the cameras being out and produce "real" camera footage to back up the photo.
3. There is still no real physical evidence tying Richmond to Rosie as far as I can tell, making this Casey Anthony redux. Which I suppose will be OK if the purpose of Richmond's arrest is just to thwart his campaign.
Still, it was a very solid series and I'm looking forward to the second season. Kudos for the Emmy nods, especially Michelle Forbes, whose depiction of the shattered Mitch Larsen was quietly impressive.
Friday, June 03, 2011
Don't McDream It's Over
I've been meaning to say something about Patrick Dempsey's departure from Grey's Anatomy, I find it more interesting that they may wind up cashiering all of the original characters.
You can argue whether or not the show would survive without Dempsey (though I think losing Ellen Pompeo, whose character the show is named for, is a bigger problem). But losing just a significant chunk of original characters makes me think of those last, lame years of prime time soaps like Dallas and, even more chilling, the entirely unnecessary last season of Scrubs.
This is a case where a large-scale cast change should either trigger a new series (such as how The Practice begat Boston Legal) or a wrapping up of the show entirely. Shonda Rhimes shows no remorse when killing off characters, and I hope she'll be similarly decisive when it comes time to determine the fate of the entire show.
You can argue whether or not the show would survive without Dempsey (though I think losing Ellen Pompeo, whose character the show is named for, is a bigger problem). But losing just a significant chunk of original characters makes me think of those last, lame years of prime time soaps like Dallas and, even more chilling, the entirely unnecessary last season of Scrubs.
This is a case where a large-scale cast change should either trigger a new series (such as how The Practice begat Boston Legal) or a wrapping up of the show entirely. Shonda Rhimes shows no remorse when killing off characters, and I hope she'll be similarly decisive when it comes time to determine the fate of the entire show.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Nice Going, America
Finally fulfilling the destiny set by past seasons of mediocre finalists, American Idol has finally produced its least interesting final pair in show history (replacing Taylor Hicks and Katherine McPhee in my book, YMMV).
Really, what is there to say about Scotty McCreery or Lauren Alaina that is even remotely interesting? Both are teenagers from the South who sing country music. Other than that, the only things I can tell you about the pair is that Scotty plays baseball and Lauren's mom has a hideous hairdo.
Can they sing? Sure. Are their performances interesting? No. The only real comments made about Scotty's performance is his preference for holding the microphone to the side of his face, while Lauren mostly seems challenged in finding the right outfit. If you told me right now I'd win a million dollars if I could name any one of the three songs each of them did this week, I'd lose. I only remember Lauren did "I Hope You Dance" because it was so obvious that I was surprised she'd not done it previously.
As much as this irritates me, recent history suggests we won't hear from the winner (or even the runner-up) much after the finale, so we've got that going for us.
Really, what is there to say about Scotty McCreery or Lauren Alaina that is even remotely interesting? Both are teenagers from the South who sing country music. Other than that, the only things I can tell you about the pair is that Scotty plays baseball and Lauren's mom has a hideous hairdo.
Can they sing? Sure. Are their performances interesting? No. The only real comments made about Scotty's performance is his preference for holding the microphone to the side of his face, while Lauren mostly seems challenged in finding the right outfit. If you told me right now I'd win a million dollars if I could name any one of the three songs each of them did this week, I'd lose. I only remember Lauren did "I Hope You Dance" because it was so obvious that I was surprised she'd not done it previously.
As much as this irritates me, recent history suggests we won't hear from the winner (or even the runner-up) much after the finale, so we've got that going for us.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Upfronts: The CW
And last but, well, least, The CW.
Returning Shows - No real surprises, other than Nikita getting renewed and moved to Friday. Other stuff has shifted by an hour but stayed on the same day. One Tree Hill returns in the spring for what seems to be its 28th season.
New Shows:
Monday - Gossip Girl moves up an hour and will be followed by Hart of Dixie, named to bring in all those tween pun enthusiasts. Rachel Bilson stars as a new doctor whose plans to become a surgeon fall through, so she takes a job with a doctor in Alabama. She gets down there only to learn that the guy who hired her died, but he left half his practice to her in his will. The other half goes to the town's other doctor, who doesn't like the competition. Turns out his daughter doesn't care for competition, either, as the young doctor finds an ally in the daughter's fiance.
Not sure if this is more Doc Hollywood or Sweet Home Alabama. Either way, this isn't the worst show the network is trotting out next season.
Tuesday - Sarah Michelle Gellar returns (well, sort of, as she was on The WB and UPN but not the merged network) in Ringer. Here she plays Bridget, a woman who is the sole witness to a professional hit. Fearing for her life, she runs and reconnects with her estranged twin sister, and when the sister mysteriously disappears, Bridget adopts her sister's persona - only to learn that her life is no bed of roses, either.
I suppose this could work, though I can't help but think of Lone Star with its one person/two lives set-up. Though I guess that's a nice low bar to clear as a measure of success.
Wednesday - Going back to the last comment I made about Hart of Dixie, this night features what looks like the clear loser of the new shows, H8R, and it's not just because its name is in textspeak. The premise of the show is that celebrities will meet some of their greatest detractors and work to turn them into fans (or at least have them stop being haters). I'm assuming the celebrities will be CW-type personalities that you've likely not heard of if you're over 23.
Mario Lopez hosts, probably wishing he could go back to Pet Star.
Thursday - Secret Circle brings us witches to follow vampires, which I guess makes a certain amount of sense. A girl loses her mother in a fire and is taken in by her grandmother. The girl learns that her new town (where her mom grew up) is actually inhabited by witches, and her return will allow them to form a new circle. As she discovers her powers, she learns that there are other forces at play in town, and that her mother's death may not have been accidental. Regardless of this mumbo jumbo, I suspect that as long as the teen boys on the show are sullen and shirtless, the show will do OK.
No new shows on Friday, and of course no programming at all on the weekend.
Two new shows for mid-season. The first is Re-Modeled, The CW's millionth attempt to launch another fashion-themed show to go with ANTM. Some fashion guy is working to pull smaller modeling agencies together so that they don't get screwed (by whom I don't know, the larger agencies?), and in the process the models themselves get greater control of their careers and health (through a mechanism not yet explained). Whatever.
The other show, The Frame, is some sort of Big Brother rip-off where pairs of contestants are put into some sort of restricted living space (the "frame") and only interact with other pairs remotely. The description says the contestants have "dynamic personalities," which to my mind sounds like they'll all be braying jackasses.
Returning Shows - No real surprises, other than Nikita getting renewed and moved to Friday. Other stuff has shifted by an hour but stayed on the same day. One Tree Hill returns in the spring for what seems to be its 28th season.
New Shows:
Monday - Gossip Girl moves up an hour and will be followed by Hart of Dixie, named to bring in all those tween pun enthusiasts. Rachel Bilson stars as a new doctor whose plans to become a surgeon fall through, so she takes a job with a doctor in Alabama. She gets down there only to learn that the guy who hired her died, but he left half his practice to her in his will. The other half goes to the town's other doctor, who doesn't like the competition. Turns out his daughter doesn't care for competition, either, as the young doctor finds an ally in the daughter's fiance.
Not sure if this is more Doc Hollywood or Sweet Home Alabama. Either way, this isn't the worst show the network is trotting out next season.
Tuesday - Sarah Michelle Gellar returns (well, sort of, as she was on The WB and UPN but not the merged network) in Ringer. Here she plays Bridget, a woman who is the sole witness to a professional hit. Fearing for her life, she runs and reconnects with her estranged twin sister, and when the sister mysteriously disappears, Bridget adopts her sister's persona - only to learn that her life is no bed of roses, either.
I suppose this could work, though I can't help but think of Lone Star with its one person/two lives set-up. Though I guess that's a nice low bar to clear as a measure of success.
Wednesday - Going back to the last comment I made about Hart of Dixie, this night features what looks like the clear loser of the new shows, H8R, and it's not just because its name is in textspeak. The premise of the show is that celebrities will meet some of their greatest detractors and work to turn them into fans (or at least have them stop being haters). I'm assuming the celebrities will be CW-type personalities that you've likely not heard of if you're over 23.
Mario Lopez hosts, probably wishing he could go back to Pet Star.
Thursday - Secret Circle brings us witches to follow vampires, which I guess makes a certain amount of sense. A girl loses her mother in a fire and is taken in by her grandmother. The girl learns that her new town (where her mom grew up) is actually inhabited by witches, and her return will allow them to form a new circle. As she discovers her powers, she learns that there are other forces at play in town, and that her mother's death may not have been accidental. Regardless of this mumbo jumbo, I suspect that as long as the teen boys on the show are sullen and shirtless, the show will do OK.
No new shows on Friday, and of course no programming at all on the weekend.
Two new shows for mid-season. The first is Re-Modeled, The CW's millionth attempt to launch another fashion-themed show to go with ANTM. Some fashion guy is working to pull smaller modeling agencies together so that they don't get screwed (by whom I don't know, the larger agencies?), and in the process the models themselves get greater control of their careers and health (through a mechanism not yet explained). Whatever.
The other show, The Frame, is some sort of Big Brother rip-off where pairs of contestants are put into some sort of restricted living space (the "frame") and only interact with other pairs remotely. The description says the contestants have "dynamic personalities," which to my mind sounds like they'll all be braying jackasses.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Upfronts: CBS
As has been the case the last couple of years, CBS is dealing from a position of strength, and isn't afraid to try things to make themselves stronger.
Returning Shows - no major surprises for cancellations, unless you consider keeping all three CSI shows a surprise.
The surprises come with a couple of show moves. CSI leaves its long-time Thursday time slot and moves to Wednesday, echoing the move Survivor made last year. It's a smart move, as it takes on the equally venerable Law & Order: SVU and new drama Revenge, which seems like a fight it can win.
The bigger move, I think, is The Good Wife shifting over to Sunday at 9, a clear challenge to Desperate Housewives, which may not be up to the fight. Neither will compete with football - assuming it returns - but this move puts CBS in the better position as the alternative choice to football and as to the prime network to watch in the spring.
Finally, Rules of Engagement will kick of Saturday nights, which is kind of astounding given the dearth of original scripted programming on Saturdays (it will, in fact, be the only scripted show with original programming on Saturdays). This does not bode well for them.
New Shows -
Monday - 2 Broke Girls is the new filler between How I Met Your Mother and the now Kutcherfied Two and a Half Men. It follows two young women who work at a Brooklyn diner as a means to fund their planned cupcake shop. Sounds innocuous enough, and I'm glad it's not another relationship comedy. Points for casting Garrett Morris as the diner's cashier, too.
Tuesday - While I was hoping for NCIS: Omaha to complete the trifecta, the two existing shows get Unforgettable as their 10 pm partner. It stars Poppy Montgomery as a former cop with hyperthymesia - she literally remembers everything that has happened in her life. Except for the details around her sister's still-unsolved murder, which seems like a bad place to be fuzzy. Not sure if this will be better than the usual homicide cop drama, but I do pray that they cast Marilu Henner as Montgomery's mom.
Wednesday - no new shows
Thursday - How to Be A Gentleman get the post-Big Bang Theory slot. It's about a newspaper etiquette columnist who, when pressed by his editor to make his column more relevant, hires a recent reacquaintance to be his coach in all things current (there's a "gentle man/manly man" quip in the press release that makes me wonder how this didn't wind up on ABC). I'd probably watch this more the supporting cast, which includes Dave Foley as the editor and Mary Lynn Rajskub as the main character's sister.
The coveted 9 pm slot goes to Person of Interest, which is intriguing. Jim Caviezel plays a CIA agent (presumed dead) who is hired by a computer billionaire (Michael Emerson) to stop crimes before they happen, pairing the CIA agent's covert skills with the billionaire's pattern recognition software that can identify someone about to commit a crime. So I guess this is kind of like Minority Report: The Series?
Recent Oscar nominee Taraji P. Henson rounds out the cast a NYPD detective who crosses paths with the crime fighters. Throw in production credits for JJ Abrams, Bryan Burk and Memento story writer Jonathan Nolan, and you'd think that this show has the pedigree to be the breakout show of the season. Let's just hope it doesn't go all Six Degrees on us.
Friday - A Gifted Man now starts the night. A surgeon, the "gifted man" of the title, is jolted out of his high-powered (and highly lucrative) lifestyle when he starts seeing the apparent ghost of his dead ex-wife. She gets him to start helping out the free clinic where she worked, with the expected results. Jennifer Ehle plays the ghost, while Julie Benz shows up as the surgeon's sister. A little to Touched by a Doctor for my taste.
Saturday and Sunday - no new shows
Not Yet Scheduled - The 2-2 follows a half-dozen NYPD rookies as they learn on the job. Leelee Sobieski and Adam Goldberg are the most notable names in this show that counts Robert De Niro as an executive producer.
Returning Shows - no major surprises for cancellations, unless you consider keeping all three CSI shows a surprise.
The surprises come with a couple of show moves. CSI leaves its long-time Thursday time slot and moves to Wednesday, echoing the move Survivor made last year. It's a smart move, as it takes on the equally venerable Law & Order: SVU and new drama Revenge, which seems like a fight it can win.
The bigger move, I think, is The Good Wife shifting over to Sunday at 9, a clear challenge to Desperate Housewives, which may not be up to the fight. Neither will compete with football - assuming it returns - but this move puts CBS in the better position as the alternative choice to football and as to the prime network to watch in the spring.
Finally, Rules of Engagement will kick of Saturday nights, which is kind of astounding given the dearth of original scripted programming on Saturdays (it will, in fact, be the only scripted show with original programming on Saturdays). This does not bode well for them.
New Shows -
Monday - 2 Broke Girls is the new filler between How I Met Your Mother and the now Kutcherfied Two and a Half Men. It follows two young women who work at a Brooklyn diner as a means to fund their planned cupcake shop. Sounds innocuous enough, and I'm glad it's not another relationship comedy. Points for casting Garrett Morris as the diner's cashier, too.
Tuesday - While I was hoping for NCIS: Omaha to complete the trifecta, the two existing shows get Unforgettable as their 10 pm partner. It stars Poppy Montgomery as a former cop with hyperthymesia - she literally remembers everything that has happened in her life. Except for the details around her sister's still-unsolved murder, which seems like a bad place to be fuzzy. Not sure if this will be better than the usual homicide cop drama, but I do pray that they cast Marilu Henner as Montgomery's mom.
Wednesday - no new shows
Thursday - How to Be A Gentleman get the post-Big Bang Theory slot. It's about a newspaper etiquette columnist who, when pressed by his editor to make his column more relevant, hires a recent reacquaintance to be his coach in all things current (there's a "gentle man/manly man" quip in the press release that makes me wonder how this didn't wind up on ABC). I'd probably watch this more the supporting cast, which includes Dave Foley as the editor and Mary Lynn Rajskub as the main character's sister.
The coveted 9 pm slot goes to Person of Interest, which is intriguing. Jim Caviezel plays a CIA agent (presumed dead) who is hired by a computer billionaire (Michael Emerson) to stop crimes before they happen, pairing the CIA agent's covert skills with the billionaire's pattern recognition software that can identify someone about to commit a crime. So I guess this is kind of like Minority Report: The Series?
Recent Oscar nominee Taraji P. Henson rounds out the cast a NYPD detective who crosses paths with the crime fighters. Throw in production credits for JJ Abrams, Bryan Burk and Memento story writer Jonathan Nolan, and you'd think that this show has the pedigree to be the breakout show of the season. Let's just hope it doesn't go all Six Degrees on us.
Friday - A Gifted Man now starts the night. A surgeon, the "gifted man" of the title, is jolted out of his high-powered (and highly lucrative) lifestyle when he starts seeing the apparent ghost of his dead ex-wife. She gets him to start helping out the free clinic where she worked, with the expected results. Jennifer Ehle plays the ghost, while Julie Benz shows up as the surgeon's sister. A little to Touched by a Doctor for my taste.
Saturday and Sunday - no new shows
Not Yet Scheduled - The 2-2 follows a half-dozen NYPD rookies as they learn on the job. Leelee Sobieski and Adam Goldberg are the most notable names in this show that counts Robert De Niro as an executive producer.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Upfronts: ABC
Here's what the Alphabet has in store for next season:
Retuning Shows: No major surprises, though Happy Endings getting renewed may be a small one. Then again, ABC usually finds one mid-season bubble show to bring back (think October Road, Better Off Ted, Notes from the Underbelly, or Eli Stone). On the down side, none of these got a second renewal. Save your money, Happy Endings cast and crew!
Schedule-wise, Cougar Town loses its Wednesday spot and moves to Tuesdays after Dancing With the Stars ends. Probably not what they wanted. Body of Proof also lands on Tuesdays, hoping to build on DWTS so it can survive without it later.
I'm fairly surprised that Extreme Makeover: Home Edition was moved from Sunday to Friday, as the Sunday group of shows seemed like a good family/female alternative to football on NBC. It also seems like an odd fit with Shark Tank, which follows.
New Shows:
Monday - No new shows.
Tuesday - the night opens with Last Man Standing, about a manly man (Tim Allen) who is the boss at work but is under the thumb of the gynocracy at home thanks to his wife (Nancy Travis) and three daughters. Then the wife goes back to work, gets promoted, and dad has to take on more parenting duties. To me, this sounds like they're just reshooting episodes of According to Jim or some crap like that. Pass.
The show that follows, Man Up, seems equally regurgitated. Three sensitive modern men apparently try to figure out how to be manly men like their dads, while at the same time try to keep the women folk happy. I am not sure how this is different than former ABC shows The Secret Lives of Men or Big Shots. Oh wait, it's not!
At midseason we'll also get Apartment 23, about a woman who moves to New York to work for a company whose boss gets busted for embezzelment shortly thereafter. She then gets a job at a coffee shop and moves in with another employee after they bond over scamming each other. And James van der Beek plays himself. As odd as this sounds, it still seems to be the best new show they'll have on Tuesdays.
Wednesday - Moving into the Wednesday block of sitcoms is Suburgatory, which sees a dad and his teenaged daughter move out of the city and move into a suburban neighborhood that is apparently straight out of The Stepford Wives. While I do like that the single parent in this case is a dad, I'm less crazy about returning to the suburban jungle trope.
That theme is expanded upon in the night's drama, Revenge. The lead character is a young woman newly moved into a town in the Hamptons... or newly moved in again, as the locals don't realize that, as a child, she lived in town until her family was destroyed. The woman blames certain residents for this, and so she's moved back to get, well, you know.
If you ever wanted to know how the Paul Young story line from Desperate Housewives would have worked out if Paul was a young woman, here you go.
Thursday - the night opens with the return of Charlie's Angels. 30 years after the show ended its first run on ABC and eight years after the last movie. This time around the Angels aren't overmatched police cadets, but rather women who have fallen afoul with the law (or military) but who have certain talents that are recognized by Charlie Townsend, who brings them together to solve crimes. The other change is that the new show is set in Miami, for what that's worth.
I suppose there is enough nostalgia factor for this to reach people, between the generations who watched the show and the more recent generations who saw the movies. Minka Kelly is probably the biggest name involved, which may also help bring in the youngsters. If it manages the lighter tone suggested in the press release this may be a good lead in for the returning shows.
Friday and Saturday - no new shows.
Sunday - gets two new shows. The new lead in for Desperate Housewives is Once Upon a Time, in which a young bail bondswoman is reunited with the son she gave up for adoption. He tells her that he believes she is the lost daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming, and that the town he lives in is full of fairy tale characters who were sent into modern times, unaware of their past, by the evil queen. Got that?
As much as I want to dismiss this, the cast features some notable names: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jennifer Morrison, and Robert Carlyle. I suppose it also qualifies as being more family/female friendly. Interested to see how this goes, even if I don't plan on watching it.
Finally, if you're going to riff on Mad Men, you might as well do it in that show's time slot. That seems to be the thinking with Pan Am, a drama featuring pilots and stewardesses at the dawn of the jet age. I have similar concerns here as I do with The Playboy Club, that the show will be more about the '60s and less about the story.
On the plus side, with Mad Men not coming back until next March, Pan Am may fill a need for those of us jonesing for Don Draper and his cronies.
Not Yet Scheduled - on the drama side we have Good Christian Belles, which sounds like a TV version of Hope Floats - Texas woman who had it all loses it, and moves home to people who expected her to be the same person she was when she left. I really wish the show was using the name of the book it was based on - Good Christian Bitches. There's also Missing, starring Ashley Judd as a mom who goes to Europe to find her missing son, using the contacts developed by her dead husband, who was a CIA agent. Last but not least is The River, which sees the family and friends of a well-known TV naturalist go to the Amazon to find him after he disappears. Maybe he's with Ashley Judd's kid?
The lone sitcom left is Work It, where two "alpha males" (and what is up with all the manly men at ABC this season?) dress as women to land jobs as pharmaceutical reps. The press release calls it "smart, funny and relevant." What it does not call it is an updated version of Bosom Buddies. Somewhere, Peter Scolari calls his lawyer.
Retuning Shows: No major surprises, though Happy Endings getting renewed may be a small one. Then again, ABC usually finds one mid-season bubble show to bring back (think October Road, Better Off Ted, Notes from the Underbelly, or Eli Stone). On the down side, none of these got a second renewal. Save your money, Happy Endings cast and crew!
Schedule-wise, Cougar Town loses its Wednesday spot and moves to Tuesdays after Dancing With the Stars ends. Probably not what they wanted. Body of Proof also lands on Tuesdays, hoping to build on DWTS so it can survive without it later.
I'm fairly surprised that Extreme Makeover: Home Edition was moved from Sunday to Friday, as the Sunday group of shows seemed like a good family/female alternative to football on NBC. It also seems like an odd fit with Shark Tank, which follows.
New Shows:
Monday - No new shows.
Tuesday - the night opens with Last Man Standing, about a manly man (Tim Allen) who is the boss at work but is under the thumb of the gynocracy at home thanks to his wife (Nancy Travis) and three daughters. Then the wife goes back to work, gets promoted, and dad has to take on more parenting duties. To me, this sounds like they're just reshooting episodes of According to Jim or some crap like that. Pass.
The show that follows, Man Up, seems equally regurgitated. Three sensitive modern men apparently try to figure out how to be manly men like their dads, while at the same time try to keep the women folk happy. I am not sure how this is different than former ABC shows The Secret Lives of Men or Big Shots. Oh wait, it's not!
At midseason we'll also get Apartment 23, about a woman who moves to New York to work for a company whose boss gets busted for embezzelment shortly thereafter. She then gets a job at a coffee shop and moves in with another employee after they bond over scamming each other. And James van der Beek plays himself. As odd as this sounds, it still seems to be the best new show they'll have on Tuesdays.
Wednesday - Moving into the Wednesday block of sitcoms is Suburgatory, which sees a dad and his teenaged daughter move out of the city and move into a suburban neighborhood that is apparently straight out of The Stepford Wives. While I do like that the single parent in this case is a dad, I'm less crazy about returning to the suburban jungle trope.
That theme is expanded upon in the night's drama, Revenge. The lead character is a young woman newly moved into a town in the Hamptons... or newly moved in again, as the locals don't realize that, as a child, she lived in town until her family was destroyed. The woman blames certain residents for this, and so she's moved back to get, well, you know.
If you ever wanted to know how the Paul Young story line from Desperate Housewives would have worked out if Paul was a young woman, here you go.
Thursday - the night opens with the return of Charlie's Angels. 30 years after the show ended its first run on ABC and eight years after the last movie. This time around the Angels aren't overmatched police cadets, but rather women who have fallen afoul with the law (or military) but who have certain talents that are recognized by Charlie Townsend, who brings them together to solve crimes. The other change is that the new show is set in Miami, for what that's worth.
I suppose there is enough nostalgia factor for this to reach people, between the generations who watched the show and the more recent generations who saw the movies. Minka Kelly is probably the biggest name involved, which may also help bring in the youngsters. If it manages the lighter tone suggested in the press release this may be a good lead in for the returning shows.
Friday and Saturday - no new shows.
Sunday - gets two new shows. The new lead in for Desperate Housewives is Once Upon a Time, in which a young bail bondswoman is reunited with the son she gave up for adoption. He tells her that he believes she is the lost daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming, and that the town he lives in is full of fairy tale characters who were sent into modern times, unaware of their past, by the evil queen. Got that?
As much as I want to dismiss this, the cast features some notable names: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jennifer Morrison, and Robert Carlyle. I suppose it also qualifies as being more family/female friendly. Interested to see how this goes, even if I don't plan on watching it.
Finally, if you're going to riff on Mad Men, you might as well do it in that show's time slot. That seems to be the thinking with Pan Am, a drama featuring pilots and stewardesses at the dawn of the jet age. I have similar concerns here as I do with The Playboy Club, that the show will be more about the '60s and less about the story.
On the plus side, with Mad Men not coming back until next March, Pan Am may fill a need for those of us jonesing for Don Draper and his cronies.
Not Yet Scheduled - on the drama side we have Good Christian Belles, which sounds like a TV version of Hope Floats - Texas woman who had it all loses it, and moves home to people who expected her to be the same person she was when she left. I really wish the show was using the name of the book it was based on - Good Christian Bitches. There's also Missing, starring Ashley Judd as a mom who goes to Europe to find her missing son, using the contacts developed by her dead husband, who was a CIA agent. Last but not least is The River, which sees the family and friends of a well-known TV naturalist go to the Amazon to find him after he disappears. Maybe he's with Ashley Judd's kid?
The lone sitcom left is Work It, where two "alpha males" (and what is up with all the manly men at ABC this season?) dress as women to land jobs as pharmaceutical reps. The press release calls it "smart, funny and relevant." What it does not call it is an updated version of Bosom Buddies. Somewhere, Peter Scolari calls his lawyer.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Upfronts: Fox
And now for Fox:
Returning Shows: there doesn't appear to be any changes for returning Fox shows, and there are no surprises to add from the network's earlier cancellation announcement.
New Shows:
Monday - Originally slated to air sometime this season, Terra Nova will finally bow, leading in House (which is an interesting pairing, to say the least). It's a fairly low-concept show: in 2149, scientists find a way to send humans back 85 million years so they can colonize the planet and prevent the problems that are killing Earth in the show's present. If I had a dime for every show about that...
There was a fair amount of hype over the show last year (what with Steven Spielberg being one of the executive producers and the dinosaurs and whatnot), but the demands of the effects pushed the show back to September. Episodes are apparently running about $4 million a pop, so this could wind up being a very costly cancellation if it doesn't take.
But I imagine the show will do well, at least to start. I know I'll be watching to see how long it takes them to have someone eaten by a dinosaur.
Tuesday - brings us a show that sounds ridiculously derivative, New Girl (that's a working title, as I'm guessing they've run out of ways to name relationship comedies). A woman just off a break-up moves in with three guys, each of whom has some sort of personality quirkiness that will rub off on their new, hopelessly optimistic roomie.
But here's the catch: the main character is played by Zooey Deschanel, who generally does not suck. I have a hard time reconciling how she got drawn into a show that, on its face, doesn't sound that promising. Maybe the writing is terrific. Maybe the other cast members are as fresh and original as the press release says they are. Or maybe she just wants to get paid so she can make more indie films. I'm not that tempted to find out, though I do think tracking down the pilot may be in order just to see how this works.
Wednesday - wait, Simon Cowell has a new show? Why didn't anyone mention this?
OK, if you didn't know that Cowell was bringing The X Factor to the States, you've not been paying attention. Or leaving your house. Cowell is continuing his search for the world's best singing talent, but on this show it can include pre-teens, grandmothers, groups, and so on. Otherwise, there are auditions and call-backs and mentoring and so on. Paula Abdul emerges from the ashes of her own failed reality competition show to reunite with Cowell on the judging panel. Awkward moments ahoy!
Completing the night is the sitcom I Hate My Teenaged Daughter (also a working title, is this a Fox thing?). Two women raising daughters as single parents wind up giving their kids everything they didn't have as teens - money, freedom, etc. - and unwittingly create the mean girls they hated when they were teens.
Jamie Pressly stars as one of the moms, while Kevin Rahm plays one of the ex-husbands, which I think makes him the first person to play a hetero and gay parent at the same time on network TV. Even for that, I'm not interested.
Thursday - here we get the Bones spin-off The Finder, which sprang from a back-door pilot shown earlier this season (which, thanks to the amount of crap on my DVR, I've not seen yet). As you might guess from the title, The Finder is about an Iraqi war vet who can find almost anything. I should call him to find my house keys.
I do like Bones, so I'm willing to this this has promise.
Friday and Saturday - no new shows
Sunday - two new shows for Animation Domination. The first is Allen Gregory, which is about the world's most self-centered seven year old. After years of his father's full devotion, Allen Gregory goes from being homeschooled to attending the local elementary school, and thus has to learn to fit in. There's also his dad's life partner and an adopted sister to contend with.
Interesting vocal cast here - Jonah Hill voices Allen Gregory, while French Stewart voices his dad - and there's certainly more freedom with animation to take episodes in directions regular shows can't or don't go in - but I'm not fully convinced yet. Part of me thinks that Allen Gregory and his dad would be grating after a few weeks. So put this in the maybe column.
The other new show is Napoleon Dynamite, which picks up where the movie left off. The movie's cast is providing voices, which is a very good thing. Jared and Jerusha Hess have creator/executive producer credits, and hopefully they'll be pretty well involved, too. I don't know if Napoleon still has the following he did in 2005, but this may be worth a look.
Not Yet Scheduled - Fox has an interesting selection here with Touch, which stars Kiefer Sutherland as a dad who is trying to connect with his autistic son, whose interest in discarded cell phones leads to the discovery that he is communicating with the outside world - just through numbers. The son apparently sees the connections between random people and how their actions impact each other, and the numbers provide information on what he sees.
There is a potential for this to be a mess - Tim Kring is involved, and with his fingerprints on the overblown Revelations and Heroes you can see why there's room for concern - but it could also be an interesting look at how individuals interact with each other and with society at large. And maybe Sutherland will torture someone for old time's sake.
Returning Shows: there doesn't appear to be any changes for returning Fox shows, and there are no surprises to add from the network's earlier cancellation announcement.
New Shows:
Monday - Originally slated to air sometime this season, Terra Nova will finally bow, leading in House (which is an interesting pairing, to say the least). It's a fairly low-concept show: in 2149, scientists find a way to send humans back 85 million years so they can colonize the planet and prevent the problems that are killing Earth in the show's present. If I had a dime for every show about that...
There was a fair amount of hype over the show last year (what with Steven Spielberg being one of the executive producers and the dinosaurs and whatnot), but the demands of the effects pushed the show back to September. Episodes are apparently running about $4 million a pop, so this could wind up being a very costly cancellation if it doesn't take.
But I imagine the show will do well, at least to start. I know I'll be watching to see how long it takes them to have someone eaten by a dinosaur.
Tuesday - brings us a show that sounds ridiculously derivative, New Girl (that's a working title, as I'm guessing they've run out of ways to name relationship comedies). A woman just off a break-up moves in with three guys, each of whom has some sort of personality quirkiness that will rub off on their new, hopelessly optimistic roomie.
But here's the catch: the main character is played by Zooey Deschanel, who generally does not suck. I have a hard time reconciling how she got drawn into a show that, on its face, doesn't sound that promising. Maybe the writing is terrific. Maybe the other cast members are as fresh and original as the press release says they are. Or maybe she just wants to get paid so she can make more indie films. I'm not that tempted to find out, though I do think tracking down the pilot may be in order just to see how this works.
Wednesday - wait, Simon Cowell has a new show? Why didn't anyone mention this?
OK, if you didn't know that Cowell was bringing The X Factor to the States, you've not been paying attention. Or leaving your house. Cowell is continuing his search for the world's best singing talent, but on this show it can include pre-teens, grandmothers, groups, and so on. Otherwise, there are auditions and call-backs and mentoring and so on. Paula Abdul emerges from the ashes of her own failed reality competition show to reunite with Cowell on the judging panel. Awkward moments ahoy!
Completing the night is the sitcom I Hate My Teenaged Daughter (also a working title, is this a Fox thing?). Two women raising daughters as single parents wind up giving their kids everything they didn't have as teens - money, freedom, etc. - and unwittingly create the mean girls they hated when they were teens.
Jamie Pressly stars as one of the moms, while Kevin Rahm plays one of the ex-husbands, which I think makes him the first person to play a hetero and gay parent at the same time on network TV. Even for that, I'm not interested.
Thursday - here we get the Bones spin-off The Finder, which sprang from a back-door pilot shown earlier this season (which, thanks to the amount of crap on my DVR, I've not seen yet). As you might guess from the title, The Finder is about an Iraqi war vet who can find almost anything. I should call him to find my house keys.
I do like Bones, so I'm willing to this this has promise.
Friday and Saturday - no new shows
Sunday - two new shows for Animation Domination. The first is Allen Gregory, which is about the world's most self-centered seven year old. After years of his father's full devotion, Allen Gregory goes from being homeschooled to attending the local elementary school, and thus has to learn to fit in. There's also his dad's life partner and an adopted sister to contend with.
Interesting vocal cast here - Jonah Hill voices Allen Gregory, while French Stewart voices his dad - and there's certainly more freedom with animation to take episodes in directions regular shows can't or don't go in - but I'm not fully convinced yet. Part of me thinks that Allen Gregory and his dad would be grating after a few weeks. So put this in the maybe column.
The other new show is Napoleon Dynamite, which picks up where the movie left off. The movie's cast is providing voices, which is a very good thing. Jared and Jerusha Hess have creator/executive producer credits, and hopefully they'll be pretty well involved, too. I don't know if Napoleon still has the following he did in 2005, but this may be worth a look.
Not Yet Scheduled - Fox has an interesting selection here with Touch, which stars Kiefer Sutherland as a dad who is trying to connect with his autistic son, whose interest in discarded cell phones leads to the discovery that he is communicating with the outside world - just through numbers. The son apparently sees the connections between random people and how their actions impact each other, and the numbers provide information on what he sees.
There is a potential for this to be a mess - Tim Kring is involved, and with his fingerprints on the overblown Revelations and Heroes you can see why there's room for concern - but it could also be an interesting look at how individuals interact with each other and with society at large. And maybe Sutherland will torture someone for old time's sake.
Upfronts: NBC
Upfront season is upon us again, as the networks introduce next season's lineup to ad buyers, media, and us, the viewing public. First up, NBC, who really hopes you're in the mood for a song. Or a show you may have seen before if you watch PBS or lived in the UK.
Returning Shows - most notable among the changes to returning shows is that Chuck gets moved to Friday, apparently in an attempt to kill it once and for all. That or have its smallish fanbase seem larger given the lower expectations for Fridays.
Both The Sing-Off and The Voice will return, and both will anchor Mondays, the former in the fall and the latter in the spring.
Everything else appears to be coming back to its current time slot, or will return to fill in during the summer (or later as things get cancelled).
New Shows - as usual, we'll take this by night.
Monday - Both new shows here hope to ride someone else's zeitgeist. The fall brings us The Playboy Club, which is set in the early '60s at Chicago's Playboy Club (for those of you who don't know what that is, here's a primer. It's NBC's attempt to get in on the Mad Men gravy train (ironically, one episode of that show involved scenes at New York's club). Hopefully they remember to focus on characters and story rather than history, otherwise this becomes a series version of NBC's insipid The '60s miniseries.
Notable cast includes Amber Heard and Eddie Cibrian. Not a whole lot of wow factor, though Heard seems like a solid choice to play a Bunny.
In the spring we get Smash, which follows the creation and casting of a Broadway show based on the life of Marilyn Monroe. I know it's not set at a school, but I'm calling this a Glee rip-off based on the likely abundance of show-stopping numbers. Otherwise, why cast American Idol finalist Katherine McPhee?
The cast is interesting - Debra Messing plays a writer and Anjelica Huston a producer - and Stephen Spielberg was somehow involved in coming up with the concept. There better be plenty of jazz hands.
Tuesday - no new shows
Wednesday - NBC has a pair of new comedies to start the night, or I suppose we could go with "new" as both tread some common ground. Up All Night is supposed to be an new take on the work/life/baby balance. Lorne Michaels is one of the creators, and it has good leads with Christina Applegate and Will Arnett (and Maya Rudolph as Applegate's still single boss). So perhaps they can find some new wrinkles to this concept.
This is followed by Free Agents, an workplace/romance comedy based on a UK show. Hank Azaria stars as a divorced PR exec who falls into bed with a colleague who lost a finace. They try to straighten out their relationship while Azaria's friends (one played by Buffy alum Anthony Head) work to get him back on the dating scene. I suppose this is better than the bevy of "create three couples and put them in situations" approach to sitcoms we've seen of late, but how much better is an open question.
Thursday - returns 2/3 of last season's comedy block, and wisely puts them back in a 8-10 framework. 30 Rock doesn't return until the spring, and in its place we get Whitney, which follows a happily unmarried couple that's trying to keep the spark alive while all their friends get hitched. Meh. The Whitney in this case is Whitney Cummings, who will also have a show she co-created on CBS this fall. When was the last time one person got cancelled on two networks in the same season?
The new drama at 10 is Prime Suspect, which may sound familiar to you as it's an American version of the much-lauded British series that starred Helen Mirren. The unenviable task of following in Mirren's shoes goes to Maria Bello. I have no idea why this seems like a good time to do this, other than the thought that if we could bring Parenthood back then anything less old is fair game.
I'm also not sure who the target audience is. People who watched the original may not want to see a remake (or at least I don't), and if you didn't watch the original I'm not sure what specifically would interest you in the remake. Heck, NBC may be better off rerunning the original.
Friday - Combine Buffy, murder police shows, and fairy tales and what do you get? You get Grimm, in which the lead, a homicide detective, learns he is actually a member of a family dedicated to protecting humans from supernatural creatures. I do not look forward to the episode where the lead pistol-whips an uncooperative naiad.
Duh, I should have seen the Buffy connection earlier, as this show is coming from one of that show's writers, David Greenwalt. Still, don't care.
Saturday - no new shows
Sunday - the spring brings us The Firm, which is in fact based on the John Grisham book of the same name. Rather than being a straight retelling, we pick 10 years after Mitch McDeere brought down the Memphis law firm for mobsters where he worked. Apparently things get a little boring after 10 years in the witness protection program, as Mitch and his family leave it to live in the open. And guess what? The mob is still a little ticked at him!
The only interest I have in this show is in learning why Mitch thought this would be a good idea.
Not Yet Scheduled - for sitcoms we have Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea, based on Chelsea Handler's book of the same name (but starring Laura Prepon, with Handler playing an older sister), Best Friends Forever, where a newly-divorced woman moves in with her best friend, to the detriment of the friend's live-in boyfriend (WARNING: all of the actors have been in previously-cancelled mid-season romantic sitcoms), and Bent, where a lawyer/divorced mom falls for the shiftless handyman she hired to fix her new downsized house (starring Amanda Peet, who is clearly paying the price for some sort of karmic offense).
There are also three new unscripted shows: Betty White's Off Their Rockers (Punk'd, but with senior citizens pranking youngsters), a Brian Williams news magazine show and Fashion Star, which reads like Project Runway if you allowed any designers - clothes, jewelry, bags, whatever - to compete.
I'm 0 for 6 here. Well done, Peacock.
Returning Shows - most notable among the changes to returning shows is that Chuck gets moved to Friday, apparently in an attempt to kill it once and for all. That or have its smallish fanbase seem larger given the lower expectations for Fridays.
Both The Sing-Off and The Voice will return, and both will anchor Mondays, the former in the fall and the latter in the spring.
Everything else appears to be coming back to its current time slot, or will return to fill in during the summer (or later as things get cancelled).
New Shows - as usual, we'll take this by night.
Monday - Both new shows here hope to ride someone else's zeitgeist. The fall brings us The Playboy Club, which is set in the early '60s at Chicago's Playboy Club (for those of you who don't know what that is, here's a primer. It's NBC's attempt to get in on the Mad Men gravy train (ironically, one episode of that show involved scenes at New York's club). Hopefully they remember to focus on characters and story rather than history, otherwise this becomes a series version of NBC's insipid The '60s miniseries.
Notable cast includes Amber Heard and Eddie Cibrian. Not a whole lot of wow factor, though Heard seems like a solid choice to play a Bunny.
In the spring we get Smash, which follows the creation and casting of a Broadway show based on the life of Marilyn Monroe. I know it's not set at a school, but I'm calling this a Glee rip-off based on the likely abundance of show-stopping numbers. Otherwise, why cast American Idol finalist Katherine McPhee?
The cast is interesting - Debra Messing plays a writer and Anjelica Huston a producer - and Stephen Spielberg was somehow involved in coming up with the concept. There better be plenty of jazz hands.
Tuesday - no new shows
Wednesday - NBC has a pair of new comedies to start the night, or I suppose we could go with "new" as both tread some common ground. Up All Night is supposed to be an new take on the work/life/baby balance. Lorne Michaels is one of the creators, and it has good leads with Christina Applegate and Will Arnett (and Maya Rudolph as Applegate's still single boss). So perhaps they can find some new wrinkles to this concept.
This is followed by Free Agents, an workplace/romance comedy based on a UK show. Hank Azaria stars as a divorced PR exec who falls into bed with a colleague who lost a finace. They try to straighten out their relationship while Azaria's friends (one played by Buffy alum Anthony Head) work to get him back on the dating scene. I suppose this is better than the bevy of "create three couples and put them in situations" approach to sitcoms we've seen of late, but how much better is an open question.
Thursday - returns 2/3 of last season's comedy block, and wisely puts them back in a 8-10 framework. 30 Rock doesn't return until the spring, and in its place we get Whitney, which follows a happily unmarried couple that's trying to keep the spark alive while all their friends get hitched. Meh. The Whitney in this case is Whitney Cummings, who will also have a show she co-created on CBS this fall. When was the last time one person got cancelled on two networks in the same season?
The new drama at 10 is Prime Suspect, which may sound familiar to you as it's an American version of the much-lauded British series that starred Helen Mirren. The unenviable task of following in Mirren's shoes goes to Maria Bello. I have no idea why this seems like a good time to do this, other than the thought that if we could bring Parenthood back then anything less old is fair game.
I'm also not sure who the target audience is. People who watched the original may not want to see a remake (or at least I don't), and if you didn't watch the original I'm not sure what specifically would interest you in the remake. Heck, NBC may be better off rerunning the original.
Friday - Combine Buffy, murder police shows, and fairy tales and what do you get? You get Grimm, in which the lead, a homicide detective, learns he is actually a member of a family dedicated to protecting humans from supernatural creatures. I do not look forward to the episode where the lead pistol-whips an uncooperative naiad.
Duh, I should have seen the Buffy connection earlier, as this show is coming from one of that show's writers, David Greenwalt. Still, don't care.
Saturday - no new shows
Sunday - the spring brings us The Firm, which is in fact based on the John Grisham book of the same name. Rather than being a straight retelling, we pick 10 years after Mitch McDeere brought down the Memphis law firm for mobsters where he worked. Apparently things get a little boring after 10 years in the witness protection program, as Mitch and his family leave it to live in the open. And guess what? The mob is still a little ticked at him!
The only interest I have in this show is in learning why Mitch thought this would be a good idea.
Not Yet Scheduled - for sitcoms we have Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea, based on Chelsea Handler's book of the same name (but starring Laura Prepon, with Handler playing an older sister), Best Friends Forever, where a newly-divorced woman moves in with her best friend, to the detriment of the friend's live-in boyfriend (WARNING: all of the actors have been in previously-cancelled mid-season romantic sitcoms), and Bent, where a lawyer/divorced mom falls for the shiftless handyman she hired to fix her new downsized house (starring Amanda Peet, who is clearly paying the price for some sort of karmic offense).
There are also three new unscripted shows: Betty White's Off Their Rockers (Punk'd, but with senior citizens pranking youngsters), a Brian Williams news magazine show and Fashion Star, which reads like Project Runway if you allowed any designers - clothes, jewelry, bags, whatever - to compete.
I'm 0 for 6 here. Well done, Peacock.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Bubble Popped
So we have some early cancellations:
ABC: Brothers & Sisters, Detroit 187, Mr. Sunshine, No Ordinary Family, Off the Map, V
No major surprises here, though I'm hoping we can at least get a V movie to wrap things up. I don't expect one.
Fox: The Chicago Code, Human Target, Lie to Me, Traffic Light
A little surprised that The Chicago Code didn't get another chance, but the ratings pretty much tell the story. A bad year for midwestern cop shows.
NBC: America's Next Great Restaurant, Chase, The Event, Law & Order: Los Angeles, Outsourced, Perfect Couples, School Pride
Good thing the network already announced that Chuck was coming back, otherwise it would have been a long weekend for that show's cadre of fans. I am surprised to not see Parenthood on the list. Perhaps it'll wind up on Thursday at 10, the quirky drama capper to all those quirky sitcoms.
ABC: Brothers & Sisters, Detroit 187, Mr. Sunshine, No Ordinary Family, Off the Map, V
No major surprises here, though I'm hoping we can at least get a V movie to wrap things up. I don't expect one.
Fox: The Chicago Code, Human Target, Lie to Me, Traffic Light
A little surprised that The Chicago Code didn't get another chance, but the ratings pretty much tell the story. A bad year for midwestern cop shows.
NBC: America's Next Great Restaurant, Chase, The Event, Law & Order: Los Angeles, Outsourced, Perfect Couples, School Pride
Good thing the network already announced that Chuck was coming back, otherwise it would have been a long weekend for that show's cadre of fans. I am surprised to not see Parenthood on the list. Perhaps it'll wind up on Thursday at 10, the quirky drama capper to all those quirky sitcoms.
On the Bubble: The CW
Last but not least, the network formerly known as The WB and UPN:
Saved: Hellcats, One Tree Hill
I'm on the fence with Hellcats, whose performance didn't set any records, but which the network may still see as being their chance to tap into the Glee crowd, just with backflips instead of singing. And One Tree Hill is established enough now that it would get chance to have a set final season.
Gone:: Nikita, Plain Jane, Shedding for the Wedding
Nikita never quite clicked, maybe because it's not obviously targeted for 12 year old girls. I can honestly say I've never heard of Plain Jane (apparently because it aired last summer), while Shedding for the Wedding had some incredibly low ratings, even by The CW standards. All toast.
Saved: Hellcats, One Tree Hill
I'm on the fence with Hellcats, whose performance didn't set any records, but which the network may still see as being their chance to tap into the Glee crowd, just with backflips instead of singing. And One Tree Hill is established enough now that it would get chance to have a set final season.
Gone:: Nikita, Plain Jane, Shedding for the Wedding
Nikita never quite clicked, maybe because it's not obviously targeted for 12 year old girls. I can honestly say I've never heard of Plain Jane (apparently because it aired last summer), while Shedding for the Wedding had some incredibly low ratings, even by The CW standards. All toast.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
On the Bubble: CBS
The Eye has a lot of shows still twisting in the wind, many of them familiar faces. Who makes the cut?
Saved: 48 Hours Mystery, 60 Minutes, Blue Bloods, Criminal Minds, Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior, CSI, CSI: Miami, CSI: New York, The Good Wife, Hawaii 5-0, The Mentalist, Mike & Molly, NCIS: Los Angeles, Rules of Engagement
I think I'm most likely to miss here with one of the CSI spin-offs. There was talk of New York getting cut, but it's seen a bump thanks to the (Friday adjusted) success of Blue Bloods, so I'm now thinking that Miami is the more likely casualty if one does indeed get cut.
Gone: Bleep My Dad Says, Chaos, The Defenders, I Get That a Lot, Mad Love
Bleep My Dad Says is an interesting case, given how it went from significant buzz at this point last year to getting hustled off the schedule as soon as possible. Apparently you can't write a TV show 140 characters at a time.
I suppose there's a chance that The Defenders comes back, though the drop-off in viewers as the season went on, combined with the lack of performance on Fridays, make it a very slim chance. But that may be all a show set in Vegas needs.
Saved: 48 Hours Mystery, 60 Minutes, Blue Bloods, Criminal Minds, Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior, CSI, CSI: Miami, CSI: New York, The Good Wife, Hawaii 5-0, The Mentalist, Mike & Molly, NCIS: Los Angeles, Rules of Engagement
I think I'm most likely to miss here with one of the CSI spin-offs. There was talk of New York getting cut, but it's seen a bump thanks to the (Friday adjusted) success of Blue Bloods, so I'm now thinking that Miami is the more likely casualty if one does indeed get cut.
Gone: Bleep My Dad Says, Chaos, The Defenders, I Get That a Lot, Mad Love
Bleep My Dad Says is an interesting case, given how it went from significant buzz at this point last year to getting hustled off the schedule as soon as possible. Apparently you can't write a TV show 140 characters at a time.
I suppose there's a chance that The Defenders comes back, though the drop-off in viewers as the season went on, combined with the lack of performance on Fridays, make it a very slim chance. But that may be all a show set in Vegas needs.
On the Bubble: ABC
ABC appears to have the most shows not yet renewed, so settle in.
Saved: 20/20, AFV, Body of Proof, Dancing With the Stars, Desperate Housewives, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Primetime, Saturday Night College Football, Secret Millionaire, Shark Tank
Lots of reality, not surprisingly, with some of these poised to take over for failed new shows. I don't think Body of Proof is strong enough to anchor a night, but it could work to complete a night (Wednesday or Sunday at 10, perhaps)?
I also half-expect to see special Sunday editions of Saturday Night College Football if the NFL owner's lockout drags into the season.
Gone: Better With You, Brothers & Sisters, Detroit 187, Happy Endings, Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, Mr. Sunshine, No Ordinary Family, Off the Map, V, Wife Swap
As much as I think these will all go, ABC may surprise by keeping a couple of them. I could see them poaching one of the sitcoms to fill the one empty slot in the Wednesday lineup. Happy Endings seems more likely, as I think it'd be easier to keep a mid-season show (and it seems more in line with the family/relationship comedies than Mr. Sunshine).
The other obvious question is Brothers & Sisters, which I've put on here thanks to the revolving door for cast and producers alike. The current season finale could sub as a series finale, and the ratings jump it received may convince ABC to try to squeeze one more season out of it.
On a personal note, I'll be sad to see Detroit 187, as despite the awful name it wound up being a pretty good show. I'm more ambivalent about the potential loss of V. The season finale shook things up quite a bit, but I think it's too little too late.
Saved: 20/20, AFV, Body of Proof, Dancing With the Stars, Desperate Housewives, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Primetime, Saturday Night College Football, Secret Millionaire, Shark Tank
Lots of reality, not surprisingly, with some of these poised to take over for failed new shows. I don't think Body of Proof is strong enough to anchor a night, but it could work to complete a night (Wednesday or Sunday at 10, perhaps)?
I also half-expect to see special Sunday editions of Saturday Night College Football if the NFL owner's lockout drags into the season.
Gone: Better With You, Brothers & Sisters, Detroit 187, Happy Endings, Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, Mr. Sunshine, No Ordinary Family, Off the Map, V, Wife Swap
As much as I think these will all go, ABC may surprise by keeping a couple of them. I could see them poaching one of the sitcoms to fill the one empty slot in the Wednesday lineup. Happy Endings seems more likely, as I think it'd be easier to keep a mid-season show (and it seems more in line with the family/relationship comedies than Mr. Sunshine).
The other obvious question is Brothers & Sisters, which I've put on here thanks to the revolving door for cast and producers alike. The current season finale could sub as a series finale, and the ratings jump it received may convince ABC to try to squeeze one more season out of it.
On a personal note, I'll be sad to see Detroit 187, as despite the awful name it wound up being a pretty good show. I'm more ambivalent about the potential loss of V. The season finale shook things up quite a bit, but I think it's too little too late.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
On the Bubble: Fox
And your bubble predictions for Fox:
Saved: America's Most Wanted, The Chicago Code, Cops, Kitchen Nightmares
I can't imagine a world where Fox doesn't show America's Most Wanted and Cops, so I'm saying they're both back. Kitchen Nightmares I could do without - it's a pale imitation of the BBC original - but Fox has hitched its wagon to Gordon Ramsey pretty firmly, and carrying this show will certainly help keep him happy and making Hell's Kitchen (and, I suppose, MasterChef).
The Chicago Code is kind of a wild card for me. It doesn't seem any more likely to make the cut than the other shows on the bubble, but as the newest show of the dramas on the bubble it gets a chance to prove itself where the others have tried and not succeeded.
Gone - Breaking In, Human Target, Lie to Me, Million Dollar Money Drop, Traffic Light
I would not be surprised to see Human Target and/or Lie to Me make the cut, though as I said before I think these shows have had a chance to build an audience but haven't done enough. The other shows seem more solid, though if Fox saw fit to keep Bob's Burgers and Mobbed why not take a chance with Breaking In? Or why not clear the decks of all of them?
Anyway, for having a short bubble list I do think Fox has one of the least predictable ones. They could bring back all of these shows and not surprise me. Well, except for Million Dollar Money Drop.
Saved: America's Most Wanted, The Chicago Code, Cops, Kitchen Nightmares
I can't imagine a world where Fox doesn't show America's Most Wanted and Cops, so I'm saying they're both back. Kitchen Nightmares I could do without - it's a pale imitation of the BBC original - but Fox has hitched its wagon to Gordon Ramsey pretty firmly, and carrying this show will certainly help keep him happy and making Hell's Kitchen (and, I suppose, MasterChef).
The Chicago Code is kind of a wild card for me. It doesn't seem any more likely to make the cut than the other shows on the bubble, but as the newest show of the dramas on the bubble it gets a chance to prove itself where the others have tried and not succeeded.
Gone - Breaking In, Human Target, Lie to Me, Million Dollar Money Drop, Traffic Light
I would not be surprised to see Human Target and/or Lie to Me make the cut, though as I said before I think these shows have had a chance to build an audience but haven't done enough. The other shows seem more solid, though if Fox saw fit to keep Bob's Burgers and Mobbed why not take a chance with Breaking In? Or why not clear the decks of all of them?
Anyway, for having a short bubble list I do think Fox has one of the least predictable ones. They could bring back all of these shows and not surprise me. Well, except for Million Dollar Money Drop.
On the Bubble: NBC
With upfronts coming next week, here's my guess as to what shows that are on the bubble will get saved and which will get the hook. This is based on this listing at The Futon Critic, with many thanks.
Saved: The Apprentice, Dateline NBC, Harry's Law, Law & Order: Los Angeles, Law & Order: SVU, Minute to Win It, Saturday Night Live
The reality pickups make some sense given the low cost to produce. The scripted show most likely to not actually get picked up is Law & Order: Los Angeles, whose mid-season reboot hasn't exactly led to an influx of new viewers.
Also, if I'm right, Harry's Law will be the only first year show to get renewed. That is not a feather in the network's cap.
Gone: America's Next Great Restaurant, Chase, Chuck, The Event, Outsourced, Parenthood, Perfect Couples, School Pride
The bar for keeping reality shows is lower than scripted shows, but the two reality shows here don't clear it. As far as the scripted stuff goes, I don't expect many of the shows on the list would be a surprise. I do expect the usual gnashing of teeth for Chuck, and it may just stave off cancellation given the lack of anything else to show. I wonder if we'll get a similar reaction for The Event, but as no one seems to know exactly what that show's about I doubt it. I do hope that its demise finally puts an end to the idea that you can put a show on ice for three or four months and have it succeed.
I'm expecting the loss of Outsourced and Perfect Couples to lead to the end of the three hour comedy experiment. I'd go with a lineup of Community, Parks and Rec, 30 Rock and The Office and a drama at 10.
Saved: The Apprentice, Dateline NBC, Harry's Law, Law & Order: Los Angeles, Law & Order: SVU, Minute to Win It, Saturday Night Live
The reality pickups make some sense given the low cost to produce. The scripted show most likely to not actually get picked up is Law & Order: Los Angeles, whose mid-season reboot hasn't exactly led to an influx of new viewers.
Also, if I'm right, Harry's Law will be the only first year show to get renewed. That is not a feather in the network's cap.
Gone: America's Next Great Restaurant, Chase, Chuck, The Event, Outsourced, Parenthood, Perfect Couples, School Pride
The bar for keeping reality shows is lower than scripted shows, but the two reality shows here don't clear it. As far as the scripted stuff goes, I don't expect many of the shows on the list would be a surprise. I do expect the usual gnashing of teeth for Chuck, and it may just stave off cancellation given the lack of anything else to show. I wonder if we'll get a similar reaction for The Event, but as no one seems to know exactly what that show's about I doubt it. I do hope that its demise finally puts an end to the idea that you can put a show on ice for three or four months and have it succeed.
I'm expecting the loss of Outsourced and Perfect Couples to lead to the end of the three hour comedy experiment. I'd go with a lineup of Community, Parks and Rec, 30 Rock and The Office and a drama at 10.
The Last Shall Be Last?
I was just looking over the schedule for next week's upfronts, and was surprised to see that The CW gets a day to itself. Granted, it's the morning of the last day (Thursday, I suppose to give everyone an extra half day to schmooze), but I find it odd that NBC and Fox have to double up on the first day. Then again, The CW might just pass NBC if they don't have Sunday Night Football to shore up their ratings, so perhaps a day to themselves is justified, even if it's just to announce that they're putting vampires on five nights a week.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Not Shocking
As much as I was disappointed to see Casey Abrams get the book on American Idol, it wasn't surprising. This is about the time where a talented but not Top 40 enough contestant might bow out (think Jennifer Hudson or Chris Daughtry), and Casey's jazz-inflected stylings fit that bill perfectly. I do look forward to seeing what he comes up with for his first album, which he will hopefully have a fair amount of control over.
As far as what this means for who will win, we're on quite the run of pleasant mediocrities taking the title, so I suppose this paves the way for Scotty, Lauren or Haley, all of whom are likable enough but not that exciting. I am holding out hope for James Durbin, but he may be too close to Daughtry territory to hang on. I have almost no hope for Jacob Lusk, who has reigned himself in too much for my taste. He needs to unleash his inner diva again.
As far as what this means for who will win, we're on quite the run of pleasant mediocrities taking the title, so I suppose this paves the way for Scotty, Lauren or Haley, all of whom are likable enough but not that exciting. I am holding out hope for James Durbin, but he may be too close to Daughtry territory to hang on. I have almost no hope for Jacob Lusk, who has reigned himself in too much for my taste. He needs to unleash his inner diva again.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
And It Stoned Me
While we only watched the first season of Top Chef Masters (the second season aired at a bad time for us to commit DVR space), I was somewhat interested in catching the new season until I saw that it was now being hosted by Australian chef Curtis Stone. While not a huge fan of former host Kelly Choi, I think I'd prefer her somewhat robotic demeanor to Stone, who I only know through his TV ads.
He's apparently hosted a show on TLC and has popped up on a variety of reality shows (most notably a season of The Celebrity Apprentice, which gives you an idea of just how much of a "celebrity" chef he is, at least by US terms), so I suppose he's qualified to host a cooking show on basic cable. Probably moreso than competing, given that who the two winners have been. I mean, I don't know how skilled he is in the kitchen, but it's a short list of people who could top Rick Bayless or Marcus Samuelsson.
Anyway, I find Stone to smug by half and will likely sit this season out. I'll also admit to not being thrilled by the contestant lineup, featuring a dozen chefs I don't recognize by name (I never claimed to be that deep into chefs).
He's apparently hosted a show on TLC and has popped up on a variety of reality shows (most notably a season of The Celebrity Apprentice, which gives you an idea of just how much of a "celebrity" chef he is, at least by US terms), so I suppose he's qualified to host a cooking show on basic cable. Probably moreso than competing, given that who the two winners have been. I mean, I don't know how skilled he is in the kitchen, but it's a short list of people who could top Rick Bayless or Marcus Samuelsson.
Anyway, I find Stone to smug by half and will likely sit this season out. I'll also admit to not being thrilled by the contestant lineup, featuring a dozen chefs I don't recognize by name (I never claimed to be that deep into chefs).
The Shondaverse: No One Gets Out Alive
I've think I've made passing reference to the abnormally high body count for main and supporting characters in Shonda Rhimes' shows, but having just seen the episode of Private Practice where Bizzy's kills herself after her new wife dies from a blood clot in the lung I'm left kind of amazed at how no character in her shows gets to leave standing upright... except for Izzy Stevens and Preston Burke. I assume they made it part of their exit package not to have their characters bumped off.
I was especially irritated with the decision to kill Bizzy off, given that her character seems to be of sterner stuff. I suppose you can argue that she wasn't able to see her way past losing her one true love, but I still don't see Bizzy choosing to OD. I would expect her to live a long and bitter life, making sure to remind Addison at every turn about how she's such a disappointment. That seems more in line with Bizzy as she was presented.
I was especially irritated with the decision to kill Bizzy off, given that her character seems to be of sterner stuff. I suppose you can argue that she wasn't able to see her way past losing her one true love, but I still don't see Bizzy choosing to OD. I would expect her to live a long and bitter life, making sure to remind Addison at every turn about how she's such a disappointment. That seems more in line with Bizzy as she was presented.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
When Did American Idol Become a Sausagefest?
In case you missed it, Pia Toscano got sent home from American Idol tonight. As surprising as that was, it did further this season's trend of sending women home. The only male finalist to be up for elimination has been Casey Abrahms, who was saved by the judges and hasn't been in trouble since. Other men have been in the bottom three, but all have survived.
This is actually part of a larger trend, which has only seen one woman, Crystal Bowersox, make the finale since Jordin Sparks won the whole thing in season six. So what's the problem with the ladies? I have three theories.
1. Too many teen and tween girls voting. It's an assumption - it's not like we get demographic data about the voters - but given the popularity of the show among younger viewers, it's not an unreasonable assumption. It's also an assumption that they'd vote primarily for guys, but I think that's also a safe assumption (you don't hear any of those Twilight fans talking about a Team Bella, do you?).
2. The women are boring. A value judgement, but maybe a good one? The guys have either interesting styles (Jacob's theatrics, Paul's rasp, etc.) or interesting stories/looks (Casey's beard and attitude, James' disabilities, etc.). The women? All fairly normal. I don't even think we have a mom in the group this year. The women also seem more pigeon-holed stylistically, which also limits their appeal. Pia did go out after doing her first up-tempo number, but she ended it with one of those glory notes she'd been tacking onto songs all season, which was getting old.
3. Gender-inappropriate mentoring? - I'm kind of making this one up as I go along, but all of the mentoring this season has been done by men. Jimmy Iovine, Rodney Jerkins, Don Was, and so on, there's not been a women in the house except for Mary J. Blige's walk-on while Jacob Lusk was in the studio. We did get Gwen Stefani to help the women - with their outfits. It's not like the men have never worked with women, but I would think having some women to help out might help, if even just psychologically.
Now as to why the only women left are Lauren and Haley... I don't think I can answer that.
This is actually part of a larger trend, which has only seen one woman, Crystal Bowersox, make the finale since Jordin Sparks won the whole thing in season six. So what's the problem with the ladies? I have three theories.
1. Too many teen and tween girls voting. It's an assumption - it's not like we get demographic data about the voters - but given the popularity of the show among younger viewers, it's not an unreasonable assumption. It's also an assumption that they'd vote primarily for guys, but I think that's also a safe assumption (you don't hear any of those Twilight fans talking about a Team Bella, do you?).
2. The women are boring. A value judgement, but maybe a good one? The guys have either interesting styles (Jacob's theatrics, Paul's rasp, etc.) or interesting stories/looks (Casey's beard and attitude, James' disabilities, etc.). The women? All fairly normal. I don't even think we have a mom in the group this year. The women also seem more pigeon-holed stylistically, which also limits their appeal. Pia did go out after doing her first up-tempo number, but she ended it with one of those glory notes she'd been tacking onto songs all season, which was getting old.
3. Gender-inappropriate mentoring? - I'm kind of making this one up as I go along, but all of the mentoring this season has been done by men. Jimmy Iovine, Rodney Jerkins, Don Was, and so on, there's not been a women in the house except for Mary J. Blige's walk-on while Jacob Lusk was in the studio. We did get Gwen Stefani to help the women - with their outfits. It's not like the men have never worked with women, but I would think having some women to help out might help, if even just psychologically.
Now as to why the only women left are Lauren and Haley... I don't think I can answer that.
Monday, March 14, 2011
I Thought it was Fake
As a watcher of 30 Rock, I always assumed that Liz Lemon's home town of Whitehaven, Pennsylvania was fake, a commentary on white flight or the banality of the suburbs. Well, I was wrong.
Turns out there is an actual town of White Haven, located not that far from Wilkes-Barre. Between the location and the size (fewer than 1200 people, making it unlikely to have a high school that Liz could attend a reunion for), I'm guessing it's a coincidence. But I would really like Tina Fey to address this. Here. In an exclusive. Call me!
Turns out there is an actual town of White Haven, located not that far from Wilkes-Barre. Between the location and the size (fewer than 1200 people, making it unlikely to have a high school that Liz could attend a reunion for), I'm guessing it's a coincidence. But I would really like Tina Fey to address this. Here. In an exclusive. Call me!
Two Thirds the Luck of the Irish
Versus is celebrating St. Patrick's Day by showing three of Notre Dame's most memorable football games. Two make sense - a 1992 win over Penn State and the 1993 "Game of the Century" win over Florida State. What doesn't make sense is the 2005 game against USC, where the Irish missed a major upset when Reggie Bush pushed Matt Leinart into the end zone for the winning score.
I know the NCAA made USC vacate their win for the whole Reggie Bush pay fiasco, but I don't know if that makes the game something that the Irish could celebrate
I know the NCAA made USC vacate their win for the whole Reggie Bush pay fiasco, but I don't know if that makes the game something that the Irish could celebrate
Monday, February 28, 2011
Big F!$%ing Deal
I really don't care that Melissa Leo dropped the f-bomb during last night's Oscars broadcast. It was bleeped in time and provided something of interest during a dull show. And to whether or not it was done intentionally, who cares? It was better than the tedious list of thank yous that dominate the winners' speeches.
As a telecast, last night was a snooze - no real upsets, no interesting speeches, and no dresses that looked like waterfowl. Kirk Douglas was fun to watch, even he went a little long at the end of his shtick, and was a nice counterpoint to the incredibly vapid "remembrance" that Halle Berry gave for Lena Horne. This also may have been the least competently directed shows in memory - how many times did you see people walking around in the back of a shot? - which was funny given the announcement that ABC will be the home of the Oscars through 2020.
I'll pass on commenting on the hosting, other than to say I think the best solution is to have no host at all. The time given over to an opening monologue and stupid bits in the middle could be put to better use.
Three things I could have done without:
1. The historical bits linking yesterday and today. If this ceremony was about making things younger, why keep referencing the past? Especially when it's done in a clunky way that doesn't really link things together. Take Tom Hanks talking about how Gone With the Wind was the first of a handful of films to win three specific artistic awards - only to have the chance of that happening this year dashed by the time he left the stage. Why bother with that factoid at all if there's no way to build up drama?
2. Presenters talking directly to nominees. Thinking here specifically of Jeff Bridges and Sandra Bullock's presentations. It was creepy.
3. Award winners presented without speaking. I don't particularly care if there's a separate ceremony for honorary Oscars and the Thalberg Award, but why then bring the winners out for an ovation? If they're going to be on stage, let them speak. I'd have much rather heard Coppola or Wallach speak than witness Franco and Hathaway's awkward opening.
Anyway, like most Oscar shows, it wasn't perfect. At least there's not so much talk about it being too long (though I'd prefer if it started at 8; I don't know why we need 90 minutes for the fatuous gasbags who work the red carpet).
As a telecast, last night was a snooze - no real upsets, no interesting speeches, and no dresses that looked like waterfowl. Kirk Douglas was fun to watch, even he went a little long at the end of his shtick, and was a nice counterpoint to the incredibly vapid "remembrance" that Halle Berry gave for Lena Horne. This also may have been the least competently directed shows in memory - how many times did you see people walking around in the back of a shot? - which was funny given the announcement that ABC will be the home of the Oscars through 2020.
I'll pass on commenting on the hosting, other than to say I think the best solution is to have no host at all. The time given over to an opening monologue and stupid bits in the middle could be put to better use.
Three things I could have done without:
1. The historical bits linking yesterday and today. If this ceremony was about making things younger, why keep referencing the past? Especially when it's done in a clunky way that doesn't really link things together. Take Tom Hanks talking about how Gone With the Wind was the first of a handful of films to win three specific artistic awards - only to have the chance of that happening this year dashed by the time he left the stage. Why bother with that factoid at all if there's no way to build up drama?
2. Presenters talking directly to nominees. Thinking here specifically of Jeff Bridges and Sandra Bullock's presentations. It was creepy.
3. Award winners presented without speaking. I don't particularly care if there's a separate ceremony for honorary Oscars and the Thalberg Award, but why then bring the winners out for an ovation? If they're going to be on stage, let them speak. I'd have much rather heard Coppola or Wallach speak than witness Franco and Hathaway's awkward opening.
Anyway, like most Oscar shows, it wasn't perfect. At least there's not so much talk about it being too long (though I'd prefer if it started at 8; I don't know why we need 90 minutes for the fatuous gasbags who work the red carpet).
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