Fall TV In-Progress Review
So I’ve actually had a little bit of time to check out the new TV season. It’s nice. The networks have recognized that the people most likely to tune in religiously to a show are on the nerdy side of cool, and they’ve started playing to that in more ways than one. In some cases, it’s working. In others, it’s petty, shallow, and lame.
The Good (of the new)
Chuck
Yes, I started enjoying this one before I found out Barenaked Ladies did the title theme, though that helped. Again, a likable cast who aren’t shying away from making these guys serious nerds, not hunks disguised as nerds. Not as progressive as it could be – the four main nerds are still the brunt of most of the jokes, but most of the stones are cast by their own. The humor pretends to be as smart as its characters, but in reality it’s all dumbed down, but it still works for a laugh. What sells the show is the dynamic between the four nerds, and how everything changes when you introduce Penny (Kaley Cuoco, a serious TV vet at 22) into the mix. It all works because while the social status gap is clear and obvious to everyone involved, Penny still legitimately likes these guys.
The Bad (of the new)
Lame, lame, lame. The premise for this update is presented with the same “what-if” idea as the original, which might work if we hadn’t been inching much closer to that if over the last twenty years. I don’t find Michelle Ryan particularly interesting, nor any of the supporting cast – save Battlestar Galactica vet Katee Sackhoff, but even she’s not enough to get me into another episode of this one.
Journeyman
It’s Quantum Leap, minus everything that made that show good (re: Scott Bakula, Dean Stockwell and any sort of soul). No thanks.
No, I haven’t seen it. But come on. It’s a sitcom that sprung out of a car insurance ad campaign. This tripe was barely tolerable in 30-second doses. I can’t imagine how painful 22 minutes at a time is.
Cane
Probably the most heavily advertised of the shows I have no interest in. Jimmy Smits is not gonna get me into a show, and a show about a sugar empire (They try to say it’s a rum empire, but its sugar, kids)? Meh. It’ll find an audience, but not me.
I’ve heard from a few different sources that this is probably the best new show on TV, but I haven’t gotten there yet. Chi McBride and Kristin Chenoweth is a good start, and the premise does sound fun. It might be a DVD pick, but I might give it a shot at some point.
I couldn’t tell if they were trying to pick up Angel fans with this, or if they were trying to make it really clear that this had nothing to do with Angel, but either way I think they cancelled themselves out. I caught part of one episode, simply because of Jason Dohring’s presence, but I don’t think his underuse is going to be enough to keep me around.
This is all the stuff I just don’t care about enough to try. I’ve either heard nothing, seen nothing, or don’t care to look into them. Sorry.
Now for the returning shows. A mixed bag here… here’s the stuff I care about…
The Good (of the old)
House, M.D.
Because really, how can House not be good? So long as Hugh Laurie is doing his thing, it’s really a win-win situation. His new team is getting narrowed down, with some promising and some designed to be disliked, and at least they found a way to keep the old guys around without being stupid about it. It’s only a matter of time before Omar Epps is back in
I’m gonna put this under good, but I must say I have my reservations. This season doesn’t look nearly as put together and polished from Day 1 as the first season did, but I think that might be due to them finding such a hit on their hands, and expectations being so high. I’m not sure I like how things have been split so far… what’s good is that they’ve clearly recognized two of their most popular characters (Hiro and Peter Petrelli), and decided to give them in particular a little more depth and intrigue. Hiro’s story I’m cool with – this take on Kensei is a fun way to fill in their fun little mythology. Peter, I’m not sold on yet. I am assuming his exploits in
I haven’t seen all of the new ones, but it seems like they’ve started pushing forward with the romance angle with renewed vigor. This is the only show that I’m really OK with absolutely no character evolution at all – most of the Jeffersonian supporting cast hasn’t really changed since day one – even Zack’s constant references to how he’s changed since returning from Iraq are made with full realization that he hasn’t changed a bit. And that’s why it’s funny. My only gripe thus far is that it looks like there’s a new department shrink, played by someone other than Stephen Fry, and that, I am not cool with.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Admittedly, this is a show for which I have no love to begin with. However, my girlfriend is somewhat obsessed, so we tend to catch it on Tuesdays. I think it’s my payback for making her watch Veronica Mars, which I could never get her to love nearly as much as I did. I’ve always found it boring, but the cases they investigated, while repetitive as all hell, were at least usually satisfying in their repetition. The last two weeks have been some miserable, miserable TV. Blatant rips at the predator-harboring nature of “Second Life” and other online non-“game” communities? Come on. This exceeds a simple warning of the dangers of such communities. And then last week? Clarissa and Beaver? Seriously??
Prison Break
I haven’t kept up with Scofield this year, though not because I didn’t want to. Opposition to Chuck is an unenviable position this year, I think. I will catch up eventually, as my brother tells me it’s still as insanely, improbably fun as it was last year, but I haven’t gotten there yet.
24
Naturally, since it’s not on the air yet. I gotta say, I’m nervous. Last season seemed to be stretching me a little more than even I wanted, and I give 24 a pretty wide acceptance of basically anything. The return of Soul Patch Almeida is promising, but I can see where it could also be a big disaster. Thankfully, the showrunners are aware that the show is in need of a different direction, and seem to be willing to give it that. News from Fox about the first different direction being nixed for budget constraints isn’t encouraging, though. We’ll see what happens.
So that just about covers what’s on my TV. Naturally, a lot of this is getting pushed to the side for the next two weeks or so while the Sox make their postseason drive – even my faves Chuck and Heroes are gonna have to wait tomorrow night. Nothing else show-wise has popped onto my horizon, but if it does, you know I’ll be back…
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