NOMADS
Network: CW
Written By: Ken Sanzel
Draft Date: February 8, 2010
Pages: 56
Well, at least this is beginning with an adrenaline rush! Two All-American brothers run through a jungle, chased by disembodied shouting and machine gun fire. And one of them TOTALLY BITES IT (or at the very least disappears... since we aren't shown him being shot I am assuming a twist wherein our lead character, John, finds out that his brother, Kirk, is actually alive... but either being held as a hostage or Evil!now). Once again, though, I state my distaste for all CW leads being OMGorgeous. It's like every writer is told the descriptor "All-American" is required in the script otherwise Dawn Ostroff won't buy it.
Six months later, John has a scraggly travelers beard, because otherwise how would we know that he's been through some heavy emotional turmoil? John is now living at a hostel in Bangkok and searching for Kirk who, I gather, John does not believe is dead (not sure if others do) and he gets an e-mail from someone who says they saw Kirk. He Skypes with his dad and the conversation is vague enough that I'm still not sure whether John is the only one who believes this, or whether there's some other thing about Kirk that we need to be caught up on for why Dad wants John to come home. Must be the latter because John meets with the contact who claims to have seen Kirk a month before, only he's getting scammed. But he's smart enough to know it. I'm actually pretty into this script and this character at this point!
John's ass gets saved in a barfight with a bouncer and doorman by some unassuming dude named Ryker. I'm caught between this been Aragorn-as-Strider saving Frodo and Sam at the Inn of the Prancing Pony or whatever happened in JJ Abrams' Star Trek movie when Kirk gets his ass handed to him, but Pike steps in (if I recall correctly)? John is much more of a Kirk-type, so I'll go with the latter. And I'm sure that his brother's name is entirely coincidental... anyway, John's been chasing down clues about Kirk for 6 months and he is now officially out of money. They have an odd conversation that ends enigmatically and takes us out of the 13 page teaser (really, just call it Act One at that point...) on confusion rather than some Big Moment that launches us into what the series is. But I'm cool with it, because I'm already along for John's ride.
John goes back to his other hostel friends and to a party, where a woman named Donna gives him some info about Kirk that is actually in sync with what the supposed scammer lured him to the bar with. She gives enough detail that wasn't in John's description of his brother that John knows this to be the real deal. Time to follow up on this lead, and hostel friends Zack (Australian) and Nadia (German) are along for the ride. A clandestine train station meet up with Ryker later, they're on their way. There's a little background conversation and we find out John was supposed to show up at MIT eight days ago for grad school, he's going to be a computer engineer (read: mad tech skills).
Nadia's bag, carrying some of Zack's stuff, is stolen and there's a chase sequence and confrontation with the thief, who threatens our characters with a knife and keeps menacing when offered money, is shot/killed by a Mysterious Person. Murder is okay, so long as the damsel gets her belongings back! Which gives us yet another "huh?" act out of intrigue. Again, I'm good with the story, but the act outs are head-scratchers. Neither, so far, seems to do much more than give the show an air of mystery... which it already has, in spades. I feel like there are bigger punches to act out on, ways to make John a more active protagonist in them. Shrug. Not my script.
Thankfully, we pick back up on the three characters having an ethical discussion of "he saved our lives" vs "he killed someone." I was already having a "this isn't a typical CW show" feeling (mostly because of the lack of emphasis on scantily-clad urban teenage girls drinking alcohol and being part of a giant love dodecahedron) and this seals the deal on that front.
No sooner do I type this than the love triangle rears it's ugly head as Zack heads off and Nadia invites John in for some fun... and Zack sees. SIGH. Still, this is certainly not the typical CW setting or the typical CW characters. Plus, John is leaving Zack and Nadia's company (for now) because something more than a love triangle is going on in this story. Equals good in my book.
Zack gives John his iPod (which was in Nadia's bag when it was stolen) to make sure they see each other again. John notices people following him and in what is described in a somewhat Psych-ish manner, puts puzzle pieces together through highlighted images and flashbacks. The iPod has no music on it. What's on it? Whatever it is... the police are now after John. And they get him. And there are serious problems for John because there have been pills planted in his backpack. And then he accuses the police of planting it, and then the head of the police of wanting ransom money that his family doesn't have. Yeah, John is not the brightest, is he?
Donna, the one who gave John the clue about Kirk, shows up and bails him out of jail. There is clearly something more going on here. Especially because Zack and Nadia are in the Jeep that Donna leads John to. And then Ryker is in a second Jeep they rendezvous with, and he says "right about now, you're really wondering what the hell is going on." Now THAT is an act out. Yes. Very much.
Suddenly, at page 37, the logline ("an action drama about a group of young backpackers who become part time CIA operatives to earn some quick cash, and prolong their endless summer") makes a lot more sense, as Ryker (actually CIA) explains to John what Zack, Nadia, and Donna are (his accurate term: subcontractors) and why he needs them (because young backpackers are the least suspicious thing ever in certain parts of the world, i.e. here). He does say he only gives them "low risk" jobs... which I have to assume will not really be the case. Because... stakes! Drama! There's an appropriate discussion about this with the other backpackers... "low risk" ≠ "no risk." We get a nice conversation between Donna and John, both of whom have reasons way beyond extending an "endless summer" for agreeing to be a CIA "subcontractor." Donna was offered an analyst job at the CIA, but didn't want to be behind a desk going over someone else's work. She's trying to prove herself. That's pretty good stuff. And now there's a love quadrangle (Donna is pissed that John didn't take advantage of her at a party, or something, but he did sleep with Nadia when she offered), but I'm cool with it because it's so ancillary.
Anyway. I've pretty much given about 3/4 of the pilot's plot and I don't want to give EVERYTHING away. Now that the preamble is done with, we get about 15 pages of twisty intrigue, action, adventure, life and death decisions... y'know, spy stuff.
Anyway. Damn. I'm hoping this gets picked up... though I have a feeling it might get "off brand" and "expensive" demerits (and who knows how the filmed product turns out), but, on the read, this is very much a new evolution of the spy story. Sexy. Young. Not based out of an office (anywhere, let alone in America). It's original in all the ways Human Target is derivative.
Final verdict: Fingers crossed!
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Pilot Script Review - HMS
HMS
Network: CW
Written By: Amy Holden Jones
Draft Date: January 6, 2010
Pages: 58
HMS (aka Harvard Medical School... not the Her Majesty's Ship Pinafore... oh, if only) begins with its lead-ish character, Nell Larson, arriving at medical school on a city bus and handing her bags to an elderly woman (potentially homeless, just saying) so that she can run into the middle of the academic quad, spin around, and call her boyfriend Zack / send him pictures. And it makes less dramatic sense as it goes on.
Although it's probably a good thing that Nell begins as merely flighty and naive instead of flighty and incredibly unlucky (i.e. had all her belongings been stolen). Not that anyone is watching, but didn't Scrubs try the upbeat med student thing already this year with Lucy?
Ms. Holden-Jones commits a Script Reading Cardinal Sin by naming a character Nate when we already have a Nell. Note to writers: there are 1000s of names and 26 letters in the English language. Start character names (especially regular characters) with different letters. And if you MUST start a character's name with the same letter at least make the names different lengths. It just makes the reader's job easier. Exceptions to the rule: when it's a thing, like how the Scavo kids on Desperate Housewives all have first names starting with the letter P (Parker, Preston, Porter, Penny).
Nate, go figure, is supposed to be drop-dead gorgeous. Just once I want the CW to cast a lead character who isn't from the factory.
We meet Elle Woods, er, I mean Brittany Lace. Thankfully, the super-rich super-hot girl presents herself as Kind and Caring rather than the Snooty Bitch archetype. Also she later proves her self both knowledgeable and entirely capable.
Next is Autumn Lee... an Asian stereotype and then some. Essentially-humorless and over-studious. I wonder what shenanigans these crazy kids will get into trying to get Autumn out of her shell while they're supposed to be cutting open cadavers.
By page 10 we have also been introduced to 3 more charming stereotypes: Indian (as in India) uber-greek Krishna, tall and basketball-playing African-American Ace, and ostensibly-religious-and-gay-Latino-of-nondescript-origin Carlos, while also getting our Grey's Anatomy-ish warning about how OMGZHARD Harvard Med School will be (apparently 1/10th will consider suicide, which prompts Autumn to "humorously" - I suppose - write "consider suicide" in her notebook... yeah...)
Page 10 is really where I ought to put this down and if I weren't doing these damned reviews, I would. I know it's super passe, but... bored now? Oh, wait, now Nate and Ace are playing SHIRTLESS pick-up basketball. That'll hold my interest for another quarter-page.
Now that we've gotten past character introductions, I'm going to stop the play-by-play. Because, y'know, plot... meh. Basically, Lucy, um, I mean Nell fails miserably at her First Attempt To Be A Doctor. But, heart-warmingly, the random people she's met and apparently calls her friends (despite the fact that we really haven't seen much evidence of a connection or even interaction between them besides lockers in a hallway and possibly living somewhere in the same dormitory if not on the same floor and happen to be in the same class as her) totally rally around her immediately. But she's still completely down in the dumps bad-moody about it.
Prescription? Apply ample amounts alcohol. We meet more characters at the party (so many stock characters...) and we find out that EVERY SINGLE CHARACTER HAS A BACKGROUND THAT HAS LED TO THEM KNOWING THE SPECIALTY THEY WANT. Only Nell's chosen specialty is an unimpressive "general practitioner" and thus she is to be shunned according to the assholic character, Alex, er, I mean Leo. And, again, Her True Friends rally around her.
While this is a totally acceptable way to get background out... lame?
You might not be aware of this, certainly the characters don't seem to be, but medicine saves lives and has made several heart-string tugging advances in the last several years. Finally, halfway through the pilot, we get to what seems to be the main medical case of the pilot (only it's not really a case... first week med students...), a comatose 23-year old girl. OMG, you guys... the characters are, like, totally 23-ish, too. Empathy! Also! The cause of soon-to-be-death was Bad Doctoring (by way of staph infection from a not-properly sterilized IV needle). And, of course, our lead character will develop an Inappropriate Personal Connection to this probable corpse (which the girl quickly seems to become, we don't see the face of the cadaver but Nell recognizes enough to assume... and assume incorrectly, of course, because otherwise there wouldn't be a Necessary Twist).
Utterly atrocious sequence where Nate and Nell can't resist each other any longer and Nate is super complimentary about how Nell will one day become Dr. House but not a jerk because She Notices Things... in the room full of cadavers, and Leo gets them in trouble and the Crusty Old Dean tells N&N how disappointed his is in them and goes so far as to tell Nell that they took a chance on her thanks to a glowing recommendation letter. PLEASE CUT MUCH OF THIS REPRIMAND FROM THE FINAL PRODUCT KTHXBAI.
Nell has an anxiety attack and goes home for the weekend so we can meet the boyfriend and he can pick her up literally in his arms and swing her around and figuratively. And no guiltily-blurted-out revelation from Nell about macking on Nate. They must be saving that for sweeps. Nell visits her mentor, who wrote that totally awesome recommendation letter. He gives her another pep talk and she saves a woman's life (someone she knew back home) thanks to her New Doctor Skill Set of Asking Questions and Getting Patient Histories and Using a Stethoscope. Which is great, because, you'll find this crazy, but that's exactly what Nell's teachers were saying was important earlier in the pilot.
Then we get nine characters' reasons for why they want to be doctors (which is a more longwinded version of the "what specialty do you want" from before that, in comparison to this schlock, was both efficient and understated).
Final Verdict: Pass the bucket from the Gross Anatomy classroom. VOMIT.
Network: CW
Written By: Amy Holden Jones
Draft Date: January 6, 2010
Pages: 58
HMS (aka Harvard Medical School... not the Her Majesty's Ship Pinafore... oh, if only) begins with its lead-ish character, Nell Larson, arriving at medical school on a city bus and handing her bags to an elderly woman (potentially homeless, just saying) so that she can run into the middle of the academic quad, spin around, and call her boyfriend Zack / send him pictures. And it makes less dramatic sense as it goes on.
Although it's probably a good thing that Nell begins as merely flighty and naive instead of flighty and incredibly unlucky (i.e. had all her belongings been stolen). Not that anyone is watching, but didn't Scrubs try the upbeat med student thing already this year with Lucy?
Ms. Holden-Jones commits a Script Reading Cardinal Sin by naming a character Nate when we already have a Nell. Note to writers: there are 1000s of names and 26 letters in the English language. Start character names (especially regular characters) with different letters. And if you MUST start a character's name with the same letter at least make the names different lengths. It just makes the reader's job easier. Exceptions to the rule: when it's a thing, like how the Scavo kids on Desperate Housewives all have first names starting with the letter P (Parker, Preston, Porter, Penny).
Nate, go figure, is supposed to be drop-dead gorgeous. Just once I want the CW to cast a lead character who isn't from the factory.
We meet Elle Woods, er, I mean Brittany Lace. Thankfully, the super-rich super-hot girl presents herself as Kind and Caring rather than the Snooty Bitch archetype. Also she later proves her self both knowledgeable and entirely capable.
Next is Autumn Lee... an Asian stereotype and then some. Essentially-humorless and over-studious. I wonder what shenanigans these crazy kids will get into trying to get Autumn out of her shell while they're supposed to be cutting open cadavers.
By page 10 we have also been introduced to 3 more charming stereotypes: Indian (as in India) uber-greek Krishna, tall and basketball-playing African-American Ace, and ostensibly-religious-and-gay-Latino-of-nondescript-origin Carlos, while also getting our Grey's Anatomy-ish warning about how OMGZHARD Harvard Med School will be (apparently 1/10th will consider suicide, which prompts Autumn to "humorously" - I suppose - write "consider suicide" in her notebook... yeah...)
Page 10 is really where I ought to put this down and if I weren't doing these damned reviews, I would. I know it's super passe, but... bored now? Oh, wait, now Nate and Ace are playing SHIRTLESS pick-up basketball. That'll hold my interest for another quarter-page.
Now that we've gotten past character introductions, I'm going to stop the play-by-play. Because, y'know, plot... meh. Basically, Lucy, um, I mean Nell fails miserably at her First Attempt To Be A Doctor. But, heart-warmingly, the random people she's met and apparently calls her friends (despite the fact that we really haven't seen much evidence of a connection or even interaction between them besides lockers in a hallway and possibly living somewhere in the same dormitory if not on the same floor and happen to be in the same class as her) totally rally around her immediately. But she's still completely down in the dumps bad-moody about it.
Prescription? Apply ample amounts alcohol. We meet more characters at the party (so many stock characters...) and we find out that EVERY SINGLE CHARACTER HAS A BACKGROUND THAT HAS LED TO THEM KNOWING THE SPECIALTY THEY WANT. Only Nell's chosen specialty is an unimpressive "general practitioner" and thus she is to be shunned according to the assholic character, Alex, er, I mean Leo. And, again, Her True Friends rally around her.
While this is a totally acceptable way to get background out... lame?
You might not be aware of this, certainly the characters don't seem to be, but medicine saves lives and has made several heart-string tugging advances in the last several years. Finally, halfway through the pilot, we get to what seems to be the main medical case of the pilot (only it's not really a case... first week med students...), a comatose 23-year old girl. OMG, you guys... the characters are, like, totally 23-ish, too. Empathy! Also! The cause of soon-to-be-death was Bad Doctoring (by way of staph infection from a not-properly sterilized IV needle). And, of course, our lead character will develop an Inappropriate Personal Connection to this probable corpse (which the girl quickly seems to become, we don't see the face of the cadaver but Nell recognizes enough to assume... and assume incorrectly, of course, because otherwise there wouldn't be a Necessary Twist).
Utterly atrocious sequence where Nate and Nell can't resist each other any longer and Nate is super complimentary about how Nell will one day become Dr. House but not a jerk because She Notices Things... in the room full of cadavers, and Leo gets them in trouble and the Crusty Old Dean tells N&N how disappointed his is in them and goes so far as to tell Nell that they took a chance on her thanks to a glowing recommendation letter. PLEASE CUT MUCH OF THIS REPRIMAND FROM THE FINAL PRODUCT KTHXBAI.
Nell has an anxiety attack and goes home for the weekend so we can meet the boyfriend and he can pick her up literally in his arms and swing her around and figuratively. And no guiltily-blurted-out revelation from Nell about macking on Nate. They must be saving that for sweeps. Nell visits her mentor, who wrote that totally awesome recommendation letter. He gives her another pep talk and she saves a woman's life (someone she knew back home) thanks to her New Doctor Skill Set of Asking Questions and Getting Patient Histories and Using a Stethoscope. Which is great, because, you'll find this crazy, but that's exactly what Nell's teachers were saying was important earlier in the pilot.
Then we get nine characters' reasons for why they want to be doctors (which is a more longwinded version of the "what specialty do you want" from before that, in comparison to this schlock, was both efficient and understated).
Final Verdict: Pass the bucket from the Gross Anatomy classroom. VOMIT.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Travis Yanan Goes to the Movies - Oscars Predictions
First off... highest rated Oscar telecast in years (should the whole ABC thing get worked out in NY). Avatar is nominated for 9 categories. And, well, when Titanic, then champion of the popular / box office ticket vote, was up for its awards, Oscar hit something like 55 million viewers. And, in unadjusted box office, Avatar is bigger than Titanic, not to mention appealing to viewers Oscar doesn't usually reach so well: men. I see no reason Oscar shouldn't sail past 40 million viewers this year (especially with this year's trend of big award show ratings). Not to mention the bigger Best Picture field with other crowd pleasers like Up and The Blind Side.
Now, my "official" predictions... mostly so I have some record, somewhere, of what my ballot is at the viewing party I'm attending. Which I have to head off to, so no time for explanations except that I have not seen any of the short subject films and many of the technical categories are based on guild award winners. As for Best Picture... well... that's the big question of the evening, isn't it? Hurt Locker or Avatar? For the record, I loved The Hurt Locker and HOPE it wins... but I have serious doubts and thus put my money elsewhere.
Best Picture: Avatar
Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
Best Actor: Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
Best Actress: Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz, Inglorious Basterds
Best Supporting Actor: Mo'nique, Precious
Best Animated Feature Film: Up
Best Foreign Film: The White Ribbon
Best Original Screenplay: Quentin Tarantino, Inglorious Basterds
Best Adapted Screenplay: Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner, Up in the Air
Best Documentary Feature: The Cove
Best Original Score: Up
Best Original Song: "The Weary Kind," Crazy Heart
Best Film Editing: The Hurt Locker
Best Cinematography: Avatar
Best Costume Design: The Young Victoria
Best Art Direction: Avatar
Best Makeup: Star Trek
Best Visual Effects: Avatar
Best Documentary Short Subject: China's Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province
Best Short Film, Animated: A Matter of Loaf and Death
Best Short Film, Live Action: The Door
Best Sound Editing: Avatar
Best Sound Mixing: The Hurt Locker
Now, my "official" predictions... mostly so I have some record, somewhere, of what my ballot is at the viewing party I'm attending. Which I have to head off to, so no time for explanations except that I have not seen any of the short subject films and many of the technical categories are based on guild award winners. As for Best Picture... well... that's the big question of the evening, isn't it? Hurt Locker or Avatar? For the record, I loved The Hurt Locker and HOPE it wins... but I have serious doubts and thus put my money elsewhere.
Best Picture: Avatar
Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
Best Actor: Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
Best Actress: Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz, Inglorious Basterds
Best Supporting Actor: Mo'nique, Precious
Best Animated Feature Film: Up
Best Foreign Film: The White Ribbon
Best Original Screenplay: Quentin Tarantino, Inglorious Basterds
Best Adapted Screenplay: Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner, Up in the Air
Best Documentary Feature: The Cove
Best Original Score: Up
Best Original Song: "The Weary Kind," Crazy Heart
Best Film Editing: The Hurt Locker
Best Cinematography: Avatar
Best Costume Design: The Young Victoria
Best Art Direction: Avatar
Best Makeup: Star Trek
Best Visual Effects: Avatar
Best Documentary Short Subject: China's Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province
Best Short Film, Animated: A Matter of Loaf and Death
Best Short Film, Live Action: The Door
Best Sound Editing: Avatar
Best Sound Mixing: The Hurt Locker
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
American Idol Is Dead! Long Live American Idol!
Ah, American Idol. The last dominant bastion of network TV.
Let's get this out of the way: last week's Top 24 performances SUCKED.
I mean, really, really, really sucked.
Katie Stevens and Andrew Garcia, both bequeathed with the inaugural Pimp Spots, were, at best, mediocre. No stars were born in the first semi-final round.
Until hearing the performances, I had been "best three months of the year!" And then, after the two nights of singing (if, in some cases, it can so be called) was considering just writing the season off. And there are those who probably have.
But that was Season 7 and Season 8 thinking. Hell, in a lot of ways, that was every-season-except-seasons-one-and-six thinking.
Why?
Because those season all had major frontrunners who delivered. Constantly. Sure, a hiccup or two along the way... but never so early. Looking specifically at S7 and S8... we had Archuleta and Lambert. Both were anointed, from the first performance, as Top 2.
And they were.
And they were both beaten by someone in the competition we didn't really notice right off the bat.
Guess what? Without that clear frontrunner, this is the most interesting season of Idol in a few years (not the most exciting, not the most talented... the most interesting). Because, like Seasons 1 and 6 (when the overall talent pool, arguably, was at its weakest), we get to DISCOVER someone through the process. Every contestant gets to grow (or leave). There will be no Anointed One this season. No Presumed American Idol.
Which, for the show, means a tad less positive press than last year with Adam Lambert. But for the viewers, if you can stick with it as the contestants improve... it should prove more rewarding.
Which brings me to Crystal Bowersox who may be the only hope this season has for an exciting, Adam Lambert-esque figure (something that is possible WITHOUT being Anointed). She's Adam Lambert's antithesis, of course, with her indie-rock stylings compared to his glam rock. But she needs to stay in the competition. Hence the night change for the Men and the Women this week... so that she can sing. Because while Idol may seem like an odd place for a musician like Crystal... Idol needs her to be this season's lightning rod.
It will be interesting to watch this season to see if the talent pool rises to the occasion. Because it will be fun to discover a new Kelly or a new Jordin (two of the three successful Idol winners at radio). I do want it to be a girl this season, though I wonder with the last two years of Teen Girl Voting Block if it's even possible any more. A female contestant has to relate to the young female viewers... I wonder who it'll be...
Off to watch the Top 10 Men perform... my ears bleeding at the thought...
Let's get this out of the way: last week's Top 24 performances SUCKED.
I mean, really, really, really sucked.
Katie Stevens and Andrew Garcia, both bequeathed with the inaugural Pimp Spots, were, at best, mediocre. No stars were born in the first semi-final round.
Until hearing the performances, I had been "best three months of the year!" And then, after the two nights of singing (if, in some cases, it can so be called) was considering just writing the season off. And there are those who probably have.
But that was Season 7 and Season 8 thinking. Hell, in a lot of ways, that was every-season-except-seasons-one-and-six thinking.
Why?
Because those season all had major frontrunners who delivered. Constantly. Sure, a hiccup or two along the way... but never so early. Looking specifically at S7 and S8... we had Archuleta and Lambert. Both were anointed, from the first performance, as Top 2.
And they were.
And they were both beaten by someone in the competition we didn't really notice right off the bat.
Guess what? Without that clear frontrunner, this is the most interesting season of Idol in a few years (not the most exciting, not the most talented... the most interesting). Because, like Seasons 1 and 6 (when the overall talent pool, arguably, was at its weakest), we get to DISCOVER someone through the process. Every contestant gets to grow (or leave). There will be no Anointed One this season. No Presumed American Idol.
Which, for the show, means a tad less positive press than last year with Adam Lambert. But for the viewers, if you can stick with it as the contestants improve... it should prove more rewarding.
Which brings me to Crystal Bowersox who may be the only hope this season has for an exciting, Adam Lambert-esque figure (something that is possible WITHOUT being Anointed). She's Adam Lambert's antithesis, of course, with her indie-rock stylings compared to his glam rock. But she needs to stay in the competition. Hence the night change for the Men and the Women this week... so that she can sing. Because while Idol may seem like an odd place for a musician like Crystal... Idol needs her to be this season's lightning rod.
It will be interesting to watch this season to see if the talent pool rises to the occasion. Because it will be fun to discover a new Kelly or a new Jordin (two of the three successful Idol winners at radio). I do want it to be a girl this season, though I wonder with the last two years of Teen Girl Voting Block if it's even possible any more. A female contestant has to relate to the young female viewers... I wonder who it'll be...
Off to watch the Top 10 Men perform... my ears bleeding at the thought...
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Human Targezzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Oh, sorry. I didn't see you there. I must've dozed off.
Human Target shows exactly why Burn Notice is so awesome: the cast/character chemistry - especially IMHO the Michael/Fiona relationship, and the overriding mystery (that, let's be honest, we know is never going to resolve itself until the series finale... if it even does resolve itself then!) These are two aspects of Burn Notice that the viewer - even the casual viewer - can carry away at the end of the episode... and hopefully be brought back for more amusing spy action next week (not to mention all the do-it-yourself voiceover know-how).
Human Target doesn't have those things or anything like them. The regular characters (alpha male, sarcastic man servant, thug/tech guy) are cardboard cut outs. Which wouldn't be so bad... but there is just nothing else to hold onto in this series that, if at least one character truly stood out, I could see people coming back ("at least I'm entertained when X is on screen!"). We're supposed to feel that when either Winston (McBride) or Guerreo (Haley) are on screen, quirkily playing off of each other.
But... that hasn't happened. At least for me.
Let's move beyond mere character traits to plot.
Chance doesn't have a personal life that we've been let into (even if he has a traumatic one in his past... there's nothing in the present). And nothing, week to week, matters. Every week there is simply a protectee, a threat, and a convoluted way to neutralize said threat that throws just about every cliché in that week's genre (to point out a few from pilot / post-pilot... train episode: brake problems, train cars separated, train going to run off the rails; plane episode: pilot incapacitated, fire on the plane, flipping the plane).
Not that the male characters are three dimensional by any means, but there's a severe lack of fully fleshed out women on the show (as in, there are NONE). What would Burn Notice be without Fiona, (even putting aside the romantic subplot)? Think about it. Yeah. And in cases like this third episode, when the protectee is male? There. Are. No. Women (unless, shock! the villain is a woman, look how smart we are, didn't that MAJOR TWIST just turn your preconceptions on their heads?) And, no, that female spy from tonight's episode, even if she does come back, does not alter this trend.
Human Target may only aspire to be the pulpy throwback its credits indicate. Which, okay, fine, that's what it wants to be. But someone should've told Fox, Warner Bros, and all involved in shaping the show that TV has moved on from that.
In short: Michael Weston FTW.
Human Target shows exactly why Burn Notice is so awesome: the cast/character chemistry - especially IMHO the Michael/Fiona relationship, and the overriding mystery (that, let's be honest, we know is never going to resolve itself until the series finale... if it even does resolve itself then!) These are two aspects of Burn Notice that the viewer - even the casual viewer - can carry away at the end of the episode... and hopefully be brought back for more amusing spy action next week (not to mention all the do-it-yourself voiceover know-how).
Human Target doesn't have those things or anything like them. The regular characters (alpha male, sarcastic man servant, thug/tech guy) are cardboard cut outs. Which wouldn't be so bad... but there is just nothing else to hold onto in this series that, if at least one character truly stood out, I could see people coming back ("at least I'm entertained when X is on screen!"). We're supposed to feel that when either Winston (McBride) or Guerreo (Haley) are on screen, quirkily playing off of each other.
But... that hasn't happened. At least for me.
Let's move beyond mere character traits to plot.
Chance doesn't have a personal life that we've been let into (even if he has a traumatic one in his past... there's nothing in the present). And nothing, week to week, matters. Every week there is simply a protectee, a threat, and a convoluted way to neutralize said threat that throws just about every cliché in that week's genre (to point out a few from pilot / post-pilot... train episode: brake problems, train cars separated, train going to run off the rails; plane episode: pilot incapacitated, fire on the plane, flipping the plane).
Not that the male characters are three dimensional by any means, but there's a severe lack of fully fleshed out women on the show (as in, there are NONE). What would Burn Notice be without Fiona, (even putting aside the romantic subplot)? Think about it. Yeah. And in cases like this third episode, when the protectee is male? There. Are. No. Women (unless, shock! the villain is a woman, look how smart we are, didn't that MAJOR TWIST just turn your preconceptions on their heads?) And, no, that female spy from tonight's episode, even if she does come back, does not alter this trend.
Human Target may only aspire to be the pulpy throwback its credits indicate. Which, okay, fine, that's what it wants to be. But someone should've told Fox, Warner Bros, and all involved in shaping the show that TV has moved on from that.
In short: Michael Weston FTW.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
I Have Returned!
A little worse for wear...
I finished a draft of my pilot on Friday, sent it out. Was getting all ready to get back to ratings posting, catching up on stuff I'd missed.
And then Sunday my hard drive failed.
Monday was spent running around LA trying my best to get it repaired / data recovered.
I did not fully succeed in getting all my files back (thankfully I had a backup of all my writing EXCEPT the script I'd just finished... and thankfully that was in e-mail as a PDF so I can just copy / paste into Final Draft and spend some tie reassigning elements... and it'll all be fine), but I didn't lose EVERYTHING.
Will be spending the next couple days trying to retrieve / recompile stuff I couldn't get off the busted HD, and taking breaks to post back-ratings (in the predominantly repeat world of late December, I'm only going to post original ratings...), but I will be posting current ratings as they come out. Then, perhaps, I'll have time to post thoughts on stuff - i.e. Better Off Ted: awesome - but in more detail than that.
In short... back up your hard drives, kids.
I finished a draft of my pilot on Friday, sent it out. Was getting all ready to get back to ratings posting, catching up on stuff I'd missed.
And then Sunday my hard drive failed.
Monday was spent running around LA trying my best to get it repaired / data recovered.
I did not fully succeed in getting all my files back (thankfully I had a backup of all my writing EXCEPT the script I'd just finished... and thankfully that was in e-mail as a PDF so I can just copy / paste into Final Draft and spend some tie reassigning elements... and it'll all be fine), but I didn't lose EVERYTHING.
Will be spending the next couple days trying to retrieve / recompile stuff I couldn't get off the busted HD, and taking breaks to post back-ratings (in the predominantly repeat world of late December, I'm only going to post original ratings...), but I will be posting current ratings as they come out. Then, perhaps, I'll have time to post thoughts on stuff - i.e. Better Off Ted: awesome - but in more detail than that.
In short... back up your hard drives, kids.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Happy Holidays... and FYI
I should be posting fast nationals next week for Marc at PIFeedback.com. Happy Holidays to him, and to all of you!
As I live on the West Coast and will, potentially, be using my Xmas-NYE hiatus to (a) sleep, and (b) write, I can't guarantee especially timely posting... but they will get posted! Ideally on/around/by 10am PT (ideally, for me, I suppose?)
I do not believe I will be getting final ratings for Thursday until Monday, which means that all of next week leading up to NYE will likely be delayed versus the normal schedule.
I have been meaning to make some actual blog posts here... but I've been deeply involved in a new script which I hope to finish a first draft of by December 31st (scratch that... I insist on myself that I finish by 12/31). Some degree of actual blogging (as opposed to just tweeting) will resume in the New Year.
One hopes.
Again... happy holidays!
As I live on the West Coast and will, potentially, be using my Xmas-NYE hiatus to (a) sleep, and (b) write, I can't guarantee especially timely posting... but they will get posted! Ideally on/around/by 10am PT (ideally, for me, I suppose?)
I do not believe I will be getting final ratings for Thursday until Monday, which means that all of next week leading up to NYE will likely be delayed versus the normal schedule.
I have been meaning to make some actual blog posts here... but I've been deeply involved in a new script which I hope to finish a first draft of by December 31st (scratch that... I insist on myself that I finish by 12/31). Some degree of actual blogging (as opposed to just tweeting) will resume in the New Year.
One hopes.
Again... happy holidays!
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
ABC's Scheduling Nightmare
In the last two days, ABC picked up more episodes of The Forgotten, canceled Eastwick, and announced the Ugly Betty would replace Eastwick at 10pm on "ABC Comedy Wednesday." I happen to disagree with all three of these decisions (though the Ugly Betty decision sits better than any of the others... I just don't feel it's a 10pm show, but better Wednesday at 10pm with a semi-decent lead-in than Fridays).
My preference would be to:
- cancel The Forgotten
- move Brothers & Sisters to Tuesdays at 10pm
- move Eastwick post-Housewives (at least for a tryout)
- move Betty to Tuesdays at 8pm (or moved the Wednesday 8pm comedies to Tuesdays at 8pm and Betty to Wednesdays at 8pm)
- reality / repeats / whatever on Friday at 9pm
But, hey, I'm not in charge.
I know, I know, I'm always the one saying "you can't move everything at once!" But in ABC's case... they kind of need to figure something out. They've got a lot of middling success and modest returns, but, at this point, three big hits by today's broadcast standards:
- Grey's Anatomy
- Desperate Housewives
- Dancing with the Stars' performance show (for viewership)
ABC also has a few mid-level hits
- Modern Family
- Extreme Makeover Home Edition
- Private Practice (thanks to its lead-in)
- Brothers & Sisters (thanks to its lead-in)
- DWTS Results (for viewers)
Beyond that... ABC has a few modest shows that, for the most part, are lead-in (or lack of competition) reliant but don't deliver the same returns that PP and B&S do.
- Castle
- Cougar Town (if the last two weeks are more indicative of a future trend than the first few weeks of near-perfect retention out of MF were)
- Flashforward (wish is in serious need of rescue via a strong lead-in if it's going to survive to a season season given it's high profile and cost)
We'll see what V does tonight and in the coming weeks to see if it can be the lead-in Flashforward needs... in March when it returns.
But let's say that happens and someone at ABC decides "let's make a block of V and Flashforward" (let alone V, Lost, and Flashforward as I've seen suggested). Where can you put V and Flashforward together on ABC's schedule?
Nowhere.
- Monday has two hours blocked out for DWTS / The Bachelor
- Tuesday is interrupted by DWTS Results at 9pm (and I don't see ABC sliding it forward to 8pm to face Idol... though I'd welcome it, if it meant making room to utilize audience flow)
- Wednesday from 8:30-10pm is, shockingly, kind of working for ABC... and 9-10pm certainly is, so I don't see them moving it (and, remember, that Idol will be airing from 8-9pm this season on Wednesdays)
- Thursdays from 9-11pm aren't changing
- The shows are too expensive to risk a Friday slot (and, I mean, really, this wouldn't never happen)
- Sundays aren't changing with AFHV, EM:HE, DH, and B&S all doing fine
In short... there is nowhere to create audience flow to save Flashforward, and this isn't even considering the rest of ABC's midseason shows:
- Lost (back in January or February, depending on ABC's counter-Olympics decision)
- V (back in March... will it stay on Tuesdays at 8pm? Will it continue to be as successful as its premiere was?)
- Happy Town (though I have my doubts that this will see the air)
- The Deep End
- Romantically Challenged (which will be replacing Hank and paired with The Middle on "ABC Comedy Wednesday" should 8-9pm stay intact / on Wednesdays).
Since Scrubs / Better Off Ted are replacing DWTS: Results in December and airing, probably, through the March return of DWTS, you can disregard Scrubs/Better Off Ted and think about the dramas, and where you're putting The Middle/Romantically Challenged. Including Flashforward and a few more hours of The Forgotten, that's 7 hours of programming.
So, I ask... where do you put ANY of these shows to try and build hits (and build on hits), given that ABC isn't going to be moving what is working. You have these timeslots available, as I see it:
- Tuesdays at 8pm (versus Idol...)
- Tuesdays at 10pm
- Wednesdays at 8pm (versus Idol...)
- Wednesdays at 10pm (but, oh wait, Ugly Betty is there now)
- Thursdays at 8pm
Stumped? Me, too. Hence my wholesale schedule renovation suggestions way above.
To put it bluntly: it's a problem. I'm kind of glad I'm not the one who has to execute an attempted solution.
My preference would be to:
- cancel The Forgotten
- move Brothers & Sisters to Tuesdays at 10pm
- move Eastwick post-Housewives (at least for a tryout)
- move Betty to Tuesdays at 8pm (or moved the Wednesday 8pm comedies to Tuesdays at 8pm and Betty to Wednesdays at 8pm)
- reality / repeats / whatever on Friday at 9pm
But, hey, I'm not in charge.
I know, I know, I'm always the one saying "you can't move everything at once!" But in ABC's case... they kind of need to figure something out. They've got a lot of middling success and modest returns, but, at this point, three big hits by today's broadcast standards:
- Grey's Anatomy
- Desperate Housewives
- Dancing with the Stars' performance show (for viewership)
ABC also has a few mid-level hits
- Modern Family
- Extreme Makeover Home Edition
- Private Practice (thanks to its lead-in)
- Brothers & Sisters (thanks to its lead-in)
- DWTS Results (for viewers)
Beyond that... ABC has a few modest shows that, for the most part, are lead-in (or lack of competition) reliant but don't deliver the same returns that PP and B&S do.
- Castle
- Cougar Town (if the last two weeks are more indicative of a future trend than the first few weeks of near-perfect retention out of MF were)
- Flashforward (wish is in serious need of rescue via a strong lead-in if it's going to survive to a season season given it's high profile and cost)
We'll see what V does tonight and in the coming weeks to see if it can be the lead-in Flashforward needs... in March when it returns.
But let's say that happens and someone at ABC decides "let's make a block of V and Flashforward" (let alone V, Lost, and Flashforward as I've seen suggested). Where can you put V and Flashforward together on ABC's schedule?
Nowhere.
- Monday has two hours blocked out for DWTS / The Bachelor
- Tuesday is interrupted by DWTS Results at 9pm (and I don't see ABC sliding it forward to 8pm to face Idol... though I'd welcome it, if it meant making room to utilize audience flow)
- Wednesday from 8:30-10pm is, shockingly, kind of working for ABC... and 9-10pm certainly is, so I don't see them moving it (and, remember, that Idol will be airing from 8-9pm this season on Wednesdays)
- Thursdays from 9-11pm aren't changing
- The shows are too expensive to risk a Friday slot (and, I mean, really, this wouldn't never happen)
- Sundays aren't changing with AFHV, EM:HE, DH, and B&S all doing fine
In short... there is nowhere to create audience flow to save Flashforward, and this isn't even considering the rest of ABC's midseason shows:
- Lost (back in January or February, depending on ABC's counter-Olympics decision)
- V (back in March... will it stay on Tuesdays at 8pm? Will it continue to be as successful as its premiere was?)
- Happy Town (though I have my doubts that this will see the air)
- The Deep End
- Romantically Challenged (which will be replacing Hank and paired with The Middle on "ABC Comedy Wednesday" should 8-9pm stay intact / on Wednesdays).
Since Scrubs / Better Off Ted are replacing DWTS: Results in December and airing, probably, through the March return of DWTS, you can disregard Scrubs/Better Off Ted and think about the dramas, and where you're putting The Middle/Romantically Challenged. Including Flashforward and a few more hours of The Forgotten, that's 7 hours of programming.
So, I ask... where do you put ANY of these shows to try and build hits (and build on hits), given that ABC isn't going to be moving what is working. You have these timeslots available, as I see it:
- Tuesdays at 8pm (versus Idol...)
- Tuesdays at 10pm
- Wednesdays at 8pm (versus Idol...)
- Wednesdays at 10pm (but, oh wait, Ugly Betty is there now)
- Thursdays at 8pm
Stumped? Me, too. Hence my wholesale schedule renovation suggestions way above.
To put it bluntly: it's a problem. I'm kind of glad I'm not the one who has to execute an attempted solution.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Finale, Finally
Oh, Mad Men's third season. I wish you hadn't ended as well as you had. Because if you hadn't... I would feel utterly, entirely justified in my general distaste for and boredom with your tedious third season. Does the destination of the finale make up for a lackluster, directionless, uneven (if still, of course, sharply written, well-acted, sumptuous to look at) season that seemed to lack a cohesive narrative?
Obviously, I don't think it does.
But what a setup for the fourth season! I can't not watch it when it returns next summer. The finale set up a fourth season that, at least on the surface, promises the Mad Men that I was yearning for this whole third season. A Mad Men with focus (getting a new business off the ground), and tension (will we succeed? because if we don't, we are all SCREWED), and drama and ambition and... Joan.
Seriously, how happy was I when our core conspirators were clueless as to where any of the files they needed to gather were stored in the office and knew that Roger was going to call our wayward Mrs. Harris? And despite the too-few moments with Peggy after the first couple of episodes this season... how great was her standing up to Don? And refusing to get coffee for the guys?
I do think that, given the big deal made about not bringing anyone into the ploy that Don et al were pulling, I felt that when Peggy refused Don there was a major missed opportunity to play up "will we get found out?" tension. It just wasn't there, and it made the victory of the success of them all setting up their own agency slightly less "holy crap, I can't believe they actually pulled it off!" than it could have been.
Regardless... how great was the realization from those who weren't brought along?
Let's get to the things I didn't love. Um... Betty...? I have been cold to Betty this whole season (but just as cold as I've been to Don...) I just haven't cared about the Draper Family Drama the way the major seasonal focus on the final disintegration of this family unit required me to be. Was it hard to watch? Yes, and for all the right reasons. But, ultimately... I just don't care. I mean, I feel for the kids and all. But a big part of me is hoping that Betty flying off to Reno, and the final "goodbye" between Don and Betty over the phone, is the last we see or hear of the non-Don Drapers (though I'm sure it won't be... otherwise Sally and Bobby would've been with Betty and not at home with Carla). It's a fine line this show must tread as it presents things that we, as modern viewers, have a very solid opinion of (and are used to seeing) but asking us to treat it as new and different and shocking... because, in the 60s, it wasn't as commonplace (or obsolete) as it is now. Here, it's divorce, but also out of the closet gay men in the workplace, equality for the genders at work, interracial couples... the list goes on.
Speaking of gays in the workplace... where was Sal in the formation of the new company? I guess it would've been too easy, once they mentioned that they didn't have access to the art department / art room. And it was great to see Don kick in that door.
Bottom line: something happened in this finale. A lot of things happened.
My hope is that things continue to happen. Next season has been set up in a way that reignites me giving a damn about this show.
And, really, just having Joan back in the mix is a huge step up.
Obviously, I don't think it does.
But what a setup for the fourth season! I can't not watch it when it returns next summer. The finale set up a fourth season that, at least on the surface, promises the Mad Men that I was yearning for this whole third season. A Mad Men with focus (getting a new business off the ground), and tension (will we succeed? because if we don't, we are all SCREWED), and drama and ambition and... Joan.
Seriously, how happy was I when our core conspirators were clueless as to where any of the files they needed to gather were stored in the office and knew that Roger was going to call our wayward Mrs. Harris? And despite the too-few moments with Peggy after the first couple of episodes this season... how great was her standing up to Don? And refusing to get coffee for the guys?
I do think that, given the big deal made about not bringing anyone into the ploy that Don et al were pulling, I felt that when Peggy refused Don there was a major missed opportunity to play up "will we get found out?" tension. It just wasn't there, and it made the victory of the success of them all setting up their own agency slightly less "holy crap, I can't believe they actually pulled it off!" than it could have been.
Regardless... how great was the realization from those who weren't brought along?
Let's get to the things I didn't love. Um... Betty...? I have been cold to Betty this whole season (but just as cold as I've been to Don...) I just haven't cared about the Draper Family Drama the way the major seasonal focus on the final disintegration of this family unit required me to be. Was it hard to watch? Yes, and for all the right reasons. But, ultimately... I just don't care. I mean, I feel for the kids and all. But a big part of me is hoping that Betty flying off to Reno, and the final "goodbye" between Don and Betty over the phone, is the last we see or hear of the non-Don Drapers (though I'm sure it won't be... otherwise Sally and Bobby would've been with Betty and not at home with Carla). It's a fine line this show must tread as it presents things that we, as modern viewers, have a very solid opinion of (and are used to seeing) but asking us to treat it as new and different and shocking... because, in the 60s, it wasn't as commonplace (or obsolete) as it is now. Here, it's divorce, but also out of the closet gay men in the workplace, equality for the genders at work, interracial couples... the list goes on.
Speaking of gays in the workplace... where was Sal in the formation of the new company? I guess it would've been too easy, once they mentioned that they didn't have access to the art department / art room. And it was great to see Don kick in that door.
Bottom line: something happened in this finale. A lot of things happened.
My hope is that things continue to happen. Next season has been set up in a way that reignites me giving a damn about this show.
And, really, just having Joan back in the mix is a huge step up.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Does "The Gift" Come With a Return Receipt?
I seem to be tweeting a lot these days. But there are some things that just can't by tweeted, because, really, opinions from time to time are better said in more than a succinctly edited, cut down 140 characters. Ah, yes, the joys of slow-blogging.
Flashforward aired an episode last night that, I think, was supposed to be landmark, world-shattering, expect-the-unexpected.
In short, I think the "The Gift" was supposed to be to Flashforward what "Walkabout" was to Lost. Remember "Walkabout"? We're in Locke's backstory for the first time, there's some sad stuff, meanwhile (um, kinda) on the Island things are happening... BAM, LOCKE WAS A PARAPLEGIC BEFORE COMING TO THE ISLAND. And then you HAD to rewatch to see how the wool had been pulled over your eyes and it CHANGED EVERYTHING because nothing was impossible anymore.
But "The Gift" wasn't "Walkabout". It so very wasn't.
The concept behind the "big event" at the end of "The Gift" makes sense. And should have occurred to someone in some form or another earlier than episode 7 of the series. In fact... it should have occurred in episode 3 (see previous post: Episode 3, AKA The Corrections Department). If you count Lost's two-hour pilot as one episode (even though it was split into two weeks, it was shot as a two-hour!) then "Walkabout" is episode 3. Huh, I can't believe I didn't mention that in my other post!
The concept: defy fate by changing it.
As executed... you knew what was coming before it happened. Well before. And yet... the characters still spent a lot of time talking about it and contemplating and trying to talk Agent Gough off the ledge when, really, all that we needed were some concise (tweetable?) lines in a letter to tell us why he jumped and the SHOCK of the splat that made us go back and see exactly what led up to it. Instead... Flashforward told us how and why what was happening was happening instead of making us DISCOVER it. It's not necessarily "bad" writing... but it isn't "genius" writing like "Walkabout" was.
Even so... Agent Gough falling to his death (and thereby telling all of the other characters that the future is not set in stone) even though he had a flash forward isn't the way I wished this had happened.
Again. To change fate, defy it.
At the end of episode two, Agent Noh (John Cho) got a phone call saying that he was going to be murdered on March 15th. And he continued to spend the next several episodes weighed down by his fate. Yes, he briefly tried to find his would-be murderer, but that hasn't been made much of. Agent Noh was the one who needed fate to be changed the most, and so he should have done it himself. I'm always for adding darkness to a character... why, in episode 3, just to prove fate wrong, didn't he kill someone who had a flash forward? There. Bam. The future isn't set in stone. And that's not the only thing that could've happened to make this point...
... anyway, my problem with "The Gift" is that the event was telegraphed instead of a shock, and that this INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT EVENT happened far too late in the game.
Don't get me wrong. I'm very happy that the writers saw fit to do this in one way or another. But also don't get me wrong... I'm pretty damn bored with this show and the adrenaline that we can only HOPE has been injected into the storyline by this future-altering event had better show up next week.
Flashforward aired an episode last night that, I think, was supposed to be landmark, world-shattering, expect-the-unexpected.
In short, I think the "The Gift" was supposed to be to Flashforward what "Walkabout" was to Lost. Remember "Walkabout"? We're in Locke's backstory for the first time, there's some sad stuff, meanwhile (um, kinda) on the Island things are happening... BAM, LOCKE WAS A PARAPLEGIC BEFORE COMING TO THE ISLAND. And then you HAD to rewatch to see how the wool had been pulled over your eyes and it CHANGED EVERYTHING because nothing was impossible anymore.
But "The Gift" wasn't "Walkabout". It so very wasn't.
The concept behind the "big event" at the end of "The Gift" makes sense. And should have occurred to someone in some form or another earlier than episode 7 of the series. In fact... it should have occurred in episode 3 (see previous post: Episode 3, AKA The Corrections Department). If you count Lost's two-hour pilot as one episode (even though it was split into two weeks, it was shot as a two-hour!) then "Walkabout" is episode 3. Huh, I can't believe I didn't mention that in my other post!
The concept: defy fate by changing it.
As executed... you knew what was coming before it happened. Well before. And yet... the characters still spent a lot of time talking about it and contemplating and trying to talk Agent Gough off the ledge when, really, all that we needed were some concise (tweetable?) lines in a letter to tell us why he jumped and the SHOCK of the splat that made us go back and see exactly what led up to it. Instead... Flashforward told us how and why what was happening was happening instead of making us DISCOVER it. It's not necessarily "bad" writing... but it isn't "genius" writing like "Walkabout" was.
Even so... Agent Gough falling to his death (and thereby telling all of the other characters that the future is not set in stone) even though he had a flash forward isn't the way I wished this had happened.
Again. To change fate, defy it.
At the end of episode two, Agent Noh (John Cho) got a phone call saying that he was going to be murdered on March 15th. And he continued to spend the next several episodes weighed down by his fate. Yes, he briefly tried to find his would-be murderer, but that hasn't been made much of. Agent Noh was the one who needed fate to be changed the most, and so he should have done it himself. I'm always for adding darkness to a character... why, in episode 3, just to prove fate wrong, didn't he kill someone who had a flash forward? There. Bam. The future isn't set in stone. And that's not the only thing that could've happened to make this point...
... anyway, my problem with "The Gift" is that the event was telegraphed instead of a shock, and that this INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT EVENT happened far too late in the game.
Don't get me wrong. I'm very happy that the writers saw fit to do this in one way or another. But also don't get me wrong... I'm pretty damn bored with this show and the adrenaline that we can only HOPE has been injected into the storyline by this future-altering event had better show up next week.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
So I Think I Can Dance, Dance, Dance, Dance
Long time no blog! Curse you, Twitter. Also, curse you, having a plethora of projects I'm working on (finishing a polish on a pilot script this week, starting a new pilot as soon as that's done, getting notes on a feature outline... phew, that's a lot just to out!)
Anyway.
So You Think You Can Dance's competition began last night! My American-Idol-as-cocaine replacement is back. Woo!
The Billy Bell thing completely reshapes this season's competition. I wish him well, and I'm curious if he'll be back for Season 7 over the summer... given that he was so amazing, surely he'll be snapped up by someone, no?
His last-minute replacement, Brandon, was the pre-ordained male ejectee tonight, as it was completely judge's choice (and when Russell was announced as his competition in the Bottom 2 Men... there was no way Brandon wasn't going home). My roommate was very annoyed by this, as Brandon simply had no chance. So I was very happy to hear Nigel say that they would try to bend the "if you're in the Top 20, you can't come back" rules so he could improve in the interim and come back for Season 7... and y'know, prepare for the competition and rehearse with a partner appropriately.
Anyway. The other stuff... the episode was not as "OMFGWTFBBQ" crazy hot sauce as Season 5's Top 20 show, which featured (IIRC) 7 outstanding routines. And, so, it was really a good thing that we had Monday's "Meet the Top 20" in their own styles show as only a couple dancers were in their element last night.
Standouts:
- Mollee & Nathan. How can you not love these two? Disco is a divisive dance genre, but it's always high energy and they did it well, with some fun tricks. Mollee was definitely not dancing like a 13-year old girl.
- Legacy & Kathryn. As the judges mentioned, Legacy was technically in his genre, but B-Boying is tricks and not necessarily choreo... so he did a very good job. And his partner made me forget (until doing this recap) her craziness in the Top 20 Dancers Revealed show last Wednesdays. Though I have to say, 75% of the routine, I was looking at Legacy... I know it's not ballroom, and there wasn't a ton of hip-hop, but Kathryn is going to need to develop a presence.
- Ryan & Ellenore. They got a crazy Sonya routine. And pulled it off. And I'm wondering just how often Ryan is going to be shirtless in routines this season...
- Bianca & Viktor. Travis Wall number = lurve. So, again, choreographer helps the couple's case, and Viktor was in his comfort zone.
- Jakob (by not Ashleigh). Goddamn this guy can dance. Really sad, as Nigel stated, that he won't have Billy around to force him to amp his game up.
- Russell. We'll see what's up with Noelle next week, but I was so surprised when Nigel put him in the Bottom 2 because he did a really good job with that Foxtrot, given the circumstances! Maybe it was just an excuse to let Russell do some krumping?
Anyway.
So You Think You Can Dance's competition began last night! My American-Idol-as-cocaine replacement is back. Woo!
The Billy Bell thing completely reshapes this season's competition. I wish him well, and I'm curious if he'll be back for Season 7 over the summer... given that he was so amazing, surely he'll be snapped up by someone, no?
His last-minute replacement, Brandon, was the pre-ordained male ejectee tonight, as it was completely judge's choice (and when Russell was announced as his competition in the Bottom 2 Men... there was no way Brandon wasn't going home). My roommate was very annoyed by this, as Brandon simply had no chance. So I was very happy to hear Nigel say that they would try to bend the "if you're in the Top 20, you can't come back" rules so he could improve in the interim and come back for Season 7... and y'know, prepare for the competition and rehearse with a partner appropriately.
Anyway. The other stuff... the episode was not as "OMFGWTFBBQ" crazy hot sauce as Season 5's Top 20 show, which featured (IIRC) 7 outstanding routines. And, so, it was really a good thing that we had Monday's "Meet the Top 20" in their own styles show as only a couple dancers were in their element last night.
Standouts:
- Mollee & Nathan. How can you not love these two? Disco is a divisive dance genre, but it's always high energy and they did it well, with some fun tricks. Mollee was definitely not dancing like a 13-year old girl.
- Legacy & Kathryn. As the judges mentioned, Legacy was technically in his genre, but B-Boying is tricks and not necessarily choreo... so he did a very good job. And his partner made me forget (until doing this recap) her craziness in the Top 20 Dancers Revealed show last Wednesdays. Though I have to say, 75% of the routine, I was looking at Legacy... I know it's not ballroom, and there wasn't a ton of hip-hop, but Kathryn is going to need to develop a presence.
- Ryan & Ellenore. They got a crazy Sonya routine. And pulled it off. And I'm wondering just how often Ryan is going to be shirtless in routines this season...
- Bianca & Viktor. Travis Wall number = lurve. So, again, choreographer helps the couple's case, and Viktor was in his comfort zone.
- Jakob (by not Ashleigh). Goddamn this guy can dance. Really sad, as Nigel stated, that he won't have Billy around to force him to amp his game up.
- Russell. We'll see what's up with Noelle next week, but I was so surprised when Nigel put him in the Bottom 2 because he did a really good job with that Foxtrot, given the circumstances! Maybe it was just an excuse to let Russell do some krumping?
Friday, October 16, 2009
Leave You in Antici
Readers, you know I watch a ton of TV. In many cases, I watch out of habit. I may like something enough to not give it up, have an allegiance to a writer or actor or maybe a friend works on a show... and so I watch. But how many shows so I love? What am I looking forward to watching the next installment of the minute an episode ends?
To be honest, before this season started... I couldn't come up with any returning fall broadcast series that I felt that way about anymore. Sure, Grey's Anatomy had a helluva cliffhanger and had found it's creative footing (don't get me started on last night's Mercy West resident invasion... eh...) Gossip Girl was a show I was massively addicted to... but around February 2009 it just slipped away. It's not that I don't watch. I just don't care as much. I'll find out what happens next, but I don't really, viscerally, need to know.
Enter the freshman class, specifically Glee and The Vampire Diaries (if you missed last night's Vampire Diaries... find it and watch it). All of a sudden... I'm looking forward to scripted broadcast TV shows again.
I want to feel this way about FlashForward. And perhaps after next week I will. The series has felt very "treading water" thus far, but now that Dominic Monaghan's character has kinda-sorta showed up... perhaps we can move the heck along. Perhaps. Thus far, FlashForward has been far more Heroes than Lost, building around disparate characters and cliffhangers. But unlike Heroes' brilliant first season, thus far, FlashForward has not delivered on those cliffhangers. We'll see.
It's funny how the reality shows (SYTYCD which finally is kicking into high gear with competition in two weeks, Top Chef, The Amazing Race) and summer cable series (True Blood, Burn Notice) I watch have managed to remain addictive.
Except Mad Men. I've fallen deeply out of love with this season of Mad Men. It's been well executed, shot, acted, written... but I don't feel the need to know what's going on anymore. This season had such promise, but the British Invasion hasn't proved as compelling as it could have. I don't even root for Don much anymore (I couldn't care less than Connie Hilton gave him that verbal thrashing last week). Joan seems to be gone (BRING HER BACK), Peggy is marginalized. I know I have reactions to the "period" elements (i.e. Don's attitude toward Sal last week) but... well, this season hasn't sat right with me. So many characters are being their worst. And why would I want to watch that especially when, unlike the first two seasons, there has been very little season-long narrative / mystery to piece the episodes together, bringing them from character and theme pieces into a cohesive whole story?
You'll note the lack of sitcoms listed above. I only watch a few comedies and, for the most part, I watch to laugh, not out of any need for the compulsion that so addicts me to a good drama.
What shows are you absolutely addicted to?
To be honest, before this season started... I couldn't come up with any returning fall broadcast series that I felt that way about anymore. Sure, Grey's Anatomy had a helluva cliffhanger and had found it's creative footing (don't get me started on last night's Mercy West resident invasion... eh...) Gossip Girl was a show I was massively addicted to... but around February 2009 it just slipped away. It's not that I don't watch. I just don't care as much. I'll find out what happens next, but I don't really, viscerally, need to know.
Enter the freshman class, specifically Glee and The Vampire Diaries (if you missed last night's Vampire Diaries... find it and watch it). All of a sudden... I'm looking forward to scripted broadcast TV shows again.
I want to feel this way about FlashForward. And perhaps after next week I will. The series has felt very "treading water" thus far, but now that Dominic Monaghan's character has kinda-sorta showed up... perhaps we can move the heck along. Perhaps. Thus far, FlashForward has been far more Heroes than Lost, building around disparate characters and cliffhangers. But unlike Heroes' brilliant first season, thus far, FlashForward has not delivered on those cliffhangers. We'll see.
It's funny how the reality shows (SYTYCD which finally is kicking into high gear with competition in two weeks, Top Chef, The Amazing Race) and summer cable series (True Blood, Burn Notice) I watch have managed to remain addictive.
Except Mad Men. I've fallen deeply out of love with this season of Mad Men. It's been well executed, shot, acted, written... but I don't feel the need to know what's going on anymore. This season had such promise, but the British Invasion hasn't proved as compelling as it could have. I don't even root for Don much anymore (I couldn't care less than Connie Hilton gave him that verbal thrashing last week). Joan seems to be gone (BRING HER BACK), Peggy is marginalized. I know I have reactions to the "period" elements (i.e. Don's attitude toward Sal last week) but... well, this season hasn't sat right with me. So many characters are being their worst. And why would I want to watch that especially when, unlike the first two seasons, there has been very little season-long narrative / mystery to piece the episodes together, bringing them from character and theme pieces into a cohesive whole story?
You'll note the lack of sitcoms listed above. I only watch a few comedies and, for the most part, I watch to laugh, not out of any need for the compulsion that so addicts me to a good drama.
What shows are you absolutely addicted to?
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Episode 3, AKA The Corrections Department
We're a few weeks into the new TV season, and I feel the need to set the record straight about a few shows, now that I've watched (whether under coercion or not) beyond the pilot of several new shows, and, with an exception-that-proves-the-rule, I've come to a conclusion.
Judge a pilot on its own merits, but don't judge a series until episode three (should you have any interest in the premise of the series... if not, then there's really no reason to stick around... i.e. me and Melrose Place, no matter what anyone could ever say, I won't be sampling it again).
Why episode three? Because pilots are, theoretically, the singular vision of the pilot's writer/writing team. Episode two is the product of the writers room... and you really have to figure out where you're taking the show beyond the set up of a pilot episode. New writers added to the mix need to figure out the voices of the characters and that takes time. In episode two, there is also the pressure / temptation of doing a second pilot... either totally revamping the show because you're going somewhere else with the series, or "restating" the pilot while not advancing the story or characters.
Cases from this season:
Modern Family: Uproarious pilot. Second episode, IMHO, far weaker. It wasn't funny, though it did bring the heart in spades. It suffered from "restatement" syndrome in that the characters were pretty much all in the same groupings as in the pilot... it just wasn't as funny and the situation not as fresh. Episode two had me worried. Episode three allayed my concerns. Third episode... hilarious (and also full of heart). Characters interacted in combinations that were different than the pilot... though Cam and Mitchell still are separate and, thus, I've found their scenes the least involving / compelling / amusing.
Cougar Town: Similar to Modern Family, in that the pilot was funny, last week not-so-much, this week things were a ton better. Particularly the supporting cast felt off and misused last week, while this week they were handled better (Busy Phillips gets more screentime, Josh Hopkins gets less... I'm happy). Also, yeah, the comedy was far superior last night to the post-pilot episode.
Community: Again... hilarious pilot, weak episode two that was a little too much of the same, strong episode three (that brought something new and different to the show).
The Vampire Diaries: Pilot episode, though the best of CW's fall offerings, was boilerplate at best. The post-pilot episode, though featuring Ian Somerhalder more after establishing him too late in the pilot, was more of the same. Episode three? Leaps and bounds better (and episode four was actually good guilty pleasure silly teen drama TV). The problem, which I think the writers figured out, was the level of danger. Both the pilot and post-pilot episodes really only had danger to characters we didn't know in the teaser section, in miniature, B-horror film vignettes. Then... our characters are in danger. There was just much more tension. I'm surprised to say this... but I think you should check this series out.
I've yet to watch Eastwick or Mercy's third episodes, but both of them had better second episodes than their cliched pilots, for various reasons (and, I will repeat, that Mercy's pilot was supposed to be reshot but didn't have the chance to be since it was suddenly airing in September instead of midseason). Mercy, I watched the 2nd episode with a friend at her place when I otherwise wouldn't have come back to the series. Eastwick I got an e-mail recommendation and was glad to see improvements in episode two.
Now... the exception. Glee. Glee's third episode was, by far, the worst of the entire series to date. Fortunately when you have a show that started with two incredibly fun hours... having an off third episode - AND KNOWING WHAT WAS OFF ABOUT IT AND FIXING THAT - can help immensely. But if the first two hours hadn't been as magical as they were, a third hour like "Acafellas" would have been the nail in the coffin for me as a viewer. If episode three of Vampire Diaries hadn't been better, I wouldn't have been back for episode four. And if I'm not pleased with Mercy or Eastwick when I get the chance to see their third offerings, considering that I'm not in love with either... then I won't be coming back.
So... episode three. Will update on Eastwick and Mercy once I've watched. And I'm very much looking forward to tonight's third episode of Flashforward (the second episode addressed some of my concerns, so I'm not thinking I'm giving the series up if episode three isn't up to snuff... but it's time to see this plot advance now that the larger "are we really dealing with this" questions seem to be out of the way).
Judge a pilot on its own merits, but don't judge a series until episode three (should you have any interest in the premise of the series... if not, then there's really no reason to stick around... i.e. me and Melrose Place, no matter what anyone could ever say, I won't be sampling it again).
Why episode three? Because pilots are, theoretically, the singular vision of the pilot's writer/writing team. Episode two is the product of the writers room... and you really have to figure out where you're taking the show beyond the set up of a pilot episode. New writers added to the mix need to figure out the voices of the characters and that takes time. In episode two, there is also the pressure / temptation of doing a second pilot... either totally revamping the show because you're going somewhere else with the series, or "restating" the pilot while not advancing the story or characters.
Cases from this season:
Modern Family: Uproarious pilot. Second episode, IMHO, far weaker. It wasn't funny, though it did bring the heart in spades. It suffered from "restatement" syndrome in that the characters were pretty much all in the same groupings as in the pilot... it just wasn't as funny and the situation not as fresh. Episode two had me worried. Episode three allayed my concerns. Third episode... hilarious (and also full of heart). Characters interacted in combinations that were different than the pilot... though Cam and Mitchell still are separate and, thus, I've found their scenes the least involving / compelling / amusing.
Cougar Town: Similar to Modern Family, in that the pilot was funny, last week not-so-much, this week things were a ton better. Particularly the supporting cast felt off and misused last week, while this week they were handled better (Busy Phillips gets more screentime, Josh Hopkins gets less... I'm happy). Also, yeah, the comedy was far superior last night to the post-pilot episode.
Community: Again... hilarious pilot, weak episode two that was a little too much of the same, strong episode three (that brought something new and different to the show).
The Vampire Diaries: Pilot episode, though the best of CW's fall offerings, was boilerplate at best. The post-pilot episode, though featuring Ian Somerhalder more after establishing him too late in the pilot, was more of the same. Episode three? Leaps and bounds better (and episode four was actually good guilty pleasure silly teen drama TV). The problem, which I think the writers figured out, was the level of danger. Both the pilot and post-pilot episodes really only had danger to characters we didn't know in the teaser section, in miniature, B-horror film vignettes. Then... our characters are in danger. There was just much more tension. I'm surprised to say this... but I think you should check this series out.
I've yet to watch Eastwick or Mercy's third episodes, but both of them had better second episodes than their cliched pilots, for various reasons (and, I will repeat, that Mercy's pilot was supposed to be reshot but didn't have the chance to be since it was suddenly airing in September instead of midseason). Mercy, I watched the 2nd episode with a friend at her place when I otherwise wouldn't have come back to the series. Eastwick I got an e-mail recommendation and was glad to see improvements in episode two.
Now... the exception. Glee. Glee's third episode was, by far, the worst of the entire series to date. Fortunately when you have a show that started with two incredibly fun hours... having an off third episode - AND KNOWING WHAT WAS OFF ABOUT IT AND FIXING THAT - can help immensely. But if the first two hours hadn't been as magical as they were, a third hour like "Acafellas" would have been the nail in the coffin for me as a viewer. If episode three of Vampire Diaries hadn't been better, I wouldn't have been back for episode four. And if I'm not pleased with Mercy or Eastwick when I get the chance to see their third offerings, considering that I'm not in love with either... then I won't be coming back.
So... episode three. Will update on Eastwick and Mercy once I've watched. And I'm very much looking forward to tonight's third episode of Flashforward (the second episode addressed some of my concerns, so I'm not thinking I'm giving the series up if episode three isn't up to snuff... but it's time to see this plot advance now that the larger "are we really dealing with this" questions seem to be out of the way).
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Dexter Season Four
Dexter will never be as solid as its first season and will never be as intense as its second season.
I thoroughly disliked last season. I didn't like the Jimmy Smits character one bit.
I'm intrigued by this season, after Sunday's premiere, though it seems like there is almost too much happening at once. I'm concerned that, like Veronica Mars' season season, there are too many mysteries and plot elements and that the show's ambition will be too much and it will collapse in its execution.
As far as long-arc drama / mystery, we've got...
- a new serial killer
- a serial killer in town who has gotten away with it for 30+ years
- an ex-FBI serial killer hunter in town, the man who almost nabbed Dexter last time (season two)
- Dexter off his game thanks to having a newborn
Add to that lots of romantic sideplots (Deb/Anton/ex-FBI guy love triangle... and the way too sudden La Guerta / Bastista romance)...
There's a lot going on. Again, almost too much.
But I'd rather watch a series try to juggle all these balls and have a few (or, let's face it, all) drop to the ground than watch a series deftly "juggle" a single element and nothing more.
But that's just me.
I thoroughly disliked last season. I didn't like the Jimmy Smits character one bit.
I'm intrigued by this season, after Sunday's premiere, though it seems like there is almost too much happening at once. I'm concerned that, like Veronica Mars' season season, there are too many mysteries and plot elements and that the show's ambition will be too much and it will collapse in its execution.
As far as long-arc drama / mystery, we've got...
- a new serial killer
- a serial killer in town who has gotten away with it for 30+ years
- an ex-FBI serial killer hunter in town, the man who almost nabbed Dexter last time (season two)
- Dexter off his game thanks to having a newborn
Add to that lots of romantic sideplots (Deb/Anton/ex-FBI guy love triangle... and the way too sudden La Guerta / Bastista romance)...
There's a lot going on. Again, almost too much.
But I'd rather watch a series try to juggle all these balls and have a few (or, let's face it, all) drop to the ground than watch a series deftly "juggle" a single element and nothing more.
But that's just me.
Some thoughts on Wednesday Ratings from September 30, 2009
Posted finals at PIFeedback (http://pifeedback.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/63310451/m/784106442?r=661108442#661108442) and quarter hour breakdowns for the series premieres of Hank and of The Middle (http://pifeedback.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/63310451/m/784106442?r=961108442#961108442)
I'm thrilled that Glee picked up a little bit (and SYTYCD was up versus what it's been doing this fall season). Last night was great. So much music.
While I didn't like the pilots of either Hank of The Middle (in fact, I disliked Hank so much that I didn't even consider watching the rewritten / reshot pilot to review it... just no interest) and they didn't exactly light up the ratings sky with fireworks... thus far, this Comedy Wednesday that ABC has scheduled is doing MUCH better than I'd anticipated in the ratings. Especially Modern Family and Cougar Town... if they can maintain these numbers in the coming weeks, they'll top Samantha Who's first few episodes' average (and that was coming out of the DWTS Monday performance show when the 9pm half-hour of DWTS was pulling a 5+ in A18-49). As a reminder, last week DWTS at 8:30pm provided a 3.6/11 lead-in, while this week The Middle was 2.6/8. Eastwick has to stop its viewer and demo bleed out of Cougar Town ASAP if it's going to get a back nine. Interesting how much trouble ABC has had, and continues to have, at 10pm. Private Practice is sure to be strong tonight after the whopper of a cliffhanger from last season, but thus it might be the only one above a 3.0 if Brothers & Sisters drops even 0.1
Also, this week, the CBS 8pm comedies took a hit against the ABC comedies. We'll see what happens next week... will viewers and demo return to Old Christine and Gary Unmarried, or will they stick with Hank and The Middle? My guess is Hank suffers (as the 15 minutes drop-off is troubling). I'm not certain about The Middle.
Onto Reality... taking DWTS out of the 8pm hour helped both Top Model and SYTYCD, which all posted highs compared to recent episodes. I guess two reality shows on at the same time on the broadcast networks is the saturation point?
Finally, there's the much maligned Mercy. As I tweeted, I was coerced into watching this episode. Highly predictable. Had some fun, silly moments. And I still like Taylor Schilling as Veronica. But I wouldn't tune back in... there's no reason to. Seen it all before. However... it's on NBC. It only fell 10% this week (from a 2.3 to a 2.1). That's... kinda... good news for NBC? Right?
Tonight... I am recording 12.5 hours of TV. Yes, I know.
I'm thrilled that Glee picked up a little bit (and SYTYCD was up versus what it's been doing this fall season). Last night was great. So much music.
While I didn't like the pilots of either Hank of The Middle (in fact, I disliked Hank so much that I didn't even consider watching the rewritten / reshot pilot to review it... just no interest) and they didn't exactly light up the ratings sky with fireworks... thus far, this Comedy Wednesday that ABC has scheduled is doing MUCH better than I'd anticipated in the ratings. Especially Modern Family and Cougar Town... if they can maintain these numbers in the coming weeks, they'll top Samantha Who's first few episodes' average (and that was coming out of the DWTS Monday performance show when the 9pm half-hour of DWTS was pulling a 5+ in A18-49). As a reminder, last week DWTS at 8:30pm provided a 3.6/11 lead-in, while this week The Middle was 2.6/8. Eastwick has to stop its viewer and demo bleed out of Cougar Town ASAP if it's going to get a back nine. Interesting how much trouble ABC has had, and continues to have, at 10pm. Private Practice is sure to be strong tonight after the whopper of a cliffhanger from last season, but thus it might be the only one above a 3.0 if Brothers & Sisters drops even 0.1
Also, this week, the CBS 8pm comedies took a hit against the ABC comedies. We'll see what happens next week... will viewers and demo return to Old Christine and Gary Unmarried, or will they stick with Hank and The Middle? My guess is Hank suffers (as the 15 minutes drop-off is troubling). I'm not certain about The Middle.
Onto Reality... taking DWTS out of the 8pm hour helped both Top Model and SYTYCD, which all posted highs compared to recent episodes. I guess two reality shows on at the same time on the broadcast networks is the saturation point?
Finally, there's the much maligned Mercy. As I tweeted, I was coerced into watching this episode. Highly predictable. Had some fun, silly moments. And I still like Taylor Schilling as Veronica. But I wouldn't tune back in... there's no reason to. Seen it all before. However... it's on NBC. It only fell 10% this week (from a 2.3 to a 2.1). That's... kinda... good news for NBC? Right?
Tonight... I am recording 12.5 hours of TV. Yes, I know.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Premiere Week... a Few Thoughts
Wow. There is way too much TV. Especially with the Jewish holidays... I am BEHIND in my viewing. Way behind.
A few thoughts, though... not on ratings (since I've largely twittered my impressions), but on the content itself.
House: Haven't watch last night's episode yet so I don't know the extent to which the show is "back to normal," but the premiere was a combination of awesome and troubling. The temporary and new setting was a fun change of pace, and we got to really see how far this show has come from it's highlight lead character but entirely procedural foundations. As all doctors are psychologists on House, even the psychologists, I found the character elements of the premiere fascinating, but the actual story chock full of meh. The character types found in the psych ward were just that... types. Totally seen every single one of them before. But a great piece of Hugh Laurie who, one of these days, might actually win an Emmy.
Big Bang Theory: I thought last night's was funnier than the premiere. The show just puts a smile on my face. It doesn't so much matter to me that it and HIMYM were split up, because DVR make me my own scheduler/programmer.
How I Met Your Mother: Last night's episode showcased exactly what makes this show awesome, and exactly why Ted is the sore thumb. His storyline was almost entirely separate and tangential to the other four characters... and it was the least entertaining part. The rest of the ensemble is interesting. Ted grates. The writers should really have him meet the Mother soon and show us the courtship and be done with it so that we aren't given these awkward little dating stories told from the year 2030 (though, seriously, Bob Saget-Ted, why are you telling your kids about Stripper Lily?) Though we've seen the doppelganger plot on other sitcoms... I really enjoyed the way HIMYM did it.
Grey's Anatomy: Like House, I appreciated the break from formula (though Grey's is certainly less "formula" than House on an episodic basis). The little vignettes were an amalgamation of entertaining, devastating, and uplifting. And I'm really glad the show chose to do with "40 day" thing and get it out of the way so we didn't have to spend the first 10 episodes dealing with mourning stories (though I'm sure we'll still get some). I'm intrigued by the Seattle Grace / Mercy West merger plotline and, boy howdy, Ellen Pompeo's face looked pregnant.
Dollhouse: The premiere wasn't anything special, story-wise. Decent twist with Ballard being Echo's client and now Jamie Bamber's arms dealer. The best part of the episode, as always, was away from Echo, this time with the Topher and Saunders/Whiskey goings-on. Hopefully we'll get more Victor and Sierra in the coming weeks. Though, honestly, I wish the show would just forgot its episodic foundation and hurtle along towards "Epitaph One" territory...
The Amazing Race: God I'm so happy TAR is back. I totally made the mistake of watching it while fasting. Which, if you watched the episode, you know was not a great idea as one of the challenges was a Japanese game show called "Sushi Roulette" (WANT!) which had the contestants standing in front of a giant wheel that spun and you had to eat whatever sushi roll landing in front of you and the only way to move on was, if a wasabi bomb landed in front of you, to eat the wasabi bomb in 2 minutes. I really, really, really wanted a wasabi bomb. I think the producers finally did a bang-up job in casting the contestants this season after a few cycles of non-standouts. Lance is going to make for a great Ugly American villain. Zev, the guy with Asperger's, is hilarious. There are two cute gay brothers. And that female poker player team... MAN, I was happy the first leg was non-elimination so they could stay in the game.
Desperate Housewives: The introduction of Drea de Matteo's character and family was not the smoothest that Housewives has ever done. Still, I'm glad for the "cliffhanger" (which in the "next time" apparently wasn't a murder as Julie is comatose / on life support) to spice the show up. I've ragged on the need for the seasonal mystery arcs in the past, but this episode was pure soap and had, for me, no drive. There was no excitement going into it from the end of last season, which showed in the ratings nosedive.
Thank god I'd already seen all of the pilots so I didn't have to watch them this week (although I did resample Modern Family, Cougar Town, and Flash Forward for the HD awesomeness)... but I definitely will have to find time to view this week. Cougar Town was much improved in reshoots versus the pilot. A lot of unfunny awkward taken out and some funny lines added in.
A few thoughts, though... not on ratings (since I've largely twittered my impressions), but on the content itself.
House: Haven't watch last night's episode yet so I don't know the extent to which the show is "back to normal," but the premiere was a combination of awesome and troubling. The temporary and new setting was a fun change of pace, and we got to really see how far this show has come from it's highlight lead character but entirely procedural foundations. As all doctors are psychologists on House, even the psychologists, I found the character elements of the premiere fascinating, but the actual story chock full of meh. The character types found in the psych ward were just that... types. Totally seen every single one of them before. But a great piece of Hugh Laurie who, one of these days, might actually win an Emmy.
Big Bang Theory: I thought last night's was funnier than the premiere. The show just puts a smile on my face. It doesn't so much matter to me that it and HIMYM were split up, because DVR make me my own scheduler/programmer.
How I Met Your Mother: Last night's episode showcased exactly what makes this show awesome, and exactly why Ted is the sore thumb. His storyline was almost entirely separate and tangential to the other four characters... and it was the least entertaining part. The rest of the ensemble is interesting. Ted grates. The writers should really have him meet the Mother soon and show us the courtship and be done with it so that we aren't given these awkward little dating stories told from the year 2030 (though, seriously, Bob Saget-Ted, why are you telling your kids about Stripper Lily?) Though we've seen the doppelganger plot on other sitcoms... I really enjoyed the way HIMYM did it.
Grey's Anatomy: Like House, I appreciated the break from formula (though Grey's is certainly less "formula" than House on an episodic basis). The little vignettes were an amalgamation of entertaining, devastating, and uplifting. And I'm really glad the show chose to do with "40 day" thing and get it out of the way so we didn't have to spend the first 10 episodes dealing with mourning stories (though I'm sure we'll still get some). I'm intrigued by the Seattle Grace / Mercy West merger plotline and, boy howdy, Ellen Pompeo's face looked pregnant.
Dollhouse: The premiere wasn't anything special, story-wise. Decent twist with Ballard being Echo's client and now Jamie Bamber's arms dealer. The best part of the episode, as always, was away from Echo, this time with the Topher and Saunders/Whiskey goings-on. Hopefully we'll get more Victor and Sierra in the coming weeks. Though, honestly, I wish the show would just forgot its episodic foundation and hurtle along towards "Epitaph One" territory...
The Amazing Race: God I'm so happy TAR is back. I totally made the mistake of watching it while fasting. Which, if you watched the episode, you know was not a great idea as one of the challenges was a Japanese game show called "Sushi Roulette" (WANT!) which had the contestants standing in front of a giant wheel that spun and you had to eat whatever sushi roll landing in front of you and the only way to move on was, if a wasabi bomb landed in front of you, to eat the wasabi bomb in 2 minutes. I really, really, really wanted a wasabi bomb. I think the producers finally did a bang-up job in casting the contestants this season after a few cycles of non-standouts. Lance is going to make for a great Ugly American villain. Zev, the guy with Asperger's, is hilarious. There are two cute gay brothers. And that female poker player team... MAN, I was happy the first leg was non-elimination so they could stay in the game.
Desperate Housewives: The introduction of Drea de Matteo's character and family was not the smoothest that Housewives has ever done. Still, I'm glad for the "cliffhanger" (which in the "next time" apparently wasn't a murder as Julie is comatose / on life support) to spice the show up. I've ragged on the need for the seasonal mystery arcs in the past, but this episode was pure soap and had, for me, no drive. There was no excitement going into it from the end of last season, which showed in the ratings nosedive.
Thank god I'd already seen all of the pilots so I didn't have to watch them this week (although I did resample Modern Family, Cougar Town, and Flash Forward for the HD awesomeness)... but I definitely will have to find time to view this week. Cougar Town was much improved in reshoots versus the pilot. A lot of unfunny awkward taken out and some funny lines added in.
Friday, September 25, 2009
The Beautiful Cancellation
I'm not trying to gloat, but, um, THANK GAWD that CW canceled The Beautiful Life (though I'm sad for a friend of mine who worked on it and is now unemployed... hopefully they'll do post on the episode my friend wrote so I can see it at some point).
Here's to the CW, and Dawn Ostroff, for making a strong of terrible, terrible decisions as the netlet comes of age that, in the grandest of teen drama traditions, they finally learn from and grow.
Now the big question... which show gets its repeats post-ANTM?
- Melrose Place? Repeating CW's "strategy" last season with 90210, rerunning episodes that aried the day before. While the reruns seemed like they would help with exposure, when the reruns were no longer schedule, it original Tuesday airing didn't increase its viewership.
- The Vampire Diaries? The show is CW's only hit this season (we'll see how Smallville does, but it's looking to be the only show with more than 3 million viewers this week) and one could argue that adding a repeat, rather than increasing overall exposure, would dilute the original viewership... something you definitely don't want to do with your only succeeding show that is in a tough time period. However it would be airing 6 days after the original episode... not the day after. It could provide a "catch up" opportunity to viewers, while not eliminating the day-of "TV to talk about" aspect CW is aiming for.
My best and uneducated guess is CW will go with Melrose Place.
Here's to the CW, and Dawn Ostroff, for making a strong of terrible, terrible decisions as the netlet comes of age that, in the grandest of teen drama traditions, they finally learn from and grow.
Now the big question... which show gets its repeats post-ANTM?
- Melrose Place? Repeating CW's "strategy" last season with 90210, rerunning episodes that aried the day before. While the reruns seemed like they would help with exposure, when the reruns were no longer schedule, it original Tuesday airing didn't increase its viewership.
- The Vampire Diaries? The show is CW's only hit this season (we'll see how Smallville does, but it's looking to be the only show with more than 3 million viewers this week) and one could argue that adding a repeat, rather than increasing overall exposure, would dilute the original viewership... something you definitely don't want to do with your only succeeding show that is in a tough time period. However it would be airing 6 days after the original episode... not the day after. It could provide a "catch up" opportunity to viewers, while not eliminating the day-of "TV to talk about" aspect CW is aiming for.
My best and uneducated guess is CW will go with Melrose Place.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Preggers
Meant to post about last night's Glee episode earlier today... Oh, well. I'll be kurt...
Hah.
Um.
Yeah. This episode was hilarious. And focused on the kids instead of the adults (but had plenty of Sue zingers!) And put "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" right back into constant loop in my head JUST AFTER I HAD MANAGED TO GET RID OF IT FOLLOWING THE VMAS. DAMN YOU, GLEE.
It was everything I want from Glee, and everything the show didn't deliver last week. Although I have to say that the release of Rachel Berry / Lea Michele's version of "Taking Chances" pulled one over on me... I thought it was going to be akin to her "Take a Bow," some huge emotional moment, and instead we got a snippet of the song in the episode as an audition performance. I'm fine with that. I just have to not make storyline assumptions based on pre-released music!
Next week... EMMY WINNER Kristen Chenowith! How exciting that Glee/Fox gets to promote her as such.
Hah.
Um.
Yeah. This episode was hilarious. And focused on the kids instead of the adults (but had plenty of Sue zingers!) And put "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" right back into constant loop in my head JUST AFTER I HAD MANAGED TO GET RID OF IT FOLLOWING THE VMAS. DAMN YOU, GLEE.
It was everything I want from Glee, and everything the show didn't deliver last week. Although I have to say that the release of Rachel Berry / Lea Michele's version of "Taking Chances" pulled one over on me... I thought it was going to be akin to her "Take a Bow," some huge emotional moment, and instead we got a snippet of the song in the episode as an audition performance. I'm fine with that. I just have to not make storyline assumptions based on pre-released music!
Next week... EMMY WINNER Kristen Chenowith! How exciting that Glee/Fox gets to promote her as such.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Pilot Screener Review - Trauma
TRAUMA (script review: Trauma)
Status: Premiering Mondays, September 28th @ 9pm on NBC
Trauma is very, very slick. A lot of money went into producing it and it shows. Which is a good thing (you hate to see pilot where a ton of money was plunked down and it DOESN'T show on screen... and there are many examples of that).
But, try as it might... the Tramua pilot did not get me to give a crap about it's characters. I mean, even after some of their team dies in a tragic (and explosive) helicopter-on-helicopter crash of fire and death (which, hilariously, prompts Damages ensemble member Anastasia Griffith to scream her head off for a full minute... seriously, it's FUNNY). The characters are just not strong enough. The action is ultra-dramatic and played so straight that one hopes the show is going for camp value... but it's not.
Which we find out in the last third of the pilot, when the disasters of the week are taken care of and the pilot completely falls apart because there is no emergency to respond to that is keeping us engaged... as the characters definitely have not at that point won me over.
So, first 30 minutes? Pretty good, at least from a "ooh, fire pretty" spectacle level.
Last 15 minutes? Tune-out-apalooza.
Advice for future episodes: carry the disasters the team responds to through the end of the episode.
Status: Premiering Mondays, September 28th @ 9pm on NBC
Trauma is very, very slick. A lot of money went into producing it and it shows. Which is a good thing (you hate to see pilot where a ton of money was plunked down and it DOESN'T show on screen... and there are many examples of that).
But, try as it might... the Tramua pilot did not get me to give a crap about it's characters. I mean, even after some of their team dies in a tragic (and explosive) helicopter-on-helicopter crash of fire and death (which, hilariously, prompts Damages ensemble member Anastasia Griffith to scream her head off for a full minute... seriously, it's FUNNY). The characters are just not strong enough. The action is ultra-dramatic and played so straight that one hopes the show is going for camp value... but it's not.
Which we find out in the last third of the pilot, when the disasters of the week are taken care of and the pilot completely falls apart because there is no emergency to respond to that is keeping us engaged... as the characters definitely have not at that point won me over.
So, first 30 minutes? Pretty good, at least from a "ooh, fire pretty" spectacle level.
Last 15 minutes? Tune-out-apalooza.
Advice for future episodes: carry the disasters the team responds to through the end of the episode.
Pilot Screener Review - Mercy
MERCY (script review: Mercy)
Status: Premiering Wednesday, September 23rd @ 8pm on NBC (tonight!)
Ugh.
Fine.
I'll write up this review.
Here's the thing you need to know about Mercy's pilot. I was supposed to be reshot. I don't think it was supposed to be rewritten, which means that some of the problems in the pilot would still exist... but it was going to be reshot.
Because, from a pure filmic standpoint... there's no style to Mercy. There is absolutely nothing about it, visually, that astounds or amazes... or even, y'know... catches the eye. The lighting is drab. The actors (let alone the characters) don't really pop.
And that's a problem.
And it was going to be fixed because Mercy was supposed to be a midseason show.
Unfortunately, both for Mercy and Parenthood, Maura Tierney got sick (GET WELL SOON, MAURA) and Mercy was rushed onto the air, rushed into production, scripts pushed through quickly in order to make airing deadlines.
It's all a very unfortunate situation.
Which doesn't entirely give the Mercy pilot a pass... just an asterisk.
Plenty of reviews are out there that unfavorably compare Mercy to Showtime's Nurse Jackie, and it's a valid comparison. From the strident / bitchy (yet somehow sympathetic) lead character to the bumbling newbie nurse underling, to the not-quite-main-character ethnic gay nurse, to the opinion that doctors are idiots... it's cut very much from the same stuff.
On the "doctors are idiots" thing... I yearn for the days of County General, where people made mistakes but, in general, everyone - doctors, nurses, and staff - had a basic level on competency. It doesn't have to be doctors versus nurses.
I still believe that Taylor Schilling as lead character Veronica Callahan is a true find for the show (she has virtually no credits) and that there is potential in this series that many critics are missing by comparing it so wholeheartedly to Nurse Jackie (which, as a show, was waaaaaay overpraised in my opinion). But besides Taylor's fresh face... there really isn't anything new in this pilot. It is still Grey's Anatomy with nurses as the focus instead of surgeons (don't get me started on the ridiculousness of the love triangle plotting) using Nurse Jackie's characters.
However, my plate for this season is entirely full (really, too crowded if I'm being honest), so I won't be checking back into Mercy.
Status: Premiering Wednesday, September 23rd @ 8pm on NBC (tonight!)
Ugh.
Fine.
I'll write up this review.
Here's the thing you need to know about Mercy's pilot. I was supposed to be reshot. I don't think it was supposed to be rewritten, which means that some of the problems in the pilot would still exist... but it was going to be reshot.
Because, from a pure filmic standpoint... there's no style to Mercy. There is absolutely nothing about it, visually, that astounds or amazes... or even, y'know... catches the eye. The lighting is drab. The actors (let alone the characters) don't really pop.
And that's a problem.
And it was going to be fixed because Mercy was supposed to be a midseason show.
Unfortunately, both for Mercy and Parenthood, Maura Tierney got sick (GET WELL SOON, MAURA) and Mercy was rushed onto the air, rushed into production, scripts pushed through quickly in order to make airing deadlines.
It's all a very unfortunate situation.
Which doesn't entirely give the Mercy pilot a pass... just an asterisk.
Plenty of reviews are out there that unfavorably compare Mercy to Showtime's Nurse Jackie, and it's a valid comparison. From the strident / bitchy (yet somehow sympathetic) lead character to the bumbling newbie nurse underling, to the not-quite-main-character ethnic gay nurse, to the opinion that doctors are idiots... it's cut very much from the same stuff.
On the "doctors are idiots" thing... I yearn for the days of County General, where people made mistakes but, in general, everyone - doctors, nurses, and staff - had a basic level on competency. It doesn't have to be doctors versus nurses.
I still believe that Taylor Schilling as lead character Veronica Callahan is a true find for the show (she has virtually no credits) and that there is potential in this series that many critics are missing by comparing it so wholeheartedly to Nurse Jackie (which, as a show, was waaaaaay overpraised in my opinion). But besides Taylor's fresh face... there really isn't anything new in this pilot. It is still Grey's Anatomy with nurses as the focus instead of surgeons (don't get me started on the ridiculousness of the love triangle plotting) using Nurse Jackie's characters.
However, my plate for this season is entirely full (really, too crowded if I'm being honest), so I won't be checking back into Mercy.
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