Shameless

I recently asked my darling Matt Roush (one of my favorites in the wonderful world of TV--he has actual opinions and isn't afraid to share them) if there were any good midseason offerings to look forward to. As expected, it sounds like the Big Four are bringing very little to the table (from what I've seen so far, I'm unimpressed and a little afraid), but cable has some goodies in store.

• Question: Having seen several dozen ads for Showtime's new series Shameless over the past few months, I was only mildly intrigued. The cast looks phenomenal (William H. Macy, Emmy Rossum), but the concept didn't initially grab me. However, I caught the 20-minute preview after the Dexter finale (well played, Showtime) and it really piqued my interest. I was actually pretty surprised at how invested I became after only a few minutes. I'm not sure it'll make my top-10 list (too soon to tell), but I think it has a lot of potential. Have you seen the full pilot? What did you think? Also, are there any other new midseason shows worth watching? After a fall slate of new pilots that was almost universally underwhelming (with a few shining exceptions — I miss you already, Terriers), I'm really hoping that midseason brings some better options. Based on precedent, I'm guessing network TV probably isn't the desired destination, but are there any surprise winners I should look out for? Or will the big four simply fill in scheduling holes with second-string pilots that weren't good enough for fall? Again, I'd love to hear your thoughts. — Lacy
  
  Matt Roush: I've seen three episodes so far and I am mostly on board, especially where Emmy Rossum is concerned. She's electrifying, and there's something compelling about watching her and her endearingly scruffy siblings scramble to survive (while ministering to their degenerate drunk dad) that put me in mind of Fagin's den of thieves in Oliver Twist. The show sometimes pushes too hard for shock value, especially where Macy and an agoraphobic lunatic played by Joan Cusack are concerned, but that kind of overindulgence comes with the pay-cable territory. Shameless is a distinctive show that will likely get a lot of critical attention — but I'm more fond of Showtime's other Sunday newbie: Episodes, the TV satire starring Matt LeBlanc and two sensational British actors, Stephen Mangan and Tamsin Greig, as comedy writers whose vision is corrupted by Hollywood. Beyond that, though, and FX's darkly compelling drama Lights Out, there isn't much in this first wave of midseason programming (at least that I've sampled so far) that is wowing me. The network stuff in particular is as uninspired as most of the fall disappointments, and that is not a happy observation to make this early in the new year.
  

If you don't already frequent Matt Roush's column, I'd highly recommend it. Aside from posting comments from brilliant and esteemed television viewers (*cough* speaking of shameless *cough*), he's willing to give an honest, unflinching review of shows. Many of the gossip columnists I frequent have personal relationships with actors and showrunners that can lead to bias (Michael Ausiello) or they are simply too afraid of offending someone to put it all on the line (Kristin Dos Santos). Matt never holds back or waters down his perceptions. While other websites offer more in terms of spoilers and gossip, Matt has a more straight-forward critical eye that's very much appreciated.

Michael Ausiello, who used to work for Entertainment Weekly, has a new website that looks very promising. He teamed up with a couple other TV gurus (Matt Webb Mitovich among them) and created TV Line, which just launched with the new year. Those personal connections to actors and showrunners that may lead to bias also lead to some great interviews, titillating spoilers, and comprehensive television news coverage. Highly recommended. For those of you who were a little shocked and dismayed by Monday's countdown to devastation on How I Met Your Mother, you'll definitely want to check out TV Line's interview with show creator Carter Bays. I think all viewers were a little perplexed and saddened by that particular twist and it was nice to have some answers from the powers-that-be with the show. I really liked the countdown device. I wasn't sure if it was counting down to something great or something horrible, but it definitely gave the episode a lot more weight and urgency than it otherwise would have. I think most viewers probably suspected that it was counting down to conception, and that was certainly on my list of possibilities, but there was something a little ominous about the ticking clock that made me wary. The current season of HIMYM has managed to renew my love of the show after a disappointing previous season and Monday's outing was one of their best.