And the slimminess of the pickens keeps on keepin' on... A lot of shows which have been on hiatus return next week, so things are looking up, but holy hell, if that last month hasn't been a slog. I'm starting to forget what The Vampire Diaries and Nikita even look like.
Best Cult Name: The Church of Earth…Wind and Fire on Being Human (UK)
This show has more than its fair share of dark moments, but it balances it out with hilarity. “I was in the cult? I was in the cult, yes.”
English to English Dictionary Addition of the Week: “Pikey” on Being Human (UK)
A “pikey” is basically the British equivalent of trailer trash, as I recently found out. As per urbandictionary.com, it’s from the English "turnpike", the place where itinerant travelers and thieves would camp near a settlement. And, from the film Snatch, they apparently have their own unintelligible language that “isn't English, it isn't Irish, it's just Pikey.” Learn something new every day.
Question You Never Want to Have to Ask: “What’s the age of consent for the state of Illinois?” on Shameless
Sorry Frank, that ship has sailed. It’s half-way to Fiji by now. Or, even worse, en route to Eddie’s and Lip’s email inboxes.
Worst Way to Go: Eddie Jackson on Shameless
Well, shit. I can think of a lot of good ways to kill yourself, but strapping cinderblocks to your legs and hopping into a frozen lake? Not at the top of my list… Presumably the freezing water would kill you quicker, and maybe he’s hoping his body is never found for some reason, but still.
Best Closet Exit: Ian finally tells Fiona that he’s gay on Shameless
It’s pretty clear that Ian and Lip have the closest bond of any of the siblings, but I like to think that Fiona knew Ian was gay well before Lip did. “Fiona, I’m gay,” he apprehensively blurts out. “I know,” she simply replies. Fiona may not be his best friend in the house the way that Lip is, but she’s his sister, and his mother basically, and in terms of knowing that someone is gay, sisters and mothers are usually the first to know.
Most Welcomed Return: Nurse Jackie
Oh, how I’ve missed you. It was a little strange going into season 2. After the suicidal events of the season 1 finale, I expected season 2 to be very different, but it wasn’t. I mean, it took things down a different path in many ways, just not the ones I expected. With season 3, however, the game has definitely been changed. Both Kevin and O’Hara know the truth, and Jackie is reeling. Biggest change of all? Jacks passes on the opportunity to purloin a fallen Percocet. I can’t wait to see where things go from here. I still miss Mo-mo though. Always will.
Mini Let-Down of the Week: Castle
It was honestly one of their stronger A-plots, but as you know, A-plots do not a series make in my opinion. This episode just didn’t seem to have the snap, crackle, and pop of others. I didn’t even pull out any funny quotes for the end of this post. I don’t think that’s ever happened before… In the plus column though, the very end where Castle basically dupes Beckett into going on a date with him was adorable. Best part of the episode, hands down.
Most Shameless Product Placement: Castle
Okay, I don’t actually know what kind of phone or what apps Castle was using, but the promotion was pretty shameless and annoying. At first, when he used his phone to track Alexis’ position, I was willing to go with it as simply a plot point. The next several times, complete with close-up views of his phone, were not so forgivable. He uses a different phone every week, so this comes as little surprise really, but it’s never been so blatant before. I guess I should be grateful that the integrations were pretty well integrated. White Collar could take some pointers from this. If you simply must use integrated product placement, at least make it make a modicum of sense.
Most Depressing Ratings News: Body of Proof does better than The Good Wife
I realize it was a series premiere and that it will likely drop off next week, but still. The thought that anyone would choose yet another crime procedural over the best drama on network TV is just depressing as hell.
Biggest Storm a’ Brewin’ (Chicago Division): The Good Wife
Man alive, the noose just keeps getting tighter and tighter and it’s making me more and more nervous with each passing episode. The revelation that Peter slept with Kalinda has the potential to uproot just about every character on the show, if not destroy them entirely. Peter’s bid for State’s Attorney, Kalinda’s secret identity, Alicia’s entire existence… Things are about to get crazy. Well, crazier.
Biggest Storm a’ Brewin’ (Whoop-de-doo Division): Justified
First thing, ten-gallon hats off to Justified (and to FX) for its third season pick-up. Secondly, with the current season getting better and better week-to-week, I can only imagine how awesome that third season will be. Between the Bennets, the Givenseseses, Black Pike, Boyd, and Art’s suspicions of Raylan, we have one hell of a nailbiter on our hands (heh, get it? nailbiter, hands? sorry).
Best Performance: Margo Martindale on Justified
This show is always firing on all cylinders, and has a cast that can rise to the challenge, but the addition of Margo Martindale has upped everyone’s games considerably. Emmy voters, take notice. She didn’t just win over the town with her oration about “the spoil,” she solidified her place on my ballot.
Best Win: Richard Blais on Top Chef All Stars
Saints be praised, and hallelujah! He was my pick to win from day one, but I’ll be damned if the show didn’t make it look like Mike Isabella might take it home. I’m pretty sure Blais would have simply collapsed and died on the spot if he’d lost, so it’s for the best on a number of levels. Speaking of Blais, I came across an article in the Hollywood Reported titled “5 Things to Know About New Top Chef Winner Richard Blais”. It went on to say, “here are five things you might not know about him…” First on the list? He uses liquid nitrogen when he cooks. Um, I hate to break it to the people at the Hollywood Reporter, but anyone who would be reading this article would know that. Indeed, in a contest between knowing his first name or knowing that he uses liquid nitrogen, believe me, more people will know about the liquid nitrogen.
Sorest Loser: Mike from Top Chef All Stars
Okay, seriously, what happened to you as a child that you turned out like this? The eye-rolling, the excuses, the bravado… someone needs to just shoot the bastard. Look, Mike, I realize you must have been beat up as a child, a lot, but that’s no excuse. I’ve never seen someone so insecure in my life, and I just watched an entire season of Richard Blais having panic attacks.
Lamest and Most Obvious Plea to Viewers: Criminal Minds
Oh, Criminal Minds. Don’t fire two beloved actresses and then pretend that the audience is just being whiny when they cry foul. This latest episode opens begins with, well, a horrific death of course, but right after that, we see Penelope staring at a picture of Prentiss on the wall, which prompts Morgan to say, “Prentiss wouldn’t want us to sulk. […] She would also want us to embrace Seaver.” This thinly veiled plea to the audience to just get over it all ready was more annoying than convincing. JJ and Prentiss were two of the best aspects of the show, and to summarily fire them within weeks of each other was a serious blow. On top of that, Seaver could not possibly be any more boring, or more damningly, completely useless to the team. Honestly, she was vaguely helpful for that one episode where her life-experience actually aided the team, but since then? She’s a total waste of space and no scolding from the writers of the show is going to convince me otherwise. How do I know for sure that losing Prentiss and adding Seaver was a bad move? This last episode was one of the most boring episodes I’ve ever seen. The dynamic among the group is just plain dull these days. Here’s hoping they add someone who actually brings something to the table (you know, like a gun with which to shoot Seaver).
**Quotes of the Week**
“The #burnnotice ep we're working on is too hard. So instead of an ep, shirtless Michael just blows something up and we'll call it a day. Ok?”
--Burn Notice showrunner Matt Nix, via twitter. Dear Matt, that works for me.
“I don't need or want ur apology...I want your kidney dude. ‘On behalf of ur X and all the women uv insulted...give it back.’”
--Kirstie Alley, responding to George Lopez calling her a pig and referring to the fact that Lopez divorced his wife five years after she donated one her kidneys to him.
“No magic (unless you count how Romans in Hollywood always magically sound British).”
--Entertainment Weekly, taking a tally of the various aspects of new epic TV shows like Camelot, Game of Thrones, and The Borgias. The Borgias doesn’t have much in the way of magic, but a hell of a lot of English Spaniards and English Italians. I’ll never understand why the hell they do that, but it’s distracting. The French guy sounded French, after all…
“Lowest Common Denominator Continues To Plummet: The lowest common denominator (LCD), the leading cultural indicator for American mass-market tastes, continued its precipitous drop last week, fueling worries about the future of the U.S. marketplace for ideas and stoking fears of a long-term cultural recession.”
--The Onion, which, I have to assume, is talking about Body of Proof’s impressive ratings versus The Good Wife. The plummeting LCD is one of the primary reasons I’ve started importing more and more TV goods.
“I’ve got an axe I can drop on your head at any moment. Why would I give that up?”
--Nurse Jackie, letting Sam know exactly who she is and how she operates.
“You broke my heart, Jacks.”
--O’Hara on Nurse Jackie. Jackie has been breaking the audience’s heart for two seasons now, but seeing it hit the people around her hurts even more.
Ian: “If I get convicted, I can’t enlist.”
Lip: “What?”
Ian: “In the Marines.”
Lip: “Good. I was planning on kneecapping you in your sleep to keep you out of Kandahar anyway.”
--Shameless, regarding Lip and Ian’s recent arrest for grand theft auto. As is a surprise to no one, in spite of Lip’s determination to keep Ian out of Kandahar, he takes full blame for the crime so that Ian won’t be convicted.
“It’s like when a storm is over. Is it happiness? Or is it just relief?”
--Alicia on The Good Wife, being very Epicurean, and sadly delusional. Oh, Alicia. If you only knew. Wait, strike that, please don’t ever know.
“Didja know that Dana Delany's supposed to be brilliant on #BodyOfProof? Cause the show didn't hammer that point AT ALL.”
--Television Without Pity, via twitter, summing up the annoyance that was Body of Proof in 140 characters or less.
Showing posts with label Body of Proof. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Body of Proof. Show all posts
Friday, April 1, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
DOA
You know, when it comes to crime procedurals, it's getting to the point where I hardly even know how to review them anymore. When stacked up against shows that I truly enjoy (i.e. shows that have actual storylines, not just a parade of corpses being 
prodded by quirky geniuses), they'd all get an F, including ABC's latest attempt at cracking into the overdone genre, Body of Proof. However, when stacked up against each other, there are many shades of horrible, and in terms of other god-awful crime procedurals, Body of Proof was by no means the worst of the worst. That doesn't mean I'll be giving it a second episode or anything, but for the purposes of this review, it's a distinction that must be made. For any other purposes, all it means is that I'd rather have watched people scream at each other for an hour on Parenthood than watch this show. (In Parenthood's defense, I caught an episode a few weeks ago that had about 60% less bickering and it made for a much better show. Do more of that.) When it comes right down to it though, in terms of this time slot, The Good Wife is the only true contender. If you can only watch one show, make it that show. So great.
Anyway, ABC has tried on numerous occasions to tap into the crime procedural genre, but has only really succeeded with Castle, which is one of the least conventional procedurals out there in terms of tone and execution. I think the reason Castle works where others have failed is that it has so much more fun with the old routine than other shows. Whereas the "quirky genius" on other procedurals is often cantankerous, insufferable, or the consummate know-it-all, Castle is creative and unassuming. He's wrong a hell of a lot of the time, but always helps in the end. Most importantly, he has a blast playing cops and robbers and brings a sense of childlike whimsy to the show. It makes the frequency with which he's correct charming, not grating.
Which brings me to Body of Proof, starring Dana Delany as Dr. Megan Hunt, a once-brilliant neurosurgeon turned near-preternatural medical examiner/crime solver.
Having suffered nerve damage in her hands as a result of a car accident, Dr. Hunt had to give up the career that lost her her marriage and daughter. The pilot tries desperately to play on her feelings of loss, and succeeds to a certain extent, but I've seen this dog and pony show too many times to care. This iteration of the eccentric supersleuth is basically Dr. House, solving medical mysteries whilst alienating those around her with her standoffish demeanor, dismissive behavior, and emotional reticence. It's a routine we've all seen a million times before, so in spite of Delany's acting prowess, I was instantly bored.
Indeed, the entire cast is quite strong, but I found myself wishing they were attached to better projects. Delany is a power-player whom I always enjoy, but even she couldn't make this character intriguing or likable. In truth, she did more with the role than I would have expected, but there's only so much one can do with this set-up. Along with being the archetypal maverick genius who doesn't play by the rules but gets results, blah, blah, blah, which is so overused it's painful to watch, the writers have gone out of their way to give her as much quirk as possible in a failed attempt at uniqueness. I salute the efforts, but if it came down to watching a character I've seem a million times before or one who drives me and everyone
else crazy, it's a tough call. I think first and foremost, they simply tried to make Dr. Hunt too many things. She's guarded, but an emotional wreck over her family situation, she's brilliant, but flawed, she's always right, but can't work with others, she's sexy and sassy, but a workaholic who has no friends. I would greatly have preferred that the writers had constructed a character with a defined core whom they could develop over time. With the pilot alone, the audience was met with so much plot exposition that it was annoying and unconvincing. They seemed so intent on showing every single aspect of her life and her issues that none of them resonated at all. Rather than being riveted by every facet of her existence, instead I was bored by her work, her ex-husband, her issues with her daughter, her social alienation, and her interactions with the police, her colleagues, and her past.
This review is making the show sound considerably worse than it is, but believe me, it's more a matter of genre than execution here. For a crime procedural, this one was a solid effort, conforming to all the cliches and conceits in lock-step. So, if procedurals are you thing, this may very well be the show for you. For me? Good god, if you've seen this once, you've seen it a million times. The A-plot murder-of-the-week is hardly worth mentioning, because really, there are only so many different ways to kill someone, but it elucidated the character dynamics that will, no doubt, plague the series as a whole. The thought of watching the incredible Dr. Hunt toy with and belittle everyone around her (but, you know, in a half-assed, sassy sort of way) episode after episode is a complete turn-off. The reason House worked for as long as it did is that it was unapologetic and unreserved. He's an insufferable, snarky bastard first, last, and always. Dr. Hunt? They kept trying to go all the way with her character, but then they'd retreat. Instead of making for an interesting character piece, their hesitations at making her unlikable made her uneven and, well, unlikable.... so, well done, guys. I can see where they'd be hesitant to
take things as far as Dr. House or Nurse Jackie, but therein lies the problem. House and Jackie are often horrible people, but that doesn't make them unlikable, it makes them interesting. Dr. Hunt was neither charming enough nor loathsome enough to pique my interests.
Indeed, the show seems to think that her interactions with the other characters on the show will be a central draw, but I found them irksome. I enjoy watching a blustering cop get put in his place, but seeing Dr. Hunt tear down a guy she doesn't even know and who didn't even do anything that bad wasn't satisfying or funny, it was ugh-worthy. Had it been handled in a different way, I think it could have been successful, but as is, it just seemed like a ham-fisted ploy to make Dr. Hunt seem like a ball-busting badass, but, you know, one that's real pretty and wears sexy high heels and winks at people. Yeah, yeah, she has better relationships with the dead than the living. We get it. I'm not saying that a person should be one thing all the time, that would be ridiculous, but Dr. Hunt just didn't seem authentic. At every turn, it felt like her character had been written one way, and then watered-down or sexed-up in hopes of appealing to the average viewer. Given that that's how the writing turned out, it's to Delany's credit that she balanced it as well as she did.
The supporting cast is decent enough, but inconsequential. I'm sure as the show progresses, they'll become more fleshed-out and whatnot, but at this point, they're really little more than pawns for Delany to play off of. Her lab partner ex-cop guy (or whatever he was) and eventual love interest was fine, but unmemorable, and the police force was mostly just a bunch of bumbling fools who probably couldn't figure out if it were Colonel Mustard or Miss Scarlett without the amazing Dr. Hunt determining that the victim had been
bludgeoned to death with a 10-inch ratcheting box wrench that had been purchased at Home Depot, aisle 7, third shelf. How Sonja Sohn (best known for her powerful turn as Kima from The Wire) got attached to this sucker, I'll never understand. Hunt's associates at the hospital (ME's Office?) serve as the comic relief of the show, and had their charm, but again, unmemorable overall. Somehow Jeri Ryan, who's in all of 2 1/2 minutes of the pilot, seemed like the most grounded, well-rounded supporting player on the show. Don't get me wrong, House's underlings were never much to write home about or anything, but for me, that was always one of the biggest problems. I much prefer a stellar ensemble, not simply a vehicle for the latest crime-solving genius.
All in all, it was a decent procedural when stacked up against other procedurals. It didn't have me cringing as much as most and honestly had better writing than ABC's previous attempts at the genre. That said, it was still a whole lot of the same. Delany did the best she could, but there are only so many ways to reinvent this particular wheel. I do think she could turn this role into something more over time, but I'm not invested enough in this set-up to give her that kind of time. The random crime-of-the-week isn't enough of a draw and the dysfunctional family dynamic wasn't established in a way that made me invest. Unlike Everwood, where I found myself instantly intrigued by the doctor who reevaluates his priorities after a tragedy, Dr. Hunt and her daughter barely caught my attention at all. In short, I've seen the whole "workaholic destroys relationship with children but then tries to make up for it" thing before, only better. Body of Proof wasn't a disaster, but it wasn't a coup either. I'll pass.
Pilot Grade (when compared to other crime procedurals): C+
prodded by quirky geniuses), they'd all get an F, including ABC's latest attempt at cracking into the overdone genre, Body of Proof. However, when stacked up against each other, there are many shades of horrible, and in terms of other god-awful crime procedurals, Body of Proof was by no means the worst of the worst. That doesn't mean I'll be giving it a second episode or anything, but for the purposes of this review, it's a distinction that must be made. For any other purposes, all it means is that I'd rather have watched people scream at each other for an hour on Parenthood than watch this show. (In Parenthood's defense, I caught an episode a few weeks ago that had about 60% less bickering and it made for a much better show. Do more of that.) When it comes right down to it though, in terms of this time slot, The Good Wife is the only true contender. If you can only watch one show, make it that show. So great.Anyway, ABC has tried on numerous occasions to tap into the crime procedural genre, but has only really succeeded with Castle, which is one of the least conventional procedurals out there in terms of tone and execution. I think the reason Castle works where others have failed is that it has so much more fun with the old routine than other shows. Whereas the "quirky genius" on other procedurals is often cantankerous, insufferable, or the consummate know-it-all, Castle is creative and unassuming. He's wrong a hell of a lot of the time, but always helps in the end. Most importantly, he has a blast playing cops and robbers and brings a sense of childlike whimsy to the show. It makes the frequency with which he's correct charming, not grating.
Which brings me to Body of Proof, starring Dana Delany as Dr. Megan Hunt, a once-brilliant neurosurgeon turned near-preternatural medical examiner/crime solver.
Having suffered nerve damage in her hands as a result of a car accident, Dr. Hunt had to give up the career that lost her her marriage and daughter. The pilot tries desperately to play on her feelings of loss, and succeeds to a certain extent, but I've seen this dog and pony show too many times to care. This iteration of the eccentric supersleuth is basically Dr. House, solving medical mysteries whilst alienating those around her with her standoffish demeanor, dismissive behavior, and emotional reticence. It's a routine we've all seen a million times before, so in spite of Delany's acting prowess, I was instantly bored.Indeed, the entire cast is quite strong, but I found myself wishing they were attached to better projects. Delany is a power-player whom I always enjoy, but even she couldn't make this character intriguing or likable. In truth, she did more with the role than I would have expected, but there's only so much one can do with this set-up. Along with being the archetypal maverick genius who doesn't play by the rules but gets results, blah, blah, blah, which is so overused it's painful to watch, the writers have gone out of their way to give her as much quirk as possible in a failed attempt at uniqueness. I salute the efforts, but if it came down to watching a character I've seem a million times before or one who drives me and everyone
else crazy, it's a tough call. I think first and foremost, they simply tried to make Dr. Hunt too many things. She's guarded, but an emotional wreck over her family situation, she's brilliant, but flawed, she's always right, but can't work with others, she's sexy and sassy, but a workaholic who has no friends. I would greatly have preferred that the writers had constructed a character with a defined core whom they could develop over time. With the pilot alone, the audience was met with so much plot exposition that it was annoying and unconvincing. They seemed so intent on showing every single aspect of her life and her issues that none of them resonated at all. Rather than being riveted by every facet of her existence, instead I was bored by her work, her ex-husband, her issues with her daughter, her social alienation, and her interactions with the police, her colleagues, and her past.This review is making the show sound considerably worse than it is, but believe me, it's more a matter of genre than execution here. For a crime procedural, this one was a solid effort, conforming to all the cliches and conceits in lock-step. So, if procedurals are you thing, this may very well be the show for you. For me? Good god, if you've seen this once, you've seen it a million times. The A-plot murder-of-the-week is hardly worth mentioning, because really, there are only so many different ways to kill someone, but it elucidated the character dynamics that will, no doubt, plague the series as a whole. The thought of watching the incredible Dr. Hunt toy with and belittle everyone around her (but, you know, in a half-assed, sassy sort of way) episode after episode is a complete turn-off. The reason House worked for as long as it did is that it was unapologetic and unreserved. He's an insufferable, snarky bastard first, last, and always. Dr. Hunt? They kept trying to go all the way with her character, but then they'd retreat. Instead of making for an interesting character piece, their hesitations at making her unlikable made her uneven and, well, unlikable.... so, well done, guys. I can see where they'd be hesitant to
take things as far as Dr. House or Nurse Jackie, but therein lies the problem. House and Jackie are often horrible people, but that doesn't make them unlikable, it makes them interesting. Dr. Hunt was neither charming enough nor loathsome enough to pique my interests.Indeed, the show seems to think that her interactions with the other characters on the show will be a central draw, but I found them irksome. I enjoy watching a blustering cop get put in his place, but seeing Dr. Hunt tear down a guy she doesn't even know and who didn't even do anything that bad wasn't satisfying or funny, it was ugh-worthy. Had it been handled in a different way, I think it could have been successful, but as is, it just seemed like a ham-fisted ploy to make Dr. Hunt seem like a ball-busting badass, but, you know, one that's real pretty and wears sexy high heels and winks at people. Yeah, yeah, she has better relationships with the dead than the living. We get it. I'm not saying that a person should be one thing all the time, that would be ridiculous, but Dr. Hunt just didn't seem authentic. At every turn, it felt like her character had been written one way, and then watered-down or sexed-up in hopes of appealing to the average viewer. Given that that's how the writing turned out, it's to Delany's credit that she balanced it as well as she did.
The supporting cast is decent enough, but inconsequential. I'm sure as the show progresses, they'll become more fleshed-out and whatnot, but at this point, they're really little more than pawns for Delany to play off of. Her lab partner ex-cop guy (or whatever he was) and eventual love interest was fine, but unmemorable, and the police force was mostly just a bunch of bumbling fools who probably couldn't figure out if it were Colonel Mustard or Miss Scarlett without the amazing Dr. Hunt determining that the victim had been
bludgeoned to death with a 10-inch ratcheting box wrench that had been purchased at Home Depot, aisle 7, third shelf. How Sonja Sohn (best known for her powerful turn as Kima from The Wire) got attached to this sucker, I'll never understand. Hunt's associates at the hospital (ME's Office?) serve as the comic relief of the show, and had their charm, but again, unmemorable overall. Somehow Jeri Ryan, who's in all of 2 1/2 minutes of the pilot, seemed like the most grounded, well-rounded supporting player on the show. Don't get me wrong, House's underlings were never much to write home about or anything, but for me, that was always one of the biggest problems. I much prefer a stellar ensemble, not simply a vehicle for the latest crime-solving genius.All in all, it was a decent procedural when stacked up against other procedurals. It didn't have me cringing as much as most and honestly had better writing than ABC's previous attempts at the genre. That said, it was still a whole lot of the same. Delany did the best she could, but there are only so many ways to reinvent this particular wheel. I do think she could turn this role into something more over time, but I'm not invested enough in this set-up to give her that kind of time. The random crime-of-the-week isn't enough of a draw and the dysfunctional family dynamic wasn't established in a way that made me invest. Unlike Everwood, where I found myself instantly intrigued by the doctor who reevaluates his priorities after a tragedy, Dr. Hunt and her daughter barely caught my attention at all. In short, I've seen the whole "workaholic destroys relationship with children but then tries to make up for it" thing before, only better. Body of Proof wasn't a disaster, but it wasn't a coup either. I'll pass.
Pilot Grade (when compared to other crime procedurals): C+
Monday, August 16, 2010
ABC Pilots: Volume 1
I was all gung-ho to get all the new network pilots reviewed for this here blog, but then NBC decided they'd wage a war of attrition by picking up... well, basically they're an entirely new network. Never, in all my days, have I seen so many new pilots for one network. Don't get me wrong, the reign of terror implemented by Jeff Zucker (what I affectionately refer to as a "clusterzuck") essentially decimated the network, prompting the complete overhaul, but this all begs the question, where did they get this kind of money?! Seriously, the network was ailing before they decided to shell out millions of dollars in development. Well, however it happened, it wore me out. As such, it's only now, with barely a month to go before premiere week, that I finally move on to ABC.
Oh, ABC... They're a bit more subversive about their implosion, but show for show, they're in almost as much trouble as NBC. Once again, they've picked up a hell of a lot of pilots and forked over obscene amounts of cash. Suffice it to say, both these networks need some major hits to come out of this fall's slate of pilots. The fate of each network (or at least the suits in charge of this mess) may very well depend on it. Seriously, last season was a disaster. With the exception of Modern Family, nearly their entire slate got canceled, or should have. If ABC had more going for it, V wouldn't be come back and neither would The Middle. They can't afford to have another season turn out like that, so they've picked up a lot of shows (rather expensive shows) and are promoting the hell out of them. Some appear to have some promise. Others? Not so much... At present, their established shows are a little too established (i.e. they're getting a little long in the tooth... that is, to say, they're OLD), so they're banking on some new blood. They pretty much have to at this point.
Here is the tentative ABC schedule for this fall (please bear in mind that this list is subject to change--and quite frankly, it's been months since this list was first compiled, so it might have errors already):
MONDAY
7 p.m. Dancing with the Stars
9 p.m. Castle
TUESDAY
7 p.m. No Ordinary Family (new)
8 p.m. Dancing with the Stars Results Show
9 p.m. Detroit 1-8-7 (new)
WEDNESDAY
7 p.m. The Middle
7:30 p.m. Better Together (new)
8 p.m. Modern Family
8:30 p.m. Cougar Town
9 p.m. The Whole Truth (new)
THURSDAY
7 p.m. My Generation (new)
8 p.m. Grey's Anatomy
9 p.m. Private Practice
FRIDAY
7 p.m. Secret Millionaire (new)
8 p.m. Body of Proof (new)
9 p.m. 20/20
SUNDAY
6 p.m. America's Funniest Home Videos
7 p.m. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
8 p.m. Desperate Housewives
9 p.m. Brothers & Sisters
There are other new shows which will be reviewed here, but I assume they'll be premiering at midseason. Or, depending on how well these ones do, they could premiere earlier than that... The suits at ABC are already shaking in their boots and hoping to hell that isn't the case. Heh.
Anyway, as per my arbitrary usual, we'll start off with the dramas.
BODY OF PROOF
Description: Stars Dana Delany as Dr. Megan Hunt, Jeri Ryan as Dr. Kate Murphy, Geoffrey Arend as Dr. Elliot Gross, John Carroll Lynch as Detective Bud Morris, Windell Middlebrooks as Dr. Curtis Brumfield, Nic Bishop as Peter Dunlap and Sonja Sohn as Detective Samantha Baker. Christopher Murphey wrote the pilot, which was directed by Nelson McCormick.
My Take: First thought? Ugh. As much as I’d like to believe that this is a searing character piece about a woman trying to start over, I think we can safely assume it’s actually a crime procedural dressed up as an actual drama. Dana Delany is a power-player who can absolutely anchor a show, but I find myself wishing she were at the helm of something else. Based solely on the trailer, it’s hard to tell just what proportions of the show will be drama and procedural. If this were CBS, I’d err on the side of lots of procedural, very little everything else, but this is ABC, so it’s a tough call. They’ve been trying to tap into this woefully overdone genre for ages, but with very little success. Off the bat, I’d say the procedural elements seem pretty generic, and for as much as I enjoy Delaney, the drama elements seem pretty bland to boot. ABC hasn’t really been delivering quality drama on its dramas lately, so the odds of them delivering in an overdone story like this are slim. Overzealous neurosurgeon ruins relationship with child then has life-changing event (a car accident) that causes said doctor to reevaluate life. Been there, done that. Only in more compelling ways (you know, with the adorably moody Ephram Brown on hand). This show is already making me miss Everwood. Long story short, this looks pretty hackneyed and uninspired. If anyone could make this more than your typical crime procedural, it’s Delaney, but I’m less than confident that she can make that happen. Truth be told, even if this is considerably more drama laden than it looks, it’s not the kind of concept that has me chomping at the bit. Delaney deserves better, and the viewer audience at large deserves fewer procedurals on the docket. People seem to love this procedural crap, however, so this one might just have a chance. The sexy medical examiner (a la Rizzoli & Isles, and to a certain extent, Castle) seems to be the latest trend these days… for completely unknown reasons. Ugh.
DETROIT 1-8-7
Description: Stars Michael Imperioli (“The Sopranos”) as Detective Louis Fitch, Jon Michael Hill as Detective Damon Washington, James McDaniel (“NYPD Blue”) as Sergeant Jesse Longford, Aisha Hinds (“True Blood”) as Lieutenant Maureen Mason, Natalie Martinez as Detective Ariana Sanchez, D.J. Cotrona as Detective John Stone and Shaun Majumder as Detective Aman Mahajan.
My Take: In case Body of Proof just didn’t manage to plumb the depths of overdone genres enough, ABC has also decided to take on a cop show. Sigh. This seems pretty standard as well, but there were little elements of the trailer that pointed to something more unique. They’re taking the angle that there’s simply so much crime and murder in Detroit that the good guys are simply trying to stem the tide because there’s no conceivable way to actually stop the violence. The fact that they take a very matter-of-fact approach to such a horrific problem has a certain quirky appeal, but I think it was primarily a reaction to being on network TV. When they were looking for a shell casing on the street was probably the best aspect of the trailer for me. “I think I’ve got it! Oh, nope, it’s a .45.” Heh. I couldn’t help but to smile. I’m hoping they find a way to make this genre new and fresh, but I’m pretty sure at this point, even all the trappings in the world couldn’t make it truly special. After watching The Wire, I’m supremely confident that for a cop drama to really be as gritty as writers want it to be, it needs to be on HBO or Showtime. Even basic cable would have a hard time doing it justice, but network TV? I’m not holding my breath. I have a sinking feeling that they wanted this to be a realistic, hard-hitting, brutal look at one of the roughest cities in the country, but that it had to be sanitized and watered-down for the general public. The “cop show” has never been very high on my list, but it has been infiltrating my schedule more and more lately. Will Detroit 1-8-7 continue the trend? I seriously doubt it. I’ll give it a shot, but suspect the pilot will be the only episode I’ll ever see.
MY GENERATION
Description: Stars Michael Stahl David as Steven, Kelli Garner as Dawn, Jaime King as Jacqueline, Keir O’Donnell as Kenneth, Sebastian Sozzi as Falcon, Mechad Brooks as Rolly, Anne Son as Caroline, Daniella Alonso as Brenda and Julian Morris as Anders. Created and written by Noah Hawley (“The Unusuals,” “Bones”), who is also an executive producer, along with Warren Littlefield, Henrik Bastin, Patrick Magnasson and Martin Piersson.
My Take: In theory, this show should speak to me and my peers more than just about any other demographic. I graduated in 2001, so this pseudo-docu-soap should tap into my sensibilities on a fundamental level… and yet? Not so much. I don’t know, this trailer was really more of a behind-the-scenes look than anything else, so it’s hard to tell exactly what the show itself will look like, but from what clips they did show us, it looks pretty damn sappy. Have you chased your dreams? Faced your fears? Gag me. If they present it as a straight up narrative about people who just so happen to be this age, that could fine, but I have a sneaking suspicion this is a platform for the writers to send a heavy-handed message. Call me crazy, but I’m not so much a fan of the ham-fisted soap-boxing, thanks… I want to give them a little credit for at least trying to come up with a basic conceit that’s a little different, but at the end of the day, they’ve simply picked a few handfuls of clichés out of a bag and put them all in the same show. The jock, the rich kid, the overachiever, the good girl, we get it. We get it a lot, in fact. I realize that they’ve constructed the show around high school clichés (and what clichés those clichés turn into), but that doesn’t make them any less generic. There were a couple of elements of the trailer that had me mildly interested, but by and large, this doesn’t strike me as a keeper. The only way this is really going to work is if they’ve hired some actors who can turn those standard one-dimensional characters and make turn them into something really special. I have serious doubts, but with a considerable amount of luck, this might be something worth watching. Chronologically speaking, I kind of feel like it’s my duty to watch it, so here’s hoping it’s better than it looks. To its credit, it was created by the same guy behind The Unusuals, which happens to be a show that turned out to be just that. Better than it looked.
NO ORDINARY FAMILY
Description: Michael Chiklis (“The Shield”) stars as Jim Powell, Julie Benz (“Dexter”) as Stephanie Powell, Romany Malco (“The 40-Year-Old Virgin”) as George St. Cloud, Tate Donovan (“Damages”) as Mitch McCutcheon, Autumn Reeser as Katie Andrews, Christina Chang as Yvonne Cho, Kay Panabaker as Daphne Powell and Jimmy Bennett as JJ Powell. The pilot was written and executive-produced by Jon Feldman. The series is executive-produced by Feldman, Greg Berlanti, Morgan Wandell and David Semel, who also directed the pilot.
My Take: I’ve heard pretty good things about this one on the web, and I want to be excited for it, but I’m apprehensive. It’s the kind of concept that has to be handled in just the right way or it could be disastrous. On its face, a show about a family of superheroes sounds like carefree fun. Those associated with it keep saying that it is NOT The Incredibles, but first off, yeah, actually, it kind of is, but secondly, only not as good. I think I’d be a lot more excited about it if it were animated… you know, because then it wouldn’t have Michael Chiklis or Julie Benz at the helm. I honestly never watched much of The Shield and that has a lot to do with how unappealing Chiklis is. Aside from being difficult to look at, his overall manner and acting style are off-putting. He isn’t someone who would have me excited for a show simply because he’s in it (I’m not going to lie, the primary reason I’ve been watching Criminal Minds is that Matthew Gray Gubler is simply beautiful). Then there’s Julie Benz. I’ve hated most of her past characters (even the ones the audience wasn’t supposed to hate), so I have to assume it has something to do with her. She’s a fine actress, and I suppose she’s just doing what is asked of her, but for whatever reason, I generally hate her. I really hope her newest incarnation is nothing like her previous roles, because frankly, Darla redux? Rita 2.0? No thanks. Aside from disconcerting casting decisions, this one looks like it could be a lot of fun. If handled in just the right way, I think this show could do for the superhero genre what Chuck did for the spy-thriller. A more light-hearted, carefree approach could work incredibly well... I’m not totally sure how they’d make this work in the long term, but presumably, they should be able to bank a least a season or two of quality. Here's hoping. I mean really, how bad could it be? It can’t possibly follow the same trajectory as Heroes, right...? Right?!
Oh, ABC... They're a bit more subversive about their implosion, but show for show, they're in almost as much trouble as NBC. Once again, they've picked up a hell of a lot of pilots and forked over obscene amounts of cash. Suffice it to say, both these networks need some major hits to come out of this fall's slate of pilots. The fate of each network (or at least the suits in charge of this mess) may very well depend on it. Seriously, last season was a disaster. With the exception of Modern Family, nearly their entire slate got canceled, or should have. If ABC had more going for it, V wouldn't be come back and neither would The Middle. They can't afford to have another season turn out like that, so they've picked up a lot of shows (rather expensive shows) and are promoting the hell out of them. Some appear to have some promise. Others? Not so much... At present, their established shows are a little too established (i.e. they're getting a little long in the tooth... that is, to say, they're OLD), so they're banking on some new blood. They pretty much have to at this point.
Here is the tentative ABC schedule for this fall (please bear in mind that this list is subject to change--and quite frankly, it's been months since this list was first compiled, so it might have errors already):
MONDAY
7 p.m. Dancing with the Stars
9 p.m. Castle
TUESDAY
7 p.m. No Ordinary Family (new)
8 p.m. Dancing with the Stars Results Show
9 p.m. Detroit 1-8-7 (new)
WEDNESDAY
7 p.m. The Middle
7:30 p.m. Better Together (new)
8 p.m. Modern Family
8:30 p.m. Cougar Town
9 p.m. The Whole Truth (new)
THURSDAY
7 p.m. My Generation (new)
8 p.m. Grey's Anatomy
9 p.m. Private Practice
FRIDAY
7 p.m. Secret Millionaire (new)
8 p.m. Body of Proof (new)
9 p.m. 20/20
SUNDAY
6 p.m. America's Funniest Home Videos
7 p.m. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
8 p.m. Desperate Housewives
9 p.m. Brothers & Sisters
There are other new shows which will be reviewed here, but I assume they'll be premiering at midseason. Or, depending on how well these ones do, they could premiere earlier than that... The suits at ABC are already shaking in their boots and hoping to hell that isn't the case. Heh.
Anyway, as per my arbitrary usual, we'll start off with the dramas.
BODY OF PROOF
Description: Stars Dana Delany as Dr. Megan Hunt, Jeri Ryan as Dr. Kate Murphy, Geoffrey Arend as Dr. Elliot Gross, John Carroll Lynch as Detective Bud Morris, Windell Middlebrooks as Dr. Curtis Brumfield, Nic Bishop as Peter Dunlap and Sonja Sohn as Detective Samantha Baker. Christopher Murphey wrote the pilot, which was directed by Nelson McCormick.
My Take: First thought? Ugh. As much as I’d like to believe that this is a searing character piece about a woman trying to start over, I think we can safely assume it’s actually a crime procedural dressed up as an actual drama. Dana Delany is a power-player who can absolutely anchor a show, but I find myself wishing she were at the helm of something else. Based solely on the trailer, it’s hard to tell just what proportions of the show will be drama and procedural. If this were CBS, I’d err on the side of lots of procedural, very little everything else, but this is ABC, so it’s a tough call. They’ve been trying to tap into this woefully overdone genre for ages, but with very little success. Off the bat, I’d say the procedural elements seem pretty generic, and for as much as I enjoy Delaney, the drama elements seem pretty bland to boot. ABC hasn’t really been delivering quality drama on its dramas lately, so the odds of them delivering in an overdone story like this are slim. Overzealous neurosurgeon ruins relationship with child then has life-changing event (a car accident) that causes said doctor to reevaluate life. Been there, done that. Only in more compelling ways (you know, with the adorably moody Ephram Brown on hand). This show is already making me miss Everwood. Long story short, this looks pretty hackneyed and uninspired. If anyone could make this more than your typical crime procedural, it’s Delaney, but I’m less than confident that she can make that happen. Truth be told, even if this is considerably more drama laden than it looks, it’s not the kind of concept that has me chomping at the bit. Delaney deserves better, and the viewer audience at large deserves fewer procedurals on the docket. People seem to love this procedural crap, however, so this one might just have a chance. The sexy medical examiner (a la Rizzoli & Isles, and to a certain extent, Castle) seems to be the latest trend these days… for completely unknown reasons. Ugh.
DETROIT 1-8-7
Description: Stars Michael Imperioli (“The Sopranos”) as Detective Louis Fitch, Jon Michael Hill as Detective Damon Washington, James McDaniel (“NYPD Blue”) as Sergeant Jesse Longford, Aisha Hinds (“True Blood”) as Lieutenant Maureen Mason, Natalie Martinez as Detective Ariana Sanchez, D.J. Cotrona as Detective John Stone and Shaun Majumder as Detective Aman Mahajan.
My Take: In case Body of Proof just didn’t manage to plumb the depths of overdone genres enough, ABC has also decided to take on a cop show. Sigh. This seems pretty standard as well, but there were little elements of the trailer that pointed to something more unique. They’re taking the angle that there’s simply so much crime and murder in Detroit that the good guys are simply trying to stem the tide because there’s no conceivable way to actually stop the violence. The fact that they take a very matter-of-fact approach to such a horrific problem has a certain quirky appeal, but I think it was primarily a reaction to being on network TV. When they were looking for a shell casing on the street was probably the best aspect of the trailer for me. “I think I’ve got it! Oh, nope, it’s a .45.” Heh. I couldn’t help but to smile. I’m hoping they find a way to make this genre new and fresh, but I’m pretty sure at this point, even all the trappings in the world couldn’t make it truly special. After watching The Wire, I’m supremely confident that for a cop drama to really be as gritty as writers want it to be, it needs to be on HBO or Showtime. Even basic cable would have a hard time doing it justice, but network TV? I’m not holding my breath. I have a sinking feeling that they wanted this to be a realistic, hard-hitting, brutal look at one of the roughest cities in the country, but that it had to be sanitized and watered-down for the general public. The “cop show” has never been very high on my list, but it has been infiltrating my schedule more and more lately. Will Detroit 1-8-7 continue the trend? I seriously doubt it. I’ll give it a shot, but suspect the pilot will be the only episode I’ll ever see.
MY GENERATION
Description: Stars Michael Stahl David as Steven, Kelli Garner as Dawn, Jaime King as Jacqueline, Keir O’Donnell as Kenneth, Sebastian Sozzi as Falcon, Mechad Brooks as Rolly, Anne Son as Caroline, Daniella Alonso as Brenda and Julian Morris as Anders. Created and written by Noah Hawley (“The Unusuals,” “Bones”), who is also an executive producer, along with Warren Littlefield, Henrik Bastin, Patrick Magnasson and Martin Piersson.
My Take: In theory, this show should speak to me and my peers more than just about any other demographic. I graduated in 2001, so this pseudo-docu-soap should tap into my sensibilities on a fundamental level… and yet? Not so much. I don’t know, this trailer was really more of a behind-the-scenes look than anything else, so it’s hard to tell exactly what the show itself will look like, but from what clips they did show us, it looks pretty damn sappy. Have you chased your dreams? Faced your fears? Gag me. If they present it as a straight up narrative about people who just so happen to be this age, that could fine, but I have a sneaking suspicion this is a platform for the writers to send a heavy-handed message. Call me crazy, but I’m not so much a fan of the ham-fisted soap-boxing, thanks… I want to give them a little credit for at least trying to come up with a basic conceit that’s a little different, but at the end of the day, they’ve simply picked a few handfuls of clichés out of a bag and put them all in the same show. The jock, the rich kid, the overachiever, the good girl, we get it. We get it a lot, in fact. I realize that they’ve constructed the show around high school clichés (and what clichés those clichés turn into), but that doesn’t make them any less generic. There were a couple of elements of the trailer that had me mildly interested, but by and large, this doesn’t strike me as a keeper. The only way this is really going to work is if they’ve hired some actors who can turn those standard one-dimensional characters and make turn them into something really special. I have serious doubts, but with a considerable amount of luck, this might be something worth watching. Chronologically speaking, I kind of feel like it’s my duty to watch it, so here’s hoping it’s better than it looks. To its credit, it was created by the same guy behind The Unusuals, which happens to be a show that turned out to be just that. Better than it looked.
NO ORDINARY FAMILY
Description: Michael Chiklis (“The Shield”) stars as Jim Powell, Julie Benz (“Dexter”) as Stephanie Powell, Romany Malco (“The 40-Year-Old Virgin”) as George St. Cloud, Tate Donovan (“Damages”) as Mitch McCutcheon, Autumn Reeser as Katie Andrews, Christina Chang as Yvonne Cho, Kay Panabaker as Daphne Powell and Jimmy Bennett as JJ Powell. The pilot was written and executive-produced by Jon Feldman. The series is executive-produced by Feldman, Greg Berlanti, Morgan Wandell and David Semel, who also directed the pilot.
My Take: I’ve heard pretty good things about this one on the web, and I want to be excited for it, but I’m apprehensive. It’s the kind of concept that has to be handled in just the right way or it could be disastrous. On its face, a show about a family of superheroes sounds like carefree fun. Those associated with it keep saying that it is NOT The Incredibles, but first off, yeah, actually, it kind of is, but secondly, only not as good. I think I’d be a lot more excited about it if it were animated… you know, because then it wouldn’t have Michael Chiklis or Julie Benz at the helm. I honestly never watched much of The Shield and that has a lot to do with how unappealing Chiklis is. Aside from being difficult to look at, his overall manner and acting style are off-putting. He isn’t someone who would have me excited for a show simply because he’s in it (I’m not going to lie, the primary reason I’ve been watching Criminal Minds is that Matthew Gray Gubler is simply beautiful). Then there’s Julie Benz. I’ve hated most of her past characters (even the ones the audience wasn’t supposed to hate), so I have to assume it has something to do with her. She’s a fine actress, and I suppose she’s just doing what is asked of her, but for whatever reason, I generally hate her. I really hope her newest incarnation is nothing like her previous roles, because frankly, Darla redux? Rita 2.0? No thanks. Aside from disconcerting casting decisions, this one looks like it could be a lot of fun. If handled in just the right way, I think this show could do for the superhero genre what Chuck did for the spy-thriller. A more light-hearted, carefree approach could work incredibly well... I’m not totally sure how they’d make this work in the long term, but presumably, they should be able to bank a least a season or two of quality. Here's hoping. I mean really, how bad could it be? It can’t possibly follow the same trajectory as Heroes, right...? Right?!
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