The Dead, the Mostly Dead, and the Slightly Alive

For some reason I keep thinking it's June next week... Perhaps it's because Burn Notice returns on June 4th (booyah! my god, I love that show), but I just can't seem to acknowledge that May is still very much in existence and means I'll have to wait four more weeks for Michael Weston and company to start blowing things up once again.

Whatever the reason May has fallen of my head, fact is, it's here to stay, and television-wise, it's actually a very important month.

Aside from being a sweeps month and one of the best month's for season finales, it's also upfront season. For those of you unfamiliar with the term, the "upfronts" are the season schedules for each of the networks. It's during this time that viewers get to find out which shows got picked up for next season, which shows got the axe, and what new pilots are in the works.

For a professional television watcher such as myself, the upfronts are kind of like the draft (as I hesitantly dip my toe into a sports metaphor)... Shows get picked up, fired, and traded, the schedules get jumbled, and I have to completely reorient myself. As frightening as it can be at times (what with the vast majority of my shows currently teetering on the bubble), it's also one of the most fun (for someone as pathetic as I am, that is).

For some unknown reason, NBC's upfronts will be on November 5th, while the other networks won't be until the 18th through the 21st. Maybe they're hoping that announcing first will give them some sort of edge? Lord knows they could use the help, but I just don't think it'll do them a whole lot of good. Whatever. Most of my bubble shows are on NBC, so the less time I have to wait, the better.

Anyway, here are the latest details on pick-ups and cancellations (go here for shows that were picked up or axed earlier), and a few predictions about the bubble shows that currently on the endangered TV list.

OFFICIAL PICK-UPS:

• Grey's Anatomy (Every time I see anything about this show, I find myself ever so glad we broke up. Although I'm hearing Izzie is on her death bed these days, so I might just have to tune in for her untimely (in that it should have come three years ago) demise. Although imminent death would be about the only way she could possibly become whinier... Maybe I'll pass after all.)
  
• Private Practice (Oh lordy, I don't watch this show, but I came across this clip and about died. I tell ya what, wow/oy/ugh/seriously?)


• Ugly Betty (which I'm a little surprised at...)


• Lost


• Desperate Housewives
  
• Brothers & Sisters


• Dancing with the Stars (injuring "celebrities" for yet another season)


• The Big Bang Theory (picked up for 2 more seasons)


• How I Met Your Mother (also picked up for 2 more seasons--yay!)


• Heroes (Although the show has been sucking it up lately, it still does very well overseas and with Bryan Fuller back on the team, I've heard that creatively, it's in a much better place than when Heroes and I broke up earlier this year. It was picked up for next season, but only an 18 episode order, as opposed to this season's 24 or 25 (which felt more like 86 or 117)).


• Two and a Half Men (got picked up for the next 3 seasons--gag me)


• 24


• Friday Night Lights (I believe it's another weird, DirecTV something or other, but one way or another, it's alive and kicking (heh, no pun intended))


• Breaking Bad


• The Tudors


• Law & Order: SVU

OFFICIALLY DEAD AS A DEAD DEAD:

• Life on Mars


• Knight Rider


• Chopping Block (the title alone was just begging for cancellation)


• Lipstick Jungle (after about of dozen horror-movie style returns from the dead, I think this one is finally over with)
  
• Trust Me (wasn't a terrible show, but it was kind of painful to watch. You have to try pretty hard to make Erik MacCormack and Tom Cavanaugh unlikeable, but I'll be damned if they didn't succeed with flying colors)
  
• According to Jim

Those were the shows that I've heard official news about. Below are the shows that are still unofficially anything...

GOOD AS DEAD:

• Kings (Well made, ambitious, and had a lot of great elements to work with, but it never found an audience. Also, it was more than a bit of a downer... Seriously, a little levity would have gone a long way. It started on Sundays as NBC's grandiose new drama, then it was banished to the Saturday death slot, then, just when you thought it couldn't get worse, it's been pulled from the schedule entirely. I'm hearing the remaining episodes of its 13 episode order will air this summer. Ouch.)
  
• Better Off Ted (This is a real shame. It's a great show, but Americans have truly, truly, terrible taste (see Two and a Half Men's pick-up status above for reference). I'd like to think that this little gem had a chance of being picked up, but the ratings are pretty abysmal and the show is actually good, so between those two factors, it doesn't stand much of a chance. Bah!)


• Terminator: The Sarah Connors Chronicles (The official word hasn't come down from on high, but multiple sources confirm that the show is dead. I never watched this show, but I hear it was quite good and anything with a Whedon alum on board deserves better than Fox has to offer.)

ON LIFE SUPPORT:

• Dollhouse (She ain't dead yet, but things are looking pretty grim. Joss mentioned in an interview recently that a second season pick-up is entirely possible, but after looking at last Friday's numbers, I'm not holding my breath. Let's just say it was a tough call between putting this show in the category above or this one. I would be thrilled if it got picked-up, but I'm trying not to get my hopes up (read: get any hope at all). It has turned into a pretty kick-ass series and I'll be sad to see it go. Here's hoping for a miracle.)


• Chuck (Although Chuck has always struggled a bit in the ratings department, deep down I think it'll get picked up. The brass at NBC like the show and have shown quite a bit of support in the past. I like to think that the powers that be realize that Chuck is in quite possibly the worst timeslot ever conceived, and that that has a lot to do with its ratings woes. Seriously, it's up against House, Dancing with the Stars, How I Met Your Mother, The Big Bang Theory, and Gossip Girl. Monday at 7 is a very busy time for me... Plus, the grassroots efforts by fans and the show's cast have garnered quite a bit of media attention of late, so I think NBC will keep it, even if just to save face. They don't have a whole lot of successful shows these days, and certainly none with as devoted a following. In short, go to Subway this weekend and help the cause!)
  
• Life (another one of my darlings that has struggled in the ratings department. Honestly, the ratings aren't terrible and given the number of times it's been moved around on the schedule, it's performing better than I would have thought. The overhead on this kind of show usually isn't too insane, and we all know people love their procedurals, so I have a little hope that Life will survive. More than for Dollhouse, but not as much as for Chuck. It's prognosis is somewhere in between, I'd say. Even though season two kind of lost its way here and there, it ended strong and I'm keeping the faith.)
  
• The Unusuals (its ratings aren't terrible, but they've been slipping week-to-week. It's a solid show with a premise that should have mass appeal, but it just isn't finding a huge audience. I'd really like to see this show come back for a second season, but unless the ratings pick up, or at very least, stabilize, it doesn't look too likely).

LOOKING GOOD:

• Castle (I'm very pleased that a pick-up for Castle is looking fairly likely. The ratings aren't insanely spectacular or anything, but they're good and hold steady week-to-week. Also, ABC doesn't really have much else in terms of a procedural, so I think they'll keep Castle around for next year. I sure as hell hope so. What at first struck me as a piece of harmless fluff that could flesh out my second tier shows has quickly become one of my favorite shows on TV, first tier all the way. Finally! A show with Nathan Fillion that might survive! Yay!)


• Eleventh Hour (The ratings are actually quite good (in spite of CBS's ostensible lack of support for the show). I'm hearing Marley Shelton might not be back next year, which for a show with only two series regulars, she's half the show... I think this show could really benefit from an overhaul, so if it gets picked up, here's hoping that make a lot of changes. The show needs a home base and more than two regular characters.)


• Lie to Me (It's really not that good of a show, but I have to admit it's gotten a lot better since its first couple of episodes. It's a third tier show through and through, but it's toned down its "we're these incredible specialists who have the unique ability to spot obvious lying" overtones and that has made it a lot easier to watch. I still fast-forward through parts of every episode though... Anyway, the ratings are pretty good, but could certainly be better. I think Fox will keep this one around, especially with Prison Break ending and 24 getting on in years, it could use another consistent player.)


• Samantha Who? (I was honestly a little surprised that Ugly Betty got an early pick-up and Sam Who? didn't... I think it still has a good chance of being picked up, but the early pick up announcement made it a little uncertain. It's a decent show, but I only caught the first few episodes. The concept doesn't leave room for much longevity, so I can see where ABC might be on the fence with this one...)


• Scrubs (strange as it may sound, it's looking more and more like Scrubs might get picked-up for another season... The real contingency is which actors would be willing to come back to the show. If enough regulars agree to come back, it'll most likely get picked up, if not, it's much less likely.)
  
• Southland (It has only aired a couple of episodes so far (which is the only reason I didn't put it in the "Definite Pick-Ups" category), but the numbers are solid and NBC has been pushing hard for it. With ER over and buried (finally), they've been looking for a new drama to fill that slot and it appears they may have found it. The show doesn't really do it for me, but it's well made and I can see where it could find a sizable audience. Another good sign, now that Kings has been yanked and sent to the Summer Cemetery, reruns of Southland are airing in its place. Bad for Kings, good for Southland. It's nice to see Ryan Atwood getting work...)
  
• Privileged (shockingly enough, the little show that could might actually make it. The CW doesn't really have a whole of shows to hang on to, and with most of their returning shows getting older and more ridiculous, Privileged may very well be picked up. I've been hearing good things about its possible return lately, so although I don't really care one way or the other and have never seen a full episode, good for them...)

DEFINITE PICK-UPS:

• The Mentalist (although official word hasn't come down yet, this mediocre show was this year's breakaway hit for some unknown reason. Oh wait, Americans really love bad television. This show isn't a total disaster, but that's about the best I have to say. It's watchable, but it'll never break out of its third tier distinction unless it really starts bringing its A-game (assuming such a thing exists). Have no fear Mentalist fans, Simon Baker will be back next year, smarmily pompous as ever, along with Robin Tunney's dead eyes and hollow head. Yay...)
  
• Fringe (again, nothing official, but Fringe is pretty much a lock for next year. I didn't survive past the first 6 or 7 episodes, but I hear the show has really hit its stride these days. The ratings are solid, and Fox has shown considerable faith in the show. I'm confident of a pick-up and will be pretty surprised if it gets the axe (even though this is Fox we're talking about and nothing should shock me at this point)).

These lists are of course not comprehensive. Shows like House, the CSI trifecta, and the glut of reality crap like American Idol and The Bachelor will surely be back, so I didn't focus on them. Once the upfronts are officially announced, I'll post a comprehensive list for each network (including new pilots for next fall), but until then, it's the shows that have uncertain fates that get the attention.

Anyway, I'll keep you posted. Till then, I'll just be sitting here, on pins and needles, hoping to hell my shows come back next year... Sigh.

TV Roundup--New Shows So Far...

In an unusually sparse line-up of new shows, I've really had to adjust my strategies for this season. Ususally, I have the pleasure of taking chances on probably a dozen new shows and deciding if I should axe any of my usuals in the interest of something shiny... This season? I still have the urge to axe some of my oldies, but haven't a whole lot to replace them with. Henceforth, my schedule is filling up with old stuff I'm kind of sick of and new stuff that isn't that spectacular. Sigh... I'm hopeful the next few weeks of premieres will bolster my schedule, but so far, so not-so-good...

Anyway, here's how things are stacking up so far.

NEW SHOWS THAT I'VE GIVEN A CHANCE:

• FRINGE: This is the show I was most excitedly anticipating, but so far it has been a bit of a letdown. Only three episodes have aired, so I'm not going to give it the old heave-ho just yet, but at the same time, I'm not exactly giddy for each new episode. The concept has merit, but once again, the execution is problematic at best. I'm finding Pacey's snottiness even more unwarranted, especially when hurled at his old, batty father. There's just something about is demeanor that strikes the wrong chord. I find his character the most charming when he's not being a smarmy jackass (which is usually when I'm most delighted with someone) and that's a pretty paltry percentage of the time. Anna Torv isn't doing herself any favors with her character profiile either. She's so dour you either want to smack her or fall asleep. Or, ideally, manage to flail your hand into her face as you unconsciously slump to the floor.
  
  Bottom Line: It's kind of X-Files-y, but not as good. And, if you've seen one 8-year-stint of sci-fi detective work, you've seen 'em all. I'll be giving Fringe a couple more episodes to grab me, but unless Anna Torv is the next sci-fi conundrum they solve (you know, what alien presence could possibly make someone so bland?), I'm doubting it will make it onto my permanent rotation...
  
  
• THE MENTALIST: Okay, I approached this bad boy with more than a little apprehension and a healthy dollop of superciliousness, planning to mock and mame at every turn. Little did I know that it's actually a pretty decent show. The pilot aired the other night (and airs again tonight, if you're interested) and I was genuinely drawn in and entertained. I'm not saying it's the greatest show ever or anything, but for the procedural that it is, it's quite well done.
  
  Simon Baker, the lead actor on the show, is truly the anchor and driving force behind the pilot's success. He plays one of those ever-so-ubiquitous know-it-all types, but rather than being annoying (as is so often the case), his character is quite charming. In an odd twist for a know-it-all detective, he's surprisingly polite and even soft-spoken. His character used to be a fake TV psychic, but after his family is murdered, now uses his powers of, um, menial observation to genuinely help people. His character has a more complex pathology than I was expecting and his genius is unassuming, but influential.
  
  The supporting cast could be better. Without Baker at the helm, I think this would be just another procedural where the maverick genius goes against standard procedure to solve the unsolvable. Robin Tunney, who is dull as ever, fills the requisite role of Baker's foil, playing the rule-abiding, protocol-following straight woman of the pair. It's kind of a one-dimensional, hackneyed role, so I guess for what it's worth, Tunney does what was called for (not that that makes her engaging in any way). As usual... I realize the need for a foil, but I think they could have done a whole lot better.
  
  The whodunnit of the pilot was well thought-out and the mystery was engaging, if not entirely unique (it's a busy genre, what can I say?) The pacing was effective and I didn't find myself getting bored or irritated. If this is a harbinger of mysteries of the week to come, I think the show will do pretty well. Yet again, nothing earth-shattering or spectacular here, but definitely enjoyable. Also, the larger story arc involving Red John has affected Baker's character directly, so it makes for a more engaging season, multi-season, or god help us, series plotline. (For the sake of the show, I'm hopeful they wrap it up at the end of season 1--trust me peeps, it's for the best.)
  
  Bottom Line: If you're in to procedurals (or even if you aren't), The Mentalist is at least worth checking out, even if only for Simon Baker. I'm not sure it's quite good enough to make my permanent rotation, but it's much better than it looks and I think I'll be DVRing this one for weekends and rainy days.

And, as those are the only two new shows that have premiered so far (shockingly, given that Sepetember is almost over), my next roundup will have to be about returning shows. This little post turned into quite a bit more than expected (as is par for the course), so I'm having to break things up. I was going to have one giant monolith of TV reviews, but I find bite size pieces to be a lot easier to swallow.

Copyright InFringement

It has been said that familiarity breeds contempt. I think that is the biggest hurdle facing J.J. Abrams (or as I like to call him, "Juh-jay-brums") and his new pet project Fringe. When I first heard about the show, I was excited, but cautious. The early reviews of the pilot said it was basically a cross between the X-Files and Alias, both of which I thoroughly enjoyed, BUT whenever a show can be boiled down so readily, it often portends triteness-->hence the caution...


The fact that the show is on Fox and has a more limited potential fanbase than other Abrams classics like Lost or Alias also bodes ill for the show, but my real concerns did not truly manifest until I heard of the surprisingly mixed (at best) reaction from the sci-fi nerds at Comic-Con. The kind of geekery offered by a show like Fringe is what these Comic-Con attendees salivate over (well, that and Hot Pockets). It's a double-edged sword having a screening for such a crowd because truly, no audience could be more appreciative, and at the same time, more brutally snarky and critical than a group of middle-aged Star Wars fanboys who live in their mothers' basements and have dressed up like storm troopers for the convention. Henceforth, the polarizing reviews were a minor cause for concern, but I wouldn't stake my assessment of the show on their reactions.

Anyway, Fringe premiered on Monday and I can see where the contasting reviews took shape. With J.J. at the helm, there is no way this show wouldn't be compared with Lost and Alias, and given the show's tone and basic concept, it also has to grapple with an X-Files smackdown. Three classic shows with often obssessive fanbases. Fringe had an insanely high bar to surpass and it didn't have a chance of being assessed solely on its own merits. Not an enviable position to be in... especially with Pacey as your anchor... (Not that Dawson would have been a step up or anything... [insert cold shudder] Plus, Dawson was like 34 when Dawson's Creek was actually on, so at this point, he'd have to play the crazy father character... which would actually have been kind of fun to watch--note to Fox...)

Anyway...

The basis for the show revolves around "fringe science" which apparently equates to things like mind control, reanimation, invisibility, defense against the dark arts, transfiguration, uh, algebra, you get the idea... For kicks, an FBI element (a hot, leggy blonde FBI element at that--um, yay?) has been thrown in the mix to spice things up. The premise more than smacks of the X-Files, which would be fine, but for the fact that it does not succeed as brilliantly as its predecessor. The production values are beyond reproach and the pilot was as well made and stylish as any Hollywood blockbuster, so it was by no means the look of the show that was the problem. The FBI angle seemed to be aiming for Alias, but lacked the pulse-pounding, "Oh my god, Sydney, look out! It's another long lost evil aunt of yours!" thrill of the Bristow contigency. Familiarity can be like a warm, relatable blanket of nostalgia, but in this case, the familiarity rather unfortunately reminded me of insanely great shows, thereby making this good, but not spectacular show, pale in comparison.

I tried desperately to separate this show from others so that I could give it an objective review, but at every turn, something reminded me of something else. That isn't to say that pilot was bad, it just wasn't the unique, original experience I was hoping for and kind of expecting from J.J. Along with the constant comparisons, for me, it was largely the little things that made the pilot fall into "good" territory rather than "spectacular" territory. The premise itself has a hell of a lot of potential, but the execution is what worries me most.

The tone and pacing of the pilot were probably the biggest problems. As with any pilot, a lot of plot exposition and premise explanation has to go on, the actors are trying to figure out their characters, and the audience is trying to build a construct for how they are going to interpret the show. This is bound to cause some problems and disconnects, but for a pilot to be successful, the powers that be need to have a firm grasp of the tone they're trying to set. I think Fringe only has a fair handle of the tone they're aiming for and the pacing of the pilot didn't help solidify their stance.

The pilot opens with a plane that's in trouble. Now J.J., if you're trying to decrease the amount of comparison between this show and your other projects, maybe starting out with a flight in peril wasn't the best plan of action. You won't be able to top the Lost pilot, so it's best you not remind viewers that that is the gold standard. It starts off normal enough, and it may just be my cynical conditioning at work, but when one passenger offered another passenger a piece of gum and held up the pack, I was fully expecting some not-so-subtle product placement and we weren't even 10 minutes in. I was just waiting for something like this:

"Would you like a piece of Icebreakers' new Spearmint Fusion gum? The flavor will awaken your senses in a blast of ecstasy."

"Why yes, yes I would! You say this fine product can be found at any local convenience store? Fanstastic! All my worries have just melted away in a cascade of minty bliss. Thank you, Icebreakers Gum!"

Thankfully that didn't happen, but it already made tone an issue for me. Fortunately (well, maybe not "fortunately" exactly), the flight quickly turned ooey gooey when everyone on board started melting, so I figured we were on the right track again.

Yeah, not so much. Anna Torv, who plays FBI Agent Hot Blond, is apparently the emotional basis for the show as the audience is subjected to her and FBI Agent Hunky Love Interest professing their love for one another. Yet again, I might be too conditioned to TV here, but I knew that guy was either in trouble or was trouble the second he told her he loved her. I immediately thought he'd be killed off and as it turned out, I wasn't too far off the mark.

Hunky Love Interest (John) gets the ball rolling when he basically gets blown up and Hot Blond (Olivia) has to save him. From how the show was hyped, I was really expecting a new and unique experience, but I found familiarity and even predictability (the real showkiller) around just about every corner. Enter Pacey and his wacky father (both of whom just so happen to be geniuses). Hot Blond needs their help to save Whatshisname, and we spend the rest of the pilot watching this go down.

As far as a pilot premise goes, that's all fine and dandy, but yet again, the execution was flawed. There was no build up to the John/Olivia relationship, so the audience really doesn't care that he's in danger. Further, Olivia, whose most memorable qualities include an inability to smile and an unintentional wealth of accents to rival the UN (seriously, I spent half the pilot trying to decide if her character was American, British, Scottish, Australian or some combination thereof--the accent changed more and more the longer the sentences got), doesn't have the emotional pull to make the audience want to root for her. Unlike Alias, where Jennifer Garner's devastation over her fiance's murder completely pulled the audience in, I found myself watching Olivia's plight more as a simple point A to point B plot device rather than the heart of the operation. I did enjoy that she wasn't a sappy, sentimental crusader, though. It was nice to see that in spite of her personal attachment to John and the main plotline, she conducted herself professionally (even if a bit blandly).

That Olivia, as a character, falls a bit flat (at least so far) wouldn't be too much of an issue if the other characters were more engaging. Which isn't to say that they were completely unsuccessful, but none of them made me desperate to tune in next week. I found the crazy father to be inconsistent (which I guess was the point?) and serving more as a screwball technique to force all these people together than a fully-realized character. Truly, Pacey, whose character's name was... Peter? I think? Pacey it is. His character had the most promise for me, and even then, his overweening trait was a bit off-putting. There was a sporadic snottiness that infused most of his interaction with others that didn't seem intrinsic so much as forced. Which, perhaps that's who his character is. He puts on a front and isn't very good at it. If that's the case, then he did a hell of a job. Most of his snottiness felt out of place in the context of what was going on, and while he had some very entertaining lines, I found myself liking his character the most when he was genuine and real. Which we all know I'm a big lover of snark, so for me to connect most with a character when he's not being a smarmy jackass truly was an original experience for me, so I guess at least I didn't see that coming... I'm most intrigued to see how his character turns out after a few episodes. Thus far, I'm really hoping I just read him wrong. That the audience doesn't necessarily like these characters off the bat does have a certain appeal, but I think I'm going to need more development before I really care about any of them and can appreciate the character, even if I don't exactly like the character.

With only the pilot to base things on, it all felt a little too X-Filesy for purely nostalgic purposes. Olivia and Pacey are the Mulder and Scully of the series respectively, but the problem is, Mulder and Scully they are not [pictured at left, and apparently "the truth" is out there, you know, to the right]... Particularly with Pacey's character, I kept thinking, "Why Scully, you've gotten snottier..." It was distracting to see the Mulder "I want to believe"/ Scully "It doesn't matter how many aliens I run into, I still don't believe" dynamic presented again, but with less successful results. If I didn't have the X-Files as a rubric for how such characters should interact, I think I would have appreciated Fringe much more and the experience would have been fresher and more engaging.

The pilot as a whole was good, but not great. Even the areas where I found myself becoming genuinely interested in the show had an irksome familiarity to them. The experiment, which I found to be the most effective part of the first hour (it was a 90 minute pilot), was interesting and all, but unoriginal. The pacing started to pick up and I was interested to see how the shared dream state would work out. Turns out, it worked out just exactly the way it did in The Cell, and even had a similar visual motif. I became sure the shared dream state would feature Jennifer Lopez in at least one capacity or another [insert cold shudder]. Fortunately (VERY fortunately), it didn't, but knowing the threat (and I mean Threat Level RED here, people) was out there certainly didn't help me enjoy the show and kind of broke down the fourth wall for me.

All in all, watching Fringe was kind of like watching your best friend perform in the school talent show. Okay, that makes it sound positively god-awful, and that's not what I meant. Compounding the hype, the anticipation, and my appreciation for J.J.'s past works (aside from Armageddon, naturally) made me approach the show with so much hope that I found myself almost willing it to be everything I had dreamed. "Come onnnn, don't suck! Come onnnn, don't suck!" Which it genuinely didn't, but definitely could have been better, even with my allegiances willing it to be fantastic.

Long story short, I wasn't blown away by the pilot, but I think the show definitely has potential. The last 30 minutes sucked me in much more than the first hour, and in spite of knowing exactly whose voice would be on the tape in one last spasm of predictability, I'm genuintely intrigued to see what happens next. There is a lot that could be done with this show and I think once everyone gets on the same page regarding tone and character development, it could be a real classic. I'll be sticking with it for at least the next few episodes, although I hear the premiere only attracted 9 million viewers (as opposed to Lost, which premiered with about twice that), so with Fox at the helm, it might only be on for the next few weeks. Damn Fox. I'm still bitter about Firefly...

Overall, I give the Fringe pilot a B-.

Pacey with the Fringe on top...

So, after Joss Whedon's Dollhouse, the second most hotly anticipated new show for the coming season would have to be J.J. Abrams' pet project Fringe. From what I'm hearing, it's a little bit Alias, and quite a bit X-Files, both of which I positively adored, so I'm thinking Fringe has a lot of potential. Plus, it has Joshua Jackson of Dawson's Creek fame, so that definitely raises an eyebrow. I'm excited. Very excited. TV, whoo!

Fringe Trailer


Chase Scene from Fringe


J.J. Abrams talks about Fringe


Interview with Joshua Jackson and Anna Torv