New Year's Resolutions

I've never been one for setting goals, so the whole New Year's resolutiony thing has always struck me as pretty stupid. When asked by my fourth grade teacher what my goals for the next semester were (awwh, parent-teacher conferences... how very lame and mind-meltingly waste of timey), I couldn't come up with a damn thing. After several minutes worth of prodding, I rather wearily responded with, "I don't know... perform a lobotomy?" I was going to add "on you," but restrained myself. Not that there likely would have been much for me to remove, but at least it would be a goal worth giving a shot.

Fifth grade was no more fruitful. As an old, tattered written record of events confirmed for me a couple of years ago, when I couldn't come up with a academically acceptable goal, my teacher suggested, "How about... be less cynical..." My ten-year-old self had to concede the point.

Anyway, as I have a history of sucking at things like goals and resolutions for myself, I have opted to dole them out for TV.

TV and I have kind of been on the rocks lately. Between the current season just not quite doing it for me (across the board, to large extent) and the fact that TV abandoned me several weeks ago, I have a few grievances to air and more than a few suggestions to make.

RESOLUTIONS TV SHOWS/PRODUCERS/NETWORKS/ACTORS/ETC SHOULD MAKE:

• NBC: ...needs to stop sucking so very royally. Resolution #1? Man up and fire Jeff Zucker already! He's the CEO and president of the network and has been the driving force that rammed the network into the giant iceberg. After Comcast took over, I was sure he'd finally (FINALLY) get the axe, but no. I don't know what deals he's been making or with whom (good money is on Lucifer himself), but he must be in bed with some pretty powerful people to have been spared. Maybe it's a Stonecutters' plot... In other NBC resolution news, #2: They need to cancel The Jay Leno Show and Mercy immediately, they need to scale back on The Biggest Loser (the show has never needed to be two hours long, let's face it), and give talented writers some incentive to bring their shows to the network. As is, most writers worth their salt take their projects to a network that actually knows what the hell its doing, and NBC's scripted programming has been in stark decline ever since. They need to bring back the 9 o'clock hour and fill it with solid scripted programming. #3: Put Heroes out of its (and our) misery. I broke up with this one ages ago, but I still hear tidbits about it here and there and let me tell ya, I find myself gladder and gladder we broke up with each passing news bite. Yeah, apparently Ali Larter is playing identical quadruplets these days and Sylar is Nathan or something. Yikes. #4: They need to hold on to Chuck for dear life and give it a promotional campaign and timeslot that will actually allow it to survive. From what I'm hearing, the coming season is going to be better than ever. Can't. Wait. :)
  
  
• GOSSIP GIRL: ...needs to get back on track and return to its former glory. In a bizarro twist of fate, it's not even really the fact that they graduated from high school that has caused the problem. The show was never about high school to begin with, so that's the least of the show's worries. If anything, the problem is that it revolves too much around school these days as opposed to too little. The last few episodes have somewhat bolstered my confidence, but at the end of the day, the dynamics that make this show so great have largely been eliminated. Resolutions? #1: Break up Chuck and Blair. I know, I know, blasphemy, right? As much as I enjoy seeing them together on one level, on all other levels the relationship has lost all of its fire and snark. They need to break them up so that a new dynamic (one much more like their old dynamic) can take over. I would love to see them break up over betrayals on both sides of the fence. That would put them on an even keel for war. Which brings me to #2: Both Chuck and Blair have been suffering from badass decay for the entire season. Chuck much more so than Blair, but both have lost a lot of what made them awesome. It's satisfying to see other sides of Chuck's personality, but when it's done to the exclusion of the motherchucker core that we know and love, it's a wrong step. Also, he seems to have very little to do these days besides board meetings and crap. They need to give him a juicy storyline that awakens the badass of yore. Same goes for Blair. She's been relegated to little more than an annoyance for Chuck and a busybody without any real direction. #3: The writers need to raise the stakes and bring back the crazy. Remember when Blair was dating a British lord? Or when Little J was at the center of a social upheaval that we actually cared about? Or when Chuck... actually mattered? Yeah, they need to bring that all back. Stat. #4: Cut dead weight. Vanessa, I'm looking in your direction. #5: Bring back Gossip Girl herself. Seriously, when was the last time a storyline had anything to do with the website at all? The first two seasons presented a tantalizing and disturbing world when nothing is every private and everyone's dirty laundry is public, whether they like it or not. Gossip Girl was a weapon and a menace, and I miss that conceit. I could go on, but there are other shows which need to be taken to task...



• GLEE: ...needs to recognize what they've got and work with it better. As with Gossip Girl, I loves me some Glee, but there are still aspects which annoy me. #1: I'm a huge fan of anything that includes singing and dancing, but for a show like Glee, the musical numbers are so over-produced that it kind of takes me out of the moment. Seriously, you can't go from regular TV show conversation to a 40 person chorus and full musical accompaniment without it being a bit jarring. It makes the songs feel less organic to the story and makes the lip-syncing all the more apparent. #2: They kids are great performers, but not the greatest of actors. Some of them can certainly hold their own and generally speaking, they're adequate, but I think more emotional resonance and more convincing connections with the action would help considerably. #3: Accept the fact that Finn is NOT the show's male lead. The show keeps acting like he's the amazing glue holding the band of misfits together, but in actuality, he gets schooled by just about everyone else on the show. His singing and dancing are simply not strong enough and as a heartthrob? He falls short. I think we all know Puck is the real winner in this battle and Finn just isn't going to change that. Puck is a better singer, performer, and overall better character. It's no wonder people are pulling for Puckleberry (Rachel and Puck) while Rachel and Finn don't even have a celebrity portmanteau. Ouch.



• V and FLASHFORWARD: ...need to be completely retooled. V is painfully boring and FlashForward is laborious. Both shows have merit and potential, but unless they get their heads back in the game, they're well on their way to being cancelled. #1: V needs to build up characters that we actually care about. Seriously, 95% of the cast is just kind of... there. I think I'd be a lot more invested in the story if I cared one bit about the players. #2: V also needs to figure out what its end game is. At this point, they've established one big, huge storyline, but they don't seem to know where they want to go with it in the long run. Aside from "humans vs. aliens," they seem to be spinning their wheels. #3: FlashForward needs to get its head out of its ass and nail down its concept and characters. The show established this conceit about people seeing their futures and whether destiny is finite, but week to week they can't seem to decide if the future really matters or if what they saw is inconsequential. It takes away a lot of the gravity and just seems a little too convenient. #4: They also need to build up characters we care about. At this point, it's an entire ensemble of dour, earnest, wet blankets who are kind of tedious to watch.



• HOUSE: ...just needs to stop. I have loved the show for many, many years, but the conceit has become oppressive and the character development is suffering as a result. #1: Either eliminate the patient of the week or find a way to reinvent it. I've been bored to tears with the POTW pretty much since the show began, but it was tenable because the POTW created a framework for character interaction and development. Now the dynamic is largely wasted and I find myself fast-forwarding through the standard medical crap that I stopped caring about ages ago. It's been the same routine for over 100 episodes and I just can't take it anymore. #2: Cut dead weight. Foreman, 13, and Taub, I'm looking in your direction. It's not that they couldn't bring in new and interesting characters (I miss Amber more and more with each passing episode), but the show seems to have opted for dull over substantive or likeable. Good thinkin', writers! #3: Either resolve the Huddy issue already or let it go. The teasing is getting ridiculous.



• FOX: ...needs to work out a schedule that doesn't make people want to shoot themselves. Seriously, most of their heavy hitters are benched until April, and that, my friends, I simply cannot abide. #1: They should just axe the ailing and aging American Idol and 24. Every year that 24 comes back, I just have to shake my head. Even die hard fans are pretty sick of it at this point. I don't watch the show (what can I say? American jingoism and nationalist propaganda just don't quite do it for me), so all it presents for me is an obstacle to more Glee. As for American Idol, I've loathed that crapfest since its inception and the fact that it basically takes over the network every spring is like an obnoxious, slightly tipsy, thoroughly tacky slap in the face. #2: They need to not air So You Think You Can Dance in the fall ever again. What a disaster. I realize that reality TV is cheap, and don't get me wrong, I love the show, but it's a summer show first, last, and always. Plus, if they opt for such a debacle once again, it'll put shows like Lie to Me (which got pretty good after Shawn Ryan took the reins) and Fringe (which I had to give up on, but have been meaning to give it a second chance). Really, anytime reality trumps scripted I'm less than thrilled, so even when it's a reality show I enjoy, it's still a blow.
  
  
• PROJECT RUNWAY: ...needs to return to the Bravo network. I was trying to nail down all the things that were wrong with last season and it all boiled down to the switch to Lifetime. The show had the same look, same set up, and same host, but what it lacked it lacked in spades. You know, like entertainment value? Good god last season was dull. Even when it was good it was boring. Bravo just has a knack for this kind of programming that is unparalleled and Lifetime simply couldn't do it justice. #1: Bring back Nina Garcia as a regular judge. She didn't earn the nickname "Mean-a Garcia" for nothing. She was always the most delightfully brutal and blunt of them all and in her absence, many of the lackluster designs got a pass. #2: Come up with original challenges. I realize the show has been through 6 (is it 6?) seasons and that fresh ideas are harder and harder to come by, but I think the salvation of the show depends on it. Look at Top Chef. It just completed its 6th (is it 6th?) season and it's better than ever. The grudge match between the brothers Voltaggio certainly helped, but the show really managed to come up with some new and interesting challenges.

I'm sure there are other grievances for other shows that should probably be included, but compiling just these was taxing enough. Come on TV, be more funny! (A little something for all the Simpsons fans out there.) Really, TV needs to be a whole lot of things at the point, but bottom line? Most of my shows just need to be better. When they're competing with the awesomeness that is Burn Notice, Castle, Dexter, Psych, etc., they really need to step up their games.

Here's hoping they're better at keep resolutions than I am. You know, the fake resolutions that I just made up and that they don't even know about...

And no, my logic is not suspect.

Sci Fi Overload

Hey, peeps. I've been rather remiss about writing lately. Between most of my shows going on hiatus and my work life royally sucking at the moment, it just hasn't been a priority. I've spent my evenings working on jigsaw puzzles. Yes, jigsaw puzzles. And yes, I'm aware of how very sad that is. You want sad? I can crank out a 1500 to 2000 piece puzzle in about 3 days. This generally involves sitting on the floor for several hours at a time, hunched over my puzzle, which in turn results in a condition I affectionately call "puzzler's back." (You know, like maid's knee, tennis elbow, or dancer's hip.) Ann and gals at work basically couldn't stop laughing for about 15 minutes when I told them of my affliction--resulting in several cases of "laugher's side"). I had honestly never really thought of it as funny because I use it so often, but when I step outside the situation, I can see that's it's funny in that "ohhh, you gave it a name" kind of way.

I have my chiropractor on standby.

Anyway, this post is actually supposed to be about my science fiction shows, not puzzles (had ya fooled, didn't I). My sci fi shows are on a sliding scale these days, with none of them performing at the level I'd expect.

I miss Firefly. (As I shed a tear for the Browncoats...)

DOLLHOUSE

As any of you who watch this show know, Dollhouse has been officially cancelled, but the brass at Fox (still atoning for Firefly) have agreed to air the entire 13 episode order. They've been airing two episodes on Fridays, which is a lot to take in, but also nice to have around sans anything else. I haven't seen this most recent Friday's outings, but the two episodes aired their first week back were surprisingly good. I'm not as invested in the show as I was in season 1, and no episode can hold a candle to "Epitaph One", but I'm really enjoying where the show is going these days. The addition of Alexis Denisof (aka Wesley Windham-Price) as a politician seemingly hell-bent on bringing down the dollhouse has been excellent. I'd be lying if I said I didn't see his reveal as a doll coming, but it was still pretty satisfying to watch. Also, having Summer Glau back in the Whedonverse was a nice addition as well. Although her acting is always verging on the "doll state," she did a really great job and I hope they bring her back for more episodes (you know, before it goes off the air in a few weeks). Same goes for Amy Acker... I think the reason this season started off a little slow is that Whiskey high-tailed it out of there early on. I can't imagine she won't be resurfacing sometime before the finale (let's face it, her storyline easily has the most loose ends which will need to be tied up), but I find myself wishing she were central to just about every episode. Sigh. At least Alpha's coming back soon. :)

The episodes have been less rigidly "story of the week" as well, which is greatly appreciated. This may come as a shock, but I actually don't care what wacky antics Echo is up to this week unless it matters in the grander scheme of things. The engagements were only part of the problem. When half your cast can't remember what happened in last week's episode, it's kind of hard to build anything solid or employ any substantive story arcs. Given the self-imposed limitations of the concept, I'm shocked the show has worked as well as it has. That said, I really wish Joss and company had thought of some other conceit, some modified path for these characters to take that would have allowed for growth in a more active fashion. That Echo is really starting to remember things is encouraging, but at the same time, her fellow dolls (most of whom I care about more than Echo) are still wandering around like mindless children most of the time.

Anyway, my issues with the concept are beside the point this late in the game. I have enjoyed Dollhouse and expect the rest of the season will be quite satisfying, but I'm also glad Joss and company (did you notice that was Marissa playing Kilo?) will be able to move on to other projects (most notably the Dr. Horrible sequel (eee!)). As far as my slate of sci fi is concerned, Dollhouse is still the strongest contender.

FLASHFOWARD

Oh, FlashForward... I had such high hopes for you. Okay, that's being a bit dramatic, but the show really hasn't knocked it out of the park as one would hope. As with V (which we'll get to later), the concept of the show really only allows for one storyline. Granted the show takes a different bent on that one story and focuses on different characters in different episodes, but at the end of the day, you're stuck with one big giant endpoint: the blackout. I've been sufficiently intrigued by the blackout, who is behind it, why it happened, what implications it may have, etc., but I've also found myself feeling bogged down. Again, as with V, I keep thinking this conceit is better suited to a miniseries or a movie than a standard series. Each episode seems to be desperately trying to flesh out characters I don't care about regarding an event that I've heard about all episode every episode since the beginning of the series. Not a good sign.

I've kept up with the show because the base concept really is intriguing, but in execution, the show is falling short. This glimpse into the future has added a gravity and an earnestness to even the simplest of interactions and it's just not working to well in the long run. Every scene is dripping with too much emotion and destiny and fate and crap, and subsequently, self-importance. I'm having a hard time really caring about any of the characters and even kinda sorta hate Joseph Fiennes' role. His character is unerringly dour, stern, and humorless, and I just can't bring myself to rally around a wet blanket who doesn't even have cynicism or snark to fall back on. I'm vaguely invested in the supporting cast, but at the end of the day, I just don't really care what happens to them. If what's-his-face gets killed in March, I'm unconcerned. If that one girl gets pregnant or not (a storyline which is saccharine and grating at best), I really don't care. That dude looking for his the Japanese girlfriend, the bearded guy and his military daughter, that girl who drowns... don't care, really don't care, seriously who is that girl? It's not the kind of response a show would hope for.

Again, the over-arching story is what keeps me going, but even that's starting to wind down for me. Much of the mystery behind the blackout has already been exposed, and while it's interesting, I've got enough of the story that I think I'd be okay not finding out the rest. The heavy-handed themes about life and destiny and all that crap were fairly intriguing early on, but I'm really starting to not care. It's not a terrible show or anything, but from what I can see, my sentiments echo most people's. The show's ratings are fair, but nothing to write home about, and the numbers for the winter finale were at a series low. That, coupled with the fact that ABC cut the show's order by an episode and have put the show on hiatus until March and I think it's safe to say it won't be getting a second season. I predict that when the show returns in the spring, no one will be watching. Also, this hiatus seriously throws off their timeline... I'm starting to wonder what exactly the plan is, but really? Who cares. (This is one of those times when there needs to be a punctuation mark for when it's technically a question, but is really a statement.)

V

Speaking of disappointing, hey look! It's V! When I first heard about this show, I had very high hopes. The pilot was decent enough, but no where near the tour de force I had anticipated. It's really much better suited to a miniseries, which, wouldn't you know it, is exactly where it started. Oy. Like FlashForward, the show has set itself up so that it can really only have one storyline. This kind of high concept can absolutely work, but in both these cases, it's just kind of falling apart.

To really sum up my thoughts on V, all I really need to do is disclose the fact that I've only seen the first 2 1/2 episodes. Oh sure, I've re-watched Glee's oeuvre about a dozen times, but can't bring myself to get caught up on V. It's hard to exactly quantify why the show isn't clicking with me, but rest assured, it isn't. I care even less about these characters than I do the FlashForwarders. Elizabeth Mitchell's character? Blah. Her son? Mega blah. That guy who's actually a V--you know that guy with the curly haired fiance? Ugh. Scott Wolf? Cheesetastic (and not in a good way). The priest? Couldn't care less. The only people I find myself concerned with are Morena Baccarin and Alan Tudyk, and that's more as a result of my allegiance to the Whedonverse than anything else. I keep wanting to like the shows Whedon alums find themselves signed onto, but it just isn't working.

Like FlashForward, ABC has cut the show's order by an episode. Not catastrophic or anything, but not a good sign either. That coupled with the plan to air the show in blocks (of 4 or so episodes each) and I get the feeling ABC isn't completely behind the show. I'm kind of glad they're on hiatus though, because maybe I'll actually get around to getting caught up. Of course, they've been sitting on my DVR for weeks now, so I'm not holding my breath.

Overall, sci fi on TV (at least basic network TV) is a dying art. Fringe in hanging in there (and actually showing some gains after quite a long spell of decreases in ratings), but only time will tell if it gets another season pick-up. The way things are playing out at the moment, I'm guessing Fringe will survive, V has a chance, and FlashForward is as good as dead. Its never been the most common of genres, but it seems to be struggling more and more. Battlestar Galactica was very successful (in its own way), but again, that's wasn't basic network TV. I think sci fi is more of a niche genre and has its best chance of survival on cable. It's really hit or miss for me, but lately? It's been a hell of a lot more miss than hit.

I'm hoping the current slate of strugglers doesn't dissuade programmers from picking up sci fi in the future, but I'm willing to wager it takes a toll. Although, given the new shows sci fi had to offer up this year, I can't say I'd be totally heartbroken.

Here's hoping for better things to come...

I bring you love... (It's bringing love! Break its legs!)

"Saw a great documentary on ABC last night on the lizard people who live among us. The head lizard girl looks like someone
I used to know."

--Nathan Fillion on Twitter.

So awesome. Love him.

ABC's much anticipated V premiere finally came on Tuesday, several weeks after the usual deluge of new programming. It's always a bit of a risk to premiere shows later in the game, but for a show like this, I think it was a very good idea. The risk that is run is that audiences plan on all the new shows to premiere at roughly the same time, so those that premiere early or late sometimes get forgotten. For a show like this, however, I think it was a good idea to let all the other shows play their hand and allow for some hype to build for this one single show. And, from what I'm hearing about the premiere ratings, ABC's tactic absolutely worked. We'll have to see how it fares next week, but the premiere was huge. As in, 14 million viewers overall and a 5.2 in the demos. (I realize that probably means a whole lot of nothing to most of the people reading this blog, but trust me, a 5.2 is very big. Anything over about a 2.8 is quite good, so a 5.2 is quite impressive.) I'm sure the show will slip in the ratings next week (as is a pilot's want), but the show's success will hinge on just how much of their audience is retained.

Anyway, now that the shop talk is out of the way, we can get to the show itself.

First off, a note to ABC: Stop starting your programs early! The pilot for V started a full 2 minutes before the top of the hour, so I had to watch them online after the fact. Annoying. I don't want to think that ABC has some sort of deal with advertisers to piss of DVR users, but that's sure how it feels. A lot of network's do this occasionally, but ABC is by far the most consistent offender. Grrr...

Fortunately, V started off in fairly predictable fashion (given what we've all seen of the promotional materials), so I didn't miss anything very important. The show is a remake (of sorts) of the miniseries by the same name that was a bit of a cult classic back in the 80s. I never saw the miniseries, so I was going into V blind. Well, not totally blind. As I very soon found out, and had assumed based on what I had already seen and heard, for as fanciful a tale as it is, it was very, very familiar.

The pilot centers around the arrival of "the visitors," an alien race that has positioned very large, sun-obscuring spaceships over the major cities of the world. Sound familiar? Yep. It feels derivative, and kind of is, but so are all the others. Fortunately, the writers totally recognized this fact and lampshaded the similarities almost immediately. No sooner had the visions of Independence Day started replaying in my head than a pair of teenagers being interviewed by a news show said, "Dude, this IS Independence Day!" "Which was a rip-off of any number of alien invasion predecessors..." It was a nice touch because at that point in the pilot, it's what every one in the audience was thinking. It's also a shame that this kind of invasion plot is familiar enough that the show can't help but feel derivative, so it kind of comes off as an easy way out. As long as we call attention to it, it's not a problem... Yeah, it kind of is. It may not feel as fresh and original as one would hope, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have potential. In this same vein, I appreciated that the writers acknowledged the redundancy through the characters. It's nice when the characters in a show exist in the same world we do and have the same cultural consciousness. It's always annoying when the characters in TV shows apparently don't watch any TV shows themselves. It makes for some nice meta moments which always bring a smirk to my face.

Anyway, this alien race claims to be bringing "peace, always" and proposes a collaboration between earth's inhabitants and their race. Their obvious goal is to ingratiate themselves with humans and the writers of the show did a wonderful job pinning down just how an alien race should go about winning over humanity. The "V's" tap humanity's love and devotion in the most effective possible ways--they bring medicine, are extremely attractive, and have big shiny toys. I knew the general conceit and the ins and outs of the show prior to the pilot, so there were very few surprises, but for people who didn't know anything, certain aspects were handled very well regarding the V's invasion. The V's claim that they are just now making contact with humanity, but they already seem to know everything about us. I wondered how common parlance like, "You're not so bad yourself," would have found its way into an alien culture, but as the audience finds out later, the V's have been living among us in secret for ages. They know exactly how to make themselves attractive and non-threatening to humanity because they know everything about humanity already. Little things like having a gorgeous woman be their spokesperson and telling the youths that they need a parent's signature to join up makes them seem just like us, only better. Morena Baccarin (aka Inara from Firefly) plays Anna, the leader of the V's. Her cool demeanor is a bit off-putting, but she's somehow very inviting and disarming. It's very clear that this race has put a lot of thought into this invasion, which makes it all the more apparent that they don't have the good intentions they claim to have.

At the same time, however, their surface facade is pretty hard to argue with. There are some detractors among the human race, but by and large, people are thrilled with the V's presence and see them as saviors more than threats. (As was the V's intent.) I was much less impressed with the human contingent in the pilot than the aliens, I have to admit. The way the pilot was structured, it was obvious who the main players would be, but they were set up in such a way that I didn't really care about them until everything came together at the end. Elizabeth Mitchell (Juliet from Lost) and Alan Tudyk (Wash from Firefly/Alpha from Dollhouse) form the most interesting contingent, but even their set-up could have been better. They play FBI agents who spend the better part of the pilot investigating a terrorist cell. Even though the show did a good job explaining why they would be carrying on with their jobs as usual, I couldn't help but to think, "Um, there's a giant spaceship hovering over your city..." It just felt weird to see people going on with life in a normal way with an alien invasion underway... I was very glad to see that the terrorist cell was actually a secret group of aliens, but that isn't revealed until the bitter end and for the better part of the pilot, the audience has to wonder if what they're watching will actually matter later on.

In that same vein, the character of Ryan and his girlfriend don't appear to matter for a good long while. I assumed that all these people actually would matter when all was said and done, but the pacing of the pilot and the build-up for the reveals at the end wasn't as compelling as I would have hoped. Ryan's relationship with his girlfriend didn't have any weight to it till he was revealed as an alien. The secretive text messages and phone calls were intriguing, but again, the set up left me wondering if any of it would really matter in the end. It did, of course, but I think the writers could have done a much better job drawing me in to their storylines much earlier on. As it was, the only characters I really cared about were the aliens and Wash... who turned out to be an alien...

Which reminds me, as I watched the pilot, the most interesting and engaging human relationship was between Mitchell's character (Erika, was it? we'll call her Juliet) and Wash. Being the Whedon fan that I am, I adore Wash and I was really hoping he'd have a good-guy role after his turn as Alpha on Dollhouse. Don't get me wrong, he makes for a great bad guy, but when he was revealed as the leak from the FBI and one of the murderous aliens, I was a bit bummed. The reveal was actually quite well done, but still kind of a downer, mainly because I liked his and Juliet's chemistry on the show. With his reveal, it puts them at odds. It wouldn't have mattered so much, but that the other relationships on the show have yet to grab me. Juliet's relationship with her son was of little concern to me and the set up for it wasn't compelling enough for his betrayal to carry much weight. Newscaster guy (Scott Wolf) was fine and served a necessary purpose, but again, didn't draw me as thoroughly as I would have expected.

All in all, I think the main problem with the character set up was the fact that the pilot was only an hour long. Had the pilot been two hours, the writers would have had plenty of time to set everything up in a more complex and substantive way which would have made the reveals at the end much more powerful. For me, too much ground was covered, too many characters were introduced, and too many pivotal reveals were made in too little time. I'm not saying it should have been a slow, belabored, protracted process, but I think more development over a longer period of time would have given all the characters more appeal and the overall storyline more emotional depth. The pacing was a definite issue and given the time constraints, the writers actually did a pretty decent job. They tried their damnedest to throw little quiet moments into the pilot and add some subtlety wherever they could, but in only 43 minutes, that doesn't add up to a whole hell of a lot.

The cursory overview of the characters was a problem in other areas as well. In other human news, and as is so often the case for me, the religious aspect was off-putting. I can see where it was absolutely necessary (what with religious types probably having a lot to say about something like an alien invasion), but the way it was handled left me unimpressed. It either needed to be explored in much more depth or ignored altogether. As is, it felt like the writers knew they had to include religion (which mostly rests on the shoulders of a priest), but didn't have the time to really do so, so they just put in as much as they could and called it a day. It didn't feel deliberate or all that thought-out and as a result, kind of fell flat. His words weren't as powerful as they should have been and the questions of faith didn't resonate like I would have expected.

The pilot really picks up steam when the underground resistance is exposed. A clandestine group of humans who discovered that aliens were among us ages ago come together at the end of the pilot to discuss the hostile takeover that is to come. The rebels set up the most compelling dynamic for the show. Along with the humans, certain V's (that guy named Ryan--he does matter!) are among the resistance. There's some delightful bloodshed and violence and the pacing finally picks up in a way that made me really pay attention. The peaceful serenity (oh how I miss Firefly) of the V's public persona was interesting and provocative and all, but it wasn't till they started kicking some ass and showing their teeth that I was really enthralled. After seeing the scaly lizard people wreak havoc on the unsuspecting resistance meeting, it made Inara's (sorry, Anna's) icy exterior all the more deliciously menacing. Morena Baccarin does a wonderful job letting the scary, monstrous, evilness shine through the peaceful facade ever so slightly. She was far and away the best player in the pilot and although it was kind of a bummer to see Wash turn out to be a baddie, the thought that he and Inara are on the same team is pretty damn satisfying.

Overall, the pilot was good, but not spectacular, and I have to admit, I expected spectacular. For a show with this kind of high gloss, high cost, high concept approach, I was hoping for more. It was successful, and the end really came together in an interesting and exciting way, but the build up just didn't quite do it for me. The real problem I see is, where does the show go from here? The way the pilot set things up, there's pretty much no other plotline that can be had other than supporters versus resistance, aliens versus humans. It's a stirring dynamic that has a lot of room to explore, but in the end, it kind of feels like it should have been a miniseries... oh wait, it... was. Awkward. The show has set things up so that pretty much every episode has to be about the resistance and I'm just not sure how long that can or should be sustained. I'm hoping the writers can work things out in such a way that the central conflicts don't get old, but I'm just not sure they could keep that going for several years. In that vein, I was very glad to hear that ABC plans to roll out the show much more like a miniseries than an actual series. We'll get 4 or 5 episodes at a time and then a break. I think it's a good plan creatively for the show, but I do wonder what kind of impact that will having on viewership.

In summation (finally, right?), the pilot was good, but I think it could have been (and should have been) a lot better. I really wasn't blown away and I'm not exactly chomping at the bit for next week. I think the show has a lot of potential, but unless the writers find a way to improve the pacing and make the central conflicts more diverse, I think they might be spinning their wheels for a while. I went in with very high expectations and I'm afraid that may have colored my judgment overall. It wasn't a bad pilot by any stretch, but I wasn't as blown away as I had hoped and expected.

Here's hoping the weeks to come live up to (and hopefully exceed) my expectations. I definitely think it can, but I'm still on the fence as to whether it will.

Pilot grade: B-

ABC Pilots: Volume 2

I don't know exactly what ABC's schedule looks like for next year (they're so thoroughly subject to change that I don't generally bother until the time comes--plus, with the DVR, it doesn't really matter), but, given the sheer (shear?) volume, I have to assume that several of their pilots will premiere at midseason... It's looking like V, Deep End, and Happy Town will all start up around January. I am finally, finally, finally getting around to the rest of ABC's lineup. I tried to coax Annie into taking the reins on these, but she had a lot of non-wedding anniversary stuff to take care of...

At any rate, the rest of the contenders (those who weren't included in volume 1) are as follows:

THE FORGOTTEN


My Take: Well, right off the bat, for a show with as serious a subject matter as this, it seems pretty spectacularly cheesetastic... although I suppose that's a natural extension of earnest self-importance... It's honestly kind of difficult to even assess this kind of show after a while. This is an admittedly different angle on the procedural, but I'm not sure it's an improvement. Although the approach is a bit different, the end result and ultimate goals are still largely the same. This puts a bit more focus on identifying the victim than your usual crime show, but I don't think that's enough to re-invent this particular wheel. The victim's voice-over didn't really work for me and I'm hoping that was for the sake of the pilot and not an ongoing motif, but I'm guessing I'm wrong. In all honesty, this show will look a hell of a lot different when it actually becomes a series. Several cast changes have already been made, including the lead, and not for the better... Hot off the ignominious failure that was My Own Worst Enemy, Christian Slater will play Alex Donovan, a former lawman who heads up the "Identity Network" (which sounds more like a social networking site than a super-duper crime fighting team to me). The role was filled in the pilot by British actor Rupert Penry-Jones (BBC's Spooks). Also, the role of Linda is being recast as well. She was played in the pilot by Reiko Aylesworth from 24. Anyway, when major cast shake-ups occur, usually the whole entity undergoes some serious changes, so I expect this will turn into something quite different than what we're seeing now. Given the changes so far, and the fact that Jerry Bruckheimer has his sticky fingers involved, I'm afraid the changes won't be for the better.

Bottom Line? I think this is going to be yet another derivative crime procedural in an already overcrowded sea of derivative crime procedurals. I'll give it a shot, but I think my quota has already been filled.

V


My Take: I have to say, of all the pilots coming out this fall, V looks like it has the most potential for awesomeness. This series is based on a miniseries from the 80s that has a fairly substantial cult following. I never actually saw the miniseries, so I'll be embarking into this territory without any pre-conceived notions. Not only does the concept have a lot of potential, but the show boasts a pretty impressive cast thus far. Elizabeth Mitchell (of Lost fame) is headlining the show and she is joined by various Whedon alums who play fellow FBI peeps and aliens alike. The giant face in the sky belongs to Morena Baccarin (aka Inara from Firefly) and I believe that was Alan Tudyk playing one of Mitchells FBI comrades (I've heard conflicting information about his involvement in the show, but I'm wagering he'll be at least a recurring character, if not a regular). At first, it has an unfortunate Independence Day vibe, but fortunately said vibe was stolen from much better source materials, so I'm confident V will hold its own and avoid any and all Will Smith-related comparisons (I've only seen the trailer and can tell you it deserves much better). It may just be the sci-fi geek inside me, but I'm kinda sorta totally stoked to see Morena and company lull humanity into a stupor of admiration and devotion and then destroy the whole lot... Call me crazy, but that sounds like a grand old time. :) Sci-fi has had a hard run over the past few years, so I'm hoping to hell this show really knocks it out of the park and finds a following right quick. ABC has a better track record for such feats than, say, I don't know, Fox, so with any luck, it shouldn't be a problem. V will premiere at midseason, presumably after Lost's final season premiere.

Bottom Line? The whole affair looks solid from beginning to end. I've always enjoyed a show that appeals to a cult following. Add that to my Whedon devotion and the glowing reviews I've come across so far and I suspect this will feature prominently in my top tier. It looks to be a slick production from people who know what they're doing, so I'm confident it will handled in the right way. I kinda can't wait. :) Scott Wolf notwithstanding.

MODERN FAMILY


My Take: You know, at first glance, I assumed it would be awful, but it actually looks pretty decent. Good, I dare say. It's not often that a promo alone is enough to elicit even a smile from me, but the preview for Modern Family was actually pretty funny here and there. The single camera style is pretty much the norm these days and as far as I'm concerned, is totally welcomed. Anything that means there's no laugh track and I'm on board. I can't help but to think if Arrested Development had come out this year, it would have done oh-so-much better. Anyway, in kind of a similar vein, Modern Family is delightfully disfunctional (rather than desperately, laboriously disfunctional, which is so often the case). I'm not completely sold on the show, what with my hatred for children on TV and all, but this one seems to be hitting a much funnier and more enjoyable note than most. The scene on the plane really cracked me up. It just so simple and yet effective and funny to have the baby holding actual cream puffs that I couldn't help but to smile. And offering to pay for everyone's headsets? Perfect.

Bottom Line? When I first heard about this one, I assumed it would be your standard family comedy, but I'm very pleased to see that it has a lot more edge and a lot better approach than the crap that's currently out there. There aren't a lot of comedies that really strike the right chord with me, but, shocked as I am, I think Modern Family might just hit the right note. As long as it steers clear of the usual cliches and keeps an inappropriate edge, I think it'll work. Here's hoping.

THE MIDDLE


My Take: You know those standard, un-funny family comedies I mentioned in the Modern Family discussion? Yeah... The Middle is one of those. This show just appears to be trying so very hard to be funny that it totally isn't. The whole "haggard mother who doesn't know what happened to her life" routine is pretty played out (not that I cared to watch it the first 874 times) and I have the slightest tendency to completley loathe Patricia Heaton, so this one was off-putting from the get-go. It was a very short clip, but somehow way too long all at the same time. This show really doesn't seem to be up my alley or worth my time. When I saw that it was billed as "a sitcom about a Midwestern family living middle-American values," I pretty much knew it wasn't going to be love at first sight. I'd have lemon-lawed this sucker in seconds.

Bottom Line? I'll pass, thanks. I don't have children, don't want to have children, and don't need this show to remind me of just how much I don't want to have children in order to not have children. Blah.

HANK


My Take: The dreaded laugh track... It's annoying on principle, but when applied to something that doesn't actually elicit any laughing, it basically shines a spotlight on the un-funniness. Ugh. I generally quite enjoy Kelsey Grammer and adored the first several seasons of Frasier, but with this new gig, Grammer doesn't appear to have found his footing or really created a character. I realize that generally takes more than just a pilot to establish, but it was still kind of painful to see him so out of depth. It's not like it's the kind of role he couldn't handle, he just, well... didn't. The dialogue was clunky and forced, the jokes were ham-fisted, and the laugh track helped show me where the writers actually thought they were being funny, but totally weren't. It's the kind of concept that could work, if standard sitcom fare is your game, but I'm underwhelmed. And a little in pain.

Bottom Line? Well, um... it's good to see he's getting work? Ugh. It would take a whole hell of a lot to make this work and from what I've seen and read, it ain't gonna happen.

THE DEEP END




My Take: Well, show for show, this baby has more "oh hey, it's that guy!" than just about any other I've come across. Teeming with people who have been in a bunch of other stuff can be a detriment at times, but none of these were real headliners in previous projects, so I don’t think it’ll be a problem. Was that Billy Zane? He kind of fell of the planet… or should I say, into “the deep end”! Oy. Sorry, couldn’t resist. Anyway, this looks like kind of a throw back to legal shows of the late 90s, so I’m feeling a bit nostalgic. The tone looks to be more lighthearted than your usual hard-hitting drama, but toward the end of the preview, they seemed to be trying to walk the comedy/drama line and, sadly, not walking it very well. It has your standard legal show clichés and stereotypical characters, but that’s not to say it doesn’t have promise. There’s a reason that formula is so popular, after all. I’m just afraid that it won’t be able to really make its own mark and will lose my attention before I can really get invested. I adore Tina Majorino (she was one of the many wonderful aspects of Veronica Mars), but her character seems to be particularly (and intentionally) annoying, and not in a charming way, so that’s a downer. The rest of the cast appears to be decent enough and suitably charming for this kind of set up, so if the writers play their cards right, I don’t see why this couldn’t be a nice little genre piece. Taken in the wrong direction, and it could just be a derivative mess. Only time will tell.

Bottom Line? I’m not over the moon for this one, but it doesn’t look awful… yet. There were certain aspects to the preview that rubbed me the wrong way, but it looks watchable overall. I don’t think it’d ever be a first tier contender, but hopefully it’s good enough to grace the second.