Article
2010/11 TV show pilots
A quick look at the forthcoming season of TV shows
We here at Hit-Reset (and by we I mean me) love all forms of digital entertainment. Movies, music, games and my number one love, television! Every year those kind American networks bombard us with a cavalcade of new shows. However, this is an extremely expensive and risky business, how can you be sure which ideas will resonate with your intended target audiences. This is where pilots come in! Single episodes of new shows designed to introduce us to the cast and story for the forthcoming season, hooking us so we will continue to tune in week after week, swelling the viewing figures and boosting their advertising buy-rates. Every year I wade through the many pilots that are coming our way, offer up some info on each pilot, my thoughts on it and perhaps you'll be a little better informed of what's coming this forthcoming season. As always I make no apologies if the information contained within is not accurate by the time you see these shows as pilots are hugely susceptible to being changed or even reshot. Although I will offer apologies for the potentially disjointed nature of this opening post, I've been working on it for a while in OO while moving home and doing a million other things. Also, please note that there has been a larger than usual cull of pilots this year so I've done my best to miss out those that have either already been canceled or have definitely gone back to the drawing board.
ABC
Mr Sunshine - airing Lord only knows when
The network blurb reads...
"Matthew Perry stars as Ben Donovan, the self-involved manager of a second-rate San Diego sports arena who begins to re-evaluate his life on his 40th birthday. Working alongside him is his boss and arena owner, Crystal -- attractive, powerful and highly erratic; Alice -- the cute, tomboyish marketing director and Ben's friend with benefits; Alonzo - a former basketball player, handsome and unbelievably happy; Ben's assistant, Heather - pretty, sweet, but terrifying because she once lit a boyfriend on fire; Crystal's son, Roman - sweet-faced, clueless and Ben's newest employee; and a hapless operations crew whom Ben refers to collectively as the "Steves.""
Perry wrote the pilot and plays the part of Donovan very well. Donovan hates pretty much everyone and everything and hitting forty has made him take a long hard look at his life. Allison Janney stars as his boss, racist and just generally crazy Crystal. Nate Torrence (Dylan from Studio 60) plays her son Roman, whom Donovan is tasked with finding a job for within the arena. The only problem is the guy is a brain dead cretin. James Lesure (Mike from Las Vegas) plays Alonzo, Ben's love rival for the affections of Alice (played by Andrea Anders who was Linda in Better Off Ted). Crystal recently received some pad press for an illegal dog track and so donated a pile of cash to a local youth centre to counter the PR. She needs Ben to help make sure that the press event to award her for this donation goes off without a hitch and does not highlight her racist attitudes. Meanwhile the circus is booked into the arena for tonight but the ice from last night has not melted and the work crew won't help him as they don't like him. He calls them all the same name because people get offended when he doesn't remember (or really care) who they actually are.
This works, in the main. Some of the comedy falls a little flat but you can certainly see Perry's hand in the writing. Janney gets to stretch her comedy legs as the crazy boss while Perry does the neurotic thing he's done for years. The venue, a sports arena, also opens them up for all sorts of madcap happenings.
Better Together airing Wednesday's at 8:30pm
The network blurb reads...
"Maddie and Ben have been dating for nine years. They know each other inside and out, a relationship marked by contentment and affection, seeing their commitment to one another as a "valid life choice," something they proclaim often - and often loudly. Maddie's younger sister, Mia, has been dating Casey for seven weeks. With a shared c'est la vie attitude, Mia and Casey are smitten with each other, and thrilled to explore the oh-so-many things they don't know about each other yet. But when they announce they're getting married and having a baby, it's news that throws Maddie for a loop. Surprisingly, the girls' parents, Vicky and Joel, couldn't be more pleased. Married 35 years, they have recently adopted a carpe diem sort of philosophy, rather like Mia's, maybe because they're getting older and lost a good portion of their savings when the economy tanked. With three very different relationships tightly intertwined in one family, will it be free thinkers vs. over-thinkers, or will each couple begin to see things a little bit differently?"
Two sisters, Maddie (Played by Jennifer Finnigan from The Bold and The Beautiful) and Mia (Joanna Garcia who played Bree in Gossip Girl), who could not be any different. Maddie is as straight laced as they come, nine years into a committed relationship with Ben while Mia has been with Casey for all of seven weeks. When the couples get together with Maddie and Mia's parents Vicky and Joel (played by Debra Jo Rupp who was Kitty in That 70's Show and Kurt Fuller of Supernatural most recently but known to most for Wayne's World) things surprisingly click, despite the lamentations from the parents that neither girl has delivered grandchildren or even a wedding. This is despite Maddie's worst fears as the day before Casey had called on her to ask advice on how best to propose to Mia. Maddie is then shocked when her parents seem delighted with the idea, and even more so with the revelation that Mia is pregnant. Maddie is usurped as the favourite and both girls have to adjust to the new arrangement.
It's a solid enough pilot, but again not for me personally. It's just another sitcom really with the usual fare of set ups and laughs. No one really stood out for me, but no one bombed either so I guess that's a plus? This'll stick around I feel but my lack of interest in the general premise meant I found it hard to be drawn in.
Happy Endings airing midseason 2011
The network blurb reads...
"Forget who gets to keep the ring - when a couple splits, the real question is, who gets to keep the friends? In this modern comedy, a couple's break-up will complicate all of their friends' lives and make everyone question their choices. When life throws you for a curve, hold on tight to the people you love. Every circle of friends has someone who's the gravitational center. For years, perfect couple Dave and Alex drew their friends in and held them together. Now that they've split, does this group have the stuff to stay together? Or do Max, Brad, Jane and Penny have to choose sides?
Suddenly every event is a negotiation... like, who gets to go on the annual ski trip? There are a lot of big questions to be answered, but this group has been together so long, somehow, little by little, they'll figure out how to hold on, even though their center is split up. It helps that Dave and Alex have agreed to stay friends. But there will definitely be other complications down the road - like Penny's long-suppressed feelings for Dave. What is the waiting period for dating a friend's ex? This show isn't afraid to ask the embarrassing personal questions that inevitably arise in every long-term, close-knit group of friends."
Not a show about satisfied customers at a massage parlour then, as I first suspected. Dave (Zachary Knighton from Flash Forward) and Alex (Elisha Cuthbert) are getting married when Alex's co-worker Bo (Travis Van Winkle from 90210) interrupts and declares his love for her. She dumps Dave at the altar and he's devastated. His friends try to lift his spirits with a night out a week or so later but this ends in disaster too when he first learns Alex took Bo on their planned honeymoon and then he picks up a "tramp stamped" girl in a bar and promptly declares his love for her. Alex returns to this and the fight for their friends begins.
Another in the sitcom comedy mould, and another that just isn't very good. Poor writing, poor character design and a cast that seem content to simply go through the motions most of the time. It tries way too hard to be funny and the quirky zany comedy it tries to shoe-horn in just falls flat. Most of the characters are so damn one-dimensional. Dave and Alex are understandable caricatures of a couple post break-up to help bleed everything from their circumstances but the friends are all so cookie-cutter. Max (Adam Pally) is gay and is still sensitive about being teased for being fat when younger, Penny (Casey Wilson, SNL alumn) is perennially single, due to her long-standing feelings for Dave. Meanwhile couple Brad and Jane (Damon Wayans Jnr and Eliza Coupe from Scrubs) are trying for their first kid. The ending then throws everything up in the air again also, which makes me think this is a show that won't see a second season.
No Ordinary Family airing Tuesdays 8pm
The network blurb reads...
"The Powells are about to go from ordinary to extraordinary. After 16 years of marriage, Jim and Stephanie's relationship lacks the spark it once had, and their family life now consists of balancing work and their two children, leaving little time for family bonding. During a family vacation set up by Jim in an attempt to reconnect, their plane crashes into the Amazon River. But this is where the fun starts for the Powells, as they soon discover that something's not quite right. Each of them now possesses unique and distinct superpowers. But saving and savoring their family life will be equally important, as they try to find purpose for their new powers and embark on a journey to find out what defines and unifies them. The Powells are a totally relatable family who happen to be a little bit amazing."
Jim Powell (The Shield's Michael Chiklis) and his wife Stephanie (Dexter's Julie Benz) decide to drag the family along on a business trip to Brazil to try and bond as a family. Kids Daphne and JJ seem to be enjoying themselves until an aerial tour of the Amazon basin ends in a plane crash. The family survive the accident and return home to their mundane lives. However,upon returning to work as a police sketch artist, Jim is shot by a suspect. He survives, having caught the bullet. He shares this news with his best friend George St Cloud (Romany Malco from Weeds) and after a few tests they conclude Jim has superpowers! Much like Hulk in fact. Incredibly (or not), so do the rest of his family. Stephanie has developed super speed, JJ has super intelligence and Daphne is now a high level telepath. Jim decides he wants to become a crime fighter, while Stephanie investigates how they happened to develop these powers.
Heroes this is not. Instead of the constant bitching about how their powers are a burden, here we have four characters who are giddy at the idea of having superpowers. There are a few niggling things about the script that perhaps showcases the need for a slightly stronger writer. Mostly the fact that each ability seems to fit perfectly with a problem each character has. Jim wants to do more to help the police, Stephanie never has enough time to get everything done in a day, JJ is the family dunce and Daphne is always worried/paranoid what people think of her. Each ability is a perfect fit. However, this is relatively minor. Benz and Chiklis are a delight, plain and simple. Watching both test out their abilities is a hoot, it's pretty much how I imagine I would react to getting superpowers. Just pure unbridled giddiness. So much better than the constant bitching we got from the likes of Peter Petrelli. Obviously I'm biased, I'm a massive comic book geek, but I loved this.
My Generation airing Thursdays 8pm
The network blurb reads...
"What a difference ten years can make. In 2000, a documentary crew follows a disparate group of high schoolers from Greenbelt High School in Austin, TX as they prepare for graduation, then revisits these former classmates ten years later as they return home to rediscover that just because they're not where they planned doesn't mean they're not right where they need to be. These students couldn't wait to graduate and head out into the real world. But the world they were entering got very real very fast. As these classmates return home to revisit their old hopes for their future, they'll discover that, even if you don't get exactly what you thought you wanted out of life, it's not too late to get what you need."
One of these mockumentary shows that I always fail to appreciate, and this is no different. Nine students were interviewed in 2000 prior to graduation and ten years later the same documentary crew return to catch up with the kids, who are not kids any more. Jock Rolly Mark (True Blood's Mehcad Brooks) is now married to punk Dawn Barbusa (Kelli Garner), who is pregnant with his kid while he serves in Afghanistan. Beauty queen Jackie Vachs (Jamie King from Gary Unmarried) married rich kid Anders Holt (Julian Morris, 24 and ER) but their happiness seems forced. Steven Foster (Michael Stahl David from Kings) seemingly has the world at his feet but he's given it all up to surf and tend bar in Hawaii while shy loner Caroline Chung has become an outspoken single mother. What Steven doesn't know, until the documentary starts the second time around, is that the one night stand he and Caroline shared after prom resulted in her pregnancy. Class nerd Kenneth Finlay (Keir O'Donnel from Sons of Anarchy) has become an elementary teacher who cannot find the woman for him, perhaps because of lingering feelings for Dawn, which certainly isn't helped by the fact they have remained close and he is like a surrogate boyfriend while Rolly is away from home. Brains Brenda Serrano (Daniella Alonso from Friday Night Lights) has become a successful lawyer in Washington but has no life, no friends. Finally school rock star The Falcon (Sebastien Sozzi) has grown into a washed up dj with an alcohol problem.
I never get these shows, and this is no different. I just don't care about any of the characters, I cannot find any reason to engage with their fake concerns, lives, anything. Maybe it's down to the writing, maybe it's down to the performances turned in by the cast but everyone just seems so disinterested so why the hell should I give a damn?
CBS
Hawaii Five-O airing Mondays 10pm
The network blurb reads...
"HAWAII FIVE-0 is a contemporary take on the classic series about a new elite federalized task force whose mission is to wipe out the crime that washes up on the Islands' sun-drenched beaches. Detective Steve McGarrett (Alex O'Loughlin), a decorated Naval officer turned cop, returns to Oahu to investigate his father's murder and stays after Hawaii's governor persuades him to head up the new team: his rules, her backing, no red tape and full blanket immunity to hunt down the biggest "game" in town. Joining McGarrett is Detective Danny "Danno" Williams (Scott Caan), a newly relocated ex-New Jersey cop who prefers skyscrapers to the coastline but is committed to keeping the Islands safe for his 8-year-old daughter; and Chin Ho Kelly (Daniel Dae Kim), an ex-Honolulu Police Detective wrongly accused of corruption and relegated to a federal security patrol, who is also a former protege of McGarrett's father. Chin's cousin, Kono (Grace Park), is a beautiful and fearless native, fresh out of the academy and eager to establish herself among the department's elite. McGarrett vows to bring closure to his father's case while the state's brash new FIVE-0 unit, who may spar and jest among themselves, is determined to eliminate the seedy elements from the 50th state."
Alex O'Loughlin is flung another lifebelt by CBS after their shoddy treatment of Moonlight and the disaster that was Three Rivers with the lead role in one of their biggest new shows, a remake of the cult show from the seventies. He plays Steve McGarrett, who after five years has finally caught international bad guy Anton Hesse. While transporting him to prison, Hesse's brother Victor (played by Buffy's James Marsters) calls to let Steve know that he has his father (played by William Sadler from The Pacific amongst many many other things) and he will kill him if McGarrett doesn't free his brother. However, before Steve can do anything the transport convoy is attacked and Anton dies. Victor, infuriated by this, kills the father. Steve returns home to bury his father. While there, he is approached by Hawaii head honcho Pat Jameson (Jean Sharp who played Martha Logan in 24) to form a special team of cops answerable only to her, with the purpose of taking down top criminals. Their first case is Victor Hesse. Steve however wants revenge so refuses. However, he quickly runs into dead ends so accepts the offer. He recruits his team (Scott Caan from the Oceans Trilogy, Angela Gotts from The L Word, and Daniel Dae Kim from Lost) and they set off to track down Victor.
O'Loughlin does the whole lead thing well but the star is definitely Caan who plays Danny Williams, a white guy who only moved to Hawaii to be closer to his daughter after his ex moved to the island. He simply has the better lines and shows better ability to deliver them. Unfortunately O'Loughlin and Caan don't really click as partners but hopefully that'll be ironed out as the show progresses. It's going to get a lot of press I'd imagine but in all reality it's just another cop show on CBS. Sure the surroundings and some of the cast are very nice to look at but it's not really anything different.
$#*! my Dad says airing Thursdays 8:30pm
The network blurb reads...
"Based on the popular Twitter feed by Justin Halpern, starring Emmy Award winner William Shatner as Ed Goodson, a forthright and opinionated dad who relishes expressing his unsolicited and often wildly politically incorrect observations to anyone within earshot. Nobody is immune from Ed's rants, including his sons, Henry, a struggling writer-turned-unpaid blogger; and Vince (Will Sasso), the meek half of his husband/wife real estate duo with domineering Kathleen (Nicole Sullivan). When Henry finds he can no longer afford to pay rent to his pretty roommate -- and secret admirer -- Sam (Stephanie Lemelin), Ed reveals a soft spot and invites Henry to move in with him. Henry agrees, knowing that the verbal assault will not abate and now there will be no escape. Describing their father/son relationship is tricky - but Ed will easily come up with a few choice words."
Laughter track comedy from CBS, it's exactly what you would expect from the network that brought you Two and a Half Men and The Big Bang Theory. Henry is being recast. Shatner easily the star of the show but this show will annoy as many as it delights.
Mike and Molly airing Mondays 9:30pm
The network blurb reads...
"MIKE & MOLLY is a comedy from Chuck Lorre ("Two and a Half Men," and "The Big Bang Theory") about a working class Chicago couple who find love at an Overeaters Anonymous meeting. Officer Mike Biggs (Billy Gardell) is a good-hearted cop who sincerely wants to lose weight. Mike's partner, Officer Carl McMillan (Reno Wilson), is a thin, fast-talking wise-guy, who despite his teasing encourages Mike on his road to slimness and romance. While speaking at an O.A. meeting, Mike meets Molly Flynn (Melissa McCarthy), an instantly likeable fourth-grade teacher with a healthy sense of humor about her curves.
For Molly, focusing on smart choices isn't easy because she lives with her sexy older sister, Victoria (Katy Mixon), and their mother, Joyce (Swoosie Kurtz), both of whom flaunt their healthy appetites and slender figures. Mike also faces temptation at the diner he and Carl frequent, where they've become friends with the Sengalese waiter, Samuel (Nyambi Nyambi), who finds trying to eat less a foreign concept. For Mike and Molly, thanks to their mutual love of pie and the desire to resist it, finding each other may have been worth the "weight." "
Mike (Billy Gardell from My Name is Earl) is a fat cop who through a Fatties Anonymous meeting runs into fat teacher Molly (Melissa McCarthy from The Gilmore Girls) and they fall for one another, while being fat. Then the joke about being fat. Their friends tease them for being fat. Did I mention they were fat?
Christ, even for a CBS "comedy" sitcom, this is fucking dire. Right up there with the awful Brothers last year from Fox. Literally the entire concept for their canned laughter is shitty fat jokes. That's it. The show seemingly has no other angle. They expect to get 24 episodes out of that? Good bloody luck. Next!
The Defenders airing Wednesdays 10pm
The network blurb reads...
"THE DEFENDERS stars Jim Belushi and Jerry O'Connell in a comedic drama about two colorful Las Vegas defense attorneys who go all in when it comes to representing their clients. Nick and Pete are the local go-to guys with an eclectic client list who are still looking to hit their own jackpot. Leading the law firm of Morelli & Kaczmarek are Nick Morelli (Belushi), an earnest, hard-charging attorney who represents his clients to the best of his ability, no matter how big or small the case, and his partner, Pete Kaczmarek (O'Connell), whose passion for the law is matched only by his love of fast cars, beautiful women and expensive clothes. Joining them in their growing law practice is new associate Lisa Tyler (Jurnee Smollett), an enthusiastic young attorney looking to put her exotic dancing days behind her; and their young assistant, Sophie (Tanya Fischer), a spunky and sweet ingenue who is eager to please her bosses.
As Lady Luck shines on their legal careers, the partners have their hands full when it comes to their personal lives. While Pete is busy cruising the Vegas Strip for his latest romantic conquest, Nick is focused on repairing his fractured marriage to his estranged wife, Jessica (Gillian Vigman), while remaining present in the life of their young son. No matter the offense, Nick and Pete aim to prove that when the stakes are high they're willing to bet the house on the clients they defend in Sin City."
Dan Shepard (Eric Laden from Generation Kill and Mad Men) insists he was just defending his brother when he shot at the four men beating him up but he's on the hook for manslaughter. Bad news for his lawyers too, he's just rejected a plea deal that would have seen him serve just three years instead of forty. His lawyers, Nick Morelli and Pete Karczmarek are equally devastated when the judge (Stephen Root, everything from The West Wing to King of the Hill) pushes to go straight to trial. Luckily, the guys' newest associate Lisa has spotted a few cracks in the case against their client.
In the mould of My Cousin Vinnie, Belushi and O'Connel carry this by the books lawyer drama to a largely enjoyable conclusion. It's certainly nothing we have not seen before, and it's no The Good Wife, but it's enjoyable enough. Both of the main actors seem enthusiastic enough and give believable performances, which is all you can really ask of a show of this ilk. It's not going to win an Emmy for searing insight into the American judicial system but it's solid enough fare.
Blue Bloods- airing Fridays 10pm
The network blurb reads...
"BLUE BLOODS is a drama about a multi-generational family of cops dedicated to New York City law enforcement. Frank Reagan (Tom Selleck) is the New York Chief of Police and patriarch of the Reagan brood, which he heads as diplomatically as he does the force, even when dealing with the politics that plagued his unapologetically bold father, Henry (Len Cariou), during his stint as Chief. A source of pride and concern for Frank is his eldest son Danny (Donnie Wahlberg), a seasoned detective, family man and Iraqi War vet who on occasion uses dubious tactics to solve cases. The sole Reagan woman in the family, Erin (Bridget Moynahan), is a N.Y. Assistant D.A. and newly single parent, who also serves as the legal compass for her siblings and father.
Jamie (Will Estes) is the youngest Reagan, fresh out of Harvard Law and the family's "golden boy." However, unable to deny the family tradition, Jamie decided to give up a lucrative future in law and is now a newly minted cop, a career change seemingly supported by his beautiful girlfriend, Sydney Davenport (Dylan Moore), a first year lawyer. Jamie's life takes an abrupt turn, however, when he's asked to become part of a clandestine police investigation even his father knows nothing about, and one that could impact the family's legacy.
The Reagans are a family of cops. Family matriarch Frank is Chief of Police, and son Danny is a detective. Frank's dad (Len Cariou from Frasier and Burn Notice) was Chief of Police before Frank. Daughter Erin isn't a cop but she's involved in law enforcement as an assistant DA. Middle son Joe was a cop who died in the line of duty recently-ish. Now youngest son Jamie has passed on a promising potential career as a lawyer to become a cop. His fiancee Sydney supports his decision despite her worries he'll end up like his brother Joe. Jamie cannot let her know however that he's been approached by the FBI who explain how his brother died and how he can continue the work he started (I don't want to spoil what's going on as it seems it's one of the main story arcs of the season). Meanwhile Danny still hasn't put the demons from his past behind him after serving in Iraq and is prone to getting a little creative when it comes to dealing with criminals. This blows up in his face when a kiddie kidnapper walks after Danny gets a bit physical.
Firstly, this is a Friday show, but it's not like any we've seen in a long time. Traditionally shows are sent here to die a slow, quiet death. This however is a different creature all together. This is a real attempt to give Friday nights a much needed boost in the drama stakes. Anything with Tom Selleck in it is going to get attention, and he's real good in this. Both Selleck and Cariou lend this show some real weight in the talent stakes and the banter when the family is interacting away from "the office" can be fantastic. It impressed me, was certainly right up my street as I'm a fan of cop dramas, and I'm hopeful that this will continue in a similar vein to the pilot while fleshing out the characters and giving us an enjoyable arc.
The CW
Nikita airing Thursdays at 9pm
The network blurb reads...
"When she was a deeply troubled teenager, Nikita was rescued from death row by a secret U.S. agency known only as Division, who faked her execution and told her she was being given a second chance to start a new life and serve her country. What they didn't tell her was that she was being trained as a spy and assassin. Ultimately, Nikita was betrayed and her dreams shattered by the only people she thought she could trust. Now, after three years in hiding, Nikita is seeking retribution and making it clear to her former bosses that she will stop at nothing to expose and destroy their covert operation. For the time being, however, Division continues to recruit and train other young people, erasing all evidence of their former lives and turning them into cold and efficient killers. One of these new recruits, Alex, is just beginning to understand what lies ahead for her and why the legendary Nikita made the desperate decision to run."
The CW's marquee show this coming year, and it shows with the lead-in of last year's big hit, The Vampire Diaries. Starring Maggie Q (Die Hard 4.0, Mission Impossible III) as Nikita, a highly trained assassin who previously worked for a shadowy Government agency simply known as Division. Division seem to love hiring small white women with no paper trail and training them to become kick-ass assassins who are not above using their womanly charms to reach their objective. We are introduced to Alex (Lyndsy Fonseca, the daughter from How I Met Your Mother), who after being on the hook for a bad robbery is offered a chance to earn a new life by Division suit Michael (Shane West who played Ray Barnett in ER), if she'll kill for them. Cue her entry to their training program and the introduction of the usual stock characters. Ashton Holmes (The Pacific) plays a fellow recruit who could be a friend, Tiffany Hines (Cam's adopted daughter in Bones) plays the ever so worryingly psychotic Jaden who is the stock "bully" for Alex to bump heads with while Melinda Clarke (Julie Cooper in The OC) plays the instructor responsible for turning these recruits into killing machines. While all this is going on Nikita pops up onto the radar when she starts visiting places from her past. Divison Boss Percy (Xander Berkeley who was George Mason in 24) is plotting to kill an African leader before he can meet with the UN but his plans and Nikita's need for revenge against her former employers mean a collision course is set, culminating in a face to face confrontation where she basically calls both Percy and Michael (her former lover btw) out, vowing to bring down Division. The pilot then closes with an obligatory twist to set things on a sideways slant.
It's The CW, so I'll try not to judge too harshly. This network rarely turns out anything that appeals to me, as I'm simply not their target demo. Women 18-35 are their core audience with teens second and this show reflects that. It's not brilliantly written and the cast seems largely wasted given the talent on show here. It talks a good game with things discussed that would be cool to see on screen but we never do. So much of the backstory this pilot is supposed to set up is nothing more than conversation between characters or narration instead of on-screen action. To be fair the action sequences they did film do work in the main. However, the disjointed nature of the pilot with the story rapidly switching between Nikita and Alex also does not help matters, especially since at the core their stories are so similar, albeit Nikita's is at a much more advanced point in plot, which also kinda spoils Alex's forthcoming events.
Hellcats airing Wednesdays at 9pm
The network blurb reads ...
"A coming-of-age story about Marti Perkins, a young, pre-law student at Lancer University in Memphis, Tennessee. Marti is cool, hip and alt, but her world flips upside down, literally and figuratively, when she loses her scholarship, and realizes the only way she can stay in school is by reigniting her dormant teen gymnastic skills to win a place on Lancer's legendary cheerleading team, The Hellcats. Against her every instinct, Marti goes for it and makes the squad, and is thrust into a world of camaraderie, backstabbing and the intersection of sports, backroom academia and big money. Marti's new roommate, Savannah Monroe, a petite, peppy Texan, is among the diverse cast of athletes, undergrads, family and friends, all set on the sprawling campus of a powerhouse college football program in the deep South."
This is one of the shows that The CW has slung Tom Welling's way to be executive producer on to keep him happy signed to front Smallville. Harmless enough I guess, basically Bring It On: The TV show (they even have the main character watch the film during her training montage ffs). Cliched as hell too, rolls out all the usual suspects. Marti (Phil of the Future's Alyson Michalka) is the proverbial good looking girl who just needs a makeover to reveal her "hidden" beauty. Once again it's a CW show and the pilot I received was incomplete so I didn't pay too much attention (but the obligatory scenes of cheerleaders in tight uniforms gyrating to music) and thus have little to say about it. Definitely not for me.
Fox
Lonestar airing Mondays at 9pm
The network blurb reads...
"From Chris Keyser and Amy Lippman, the creators of "Party of Five"; Marc Webb, the director of "(500) Days of Summer"; and creator Kyle Killen, comes LONESTAR, a provocative soap set against the backdrop of big Texas oil. ROBERT/BOB ALLEN (newcomer James Wolk) is a charismatic and brilliant schemer who has meticulously constructed two lives in two different parts of Texas. He's juggling two identities and two women in two very different worlds - all under one mountain of lies."
Comparisons to Dallas are inevitable and Fox are not doing much to play them down understandably, although a more fitting description would be a modern reimagining of Dallas. Bob is a conman, who is tiring of the con game. He's been selling shares in a bogus mining operation with his father John, and his father-in-law Clint played by Jon Voight has jumped all over it. Clint sees a lot of himself in Bob, a potential self made man who is willing to put in the hard work and drag himself up by the bootstraps. So, he grooms Bob to take over his business. John is delighted at the prospect of having an inside man at so rich a business and is already counting his profits when Bob stuns him with news that he wishes to go legit. It turns out that since Bob has spent a lifetime conning in the oil business, he's actually learned it inside out. John is understandably upset at this news and becomes even more confused when he learns that Bob has a second life elsewhere with a girlfriend, house, neighbours, etc.... With Clint's two natural sons also breathing down his neck over their dissatisfaction that Dad didn't choose them to take over the family business, how long can Bob last before the lies all tumble down around him?
Firstly, this is a soap, yes. It's slow paced with lots of nonsense drama surrounding the most inane stuff. Almost certainly one for the girls. People expecting action and explosions from Fox have to remember that Glee was the biggest hit for them last season so they are all for embracing new ideas for prime time TV. That said, Lonestar works as what it is. Wolk plays Bob very well, and is convincing in the role of a jaded conman who just wants to settle down and lead a life. The fact that he cannot choose between a simple life or an extravagant one running a massive business is neither here nor there. The only real problem with the pilot is that the 42 minutes or so running time simply isn't enough to do much more than introduce us to the cast of characters, their motivations and the surrounding circumstances. This show could be a real slow burner, needing a significant time investment for the story to start to bear any real fruit. Like I said, one for the ladies...
Ride-Along airing Midseason 2011
The network blurb reads...
"During a ride-along, a civilian spends a shift in the passenger seat of a squad car, observing the work day of a police officer. But in this series, the audience is the passenger, taking an unpredictable ride through the streets of Chicago and navigating crime and corruption with the most respected - and notorious - cops in the city."
This is from Shawn Ryan, whom most of us loved from his time on The Unit , The Shield, and Lie To Me. Jarek Wysocki (Brotherhood's Jason Clarke) is a veteran detective for the Chicago PD who has been through more partners than you've had hot dinners. He's a no-nonsense old time kinda cop who'll shake your hand then hand you an old school beat down the second you forget your manners. One of his old partners, Teresa Colvin (Lie To Me's Jennifer Beals) has been promoted to s
Superintendent and offers him a deal. A free hand to look into the city's most high profile crooks, beginning with Ronin Gibbons (the suberb Delroy Lindo), a construction tycoon and enemy of Colvin's. She's also given Wysocki a new partner, Caleb Evers (Friday Night Lights' Matt Lauria), who is hopeful of lasting longer than his previous few.
This is another Shawn Ryan home run. Very well written, excellently structured with a good ensemble of believable, capturing characters. Clarke is pretty awesome here, Lauria does well as the eager to please young buck desperate to win approval but the star is easily Lindo, who just oozes big screen appeal. The ending, which I won't spoil, is also a top Ryan moment. Certainly one of the highlights of the forthcoming season imo.
Mixed Signals airing midseason 2011
The network blurb reads...
"MIXED SIGNALS is a new comedy series about three longtime friends and their attempts to reconcile the irreconcilable: to balance their relationships with their need for freedom. The series reveals how friendships and romances enhance - and further complicate - the lives of men and the women who love them. ETHAN (Kris Marshall, HUMAN TARGET, "My Family") is the perpetual bachelor. He loves women, and when he's in, he's all in - at least for three weeks. Charming, genuine and hopelessly independent, Ethan is finding out that as he gets older, the pool of women who are willing to take things day by day is rapidly evaporating. ADAM (Nelson Franklin, "The Office," "I Love You Man") recently moved in with his girlfriend, CALLIE (Alexandra Breckenridge, FAMILY GUY), and is learning how vastly different "she comes over a lot" and "she lives with me" really are. Adam is discovering there isn't much "me" time any more, there's only "us" time. MIKE (David Denman, "The Office") is a married lawyer still trying to figure out the male-female dynamic. He wants nothing more than to be a good family man to his wife, LISA (Liza Lapira, "Dexter," "Dollhouse"), and his infant son, but he's also trying to carve out a little space for himself. Currently that space is in his car, where he watches action movies in 15-minute chunks while telling his wife he's stuck in traffic."
Based on the Israeli show Ramzor. Adam, Ethan and Mike are college friends who, for the most part, maintain their friendship these days via three-way phone calls between themselves, catching up on events in their very different lives. It's an enjoyable enough if forgettable guy buddy show, like a not very good version of TNT's rather great "Men of a Certain Age". The usual cliches are here but are forgivable (married guy is jealous of single guy, single guy wants to settle down but doesn't know if he can, etc...) and the three main actors do seem to click so that their friendship is believable. The main problem is that it doesn't do anything to stand out from the pack. It doesn't seem to be going anywhere. It was a criticism I aimed at MOACA in fact but at least that had three stellar talents to carry it.
Raising Hope airing Tuesdays 9pm
The network blurb reads...
"RAISING HOPE is a new single-camera family comedy that follows the Chance family as they find themselves adding an unexpected new member into their already terribly flawed household. At 23 years old, JIMMY CHANCE (Lucas Neff, "The Beast") is going nowhere in life. He skims pools for a living, parties every night and still lives at home with his family, including his MAW MAW (guest star Academy Award and Emmy Award winner Cloris Leachman); his mother, VIRGINIA (Martha Plimpton, "How to Make It in America"); his father, BURT (Garret Dillahunt, "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles," "Damages"); and his cousin, MIKE (Skyler Stone, "The Mentalist," "Dollhouse"). Jimmy's life takes a drastic turn when a chance romantic encounter with LUCY (guest star Bijou Phillips, "Choke," "Almost Famous") goes awry once he discovers she is a wanted felon.
Months later, when Jimmy pays a visit to the local prison, he discovers Lucy gave birth to their baby, who he is now charged with raising. At home with his new daughter, Jimmy's family is less than enthusiastic about a new addition to the household. His parents, who had him when they were 15, never knew anything about raising a child and have no interest in trying again. If Jimmy can work up the nerve to ask her out on a date, he might get some help from SABRINA (Shannon Woodward, "The Riches," "ER"), a sardonic checkout clerk he met at the supermarket. Cousin Mike is only concerned about how the baby is going to affect their social life, and out-of-touch Maw Maw is no help either. But Jimmy is determined to take care of his baby - whom Virginia thinks they should name HOPE. With very few useful skills but their hearts in the right place, will the Chance family be successful when they step into the unpredictable and immensely challenging world of parenting?"
Jimmy doesn't like how his life is going right now. At 23 he's a pool boy, lives with his folks and he's seemingly going nowhere. Then he has a one night stand with Lucy, who turns out to be a wanted murderer. She's promptly arrested, sentenced to death and eight months later while preparing for her execution, Jimmy finds out she's about to give birth to his baby. He's awarded custody before he can even form a coherant sentence and takes little Princess Beyonce home to his folks. They were teen parents themselves so have no real clue how to be parents , helpfully suggesting he dump the baby somewhere. However, Jimmy believes this baby might just be the something his aimless life has been missing.
From Greg Garcia, the guy behind My Name Is Earl, and his grubby little fingerprints are all over it. If you loved MNIE then you'll love this. Garrett Dillahunt is brilliant, stole the show for me. An American comedy I enjoyed (not really sure that's an endorsement?), made me laugh out loud on several occasions. It's slick, well written and believable in all the right places.
Running Wilde airing Tuesdays 9:30pm
The network blurb reads...
"From the Emmy Award-winning creator and the star of the critically acclaimed FOX series "Arrested Development" comes RUNNING WILDE, a romantic comedy starring Will Arnett ("Arrested Development," "30 Rock") as STEVE WILDE, a filthy-rich, immature playboy trying desperately to win (or buy) the heart of his childhood sweetheart, EMMY KADUBIC (Keri Russell, "Waitress," "Felicity"), the uber-liberal humanitarian who got away - all told through the perspective of a 12-year-old girl. Steve Wilde has never performed a selfless act. But why should he - he's rich! The son of an oil tycoon, Steve hasn't had to work a day in his life and has always gotten everything he's wanted - with one exception: the love of Emmy. The daughter of a former Wilde housekeeper, Emmy is an earnest do-gooder who has spent her adult life trying to save the world. And though Emmy is content living with an indigenous tribe in the Amazon rainforest, her 12-year-old daughter, PUDDLE (Stefania Owen, "The Lovely Bones"), just wants to be a normal kid experiencing her adolescence in a normal place. And she would speak up except for the fact that she hasn't spoken in years.
When Wilde Oil's expansion in the rainforest threatens her adopted tribe, Emmy decides to attend Steve's self-thrown "Humanitarian of the Year" award ceremony in hopes of convincing him to help her cause...and also maybe because she still has a thing for Steve. But same-old Steve is unwilling to help because fighting Wilde Oil (a/k/a Dad) means putting his meal ticket in jeopardy. Rather than run the risk of letting Emmy slip away again, Steve pulls out all the stops to win her heart. To do so, he enlists the only other people in his life who can help: MIGO SALAZAR (Joe Nunez, "Superbad," "Prison Break"), Steve's employee/sidekick/errand-boy, and GERTIE STELLVERTRETTER (Jayne Houdyshell, "Law & Order"), Steve's nanny-turned-head-of-security as well as the biggest protector of Steve...and her own job. Despite having everything he ever wanted, Steve knows he can't buy love and happiness, which falls in sharp contrast to Emmy, who has nothing but love and happiness. So with Emmy committed to doing good for nothing, and Steve being a good for nothing, will this hopelessly mismatched pair ever be able to reconcile their differences?"
The network blurb kinda covers it all. Perhaps this is another example of me not getting American comedy but this was kinda rubbish in my opinion. Not Mike and Molly tosh, but kinda similar. The entire premise of the show is that Steve has all the money but no happiness while Emmy has all the happiness but no money. That's seemingly it. It's so damn preachy and transparent, it seems a little below the talent involved, especially Arnett who has a strong following from his time on AD as I understand? Poor writing and terrible dialogue just give them very little to work with here. Another that I'll be surprised to see get out of the season, unless things chance dramatically.
NBC
The Paul Reiser Show airing Lord knows when
The network blurb reads...
""The Paul Reiser Show" is a new single camera comedy from Emmy and Golden Globe nominated comedian-author-producer-actor Paul Reiser ("Mad About You") and writer-producer Jonathan Shapiro ("Life"). The show stars Paul Reiser as... Paul Reiser. It's been a few years since Paul's hit TV series went off the air. Since then, he's been enjoying the quiet life at home with his lovely wife and kids and generally minding his own business. Lately, however, Paul has been thinking that it's time he did something new, something meaningful. As to what that next thing might be, he has no idea. In his quest to figure it out, Paul is helped and hindered by his new "friends." Like most men his age, Paul didn't choose these friends. They're the husbands of his wife's friends, the dads of kids that his boys go to school with. Thrown together by circumstance, Paul and his friends form an unlikely comradeship -- and a horrible basketball team."
Paul Reiser hasn't written much for more than ten years, and here we can see why. He plays himself, lamenting about how his life has stagnated since his last TV gig to anyone that will listen. Wife Claire keeps him busy by volunteering him for all sorts while his kids need attention too. His friends take up the rest of his time (a motley crew of Ben Shenkman, Andrew Daley and Omid Djalili) as he whines constantly about everything. His agent is passing him off to someone else, he keeps getting typecast, blah blah blah. It's the same stuff he did with Mad About You more than ten years ago and it looks incredibly dated as a result. This is the reason he has been out of work for so long, don't give him a TV show to allow him the opportunity to show us. It is NBC though so go figure.
Harry's Law airing midseason 2011
The network blurb reads...
"a series about fate and the people it brings together, starring Academy Award winner Kathy Bates ("Misery," "About Schmidt"). Harriet (Bates), Matthew (Ben Chaplin, "Me and Orson Wells") and Malcolm (Aml Ameen, "Kidulthood") couldn't be any more different. Harriet is a curmudgeonly ex-patent lawyer who, having just been fired from her cushy job, is completely disillusioned with her success and looking for a fresh start. Her world unexpectedly collides with Malcolm's -- a young man trying to figure out life. When he finds out Harriet is a lawyer, he begs her to represent him in an upcoming criminal case. Matthew, a dreamer at heart and also recently fired from his job as a high school teacher, is introduced to Harriet through Malcolm, a previous student of his. When these three cross paths, they realize they're all looking for a fresh start. Now, the most unlikely of people are starting a law practice in the most unlikely of places--a rundown shoe store."
Has probably the worst tagline this forthcoming season. "A law firm with more sole." Someone needs shot.
Harriet is walking home after being sacked from her job, only to have Malcolm land on top of her after he's thrown himself off a building. He's trying to kill himself as he's facing jail on drug possession charges. Both survive the collision, and Malcolm sees this as a sign from the heavens that Harriet should represent him in his case. Harriet agrees and opens her own firm out of an old shoe shop. Her "quirky" assistant Jenna (Brittany Snow from Hairspray) loves this as she loves shoes. What a coincidence, eh?! Malcolm then chats to his former teacher Matthew, who it turns out is also in a spot of legal bother. Turns out he failed the star QB for refusing to learn about evolution, which has landed him in hot water with the God fearing locals. Determined to impress the hot French teacher Matthew sticks to his convictions, until a dead body turns up in the boot of his car...
Just all over the place really, but it's what you would expect from David E Kelley (previously of Boston Legal). Quirky is shoe-horned in at every available avenue, and it just doesn't really stick with any of the cast. Matthew is supposedly being recast and it's understandable, although I wouldn't be surprised if they go back to the drawing board with the whole concept and bin the pilot.
Undercovers airing Wednesdays 8pm
The network blurb reads..
"Undercovers" is a sexy, fun, action-packed spy drama that proves once and for all that marriage is still the world's most dangerous partnership. Outwardly, Steven Bloom (Boris Kodjoe, "Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion," "Soul Food," "Resident Evil: Afterlife") and his wife, Samantha (Gugu Mbatha-Raw, "Doctor Who," "Bonekickers"), are a typical married couple who own a small catering company in Los Angeles and are helped by Samantha's easily frazzled younger sister, Lizzy (Jessica Parker Kennedy, "Smallville"). Secretly, the duo were two of the CIA's best spies until they fell in love on the job five years ago and retired.
When fellow spy and friend Nash (Carter MacIntyre, "American Heiress") goes missing while on the trail of a Russian arms dealer, the Blooms are reinstated by boss Carlton Shaw (Gerald McRaney, "Deadwood") to locate and rescue Nash. The pair is thrust back into the world of espionage as they follow leads that span the globe -- and Steven and Samantha realize that this supercharged, undercover lifestyle provides the excitement and romance that their marriage has been missing.
Steven and Samantha left the CIA five years ago after falling in love to get married. They set up a small catering company with Samantha's sister Lizzie and settled into a normal but boring life. However, Samantha old partner Leo Nash (who also went through training with Steven) has gone missing while hunting Russian arms dealer and all round baddie Alexander Schlotsky. The CIA are worried he's potentially gone rogue so offer the Blooms their old jobs back. After a little hesitation they agree and they're off around the world trying to find their friend. While back in the saddle their relationship sparks back into life, showing that perhaps all they needed was a little excitement in their lives.
From J J Abrams, and it's a little odd. I expected something more. I knew going in it wasn't going to be Lost or Fringe again but the show just seems to lack any arc. Comparisons to Alias are inevitable but they would be wide of the mark, bar the genre really. This isn't even Burn Notice. I'm hoping for more as it grows, and since it's Abrams that's not exactly a tall ask I would imagine but to see him turn out a show that seemingly has no direction beyond the current episode is a little odd. Boris Kodjoe and Gugu Mbatha-Raw are excellent though, kudos to the casting folks because they have a fantastic chemistry. They bounce off one another just like a married couple in a very believable way.
Outsourced airing Thursdays 9:30pm
The network blurb reads...
""Outsourced" is a comedy where the Midwest meets the exotic East in a hilarious culture clash. The series centers on the all-American company Mid America Novelties that sells whoopee cushions, foam fingers and wallets made of bacon -- and whose call center has suddenly been outsourced to India. Todd Dempsy (Ben Rappaport, off-Broadway's "The Gingerbread House") is the new company's manager who learns that he's being transferred to India to run the operation. Overwhelmed, Todd discovers that his new staff needs a crash course in all things American if they are to understand the U.S. product line and ramp up sales from halfway around the world.
But as strange as America seems to his eclectic sales team, Todd soon realizes that figuring out India will be more than a full-time job.
Todd's just completed his management training on his track to a VP job with Mid America Novelties. His boss then informs him his department has been outsourced to India and if he wants to keep his job he'll have to relocate there. So, off he pops, and is greeted upon his arrival by new assistant manager Rajiiv (Rizwan Manji from Flashforward). Rajiiv appears pleasant enough but harbours a desire to replace Todd when he inevitably cannot hack the move. To speed up this process, Rajiiv has hired a motley crew of morons and cretins to man the call centre. However, rather than recognise this, Todd believes that the staff are unable to effectively market their products due to their lack of understanding of American culture and so sets about educating his staff. Comedy hi-jinks ensue.
Once again, American comedy passes me by. It's not terrible by any stretch, but I just didn't find it funny. It's actually a little racist in places in my opinion (America is awesome, learn our ways because you crazy foreigners are all clueless yokels who need our culture to survive in the world) but then in others it seemingly embraces Indian culture with open arms. I'm guessing that's supposed to be part of it's charm? It's witty enough I guess, it fits right in with the NBC Thursday night comedy block (I get none of them so an A+ for consistency) and it'll probably do just fine.
The Event airing Mondays at 9pm
The network blurb reads...
""The Event" is an emotional, high-octane conspiracy thriller that follows Sean Walker (Jason Ritter, "The Class"), an Everyman who investigates the mysterious disappearance of his fiancee, Leila (Sarah Roemer, "Disturbia"), and unwittingly begins to expose the biggest cover-up in U.S. history. Sean's quest will send ripples through the lives of an eclectic band of strangers, including: newly elected U.S. President Martinez (Golden Globe nominee Blair Underwood, "Dirty Sexy Money"); Sophia (Emmy Award nominee Laura Innes, "ER"), who is the leader of a mysterious group of detainees; and Sean's shadowy father-in-law (Scott Patterson, "Gilmore Girls"). Their futures are on a collision course in a global conspiracy that could ultimately change the fate of mankind. Ian Anthony Dale ("Daybreak") and Emmy winner Zeljko Ivanek ("Damages") also star in the ensemble drama."
The pilot opens with scenes of mass panic obviously taken from news feeds and then gives us various flashbacks over the last thirteen months, introducing us to various characters and explaining in a very limited way just what the hell is going on. We meet Sean Walker, US President Elias Martinez, and CIA Director Blake Sterling (the always excellent Zeljko Ivanek). Sophia is a prisoner it seems and Simon is the agent seemingly assigned to her. As we watch these flashbacks it becomes more and more clear that we are getting no answers here, only more and more questions.
I really cannot say more, for fear of spoiling what little information we actually get out of the pilot and because we get so damn little out of the pilot. Like Flash Forward, like Lost, this is a show that will leave you frustrated, at least for a while. Very little is revealed in the pilot, and you'll definitely be left with a growing list of questions for the first few episodes I'd guess but we all knew that going in. This is one of the big shows this year, it's been hyped to the hilt already. Hopefully we'll see more character development because if not it'll go the way of Flash Forward, not Lost.
Yas, didn't break the forums
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