Deebs on TV

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Throughout the Fall TV season I will be giving my first impressions on many of the new pilots as they air.  Keep in mind that these are not full-fledged reviews.  One, writing about TV is not my full-time job (yet), so I simply do not have the time to invest in complete reviews for each and every show that airs this fall.  Two, it is very difficult to completely make a ruling about a show based solely on the very first episode, especially when it comes to comedy.  Showrunners will make changes, premises will be altered, and time must be allotted to find what works with the characters, flesh them out properly and match them with a proper tone.  Bearing this in mind, I bring you my first impressions for two new cable entries: Enlightened and American Horror Story.

Enlightened - HBO (Mondays, 9:30pm EST)

Here’s what I was expecting:  a slow, cerebral, funny-but-not-really show about a woman who had a mental breakdown and now needs to readjust to her old life after returning from rehab - maybe like a Wes Anderson Does TV sort of thing.  Or like a Showtime comedy - strong female lead taking control of her life in a show that’s labeled a comedy that doesn’t really make you laugh.  Well, the result was pretty much spot on, though more underwhelming than I was anticipating.  I chuckled out loud maybe once, but the show overall is only just interesting enough that I’ll give it one more episode.  I’m sorry this reaction is so short, but it speaks to how much of a response Enlightened got from me - not much at all. The verdict: C-

American Horror Story - FX (Wednesdays, 10:00pm EST)

This show actually premiered last Wednesday and just aired its second episode last night.  I purposefully waited an extra week to give my first impression because if I had written this last week, the post would’ve been a jumbled mess of shock, awe and expletives - kind of like the pilot, actually.  This show is weird, guys.  It’s creepy, it twisted, and at times uncomfortable to watch.  A lot of people have written it off as too weird - just horror homages and images crammed into an hour of TV just for the sake of doing it with no real sense of plot or anything else beyond frightening imagery.  I even agreed with that assessment after I watched the pilot, in fact.  But after seeing last night’s episode, my opinion is changing.  There was more about the mythology of the haunted house, including some very shady business with the neighbor, maid and teen misfit who hangs around said house.  There is both a troubled past and a plan in action surrounding the house that I now want to know more about.  Still, there are changes that need to occur, as with most shows in their early going.  The characters need to be stronger - I feel like I’m still watching Tammi Taylor and not Vivien Harmon in Connie Britton’s performance and I have absolutely no emotion either way about Dylan McDermott’s Ben, Vivien’s husband.  The supporting cast is pretty good so far, however.  The pacing also needs work - AHS covered in 2 episodes what could’ve taken up the first third of the season.  Already Vivien has decided to sell the house due to all the weird goings-on, so now what?  I hope that this was more a clever play to throw out all the go-to horror tropes early while we still needed to be distracted with shiny objects while taking in the setup that is necessary for new show.  I hope that from here on out the plot will exhibit more of a slow-burn, the characters will acquire some substance, and the show can still keep up what it is doing well regarding the history of the house.  The verdict: C for the pilot, B for the second episode - I will watch until Ryan Murphy just loses focus completely and comes down with another case of Glee 2nd Seasyndrome - which, with NBC ordering another pilot of his today, is very, very possible - put on your blinders, Mr. Murphy and fix this show while you still can!

Throughout the Fall TV season I will be giving my first impressions on many of the new pilots as they air.  Keep in mind that these are not full-fledged reviews.  One, writing about TV is not my full-time job (yet), so I simply do not have the time to invest in complete reviews for each and every show that airs this fall.  Two, it is very difficult to completely make a ruling about a show based solely on the very first episode, especially when it comes to comedy.  Showrunners will make changes, premises will be altered, and time must be allotted to find what works with the characters, flesh them out properly and match them with a proper tone.  Bearing this in mind, I bring you my first impressions of Homeland (albeit a bit belated - my apologies).

Homeland - Showtime (Sundays, 10:00pm EST)

Wow, guys.  I mean, just, wow.  There was a lot of buzz about this show before the premiere - in fact, many critics were naming it the best new show of the fall on cable or network.  Let me tell you, Homeland more than lives up to the hype.  It’s rare that a pilot can let us into the lives of the characters so thoroughly while also paying close enough attention to story that it still feels like something is happening.  And by the end of the hour, I was absolutely captivated.  Homeland is about a CIA agent, Carrie (Claire Danes), who tends to go a bit rogue and just may be slightly psychotic, and an American POW, Sgt. Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis), who is returned home in the pilot after 8 years in captivity.  Carrie had previously heard while on a mission that an American prisoner or war had been turned to the side of the terrorists and she thinks there’s a good chance that Sgt. Brody is that traitor. 

From there, we’re off like a shot from a gun.  A lot happens between Brody, his wife, and his best friend; between Carrie, her boss, and her mentor; and between Damian, his flashbacks to his captivity, and Carrie’s questions.  Subtle curiosities from the beginning (“What’s the deal with the wedding ring?”) were answered down the line without bashing us in the head with to make sure we got it (hey, Terra Nova!).  But at the same time, a lot is still being held close to the vest on the part of almost every character we’ve met.  The story is moving at a great pace after just one episode, successfully laying out the exposition and laying the building blocks upon which this season will be built without being clunky in the least.  And there are a few good “Aha!” moments towards the end of the hour that really move you to the edge of your seat.  The verdict: A. The hype has been proven correct and I wish I could watch this show marathon style.  More now, please!

Throughout the Fall TV season I will be giving my first impressions on many of the new pilots as they air.  Keep in mind that these are not full-fledged reviews.  One, writing about TV is not my full-time job (yet), so I simply do not have the time to invest in complete reviews for each and every show that airs this fall.  Two, it is very difficult to completely make a ruling about a show based solely on the very first episode, especially when it comes to comedy.  Showrunners will make changes, premises will be altered, and time must be allotted to find what works with the characters, flesh them out properly and match them with a proper tone.  Bearing this in mind, I bring you my first impressions of Suburgatory.

Suburgatory - ABC (Wednesdays, 8:30pm EST)

At this point in the TV landscape, it is very clear that cable is showcasing some of the highest quality dramas of all time on a regular basis.  Try as they might, the networks have a very hard time emulating their cousins in cable (a few recent exceptions, of course, FNL and The Good Wife).  But comedy?  The networks are killing it with comedy.  Sure, there are plenty abysmal half hours that are kept on the air (Whitney, our feud continues!), but there are still a surprising number of very well-done, well-paced, smart, quick-witted comedies.  Parks and Rec, Modern Family, 30 Rock, Happy Endings, Community, HIMYM, The Office, even Sunday night animation on FOXstill hits from time to time.  Add to that new comedies like New Girl, Up All Night and Two Broke Girls, all of which are showing promise.  And now, Suburgatory is poised to enter the club after a very solid premiere last night.

I wasn’t expecting to like Suburgatory.  It was getting good buzz, but still, I was anticipating a lot of jokes about how the big-city teenager turned suburbia resident, Tessa (Jane Levy, who I was surprised to learn also plays Mandy Milkovitch on Showtime’s Shameless), plays a TV-Juno, looking down on her new neighbors in an effort to remind herself and everyone around her how much smarter and in tune to reality she is compared to everyone else.  Instead, the jokes were more about how this displaced teen simply doesn’t understand her new surroundings.  And they were funny.  Everything is foreign to Tessa, like waking up to the sound of silence instead of garbage trucks and honking horns (a familiar feeling I also get when I return home to Central New York for a weekend).  Better, Suburgatory isn’t just about Tessa in a new suburban high school - equal time is spent on her father, George (Jeremy Sisto; Law & Order).  He feels equally out of place among his new neighbors and at the local club, where he is suddenly the city-boy every housewife wants to bed.  Among these new neighbors is played by Cheryl Hines, who made me nervous portraying the stereotypical neighborhood mom, Dallas, at first, but by the end of the episode she appeared much more human.  This gives me hope that the supporting cast will be more than empty stereotypes and will be able to complement an already good chemistry between father and daughter.   Bonus points can also be rewarded for featuring Rex “LLOYD!” Lee as a guidance counselor at the school and Alan “Steve the Pirate” Tudyk as George’s first friend.  The verdict: B+

PS - watch out NBC Thursday, ABC Wednesday is REALLY turning up the heat with a great Suburgatory-Modern Family-Happy Endings comedy block.

Lots of sitcom news coming in recently!  Here’s a quick catch-me-up:

- Happy Endings returns to ABC tonight after Modern Family.  It’s the best returning sophomore comedy on TV, so make sure to check it out (if you missed the first season and want some background, check out my original review HERE).  Additionally, Suburgatory premieres tonight, also on ABC - the name aside, it’s getting some pretty good reviews - I’ll chime in with some First Impressions tomorrow.

- New Girl, the “adorkable” Zooey Deschanel vehicle on FOX, has become the first new fall show to get its back end filled in…wait, let me rephrase…became the first new fall show to receive a full series order, adding to its original order for 13 episodes with 11 more to premiere add on to the back end of the season.  There it is.  Maybe a slightly premature call after only two episodes, but one that makes me happy nonetheless (these are my First Impressions from the pilot).  The ratings are strong - it won the night in viewers under 50 last night - and it makes me chuckle.  Still waiting to outright laugh out loud, but I think we’ll get there.

- NBC is making some moves, but should probably make a few more - NBC announced that it has signed a deal with Dane Cook to develop and star in his own sitcom for next fall.  The network has a similar deal in place with Sarah Silverman, so expect even more sitcoms starring stand-up comedians to invade your lineup.  But where to put all these shows?  If I’m NBC, here’s what I’m thinking: Free Agents is quickly approaching the realm of cancellation based on the ratings - tonight may be its last chance to prove itself, in fact.  Soon enough, the general public SHOULD come to their senses regarding Whitney and that will kick the bucket as well.  This will leave a slot open for Up All Night on Thursdays, which is a much better fit in that lineup anyway considering the tone and the talent of the show.

- Elsewhere, over in in Cable-land, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is off to a cracking start reminding me why it holds the crown for the most irreverent comedy on TV (do NOT go under the boardwalk!), Workaholics on Comedy Central returned for a second season and continues to be what I would call Sunny-lite, which is not a bad thing at all, and I eagerly await the returns of The League and Bored to Death, two more underrated but very enjoyable comedies in their own right.

Throughout the Fall TV season I will be giving my first impressions on many of the new pilots as they air.  Keep in mind that these are not full-fledged reviews.  One, writing about TV is not my full-time job (yet), so I simply do not have the time to invest in complete reviews for each and every show that airs this fall.  Two, it is very difficult to completely make a ruling about a show based solely on the very first episode, especially when it comes to comedy.  Showrunners will make changes, premises will be altered, and time must be allotted to find what works with the characters, flesh them out properly and match them with a proper tone.  Bearing this in mind, I bring you my first impressions of Terra Nova.

Terra Nova - FOX (Mondays, 8:00pm EST)

SPOILER ALERT - I will be giving away some plot points from the premiere.  Read at your own risk.

This one has a LOT to live up to coming into the fall TV season this year.  The pilot for Terra Nova has been shot, scheduled, delayed, re-shot and rescheduled several times over the past year and a half, leading to some of the most intense speculation that any series has seen in recent history.  Initially slated to premiere in the midseason lineup last year, the pilot was then pushed back to a planned premiere last May, a la Glee from two years ago, but was then delayed once again before landing on the schedule last night.  The very big names behind the scenes including a couple 24 vets and most notably Steven Spielberg also add to the allure.  So, how was the actual show now that we all finally got to see the finished product?  Well, the fine-toothed comb that went through every frame is definitely noticeable, but I gotta say I still enjoyed what I was given.  The dinosaurs looked pretty good for a network TV show - and if you want to bitch and moan that they don’t look as good as their movie counterparts, I will ask you to stop it.  We all know TV doesn’t get the kind of budget that film does. 

The premise is simple, yet effective - Earth in the year 2149 is too polluted and overpopulated for long-term survival, so groups of people are sent back in time 85 million years to attempt a fresh start.  We learn that there won’t be any butterfly effect sort of shenanigans as this version of the past is not connected to the future from where these settlers came.  How this works exactly, we are not told, but are asked to trust the exposition for now.  There is an extended amount of time at the top of the first hour spent in future Earth as we get to know the Shannons (scenes that were not in the original pilot), however it is mostly ham-handed and clunky time I could’ve done without.  But once we get to Terra Nova, things smooth out a bit.  All in all, there is a little something for everyone in this pilot - a family drama complete with a newly reunited family and daddy issues, some fairly intense dinosaur-driven action-adventure, and even a bit of LOST-ian mythology thrown in for good measure.  Some of these elements are played better than others, sure, and striking the right balance will be key to the success of the series.  First and foremost, the Shannon family needs to be more interesting.  I care more for the HCIC (Head Colonist in Charge), Taylor, but mostly because he’s a badass.  The coolest takeaway of the episode was a throwaway line that told us Taylor was the first to cross through the portal and was alone for 133 days before the next people showed up - apparently a mere moment in the year 2149 is half a year 85 million years in the past.  As far as the Lost comparisons go - yes, there is a version of the Others known as “Sixers” - people who came on the sixth pilgrimmage and formed a splinter colony - but those developments are handled pretty well and should lead to some great conflict down the road.  Not so well-handled are the strange markings left at the waterfalls by Taylor’s son, who disappeared from the Terra Nova colony years earlier.  It would’ve been nice to get some slow-burn action with this, but the leader of the Sixers outright tells us at the end that these are the most important thing that explain the whole existence of Terra Nova - so there’s that.  The verdict: It’s unlike anything else on TV right now - exotic setting with lots of action, sci-fi, and hopefully a more increased focus on character down the road.  The pilot gets a B/B+

Throughout the Fall TV season I will be giving my first impressions on many of the new pilots as they air.  Keep in mind that these are not full-fledged reviews.  One, writing about TV is not my full-time job (yet), so I simply do not have the time to invest in complete reviews for each and every show that airs this fall.  Two, it is very difficult to completely make a ruling about a show based solely on the very first episode, especially when it comes to comedy.  Showrunners will make changes, premises will be altered, and time must be allotted to find what works with the characters, flesh them out properly and match them with a proper tone.  Bearing this in mind, I bring you my first impressions of Pan Am.

Pan Am - ABC (Sundays, 10:00pm EST)

I have been looking forward to this show since it was announced.  Stop, I know what you’re thinking.  Really, that other Mad Men knock off not about the Playboy Bunnies?  Yes, really.  The talent involved is good.  Thomas Schlamme, director and executive producer, is a long-time Aaron Sorkin collaborator and has proven to pick good projects in the past and creator Jack Orman has worked on Men of a Certain Age and ER.  Plus, we get Christina Ricci’s return to relevance, so there’s that.  Anyway, I quite enjoyed the pilot.  In fact, I will say that Pan Am is my favorite new drama so far this fall.  And the Mad Men comparisons need to stop.  Outside of the fact that the show takes place in the 196o’s, there are few other parallels to draw, and this is a good thing.  The show is fun in a way that Mad Men simply cannot be.  It’s not mindless, per se, it’s more a great escapist show.  Toss away the stress of the week and enjoy a great-looking show on Sunday nights that will take you back to a time when flying was still exciting, still a reason to get dressed up nice, and even romantic.  The use of flashback was effective and didn’t draw too much attention to itself (except for maybe when it flashed back to the Bay of Pigs…) and I already find myself rooting for most of the characters.  The women of Pan Am for sure, though the two pilot-buddies need some work.  The one other thing this show needs to do is find a way to mesh the elements that each of the women we will be following brings to the table.  One can bring the soapiness, one the intrigue of being a spy, another the trials of just starting at the job, and the last a look into the social change that will grab hold of the decade before long.  Finding a way to really weave these story elements together is no small feat, but if it can be done, plus throw in the really sharp look to the series, Pan Am could be a show to continue looking forward to.  The verdict: B+.  A strong pilot with good characters and a great look.  I’m in until it gets taken away from me.

Throughout the Fall TV season I will be giving my first impressions on many of the new pilots as they air.  Keep in mind that these are not full-fledged reviews.  One, writing about TV is not my full-time job (yet), so I simply do not have the time to invest in complete reviews for each and every show that airs this fall.  Two, it is very difficult to completely make a ruling about a show based solely on the very first episode, especially when it comes to comedy.  Showrunners will make changes, premises will be altered, and time must be allotted to find what works with the characters, flesh them out properly and match them with a proper tone.  Bearing this in mind, I bring you my first impressions of Person of Interest and Prime Suspect.

Person of Interest - CBS (Thursdays, 9:00pm EST)

This show had a lot of buzz coming in.  Created by J. J. Abrams and Jonathan Nolan (Batman Begins) and starring Ben Linus (Michael Emerson) and Jesus (James Caviezel) it has a lot of potential that would be tragic to see wasted.  After the pilot, I’m not convinced the show is an outright success, but I am still hopeful.  Emerson plays a guy who is super smart and helped create a computer program that generates numbers of people who will be involved in violent crimes.  The catch?  We don’t know if this person will be the victim or the perpetrator.  Caviezel is a down on his luck CIA veteran that is given a second chance by Emerson to do some good.  The pilot was entertaining enough, with Caviezel proving to be a pretty decent Jack Bauer stand-in, but I’m going to need a lot more than what it shaping up to be a “person-of-the-week” type procedural.  Emerson’s character literally says at one point, “The numbers never stop coming.”  If we can get some more serial elements thrown in, maybe some more mythology about the machine or a number or two that isn’t wrapped up, open-and-shut, within the hour, then I could see myself getting into this.  The verdict: B-.  It has my attention for now, but I will leave if things get too formulaic.  And on CBS, that is a giant possibility.  PROCEDURALS!!!

Prime Suspect - NBC (Thursdays, 10:00pm EST)

Remaking a British original is always tough.  NBC is trying twice this fall - first with Free Agents, which is already failing in the ratings - and second with Prime Suspect, which was originally a critically-acclaimed miniseries starring Helen Mirren.  Big shoes to fill, sure, but I think the show is making some good first steps (mixing metaphors!).  I’ll give the bad first - the whole “beef trust” of guy cops hating on Jane Timoney, the lone female in the department (and played very capably by Maria Bello) is a bit heavy-handed.  Though I will say there was a moment towards the end where one of the most vocal guys in this respect makes it known that it may be more of an outsider invading their territory thing more than a strictly male-female thing.  So maybe that aspect will have some legs after all.  Also, in the pilot we don’t get anything from the plot that we haven’t seen on any other cop show.  I like Suspect, however, because we really get a sense for Jane in this first hour.  She has a tough-as-nails exterior for sure, but we see her break down a bit after a long day at work.  She’s human, dammit!  The police-work scenes are good, especially her leveling with the son of a victim and a decent chase at the end.  And I already like the back-and-forth relationship between her and her father - they are both trying to quit cigarettes, a struggle I am familiar with.  The verdict: B.  Again, I’ll stick with it for now until it falls into the realm of a same-old-same-old cop show.

Throughout the Fall TV season I will be giving my first impressions on many of the new pilots as they air.  Keep in mind that these are not full-fledged reviews.  One, writing about TV is not my full-time job (yet), so I simply do not have the time to invest in complete reviews for each and every show that airs this fall.  Two, it is very difficult to completely make a ruling about a show based solely on the very first episode, especially when it comes to comedy.  Showrunners will make changes, premises will be altered, and time must be allotted to find what works with the characters, flesh them out properly and match them with a proper tone.  Bearing this in mind, I bring you my first impressions of Whitney and Charlie’s Angels.

Whitney - NBC (Thursdays, 9:30pm EST)

Ugh.  As far as new comedies go, this one has got to be the worst that I’ve seen.  I was already fed up with Whitney Cummings before the show even aired - what with being bombarded with lame posters and billboards around New York City for the last several months, advertisements yelling at me that basically read “If you think women are complicated, then watch this show!” - but I tuned in because I have a strange loyalty to NBC.  As my former employer, I really would like for them to bounce back from the basement.  But even so, I could not feel even the tiniest amount of good will towards this grating, obnoxious and downright unfunny half hour of TV.  The show starts with a snarky comment about how it is taped in front of a live studio audience, but all that served to do was remind me that I hate this format and put me more on guard.  From there it was a sea of outdated jokes and rampant over-acting anytime a punchline was uttered.  The supporting characters are too broad, Maulik Pancholy deserves better, and even a last-minute appearance by Jane Kaczmarek can’t help this mess.  The verdict: D-. Whitney Cummings needs to drop this show as soon as possible, open up that slot on Thursday night for Up All Night (because Free Agents is also on the way towards cancellation) and focus her attention on 2 Broke Girls, her other show that has a far better chance of actually being funny.

Charlie’s Angels - ABC (Thursdays, 8:00pm EST)

See those girls laughing in the picture to your left?  They are the stars of the ABC reboot of Charlie’s Angels and they are laughing because they can’t believe their show actually made it to air.  This post all-together is starting to feel a bit harsh, sure, but I thought if I were going to write about the worst new comedy I’ve seen, I should pair it with the worst new drama.  I like balance, I guess.  Angels is mindless, fluff television.  Check your brain at the door, suspension of disbelief is mandatory, and you better love awful dialogue - the cheesier the better.  I watched mainly because as an FNL fanatic I like to see what my friends from Dillon, TX are up to.  Minka Kelly, aka Lyla Garrity, is playing a car thief who in the pilot  is found by the two surviving Angels (the third is blown up in a car bomb explosion) and recruited to join.  Bosley is there too, being the requisite hunky good-looking guy (speaking of - a taste of that cheese I mentioned earlier?  To Bosley while in a pool with bikini-clad women:  “C’mon, Bosley, adult swim is over!”)  and also playing the role of the IT guy/genius hacker, or as I would call him -  the Master of Hack.  And Tony Almeida from 24 is this week’s big-bad.  Man, where did his career go?  Long story short, the Angels are still bossed around by a faceless voice on speaker phone, are dispatched to jobs where skimpy clothing is a necessity, and have access to incredible technology that is almost as laughable as the dialogue (a satellite cam that can give you a shot from a kidnapping victims bedside table?…get the fuck out).  The verdict: F. One and done for me and the countdown to cancellation begins against a stacked Thursday lineup elsewhere - sorry Lyla.