I’m predicting Terra Nova will have a lifespan somewhere between Flash Forward and Jericho. I’m not getting invested in it.
For me, it’s how hard we’re being cajoled into believing that Whitney Cummings is the smartest, funniest, most talented pretty girl since the last smartest, funniest most talented pretty girl. (Chelsea Whatshermouth with that godawful late night E! show maybe, or going back in time a bit, Jenny “Vaccinations are the Devil!” McCarthy.)
She doesn’t just get a sitcom of her own with a nondescript leading man and no apparent premise whatsoever, she created another show that’s on another network! And boy, doesn’t 2 Broke Girls look like a ball of laughs. Fish out of water, rags to riches (inverted), odd couple, opposites attract, tomboy and girly girl, two chicks in a kitchen, framily, this thing is every page on TV Tropes and then some. Whee! I love me some Kat Denning but no, just no.
I’m looking forward, though, to Unforgettable which promises to be just as tropey, but has Marilu Henner as a consultant. Because she has the “can’t forget anything” condition that the lead character does, which, who knew? Should be interesting.
I love the trailer too, but have heard nothing but bad things about it from those who have seen more. And their criticism makes sense - it is too much of police procedural show.
This might be one of those shows that would be great as a movie, mini series, or a two season 10 episode cable show. But right now there is every incentive in the world to try to stretch it for 5 years at 22 episodes a year. The easiest way to do that is to focus on the crime of the week, and have a few minutes of “meta plot” advancement thrown in at the end.
Definitely a mid season replacement too, which doesn’t give me any more confidence.
Ahh, damn. I was hoping that on top of the two realities he’s forced to alternate between either his son or wife surviving the crash, that the only way to solve the crime is because of the ripple-effect two different individuals have on a much larger scheme. I found the idea intriguing that he can obtain clues to a crime that he wouldn’t have been able to find in the other reality, and vice versa, thereby solving a crime otherwise impossible.
Or something. It’d be very difficult screenwriting, but both the son/wife aspect and the differing crimes make for a very interesting premise.
Not coming this season but not worth a new thread. Maybe. Or maybe onein the Pit?
What a novel idea! How original! Sherlock Holmes in the modern day! On TV!
Notice how the article fails to mention the BBC Sherlock–that most excellent show that we’re eagerly awaiting. On PBS next May, on BBC “early” next year.
I’m a Glee fan, but I gotta say… I thought the story quality went way down last season. I was glad to hear that they finally hired more writers. Hopefully it will get back to season 1 status.
As for other shows, I cannot wait for the new “How I Met Your Mother” season - it’s one of my favorite shows. “Modern Family” will, no doubt, continue to be hilarious, and I might check out ‘X Factor.’
So, in addition to being the thread for speculation on the upcoming season, is this also going to be thread for reaction to exposure to the initial episodes? I set my TiVo to record new series, and this is what I’ve gotten so far:
Ringer: The first half-hour had me skeptical. The boat scene, during transit, actually had me laughing. I haven’t seen such poor verisimilitude since Toonces, the Driving Cat. But the pilot developed a bit in soapy plot toward the end, and I’ll probably give it some pilot-jitters credit and check out the next episode.
H8ers: That’s what I need, a show containing shallow reality-show meta-analysis. Pass.
Up all night: Meh. Not bad. Not good. Bet is that it will be a Raymond sort of show, not great, but not offensively stupid.
Free Agents: My favorite of the lot. Kind of Office meets I’m not sure what. It’s a “what if Office focused more on Pam and Jim, and Pam and Jim were a lot more fucked up?”
I loved Prime Suspect with Helen Mirren, but in the commercials for the new one, all I see is THE HAT, so I dont know if I will be watching that.
I’m looking forward to The Middle, Community, NCIS, Glee, Good Wife, and 30 Rock for returning shows. I will eatch the Mentalist even though throughout it the lead character annoys me. I get hooked on the story and want to see how it ends.
New show? New Girl or whatever it’s called.
Reality show? DWTS and Amazing Race, even though I end up talking to the TV during them. And I’m not saying nice things to the contestants.
My reaction, too. I hate the “stupid husband/father” meme in commercials and on TV so hopefully they don’t continue with that, even though it was a minor part of an otherwise OK show.
That’s an interesting comparison, because Free Agents, like The Office, is based on a UK show of the same name. BBC America is going to air the original version in a month or two so we can compare them. I think Anthony Stewart Head is in both versions.
Me, too! And the characters they kicked off are back, at least for a while. I just couldn’t accept the new blonde. Garcia is starting to get annoying to me, though.
So, of shows so far: Ringer - is bad, but not guilty pleasure bad. Early cancellation. H8r - is even worse than the reviews said it would be. It’s a horrible premise all on its own, and then it’s badly executed. Up All Night - It wasn’t unpleasant, but it wasn’t really all that funny either. I’ll probably watch again. Free Agents - I actively disliked about half of the supporting cast and wanted them off my screen. Also, I’m not sure where it goes from here. I could see this working in a 6 episode, limited run series. But I don’t see enough potential for 22+ episodes.
I liked Up All Night except for Maya Rudolph’s character. Will Arnett plays a likable guy, which is a refreshing change from what I’m use to seeing him play. I always thought Christina Applegate was cool, so it’s nice to see her in something I like. I just didn’t think Rudolph added much.
Free Agents: This was effectively 1/5th of a sitcom. Borderline laughed 2-3 times. Hank Azaria was good enough, but good enough doesn’t work on prime time network TV. The female lead didn’t add anything. Al Madrigal would be the best of the secondary characters but I think he’s too much of a one note actor.
Up All Night: Oh my gosh that was bad. As in Running Wilde bad. When will people finally catch on that Will Arnett is not funny? Christina Applegate is miscast again. She’s actually good but rarely given anything good to work with. Maya Rudolph is even worse than Arnett if that’s possible. Ugly, ugly show.
Note to producers: There’s this thing called “IMDb” and if you look up your show title and see a bunch of other failed shows with the same title, you’re not being original. And that is most definitely a bad sign.
Watched Secret Circle.
Really, I think that if I were a 13-year-old, white girl, I might like the show. It’s very keyed in to a very specific demographic. It has almost no cross-demographic appeal.
Up All Night. Will Arnett has been married for seven years. He and his wife have been home with their new baby for several months, judging from the look of the infant. Yet the first day he is required to go to the supermarket alone with the baby - he panics and can’t find the “normal cheese.” My hatred of the show, already deep and wide and vast, erupted Etnalike into blind fury.
I’ve never understood the love for Will Arnett. He is not funny. Christina Applegate is okay, but not a sitcom lead. Maya Rudolph did a wonderful Oprah. If that were on SNL it would the only skit all year to earn praise. That’s the only nice thing I’ll say about a series I’ll never watch again.
Free Agents. I thought the writing was terrific. The scene when Hank Azaria recites a list of phony sex positions was as good as anything on Community. Better in fact. It reached the level of Better Off Ted. I’ll agree that the minor cast reeked (except the British boss, who was pretty funny), but all the attention was on the major characters. That’s something easily fixed in later episodes. A fixable pilot rates way over a pilot that ended with a remote hurdling at the screen with great force.
And the critics love Up All Night. What can they be watching?
I had never heard of Up All Night, but my wife recorded it for us to watch.
God, it was fucking awful. I don’t think i managed more than a smile during the hole thing. The premise and the development are both predictable as hell, and the writing was fucking awful.
I understand what you’re saying about Maya Rudolph as Oprah, Exapno Mapcase, but i’ve always found Rudolph annoying as hell, so even that didn’t appeal to me.
No way this show makes the rotation. My time would be far better spent here on the Dope.
