Yeah, how is it that Olivia Benson can manage to hold her own in a precinct full of men, but Bello can’t? Prime Suspect would have been an outdated premise in the 80s!
Watched Unforgettable again last night – does it deserve its own thread? – because I continue to be curious about how they’ll work in the memory gimmick. So far, so not terrible.
But my god, organ harvesting? I don’t know whether it’s good that they’re not going for the same old plots, or bad that they’re going in such bizarre directions instead.
I like the show. I assume that there will be all kinds of connections and revelations regarding Carrie’s sister, who did it, the rest of the fam, etc.
I was going to start a new thread, but this one may be fine.
Word on the street is that The Playboy Club will be the first to be cancelled – conservative backlash has led to sponsors pulling ads, which is, of course, the real bottom line – but I’m going to put in a word for it being How to Be a Gentleman, which I caught last night because it was after Big Bang Theory and changing the channel would have entailed getting up from the desk and grabbing the remote.
Good lord, what a steaming pile of shit this was. Dave Foley – what family member are they holding hostage?
I watched Suburgatory last night; I was initially put off by the promos, but a critic I respect really liked it, so I gave it a shot.
It was as I feared - heavy on snarky, Juno-esque teenage commentary (although the teenager looks to be pushing 30). But there’s just enough heart and good-writing (and occasional LOL moments) that it’s worth another look.
Sepinwall said the writers toned down the sexism after the pilot. Watched the second ep last night and while the boys club is still there, it’s not as bad as it was in the pilot and the boys are developing some personality. I’ll keep watching, if I remember it’s on.
I like the subplot with the boyfriend’s ex-wife.
I liked Suburgatory too – I’ll watch Jeremy Sisto in just about anything.
I didn’t watch that show, but I’m not surprised Foley is doing a bad show. He talked about his financial problems on "WTF with Marc Maron" and he seems to need as much money as he can get.
Of the new comedies, I’m watching Free Agents &* Up All Night* for the same reason - I like the actors. So far, I’m not in love with either show, but I think they have potential. They both got a Season Pass on my TiVo.
Drama-wise, I’m watching Revenge, Person of Interest, the Playboy Club, Pan-Am,, and, for no good reason, Ringer. Revenge really sucked me in right away, and I Season-Passed Person of Interest as well.* The Playboy Club *is pretty bad, but I adore David Krumholtz, so I’ll probably watch until it gets cancelled. I’m not sure about Pan-Am yet. Ringer - Good Lord, I don’t even know. I watch, think, “This is so stupid,” and then immediately set TiVo to record next week’s episode.
I also wanted to add that I LOVE Parks and Recreation, and certainly not because I think it’s sophisticated. I will say, though, that I hated the first two episodes with a passion and never watched the rest of the first season. I caught an episode mid-season 2 and thought, “Wait, when did this show get funny?” So** fusoya**, if you’re basing your opinion on the early episodes, I kind of get it. But if you’ve seen later episodes and not liked them, well, I can’t help you.
I didn’t really enjoy the New Girl pilot, but may give it another shot.
Ah, I miss the HBO days of Six Feet Under and The Sopranos.
I guess Showtime and NBC are alright now - Californication is back in January, and I’m enjoying season 3 of Parenthood (much more entertaining than last season).
The TV critic of the Philadelphia Daily News had a contest; write a review (50-150 words) of one of several specified new shows, and winners join a “critic’s panel,” go in for an evening of conversation and swag. I really like this critic, so I entered with the following. (Yes, I paraphrased the first line in a post upthread – now you know, I sometimes recycle material.)
Anyway, I’ve been chosen to be on the panel! Not sure exactly what I won – will let you know after Thursday night’s gathering.
Playboy Club is the first show cancelled.
Whitney has gotten picked up for the full season. shudder
I’m watching Whitney, it’s better than Up All Night.
It is. It’s also better than New Girl, or Free Agents or any other sitcom that piloted this season. That’s not saying much though.
I’m going to go out on a limb a bit and put in a strong plug for Ringer. Yes, the premise (that one twin who knows almost nothing about the other’s current life can take on the sister’s persona without anyone noticing) is utterly preposterous, but if one can get past that, there is much reward, IMO.
Although there is little in Gellar’s performances to differentiate the two characters she plays, I like how she seems to really have no idea how, as Bridget, she’s going to maintain her ruse for even another hour, and is basically just making it up on the spot. There is some cleverness in how having adopted her supposedly glittering sister’s identity actually ends up punishing her double emotionally, for both her previous transgressions and those of the sister. Then there are little details like the FBI agent, spending endless amounts of time in New York on the Agency’s dime, ineptly and futilely searching for clues to Bridget’s disappearance when there are people, such as Bridget’s sponsor (being tortured horribly by thugs back in Wyoming) who could really use the agent’s help right about now. I’m amused by the way the agent is lit, every time he shows up, as if he were a silent-film villain, complete with mascara around the eyes. And tonight’s nightmarish birthday party, with its muttering undertone of deceit and betrayal, was, IMO, a wonderful bit of surrealism, whether intentional or not.
It’s not often I’d use the term “Kafkaesque” for a soap opera, but there, I said it. Laugh at me if you must.
I was expecting more action in Ringer and it’s a bit too soap-operaish for me, but it holds my interest. Last night’s episode had a great cliffhanger ending.
There’s a show on ABC Family using the same premise. Must be the in thing this season.
I read on Slate that Free Agents was cancelled, which is a little annoying as on Saturday BBC America is going to air the UK original. So it would have been possible to do a side-by-side comparison.
I don’t know about UK original, but the US version was awful. Which makes me wonder - with awfulness that is this bad, how is it that these shows make it to prime time at all, even for a few episodes?
Not much, though I did get a replica of the murder weapon in the first season of Damages, which I watched recently on DVD and loved, so that was kind of cool.
Anyway, the other thing we did was watch a screener of the first episode of Boss, the new Kelsey Grammer show with him as a ruthless mayor of Chicago with with many dark secrets, surrounded by others with many dark secrets. The pilot was directed by Gus van Sant, actually. Much better than I would have expected, and as show I’d watch if I had cable, which I don’t.
I just finished Grimm. Go here for a preview code. It was okay. I like cop shows and fantasy so I’ll keep watching, but my initial impression is that it won’t last the whole season.
Charlies Angels bit the dust. I am unsurprised.
The only thing I’ve really watched that I find at all interesting is American Horror Story. Can’t say I “like” it, but I can’t not watch.