Here's my take on ten recent small screen debuts. The good news is, every now and again, you hit pay dirt. (On a side note, what does this saying even mean? Why dirt??).
My Favourite So Far (drum roll please)…
1. MOCKINGBIRD LANE
Why Check It Out? Because it's from the producer of Pushing Up Daisies. Mockingbird Lane is fun, but don't get excited. The network passed on it, which means the most promising show of the season was cancelled before it even really began.
What's It About? A ver-y loose retelling of The Munsters, which is why it has a different name (good call). The concept's been modernised to accommodate a more gore-savvy audience. The pilot was screened as a Halloween special.
After I Watched It… I was blown away by how kooky but cool the whole idea was, and how well the core cast meshed. I loved the art design too. The opening sequence, where Marilyn buys the house, made me smile, as did Lily and grandpa's arrival (cue rats, smoke and spiders). Fantastic television.
Hits: Deliciously macabre all-round!
And Misses: Maybe the pacing? The program is such an unexpected style of small screen storytelling, there's no currently popular formula to follow (unlike a procedural).
Other Shows Worth Trying On For Size...
2. ARROW
Why Check It Out? Because superheroes are still all the rage. Speaking of rage, the theme of this show seems to be a slow burning rage that's almost consumed our hero. I love it.
What's It About? A billionaire playboy is found five years after he's presumed dead. The sole survivor of a shipwreck, he returns home to discover corruption and greed have taken over the city. Deciding to protect the innocent by adopting an alternate persona, he becomes the vigilante known as Green Arrow.
What's It About? A billionaire playboy is found five years after he's presumed dead. The sole survivor of a shipwreck, he returns home to discover corruption and greed have taken over the city. Deciding to protect the innocent by adopting an alternate persona, he becomes the vigilante known as Green Arrow.
After I Watched It… I realised there's often a jovial kind of humour to shows based on comic books, but this series plays it straight. I actually like the intensity.
Hits: The flashbacks to the boating tragedy, and his time on the island. Beautifully woven in at just the right times. Rather than being jarring, they really contribute to the narrative.
And Misses: I'm not a Green Arrow comic fan, so I honestly can't compare the character mythology to this interpretation. I like the grittiness and brutality of the violence, it kind of blurs the line with the hero a little, bringing a darker edge to the tale. On a side note, just what is it with the girlfriend/love interest of a superhero hooking up with the best mate?
Note: This is a CW show, so the budget's nowhere near as high as pilot programs on other networks. CW's programming also skews younger. These factors combined mean my expectations were not quite as high as they might be for a big budget effort on other networks, or cable. But I was pleasantly surprised by the quality here. Big step forward from the 90210 remake, or the show about musical chairs(!).
Note: This is a CW show, so the budget's nowhere near as high as pilot programs on other networks. CW's programming also skews younger. These factors combined mean my expectations were not quite as high as they might be for a big budget effort on other networks, or cable. But I was pleasantly surprised by the quality here. Big step forward from the 90210 remake, or the show about musical chairs(!).
3. LAST RESORT
Why Check It Out? Co-creator Shaun Ryan's had his finger in a lot of (tv) pies, including Chicago Code, Terriers, Lie To Me, and The Unit.
What's It About? The crew of a submarine are on the run (in a sense). When you're a patriot doing your duty and your country tries to kill you courtesy of internal political machinations, well, the psychological effects are going to be complex O_O Think combat-style pressure, to the nth degree.
After I Watched It… I started recommending the show to anyone who would listen. This was easily the best premiere of the television season. The follow up episodes are not as strong; partly because not much can compete with the setting up of the original premise, and partly because the move to focus on 'emotional' storylines doesn't translate well.
Hits: Worth watching, if it can avoid cancellation. The ensemble cast is incredible.
Misses: Sub-plots centred on the bar girl and the wife back home just make me sigh. I think they're supposed to provide, what, emotional fodder? Instead, the characters come across as overly simplistic and tiresome to watch. They don't compare to the intricacies of Autumn Reeser's character.
4. HUNTED
Why Check It Out? Ah, BBC, you send so many good shows out into the world. Major props!
What's It About? I thought it was about a spy who survives an assassination attempt, realises one of her team had to be involved, and (once recovered) returns to work to uncover the culprit. For me, the show lost a little gloss when it turned out the protagonist is not a spy. Instead, she works for a privatised company. Laugh if you like, but the thing is, I can get behind patriotism. Ditching your ethics for cold hard cash? Not so much.
After I Watched It… I took my hat off once again to the BBC. All the clever kind of espionage double crossing at the beginning is riveting. The lead role is written as a very intense, complex character, and while I think it's a bit of a stretch for George, she comes through.
Hits: That would be the entire cast. It's a solid ensemble cast, you're not sighing your way through any scenes. The camera work, the editing, the lighting in a lot of shots, every aspect is top-notch. The real mystery is what they're putting in the water over there?
And Misses: Melissa George's pouting. The actress's interpretation of a stern, serious spy face, includes a slight pout. Spy chic? If you created a drinking game and tossed back a shooter for every pout shot, you'd be wasted asap.
Good, But Probably Could Have/Should Have Been Better...
5. ELEMENTARY
Why Check It Out? Reinterpreting the iconic character of Sherlock Holmes, ie placing him in a modern day setting, worked so well for the Brits.
What's It About? A genius-type who notices everything, works with the police (for free) when he gets out of rehab, assisted by a retired surgeon hired by his father to act as a sobriety companion.
After I Watched It… To be honest, the Sherlock character doesn't seem frighteningly clever to me. He seems more like a highly intelligent individual with a personality disorder. Kind of a stupid person's version/idea of genius.
Let's face it, the crew over on Castle solve these types of crimes quite regularly. If Sherlock's going to stand out from the crowd, the procedural aspect needs to be a lot more polished. Today's audiences are quite jaded in regards to the solving of homicide mysteries.
Let's face it, the crew over on Castle solve these types of crimes quite regularly. If Sherlock's going to stand out from the crowd, the procedural aspect needs to be a lot more polished. Today's audiences are quite jaded in regards to the solving of homicide mysteries.
Hits: Lucy Liu. She's a great actress, and her character here is a very different take on Watson, a much more proactive interpretation of the famous sidekick.
And Misses: Elementary is just a standard procedural, with a little Sherlock wrapping. More similar to House, or The Mentalist. If you're going to cash in on the success of the BBC effort, you have to put in the budget to equal the quality of their product, and pay the same attention to detail (considering the topic at hand, that's almost a pun).
Still To Come...
6. PRIMEVAL: NEW WORLD
This is screening soon, so I'm taking a punt on it and putting it in the list as a potential fun show, (maybe) in the same way Warehouse 13 is entertaining. Why? Because I enjoy the occasional Canadian program, and because Amanda Tapping and Gillian Horvath are involved (think Sanctuary). I don't mind the leads either (guy from Eureka, girl from The Vampire Diaries). Will update this blog with impressions of the first episode when it airs later in the week. Since I've never seen the British original, maybe I'll check that out too...
Currently On The Fence...
7. BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
Why I'm Not Sold: Oh, for a lot of reasons. Mostly the script, and most notably the atrocious procedural aspect, which is highly cringeworthy. Not to mention, taking an old show and creating a modern interpretation rarely ends well. This is the network that tried 90210 and Melrose Place reboots, so you think they'd have learnt their lesson by now… Nostalgia is a powerful thing, so shows are judged a lot more harshly when they reference a past favourite to pull an audience.
Most would argue this should be in the 'Avoid' category, but I really like Kristin Kreuk. She was a big factor behind the original success (ie the early years) of Smallville. And I do enjoy the stylised fight scenes. Fingers crossed it gets better? Maybe the production company could pull a Walking Dead with the writing staff? (And no, I don't mean eat or zombify- just replace!)
Most would argue this should be in the 'Avoid' category, but I really like Kristin Kreuk. She was a big factor behind the original success (ie the early years) of Smallville. And I do enjoy the stylised fight scenes. Fingers crossed it gets better? Maybe the production company could pull a Walking Dead with the writing staff? (And no, I don't mean eat or zombify- just replace!)
8. 666 PARK AVENUE
Why I'm Not Sold: This one comes down to personal taste. I enjoyed the opening few minutes (I'm always up for a series with a supernatural slant, I love seeing how writers work it into the narrative)... till I discovered Rachael Taylor has a lead role. I am not a fan of Rachel Taylor on the small screen, in the same kind of way I'm not a fan of Anne Hathaway on the big screen. Meaning, I can only sit through about five minutes of screen time before I have to leave the cinema, or turn off the telly.
Those Best Avoided…
9. MADE IN JERSEY
I was going to say, avoid this one like the plague, it's horribly oversimplified and has an oddly condescending tone (God-awful barely describes the clunky script effort), but it's already been cancelled.
10. REVOLUTION
Don't even get me started. There are just too many logistical problems with the concept, and honestly, who wants to read a reall-y long rant? Nobody, I'm guessing. I love stories set in dystopian futures, but in the last few years it seems networks have conveniently ignored the fact this kind of programming requires solid conceptual script work. The premise here has a slapdash feel to it that I find truly aggravating. When you create a world, it has to be consistent, so the audience can maintain suspension of disbelief... Two words, people. Robert McKee. Google him!
