It's almost time for the US of A to unleash some mid-season scripted newbies on us all.
Those scoffing "Mid-season replacements are like Stargate: Universe was to the SG franchise; short-lived shows qualifying as bad fillers", should bite their tongues. A lot of programs born to be between-season fillers go on to become grown-up shows!
Buffy The Vampire Slayer was a middie, as was Grey's Anatomy. Dawson's Creek, The Black Donnellys, Third Rock From The Sun, Moonlighting and even Walker, Texas Ranger, all started their lives in the rating's grey zone.
IMAGINE THAT.
This year, I really want to watch The Cape.
A genre show aimed at a niche audience, the best it can hope for is to become the new Chuck. That is, a popular show among weird audience types; consistently walking so close to the cancellation line that fans find themselves equally relieved and exasperated each time a new allotment of episode orders are announced.
You just keep on pushing my love over the borderline.
Madonna, Borderline lyrics.
So what's The Cape about? In a very tight summary, a wronged cop is framed for a crime he did not commit. (How often have you read that line?). He then becomes a superhero. (That line, not so much).
Personally, I always find superheroes a little naff to watch in 'real life' ie film and television. Visually, what seems terribly awesome in comic form somehow never really translates to anything other than, well, terrible and kind of embarassing onscreen. (Bar the X-Men movies, but only because the costume department got smart and dressed most of the cast in sleek dark ensembles).
I'm sure many people would argue this isn't true, but my blog, my opinion. On the bright side, at least a cape is kind of subtle. The title makes no mention of fluoro undies on the outside, or Mardi Gras-friendly amounts of lycra.
The best part about The Cape is the return of Summer Glau. There's an actress who always holds my attention. Some people find her a bit blank, but that's more a reflection of casting patterns than performance. When she's played voluble characters- or moments when her crazy characters imitate the sociable- she's been equally as fascinating/riveting as when she plays a Terminator (The Sarah Connor Chronicles) or a damaged genius (Firefly). I just hope this proves a strong vehicle, because I'll cringe if Summer is reduced to Sassy Hot Chick On The Side.
The Brits offer the ex-colonials across the water a bout of help via Skins and Being Human, two popular British programs that have undergone Americanisation. Here's hoping the (conceptual) transplants take.
I quite like Being Human, which sees a vampire, a ghost and a werewolf forced to share a flat. If the show's writers want to master the melding of nitty gritty inter-personal relationship issues with supernatural themes, they should take a leaf from Supernatural. (Any opportunity to plug the Winchesters!).
The American version of Skins, shot in Canada, comes under the MTV umbrella. For some reason this gives me flashbacks to the scene from Reality Bites where Winona's raw, touching Gen X footage is mutilated by the 'hip' youth channel. De ja vu? Let's hope not.
There's another British remake hitting screens, called Shameless. Unfortunately, it seems bound to score a lot of 'Shameful' puns in review headlines. The general consensus on the net so far is leaning toward epic disappointment, and the program hasn't even screened yet. Part of the outcry, I think, is due to the fact viewers, and reviewers, generally have higher expectations from the HBO network.
On the boring front, prepare for more cop shows, because apparently there's not enough procedurals out there. Worse, an offshoot's in the mix. Yes, a new Criminal Minds. Networks just can't resist the lure of procedural franchising... sigh.
On the law front, Fairly Legal gives the impression it will be fairly entertaining. The story follows a kind of Ally McBeal lawyer girl who instead becomes a mediator? It should be slightly more watchable than painful. (That's my anti-law show bias coming through). In reality, FL will probably prove quite popular.
Portlandia looks set to be either weirdly uber-cool or weirdly uber-lame. I don't think there's any other reaction for this style of comedy, aside from the classic hit or miss scenario. Filmed on location with Saturday Night Live staffers involved, I think there might be just a hint of Flight of The Conchord's humour flavouring that there mix... maybe worth at least one viewing?
There is, of course, the obligatory Trying To Be The New Friends effort. This year it's Happy Endings, which follows a group of friends (Six, to be exact. Would you look at that?) who have to survive a disastrous non-wedding between two of their tight-knit clique. As one character describes it:
This is a classic story of boy meets girl, boy losers girl to guy on rollerblades, boy becomes greatest youtube sensation since kitten stuck in tuba.
Happy Endings, Season 1, Episode 1.
Some of the lines are quite witty; lighthearted entertainment perfect for a quiet weeknight. There's your obligatory, easy-laughs Bridget Jones kind of character in the mix, who is always SO MUCH FUNNIER in film and television than in real life. (In reality, the fact that successful, healthy women are still utterly obsessed with catching a man and getting that long-cherised wedding ring qualifies as a tragedy more than anything else).
My standout pick of the middies is Mr Sunshine, with original Friends alumni Matthew Perry and the fantastic, ever-droll Allison Janney. Perry's character Ben Donovan is turning forty and manages an event venue called The Sunshine Centre. Let's just say his life is a bit of a mess. The show also stars James Lesure, from Las Vegas, and is penned by writers from The Family Guy, which I think implies the humour won't sink to lame levels. The trailer is laugh out loud funny, so I'll be watching.
Of course, the best thing about the middies is, no matter how much you correlate the data (writer's resumes, casting choices, quality of promos) you often miss a diamond in the rough, a quiet little sleeper that goes on to explode across the cultural zeitgeist.
Fingers crossed, then, for a fresh, wild and totally unexpected (scripted) success this middie season, because who doesn't like surprises? x
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