Go Team Braverman

NBC drama Parenthood is definitely worth a gander. For one thing, Lorelai (Lauren Graham) is in it. Apparently she's television typecast forever as the sassy single mother of a teenage daughter. There's even a storyline dealing with the repercussions of dating her daughter's English teacher. Gilmore Girls, much?

To be fair, the writers have thrown in a few changes. She also has a teenage son, three siblings, and her character is named Sarah, which is TOTALLY different to Lorelai, especially when you say it out loud.

Kidding aside, Parenthood is highly entertaining.

Most of the leads are television and film veterans. Lorelai/Sarah's brother Adam, emotional linchpin of the Braverman family, is portrayed by Peter Krause, who appeared in Dirty Sexy Money and Six Feet Under, as well as the under-appreciated miniseries The Lost Room, alongside Julianna Margulies.

Kudos also for avoiding casting model-esque types to portray the not-so-charismatic members of the Braverman clan. Let's face it, extended families always include a few rellies who are dumpy, ugly, or just plain annoying for no real reason (shame on me).

This mob are a mish-mash of personalities who happen to be joined by blood. Every now and again the bonds are stretched taut, alliances shift, and yet, when it comes down to the wire, someone in the clan always comes through for a fellow Braverman.

The characters are fabulously flawed, occasionally spouting one set of values before hypocritically taking off in the other direction. Like people in the real world, they either learn and grow from their experiences, or choose to completely ignore the implications of their actions. Every now and again the goody two shoes types get tired of being good. Alternately, the devil may care family members occasionally wake up and smell the coffee someone else more mature is making for them.

Just a few things niggle...

A part of the family dynamics is the (supposed) dazzling beauty of resident blonde Julia (Erica Christensen), referenced resentfully by Graham's character Sarah. Unfortunately, actress Erika Christensen looks relatively ordinary on camera, while Lauren Graham appears fresh and quite stunning. You can see the writers are trying to set up some deep-seated familial issues for future reference, but Graham is far too dazzling onscreen to qualify as a downtrodden, exhausted, plain Jane brunette single mum, as implied by the script.

Also, be warned, Braverman teenagers are really annoying. They seem incredibly immature, but maybe that's because we're invited to view the characters more from the parent's perspective? Programs aimed primarily at a teen audience (The Vampire Diaries, Gossip Girl) offer savvy, relatively together teenagers. This mob are a mess. Interestingly enough, the monarchs of the clan, Zeek and Camille, also seem a bit behind the eight ball when it comes to emotional maturity...

Parenthood's true allure is the way it captures the minutiae of family life, especially moments that are unexpectedly memorable. Think rites of passage with surprisingly tragic slants, empathic insights that take a conversation from annoying to poignant, and simple everyday dilemmas that transform suddenly into hilarious experiences. This series gives you a taste of the unpredictable chaos of everyday existence, and the role a closeknit clan can play in helping you survive it (even if they're as much a part of the problem as the solution).

The second season of Parenthood kicks off in the US with an early premiere. Let's hope it picks up enough of an audience to stay around for a third outing.

The Supes Are Alright

Supernatural creatures are where the money's at. Current zeitgeist is all about the supes. You can't click through channels without tripping over an actor in eye-warping lenses.

I've got nothing against humans, but in a way, human characters have become the straight man, filling empty spaces in the frame like onscreen pot plants. (Plot plants would be more accurate, since they do move around, make noise, and give the narrative some motion).

Right now, the passion and psychotic unpredictability that can make television delicious is firmly in the clutches of the supes in the cast.

Supernatural creatures allow for unusual character motivations and different ethical perspectives, without insulting anyone in the real world. You can infer metaphor-for-minorities, but frankly, eternal beings have weird thought patterns that occasionally make for fantastically volatile television.

The Gates is a new show for America's ABC Family, obviously designed to appeal to audience members who can't, or won't, pay for the vamp tramp pleasure of True Blood. While promotional imagery seemed to push the bloodsucker angle, there's a whole lotta supes here. Werewolves, a woman in thrall to an artifact (Warehouse 13, anyone?), good witches, bad witches and a budding succubus. Overachieve, much?

Not a rousing ratings winner, The Gates is still an interesting attempt to marry elements of the mundane and the supernatural. Some subplots are more successful than others, but overall, the show is worth a look, especially with a number of narrative threads becoming more complex, and therefore more engaging, in recent episodes.

To label The Gates another True Blood is a misnomer. The Gates is relatively tame, inferring violence rather than visually revelling in it. If you removed the graphic violence, sex, drug references and bloodshed from True Blood, each outing would last around seven minutes. Rather than a season of television, twelve episodes would view more like a short film festival.

The Vampire Diaries, on the other hand, could be labelled True Blood Lite. Firmly focused on the teen market, there's no denying the vamps inject a rabid (excuse the pun) energy to the script. There's also no denying the human characters, in general, are portrayed as dull as dishwater.

Supe TV isn't just about those on a haemoglobin diet. Right now, werewolves are beginning to counter the vampire overload on television. Werewolves are rugged and earthy, vamps are violent and sleek. In simple terms, an easy way to divide up, balance out and diversify a program's hottie ratio.

The only (television) humans holding strong against all the supe competition are Dean and Sam from Supernatural. Even the ecclesiastical troubles of sidekick angel Castiel can't hold a candle to the complex psyches of the Winchester brothers, and their convoluted sibling relationship. Oh, the humanity.

Half Hour Humour: The Sitcom Ghetto

Most fans of scripted television spend a lot of time shaking their fists at the thirty minute situation comedy, but I'm going to make a stand for the underdog.

There's a reason shows like The Big Bang Theory are rating strongly. Watching procedurals that investigate stabbings, rapes and other forms of nefarious crime isn't always the preferred way to unwind.

To be fair, there's no denying the less-than-perky theme of war has a recurring role on the sitcom scene. What is that about? Iconic programs like Mash, Hogan's Heroes, even 'Allo, 'Allo! come to mind. Imagine pitching those scenarios...

1. "Surgeons and nurses working at a field hospital during the Vietnam War. Bunch of laughs."

2. "How about a POW camp during World War Two? No?"

3. "A French cafe owner caught between the Resistance and the Nazis. Guaranteed hilarity."

Come again?

I recently lost a sitcom. 10 Things I Hate About You was aimed at a teen audience, based on characters from the film of the same name. It was kind of charming at times. Not to mention Gregory Peck's grandson Ethan Peck was doing a mighty fine job as the resident bad boy with a soft heart and (hereditary) deep voice.

Losing your viewing is always tough.

Karen: Oh, Jackie, what are we going to do? What are we going to talk about around this water cooler every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning?

Jack: I don't know, Karen. I mean, you hear about when other people lose their shows, but you never think it's going to happen to you. It makes me sick to think how cruel I was to my own mother when Barnaby Jones got canceled.

Karen: You know, when Stan died, I knew just what to do. A few months later, I simply got engaged to someone else. But this is different, Jackie. This is television.

Will and Grace, Season 6 Episode 19.

When it comes to trying a different show, I have one rule, and that is to sidestep cringeworthy comedies.

Not to be confused with badly written constructs, these are programs that have, unfortunately, outdone themselves. Combine brilliantly subversive writing with impeccable performances, and you've lost me.

Prime examples? Seinfeld and The Office. The cringeworthy factor is so high, it's a comedic killer. As a viewer, I am so embarassed for the characters I can't even laugh. Instead, I feel slightly sick from mortification. Sure, the people on the screen aren't real, but this is situational television. In short, they could be!

Standout new kid on the block, according to the ratings, is Modern Family. High grade sitcoms tiptoe the line between outrageously funny and blatantly overdone. So far, Modern Family is twirling easily on that tightrope, to the point of showing off.

We all know Betty White has the Midas touch. Even the mediocre writing in Hot In Cleveland can't haul this ratings rocket back down into the stratosphere. Following three women of a certain age, their overwhelming obsession with finding men is more nauseating than endearing. Is nothing else going on in their lives? Or, more importantly, their heads?

Cougar Town has a certain goofiness that's oddly charming. The internet has been abuzz with gossip concerning a possible name change. Sounds like a good idea. The program's wandered away from its original premise, focusing more on the kooky adventures of a close knit group (sound familiar?) which is probably what Monica, sorry, Courtney, should have run with from the outset. Definitely one to watch for sheer fun.

Of course, there's nothing like the classics to keep you smiling. Every now and again I try to catch an episode of that paragon of modern sitcoms, Friends. (I like to think I'm Phoebe-esque. Sadly, my little bro informs me I'm so very Ross). Murphy Brown's currently repeating on a network here. I haven't caught it yet, but a friend recommended tuning in to the FYI crew for the fashion flashbacks alone...!...

Does The New Dr. Who Measure Up?

...take a quick jog down Memory Road, turn left at History Street, and eventually you'll hit Nostalgia Lane.

My childhood was full of Dr Who, in all his different, ahem, forms. Every time a new one wandered into shot, American soaps like Bold and the Beautiful came to mind. In the land of daytime television, characters often go away (ie anywhere offscreen), to return an entirely different actor.

Credit to the producers of Dr Who for imbuing a dodgy television habit with their own special kind of genre cred. A casting transformation generally considered tacky is covered in sparkly sci-fi sprinkles (he's a Time Lord, he lives forever, it's really regeneration) and suddenly, the audience is nodding along sagely.

And they say True Blood knows how to market.

My favourite doctors? I grew up watching Dr Afro (Tom Baker), and Dr Blondie (Peter Davison). Tom Baker had big eyes and the best scarf. Peter Davison always looked like he was on his way to the cricket.

To be honest, my favourite Dr Who character was one of the sidekicks, Adric from Aldarius, and yes, I sobbed when he died. His costume had a large star on the shirt pocket. I think I've always appreciated stars on clothes for exactly that reason. Funny what visual memories set up shop in the subconscious.

I've always liked Dr Who's ensembles. The scarves and coats are like a layered exterior representation of the doctor's inner depths. The music has worn a groove in my brain somewhere, and the Daleks gave me nightmares for years. In the world of Dr Who, the baddies were BAD. Strangely, the only baddies that didn't scare me were the bloodsucking vampires. (Lifelong fascination, explained in a nutshell).

I thought the new doctor was going to be obnoxious. The writing this season is occasionally a touch too Torchwood for me, alternately overwrought, and blunt, but Matt Smith really delivers in the acting department. I liked David Tennant, though sometimes I would watch his twitchy, wide-eyed approach to the role, and wonder if the modern Dr Who wasn't an intergalactic fan of Grandmaster Flash? Specifically the track, White Lines (Don't Do It)...

The new Doctor Who is quite fantastic. Serious kudos to whoever called that casting, especially as some fans were dubious about the choice, mainly in regards to the actor's youth. But it's a new era, with Gen Y kids less interested in ye wise olde sage stereotypes.

In terms of characterisation, this season's doctor was written a touch tragic, occasionally melancholic, multi-faceted and confusing. For the audience, his motivations are unravelling slowly over time, episode by episode, thread by thread.

So far, Matt Smith's handling the complexities of the role beautifully.

Extremes of Teen

Teen television aint what it used to be. I miss Buffy Summers, Veronica Mars, the alien kids hiding out in Roswell. Old school tv teens had sass, pizzazz, wit, written in a way that hinted at hidden layers and unspoken depths. Sigh.

Recent mid-season debuts in the US include Pretty Little Liars (ABC Family), and The Hard Times of RJ Berger (MTV). Bad news? Neither overwhelms the viewer, in terms of entertainment. Good news? Neither is awful enough to make you actively look forward to a commercial.

At first, Pretty Little Liars is marginally confusing. Four female protagonists, a fifth who is missing but appears in flashbacks, and a blind girl who wasn't blind during the flashback period. Not to mention a new girl who just moved to town. The pilot drags viewers through a clunky set-up that thankfully smooths out by the second episode.

Our four protagonists have secrets (which to be honest, so far seem kind of lame). Bitchy Queen Bee Alison has been missing for a year. The girls begin receiving messages referencing past secrets, and their current lives, simply signed 'A'. They assume Alison is behind it all, until her body is discovered and the messages continue to arrive.

One day a teenager will be allowed to portray a teenager onscreen, God willing, but until that time we'll continue to watch confident actresses in their twenties trying to recall how to appear vaguely insecure. (Props to Bianca Lawson, still playing teen roles in her thirties!). Kudos also to the efforts of Laura Leighton and Holly Combs. Frankly, I'd rather watch these two 'mums' work the screen, but alas, it's all about the (pseudo-) teens.

Odd to see the network promoting the costuming. The styling was a bit boring and a touch old/conservative for teens, bringing The Vampire Diaries to mind (Elana's been wearing singlets over there for almost a year now). The script's a little lacklustre, very straightforward and to the point.

The truth is, Pretty Little Liars needs a moody bad boy asap if it's going to survive. A baddy slash sometimes goody who is occasionally psychotic, rarely kind, often seductive, and always clever with the witty repartee. Vampire Diaries has Damon, Gossip Girl has Chuck Bass. So what's happening here? Where's the resident hottie??

The Hard Times of RJ Berger was obviously created to appeal to male teenagers obsessed with sex. Shows like Freaks and Geeks and The Wonder Years were thrown around on the net as the type of cult status this series is aiming for, but frankly, the pilot was a dismal fail. Strangely, the second episode is a slightly different story, and far more promising.

The entire premise of the series? RJ has a large penis. Seriously. He flashes his fellow students by accident, gaining him some notoriety. He is (of course) obsessed with the school hottie. She is blond and tanned almost to a faint orange. He fantasises about her stripping off in the school hall for him. We know this, because we get the slow-mo dream sequence. Since they've hardly spoken, she seems pure status symbol material, which, to my mind, doesn't make RJ different to the jocks lusting after her.

RJ is surrounded by creepy people (or so it seems). His foul-mouthed best friend is determined to become popular. He has a female stalker constantly trying to have sex with him. His parents are swingers and have other couples over for dinner.

It's as if someone's disturbing older uncle is trying to appeal to the young kids of today with outrageous dialogue straight from the mouth of a crack addict. Don't get me wrong. Sexual awkwardness provides great script fodder for teen television, but shows like Freaks and Geeks had an odd tenderness at the heart of them, which is completely absent here.

The second episode, however, is surprising viewing, as if the writers decided to tone it down, say, a few thousand notches. RJ runs for school president and some of the scenes are actually amusing. The hottie girl even speaks, empathically connecting with our protagonist by the end of the episode. His best friend comes across as more outrageous than annoying. Even stalker girl moves from revolting to awkwardly kooky. Progress!

So far, watching this series is a bit like being the new kid in school. The first day is terrible, leaving you with the impression everyone sucks. The second day isn't so bad. The people you decided were idiots upon introduction, don't seem quite so terrible now.

Persons Unknown, aka The Cube, Small Town Style.

Why, oh why, has Persons Unknown debuted in the summer, 10pm on a Monday evening? The network refers to it as a thirteen-part miniseries. NBC, I hate to break it to you, but that's one whole season. A miniseries is spread across a few evenings, not thirteen episodes. (How embarassing, you think someone would have explained that to them by now).

The premise? Seven strangers wake up in a hotel, kidnapped from everyday life. It's important to note, they seem purposely chosen from a mix of socio-demographic backgrounds. All claim to be unwilling victims, innocent of any involvement or knowledge pertaining to said abduction scenario. Of course, any of them could be lying.

Outside the hotel is a deserted town. Attempting to leave the town results in a dose of tranquiliser, courtesy of remote controlled implants. Surveillance cameras are visible everywhere, and soon, our little band of lab rats are providing endless sociological fodder for the crazy freaks watching them. (Wait- would that include us?)

You don't know quite what will happen next in Creepy Town. This element of narrative unpredictability places the show a step ahead of many formulaic scripted dramas currently screening on television. (Hey, I'm happy to grade on a curve). Hints are dropped like breadcrumbs, or more accurately, fortune cookies. Who isn't a sucker for any show that can use fortune cookies to introduce a moral dilemma? Oh, it's just me, then?

Persons Unknown is created by Christopher McQuarrie, who wrote The Usual Suspects. What promises to save the premise from becoming tired? Well, the narrative isn't restricted to seven people stuck in a giant cage. A reporter on the outside is trying to follow the trail of Janet, missing mum from San Fransisco. He does a great interview scene with the her mother, aka freaky upmarket grandma, currently caring for Janet's daughter:

"She never felt I was a good parent. The word she used was abusive. I never hit her. One time, I hit her with a hairbrush until it broke. My daughter and I were, well, we both are, very strong-willed, you see."

Persons Unknown, Pilot Episode.

While digesting the inherent creepiness of this statement, viewers are suddenly made aware there's a surveillance camera hidden inside the house. THEY'RE IN THE HOUSE!

And I know there has to be one annoying character, but already I wish someone would accidentally shoot Blackham.

Janet: You're the one. I heard you walk past my room.

Blackham: Oh, was that you screaming for help?

Charlie: You mean you just left her there?!

Blackham: Hey, look, no hard feelings.

Persons Unknown, Pilot Episode.

Kudos has to go to actors Jason Wiles and Alan Ruck. Their performances in the pilot are top notch.

If the show can hold up the scripting side of the bargain, I'll continue watching. On a cautious note, it's important to remember Flash Forward also had potential before quickly progressing down the gurgler...

Procedural Television. In or Out?

I've never been big on procedural dramas. When I hear the words 'lawyer', 'hospital' or 'police', my eyes glaze over, and I feel the sudden need to watch a Buffy rerun. For one thing, there's all the corpses....

Jackson: So did anyone see that new show on TV last night?

Lorelai: The one where they were solving crimes by cutting bodies open and poking their organs?

Jackson: No.

Sookie: The one where they're solving crimes from thirty years ago by going to graveyards and cutting open bodies and poking their organs?

Jackson: No.

Lorelai: Oh, the one where people are missing, and then they find their bodies and cut them open and poke their organs and that's how they solve crimes?

Jackson: No.

Lorelai: What else is on?

Gilmore Girls, Season 6, Episode 5.

Police procedural dramas haunt me the most. I'm stretching cop shows to include all forms of law enforcement. (Abbreviated? You're in). Borderline allergic to PPD's, I'll need Buffy: The Musical playing in the background just to get through this post.

Dean: "Calm down? I am wearing sunglasses at night. You know who does that? No-talent douchebags. I hate this game. I hate that we’re in a procedural cop show. And you want to know why? Because I HATE procedural cop shows. It’s like three hundred of them on television, they’re all the freakin’ same!"

Supernatural, Season 5, Episode 8.

Why am I bringing this up? Because filming of The Bill, that British stalwart, is about to cease. Kicking off around the mid-eighties, The Bill has screened for over twenty five years, a lifespan similar to that of an elf in Lord of the Rings. The Sun Hill mob plodded their London beat while many a hyped program fell by the wayside. (And there goes Torchwood).

How can a person dislike cop shows, yet still enthuse about the grandaddy of them, all you ask? Because the Bill is a childhood memory. Like toffee apples, or a Barbie bus, or The Mysterious Cities of Gold on ABC. We were brought up on regular doses of The Bill, bar the saucy and/or violent parts, whereby mum would yell, "close your eyes children!".

Remember good old Reg? And the big walkie talkies? Sorry, police radios. My first car was a volkswagon beetle. During its maiden journey, driving my little bro around the block, there was a Bill-inspired bout of "Roger that, this is Alpha Sierra, we've got a 451 in progress, over". Those were the days.

For us, cop shows were gritty, not flashy. When American efforts of the eighties started flooding in, we were shell-shocked. The glitz and glamour of Miami Vice was a huge revelation. They sure didn't do it that way at Sun Hill police station...

Every new police procedural drama has an angle. A bit like spraying wax on old fruit to create a glossy impression of newness. There's no denying US of A networks are masters of The Hook. Audiences feel comfortable with a familiar format, while enjoying enough variation to freshen the viewing experience.

Best Eighties Police Procedural Hook: 21 Jump Street, with its undercover-cops-posing-as-teenagers, suckered in the much-desired teen demographic.

Seemingly Lame Police Procedural Hook That Worked: NCIS. Agents-specifically-dealing-with-navy-crimes? I thought they were reaching, but hello, spin-off.

Current Trend For A Police Procedural Kooky Sidekick Hook: White Collar, agent-with-con-artist, and Castle, police-detective-with-writer. (These follow in the footsteps of The Mentalist, and Lie To Me, both recently renewed for another season).

Frankenstein of the Police Procedural Family Tree: Supernatural procedural dramas seduce anti-procedural types with some kind of science-meets-spooky hook. Old School example? X-Files. New School examples? Fringe and Warehouse 13.

While it's great to see a little creativity in the mix, one has to ask, how long can policing procedurals remain popular? It seems for every cancellation, networks try a new spin, apparently big fans of the "if it aint broke, don't fix it" philosophy.

New blood for next season includes Blue Bloods, cop-family-in-NYC, and mid-season pick up Ride Along (for hook, see title). Pity those of us in the audience born with some kind of mysterious prodecural immunity, whose attention won't be arrested (I couldn't resist!).