There wasn't much to get excited about when Grey's Anatomy introduced their spinoff show, Private Practice. It was disjointed and you didn't have a chance to figure out if the new show was just not too good or whether the format chosen to premiere this new show, was just an extremely bad ratings driven idea. Going from Seattle to L.A. and back to Seattle and back to L.A., few fell in love with the new show even if they found a few characters with potential. That said, one of the best parts f Private Practice was the potential affair between the recently divorced Merrin Dungey character and the twenty-something Chris Lowell character. They gave us a preview of what was to come between the two and very few were disappointed with the possible affair that was to come.
Since Merrin Dungey's character was recast, my hopes for this storyline were dashed. Although Audra McDonald, Merrin's replacement, is a fabulous actress, her Tony Awards speak for themselves, but I have to say, I cannot picture her having an affair with a 25-year old receptionist/surfer.
Hopefully watching Tim Daly and Taye Diggs will make me forget all of that. I'm thinking it will.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Fall TV Preview- Must See TV
Here is a quick rundown of what I have seen so far that is worthy of my time or precious memory space on my DVR, based on the previews, reviews, and buzz surrounding the show.
My Must Sees Are:
Chuck - Looks hilarious, especially the lead (Zachary Levi) and his job (love that they are mocking the Best Buy computer crew). This is the show I've been looking forward to the most this season.
Dirty Sexy Money - The name alone should make you watch once, but I would LOVE a return to the real primetime soap like Knot's Landing and Falcon Crest, and this has the potential of being it. I am also a huge fan of Sports Night, one of the all time greatest comedies ever on TV, so of course, I love Peter Krause. I'm also happy to see William Baldwin coming back to acting. Samaire Armstrong is also in it, though I am not clear on how big her role really is, but I've been a fan since she graced us with her presence on The O.C.
Life - This looks really good. Interesting premise and the previews look good. Alias fans will recognize the female partner (Sarah Shahi) as the girl who worked with Will at the newspaper (they also dated briefly when he was still pining away for Sydney). Always happy to support the cast of Alias in their endeavors.
Private Practice - Well, I've loved Addison since day one, she never had to grow on me, so I will definitely be watching this one. And it's a bonus that Grey's Anatomy's quality has plummeted and does little more than annoy me right now (though hopefully that will change with the new season but I'm not overly optimistic), so this will hopefully be a welcome change and a more mature approach.
Bionic Woman - I really hadn't planned on watching this remake. I loved the original, wish it still came on in reruns. But, I had the chance to see the extended preview of Bionic Woman (Kudos NBC, good marketing, saw it as a trailer before The Bourne Ultimatum) and it looks really entertaining. So, I will give it a shot, though I'm a bit confused on why they did this massive search for an unknown to play the American hero (I heard one of the producers say something similar in an interview clip), only to choose a British actress. I could care less, but I do find it odd based on the wording. Michelle Ryan appears to be talented and that's plenty for me.
Other Mentionables
Pushing Daisies - This probably should be in the Must See category. There's a ton of buzz surrounding it and I will definitely be watching, but the truth of the matter is that I'm not truly excited about this show. I think I might have a hard time not comparing it to a show I loved, Wonderfalls, because Lee Pace, the star of Pushing Daisies, was also on Wonderfalls, and this show seems to take some of the charming spirit, clever writing, and overall whimsy from that show. Maybe not, I hope I will be pleasantly surprised, and from everything I've read, that should be the case. It could just be that I miss Wonderfalls, which is absolutely true.
Reaper - I'm watching this one basically because I am a fan of the star, Bret Harrison. The reviews and buzz around it are pretty good. I don't know if I'll stick with it, but I'll try it on for size. It looks like it might be fun (which is what I am counting on with Bret as the star).
Big Shots - Michael Vartan is in it. That's always enough for me :). This may turn out to be a winner.
Gossip Girl - Maybe I'll watch. I am basically boycotting The CW. But wait, isn't Reaper on The CW? Yes it is, but I feel like Gossip Girl was the one that really put the nail in the coffin for Veronica Mars, my reason for wanting to boycott The CW, because they considered the two having similar target audiences. The CW needs to learn that they cannot just spurn a devoted fan base and then expect us to tune in to their new shows like nothing happened, like they haven't broken our hearts. So, I will likely watch Gossip Girl to see if it is worth my time, but only on reruns. Especially since it is in a killer time slot up against Private Practice and Bionic Woman.
Cane - This show looks okay. One of those that I will watch if I'm not watching something else. But I am all about supporting it since it brings sexy Jimmy Smits back to the small screen. I've been in love with him since his Victor Sifuentes days on L.A. Law, so I will tune in now and then for that reason alone.
Samantha Who? - Well they canceled What About Brian and Barry Watson is now on this show, so maybe it will be as good. Let's hope so. I LOVED that show. I do not care for the new name of the show much. Previously called Sam I Am, which had much much more of a ring to it, but I think that name was derailed over trademark problems. I wasn't a big fan of Jesse, but I usually enjoy Christina Appelgate, so I am hoping this one will click.
Carpoolers - I'm watching this for one reason. His name is Fred Goss. Since ABC was too stupid to hang onto Fred's sitcom from two seasons ago, the very under appreciated Sons &
Daughters, I will watch Fred on this show and hope he gets to show some of his genius. If anyone was a fan of the hilarious Bravo show that I wish was still on, Significant Others, then you may remember Fred from that as well.
There's a few other shows that I haven't heard enough about to determine if they are worth watching - Women's Murder Club and Cashmere Mafia to name a few. The casts of these two shows look good so I'm hopeful that they will be worth watching.
My Must Sees Are:
Chuck - Looks hilarious, especially the lead (Zachary Levi) and his job (love that they are mocking the Best Buy computer crew). This is the show I've been looking forward to the most this season.
Dirty Sexy Money - The name alone should make you watch once, but I would LOVE a return to the real primetime soap like Knot's Landing and Falcon Crest, and this has the potential of being it. I am also a huge fan of Sports Night, one of the all time greatest comedies ever on TV, so of course, I love Peter Krause. I'm also happy to see William Baldwin coming back to acting. Samaire Armstrong is also in it, though I am not clear on how big her role really is, but I've been a fan since she graced us with her presence on The O.C.
Life - This looks really good. Interesting premise and the previews look good. Alias fans will recognize the female partner (Sarah Shahi) as the girl who worked with Will at the newspaper (they also dated briefly when he was still pining away for Sydney). Always happy to support the cast of Alias in their endeavors.
Private Practice - Well, I've loved Addison since day one, she never had to grow on me, so I will definitely be watching this one. And it's a bonus that Grey's Anatomy's quality has plummeted and does little more than annoy me right now (though hopefully that will change with the new season but I'm not overly optimistic), so this will hopefully be a welcome change and a more mature approach.
Bionic Woman - I really hadn't planned on watching this remake. I loved the original, wish it still came on in reruns. But, I had the chance to see the extended preview of Bionic Woman (Kudos NBC, good marketing, saw it as a trailer before The Bourne Ultimatum) and it looks really entertaining. So, I will give it a shot, though I'm a bit confused on why they did this massive search for an unknown to play the American hero (I heard one of the producers say something similar in an interview clip), only to choose a British actress. I could care less, but I do find it odd based on the wording. Michelle Ryan appears to be talented and that's plenty for me.
Other Mentionables
Pushing Daisies - This probably should be in the Must See category. There's a ton of buzz surrounding it and I will definitely be watching, but the truth of the matter is that I'm not truly excited about this show. I think I might have a hard time not comparing it to a show I loved, Wonderfalls, because Lee Pace, the star of Pushing Daisies, was also on Wonderfalls, and this show seems to take some of the charming spirit, clever writing, and overall whimsy from that show. Maybe not, I hope I will be pleasantly surprised, and from everything I've read, that should be the case. It could just be that I miss Wonderfalls, which is absolutely true.
Reaper - I'm watching this one basically because I am a fan of the star, Bret Harrison. The reviews and buzz around it are pretty good. I don't know if I'll stick with it, but I'll try it on for size. It looks like it might be fun (which is what I am counting on with Bret as the star).
Big Shots - Michael Vartan is in it. That's always enough for me :). This may turn out to be a winner.
Gossip Girl - Maybe I'll watch. I am basically boycotting The CW. But wait, isn't Reaper on The CW? Yes it is, but I feel like Gossip Girl was the one that really put the nail in the coffin for Veronica Mars, my reason for wanting to boycott The CW, because they considered the two having similar target audiences. The CW needs to learn that they cannot just spurn a devoted fan base and then expect us to tune in to their new shows like nothing happened, like they haven't broken our hearts. So, I will likely watch Gossip Girl to see if it is worth my time, but only on reruns. Especially since it is in a killer time slot up against Private Practice and Bionic Woman.
Cane - This show looks okay. One of those that I will watch if I'm not watching something else. But I am all about supporting it since it brings sexy Jimmy Smits back to the small screen. I've been in love with him since his Victor Sifuentes days on L.A. Law, so I will tune in now and then for that reason alone.
Samantha Who? - Well they canceled What About Brian and Barry Watson is now on this show, so maybe it will be as good. Let's hope so. I LOVED that show. I do not care for the new name of the show much. Previously called Sam I Am, which had much much more of a ring to it, but I think that name was derailed over trademark problems. I wasn't a big fan of Jesse, but I usually enjoy Christina Appelgate, so I am hoping this one will click.
Carpoolers - I'm watching this for one reason. His name is Fred Goss. Since ABC was too stupid to hang onto Fred's sitcom from two seasons ago, the very under appreciated Sons &
Daughters, I will watch Fred on this show and hope he gets to show some of his genius. If anyone was a fan of the hilarious Bravo show that I wish was still on, Significant Others, then you may remember Fred from that as well.
There's a few other shows that I haven't heard enough about to determine if they are worth watching - Women's Murder Club and Cashmere Mafia to name a few. The casts of these two shows look good so I'm hopeful that they will be worth watching.
Best Time of the Year: Fall Season Premieres
So, it's that great time of year, where you try out new shows and decide which ones you really want to watch. Here's my number one rule about watching a new show.
Always Watch The First Two Episodes of a Series. Although, I really recommend watching at least 3 episodes.
Why? Several reasons. Well, first and foremost, the pilot episode was likely shot no less than 6 months in advance of the fall season. All sorts of changes could have been made to improve a show from the pilot to the second episode. The writing, timing, connection and chemistry between characters, the set and scenery, can all be drastically improved from the pilot to the second episode. You want to make sure you get a real feel for what the show is going to be before you bail on it. The second episode gives you this feel much better, but watching the the third gives you a much clearer picture. Especially whether the flow between episodes works and if you feel connected to the character and storyline. Has the quality improved from the pilot episode to the third one? If so, you should probably stick around to see if it's worthy of a season pass on your TiVo.
People weren't all that excited with the first couple of episodes of Heroes, but if you suck with it, you saw what they were doing, developing the characters to familiarize the audience with them before just jumping right into the meat of the show's real purpose.
That said. What's everyone going to be watching this season?
Always Watch The First Two Episodes of a Series. Although, I really recommend watching at least 3 episodes.
Why? Several reasons. Well, first and foremost, the pilot episode was likely shot no less than 6 months in advance of the fall season. All sorts of changes could have been made to improve a show from the pilot to the second episode. The writing, timing, connection and chemistry between characters, the set and scenery, can all be drastically improved from the pilot to the second episode. You want to make sure you get a real feel for what the show is going to be before you bail on it. The second episode gives you this feel much better, but watching the the third gives you a much clearer picture. Especially whether the flow between episodes works and if you feel connected to the character and storyline. Has the quality improved from the pilot episode to the third one? If so, you should probably stick around to see if it's worthy of a season pass on your TiVo.
People weren't all that excited with the first couple of episodes of Heroes, but if you suck with it, you saw what they were doing, developing the characters to familiarize the audience with them before just jumping right into the meat of the show's real purpose.
That said. What's everyone going to be watching this season?
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