The TV season is just about over so I thought I’d have a look back at the best shows of 2011-2012.  Some things don’t line up that well because the way cable channels like FX and HBO air their shows is slightly off kilter to the networks.

Below are my thoughts, rankings and scores for the 29 shows I watched on an ongoing basis this season from worst to first.  Bear in mind that my rankings are based on what I’m most excited to watch each week so they might not match up with the score I give for the quality of the show.  Oh, and I’m behind on Mad Men so that’s not included in the list.

29. Don’t Trust the Bitch in Apartment 23
Meh.  Talk about high concept, that ridiculous title says it all.  I’ve watched the first two episodes and it’s very ordinary.  Kristen Ritter basically plays the same character she did in She’s Out of My League.  It’s not very funny and that hurts a sitcom.  Still, bonus points for James Van Der Beek.  4.5/10

28. Awake
The pilot was intriguing, but the few additional episodes I watched beyond the pilot just reinforced that the show is a basic procedural but with two storylines for the protagonist crammed into each episode.  It’s not necessarily bad I just don’t like procedurals.  It’s been cancelled now and you can read my opinion on that here.  5/10

27. Alcatraz
It’s a far cry from the brilliance of Lost, but that should be expected.  It’s in effect a basic police procedural with a hint of sci-fi and mythology to suck in genre fans.  Jorge Garcia is wasted and Sam Neill is almost as annoying as David Caruso in CSI: Miami.  Oh, and Fox has cancelled the show now.  5/10

26. The Secret Circle
It was obvious from the very beginning that The Secret Circle wanted so desperately to be The Vampire Diaries that it was embarrassing.  The truth is it’s not even close.  There’s no chemistry, there are no characters to root for, there’s no “big bad”, there’s no overarching plot, there’s shitty dialogue and lame special effects.  The CW has opted to not bring the show back next season and I think that’s one of the smartest decisions the netlet has made in a long time.  5/10

25. How I Met Your Mother
Just like Glee, HIMYM doesn’t feel like the show I used to love.  Something’s off and I’ve continued to lose interest in the show from the beginning of the season.  It’s a shame because I always looked forward to each new episode.  Aside from the good episode here or there, I think the show started to lose something when Barney and Robin got together, and things only got worse when Marshall and Lilly moved out of the apartment they were sharing with Ted.  The show did improve once Marshall and Lilly moved back into the apartment in Manhattan, and the season finale was pretty good, but I just know it’s gonna be another long drawn out season when it starts up again in September.  I should just stop watching because I know HIMYM never really delivers on the promises it makes.  5/10

24. 2 Broke Girls
I started watching this show simply because I’m a big fan of Kat Dennings (having loved her in Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist and Charlie Bartlett), but it quickly became apparent that the show isn’t that good.  Beth Behrs has grown on me, as has the Russian cook in the diner, but the Asian dude and the black guy are annoying racist stereotypes that I can’t let slide.  There’s also the glaring problem that the show isn’t funny.  Sitcoms are supposed to be funny.  5/10

23. Glee
This show seems so far removed from the one I loved in season 1 that it doesn’t even feel like the same show anymore.  Rachel has been sidelined and the other voices given more screentime.  Each episode is framed to force feed a moral story on a weekly basis.  And the one gay relationship I do like on the show, Brittany and Santana, never seems to go anywhere.  I’m hoping that Kurt, Mercedes, Artie and Quinn disappear for good next season.  I rank it higher than the stuff listed above for the simple fact that every now and then they do a good cover, and Heather Morris is awesome.  Quality-wise it’s subpar.  4.5/10

22. Veep
I’ve only watched the first episode so I’m a little behind, however I’m happy that Tony Hale is back on TV and that I can see Matt Walsh each week.  I’m concerned that a political parody like this show is going to get tiresome quickly though.  6/10

21. Justified
Another solid season for this Elmore Leonard based show.  It’s never spectacular but Dickie Bennett (played by the extremely talented Jeremy Davies) more than makes up for that.  Plus Timothy Olyphant has been a favourite of mine since Scream 2, Go, and Deadwood.  6.5/10

20. South Park
How the mighty have fallen.  South Park was the best animated show for a very long time but as soon as Archer debuted it fell to second place and I even think that Bob’s Burgers is better now too.  The show is still good but it’s far more hit or miss now than it ever was before.  5.5/10

19. Bob’s Burgers
H Jon Benjamin strikes again, and whilst it’s not as good as Archer, it’s another good animated show which is far superior to everything on Fox’s Sunday animation block.  Kristen Schaal does a great job as Louise and there’s great cinematography (if that even applies to animated shows) in episodes now and then.  I remember being really startled during the pilot when there’s a shot of a leaf falling towards Bob.  I’d never seen something animated that way in a show before and it really impressed me.  It’s also laugh out loud funny on a consistent basis.  6.5/10

18. Happy Endings
I decided to watch this show simply because Damon Wayans Jr was in the pilot of New Girl and then disappeared due to his commitment to Happy Endings.  I was surprised to discover that the show is decent, and very surprised to discover that Elisha Cuthbert has some comedic ability beyond being stalked by a cougar.  6/10

17. Game of Thrones
You know what, this show is nothing special.  It’s got a crazy enthusiastic following, both because of the books and because of the show, but it never blows me away.  It just keeps plodding along, sometimes jumping along in time from episode to episode, sometimes with each episode being very close together in the timeline.  Still, it’s suitably violent every now and again, and it did allow me to see Carice Van Houten naked again, so I’ll continue to watch.  I’m really looking forward to Joffrey being killed and Daenerys doing something (anything) other than threatening to do something.  6/10

16. American Horror Story
It’s bat shit fucking insane and has completely random stories, but it’s weirdly addictive all the same.  I remember having a chat with a friend about the show and whilst neither of us could articulate why we enjoyed it, we both did.  I’m intrigued to see how the second season plays out with an entirely new cast and location, although given that Ryan Murphy is responsible I fully expect the storytelling to be just as disjointed as the first season (and Glee).  6/10

15. Survivor
Colton was the villain that didn’t go far enough, Chelsea was really fucking hot, Troyzan was probably my favourite, but Kim deserved to win.  Thankfully the person who deserved to win actually did, which isn’t something that happens very often on Survivor.  You can check out what I thought of the season and the finale here.  6/10

14. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
It continued to be highly inappropriate and wonderful because of it.  Thinking back on the season the things that really stick out are the gangs visit to the Jersey Shore and the game of Chardee MacDennis.  6.5/10

13. Modern Family
I never keep up with Modern Family on a week to week basis, but when I do eventually sit down and catch up I’m always angry with myself that I wasn’t watching the episodes as soon as they aired.  Everyone in this show is good, but I am most impressed by Sophia Vergara, Ty Burrell, Sarah Hyland, and Ariel Winter.  It’s not the best comedy on TV (network TV), that honour probably goes to Parks and Recreation, but it’s gotta be in the top 5.  7/10

12. Boardwalk Empire
It continues to be a slow-burn show, which has flashes of violence and mayhem and not enough pure mob related drama, but it deserves credit for having the balls to whack Jimmy in the season finale.  I didn’t think that would happen.  7.5/10

11. True Blood
God this show is frustrating.  There are so many elements which make it good, like Pam, Jessica, Russell, Godric, Sophie-Anne, the flashbacks, the sex, and the violence.  Then there are the terrible things which drag it down, like Tara, the Merlotte family, the love triangle between Sookie, Bill and Eric, the shitty villains in season 2 and 4.  True Blood never gets the majority of things right.  Never.  Yet I can’t stop watching.  I’m not sure there’s ever been a show as addictive and truly frustrating as True Blood before.  5.5/10

10. New Girl
For a show that I only started watching so I could see Zooey Deschanel it’s very pleasing to know that it introduced Schmidt, the best new character on TV.  Not only that, but Jake Johnson, Lamorne Morris, and Hannah Simone have made this into a true ensemble show.  The only thing I’m not looking forward to in season 2 is the inevitable “will they won’t they” between Jess and Nick.  7/10

9. Luck
Who would of thought that a show about horse racing and betting could be so damn good. Considering my undying love for Deadwood I shouldn’t have been surprised that David Milch would create another great show.  Luck also did the impossible, it made me like Dustin Hoffman.  It’s a distinct shame that the renewed second season was cancelled due to a number of deaths of horses on set.  7.5/10

8. Community
Some of the super-meta, pop culture referencing parody episodes go a little too far in my opinion, but there’s no doubt that Community is a very good show that doesn’t have the viewership it should do.  This show deserves praise for introducing Donald Glover, Danny Pudi, Annie’s boobs, Dean Pelton, and Chang.  Plus I’m a big fan of Chevy Chase so having him back on a regular basis is awesome.  No matter how much of a prick he’s supposed to be in real life.  It’s great that NBC has picked up Community for a 4th season but somewhat bittersweet because they’ve only ordered 13 episodes.  But you never know, maybe one of their other million new sitcoms will be shit and they’ll extend the episode order for Community.  We can only hope.  7/10

7. Parks and Recreation
To be honest, this season has been a little bit of a letdown after what we’ve come to expect from the show.  Still, it’s been enjoyable and funny, and Adam Scott has remained, which I didn’t think would happen when he was first introduced.  We also got to see Paul Rudd and Kathryn Hahn on a fairly regular basis which was pretty cool.  7/10

6. Archer
The best animated show on TV by a wide margin.  It’s often hilarious and inappropriate, and there are never enough episodes.  There’s not much more that needs to be said.  8/10

5. Breaking Bad
I find it hard to sit down and watch a single isolated episode of Breaking Bad because each season is constructed in a way that demands you watch it from start to end.  There’s a beauty to just about every episode of this show that you don’t find anywhere else on TV with the exception of Mad Men.  I’m very disappointed that the final season is going to be broken up into two segments, but I’m looking forward to how the tale of Walter and Jessie ends.  My money is on Hank discovering the truth and Walter killing him.  Walter has gotten darker each season and I can only see that trend continuing right until the very end.  8/10

4. Girls
There’s been a crazy amount of online chatter and criticism about this show which was mostly a knee jerk reaction to the fact that a 26 year old girl was writing, directing and starring in a very good show on HBO, and people were upset/jealous about it.  There were also those who were mad that the show didn’t depict the female gender as they see it or live it.  Whatever.  Girls is funny and entertaining, and it seems grounded in reality (to me at least), so what’s not to like?  I’ll continue to watch and hope for many more seasons to come.  I also want to give kudos to Dunham for getting naked a lot.  I would of thought that someone of her age who’s able to control what she does on screen would not have flashed her tits so often, if at all, so I’m pleased that she’s not shy about it in the slightest.  Chances are we won’t see Allison Williams naked though based on what she said in an interview with Vulture.  I’m also continually amazed that this show does stuff that I’ve never ever seen on TV before.  Who would of thought that Adam jerking off while Hannah watches and admonishes him would be so damn funny (and tragic).  7.5/10

3. Louie
It has to be the most unique show on TV right now because despite being a comedy it can often be very serious and poignant.  Witness the God episode from last season, or the Afghanistan episode from this season.  I don’t see any other comedic shows being able to do something like that and do it so well.  It’s a credit to Louie CK and FX that the show is the way it is.  Here’s hoping that we get plenty more before the show finally goes off the air.  8/10

2. Eastbound & Down
It’s a credit to Danny McBride that a guy as loud, brash, hedonistic, and completely immoral as Kenny Powers can be so damn likeable.  There are so many things to love about this show that I find it difficult to believe that anyone couldn’t be a fan.  Whether it’s Kenny’s ridiculous insults or turn of phrase, Stevie Janowski (the best sidekick ever),  Ashley Schaeffer, Deep Roy, the change in locations for each season, the nudity, the soundtrack, or the fact that Kenny basically stayed the same throughout the show, I don’t think I can pick fault with Eastbound & Down.  8.5/10

1. The Vampire Diaries
My A #1 favourite show last year is in the top spot once again.  This season was kinda all over the place.  It started well with Stefan being dragged around by Klaus, it lagged a bit in the middle, it introduced the entire Original Family only to scatter them and kill some, mother Original Ester was very underwhelming, father Original Michael was awesome and then dead far too easily for someone that Klaus (the baddest most scary of Originals) was running from for centuries, Klaus got softened too much, the Salvatore brothers were given too much leeway by the Originals considering they are clearly inferior to Klaus, Rebeka, Elijah and the rest, Jeremy still comes across as the emo younger brother who throws temper tantrums, and Bonnie is still the second most annoying person on a vampire show behind Tara on True Blood.  None of that matter.  I love this show and waited with baited breath for each new episode.  Now that Elena has finally been turned (or will be next season once she transitions) I cannot wait to see what happens.  As long as Klaus gets back in his own body soon I’m gonna be very happy.  7.5/10

Related posts:

1. Best of the Week: 25th Sept – 1st Oct 2011
2. Best of the Week: 18th – 24th Sept 2011
3. Best of the Week: 9th – 15th Oct 2011

The best TV shows of 2011-2012 HollywoodHubbub

Continuing in the spirit of the last couple of days here’s the trailer for Fox’s new serial killer show The Following starring Kevin Bacon, James Purefoy, Natalie Zea, Jeananne Goosssen, and Shawn Ashmore.

I read the pilot script a while ago, and whilst I wasn’t blown away by it, I do think there’s potential.  It certainly doesn’t hurt that they were able to land Kevin Bacon as the lead, although it looks like each season will only contain about 13 episodes due to Bacon’s desire to be able to continue filming movies.

THE FBI estimates there are currently over 300 active serial killers in the United States. What would happen if these killers had a way of communicating and connecting with each other? What if they were able to work together and form alliances across the country? What if one brilliant psychotic serial killer was able to bring them all together and activate a following? Welcome to THE FOLLOWING, the terrifying new thriller from creator/executive producer Kevin Williamson (“The Vampire Diaries,” “Dawson’s Creek,” the “Scream” franchise). When notorious serial killer JOE CARROLL (James Purefoy, “Rome”) escapes from death row and embarks on a new killing spree, the FBI calls former agent RYAN HARDY (Emmy-nominated actor Kevin Bacon, “X-Men: First Class”) to consult on the case. Having since withdrawn from the public eye, Hardy was responsible for Carroll’s capture nine years ago, after Carroll murdered 14 female students on the Virginia college campus where he taught literature. Hardy is a walking textbook of all-things Carroll. He knows him better than anyone; he is perhaps Carroll’s only psychological and intellectual match. But the Ryan Hardy who broke the Carroll case years ago isn’t the same man today. Wounded both physically and mentally by his previous pursuit of this serial killer, it’s been a long time since Hardy has been in the field. This investigation is his redemption, his call to action. In contrast to nine years ago, Hardy isn’t calling the shots on this case. He works closely with an FBI team, which includes all-business and tough-as-nails JENNIFER MASON (Jeananne Goossen, “The Vow,” ALCATRAZ) and young, razor-sharp MIKE WESTON (Shawn Ashmore, “X-Men”).

The team considers Hardy to be more of a liability than an asset. But Hardy proves his worth when he uncovers that Carroll was covertly communicating with a network of killers in the outside world. It quickly becomes obvious that he has more planned than just a prison escape, and there’s no telling how many additional killers are out there. The FBI’s investigation leads Hardy to CLAIRE MATTHEWS (Natalie Zea, “Justified”), Carroll’s ex-wife and mother of the criminal’s 10-year-old son, JOEY (newcomer Kyle Catlett). Close during Hardy’s initial investigation, Hardy turns to Claire for insight into Carroll’s next move. The tension rises when Carroll’s accomplices kidnap his intended last victim from nine years ago. Hardy becomes ever more determined to end Carroll’s game when he realizes that this psychopath intends to finish what he started. The thriller will follow Hardy and the FBI as they are challenged with the ever-growing web of murder around them, masterminded by the devious Carroll, who dreams of writing a novel with Hardy as his protagonist. The reinvigorated Hardy will get a second chance to capture Carroll, as he’s faced with not one but a cult of serial killers.

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2. Full trailer for GO ON starring Matthew Perry
3. Trailer for the RED RIDING trilogy

Trailer for THE FOLLOWING starring Kevin Bacon HollywoodHubbub

Fox has announced their Fall schedule and in conjunction they’ve released trailers for their new comedies The Mindy Project, Ben & Kate and The Goodwin Games.

I typically find Fox to be the most frustrating network because they seem to have the least amount of patience when it comes to letting shows grow and develop.  That being said, I’m very excited about their three new comedies.

The Mindy Project looks promising thanks in a large part to the charm of Mindy Kaling.  I’m not too sure about having another hospital set show because I find that scenario to be pretty boring, but I’m hopeful that Kaling’s obvious talent both as an actress and writer will elevate this show beyond Scrubs.  It also doesn’t hurt that she has cameos from Bill Hader and Ed Helms.  Here’s hoping those guys make return appearances.

I’m very surprised by Ben & Kate because the title led me to believe it was gonna be another married couple piece of shit sitcom like The King of Queens.  Thankfully it looks very promising due mostly to the presence of Nat Faxon and Lucy Punch (who I absolutely adore).  The trailer certainly makes the show look funny and heartfelt which isn’t an easy thing for a comedy to achieve.

The Goodwin Games looks just like I imagined it would when I read the script.  I found the pilot script to be very entertaining, and despite being a little unsure about the casting of Scott Foley I’m fully behind this show.  Although, I have to say that based on the pilot script the trailer doesn’t really do the show justice.

Check out the full synopsis’ and trailers for the shows below.

The Mindy Project
A new single-camera comedy from Emmy Award-nominated writer/producer and New York Times best-selling author Mindy Kaling (“The Office”) that follows a woman who, despite having a successful career, desperately needs to break bad habits in her personal life. After all, how many doctors make inappropriate toasts at their ex-boyfriend’s wedding, nearly drown at the bottom of a stranger’s pool and get arrested for disorderly conduct just moments before having to deliver a baby? Funny, impatient and politically incorrect, MINDY LAHIRI (Kaling) can quote every romantic comedy starring Meg Ryan that exists. She loves the good ones and the bad ones, because the girl always gets the guy. Mindy is determined to be more punctual, spend less money, lose weight and read more books – all in pursuit of becoming a well-rounded perfect woman…who can meet and date the perfect guy. Mindy is a skilled OB/GYN and shares a practice with a few other doctors, none of whom make life any easier for her. JEREMY REED (British writer/comedian Ed Weeks) is the walking definition of total bad news. He not only shares a practice with Mindy, but sometimes her bed as well – despite her best efforts to resist. He is funny, self-absorbed and super sexy. In contrast, DANNY CASTELLANO (Chris Messina, “Damages”) is a hothead and guys’ guy who has a habit of stealing Mindy’s patients. Danny criticizes her for everything, including her struggling love life and her lack of professionalism – even though it’s obvious to everyone except Mindy that he secretly admires her work. His blue-collar childhood gives him a big chip on his shoulder, but he is a dedicated physician, which Mindy can’t stand to admit because he’s always getting on her case. Rounding out the office staff are the receptionists – BETSY PUTCH (Zoe Jarman, “Huge”), young, earnest and easily excitable, who thinks the world of Mindy and is always trying to impress her; and SHAUNA DICANIO (newcomer Dana DeLorenzo), a self-assured Jersey Girl who is indifferent to Mindy, always knows where the cool party is and carries a poorly concealed torch for Danny. Mindy is in constant communication with her beloved best friend from college, GWEN GRANDY (Anna Camp, “The Good Wife”), who also happens to be the governor’s daughter. Gwen is a hilarious, sometimes too-blunt friend, and secretly a former carefree party girl (which only Mindy seems to remember). Although Gwen is now happily married to a financial analyst, with a six-year-old daughter, this lawyer-turned-Pilates mom remains squarely in Mindy’s corner. As Mindy attempts to get her career off the ground and meet a guy who passes her red flag test (no drug habits, no skinny jeans and no secret families, among others), only time will tell if she gets her romantic comedy ending.

Ben & Kate
What happens when an exuberant, irresponsible dreamer who always says “yes” moves in with his overly responsible little sister to help raise her five-year-old daughter? BEN AND KATE, a new single-camera young ensemble comedy, follows these odd-couple siblings as they push each other out of their comfort zones and into real life. KATE FOX (Dakota Johnson, “The Social Network”) followed the rules all her life…until she got pregnant in college and dropped out just shy of graduation. After the birth of her daughter, MADDIE (Maggie Jones, “We Bought a Zoo,” “Footloose”), Kate put her twenties on hold. Now working as a bar manager to make ends meet and maximize her time with five-year-old Maddie, she’s uber-prepared for every possible catastrophe – except for the arrival of her older brother, BEN FOX (Nat Faxon, “Bad Teacher”). Ben likes trouble a lot more than his sister does. His infectious energy makes you want to follow him into any number of bad ideas. He’ll totally screw up your life, but somehow, you’ll feel good about it. Where Kate is all about planning and preparing, Ben is big on spontaneity and out-of-the-box ideas. But don’t let the Velcro wallet fool you – he’ll probably be a millionaire someday. When Ben comes to crash on Kate’s couch for a few days, he finds a sad state of affairs. Kate’s surviving, but not living. Ben realizes that for the first time in their lives, Kate needs his help and he’s determined to bring some much-needed chaos into her overly stable world. He starts by offering to help look after Maddie so Kate can get back to experiencing her mid-twenties and making mistakes, since the one real “mistake” she’s made turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to her. Always there to help with Ben’s crazy schemes is his partner-in-crime, TOMMY (newcomer Echo Kellum), who worships Ben like a hero and nurses a serious crush on Kate. Kate’s British best friend, BJ (Lucy Punch, “Bad Teacher”), is a cocktail waitress at the bar that Kate manages and an all-around hot mess who would do anything for Kate, even if her advice is often questionable and occasionally illegal. From writer/executive producer Dana Fox (NEW GIRL, “What Happens in Vegas”) and executive producer/director Jake Kasdan (NEW GIRL, “Bad Teacher”), BEN AND KATE is a heartwarming story of deeply mismatched siblings: a sister who needs to go for her dreams and a brother who needs to get his head out of the clouds.

The Goodwin Games
Where there’s a will, there’s a way. And when that will’s worth more than 20 million dollars, you can bet someone’s going to find a way to get the cash. From the executive producers of “How I Met Your Mother,” THE GOODWIN GAMES is a single-camera comedy that tells the story of three grown siblings who return home after their father’s death, and unexpectedly find themselves poised to inherit a vast fortune – if they adhere to their late father’s wishes. If any of the Goodwin kids feel like they deserve the money, then it’s HENRY (Scott Foley, “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Felicity”), the eldest child and an overachieving surgeon. He sees himself as a role model for his less successful siblings – and reminds them every chance he gets. Returning home will force Henry to question the choices he’s made, especially as he reconnects with his first love and true soulmate, LUCINDA (Felisha Terrell, “Days of Our Lives”). Middle sibling CHLOE (Becki Newton, “Ugly Betty”) was a child prodigy in math, and her unofficial role as “the smart one” of the family still sends Henry into fits of jealousy. But long ago, Chloe gave up academics in favor of being the popular girl. Now, through a series of hidden messages, her late father will lead Chloe back to her old love of numbers – and back to the person she’s meant to be. Of the three siblings, the youngest, JIMMY (Jake Lacy, “Better With You”), could use the inheritance the most. A small-time ex-con and dull-witted guitarist who’s deep in debt to a loan shark, Jimmy may be the family screw-up, but he has more heart than anyone. Like his siblings, Jimmy’s also returning to something in this town: his eight-year-old daughter. Pulling the strings from beyond the grave is the children’s late father, BENJAMIN (guest star Beau Bridges, “The Descendants”), a college math professor. Guilty over not parenting his kids better, Benjamin has left behind a series of unique challenges – administered by his estate attorney APRIL (newcomer Melissa Tang). Through these tasks, Benjamin hopes he can get his children to rediscover their true selves and learn the lessons he failed to instill in them while he was alive. Their potential reward? More than 20 million dollars – a fortune that they never knew their father had – and the chance to become the people their father wanted them to be. So let THE GOODWIN GAMES begin!

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Full trailers for Fox’s THE MINDY PROJECT, BEN & KATE and THE GOODWIN GAMES HollywoodHubbub

Joe Carroll, a former University professor who killed a bunch of female college students, escapes from jail.  Ryan Hardy, the man who caught him, is brought in after leaving the FBI to team with a Mason, a tough female FBI Agent, to recapture Carroll.  It turns out Carroll had help on the outside from a network of wanna be serial killers.

In an interview with Collider, Kevin Williamson had this to say about his upcoming serial killer show on Fox:

You’ll be routing for the FBI agent who is going to bring him down. It’s very emotional. It’s this huge, big, hybrid show like The Vampire Diaries, where it relies on the twists and turns, and the tears, where you just get so invested in the characters and you’re like, “No, not that one,” and then they die. It’s one of those shows.

The Vampire Diaries is probably my favourite show on TV right now, so a comparison by Williamson to that show piqued my interest.  After reading the pilot script by Williamson I see hints of his description, but I don’t know how it will develop into a “huge, big, hybrid show”.  To me it comes across as a standard kinda dark procedural.  I did experience a “no, not that one” reaction whilst reading the script, and I think if it can generate that reaction in me without any of the sensory factors which go along with actually watching a TV show, I think this reaction may be a common occurrence should the show end up running for a while.

I thought the flashbacks to when Ryan was tracking and caught Joe were done well, as well as the ones featuring other character like the student who survived, and Carroll’s wife, and they helped to introduce some of the characters who I assume will be major players going forward.

Whilst reading the script I couldn’t help but picture Carroll as being played by Jere Burns (Duffy from Justified).  He’s not written in any particularly definitive way, but it was the first actor that came to mind and I couldn’t shake it.  Likewise, I couldn’t help but imagine Robin Tunney playing Mason, in no small part because I don’t like Robin Tunney and I didn’t like Mason.

My initial impression whilst reading was that it will probably need to be toned down a bit.  First of all the language, ‘cos I’m fairly certain Fox doesn’t want a bunch of f-bombs being dropped each episode.  Plus it’s a little bit too gruesome in its depiction of violence against women.  I like violence in movies but I don’t like my TV shows to be too gratuitous.

I can say right now that I’m not going to enjoy the initial feeling that every new character introduced could be a potential serial killer.  That shit will get old real fast.

I’m also not too sure about the potential longevity of a show based in essence on tracking serial killers controlled and motivated by someone behind bars, especially if the authorities do what they should and place Joe in solitary to avoid him influencing people on the outside.  It seems rather limited and a bit freak-of-the-week to me.  Still, it’s just a pilot, and shows typically develop and evolve as time moves on.  The thing I always come back to is Seinfeld, which I thought was pretty damn ordinary for the first season and a half, and then developed into arguably the best TV show of all time.

I think that casting, and a commitment for the show to be something more than an ordinary procedural, will ensure that it develops an audience.  This in turn should keep the notoriously cancellation happy Fox from axing the show prematurely.  If both of those factors aren’t covered then I can see myself losing interest like I did with Prison Break and Fringe.

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My thoughts on UNTITLED KEVIN WILLIAMSON PROJECT serial killer script HollywoodHubbub

A weekly post with the purpose of highlighting the shows I watched during the week from Sunday to Saturday and how I ranked them.  It’s not intended as a list of all shows on the air, only those that I actually watched during the week.  Watching something on Monday that aired on Friday won’t make the cut.

Like everything on this site it’s for my own enjoyment but feel free to comment.

I’ve dropped Hart of Dixie, and I won’t be watching any more of Two and a Half Men, but I’m still willing to give some other new shows a little longer to keep me on the line.

1.  Breaking Bad “Crawl Space” (4×11) – Holy hell.  It’s episodes like this that ratchet the tension up to unbearable levels which shows you why this might be the best show on TV.  I cannot wait to see what happens next.  Although I can’t help shake the feeling that nothing of consequence will happen to the White family or Hank.  It never does.  They play the angle that someone’s in danger but there’s never that payoff.  I hope the show proves me wrong.  9/10

2.  The Vampire Diaries “The End of the Affair” (3×03) - Hooray, another great flashback episode from one of the best shows at doing that.  I’m curious to know who the guy chasing the originals is.  Plus, I really really hope that Stefan and Elena are a thing of the past.  But something tells me Rebekah isn’t gonna be around for too long.  Also, the perfect amount of Bonnie, Jeremy and Matt.  None.  8/10

3.  How I Met Your Mother “Ducky Tie” (7×03) - A massive massive improvement over the double episodes last week.  This one felt far more like a classic episode of HIMYM.  7.5/10

4.  Modern Family “Phil On Wire” (3×03) - Four enjoyable stories from each of the families (two from the Dunphy’s) and another set of impressive performances from Julie Bowen and Ty Burrell.  7/10

5.  Parks and Recreation “Ron & Tammys” (4×02) - Neutered Ron is really creepy.  Now I just hope there’s a showdown between all three Tammys.  I loved the cameo by Roy Hibbert.  One of my favourite young NBA players.  7/10

6.  It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia “Frank Reynolds’ Little Beauties” (7×03) - An episode of this show based on kiddie beauty pageants, how could it not be weird and super uncomfortable?  Thankfully this episode delivers like you’d expect it to.  Dee berates a young girl, Frank is crazy inappropriate, and Mac, Charlie and Dennis do an awesome techno/Kraftwerk performance.  7/10

7.  Archer “Heart of Archness: Part III” (3×03) - The last part of the trilogy opener to season 3.  It was enjoyable, as all three episodes have been, but it feels like something’s missing.  The show doesn’t seem to have that same spark that it had in earlier episodes.  Still good though.  6.5/10

8.  New Girl “Kryptonite” (1×02) - I kinda miss Coach, but this was another positive episode.  It’s a little strange that there was another display of solidarity with the guys backing up Jess.  I’m hopeful that’s not gonna be a running theme with this show.  Still, Zooey Deschanel continues to be unbelievably charming, so what’s not to like about the show?  6.5/10

9.  Whitney “First Date” (1×02) – A big step up from last week and a good episode in it’s own right.  Despite what the various reviews I’ve stumbled upon might say.  Plus I got to see Whitney in another slutty outfit.  Hooray.  6.5/10

10.  2 Broke Girls “and the Break-Up Scene” (1×02) - I’m not sure why the reviews I’ve read said this episode was so bad.  I enjoyed it.  I could do without the horse, so I hope they sell it or it dies, but I thought Behrs was much better this week.  I continue to love Kat Dennings.  6.5/10

11.  Boardwalk Empire “21″ (2×01) - Oh my God this show is slow.  Even the second season premiere didn’t build any excitement for the rest of the season.  I know it’s gonna be good but couldn’t the writers at least tried to hook me with something.  6/10

12.  Community “Geography of Global Conflict” (3×02) - Ken Jeong was the highlight in a pretty ordinary episode.  The whole Annie’s nemesis plot was really lame.  Props for Martin Starr though.  Gotta love that guy.  Freaks and Geeks FTW.  6/10

13.  Person of Interest “Ghosts” (1×02) - Another show that improved on the season premiere.  This time we got another standalone episode (which I think will be the norm with this show), but we also got to see some of the history surrounding the development of the machine.  Some groundwork for the “mystery” of the founder of the company was also laid.  All in all this episode gave me renewed enthusiasm for the show moving forward.  6/10

14.  Pan Am “Pilot” (1×01) - You know what, it was better than I thought it’d be.  And that’s worth something.  6/10

15.  Suburgatory “Pilot” (1×01) - It was definitely better than I thought it would be, and I was very surprised to see Alan Tudyk.  Hopefully he’s gonna be a major player for this show.  I’ll be coming back to see how it develops.  5.5/10

16.  Fringe “One Night in October” (4×02) – I made it about 20 minutes into the episode, up to the point where the guy was clearly going to discover that he was in some weird alternate universe, and then I quit.  I’m not ready to give up on the show entirely, but I just hate these freak of the week episodes.  Give me mythology all the time.  5.5/10

17.  Glee “I Am Unicorn” (3×02) - More Brittany, which is always welcome, but the songs were extremely boring.  I don’t watch this show for Broadway numbers.  I watch it for pop and rock songs.  That’s what I want.  Any episode without that I typically find to be a letdown.  5.5/10

18.  Survivor (23×03) - Brandon’s a dick.  Mikayla is awesome.  End of story.  5/10

19.  The Secret Circle “Loner” (1×03) - I can’t get over the feeling that unlike the first season of The Vampire Diaries, this show just isn’t building any early momentum with the stories it’s telling.  I want this show to develop into a good companion to The Vampire Diaries but so far I can’t help but be let down.  5/10

20.  How To Be A Gentleman “Pilot” (1×01) - I thought I’d give this show a go just because I wanted something to watch, so imagine my surprise when I saw Glenn Howerton, Rob McElhenney and Charlie Day listed as producers.  Unfortunately the show is nowhere near as brilliant as It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.  4.5/10

21.  The Big Bang Theory “The Pulled Groin Extrapolation” (5×03) - That’s it.  90 episodes of mind-numbingly shit television is enough.  I will not be watching this piss poor excuse for comedy ever again.  I’ve had a large enough sample to be able to say with concrete certainty that anyone who likes this show doesn’t know good TV.  3/10

22.  Terra Nova “Genesis” (1×01 & 1×02) – I made it 17 minutes into this show before I had enough.  That slow motion “reveal” of the kid in the back pack was just too lame for me.  3/10

Related posts:

1. Best of the Week: 18th – 24th Sept 2011
2. Best of the Week: Delayed by FIFA 11 Edition (26th Sept – 2nd Oct 2010)
3. Best of the Week: 20th Sept

Best of the Week: 25th Sept – 1st Oct 2011 HollywoodHubbub

Title: “Pilot”
Written By: Elizabeth Meriwether
Air Date: Sept 20th 2011 (available now on iTunes)

Jess, a cute but nerdy girl, is cheated on by her boyfriend, and unable to stay with her best friend, she moves in with three guys she found on Craigs List.

Lets get the obvious out of the way, the draw of New Girl is clearly Zooey Deschanel.  It’s her first real effort at TV and cos I’m a big fan of this manic pixie dream girl, I’m gonna like this show.  It’s inevitable.

The pilot plays to the charm of Deschanel, namely her overwhelming adorability, but I did find the three roommates to be fairly decent too.  Nick (played by Jake M Johnson) comes across as a slightly less schlubby Charlie Day.  Although the fact that Nick’s ex-girlfriend is played by the waitress from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia probably helped this comparison.

Schmidt (played by Max Greenfield, probably most known for his role as a sheriff’s officer in Veronica Mars) really is a douchebag, but I feel as time goes by the writers will develop him into a more three dimensional character.

Coach (played by Damon Wayans Jr) is easily the best of the supporting characters so it’s a shame that his other show got picked up for another season and he won’t be continuing on in New Girl.  He’s a funny guy that has a nice way of delivering lines.  Plus I always think of his performance in The Other Guys and it makes me smile.

So Deschanel is awesome, and the three guys are at least passable, what about the hot model friend of Jess played by Hannah Simone?  Well, she doesn’t do much in the pilot except be hot, kinda aloof, and dress Jess in a sexy black outfit.  If she continues to just be the hot unfunny friend then I can’t see that she adds anything to the show, but I have a feeling that she’ll end up being a love interest for either Coach or Schmidt.

The one other thing which struck me was the terrible theme song, it sounded like a 30 Rock/SNL sketch joke.  It was only after I was about half way through the episode that I realised the theme was a joke based on Jess’ habit of singing about random stuff, and she does in fact make up a theme song for herself.  Still, I kinda hope they change the theme song or just do away with it entirely.

Rating: 6/10

Conclusion
It’s a single camera, non laugh track sitcom, so right away it’s better than Two and a Half Men and The Big Bang Theory.  I was looking forward to watching New Girl because I’m such a big fan of Zooey Deschanel, but to be honest I wasn’t expecting it to be particularly impressive.  For the most part New Girl isn’t that impressive, but it did exceed my expectations, and I really have to credit the extraordinarily lovable Zooey Deschanel for that.  I’d like to have a full season of the show to see how they develop the supporting characters, but considering the show airs on the fickle and notoriously demanding Fox, I’m expecting that it’ll be cancelled within the first 8 episodes.

Related posts:

1. NO HEROICS pilot script review
2. SONS OF TUCSON pilot script review
3. COMMUNITY pilot script review

NEW GIRL 1×01 “Pilot” review HollywoodHubbub

A weekly post with the purpose of highlighting the shows I watched during the week and how I ranked them.  It’s not intended as a list of all shows on the air, only those that I actually watched during the week.  Watching something on Monday that aired on Friday won’t make the cut.

Like everything on this site it’s for my own enjoyment but feel free to comment.

Late again writing this up due to work.  I still haven’t watched any Dexter this season plus I’ve only seen the first four episodes of last season of The Office so I can’t really watch this season.  Add to that me being behind on both Mad Men and Rubicon and a good number of quality shows aren’t gonna make my Best of the Week for a while.  That being said, the stuff that I am watching I’m pretty happy with.

1.  Eastbound and Down “Chapter 8” (2×02) – “That’s racist.  I love to racist.”  That’s fucking comedy gold.  8/10

2.  Terriers “Manifest Destiny” (1×05) – It’s like a grown up Veronica Mars and is quite possibly the best show on TV right now.  8/10

3.  Modern Family “The Earthquake” (2×03) – More great stuff from Sarah Hyland and Ariel Winter, plus Julie Bowen was really good this week.  I didn’t care for the Cam and Mitchell story that much, but that’s probably because I’m not a fan of Nathan Lane.  8/10

4.  Community “The Psychology of Letting Go” (2×03) – Alison Brie covered in oil.  Yes please.  Plus some really good scenes with Ken Jeong and John Oliver.  Just a shame that Danny Pudi was pretty much absent.  7/10

5.  30 Rock “Let’s Stay Together” (5×03) – It was almost Seinfeld-like in how the various plots came together in the end.  Not a bad episode but I’m looking forward to the live episode way more than these early ones.  7/10

6.  Fringe “The Plateau” (3×03) – I was very surprised that I actually liked this alternaverse episode, but I can’t wait for the inevitable showdown between real Olivia and alternaverse Olivia.  7/10

7.  Detroit 1-8-7 “Nobody’s Home/Unknown Soldier” (1×03) – Pretty decent stories which also introduced the presumed season long antagonist.  I wonder what happened to Fitch in New York?  7/10

8.  How I Met Your Mother “Unfinished” (6×03) – The star of this weeks episode was clearly Cobie Smulders.  Her rage filled rants against her ex were the highlight of the episode.  Of course, I have a friend called Bean so “where’s the poop Bean” is gonna be used on him from now until the day I die.  7/10

9.  Bored to Death “Make It Quick, Fitzgerald!” (2×02) – Way way better than last weeks episode for no other reason than it felt and looked like an episode of Bored to Death.  7/10

10.  South Park “Poor and Stupid” (14×08) – Not that great a return for South Park but it was as delightfully offensive as it always is.  Plus South Park will continue to be the best animated show on TV until Archer returns.  6.5/10

11.  Outsourced “Party of Five” (1×03) – Eh.  That’s about it.  Not really that memorable but not bad either.  6.5/10

12.  Running Wilde “Oil & Water” (1×03) – Another consistent effort from Running Wilde which was bolstered by the increased presence of David Cross but dragged down by the lack of Peter Serafinowicz.  6/10

13.  Glee “Grilled Cheesus” (2×03) – Decent story but absolutely terrible music choices.  Losing My Religion is not a song about faith, it’s about obsession.  That song would have been far more appropriately used in Eastbound and Down if Stevie had sung it to Kenny. Glee succeeds mainly on it’s musical choices but I expect some semblance of a story.  This week there was a fairly decent plot but it was as good as ruined by poor music and some downright ridiculous (even for Glee) comedic choices.  Grilled cheese Jesus.  Are you fucking kidding me?  And again, nowhere near enough Brittany or Santana.  6/10

14.  The Big Bang Theory “The Zazzy Substitution” (4×03) – Average yet again.  What more is there to say other than this show sucks.  Bean, Crystal, Peter and Nathan, you all have terrible taste and shouldn’t be allowed to watch TV until your taste improves.  5/10

Related posts:

1. Best of the Week: 2nd-8th May 2010
2. Best of the Week: Premiere Week 2010
3. Best of the Week: Delayed by FIFA 11 Edition (26th Sept – 2nd Oct 2010)

Best of the Week: 3rd – 9th Oct 2010 HollywoodHubbub

A weekly post with the purpose of highlighting the shows I watched during the week and how I ranked them.  It’s not intended as a list of all shows on the air, only those that I actually watched during the week.  Watching something on Monday that aired on Friday won’t make the cut.

Like everything on this site it’s for my own enjoyment but feel free to comment.

Best of the Week is a bit late this week thanks to the release of FIFA 11.  It’s sucked a good majority of my time and I only got around to watching my shows late in the week.  So with one week down and I’ve dropped Chase, The Event and No Ordinary Family, plus Lone Star has been cancelled.  Premiere week is always exciting but the next week is when reality sets in and you realise that far more shitty shows are on the air than good ones and that generally the networks have no idea what they’re doing.  Although, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Outsourced wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be or as all the reviews said it was.  It probably helps that it’s not a laugh track comedy, because if it was I’d most likely hate it.

1.  Modern Family “The Kiss” (2×02) – I love that they took an episode which would usually be a sweeps stunt about a gay kiss and turned it into an episode about love, showing affection and how your parents hangups can become your own.  The episode was also a not so subtle confirmation that the writer’s are aware of criticism about Cam and Mitchell’s relationship.  To be honest, it was a little weird that they haven’t shown any kind of psychical affection over the first 20+ episodes.  One of the great things about the relationship between Willow and Tara on Buffy was that them kissing was never a big deal.  It was just what two people who’re in love do.  Hopefully this will be a stepping stone to showing a more natural relationship between Cam and Mitchell.  What I really liked about the episode was that when Cam and Mitchell do finally kiss it’s kinda in the background as Jay hugs Claire.  It’s almost missable if you’re not paying attention.  And let’s not forget about Alex (Ariel Winter) and Haley (Sarah Hyland).  I don’t think I’ve seen them get so much screen time yet.  Plus they got to do some great scenes together.  Right from the very beginning of the show I’ve thought that the kids on Modern Family had a bunch of talent.  This episode was further proof that I was right.  I love being right.  9/10

2.  Glee “Britney/Brittany” (2×02) – A typical Glee random, almost incoherent, plot that was overcome by the awesome Heather Morris.  Although there wasn’t nearly enough of her for me.  I’m not a fan of Britney Spears, the person or her music but it was a small price to pay to see Heather Morris display her amazing talents.  Naya Rivera also got some more stuff to do but just like Morris I’m always wanting more.  Mark Salling, a guy that’s always underused on the show, was kinda on the sidelines this week but I guess that’s understandable considering it was a Britney episode.  Overall it was a pretty poor episode except for the above mentioned Heather Morris, a great rant by Sue after the “sex riot”, and a subtle but very very funny John Stamos.  I hope that Heather Morris gets more and more stuff to do, and that she gets to cover Ke$ha in the future.  A good episode for Brittany fans but pretty poor story wise.  And I know that I rated this episode lower than a bunch of other shows I watched this week but it goes this high because of my love of Heather Morris.  6.5/10

3.  Community “Accounting for Lawyers” (2×02) – Much better than last week’s episode due to the presence of Rob Corddry (“I stopped doing blow, not being rad”) and a pretty strong episode for Alison Brie.  She was given a decent amount of stuff this week and was made the sexy object on more than one occasion.  The more of that the better.  Ken Jeong wasn’t used to great effectiveness this week but that may change as the season progresses.  Plus Abed and Troy didn’t do much either.  I really liked the tag where Troy was gonna try and run at the wall to cross over into the cartoon world.  Finally, how much of a shock was it to see Drew Carey that damn skinny.  Does he have AIDS or something?  God damn he looked weird.  7.5/10

4.  Eastbound and Down “Chapter 7” (2×01) – A great foul mouthed return for Kenny Powers with what looks to be an entirely new cast surrounding Danny McBride.  Holy balls that little midget was hilarious.  I can’t wait to see what type of antics Powers gets himself into, especially with that hot singer in the red dress.  7/10

5.  30 Rock “When It Rains, It Pours” (6×02) – Finally, the show acknowledges that Tina Fey is a hot piece of ass.  The video clips that Jack puts together for his future son was great, especially when he showed how to throw a punch using Lutz, and how to make love to a woman, using Lutz.  Paul Giamatti guest starred so that was fairly cool too.  7.5/10

6.  How I Met Your Mother “Cleaning House” (6×02) – A very touching and funny episode let down only by the writers insisting that Barney act like the black dude was his father.  It would have been a far more effective episode if Barney’s brother finding his dad didn’t have all that silly stuff involving Barney at the end.  Still, the gang was used effectively and it told a very sweet story.  7/10

7.  Fringe “The Box” (3×02) – Never thought I’d say it but I’m happy that this episode was a monster of the week type deal.  I just hate the idea of Fringe dragging on with our Olivia stuck on the other side.  I hate the type of storylines where you can tell the writers are padding out the season.  This week was good too because the fake Olivia is way more fun that the real Olivia.  She dances, she smiles, she tries to fuck Peter.  She’s better than the real Olivia in every way.  Peter continues to be a buzzkill though.  7/10

8.  Running Wilde “Into The Wilde” (1×02) – David Cross hells yeah.  It’s awesome to see him in anything but to have him team up with Will Arnett on a weekly basis like back in the good ‘ol Arrested Development days is all sorts of wonderful.  Keri Russell was way better this week and Peter Serafinowicz was amazing yet again.  I loved his carpet chest hair and the fact that he wears two Rolex’s on the same wrist.  I think Running Wilde has a great deal of potential but I’m just not convinced that Fox will let the show run if it continues to get poor ratings.  That’s simply not the type of network they are.  6.5/10

9.  Boardwalk Empire “The Ivory Tower” (1×02) – A much slower episode this week partly because there wasn’t the need to establish who all the characters are and what their motivations might be.  I can certainly see Boardwalk Empire following the season structure of The Sopranos.  Slow for the most part with one or two episodes of carnage.  6.5/10

10.  Outsourced “The Measure of a Manmeet” (1×02) – For all the complaints I read about this show last week the one that stuck with me was the whole Manmeet issue.  Critics complained that the writers hammered this joke into the ground.  Well just the other day I heard a news bulletin on the radio about the Delhi Commonwealth Games and the piece contained the name of a Games organiser called Sheila Dickshit.  That may not be how it’s spelled but that’s how it’s pronounced.  I laughed in disbelief when I heard the name and then the radio hosts also made constant reference to it.  When something’s funny it’s funny.  I get the feeling that a lot of critics are trying to find reasons or instances where Outsourced is racist or xenophobic but for me I haven’t seen any yet.  The complaint that the show is simply an endless look at how it’s different for an American who lives and works in India fails to understand the very nature of the sitcom.  It’s a situational comedy.  The show derives its comedy from the situations around the characters.  And a show about a guy stuck working in India is gonna derive its comedy from that very situation.  Get over yourselves critics.  Just because the comedy comes from the differences between America and India doesn’t mean it’s racist.  On a lighter note, the cast are all pretty fantastic so far, and I get a real Better Off Ted crossed with The Office vibe from this show.  I’m surprised to say that I’ve really enjoyed the first two episodes of Outsourced.  6.5/10

11.  The Big Bang Theory “The Cruciferous Vegetable Amplification” (4×02) – Well the surprises keep coming because I actually found this episode of The Big Bang Theory funny without too many predictable jokes and a very funny premise.  Add to that Kaley Cuoco looking pretty hot in her running outfit and it was a solid effort from the show.  6/10

12.  Detroit 1-8-7 “Local Hero/Overboard” (1×02) – This week was a definite step down from the pilot due to rather uninteresting cases, but it’s still an enjoyable procedural which doesn’t appear to have the same kinds of trappings as every other procedural on the air.  The show is clearly going for a more gritty and real look in order to set it apart from the other cop shows and I can appreciate that approach.  I’m not so sure I like the character traits that Finch seems to possess but hopefully he’ll develop as the season progresses.  Oh, and there was too much shaky-cam again this week.  Just tone it down a tad and it’ll be an improvement.  5.5/10

13.  Bored to Death “Escape From The Dungeon” (2×01) – I remember seeing promos for the first season of Bored to Death was I was in New York in August last year.  It looked really unique and cool and for the most part the first season lived up to my expectations.  Needless to say I was looking forward to the return of the show.  Unfortunately the first entry in the second season left me kinda cold on the show.  The show’s always been slow and not really laugh out loud funny, but it’s had a style and charm all it’s own.  That wasn’t there in this episode.  I don’t know what else to say other than it was a disappointing season premiere.  5.5/10

14.  Survivor “Glitter in Their Eyes” (21×03) – A pretty damn ordinary season continues to be pretty damn ordinary.  At least the hot Asian chick is still around.  5.5/10

15.  Hawaii Five-0 “Ohana” (1×02) – More average TV.  I think Hawaii Five-0 is gonna be the new CSI: Miami.  Lot’s of nice visuals with some crappy dialogue, by the numbers plots and an annoying lead.  I’ll probably continue to watch it though.  5/10

16.  No Ordinary Family “Pilot” (1×01) – See my review here.  5/10

Related posts:

1. Best of the Week: 20th-26th Sept
2. Best of the Week: 20th Sept
3. Best of the Week: Premiere Week 2010

Best of the Week: Delayed by FIFA 11 Edition (26th Sept – 2nd Oct 2010) HollywoodHubbub

A weekly post with the purpose of highlighting the shows I watched during the week and how I ranked them.  It’s not intended as a list of all shows on the air, only those that I actually watched during the week.  Watching something on Monday that aired on Friday won’t make the cut.

Like everything on this site it’s for my own enjoyment but feel free to comment.

For the first time since May 9th I get to write a Best of the Week.  God I’ve missed network TV.  Cable has been pretty good over the summer (especially True Blood which showed a significant improvement compared to its second season) but there’s nothing like having all my favourite shows back on the air and checking out all the new ones.  Premiere Week is kinda bananas this year because of the Jay Leno Show debacle and NBC picking up just about everything that came their way.  I’ll watch almost anything new this week or two, besides reality TV (I only watch Survivor), and will give even disappointing shows a couple of episodes before I decide whether they’re weekly viewing or not.  With that said, here’s what I thought of the shows I actually watched this past week.

1.  Glee “Audition” (2×01) – It’s back.  My favourite show from last season returns with everyone looking slightly more attractive, a new football coach, and a couple of new kids showing their singing talents.  Emma (Jayma Mays) was nowhere to be seen this week, but Cheyenne Jackson showed up right at the end as the new Vocal Adrenaline coach to poach another newbie Sunshine Corazon (Charice Pempengco).  Also new this season is Sam Evans (played by the impossibly named Chord Overstreet).  I’m hopeful that Jackson will still appear on 30 Rock this season but I guess it all depends on how fleshed out his stories are on both shows.  Time will tell.  Aside from that, there were some decent songs, I particularly liked how New York State of Mind was shot because it was kind of liberating seeing a performance outside of the auditorium or music room.  It wasn’t the knockout punch of a season opener that I like to get but it was a very solid effort that ranks up their with the best that Glee has put forward so far.  It didn’t hurt that the comedy was supplied from a number of characters this week rather than the usual lone source of Sue.  You can check out my full review here.  8/10

2.  Boardwalk Empire “Boardwalk Empire” (1×01) – It’s just as great as you’d expect it to be with the sheer number of talented people associated with it.  It’s like Goodfellas, The Sopranos and Deadwood had a three-way and Boardwalk Empire was the baby that came from this imaginary sperm soup.  I love that Kelly McDonald is in something that so many people will see.  I’ve loved her ever since I first saw Trainspotting.  The same goes for Steve Buscemi.  He’s so amazingly talented that it’s a crying shame it’s taken this long for him to land as the lead in something so ambitious.  I can’t wait to see what the rest of the season holds for this show.  And HBO obviously has a tremendous amount of faith in Boardwalk Empire because it was picked up for a second season after its first episode.  8/10

3.  Modern Family “The Old Wagon” (2×01) – I don’t know what to say about Modern Family other than it’s consistently great.  Every single person on this show is impressive and there hasn’t been a bad episode so far.  The premiere of the second season doesn’t change that fact.  All the stories were fun and heartwarming and perhaps best of all is that the season premiere got the best ratings the show has had so far.  I guess all those Emmy wins helped.  7.5/10

4.  Detroit 1-8-7 “Pilot” (1×01) – I’ve seen maybe two episodes each of Homicide: Life on the Street and NYPD Blue so I’m not the best person to compare them, but I really think that Detroit 1-8-7 is going for that kind of feel.  The shaky-cam look (which I think was perhaps a little overdone in this episode), the tone of the show, and the stronger emphasis on working the case made this feel far closer to the two shows I mentioned than the endless number of by the books procedurals on the air.  Another bonus was that unlike Chase, another new crime/procedural, Detroit 1-8-7 had some good acting, led by the super-awesome Michael Imperioli, and some pretty decent dialogue.  The really great thing about the pilot was that even though it was only 40-odd minutes long, just like every other procedural on the air, it didn’t feel like there were these quick jumps in clues or evidence.  It felt like actual time had passed and that the cops didn’t have these miraculous breakthroughs out of thin air.  All in all it was the best new show this week on network TV.  It simply has a feel that no other show on TV has and really tries to hark back to the good cop dramas of the 90′s.  It’s like a mix between the great cop films of the 70′s and TV’s love affair with the procedural.  If the show is able to stay based around the characters more than the crime then I can see this being one of my favourite shows in no time at all.  7/10

5.  30 Rock “The Fabian Strategy” (5×01) – It seems like more of the same but when the show is 30 Rock that’s not necessarily a bad thing.  Jack hitting on the gay interior designer was pretty funny and I enjoyed the inclusion of CBS and The Late Show, but other than that this episode wasn’t particularly noteworthy.  Still, it’s 30 Rock and it stars Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin so this grade is par for the course.  7/10

6.  Running Wilde “Pilot” (1×01) – There wasn’t nearly enough David Cross but I’m hopeful that will change of the season progresses, and Kerri Russell wasn’t that great but she’ll probably grow on me.  But the best outside of Will Arnett of course was the clear Arrested Development vibe.  Still, Fox are assholes and it’ll probably be cancelled within 3 weeks.  Until then I’m looking forward to seeing how the show develops and how long it takes for some Arrested Development alumni to drop by.  6.5/10

7.  Fringe “Olivia” (3×01) – More woe is me from Olivia.  How long until she bangs her head and remembers she’s from the other dimension?  Or until fake Olivia screws up and Peter suspects her?  I get the feeling that this plot point is gonna drag on for a bit and I hated it when I saw it coming in last season’s finale.  6.5/10

8.  Community “Anthropology 101” (2×01) – Fuck Britta.  And fuck Jeff for talking himself out of hooking up with Annie.  I’d been looking forward to Jeff and Annie getting together since the show began and it took all of half an episode for the writers to undo what happened in last season’s finale.  That’s bullshit.  If there has to be a relationship between any of the characters it has to be between Jeff and Annie.  Or maybe Troy and Abed.  6.5/10

9.  Undercovers “Pilot” (1×01) – I really enjoyed the sharpness of the banter, plus Ben Schwartz, a guy I know from brief appearances on Parks and Recreation was very very good as Hoyt.  Leon was also pretty cool and added to the loose, fun vibe that I think the show is going for.  I just loved the lightness to the show and visually it looked very impressive.  My first impression is that the show may end up being a less dark, non-mythological version of Alias.  Just a fun escapist spy comedy thriller.  I can’t think of a show on TV that fits that description so hopefully Undercovers will find a place in the audiences schedule.  6.5/10

10.  How I Met Your Mother “Big Days” (6×01) – More God damn teasing about that fucking mother.  Ever since last season ended the producers have said that the 1st episode would be a gamechanger.  It wasn’t.  It was just more of the same stringing along and frankly I’m getting tired of it.  I want some development in my shows and a show about how a guy meets his kid’s mother should have introduced that mother by now.  Otherwise they should forget that premise and just make it a show about five friends living in NYC.  I’ll watch this show for as long as it’s on the air simply because of Neil Patrick Harris and Jason Segel but I’ve given up hope of this show ever being as good as the 2nd season again.  6/10

11.  Hawaii Five-0 “Pilot” (1×01) – See my review here.  5/10

12.  The Event “I Haven’t Told You Everything” (1×01) – They all want so desperately to be the next serialized show now that Lost if off the air.  Hell, they all wanted to be the next serialized show when Lost was on the air.  None of the shows that have tried to capture the magic of Lost have succeeded.  Either through poor acting, bad writing, shitty planning of the structure of the season or mythology, or a boring premise, all of the Lost wannabes have failed.  I’m sure that NBC will keep The Event around for this season, and I’ll watch another couple of episodes to give it a chance, but I’m supremely confident that it’s just another crappy knockoff filled with barely adequate acting, writing and directing.  The Event was completely uneventful in every way imaginable.  5/10

13.  The Big Bang Theory “The Robotic Manipulation” (4×01) – See my review here.  4.5/10

14.  Chase “Pilot” (1×01) – Oh my God.  It’s just like every other bland law enforcement agency procedural on the air, but in this case the lead is a stone faced woman with absolutely no appeal whatsoever.  It should come as no surprise that NBC has failed once again.  I’m usually willing to give a show a couple of episodes to convince me that it’s worth my time, but I won’t be watching Chase ever again.  There’s absolutely nothing here that can’t be seen somewhere else and done much better.  4/10

Related posts:

1. Best of the Week: 2nd-8th May 2010
2. Best of the Week: 1st-7th Nov
3. Best of the Week: 20th Sept

Best of the Week: Premiere Week 2010 HollywoodHubbub

Looks like the premiere dates for network TV are starting to arrive along with some cable stuff too.  Fox released their premiere dates the other day and below are the shows I care about.  Top of that list is Glee.

Lonestar (new series) – Monday Sept 20th
Glee (returning) – Tuesday Sept 21st
Running Wilde (new series) – Tuesday Sept 21st
Fringe (returning) – Thursday Sept 23rd

Certainly not many shows on Fox that I care about, but I’m very excited about Glee, Running Wilde and Fringe, and I’m more than a little intrigued by Lonestar.  I guess I’ll find out what they’re all like in a shade under 10 weeks.

Related posts:

1. Fall premiere dates for CBS
2. Promo art for FRINGE season 2
3. Will Arnett’s WILDE KINGDOM picked up

Fox TV premiere dates are in HollywoodHubbub