TV premieres: The good, the bad, the ugly: Part 1
Can you believe the company decided to send me for a week of training during premiere week last week? A full week without my DVR dual-tuner, without my Windows Media Center recordings, without the ability to speed through commercials. I had to watch TV live.
In any case, how do you think the week went? What shows are on your must-watch list and which ones have been kicked to the curb? I was pleasantly surprised by a lot of shows, and I was pretty disappointed in others. Here's my list:
The Good
"Reaper": I loved this pilot and second episode! It was hilarious, goofy, smart and snarky, all of my favorite elements in a show. It has the cute but awkward lead, the awful and lovable sidekick, and a scene-stealing devil. Not to mention it has Kevin Smith's sensibilities -- he directed the first episode, and he's consulting on the rest. As someone else put it, "It made me laugh at dogs getting hurt. Twice. That's hard to do!"
"Pushing Daisies": How adorable was this show? The wonderful Lee Pace (previously of "Wonderfalls") is what makes this show work as the star-crossed Ned, who has the ability to bring people back to life with just a touch. Anna Friel is also wonderful as his quirky long-lost love Chuck, who reappears in his life as a corpse. Did I mention that once he brings someone back to life, he can never touch them again without killing them?
"Chuck": This show started out strong, but the second episode wasn't nearly as good in my eyes, so I'm reserving judgement. It's "Reaper" with a slightly different plot -- cute and awkward guy in a dead-end job suddenly has government secrets downloaded to his brain. Add the geeky sidekick and the pretty girl, along with wacky complications every week. I hear the next episode is better.
"Gossip Girl": This was a fun show. Is it the O.C. set in New York? Probably. Is it a soap opera with characters named things like Serena van der Woodsen? Oh yeah. But most importantly, does it have a snarky narrator played by Kristen Bell ("Veronica Mars")? Yes! In the first episode we get backstabbing, attempted rape, cheating and altered states. Definitely one I'll keep an eye on -- especially to find out if my theory is correct based off the first episode, that Jenny is Gossip Girl.
The Eh
"Private Practice": I love Shonda Rhimes, so I'm gonna give her a few more episodes for it to improve. The first episode wasn't great, and the second was marginally better. I love Kate Walsh and Tim Daly, so I want this show to succeed, but even with the caveat that it's a lighter show than Grey's Anatomy, it's just not as good.
"Journeyman": As I said in a previous post, it's not bad. I seriously don't think it will be around long enough to get attached to though, sadly.
"Carpoolers": Mildly amusing. Jerry O'Connell is funny and likeable, but overall I don't think this was good enough to make my already too-long list of shows I watch.
"Dirty Sexy Money": A lot of characters I don't particularly like and a protagonist who didn't do much to gain my sympathies in the first episode. If you like watching spoiled rich people with no redeeming characteristics, this seems like the show for you.
"Kid Nation": Not nearly as controversial as everyone made it out to be. It's worth watching for the kids' takes on things, but it doesn't hold my interest as much I thought it would. I'd like less adult intervention, actually.
"Back to You": Look, it's Frasier Crane as an anchorman. It was kind of blah, and even for a sitcom, I couldn't suspend disbelief long enough to believe that no one in a newsroom would eat the pretty girl's baking. Good or bad food, newsrooms are full of vultures -- someone will eat it!
Coming up: The Bad and the Completely Awful
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