What do we have here? Another fall television season. The TiVos are firing on all cylinders, so trust me, I've seen my fair share of shows already. Frankly, it may be a bit too much, but the networks are doing a good job of trying to hook in all the new viewers that they can. My initial take? It's not a bad way to start the Fall.
NBC already has a couple of winners on their hands, but I'm not sure whether they'll stick around. My top new show for this network has to be Heroes. That should be the easy choice, right? Well, with Studio 60 and Kidnapped in the lineup, it's remarkably difficult. While I'm loving the sharp dialogue and character antics of the very polished Studio 60, and I'm really getting into the intensity and superb acting of Kidnapped, Heroes is the most unique in its premise. While the serialized pacing may be nothing new to those of us Lost addicts, I've been drawn in more to the story of how the main leads of the show are dealing with their new-found abilities, the most fun so far has been watching Greg Grunberg spread the wealth on a non J.J. Abrams show.
ABC, being the strongest contender with their stable of reality and hour-long dramas, has a few new notables shoring up their somewhat stable lineup. Brothers & Sisters, while an admirable effort with an Alias-laden cast, seems to be trying too hard. I have to give them a gold star for attempting a modern family drama, but it seems too fabricated. Maybe it's the plastic lips of Calista Flockhart giving me the shivers, but not even Ron Rifkin nor Sally Field can save the day. My vote for their best new show is Mr. Abrams' Six Degrees. On the surface, it's a story of how everyone is connected in some way, some how, but so far I've been drawn into the character interaction, the simmering few mysteries hinted at thus far, and of course, the New York setting. While I haven't been able to catch Ugly Betty, I've heard good things, but that's not fair enough for a micro-review...
CBS is supposedly looking to make a push for ABC's top spot this year, moving heavily in the serial direction for their top hitter, CSI, but the new shows may be a little less risky. Smith, for example, while featuring a cast most would see under the lights of a Hollywood Marquee, has managed to underscore what edge it could bring by focusing on pretty people in pretty locations. While the scenery is nice, there's not much in the area of three-dimensional character development, but I can see it coming to the surface at some point.
Out of the four major networks, the CW has the least amount of new shows. Truthfully, I don't even know which ones are new since the only ones I've been watching are all carryovers from last year. It remains to be seen which ones will survive the move, so I really can't pass verdict just yet.
There's a few still left to premiere, but I'll have initial thoughts once they come right out of the gate.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment