Laziness got the better of me, so it took me a while to follow through with the pilot mini-reviews.
Quick Update: Aside from Glee and Modern Family, I wish to add Community as a new comedy series recommendation.
After a shaky pilot, the show keeps getting better and funnier. I especially liked the 3rd episode ("Introduction to Film") -- Abed (Danny Pudi) and Professor Whitman (John Michael Higgins) were just hilarious!
DRAMA PILOTS (in reverse order of preference):
If you're forced to live on a desert island and can only watch three new drama shows while there, I highly recommend the last three on this list!
I'm too lazy to write down what the shows are about and my airline seating rating for each. Just know that if you're flying with the first five, don't forget to bring your chutes in case you plan on bailing early. If I were you, I won't even bother stepping onto the plane now.
I don't know how, but you can always board when it's flying steady past all the turbulence. [If you're lost with the clumsy airplane metaphors, I can't blame you.
]
Amidst the jazillion crime procedurals on TV, a new crime show has to bring something new to the table for it to stand out. Upon seeing the previews, I was already skeptical of this show about identifying John/Jane Does and bringing them home to their respective families. It doesn't necessarily focus on solving the crime (CSI) or preventing another crime (Criminal Minds). The redemption lies in giving a name to the "forgotten" so their families and friends can pay their final respect. I was (at the least) expecting to be moved once the victim's loved-ones achieved some sort of closure, but somehow the pilot failed in this regard as well (at least for me). I'll feel bad for Christian Slater if ABC ends up canceling the show (which is more than likely). I even liked his canceled series from last year (My Own Worst Enemy) much more. I guess it won't be long until this Bruckheimer show lives up to its title.
If you've had enough of the teen-falling-for-conflicted-vampire drama, then you may want to steer clear of this series. Some people have compared it to Twilight although the books from which this show is based came way before Stephenie Meyer's vampire-that-glitters novel series. It was actually a decent pilot, IMHUBO (in my humiliating unbiased opinion). But then again, I can probably stand more crap and cheese than the average TV viewer. On the other hand, I'm not saying the show is crappy or cheesy. So what am I saying exactly? The show has an audience, definitely, and the story and characters are easy to get into. But I have to say no to catching VD, for now. I still have True Blood and Gossip Girl to fill my vampire and teenage drama needs, each viewed separately.
CBS joined the medical drama bandwagon and tried to put a different spin by featuring transplant surgeons at the forefront -- "tried" being the operative word. It's another decent pilot from another safe show. There was nothing awful about it, but then, there was nothing special about it either. And there are only so much just-okay shows you can put on your proverbial plate before you feel the need to puke before taking another spoonful. I also felt Alex O'Loughlin was sort of struggling with his new fangless gig. The show will be better served if it's treated as an ensemble TV series (much like with Patrick Dempsey on Grey's Anatomy) rather than a character-driven show that focuses on its lead (such as the case for Hugh Laurie on House).
The pilot episode opened with an explosive first 6-8 minutes and had me mostly on the edge of my seat for about halfway thru the episode. But then it got real boring real fast after that. It's a medical drama (yes, another one of those) about a San Francisco medical rescue team, so much of the action takes place outside the hospital. Its approach in differentiating itself from all the other medical shows is to provide thrilling, engrossing, and high-powered sequences on the field week after week. Color me cynical, but I don't think a network would risk shelving out the required budget to sustain a costly and a possibly good show. I'm neither holding my breath nor caring enough to cross my fingers for a full-season pickup for this series.
First few minutes into the pilot, my thought bubble read, "Ooh, it's Hawthorne 2.0!". It's hard not to compare when you see several of the characters being carbon copies of the ones from the other nurse-centric show - an overzealous head nurse with a hint of misguided messianic complex (Taylor Schilling), a dashing doctor having a special bond with said nurse (James Tupper), a no-nonsense hospital administrator who disapproves of the nurse's actions, and a young, inexperienced newbie (Michelle Trachtenberg). However, IMO, the show is an upgrade from its predecessor as the lines are less cheesy and the characters are less irritating. Since I already watch and still enjoy Grey's Anatomy, House, and Royal Pains, I will have to pass on this one.
Following in the footsteps of an extremely popular and successful show such as NCIS is a tough act, but after seeing the pilot, I believe this spin-off has enough juice to keep old fans tuning in and draw new fans as well. Some viewers are looking for the sexual tension which existed between Kate and Tony or Ziva and Tony in the original. I think it's good that they're trying to veer away from that and are going in a new direction. IMO, the URST element isn't as exciting when everyone else is doing it (Bones, Warehouse 13, Castle)! LL Cool J and Chris O'Donnell, as co-alpha males, have great chemistry and can get better as the season progresses. The rest of the pack have their moments in adding humor to the show. Also, the series isn't into too much lab forensics, which honestly, is a refreshing sight for this type of show.
I never really knew what this series was about before I viewed the pilot. I didn't even check out the trailer first. So it was a pleasant surprise seeing that it was a legal drama with a dash of family drama. Having loved David E. Kelley's courtroom dramas/dramedies The Practice, Ally McBeal, and Boston Legal, I'm excited that a potentially high-caliber show like TGW is on the air (no disrespect to Raising the Bar). Julianna Margulies does very well as the wife of a disgraced district attorney. She is forced to work as a junior associate after her husband is sent to prison. The cast has a good mix of veteran actors (Chris Noth, Christine Baranski, Josh Charles) and young talents (Archie Panjabi, Matt Czuchry, Graham Phillips). And while the legal case tackled in the pilot may not be too complex, the writing was exemplary and the performances praise-worthy. I can see some Emmy (even Memmy) nominations for this series in 2010.
It's one of the most popular new shows this fall -- with good reason. With all the hype surrounding the show, I'm glad that the pilot didn't disappoint. Although much of the good stuff is already revealed in the previews and trailers, it was interesting to see how the characters are all connected and what their initial reactions were to their visions. One can't help but be intrigued with what's coming in between now and April 29, 2010. I liked Joseph Fiennes (whom I remember most from Shakespeare in Love) and Sonya Walger (whom I'll miss as Penny on Lost) as lead actors and can't complain with the rest of the cast. With Caprica, V, The Prisoner (mini-series), Day One (mini-series), and Lost's final season still to come, this promises to be an exciting season for sci-fi fans. Clicky here for the preview of AMC's The Prisoner.
New Drama Shows Update: Apart from doing well ratings-wise, the last three shows on the list have aired good, if not great, follow-up episodes these past two weeks.
SHOUT-OUTS:
- Anna (banannie), who left the site nearly two months ago, sends her best to everyone! She says she's busy with college and hockey and misses all of you (or more specifically, the ones she knows).
- If you haven't greeted Jess (pirateJESS) a happy birthday yet, then you're three days late! And the cakes don't taste as good.
Go greet her a belated or wait another 362 days. - Do you like Callum Keith Rennie (Battlestar Galactica, Californication, Harper's Island) enough to at least give him an 8.5 or higher TV.com rating? "YES!" Then head over to Ela (mafalada) and Daria's (12678) blogs to support their A-Star-for-CKR campaign (I just invented the name! ).
- Have a first look at Tina's (nofeartina) first baby and wish her well on her pregnancy.
- Make a not-too-fashionably late appearance in the 2nd Supernatural Club Meeting presided over by Shane (charmed1102).
TV NEWS BITES:
- Casting -- The OC's Rachel Bilson on HIMYM; 24's Kim Raver on Grey's Anatomy; 24's Reiko Aylesworth on Damages
- Renewals/Pickups -- Californication (S4); Bored to Death (S2); The Good Wife (S1) and NCIS: LA (S1); The Middle (S1), Cougar Town (S1), and Modern Family (S1); Flashpoint to CBS (S3)
- Cancellation -- Southland
- Chuck me, as early as late October!
- tvbythenumbers' Renew/Cancel index -- Find out if your favorite new shows are safe from cancellation.
News articles c/o: THR, HNR, EW, tvbythenumbers
Which drama shows have you watched and liked so far? THANKS if you read all that! Have a fantabulous weekend, peepsies!
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Comments
Just kidding. But watch yourself, Mack. So is Three Rivers worth watching? There are soooooo many medical dramas! I didn't know LL Cool J could act. 
I mean, he did fine on House but still.. I miss Anna. 
We're never going to Finland to ride rollarcoasters now. Happy belated birthday to Jess! Cougar Town was picked up? Seriously? 
That's good for Monica then!
Oh, The Good Wife is a legal drama huh? I'm also not real big into medical dramas either, don't know why. Ooooh, Reiko Alylesworth on Damages. BTW, my mom's name is Reiko. thanks for the Supernatural Club plug! And the CKR mention. That's an awesome name for the campaign. Yes, Ela and Daria have now gotten me obsessed with CKR.
We didn't have to wait until next year I could stand VD and I thought it was alright but I don't bother watching shows that are ok whern there are so many better ones to watch Don't really feel like getting into more medical shows atm so I didn't bother watching any of those. I'm not a fan of procedurals which is why I'm not gonna be watching NCIS or the forgotten. I do have plans to check out both the good wife and FF sooner or later, but so far it's been later rather than sooner I'm sure I pretty much just repeated myself in this comment Still read all that and enjoyed it I can't wait for your next blog. I actually don't know what your favorite shows are How is that possible? Thanks for mentioning our campaign You're awesome! Say hi to Anna back if you talk to her again I love TVbythenumbers, I dunno why but looking at ratings and guessing what's gonna be canceled and what isn't gonna be is a lot of fun! Pretty happy about Cali getting renewed Not surprised though (if I wasn't expecting it I would be extatic )
Fast Forward premiered this week in here too and I liked it so far, looks promising and intriguing enough to keep watching so I guess that as a pilot, it totally fulfilled the expectations. Have a great weekend. Hugs
. I havent watched Community but believe its quite funny but Im not a really comedy person so I might give it a miss.I laughed so much at your paragraph on the VD. Just the way you shunned Stephenie Meyere ... was... beautifully done lol. True Blood has finally come to UK and Irish screens which is about time. I watched then already on the internet as I do with everything but couldnt resist to rewatching so tonight I lay down and watched True Blood again
.I'm really loving FlashForward. I knew it was going to become something brilliant but believe it hasnt stretched itself out yet, well hasnt been giving the time, but in due course I tihnk it will become even more spectacular. I have yet to watch the next episode of this week actually! Is it true that FF is based on a book? I think I might chance reading because it isn't too much of a visual concept so the book may be better!
Nice Shout-outs. I think its hilarious: Daria and her men obsessions lol. Oh I got mentioned
Yay! What I noticed was that my blog was on friends only so people couldnt get into the club who werent friends with me so I updated it now, and its all good! Looking forward to your favourite series, nice to know they're current also!Have a good week MackyMac
im only watching NCIS: LA cus i love LL and Chris so yeah i'm not gonna give it up that easily and community is so funny! i couldn't believe it i watched the fisrt 3 parts in an hour and yea, I'M FRICKIN ADDICTED again i dont need new shows! damn well, i'll just have to find time to watch 18 shows now i think i might quit school...
i'm a littel ambivalent about "the forgotten" so far. the comments of the people who have died don't really do it for me in a way, i think it's rather cheesy. i think that christian slater is a really good actor, but i don't think that he's that good in building up sympathies for his characters because in my opinion, he's got something rather cold about him (i thought he was much more of edward than he was of henry in "my own worst enemy" as well). i still hope though that one of these days, he's going to have some success again ... . up til this week's episode i was really excited about "flashforward", but there seemed to be something wrong with this one and i can't even say what it was ...
Hmm.. Community. I haven't tried that one yet. I wanted to give The Forgotten a try, I haven't yet... You are not the first liking MOWE more, as I hear... Poor him. VD: I have seen the trailer and I thought it was dirty pleasure material, not my usual. You will quit watching VD? Good for you, I thought you were not able to do so. Three Rivers, I was not intrigued by the trailer and I am not surprised it wasn't special. I still have to see the pilot though. Same with Trauma and Mercy, no first hand experience. NCIS:LA... Hm, I am surprised it gets a good grade from you. I read in another blog that the cast was great. Some others were not too excited about it... Hmmm, maybe... I don't have to know about last season of NCIS, do I? TGW and Flashforward, I already rambled enough about them. V is something I can really imagine to be good. Fingers crossed... Cool Shoutouts. Thanks Oh, and by the way, no more Bored To Death for me. For now at least... WTF? Chuck sooner? That would be cool. And seriously, The Good Wife is already picked up? I would love to add a new drama series but I can't... I'll guess your 10 favs, though: Spooks, Breaking Bad, Criminal Minds, Dexter, Grey's Anatomy, TBBT, Chuck, Damages, Lost, House (am I projecting ). Also, CSI? Or 30 Rock? NCIS? Well, I hope I am not completely off.
Happy birthday to Jess, again! I already gave CKR a 10 for Daria and Ela I heard about Chuck! I was falling off my chair with excitement. They had better do it, or I will cry . 6 months is too long to wait. Have a great weekend!
Thanks for the shout-out. So I guess that's answered my question about VD... It doesn't seem like it's really worth it, does it..? And I guess there's a limit to how much vampire one can stand...
Yay for Chuck's early return. All my most anticipated shows start mid-season (Lost, BB, Chuck, BOT), so it's awesome if one earlier.
I'm going to do the same thing as Ela... (is it a top 10 of shows that are still on?). 1. Breaking Bad, 2. The Big Bang Theory, 3. Dexter, 4. Chuck, 5. Grey's Anatomy, 6. Spooks, 7. Damages, 8. Big Love, 9. House, 10. Lost... The last one is just me hoping it will be included. Have a great weekend!
I'm hoping to watch Flashforward if I get some time. Honestly none of the other dramas sound like my thing. Surprisingly I think the comedy line up is better this year!!
So surprising that Southland got cancelled before even airing it. NBC is really stinking at the moment, I really hope they bring it back quick instead of waiting until next March
I didn't pick up a lot of drama shows this fall. Initially, I watched Vampire Diaries because Laura watches it, but I'm actually liking. It started out so slow, but things are moving pretty quickly now. They're all trying to kill each other, which is awesome. Kidding! FlashForward is really good, though. I keep missing it on Thursday nights because I have so much to watch, so I watch it on Saturdays. Whoa, where's my shout-out? LOL Just kidding! Yay! for Bored to Death, Cougar Town, and Modern Family. No Yay! for Southland. It would be awesome if Chuck's premiere moves up to late October. Have a good weekend!
Do let me know if Mercy and Trauma become more serialized. The Good Wife's been doing well in the ratings, so the pickup wasn't a surprise. We enjoy the same comedies.Ivy Lo Ms.V! How's the turkey cookin'? I just checked out the pilot of VD.
I don't want to get sick either. Esp. not just thru watching TV! I actually read all the Twilight books. Shame on me. But don't worry, I didn't go crazy when the New Moon trailer came out. I didn't like the pilot of Three Rivers. Maybe if you can add a new show, you might want to try it. LL Cool J's awesome in NCIS: LA! Aren't you watching? I forgot his guest appearance on House. Anna misses you too. You had plans of riding rollercoasters in Finland?! I'll pass. Seems there's some love for Cougar Town. She's so Monica in that show.
That's what I've been hearing about VD from some of the other people who stuck with it. I'll just return to it probably in the holidays when there isn't much TV on. I remember NCIS' first episode wasn't that great either, so I'm not giving up on LA just yet. FF had a good 2nd episode, not sure about the 3rd though. Serialized dramas are much fun to watch than procedurals. Do you watch Damages too? Reiko's one of my favorite actresses in 24 before. Do all your names end in 'iko'? Just curious. No prob with the SN plug. Least I could do.I-Mom Wasn't the 3rd ep just a laugh trip!?
Abed's becoming my favorite character. Good job on the bio. I've stopped contributing to person guides since I've focused on submitting to show guides. Yep, you can only juggle so many shows at a time. You're welcome! Enjoy your week.
I thought the VD pilot was OK too. So many better ones? By 'better', you mean CKR films and shows, right? I'm with you with the medical dramas. I was just hoping any of the new 3 had something special to offer. If you're not into legal dramas, it would be hard to get into The Good Wife. Do you watch Damages? That's a less of a "legal" drama. Have you read TV.com's controversial review on FF? You can't watch the new shows until you drop some of CKR. I don't hate a lot of shows or don't express my negative opinions about crappy shows that much, so it always seems like I love ALL the shows I watch. But you'll know my favorites soon enough.
Ela and Anne have a fairly good idea what those shows are. It's always good know the stuff about ratings, so you can prioritize the new shows to watch. Cali's renewal wasn't a surprise esp. 'cause it's on cable.BM Hi! So you added a new show to the ones you watch? That's great that you picked FF.
I'm also hoping they keep the viewers intrigued and interested. Enjoy your week!
Shane Hello! The hyperactivity-inducing pills made the mash-ups much more fun! Community's an oddball comedy. I don't know if many people would like it. It doesn't even rate high on TV.com.
LOL I don't actually hate Twilight. I've even read the books. I'm not its biggest fan either. I loved the Anne Rice vampire novels better. Enjoy watching True Blood again! FF's one of the most anticipated new shows. I'm glad so far, it's doing good. Three episodes aren't enough to see what the show can offer, so I hope people don't get impatient with the show. Yeah, they say the book's better from what the readers have seen from the series so far. I find the obsessions cute, so I'm all for promoting it. Hope you get trackers after switching your profile. It's hard for me to come up with a top 10 all-time series, so I'll just do a top 10 current series list. Enjoy your week too, Shane!
Grace Yep, I agree with you!
I hope it gets even better. I can't wait to see Dominic Monaghan on the show.Zala Aww thanks!
Me loves your random blogs too! You should watch NCIS: LA. You're the biggest NCIS fan I know. LL and Chris make a great tandem! Yay, you like Community. I love stories about weirdos, so the show's a laugh trip for me. Someone I know watching the show other than me makes me happy. Ditch school! So it's just Community and NCIS: LA for new shows?
It's awesome news! A few shows and films have done the "deceased doing the voiceover" and made it work. It doesn't add any dramatic effect for me on Forgotten. Dunno why. I liked Christian Slater in his movies, but his stint so far on TV has been fine. It's just too bad his shows don't last that long for people to appreciate his talent. I'm hoping for some TV success for him too, esp. now that it's hard for actors like him to get good gigs on film. My only problem with FlashForward is (and I agree with the TV.com review on this one) that they TELL/REVEAL so much too early and not SHOW or let the audience think/keep the viewers guessing. I hope they adjust their method of storytelling for future episodes.Ela Since I've no new project after Angel, I have time. I was just too lazy to write. I actually don't like doing reviews, 'cause I feel I don't even get to express what I think/feel about the shows I watch anyway.
MOWE makes me think of cross-hybrid of Dollhouse' and Shattered's premise. Well, I can quit a show after the pilot. It's after watching several episodes that I find it real hard to drop a show, no matter how crappy it is. I remember one show that I dropped after one season: Ugly Betty. Maybe I was less O.C. then. I'm not really hoping to add new medical shows, so I wasn't too disappointed that I didn't like Mercy, Trauma, or Three Rivers. I've also read some bad reviews about NCIS: LA, mostly because they're probably comparing it to the original. I like that it's different. Yeah, we did PM about FF and TGW. Not too long of a wait with V. Sorry about BTD. I did kinda guess you might not like it. Anyway, I'll let you know if things change with the show. So you aren't adding even TGW to your TV sched? LOL@ including Grey's Anatomy in your list. But I'm not surprised that you think so. I've mentioned it a lot in the past blogs. You got 8/10 right. Impressive!
) You read wrong! I don't watch VD! I just checked out the pilot, haha. So no new medical drama for you? I kinda liked the 2nd FF episode better than the pilot, only 'cause I watched the trailers/previews for the show several times so the pilot was nothing new to me. Happy birthday to Jess! Let's greet her all year round. Wow, you're too generous! I only gave a 9.5. I hope you didn't injure yourself after hearing/reading news on Chuck. They're cruel if they suddenly don't push through with showing Chuck early! Enjoy your week. (my reply's too late for the weekend)Tina Hi Tina! Sorry about that. I know I should've asked you first.
I even had a late comment on your blog. Most people who continued to watch VD say it gets better and better, so you might want to check it out for yourself. I just finished watching Angel and True Blood, so I'll take a break from vampires, for now.
VD's not for you. I just finished Angel a week or so ago. I still loved Buffy more, but I enjoyed most of the Angel episodes. Hmmm, I'm not sure if The Good Wife is something you'd like. Anyway, you can always stop watching if you and the pilot don't click. Now that you've mentioned it, yeah, that's true, all the FF characters take themselves too seriously. They need a wisecracking fellow to lighten up the mood, even though the situation is indeed scary. Oh no, I don't read Lost spoilers either. I'm with you on having more Desmond-Penny in the final season! The Constant remains one of my most favorite Lost episodes. Since it's not much of a good start for new comedies this Fall, Chuck coming back early is welcome news! So you caught up with Breaking Bad already? What's BOT? Yep, 10 shows airing/on hiatus/returning/status uncertain. As with Ela's guess, LOL@Grey's Anatomy. I really should talk about the show and its characters less. You got 7 right. Lost's a little bit higher on my Top 10! Enjoy your week!Carol You love your medical dramas.
I have to agree. We need some way to bend/extend time.Nats Hope you can catch up on the old ones. Not really too many great new shows, so I wouldn't worry about rushing into any of them. And it's even better sometimes to wait and see which ones get renewed before picking up a new show to watch. I still prefer Fall 2007's comedy lineup (Chuck, Sam Who?, TBBT) but there are some good comedies this year.
I only saw Southland's pilot and didn't like it that much. I do feel bad for Ben McKenzie. I only watch a total of 3 NBC shows (Office, 30 Rock, Chuck) if I don't count Heroes. NBC sucks with the Jay Leno-to-primetime move!Kyle You're more of a comedy guy, aren't you? Hmmm, I'm guessing it's the other way around. Laura's "contracted VD" 'cause of you!
Kidding! Well, that's always good to hear -- that teen shows don't suck all at the same time. That much violence on CW?! Is that even possible? Thursdays are packed with awesome shows, I don't know why. Shame on me for forgetting your shoutout. So I can pimp your shirtless shoubie pics? You watched Southland's 1st season? Yay for Chuck coming back early, if it's true. You too!Sarah Those too shows are quite popular.
Kidding! Well, the show isn't that violent. It's just the two vampire brothers that keep on doing each other in. And one of the vampire brothers is the one that keeps on doing everybody in. I think it's because Thursday is the night that most people watch TV. Mondays to Wednesdays people are busy, then they go out on Friday nights, so Thursdays are the "free nights." LOL, it's okay. You don't have to pimp my shirtless pics. I did watch Southland's first season and I liked some of the episodes. I guess not a lot of people liked it like I did.
AprilFox