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November 10, 2003
The 2003 Fall TV season (in ONLY 6,000 words)
(Orig. September 21, 2003; updated 10/28/03 to reflect Fox schedule changes and add a few notes and changes of opinion) (updated again 11/10 to reflect additional schedule changes and cancellations)
Last year’s annual fall TV season preview ran 9,000+ words. It’s about two-thirds that this time. (I’ve also dropped the endnotes. I thought they were fun, but it’s hard to do them well on the web so they ended up just being an obstacle.) I’m focusing more on what I like, and not covering what I don’t unless its badness is interesting. In fact I’m also going to watch fewer shows this year. There are two reasons for this. For one, I plan to be more selective in what I add and I’ve dropped quite a few. And for the other, though there are a number of shows that are possibilities this season, their strength is not as certain as last year. I’m not expecting more than a few of my favorites to survive.
(Update 11/11: I felt I needed to update this one last
time because of another batch of changes. Once again, the troublemaker is
Fox. I can't blame Fox for canceling the fun Skin, since the ratings were
bad, but it’s still a huge disappointment. I loved the series and wonder
why it didn’t do better. Perhaps the fact that the good guy was the pornographer
who was concerned about the well-being of his actresses and was willing
to give money to charity anonymously because it was the right thing to do,
and the bad guy was the district attorney who was driven by inner demons
and who was having an affair with his assistant, was too much for a mainstream
audience to handle. It all worked for me, especially with Ron Silver as
the porno producer. I loved every second of it. Ah well. With Joe Millionaire
2 getting mediocre ratings, Fox has abandoned the plan to have a Tuesday
episode lead into 24 and is instead using those Joes to fill the hole left
by Skin, so its two solid hours of Joe Millionaire on Monday night.
The return of 8 Simple Rules on ABC without John Ritter was handled beautifully:
serious but sweet, some easy laughs but nothing forced. I cried for the
whole hour. Interestingly, they had Ritter’s character die basically the
same way he did in real life. The second week had more laughs but continued
to be sweet and sad. (I only cried near the end.)
The Ron Howard-produced Arrested Development premiered last week to much hype. (Also, by the way, to a lawsuit from the early 90s hip-hop group of the same name, who apparently believe, according to frontman Speech, that no form of entertainment should ever be able to use the phrase as a name again. Or are they saying they were a sitcom?) I said beforehand, “Shows like this are usually horrible. But I'll be checking it out given the cast.” It didn’t help. Despite David Cross, Portia De Rossi, Jessica Warner and Jeffrey Tambor, I found it barely watchable. It may improve, but I don’t have the patience. I feel duty bound to point out that some friends like it better, as they do Happy Family with John Larroquette and Christine Baranski – so much so with the latter show that I tried it again. Still can’t stand it. But I was never a Larroquette fan, despite the Night Court days. The best I can say about Happy Family is that it’s nowhere near as bad as Larroquette’s dreadful early 90s vehicle that took place at a city bus terminal. By the way, in a sitcom shuffle at NBC, as of December 2, Happy Family is moving to 9:30 Tuesday, while Good Morning, Miami heads back to its old 9:30 slot on Thursday night, filling the hole left by Coupling’s demise, while back on Tuesday, midseason replacement The Tracy Morgan Show comes in at 8pm, demoting Whoopi to 8:30. All while the reinvigorated Frasier holds fast to its 9pm slot for the remainder of its run.
I never even mentioned the WB confection Tarzan on these pages, despite the hype surrounding it and a small role for Lucy Lawless, because it was just so dreadfully stupid. Worst was the over-emoting broody pretty boy Tarzan, played by first time actor, well-known-Calvin-Klein-underwear-billboard-model Travis Fimmel: just too awful to even tolerate onscreen. This was the first leading role for Sarah Wayne Callies, playing Jane, and she shows some real promise. So it’s gone already. Despite keeping lower-rated sitcoms, WB couldn’t justify its big-budget production costs.
Also cancelled: Dick Wolf’s success has been lukewarm outside the Law & Order franchise. His latest attempt, LA Dragnet, the revamped return of last year’s tepid Dragnet, which itself was a remake of the classic series, is “on hiatus” through December. We all know what that means. After limping into a second season, Boomtown was put on hiatus a month ago. The network has finally confirmed the show is done. I was never a fan, but it was well written and had a faithful following. (If you didn’t see my previous update, already cancelled or ‘on hiatus’ are: The Brotherhood of Poland, New Hampshire, Luis, Coupling, and The Lyon's Den.)
UPDATE 10/29 - Fox decided not to put The OC up against the Thursday 9pm shows, a move I complained about at length below, opting to fill that slot for now with repeats of Skin. They're instead putting The O.C. on Wednesday night, opposite Angel and The West Wing. (Slightly better for me, scheduling-wise.) And, though I had said I was tempted to be hopeful but wasn't going to recommend The Brotherhood of Poland, New Hampshire even though it was by David E. Kelley, I watched the first few episodes anyway and have changed my mind. Unfortunately, the public seems to agree with my original assessment and CBS has out the show on ‘hiatus’ -- which is networkspeak meaning it’s been cancelled but they might run the remaining episodes they already bought if there’s a hole to fill in their schedule later on. Every week I am repulsed by the three brothers, especially the Randy Quaid character, but every week I want to tune in. The character development is rich, the female characters are all amazing, especially Elizabeth McGovern, and the subject matter is mature and interesting. David E. Kelley has made me look forward to watching a show starring characters that annoy me. That's how good he is. But it's not surprising this was too much to ask people to deal with.
Other cancellations just announced: Luis: If ever
a show’s creators deserved to be punished for inflicting such dreck on people,
it’s the ones behind this junk. I said, “If you can stop cringing at the
stereotype-laden racial jokes long enough to change the channel, you’ll
be much happier.” Good riddance. The equally offensive and bad Whoopi is
sticking around. That doesn’t mean we have to watch. Coupling is also officially
on ‘hiatus.’ I didn’t like it, but as I said it was hard for me to be objective
since I know and love the BBC original, which this doesn’t compare to. The
worst thing about the remake was that they made the characters less absurd.
The whole point is that it was a farce – lots of moments weren’t believable
in traditional sitcom form. Some critics said it just couldn’t translate
from the British style. I tend to think they mangled it. Also on 'hiatus'
is The Lyon's Den. Hope & Faith, I'm with Her, It's All Relative and
Married to the Kellys are still going, but only got partial season orders.
Oh, and my two favorite new shows, Joan of Arcadia and Navy NCIS are both
big hits and have been bought for the season. Also, even though I'm watching
Joe Millionaire 2, which Fox for now at least is running both Monday and
Tuesday nights (separate episodes) I'm removing it from the posted schedule
because the guy's an idiot and though I love this type of show, I think
it's not good enough to recommend to you all. Two shows, Cold Case and Karen
Sisco, that I had praised with question marks, didn't hold up in my eyes
for more than a couple of episodes. I've removed them from the chart. And
Fox has added a new sitcom on Sunday at 9:30. I haven’t seen it but it warrants
mention: Arrested Development .)
Let’s take the big names first. David E. Kelley, after having his funny, sharp and promising girlsclub slapped down last year in three episodes since it didn’t attract enough big-spending tweens, has for now abandoned the hip lawyer shows (that he started with his first hit series L.A. Law and continued with The Practice and Ally) and returned to something closer to the premise of his second hit series, Picket Fences, but with oafish characters in an unpromising comedy form. Only because it’s Kelley will I even consider this show. No, wait, I won’t. The continuing Boston Public got rather tedious last season, but with so little top-notch writing elsewhere, I may be tempted to try it again.
Joss Whedon, after having his new show last year, Firefly, cancelled midseason (with much more reason than girlsclub but still prematurely) and with Buffy over, is MIA from TV this season other than Angel, while he works on a feature film version of Firefly.
Aaron Sorkin and Tommy Schlamme both left The West Wing, which will be a challenge to maintain since the series was defined largely by Sorkin’s brilliant crisp banter and Schlamme’s production. Sorkin has nothing in the works for this season, though he says he’s developing a show based on the behind the scenes action at a fictitious version of Saturday Night Live. (His earlier series Sports Night was about the behind the scenes action at a fictitious version of the ESPN show Sportscenter. And West Wing was a TV version of his hit movie The American President. He may be the sharpest writer on TV, but apparently he’s not much for original concepts.)
So, with one old show each from Kelley and Whedon, an unpromising new one from Kelley, and nothing from Sorkin, the literary level of the season is down quite a few pegs. (Oops... and Kelley's The Practice is still on too. Easy to forget.)
The entertainment level though, is helped by the continuing production line from Jerry Bruckheimer. With C.S.I., C.S.I. Miami, Without A Trace and The Amazing Race already on the roster, this season he adds Cold Case, another forensic crime drama series, and Skin, a very promising teen romance with Ron Silver and super-high sensation value. Of all those, though, only Without A Trace consistently delves deeper than the immediate mystery or drama. But they’re all loads of fun. (If you don’t know Bruckheimer’s record, just the highlights go from American Gigolo, Cat People, Flashdance, Beverly Hills Cop and Top Gun in the 80s, through Bad Boys, Armageddon and Pearl Harbor. When he decided to do television, his first show was CSI. Wow. And if you hear him talk about what it takes, he teams with really talented people and then respects them and makes sure they are happy on the projects. Hmm. Interesting approach.)
Another promising Bruckheimer production, Fearless, is a crime drama with a cast in their early 20s, starring the wonderful Rachel Leigh Cook, equally great Eric Balfour (24, Six Feet Under) and Bianca Lawson (Dawson). Cook, whose character name is Gaia, is a special task force detective with a genetic mutation that makes her incapable of experiencing fear, which fact no one else knows. Fearless was scheduled to fill the Dawson slot on the WB, but it was bumped at the last minute. Don’t know whether the network didn’t like it or it just wasn’t ready in time. It’s replaced by One Tree Hill, a sludgy teen soap about boy jocks. Latest word is that Fearless is waiting in the wings for mid-season. If One Tree Hill gets what it deserves that may be in a few weeks.
And of course, with the passing of John Ritter, the future of the excellent 8 Simple Rules is in doubt. The network will use the new shows already in the can, then plans to have the sitcom characters deal with their father’s death. This will either be fascinating or dreadful. We’ll see.
Now a comment about clustering. Since time immemorial the networks have put strong shows opposite each other to compete without regard to the fact that we the viewers lose out. VCRs and Tivos have helped some, but you really have to care about a show to do that. So it’s nothing new, but this season, with Fox and the WB making serious attempts to go after the big three in prime slots, it’s a bit ridiculous. On Thursday night at 8 we’ve had Friends and Survivor for years. (Since Scrubs is unwatchable, there’s only a half hour overlap and ratings show a ton of people watch Friends then catch the last half of Survivor. But this year, Fox has put Tru Calling in the slot as well. This means the show, no matter how good, will have a tough time getting watched. At 9 it’s even worse. Again, CSI and Will & Grace have been on. But now the 9:30 show on NBC, the American version of Coupling, is a must-see too (at least at first.) And Fox has moved The O.C. to Thu at 9, hoping this fantastic high-rated summer hit will make a dent in the time slot — but to the detriment of all its fans who also like Will & Grace or CSI. And for me at least, there’s another problem. The WB, as part of a strategy to put a full 2-hour block of younger comedy up against NBC’s, has moved one of my favorite shows, What I Like About You (though I’m alone among my friends on this one,) here as well. So for me that makes four shows in one slot. Even with a Tivo, a VCR and being home to watch a third show, that doesn’t work! Finally Friday at 8 has Miss Match, Joan of Arcadia and Wanda At Large. There’s a decent chance one of the new shows here won’t survive, which brings it back to a manageable two. But with Thursday at 9, none of those four shows is being cancelled. Now that most networks have at least one alternate outlet there is no excuse for this any more.
THE SCHEDULE
Note I’ve added a new feature this year. While I review only new shows, there are some old ones that I still enjoy. So for that reason and to make it easier to get an overview, here is a schedule showing all the programs I recommend.
(date is the season premiere, new shows are in bold; underlined shows link to reviews; question marks signify that I am hopeful but not certain this show will be good; repeats within the week are in italic, times are EST)
| 8 | 8:30 | 9 | 9:30 | 10 | |
| Sunday | Charmed(WB, 9/28 +see Tue) |
--> |
Sopranos/Six Feet Under/Sex & the City(HBO) The Office(BBCA, 10/12) Alias (ABC, 9/28) |
-->
--> |
|
| Monday | --> | CSI: Miami(CBS, 9/22) | |||
| Tuesday | Navy NCIS(CBS, 9/23) 8 Simple Rules (ABC, 9/23) |
--> | Frasier (NBC, 9/23)
24 (Fox, 10/28) |
Good Morning, Miami (NBC, 9/30, moving to Thu on 12/4))
--> |
Queer Eye (Bravo) Judging Amy(CBS, 9/23) Charmed repeat(TNT) |
| Wednesday | That 70s Show(Fox, 10/29)
|
Stan Hooper(Fox, 10/29)
|
Angel(WB, 10/1) West Wing(NBC, 9/24)??? The O.C.(Fox, returns 10/29) |
--> -->
|
South Park (Comedy Central) |
| Thursday | Survivor(CBS, 9/18) Friends(NBC, 9/25) Tru Calling(Fox, 10/30)? |
-->
--> |
CSI(CBS, 9/25)
Will & Grace(NBC, 9/25) What I Like About You(WB, 9/25) The O.C. repeat (Fox) |
-->
Good Morning, Miami (NBC, from 12/4 on) --> |
Without A Trace(CBS, 9/25)
the original Coupling(BBCA, 9/25) |
| Friday | Wanda At Large(Fox, 9/19) Joan of Arcadia(CBS, 9/26)? Miss Match(NBC, 9/26)? |
-->
--> |
Grounded For Life (WB, 9/5) | ||
| Saturday | X | X | X | X | X |
THE DETAILS
By day:
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday The score
By show:
SUNDAY
Cold Case (CBS-8PM, but not really, see below) — Like Without A Trace, this is not exactly a spin-off of CSI, but it is another forensic mystery series from that show’s producers, Bruckheimer & Littman. Since Without A Trace was the best new show last year, that’s a good recommendation. Also exec. producing is Meredith Stiehm, a veteran of NYPD Blue and 90210. The differences on this one: the investigator is a woman, and the crimes are old, unsolved cases, thus the name. The radical advances in forensics make it possible to go back through the archives and solve them. This is a big jump for star Kathryn Morris, who had only bit parts until she landed the role as Cruise’s wife in Minority Report. With the focus on her rather than a team of investigators, it all rides on how good she is. One more point I have to make. This show is in a deadly slot for a unique reason: CBS carries football on Sunday afternoons in the fall. This means that its, and only its, Sunday primetime lineup is nearly always pushed late. So, a) people with Tivos and VCRs can’t tape the shows unless they care enough to tape a 2-3 hour block to play it safe, and b) the 8PM show nearly always overlaps with HBO’s Sunday night 9pm show. I tried to watch The Education of Max Bickford with this problem, and it was infuriating. Both shows in this slot since CBS picked up football have failed. Coincidence? (Premieres 9/28.)
The Office (BBC America, Sun 9 and other time throughout the week) — Not a new show, but I didn’t review it last year and many people haven’t discovered it yet. (If you don’t get BBC America, I’m sorry but you’re missing out on the best station in the country. (Well, not exactly in the country.)) The Office is a mockumentary/sitcom following the goings-on in a non-descript office that sells office supplies. At the beginning of the series, the pretense of it being from the perspective of the documentarian was clearly presented; as time went on, it became less significant, though it does still include occasional interview segments with the characters. The characters are overdone yet realistic, the plots are nothing more than the social politics of an officeplace, but the focus of the camera and the brilliance of the writing turn the petty problems into high farce. It’s the masterwork of a single British comic/writer, Ricky Gervais, who is also brilliant as the boss of the Office. His character is misogynistic but so absurd he seems harmless, passive aggressive but trying to be the perfect team leader, hated but thinking he’s loved, and full of modern management training babble but unable to change beneath the surface. Gervais makes the show, but the whole ensemble cast is wonderful. This is one of the freshest and funniest shows in years. In England, it got higher ratings in reruns than it did first time around, as word spread. (If you don’t get BBC America, you can pre-order the first season on DVD here: The Office - The Complete First Series. It ships Oct. 7th. (Second season starts Oct. 12)
Just added: Arrested Development
(Fox, 9:30) — A late addition sitcom from Fox scheduled for 9:30 on
Sundays is too intriguing not to mention, though I haven’t seen even a preview.
Arrested Development is exec. produced by Ron Howard and produced by one of
the makers of Golden Girls. Jason Bateman (Little House on the Prairie, Silver
Spoons, Teen Wolf Too, The Sweetest Thing) stars but it’s in the supporting
cast that I find reason to think this might be a winner -- especially David
Cross, half of the short-lived Mr. Show on HBO, one of the funnies sketch
comedy shows ever made, who’s also played great characters in lots of fun
movies like Ghost World, Waiting For Guffman and Men In Black. But that’s
not all. Co-star Portia De Rossi was one of the best things about Ally McBeal.
Jessica Warner dates back to great movies from the 60s and 70s, with a standout
role as the obsessed fan after Clint Eastwood in Play Misty for Me; she had
her first starring role in a TV show in 74, but is probably best known to
80s viewers for a supporting role in Trapper John, MD, a show I believe I’ve
never seen. She’s been in dozens of other movies and shows, but I’m afraid
I have the clearest picture of her as the president of the university in the
great trash-teen flick P.C.U. And Jeffrey Tambor has also been in tons of
movies, including Pollock, Girl, Interrupted and There’s Something About Mary,
and dozens of roles in TV, but is doomed to always be remembered for his brilliantly
repulsive character Hank Kingsley on The Larry Sanders Show. Shows like this
are usually horrible. But I'll be checking it out given the cast.
The Lyon’s Den (NBC-10) [ON 'HIATUS'] — It’s hard to see The Lyon’s Den as anything but a Rob Lowe vehicle, and almost a West Wing spin-off. His character is a DC lawyer and the show looks at the inner workings of the Beltway. Exec. Producers Kevin Falls and Remi Aubuchon come from West Wing and 24, respectively. The fact that this is a Lowe vehicle isn’t a bad thing, though, as long as it fills out nicely. He’s obviously an extremely likable focal point. The low wattage level of the supporting cast is risky, and its success or failure will depend largely on how well chosen they are. I see potential especially in Matt Craven (Meatballs, Boomtown) and Elizabeth Mitchell (ER, Frequency, Santa Clause 2). This show is not going to be meaningful the way West Wing is (was?) but I expect it to be loads of fun for those, like me, who enjoy politics, and Rob Lowe. And with the crushing disappointment of K Street, I may have room on my dance card for it. (Premieres 9/28.)
MONDAY
Skin (Fox, 9) — One show has a lot of my friends drooling. It’s Skin, the new show in the old Ally / Melrose slot. It’s a teen love story: the boy is the son of a DA; the girl is the daughter of a porn maker. (Played by Ron Silver; how perfect is that!) The boy is Mexican Catholic, she’s Jewish. (Fox says the name Skin signifies sex and race. Throw in class – he’s working class, she’s rich – and you’ve got a sensationalism trifecta. Before they meet, the families are already at war. Parents on both sides forbid a relationship. Yeah, it’s Romeo and Juliet. But that’s a pretty decent storyline. Even better are the show’s credentials. The exec. producer and writer is Jim Leonard, who was responsible for the wonderful but unsuccessful Thieves (with John Stamos and Melissa George, a few years back) and the highly acclaimed British crime drama Cracker before that. Also exec. producing is Jerry Bruckheimer. This show promises to be a slick, titillating guilty pleasure, which is what should be on Fox in this timeslot, especially now that the lead-in is not Boston Public, but Joe Millionaire. (Premieres 10/20.)
Las Vegas (NBC, 9) — With the other networks offering Everybody Loves Raymond, Everwood, Girlfriends and Monday Night Football, NBC also has decided to offer adults something fun to watch. But while Skin looks fresh and exciting, Las Vegas looks sleazy and stupid. James Caan overacts cornily as the boss, Big Ed. Supposed hunk Josh Duhamel (All My Children's Leo du Pres) is plastic and unappealing. I love Nikki Cox (Unhappily Ever After), though, and supermodel Molly Sims and Vanessa Marcil (Gina on Beverly Hills, 90210) round out an impressive but silly cast. Creator Gary Scott Thompson’s credits are thin and unpromising. His sole full writing credit is K-911 with Jim Belushi – one of the stupidest movies ever made – and he was one of a team of writers on The Fast and the Furious – a great film but sure as hell not for the script – and Hollow Man, which should have been fun, but was unwatchable. (Though that might have been Paul Showgirls Verhoeven’s fault.) One more thing: C.S.I. uses its Las Vegas location for occasional sizzle, but a show that takes place entirely in the casino world is just a silly meaningless spectacle. It’s just not that interesting. If you want a setting that delivers a mix of money, glamour and drama, The O.C. nailed it with Newport Beach. (Premieres 9/22.)
Two and a Half Men (CBS, 9:30) — If star Charlie Sheen isn’t enough to scare you off, and if you love cute family comedies about how men are overgrown boys, then you might like this. And if you’re already on CBS because you just finished watching Everybody Loves Raymond, then I’m not helping you. You deserve it. I’m not getting within a mile of the show, despite co-star Jon Cryer, who I once respected back in his Duckie days. (Premieres 9/22.)
TUESDAY
Whoopi (NBC, 8) — Not funny. Though Whoopi plays a single role, you can see her winding up to go into different characters for one unfunny zinger after another. She seems to think saying Bush is dumb on a network sitcom is enough. No need to be clever too. Yawn. The Iranian handyman (played by a British Iranian standup comic) provides a platform for borderline racist jokes about the Middle East. Oh, isn’t it so funny that being Persian he takes offense at being called Arab and starts yelling in that stereotypical high-pitched way? Give me a break. Whoopi to handyman: “You know, your people do scare me. They do. They scare a lot of people. I mean I see three or four of you people on an airplane and I’m off.” Ha ha ha??? Hysterical audience laughter kicks in. What? Did I miss a line, cause I didn’t hear a joke, just a racist remark. If you want a show about a grumpy black woman with a brother/friend who’s into white woman delivering zingers to preppy black businessmen and everyone else, forget this dreck and tune in to one of the best new shows of last season, Wanda at Large, which started its second season on September 19 on Fox. It has original jokes, crisp writing, racial humor that isn’t all stereotypes, and Wanda Sykes is ten times funnier. (Premiered 9/9.)
Happy Family (NBC, 8:30) — the latest vehicle for tepid talent John Larroquette wastes Christine Baranski (Welcome to New York, Bulworth, Cybill) and Susan Gibney (Crossing Jordan, several episodes each of DS9 and TNG). Newcomer Melanie Deanne Moore (the voice and star of Glad ads) shows promise, but it’s unlikely she’ll fulfill it here. A formulaic dysfunctional family sitcom: There’s much better. (Premiered 9/9.)
WEDNESDAY
A Minute With Stan Hooper (Fox, 8:30) — Norm Macdonald tries again, this time with a gentler, more mainstream plot. Urban couple Macdonald and Penelope Ann Miller moves to an exaggerated rural Wisconsin filled with eccentrics, and wackiness ensues. I like Macdonald, and I have loved Miller in the movies (leads in Big Top Pee-wee, Biloxi Blues, Dead Bang, The Freshman, The Gun in Betty Lou's Handbag, Carlito’s Way, The Relic). It’s hard to imagine her in such a small vehicle. But since I hate Ed and got bored with Smallville and Enterprise, its only competition for me (other than non-TV pursuits, of course) is another new show, It’s All Relative (see below.) And since Hooper follows That 70’s Show, I’ll probably just leave it on Fox. (Premieres 10/29.)
It’s All Relative (ABC, 8:30) — Trying to be the next talked-about gay show, I’m afraid the makers of It’s All Relative may be trying a bit too hard. The setup is an engaged couple, he’s from an Irish Catholic traditional Republican family, she’s got two dads. The gay couple are blue blood, upper-class art gallery owners, the Catholics are working class. (Kinda sounds like a comedy version of Skin.) The girl is Maggie Lawson (Alexa in Party of Five) and the boy’s parents are Harriett Harris (hilarious as Frasier’s agent Bebe Glazer) and Lenny Clarke from The Job. The edgy twist: the gay couple is just as intolerant of the blue-collar family’s values and ways. My concern: Will & Grace doesn’t much deal with anti-gay sentiments; it’s mostly positive across the board. This show might end up being unpleasant if it tries to show all sides of issues and make social comments. This is quite a departure for co-executive producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron who, besides Chicago, have worked primarily on TV movies based on musicals including Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows, which co-starred one of the two dads in this show, Gypsy, Annie, and Martin and Lewis. They’re teamed with the writer/producer team Anne Flett-Giordano and Chuck Ranberg, who were behind Kate & Ally and some episodes of Frasier. (Premieres 10/1.)
The O.C. (Fox, 9) — I tried very hard not to get into this show, but with a bunch of friends telling me they were hooked, I had to check it out and now I can’t wait for its return. This was the surprise drama hit of the summer (of course Queer Eye was the biggest sensation overall.) It’s so blatantly formulaic that you can’t be annoyed by the fact. They’re not pretending it’s anything else: two teen boys, one bad and beautiful, the other good and dorky, face the challenges of being a teen – mostly involving girls – in a ritzy suburb of LA. Add in the business and interpersonal travails of their parents and friends, and you’ve got a nighttime soap a la Melrose and 90210 combined. But the show is more sensitively written than that. It pays attention to the characters’ inner turmoil. My one minor complaint comes with full understanding that my personal perspective is unusual on gender and teen life issues, but that said, the two boys are meant to cover the bases and they don’t. The bad boy is quiet and smart, but he’s also confident and tough. Silent but deadly. Pretty but edgy. (You can just hear America’s girls’ and gay boys’ hearts quicken when he comes on camera.) The good boy is the one most of us are supposed to relate to – he’s nebbishy, not attractive but not unattractive, insecure, etc. Fox calls him an existential hero in the spirit of Holden Caufield (that’s Catcher in the Rye, folks), Benjamin Braddock (that one’s The Graduate), and “any John Cusack character from the late 80’s”. They wish. He covers his insecurity by being a wise-ass, and he’s just not that likable. He’s closest to Dustin Hoffman’s tortured grumpiness, with none of the Caufield’s depth or Cusack’s charm. I love this show, but I would like it even more if I liked him better. The show’s creator, Josh Schwartz, at 26 is the youngest ever creator of a one-hour network drama. Exec. producer Doug Liman directed The Bourne Identity, Go and Swingers and produced Kissing Jessica Stein, while exec. producer McG, who started out making music video, directed the Charlie’s Angels movies and produced/directed last year's super-fun but unsuccessful series Fastlane. (Returns 10/29.)
Karen Sisco (ABC, 10) — A TV version of the movie Out Of Sight (J Lo and Clooney) based on an Elmore Leonard character. Playing the J Lo character, a powerful and sexy US Marshal, for the series is the amazing Carla Gugino (the teen Roxy in Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael, Ashley in Spin City, and the female leads in Snake Eyes, Spy Kids and The One.) The show is exec. produced by Danny DeVito’s production company (Pulp Fiction, UC: Undercover.) It’s opposite another crime drama, Law & Order, but it promises to be tons more fun and fresh. I haven’t had a chance to see this show, but I’m expecting it to be one of the best of the new season. (Premieres 10/1.)
The Brotherhood of Poland, New Hampshire (CBS, 10) [ON 'HIATUS'] — Like Kelley’s early series Picket Fences, The Brotherhood of Poland, New Hampshire takes place in a small rural town that has more than its fair share of weirdness. But while that show was a crime drama, this one looks to be a soppy dramedy, featuring oafish men who were high school sports stars and are now pillars of the community, while being inwardly unhappy. I don’t need this, and I don’t relate. The casting, which is always one of Kelley’s strong suits, is perfect for the above-described premise, and thus even less appealing to me: Randy Quaid (who’s played funny unlikable characters in good movies, inc. The Last Picture Show, Paper Moon, National Lampoon's Summer Vacation, Independence Day, Kingpin, and tons of junk), Chris Penn, Larry Miller (who’s done a good job playing his standard stand-up character in lots of things, inc. Mad About You and 8 Simple Rules) and John Carroll Lynch (Drew Carey Show). Also Mare Winningham. A treat is Elizabeth McGovern, but that’s not enough of a reason to watch. (Here’s one of those relatively meaningless observations: Elizabeth McGovern, who plays Lynch’s wife in this series, played opposite Chris Penn’s brother, Sean in the wonderful 1984 film Racing with the Moon, along with Nick Cage in his third major role (after starring in the classic Valley Girl and playing with Chris Penn in Rumble Fish). Kelley’s writing credit is the only reason I might give this show a chance. Even that is not enough. But if you love The Drew Carey Show and Randy Quaid, then it might work for you. (Premieres 9/24.)
UPDATE: Though I had said I was tempted to be hopeful but wasn't going to recommend The Brotherhood of Poland, New Hampshire even though it was by David E. Kelley, I watched the first few episodes anyway and have changed my mind. Every week I am repulsed by the three brothers, especially the Randy Quaid character, but every week I want to tune in. The character development is rich, the female characters are all amazing, especially Elizabeth McGovern, and the subject matter is mature and interesting. David E. Kelley has made me look forward to watching a show starring characters that annoy me. That's how good he is.
THURSDAY
Tru Calling (Fox, 8) — If Carla Gugino doesn’t walk away with the coolest powerful new female character title for this season for Karen Sisco, then it will probably go to Eliza Dushku. She walks in deserving it, but it remains to be seen whether this show will let her live up to it. She brings the same tough commanding style as her Faith character on Buffy (makes me weak in the knees) and the subject matter is supernatural and existential – as a morgue attendant she discovers she has the ability to talk to dead people – not through séances, but, like, the dead people just open their eyes and talk to her. If they shouldn’t have died, whatever that means, which I’m sure will be dwelt on, she can then also go back in time one day and try to stop it from happening. Very far-fetched and don’t expect Whedon’s depth or breadth of concept or writing that informed her role in Buffy. The pilot, promisingly, is directed by first-tier Hollywood movie director Phillip Noyce (Dead Calm, Patriot Games, Sliver, The Saint, The Bone Collector.) But the show’s creator, Jon Harmon Feldman, has a pretty thin resume. He was one of the writers on Roswell and a producer on The Wonder Years, Dawson and American Dreams. Other exec. producers: R.W. Goodwin was a producer on the first five years of The X-Files; Neal Moritz produced Greg The Bunny, as well as dozens of silly and/or funny horror and action films from I Know What You Did Last Summer to XXX. This one is on the fence. Fox says it combines the sexiness of Run Lola Run and the tenseness of 24. Which is a weird description since neither of those had anything supernatural about them. Look, I gotta be honest: Dushku takes my breath away with her looks and her tough manner – when Faith and Buffy were both on-screen, I was looking at Dushku! And that’s saying something! – so this may be carried, for me at least, just by her presence. But it definitely runs the risk of being absurd. (Premieres 10/30.)
Coupling (NBC, 9:30) [ON 'HIATUS'] — Oh, what to say about NBC’s Americanized Coupling. The original British series is one of my all-time favorite sitcoms. This means I will likely either love or hate this remake. I wish they would have just shown the British series, but I suppose that would limit its appeal to Americans since most don’t have the imagination to relate to someone with a different accent. (Also, the BBC does 8-10 episodes in a year, so NBC would burn through all three existing seasons in the first year and then what?) So, here we have the remake, starring none of the original cast, though, weirdly, another British actress in a lead, the wonderful Sonya Walger (the ever-suffering wife in Mike Binder’s Mind of the Married Man on HBO) who is perfect for the somewhat reserved Sally. Even better, the gorgeous and hilarious Rena Sofer, who left Ed for Just Shoot Me just in time for its demise, plays the key character, Susan. The less stable, shall we say, member of the female threesome is played by soap veteran Lindsay Price, who some may know as Janet from the last few years of 90210. The men are less promising. Colin Ferguson should be fine as Patrick. But the central male, who must calmly and deftly carry a lot of the jokes, is in the hands of a relative unknown who hasn’t done comedy, and Jeff, the most challenging role in that it’s absurd but must be handled naturally to be believed, is in the hands of another newcomer. Much drama surrounded the messy process of translating the show. Only two of the original six actors were kept from a scrapped pilot. And much has been made of the fact the 30-minute BBC scripts have been ruined by being trimmed to 22 for ad-laden American TV. (When BBC America, which does have ads, airs the British shows, they simply block out 40 minutes, but that’s inconceivable to NBC apparently, unless they’re super-sizing a Friends episode to screw up the other networks on sweeps week.) Also, it’s said that the same jokes without the accents and wry British style simply come off as crude. But as one, like all the critics of the new show, who loves the original, I know I can’t be objective. If the NBC version is half as good as the BBC version, it will be better than most American sitcoms, and if NBC sticks to its word of leaving in all the penis and porn jokes, then it will also push a few limits. So, I’ll be interested what you think without having seen the original. If you want to compare them yourself, BBC America is planning to show an episode of the original right afterwards at 10pm every Thursday night. (Don’t know if it will be the same episode as the American remake but I assume it is since they’re starting over with episode 1.1.) If you don’t get BBC America, the first season is available on DVD, Coupling - The Complete First Season, and the second is available for pre-order, Coupling - The Complete Second Season. (Both the American series premiere and the BBC repeats start 9/25.)
FRIDAY
Miss Match (NBC, 8) — Darren Starr, creator of 90210 and Sex & the City returns to network TV with a new romantic sitcom, and interestingly it’s an hour long. Alicia Silverstone is a divorce lawyer by day, a matchmaker by night. The male romantic lead is promisingly played by David Conrad (the male lead, Leo, in the unforgettable Relativity – which also featured Jane Adams (Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle, Happiness, and Mel in Frasier, among many other things), Linda Edelstein (Bobbi in Sports Night, Lauren in Felicity, and Cindy McCauliff in Ally), and Poppy Montgomery (now in Without A Trace) – and more recently Agent Daniel Pierce in Roswell and Dave Fields in Boston Public.) Ryan O’Neal plays her father. There will be cuteness, bubble baths, clever writing and general funness. I expect nothing less. (Premieres 9/26.)
Joan Of Arcadia (CBS, 8) — Also promising, Joan Of Arcadia may not be given the chance it deserves and that would be a shame. I have a feeling this one will take some time to build an audience. While Tru Calling is in-your-face supernatural, this show is potentially a lot weirder. In a new town and daughter of the police chief, Joan’s minding her business when God appears to her. He uses people as vessels so there’s no white light or anything. It’s all very matter-of-fact. The drama centers around Joan trying to understand what this is about. God’s purpose is not apparent. And like all prophets, she’s more driven crazy than empowered by it. Joan is played by new face Amber Tamblyn (who grew up on General Hospital from age 12 to 18; her only significant adult role before this was in The Ring.) As with Buffy (in which, by the way, Tamblyn played Janice in "All the Way” episode 6.6,) the supernaturalness of her situation heightens the otherness she already feels as a new-to-town angst-ridden teen. One of the most intriguing things about this show is the casting. Joan’s parents are played by Joe Montegna and Mary Steenburgen. (John Ritter’s son, Jason Ritter plays one of her brothers.) Tamblyn is gorgeous if a bit wispy. The show is exec. produced by Barbara Hall, who had a hand in Northern Exposure and Chicago Hope, but most promisingly, is co-creator of Judging Amy, which remains one of my favorite shows. This is the kind of show that I will give some time to, because I think it has the potential to be something great, but no promises yet. (Premieres 9/26.)
Luis (Fox, 8:30) [NOT ON 'HIATUS', JUST PLAIN OLE CANCELLED] — If you can stop cringing at the stereotype-laden racial jokes long enough to change the channel, you’ll be much happier. Luis Guzman, who’s had offbeat roles in some of the finest films ever made (Magnolia, Traffic, Punch-Drunk Love) and who was good in Oz, should stick to being a quirky character in dramas. He has no comedy timing. Painful. (Premiered 9/19.)
Hope & Faith (ABC, 9) — I’m not going to even pretend to give this show a fair chance. I loved Faith Ford as Corky Lynn Sherwood on Murphy Brown, but I think star Kelly Ripa should be banned from television. I’m afraid this show will succeed as a family comedy, playing off the inexplicable devotion a large portion of this country has to Live with Regis, and perhaps Ripa’s 12 years on All My Children prior to her replacing Kathy Lee. (Premieres 9/26.)
The Handler (CBS, 10) — I have trouble evaluating this Joe Pantoliano vehicle. First of all, I’m not a fan of gritty street crime dramas. Second, while Pantoliano is undeniably an excellent actor, the character he always plays variations of is one I don’t like (from Guido in Risky Business to Cypher in The Matrix to Ralph in The Sopranos.) I’m not saying I don’t enjoy him; I’m saying I don’t like him. But in this show, he’s the star and the good guy. So I don’t see it working for me. If you love him, though, this is all about him and you’ll probably love it as well. Also from The Sopranos, he takes Lola Glaudini, who was excellent as FBI Agent Deborah Ciccerone last season, but who I could never forgive for replacing Fairuza Balk (the sexiest woman alive) in that role. The Handler is the first major American creation from Canadian TV’s Chris Haddock (Da Vinci's Inquest) though he was a writer on McGuyver back in the 80s. (Premieres 9/26.)
THE SCORE
So there you have it. I count 12 new shows that have some promise: 4 from Fox (including The O.C.), 3 from CBS, 3 from NBC, 2 from ABC. While the WB has three shows in my regular viewing schedule, none of their new ones appeal. Last year it was 14: CBS, 4; Fox, 4; ABC, 3; WB, 2; NBC, 1. UPN’s score both years is 0. Exactly half, 7, of my favorites last year survived, which is actually pretty good. We’ll see what happens this year. Enjoy!
Phil Rose can be reached at phil@experiential.net.This article may be reproduced and given to others for noncommercial purposes. The latest version is at www.experiential.net.
© 2004 Philip F. Rose
Posted by mtprose at November 10, 2003 08:27 PM
