Fall Season 2008

[mlm828]

We're starting to see some new shows on the tube, which means it's time for a new thread.

I watched Fringe tonight -- not sure why I decided to check it out. It was OK for what it is, I suppose, but I wasn't blown away. I was expecting to have to suspend disbelief for the "weird science" elements of the show, but a lot of the rest of it was equally unbelievable. Some of the writing and acting was rather clunky, in my opinion. I did like the "mad scientist" and his son. I may watch again next week. Or not.

[inuvik]

Sept 10, 2008 0:21:22 GMT -5 mlm828 said:

We're starting to see some new shows on the tube, which means it's time for a new thread.

I watched Fringe tonight -- not sure why I decided to check it out. It was OK for what it is, I suppose, but I wasn't blown away. I was expecting to have to suspend disbelief for the "weird science" elements of the show, but a lot of the rest of it was equally unbelievable. Some of the writing and acting was rather clunky, in my opinion. I did like the "mad scientist" and his son. I may watch again next week. Or not.

Good idea, we need a new thread!

I watched Fringe last night too, and basically agree with you. I won't be watching again. It was fun seeing Pacey again though!

I also watched The Secret Life of the American Teenager. I'm sure if I was in its target audience, I would love this. But it just struck me as preachy and moralistic. Christians who do nothing but talk about how they won't have sex before marriage? After the show, the main actress saying parents and teens need to talk and not judge each other? Puh-leeze. This is an ABC Family show, I saw the logo--not surprised. However, another friend felt how nice it was to have the Christians balancing out other shows where teens do nothing but have sex, so that's another POV. It was fun seeing Molly Ringwald again though.

90210--boring.

Greek--LOVE IT! On my must watch list! Great characters, intriguing plots, conflict etc. It is fun seeing Kelsey Grammer's daughter, she's the main character.

Kaya--Krap. (Just like a Canadian show we have had for a few seasons called Instant Star--rip off!)

I recorded Privileged, will see tonight, not expecting much.

Lots of buzz about Crusoe, that should be good!

[maggiethecat]

I found this review of "The Mentalist" and I thought I'd share it here. I would say this is the one show I've been looking forward to, since I always liked Simon Baker in "The Guardian" a few seasons back.

The premiere is tonight -- opposite House! -- but CBS is also rerunning it on Friday night at 8:00.

I hope it's good. After watching the Emmys on Sunday, which only served to reinforce how dismal last year was on TV, I could use a good new show to get involved in.

Here's the review, which was from NYC:

Simon Baker (Sex and Death 101, The Devil Wears Prada) makes his return to television in CBS’s new crime drama, The Mentalist. There are a plethora of crime dramas to choose from while channel surfing these days, but the majority of them focus on the inner workings of various police departments (CSI, NCIS, Law and Order, etc). The Mentalist falls into the category of crime dramas involving an outsider who is more adept at solving crimes than the detectives. For those of you already saying, “been there, seen that”, believe me when I say that while you may not be entirely wrong, this show is still worth watching.

The premise for The Mentalist seems to come from that time period a few years ago where every new crime drama involved a character who was gifted in the area of observation. Shows like Blind Justice, Angela’s Eyes, and Psyche come to mind (and only one of those three survived). The failure of many similar programs leaves The Mentalist with the difficult task of proving to the viewers that it is not what they have seen before.

Simon Baker plays Patrick Jane, an extremely skilled mentalist who used to make a living “speaking to the dead” and “reading minds”. A tragic event that occurred during his days as a “psychic” has since caused him to give up a life of deception and lend his talents to the California Bureau of Investigation led by Teresa Lisbon (Robin Tunney). His ability to read people as well as his surroundings makes Jane a valuable asset to the department, even if his teammates often refuse to believe that the answers are so easily seen.

The only show currently running with a similar premise is Psyche, and for those who think that The Mentalist Is simply a rehashing of that show, think again. The Mentalist is a much darker show with a tortured protagonist. The events of his past constantly haunt Patrick Jane and prevent him from sleeping at night without assistance, which grants him more time to think and plan.

Jane has an affinity for the dramatic and thus enjoys solving cases on his own with a bit more flair than the police would use. This creates some distance between Jane and the department since they don’t really appreciate him withholding knowledge simply so he can have a little fun with a case. It cannot be denied, however, that Jane creates quite a show when everything is all said and done.

From a technical standpoint, the show is very well put together. Great camera work, musical score, and dialog make the show a winner in my book. The show maintains an air of mystery and darkness while also inserting comedy to keep the show upbeat and fun. Add Simon Baker to the mix and you have a winner. Baker is an extremely charming and charismatic actor which makes it difficult to completely dislike any movie or television show that carries his name.

The Mentalist is a great show that unfortunately has the cards stacked against it. Not only must the show prove that it is unlike its predecessors, but it is also on at the same time as Fringe, a show that has been recieving rave reviews and has the good fortune of being on right after House M.D. In order to even the score somewhat I would like to say this. Though at first glance The Mentalist appears to be nothing out of the orinary when compared to its predicessors, after having seen the pilot I believe that it can succeed where others like it have failed.

[shmeep]

The show does sound good, although the writer of that review would have more credibility if Psych were spelled correctly. Geez! That's pretty blatant. My only beef would be with the casting of Robin Tunny, who was pretty terrible as Veronica on Prison Break (but she didn't ruin for me). It sounds like The Mentalist is not on opposite House, but rather against Fringe so you won't have that conflict.

And speaking of Fringe, it took me a few days to get all caught up, but I'm really enjoying it so far. The pilot was a bit exposition heavy as the premise was set up, but I see a lot of potential in it. I liked the second episode much better and think it will only improve from there--if you like that sort of thing. I'm a huge fan of Lost and Alias and I can see the hand of JJ Abrams at work in Fringe. Of course there's a big evil corporation behind whatever is going on and there will be mysteries galore as the main characters try to go up against it and figure out just how everything fits. No one can do those sorts of stories like Abrams and I think this particular show lends itself to that format quite well. I'm in.

I haven't seen Heroes yet, but I'm looking forward to watching it this afternoon.

[bjobsessed]

Well, this isn't new this year but it was last year. My friend and I just watched season one on dvd in two days. Life. I really liked it. Maybe a cop wouldn't be able to get a job after being in prison but he did prove his innocence by the end. I loved his wall of info in his house, his off beat sense of humor and even his obsession with fruit. And of course he thinks through cases like someone else we know. Never mind the fact that there were a few of the same guest stars and more than a few paralells. I'm looking forward to next Monday night for season 2.

[hoosier]

Sept 24, 2008 16:45:50 GMT -5 bjobsessed said:

Well, this isn't new this year but it was last year. My friend and I just watched season one on dvd in two days. Life. I really liked it. Maybe a cop wouldn't be able to get a job after being in prison but he did prove his innocence by the end. I loved his wall of info in his house, his off beat sense of humor and even his obsession with fruit. And of course he thinks through cases like someone else we know. Never mind the fact that there were a few of the same guest stars and more than a few paralells. I'm looking forward to next Monday night for season 2.

I liked this one too so I'm looking forward to seeing it again. It did remind me of another show, what was its name, oh yeah! I haven't seen any of the new shows but My Own Worst Enemy looks interesting. Thank goodness they didn't break up the teams on NCIS or Criminal Minds.

[hoosier]

Sept 23, 2008 10:42:10 GMT -5 maggiethecat said:

I found this review of "The Mentalist" and I thought I'd share it here. I would say this is the one show I've been looking forward to, since I always liked Simon Baker in "The Guardian" a few seasons back.

Here's the review, which was from NYC:

Simon Baker (Sex and Death 101, The Devil Wears Prada) makes his return to television in CBS’s new crime drama, The Mentalist. There are a plethora of crime dramas to choose from while channel surfing these days, but the majority of them focus on the inner workings of various police departments (CSI, NCIS, Law and Order, etc). The Mentalist falls into the category of crime dramas involving an outsider who is more adept at solving crimes than the detectives. For those of you already saying, “been there, seen that”, believe me when I say that while you may not be entirely wrong, this show is still worth watching.

The premise for The Mentalist seems to come from that time period a few years ago where every new crime drama involved a character who was gifted in the area of observation. Shows like Blind Justice, Angela’s Eyes, and Psyche come to mind (and only one of those three survived). The failure of many similar programs leaves The Mentalist with the difficult task of proving to the viewers that it is not what they have seen before.

Simon Baker plays Patrick Jane, an extremely skilled mentalist who used to make a living “speaking to the dead” and “reading minds”. A tragic event that occurred during his days as a “psychic” has since caused him to give up a life of deception and lend his talents to the California Bureau of Investigation led by Teresa Lisbon (Robin Tunney). His ability to read people as well as his surroundings makes Jane a valuable asset to the department, even if his teammates often refuse to believe that the answers are so easily seen.

The only show currently running with a similar premise is Psyche, and for those who think that The Mentalist Is simply a rehashing of that show, think again. The Mentalist is a much darker show with a tortured protagonist. The events of his past constantly haunt Patrick Jane and prevent him from sleeping at night without assistance, which grants him more time to think and plan.

Jane has an affinity for the dramatic and thus enjoys solving cases on his own with a bit more flair than the police would use. This creates some distance between Jane and the department since they don’t really appreciate him withholding knowledge simply so he can have a little fun with a case. It cannot be denied, however, that Jane creates quite a show when everything is all said and done.

From a technical standpoint, the show is very well put together. Great camera work, musical score, and dialog make the show a winner in my book. The show maintains an air of mystery and darkness while also inserting comedy to keep the show upbeat and fun. Add Simon Baker to the mix and you have a winner. Baker is an extremely charming and charismatic actor which makes it difficult to completely dislike any movie or television show that carries his name.

The Mentalist is a great show that unfortunately has the cards .

I watched this last night and I thought it was pretty good. I did wonder if it intended to poke fun at people like John Edward who say they "talk to dead people". When they said he pretended to be a physic, that wasn't what I imagined him doing. I don't want to ruin it for those of you who haven't seen the pilot/premiere yet but I will say it definitely does have a dark side. Jane is a tortured soul. I'm not sure how he came to work with the police--I either missed that somehow or they didn't come right out and say so. I wouldn't say he is "part of the team", as Marty Russo would be so quick to point out. They hate to admit that they need him so they put up with him. The only agent I even care about was the new gal. She at least was honest with him. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

[hoosier]

Watched the Eleventh Hour last evening. Not bad. He is the brilliant yet typically absent-minded scientist and she the FBI take-no-prisoners ,I will make this job work kind of gal. The plot involved a billionaire trying to regain his deceased son via cloning. I remember some TV movie that had a similar story. Like I said, all in all not bad.

[mlm828]

When I haven't been obsessing over the election and the economy, I've been watching some of the new (and returning) shows.

Life is back -- and Damian Lewis is as good as ever as quirky Charlie Crews. I still find it hard to believe he's the same guy who played Soames in The Forsyte Saga -- talk about having range as an actor! The quirkiness could get old after a while, but it hasn't yet. I think Lewis will continue to make the character work. And I also like his partner's resigned attitude to "Crews being Crews."

I watched the first episode of The Mentalist and was underwhelmed. But since people here are liking it, I'll give it another watch. The only problem is that it's on at the same time as Fringe, which I've actually come to enjoy. I'm still liking the mad scientist and his son. Oh, well, I can always watch one and record the other.

I also caught the premiere of Life on Mars and liked it a lot. However, that may be because it's set in NYC during the time I lived there. The premise is that an NYPD detective in 2008 suddenly finds himself in 1973. I do like Jason O'Mara in the lead role, and so far, 1973 NYC looks as I remember it. So I plan to keep watching, if only because I miss Journeyman.

[hoosier]

I saw My Own Worst Enemy Monday night. I've always liked Christian Slater so I really wanted to catch this show. I must admit that I prefer Edward to Henry and who would have thought that the doofus brother-in-law from Yes, Dear would be the colleague/agent/friend of his!

Is is just me or is this season rather hum-drum?

[maggiethecat]

Ho-hum . . . I'm with you, Hoover, although maybe it's just because they're so few new shows -- and too darned many reality shows still clogging the schedule. I found this write-up on the new season by accident -- I was amused by the way it was written so I thought I'd share it. And I heartily agree with his comments about "Life" and "Raising the Bar."

Stars make the jump from movies to TV
By Jeff Simon
Updated: 10/12/08 3:04 PM

Think positive. And remember Henry Fonda and Jimmy Stewart. What everyone now knows about them is that they were two of the Rushmore stars in American movies — cornerstones, really, of the American movie actor’s trade.

Young film actors starting out can only hope they’ll ever be a third as good and memorable as Fonda was in “The Lady Eve,” “The Grapes of Wrath” and “My Darling Clementine” or Stewart was in “Vertigo,” “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” and “Harvey.”

Both had half-century-plus careers in which each starred in some of the greatest films ever made in America.

We’re also, though, talking about men who, at a certain time of life, starred in monumentally forgettable TV series. The shows were awful — Fonda’s “The Deputy” marginally better than “The Jimmy Stewart Show” — but both movie pillars were perfectly fine with making TV money at a point in their careers when no one was asking Fonda to make movies like “The Ox Bow Incident” and Stewart to make movies like “The Shop Around the Corner.”

So let’s not pretend too much surprise learning that Harvey Keitel — that roughneck saint of independent moviemaking for more than two decades — is now appearing weekly in the much-awaited series “Life on Mars,” which debuted last Thursday.

And don’t tell me either you’re amazed that Christian Slater is following on the heels of Charlie Sheen among tabloid bad boy substance abusing movie stars who are no stranger to ungainly headline dustups with women. Slater’s new TV series is called “My Own Worst Enemy” and premieres at 10 p. m. Monday on NBC.

If Charlie Sheen can carve out a whole new career for himself by leering and blustering in a bowling shirt and swallowing punch lines, surely Slater can make it as a weekly doppelganger, half-secret agent and half-uptight exec. Slater hitting TV after a big credit movie career was as predictable as onetime movie star Donald Sutherland (“M-A-S-H,” “Don’t Look Now,” “Klute”) dispensing poisoned paternalism in “Dirty Sexy Money” (which, even as we speak this season, seems to be warming up to do a full Olympic shark jump).

It’s Keitel, for pity’s sake, that many of us are going to be shaking our heads over for at least a month — one of Ridley Scott’s original “Duellists” and crawlers through Scorsese’s “Mean Streets,” the “Bad Lieutenant” himself whose willingness to scuzz-up and/or go full monty at a moment’s notice for cinematic art has been awe-inspiring for fellow actors.

On “Life on Mars,” he plays a 1973 cop, continuing TV’s fatuous slander of the 1970’s as a vapid decade of thuggishness, polyester and sweat. (Yes, Jimmy, what’s that you say at the back of the class? That the ‘70’s were also the Second Golden Age of American Movies? Quite so but that’s why all those TV producers and writers equate the decade with all that stylized hair, sweat and polyester. They saw it all in some of the decade’s greatest movies.)

Elsewhere on the new season front, the news is not a fraction as interesting. The idea of an Alan Ball (“Six Feet Under”) series about vampires on HBO is fascinating until you actually make the mistake of spending time watching “True Blood.” Nothing on HBO is nearly as good these days as “Dexter,” “Californication” and “Brotherhood” (with new episodes upcoming) on Showtime.

J.J. Abrams’ “Fringe” is the sort of TV series whose first episode can be hyped to a fare-thee-well while people wind up being bored spitless by it. “The Mentalist,” on the other hand, has settled very nicely into a new post-“Monk” niche, i.e. the Defective Detective, the wacko investigator who is likely to be just as nutty as anyone he investigates, if not more so.

In that new style, you can add the returning Damian Lewis in “Life” a show that gets better all the time. (The show, by the way, has moved to Friday nights.)

The most depressing offering of the new season to me so far is TNT’s “Raising the Bar,” a standard microwave meal from the kitchens of Stephen Bochco that, frankly, seems to me like a bad and toothless parody of a Stephen Bochco lawyer series.

Bochco’s kids are involved in it up to their trust funds. And it stars Mark Paul Gosselar, Dennis Franz’ young co-star on “NYPD Blue.” Think of it as a “Baby Bochco” lawyer show, one that everyone hopes one day will grow up to be a full-scale Bochco series but at the moment is toddling around its time slot bumping into the furniture and falling ka-boom on its well-diapered bottom.

I say feed it, burp it, change it and put it to bed.

Grown-ups need better TV than that.

[e-mail]

[inuvik]

I saw two recently that weren't bad. They aren't good enough to watch again, but not bad!

Valentine, about Greek Gods that help people find their soulmates. Lightweight, melodramatic, fun fluff.

Easy Money, about a family who runs a loan service for those turned down by the bank. Lots of interpersonal stuff--in the pilot, one of the sons (all grown) learns he was adopted! Laurie Metcalf plays the matriarch. It's the only show I might consider watching again.

[maggiethecat]

inuvik, are either of these on non-premium cable American TV? I've not heard of either one.

[inuvik]

Oct 16, 2008 18:31:54 GMT -5 maggiethecat said:

inuvik, are either of these on non-premium cable American TV? I've not heard of either one.

I just looked them up. They are both from The CW (formerly WB).

On another note, the show my local paper proclaimed back in August to be the best of the new season premieres tonight--Crusoe. I do think it sounds good!

[hoosier]

Oct 17, 2008 12:14:16 GMT -5 inuvik said:

On another note, the show my local paper proclaimed back in August to be the best of the new season premieres tonight--Crusoe. I do think it sounds good!

This does look good. At least its different from practically everything else out there. This season I'm not even all that interested in the shows I usually like. A case of Snoozeville, USA?