Hi, my name’s Ian and I’m a TV addict. During the summer I thought I’d conquered my addiction, or at least got it under control, only watching one show, Burn Notice (I did try the new Flash Gordon series but the less said about that the better, after all I’m an addict not a masochist).
Burn Notice has now finished (it’ll be back next year!) but some of my old favourites are back along with tempting new shows and from one a week I’m now back up to ten, with others (Pushing Daisies, Women’s Murder Club) still waiting in the wings.
While plenty of the new shows are interesting there doesn’t seem to be a surfeit of originality on display. In fact, almost all the newbies I’ve watched feel like throwbacks to the past, although one does have the excuse of being a remake.
At one point in Cane, one of the characters refers to sugar as the new oil, and if that’s the case then Cane must be the new Dallas. Clandestine affairs, feuding families and two brothers that don’t get along, sound familiar? The attraction of this was Jimmy Smits; I watched him in L.A. Law, N.Y.P.D. Blue and the final season of The West Wing and enjoyed all of them. He’s not bad in this, in fact he’s very good, but the show just isn’t my cup of tea, I prefer my soap in the bathroom.
If Cane is Dallas with a new coat of paint then Dirt Sexy Money must be the new Dynasty. With that in mind I made sure I avoided it. Why couldn’t they reinvent Quantum Leap or Angel instead? Oh wait a minute, they have.
If it’s a sexy vampire detective you want look no further than Moonlight. It’ got everything Angel had, minus the sense of humour, but I’m hoping it will be able to find one in the coming weeks. It’s nice to see some vampires that don’t know Kung Fu, it makes a refreshing change. I’ll be sticking with this for a couple of episodes to see how it develops. Having the two lead characters’ pasts tied together so closely felt a little contrived and would perhaps have worked better had we been given tidbits of information throughout the season or at least the first few episodes.
Article comments
1 - Rohan
Gah, someone called Heroes the best show on TV, are things really that bad?
If all you're counting is what's running right now, The Office beats Heroes in writing, acting and overall consistency. I know, I know, apples and oranges, but have you seen the premiere of Heroes? The writing has gotten even looser and more 'melo'. At least Nikki/Jessica didn't show up.
And make sure you don't put-off Pushing Daisies for later, it's a great piece of Television.
2 - Ray Ellis
I'd disagree with you on one point. "Big Bang Theory" is the worst pilot I've seen. I'd give it a three-episode run, tops. Still CBS sandwiched it between some other comedies, so it could have a slightly longer life. I wouldn't anticipate a box set, though.
3 - Ron
You are out of your mind on The Big Bang Theory :
Good Ratings For The Big Bang Theory In week 2 Again !!
The show finished # 2 in its time slot behind the mighty Dancing With the Stars, and it built on its How I Met Your Mother lead in by 13%. It also beat NBC's critically acclaimed Chuck by a whopping 14 %.
The Big Bang Theory is thriving !!
4 - Ray Ellis
We'll see. . .
5 - Ty
"While plenty of the new shows are interesting there doesn’t seem to be a surfeit of originality on display. In fact, almost all the newbies I’ve watched feel like throwbacks to the past, although one does have the excuse of being a remake."
And what is your take on "Aliens in America?" Critics are saying that the show is very un-CW like in that it is actually good and not campy.
6 - Chris Beaumont
Aliens in America was surprisingly decent. It still needs a couple of eps to get a grip of itself, but it could turn out well.
Big Bang Thory is medicore at best, and it slipped in its second week, as did Chuck which I like.
Cavemen and Carpoolers are likely early cuts. They are both awful.