Top fall comedy premiere- Raising Hope on FOX!

Fall Comedy Premiere Reviews


ABC
Modern Family
Wednesdays at 9 PM


  

Modern Family starts out with a funny episode about the passage of time, and trying to recapture it. Phil, Gloria, and Mitchell had some funny moments in this episode. The show seems to have grown up a little bit since it began a year ago, and I have grown to like it more and more, the more I watch it. The humor never seems telegraphed or forced, even though some of the things that happen are a little extreme.



This is one of the best comedies of 2009, and it is still just as funny. The only shows that I think are funnier are The Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother, which are focused on a different demographic. None of this years new comedies are as funn as Modern Family so far, though they certainly have potential.


Rating: B+



Cougar Town
Wednesdays at 9:30 PM

This first episode of season 2 guest starts the second of Courtney Cox's Friends alum. In the first season it was Lisa Kudrow, and this episode it is Jennifer Anniston, playing Jules' new therapist, Glenn. Glenn helps Jules understand why Grayson needs some time without her. Elle helps her realize that Glenn is just as crazy as the rest of them.

Laurie and Travis make a bet to see who can stay up longer, further cementing their sibling-like relationship, in one of the most entertaining moments in the episode.

Bobby has trouble with Grayson and Jules' relationship, while Grayson and Bobby further develop their uneasy friendship.

This show is entertaining from one episode to the next, without exception. It has evolved so far beyond its premise that it no longer resembles the show it first set out to be. That is one of it's strengths, as the show it set out to be be was a tired one note joke, and this show is anything but.

Rating: A-

NBC
Outsourced
Thursdays 9:30 PM

One of my friends suggested that I watch NBC's new comedy Outsourced, and I tried to like it, I really did. The thing is, I live in America, as do most of the people watching the show, and I find it relatively offensive to spend an entire 30 minutes go back and forth between making fun of Indian culture, food etc. and making fun of American culture, food, etc.



Its hard to decide what the target audience for a show like this is – I chuckled once or twice, but most of the time, making fun of the relative frivolity and freedom of American culture was annoying more than upsetting.



Only one of the characters stood out in my mind – but I honestly couldn't even tell you his name. The premise has legs, but the writing needs some tweaking, and many fewer jokes making fun of American and Indian culture. The culture clash should create the humor instead of blatantly making fun of one or the other.



Rating: C-



FOX
Raising Hope
Tuesdays at 9:00 PM

I wasn't looking forward to watching this show, because the premise didn't “grab” me. Once I started watching the show though, I was interested. Like Greg Garcia's other show, My Name is Earl, the show is grungy, realistic, and fun. It is funny, perhaps the funniest show I've seen this year. Some of the funniest characters in the first episode got minimal screen time, but I'm sure that'll change throughout the rest of the season.

Jimmy Chance had a one night stand, and the next morning we find out she's a murderer. The Chance family sends her back to prison, and 9 months later we find out the one night stand had a baby. Soon the mother is out of the picture, and Jimmy is left with a baby girl, named “Princess Beyonce” by her mother. The baby is soon renamed “Hope” and Jimmy decides to keep her, after the disagreement of his entire family, who can barely afford to take care of themselves.
Martha Plimpton plays Jimmy's mother Virginia, and she is one of the strong points of the show. Also, his grandmother is played by Cloris Leachman, and she steals every scene as the often senile old woman. I wish we could see more of her, and hope we do. The other character I hoped to see more of was the Grocery store worker, and potential love interest for Jimmy, Sabrina (Shannon Woodward), whose scenes were quirky and funny.



The show is sweet and funny, and some of the scenes with the baby make me laugh because Jimmy seems to be just as clueless about how to raise a baby as any first time parent (more so than some). Some of the comedy is a little bit exaggerated, and the sight gags are funny, especially the one with the kiss (I won't go into detail, but I squirmed).



I liked this show and thought it was cute, endearing, and funny. The cast is great, and the chemistry is there. I hope Hope is around for a long time.

Rating: A-






CBS
Mike & Molly
Mondays at 9:30 PM

Mike & Molly follows two fat people, Mike Biggs, a police officer looking to lose weight, and Molly Flynn, a fourth-grade teacher. They meet at an Overeaters Anonymous meeting, they make a connection, though they fail to make a date. They then meet again later, and Mike finally has the confidence to ask her out.


The show has its funny moments, and the supporting cast so far seems pretty entertaining, but there were just too many fat jokes. The show is about fat people, we get it (I mean his name is Mike Biggs, seriously?) - the show is about fat people going to Overeaters anonymous. The fat jokes should be well placed and littered infrequently thought the episode, but I thought the pilot was thin on plot with way too many fat jokes.
I'm still not sure where this show is going, I'm not sure what tension here is, since we know they'll end up together (The show IS called Mike & Molly after all) . I'll stick around because I like what I've seen of the characters and the cast, but the writing has to improve, and they have to work on their jokes.



I'll be around for another episode or two, but there better be something in those episodes to keep me around.

Rating: B-

This is No Ordinary Show!

No Ordinary Family

 

 Tuesdays at 8 pm

ABC

 
I have been waiting for the premiere of No Ordinary Family on ABC since I heard about it this past summer.  It has gotten quite a bit of advertising, and has grown quite a bit of buzz over the past few months.  Many people consider it the spiritual successor to NBC's Heroes, which was canceled last spring after 4 seasons.

There aren't a whole lot of similarities between the two shows though other than the fact that both shows star people with superpowers.  I imagine NBC's mid-season replacement show The Cape is more likely to be heroes spiritual successor in genre as well as tone, but time will tell.

In the meantime, No Ordinary Family seems like it is going to be a very character-based, family-oriented show.  It is sort-of like a live-action version of The Incredibles, but instead of comedy and light-hearted fun, this will be a dramady (drama+comedy) complete with both humorous moments and character-based drama.


The show is about Jim and Stephanie Powell and their kids Daphne and JJ.Their lives have caused them to feel disconnected from one another until they go on a vacation to Brazil, and get in a plane crash in the Amazon.  Their plane crashes into the Amazon, and they land in glowing green water.  When they return home they find out that they all have gained superpowers - Jim is super-strong, near invulnerable, and can leap, Stephanie has gained super-speed, Daphne has gained the ability to hear other people's thoughts, and JJ, who previously had learning disabilities, now has super-intelligence.

I was under the impression that they would be the only super-powered people on the show, but was pleasantly surprised to see at least one more in the pilot, and I imagine there'll be more to come.

The pilot begins with the plane crash and then shows us how they developed their powers.  The show is not above turning the usual comic conventions on their ears, such as invulnerability, "leaping tall buildings in a single bound", etc. as well as containing many Easter eggs for comic book and superhero fans.  It seems like the writers are having a lot of fun with the show, it's characters, and the genre as a whole.

The pilot is a lot like the first issues of a comic book in that it explains the heroes origins, so the tone and pacing of the first episode is likely to be different then the rest of the episodes, but if the first episode is any indication, it looks like this show is going to be a lot of fun. 

Overall I enjoyed the episode quite a bit, and can't wait for the rest of the season.  This is one of the few new hour-long TV shows I will be watching this season (The other are The Cape and The Event).  The Cape doesn't start until mid-season, and I haven't yet watched The Event but as long as the writing stays as strong, intelligent, and funny as the first episode, I think it is safe to say this is one of the best new TV Shows of the season.

Rating: A

Modern Family is Quirky Family Fun

Modern Family: Season 1

Wednesdays at 9 PM

ABC

Last year, I heard a lot of buzz about the two new ABC fall comedies, Modern Family and The Middle.  I recently saw an episode of The Middle, and I wasn't impressed.  Because of this, I decided to skip The Middle and instead decided to watch Modern Family.

Modern Family is about family - three different families, to be exact, all of them different variations of the modern family unit.  There's Jay, his new wife Gloria, and her son Manny.  Gloria and Manny are Columbian, and Gloria is much younger than Jay. The second family is Jay's daughter Claire, her husband Phil,and their three kids, Haley, Alex and Luke.  The third family is Jay's son Mitchell, his partner Cameron, and their adopted Chinese daughter Lily. 

The show is set up as a mockumentary, with sitdowns with family members in between scenes relating to specific topics, such as motherhood, fatherhood, passing time, birthdays, holidays, etc.  The show won three Emmy's including Best Comedy Series, and Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series.

The show takes a little geting used to, as I have not in the past watched a comedy series with this particular style.  Other shows with this mockumentary style include The Office and Parks and Recreation. 

The families seem real, much more real than most other families on television.  The comedy comes from realistic situations, and realistic (and sometimes quirky) characters.  The characters are pitch perfect, and very funny, especially Eric Stonestreet (Cameron) and Ed O'Neil (Jay). They have a certain quirkiness to them, which reminds you that they are supposed to represent the modern family, in all its forms, flaws and all.

The one problem I have with the show is the character of Phil (Ty Burell).  He seems almost too quirky and childish to be a father of three kids. Other than that, I think the characters are spot on and realistic.

4 out of 5 stars

Smallville: Season 9 - The right way to do Superhero TV

Smallville: Season 9

CW

Fridays at 8 pm

Smallville has been on for nine seasons, as a modern reinterpretation of the Superman mythology. It has gone through it's ups and downs, from the first few seasons
“Krypto-freak of the Week” format to where it stands now. The show stands to break the record for the longest running science fiction in the US series as it begins its 10th (and final) season this fall.

The chemistry between Clark Kent (Tom Welling) and Lois Lane (Erica Durance) is electric, and shows in every scene they share. At first, I did not like Erica's take on Lois Lane, but she has made the role her own, and it doesn't show any more than in this season.

Every season has characters and mythology from the Superman and DC Comics universe. This season is no exception, with the inclusion of Metallo (Brian Austin Green) the Wonder Twins (David Gallagher and Allison Scagliotti), Hawkman (Michael Shanks), Doctor Fate (Brent Stait), Stargirl (Britt Irvine) and Amanda Waller of Checkmate (Pam Grier), Zod (Callum Blue) and the return of fan favorite heroes Martian Manhunter, Zatanna, Green Arrow, Black Canary, and Cyborg.

I would be remiss if I did not mention the two hour episode, Absolute Justice, which felt more like a Smallville movie than an episode.  It related the history of the Justice Society of America and introduced them to Clark and his band of heroes.  The episode was well done, and kept the introductions grounded in realiy more than one would suspect for a bunch of heroes with such complicated histories and outlandish costumes.  Just enough of the introduced heroes origins was explained, but not too much to overshadow the action of the story.  The plot stood on it's own, while also introducting the viewer to the reoccuring government agency Checkmate, which will be used for the rest of the season, and probably well into Season 10.

Clark and Oliver (Green Arrow) come closer than ever this season to forming the Justice League, thanks in no small part to the bond shared by the members of the Justice Scoiety in the Absolute Justice episode.  By the end of the season you can see the pieces falling into place for the Justice League in Season 10. There has always been an unspoken rule for Clark Kent on Smallville, to keep the show grounded - “no tights, no flights”, and we see in the finale of season 9, that rule may now be off the table as the show heads to its conclusion.

The Clark Kent from Smallville is much different than the Clark Kent from the comics, perhaps more jaded, but still heroic, but if you do not compare Smallville to the comics, the show shines as an example of how to do superhero television show right, while still using costumes and superpowers and keeping the show heavily grounded in reality.

Ever since Lex Luthor (Michael Rosenbaum) left the show (after season 7), the show has gone through a modest decrease in enjoyability. This season seems to have returned to its former glory, being the most enjoyable season of the show since season 7. I still look forward to Lex's return in some form or another in Season 10, as he is certainly one of the most important characters in the Superman mythology.

Smallville: Season 9

4 ½ stars out of 5

Fringe Science and Chemistry both make Fringe Season 2 a blast

Fringe: Season 2

FOX

Thursdays, 9 PM

Fringe is an interesting show, part science fiction drama and part police procedural, the first season was somewhat of a shock to me. I do not like police shows as a general rule, but this show is different. The show was created by Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, and J. J. Abrams ( creator of Felicity, Lost, Undercovers, and producer of Star Trek and Cloverfield).

The show follows the FBI's “Fringe” division based in Boston, MA (Go Boston!). The team of FBI agent Olivia Dunham(Anna Torv), mad scientist Dr. Walter Bishop(John Noble), and his son Peter Bishop(Joshua Jackson) investigates strange unexplainable incidents using “fringe science”. In the first season we learn these occurrences are related to previous experiments done when Dr. Bishop was young, and possibly to an alternate universe.

This season we learn more about this “alternate universe” and about the shape-shifters that we learned in the first season are coming from this universe. We also learn the truth about who Peter is. Leonard Nimoy guest starts in this season, as well as the first, as Dr. Bishop's previous partner, William Bell.

In this season, we learn more about the alternate universe, and we actually go there. We find out the truth about what happened to Peter when he was a child, and we meet the man pulling the strings from the other dimension.

The end of season cliffhanger was fairly obvious to me, and one I wasn't too impressed by. The same plot is often used in alternate universe shows (such as Sliders), and is not original in the least. Time will tell in Season 3 if it goes somewhere new.

The core cast of this show shares unequaled chemistry, the characters of Dr. Bishop, Peter, and Olivia are human, complicated, and extremely well acted. Dr. Bishop's helpless, confused, crazy, mad scientist is among the most heartwarming characters in modern television who at times seems innocent and naïve and at other times selfish and amoral.

The beauty of this show is that unlike other science fiction dramas, you can catch an episode here and an episode there, and you will not feel lost.

Fringe: Season 2
3 ½ stars out of 5

Delay...

I'm a little late in posting new Blog content...I can't for the life of me figure out why TV DVD's are released so close to the fall season premier dates.  So far in the last few weeks, I've watched Big Bang Theory Season 3, Glee: Season 1, Smallville: Season 9, Fringe: Season 2, I've started Chuck: Season 3, and some of Modern Family: Season 1. I still have How I Met Your Mother: Season 5 to watch.


Lots to write about in the coming weeks!

Supernatural: Season 5 - The Devil you Know

Supernatural: Season 5

CW

Fridays at 9 PM

Supernatural is a show that it took me almost an entire season to get into. Once I got into it though, I really enjoyed it. Dean and Sam Winchester are brothers who start out as demon hunters, and end up this season as the human hosts to Lucifer and the the angel Michael. This season is steeped in Judeo-Christian religion and belief, making it its mythology. There is God, Angels, the Devil, demons.

At the end of season 4, Sam had unwittingly uncorked the 66^th seal, allowing Lucifer to roam free on Earth. . This season Dean, Sam, Bobby, and their angel friend Castiel rebel against both angel and demon, and look for their own way to stop the Apocalypse. There were some great episodes this season, with that token Supernatural humor, including “The Real Ghostbusters” (Episode 9) and “Changing Channels” (Episode 8) being two of the funnest.

I almost forgot to mention “Fallen Idols” (Episode 5). I can not say enough good things about this episode. Sam gets to cut off Paris Hilton's head. Need I say more? But really, it was a fun episode about a pagan god taking the form of famous people and killing their fans.

They eventually get the Colt back and try to use it to kill Lucifer, but it doesn't work. They meet all four of Lucifer's Horsemen, War, Death, Pestilence, and Famine, and defeat three of the four of them (good choice there, how do you realistically defeat Death). They are killed by Hunters, angry that Sam started the Apocalypse, and we get to see a glimpse of Sam and Dean's version of heaven. A spell is cast on Sam, and a 14 year old inhabits his body. Sam and Dean stop a wraith in a mental hospital, and a ghost in a hotel. They stop a false prophet (The Whore of Babylon) from destroying a small town. They meet a human/demon hybrid child. They are kidnapped by a room full of Gods intent on stopping Lucifer's apocalypse by killing the Winchesters.

There were some casualties this season, as the hunters Ellen and Joe died while trying to stop the devil with the colt, a plan that ultimately failed. The brothers have to stop the angel Zacharias, and the other gods kill the Trickster (revealed to be the Angel Gabriel). There is an enhanced sense of hopelessness this season, brought on by first Dean losing his faith and then Castiel, when they hear from God that he won't allow them to find him, and that the apocalypse is “not his problem”.

Overall this is a strong season, which renewed my interest in the show. The character of Sam was redeemed this season after taking a decidedly darker turn last season. Sam and Dean grew together as well, realizing they are stronger together then they were apart and that they need to trust each other. Dean stopped treating Sam like the little brother (finally) and Castiel became a much more important part of the show, and a much more “human” character to boot.

The series has hit a high point, and it's hard to top a fight with the devil. It'll certainly be interesting to see where they take them in season 6.

It's also hard to see how Sam gets out of hell, but we'll see in Season 6.

Season 6 premiers on Friday, September 24^th at 9 PM

4 stars out of 5

True Blood Season 3: Out with a Wimper

True Blood: Season 3

HBO

If you haven't watched the season finale, do not read!!

This was the season that was going to take True Blood to new levels of greatness – it's popularity has never been higher, and vamp-omania was still sky high. The season started out on a high note with the introduction of the werewolves including new cast member Alcide (Joe Manganiello), as well as Crystal Norris(Lindsay Pulsipher) and her were-panther family.

The mysteries surrounding Bill's arrival in Bon Temps and of Sookie's lineage are a major part of this season's plot. We eventually find out that Bill is not exactly who he says he is, and Sookie and he have a rough patch this season, which ends badly for Bill. Sookie s finally revealed to be part fairy. To quote Sookie Stackhouse, “I'm a fairy? How f**kin lame!”

Tara was treated very badly this season by vampire Franklin Mott(James Frain), leading her at the end of the season to be suspect of any supernatural creatures (besides Sookie) even going to far as to walking out on Sam when she find out what he is. Tara sure has been mistreated the last two seasons – first by Mary Anne and then by Franklin. She has got to be a severely damaged person by now, and it shows.

Jessica and Hoyt start out the season no longer a couple, but by the end of the season are a couple again, although it looks like Hoyt will have some resistance to this relationship next season as we saw his mother purchasing a shotgun.

Lafayette has an interesting character arc this season as he begins the season getting over the torture he endured from Eric Northman for selling V, and this season he is asked by Eric to sell V. Later we meet his mother Ruby Jean Reynolds (Alfre Woodard) in the hospital being taken care of by her nurse Jesus Velasquez (Kevin Alejandro). Jesus and Lafayette immediately hit it off, and end up eventually dating. While on V, Jesus and Lafayette have a strange experience, a spiritual history lesson about their heritages, and it seems there is dark magic in both of their histories. As Lafayette comes out of his high, he sees visions of things people want to hide (such as that Jesus is a witch and that Sam has blood on his hands). It will be interesting to see where this plot goes next season, as I imagine witches will be a major part of the next season.

Jason has a small subplot this season, and the payoff (as with Lafayettes storyline) is likely to come next season. Jason decides to become a cop after dealing with the guild of killing Eggs and then blackmails Andy. He catches a drug dealer, and eventually meets Crystal Norris and her family of drug-dealing, white trash, were-panthers. In the end, Crystal's mate Felton kills their father and points the gun at Jason. Crystal leaves with her brother/mate Felton who is about to kill Jason, leaving Jason to take care of Crystal's family of were-panthers.

Arlene finds out she's pregnant this season, and then she realizes the baby is Renee's. She doesn't want to have anything to do with the baby, considering it a “demon child” and tries to get rid of it, but the baby is strong and it is likely she'll have a child next season. This is kind of ridiculous because Renee was not some kind of demon, he was just a man. And yet he still has all this power over Arlene. We'll see whee this plot goes next season.

Sam;s turn this season is a bit unbelievable. He went from the nicest guy on the block for the last two seasons, to a man capable of killing. He met his blood family, including his shape-shifting brother Tommy Mickens. He eventually took Tommy in, because he was being used by his parents to win dog fights. We soon see flash backs to Sam's darker side (something which hadn't emerged through the maenad plot from season 2 or the waitress killer plot from season 1) and find out he killed someone for money. And at the end of season 3, we see him willing to do the same to his (admittedly) trouble-making brother. We don't actually see if he's done it or not (another plot for season four).

Bill and Eric are involved in a number of double crosses this season – they all seem to be designed to protect Sookie, but in the meantime it makes them look like they have gone to the dark side (or in Eric's case, the darker side). They renounce their loyalty to Queen Sophie Ann and join Russell Edgington (Dennis O'Hare), vampire King of Mississippi, who is over 3,000 years old. It is in Mississippi that much of season 3's action takes place.

The majority of the werewolves in season 3 work for Russell, and they were the ones who kidnapped Bill in the season 2 finale. Bill begins working for Russell, as does Eric, until Russell goes over the deep end, killing a news reporter on live TV. Bill and Eric then reveal their true colors, as Bill seeks to protect Sookie, and Eric seeks payback for what Russell and his werewolves did to his (pre-vampire) family over 2,000 years ago. Eric kills his lover, a vampire named Talbot, which sets Russell even farther over the deep end.

There is some fair time spent on Lorena as well this season, including one grotesque sex scene between Bill and Lorene which was more like a beating then sex. He twists her head completely around as he is having sex with her in what I think is one of the most disgusting scenes I've ever sen on TV. Later she is killed by Bill and Sookie as they try to escape Russell's mansion.

In the end, the season went out with a sputter. The best episode, in my opinion, was “I Smell A Rat” which revealed much of the mysteries throughout the season, including Sookie's lineage. In fact, I thought there were perhaps too many reveals in this episode, giving very little time to any of them, and leaving little to be dealt with in later episodes.

The season ending cliffhanger also could have been more effective, as Sookie disappeared with her fairy godmother Claudine. It wasn't the most exciting cliffhanger, nor did it leave me aching for the next season. I am hopeful that the next season will get better – the groundwork was laid out this season for an exciting season four. This season seemed like a “between” season laying the groundwork for some exciting plot twists next season.

This seasons deaths: Cooter, Lorena, Talbot, Franklin Mott

3 fangs out of 5..more questions than answers

Fall TV Schedule

Fall 2010 Premiere Dates 2010*


Monday

8 pm
Chuck (NBC) 9/20/10

9 pm
The Event (NBC) 9/20/10

9:30 pm
Mike & Molly (CBS) 9/20/10

10:00 pm
Weeds (SHOW) currently airing

10:30 pm
The Big C (SHOW) currently airing

Tuesday
8 pm
Glee (FOX) 9/21/10
No Ordinary Family 9/28/10

9 pm
Raising Hope (FOX) 9/21/10


Wednesday

9 pm
Modern Family (ABC) 9/22/10

9:30 pm
Cougartown (ABC) 9/22/10

Thursday

8 pm
The Vampire Diaries (CW) 9/09/10
Big Bang Theory (CBS) 9/23/10

 9 pm
Fringe (FOX) 9/23/10

9:30 pm
Outsourced (NBC) 9/23/10

Friday

8 pm
Smallville (CW) 9/24/10

9 pm
Supernatural (CW) 9/24/10
Eureka (SYFY) TBD

10 pm
Sanctuary (SYFY) 10/15/10

 TBD:
The Cape (NBC) midseason


 Thank Goodness for DVR!!

*includes only television shows I may be following here on my blog

Vampire Diaries: Fang-less Fun

Vampire Diaries: Season 1

DVD Released August 31st, 2010

Thursdays @ 8 pm on CW

The Vampire Diaries is based upon a book series by L.J. Smith.  The TV series was obviously created in a post-Buffy, post-Twilight, post-True Blood world - the vampires are hardly scary, and fangs are rarely seen in the first half of the season.  These are not your fathers vampires - they're moody, broody, and often likeable, even when they're trying to be "evil".

The show revolves around Elaina Gilbert, a high school student in Mystic Falls, Virgina, who falls for Stefan Salvatore, a century old vampire.  Stefan's only reason for returning to Mystic falls is because Elaina looks exactly like his lost love from a century ago, Katherine.  Stefan's older brother (also a vampire) Damon (the bad brother) follows him to town with a vendetta against Stefan. 

The show starts out really slowly - it plays more like 90210 than Buffy the Vampire slayer.  Midway through the season though, the action ramps up and it gets much more interesting.  The first half of the season plays  out as Damon vs. Stefan. Once they come to an understanding, and the show introduces other antagonists, the shows mythology gets fleshed out and the plot goes to some unexpected places.

Damon (Ian Somerhalder from Smallville and Lost)  shines as the anti-hero.  Even when his actions are suspect, you can't help but enjoy his smug, cold attitude.  Rather than be a pale imitation of David Boreanez's broody Angel like Stefan (Paul Wesley) he revels in his sell-serving bad-assery. 

Elaina (Nina Dobrev) also stands out as a breakout star.  At first it seems she is channeling Bella from Twilight with her mopey depressed attitude, but this soon gives way to more depth than ever displayed by Bella.  She often puts herself in harms way for the good of Stefan and her other friends, but just as often she is able to defend herself.  She is the only one that really sees the good in Damon.

There are also other supernatural beings in the town, including various other vampires, a family of witches, and a family of supernatural beings that have yet to be revealed. 

I suggest you give this show a try, as it starts out slow but ends up very interesting.  The mythology of the show through only a single season is enough to keep me hooked.  I'm excited for season 2 - which starts this Thursday, September 9th.


3 1/2 out of 5 stars because i could do without so much winey teen angst

A Flash in the Pan: FlashForward Review

FlashForward: Complete Series

Released on DVD August 31st, 2010

ABC

  A mysterious event causes nearly everyone on the planet to simultaneously lose consciousness for 137 seconds, during which people see what appear to be visions of their lives approximately six months in the future—a global "flashforward". A team of Los Angeles FBI agents, led by Stanford Wedeck (Courtney B. Vance) and spearheaded by Mark Benford (Joseph Fiennes) and his partner Demetri Noh (John Cho), begin the process of determining what happened, why, and whether it will happen again. Benford contributes a unique perspective on the investigation; in his flashforward, he saw the results of six months of investigation that he had done on the flashforward event, and he and his team use those clues to recreate the investigation.


FlashForward is a show, much like Lost and the upcoming The Event which revolves around a mystery that needed to be solved.  In this case, the mystery was the event that caused the worldwide blackout, and the flashforwards. 

The show was entertaining and engrossing, and the writing was superb.  It was cancelled after it's first season due to plummeting ratings, the same thing that happened to ABC's other freshman show V .  Unfortunately, a number of factors were working against the show.  Its time slot on Thursdays was packed with popular shows, and ABC put the show on a 3 month hiatus mid-season.  The networks do not seem to understand (or care) that these hiatuses severely damage fan interest. 

This is one of those shows that is much easier to watch on DVD because if you miss one episode, you're likely to be completely lost.  The concept was intriguing and original, but due to the nature of show, there were many flashbacks and even more flashforwards, which made the show confusing at times.  If you followed the show from beginning to end, there was a definitive payoff at the end of the season (unlike many abruptly canceled shows).

The show had a fairly large cast with at least 9 main character threads interweaving throughout the season.  They were fairly easy to follow and all the various plot threads connected near the end to reach one cohesive narrative.  The one exception to this was Mark Benford's friend and AA sponsor Aaron Stark (Bryan F. O'Byrne).   His plot thread remained independent of the others and slowed the narrative to a halt.  It didn't connect (tangentially) to the others until the last few episodes, and when it did, it was hardly worth it. Other than that, the writing was superb and intelligent.

The characters were likable and realistic, all with their own faults and weaknesses.  My favorites were Demetri (Cho) and fellow FBI agent Janis Hawke (Christine Woods), and Dr. Bryce Varley (Zachary Knighton). 

It is a pity this show only lasted one season, as the ratings may have gotten better had it been moved to a more favorable timeslot, or not given a 3 month hiatus, or given a second season. I enjoyed the 22 episodes available here, though, and am satisfied by the conclusion they offered.  


3 1/2 stars out of 5

Cougar Town is Surprisingly Funny

Cougar Town: Season One

DVD Released August 17th, 2010

Wednesdays at 9:30 PM on ABC

Both the premise and the title of the show, Cougar Town originally turned me off.  The show's target audience is older women. Nothing about the show's title or description was interesting to me in the least.  However it was on before Eastwick last fall, so i often caught the episodes, and i found that they were surprisingly funny, and not nearly as focused on the cougar aspect as I would have expected. 

Cougar is a slang term for a woman over fourty who persues younger men. 

In fact, the show really isn't as much about cougars as it is about a divorced woman who is trying to re-enter the dating world and keep up with her younger assistant Laurie.  In fact, the show strayed so far from its cougar roots that in May 2010, the shows producers were considering a name change, but were unable to come up with a better name. 

So the name stuck, and while it isn't necesarily what the show is about, it certainly is a name that stands out. I gave the show a chance, and watched the entire thing, and I found it to be amusing.  The humor was often vulgar and in your face, but I enjoyed it.  I found the characters to be interesting and likeable, even the screw-up ex husband Bobby.

Jules Cobb (Courtney Cox) is pitch perfect as the divorced mother of a teenage son, Travis (Dan Byrd), trying to get into the dating scene again while still being a mother to her son. Bobby (Brian Van Holt) is her ex-husband and Travis' father who still cares about Jules so much that she can't get rid of him. Ellie (Christa Miller) and Andy (Ian Gomez) Torres are Jules next door neighbors, and Jules and Bobby's best friends (respectively). Ellie is the married, 40-something voice of reason in Jules quest to recapture her youth, in part to keep up with her 20-something assistant Laurie (Busy Phillips). Jules identifies early on with the neighbor that lives across from the street from her who is also recently divorced, Grayson Ellis (Josh Hopkins). At first Grayson is resistant, but eventually becomes a permanent part of Jules social circle.

The show starts off with Jules dating younger men, but eventually she gets into some more mature relationships, and it seems as though that is likely a more permanent direction that the show is going to go in.

The one weak point in my view is the character of Laurie, who often times is entertaining, but just as often is shallow and annoying. She sems to have made steps later in the season towards being less a self-involved bimbo, but is still the most annoying character in the show.

Still, the humor is there, and most of the characters are likable and real.  When the season was ove,r i found myself wishing there were more.  I have yet to see Modern Family but Cougar Town looks to be the best freshmen sitcom of the 2009-2010 season.  I'll re-evaulate after having seen Modern Family but this show is miles ahead of the other freshman sitcom The Middle, perhaps not in originality but certainly in entertainment value and humor.

Ignore the show's description and it's title, and give Cougar Town a chance - you're likely to be pleasantly surprised. I know I was.

4 out of 5 stars

Ugly Better Season 4 Review

Ugly Betty: 4th and Final Season Review

DVD released August 17th, 2010

ABC

The 4th and final Season of Ugly Betty was one filled with many changes. The most obvious change is in her looks.  Betty Suarez' style grew up this season as we see her in much more fashionable attire.  This was far from the only change this season though, as there was a change around every corner, and it seemed like at least one in every eipsode.

As a matter of fact, there were so many changes that is is actually hard to talk about this season without mentioning them.  This season felt like Betty was growing up, and the show was trying to grow up with her, but it wasn't exactly sure where it wanted to go. 

All of the main characters played a large role, although for the second season in a row Daniel Mead, one of my favorite characters, played a smaller role.  Wilhelmina Slater (played wonderfully by Vanessa Williams) had some surprising turns this season, but in the end learned the lesson that all she ever had to do to get what she wanted was to be nice. Justin Suarez finally did something interesting this season, and he learned a lesson or two himself (for the first time in the series, the lesson was not about fashion).  The friendship fostered between him and Mark St. James was entertaining, and led to some very humanizing and sympathetic moments for the often cold and mean Mark.  Amanda tried very hard to grow up this season, even though she didn't really seem to know how. The turning point was when she finally found her father, after two seasons!

We had some returns as Matt Hartley returned as Betty's boss (and boyfriend), as did Gio and Henry, Betty's former boyfriends.  Christina, Betty's former friend and Mods magazine's former seamstress returns for a few episodes as well.  We also see Nico, Wilhelmina's daughter, return for a few episodes.

We also had some guest stars this season as "Third Rock From the Sun" alum Kristen Johnston plays Helen, in a hilarious turn as Amanda's friend and perpetual leech.  RuPaul, and Kathy Najimy, Christie Brinkley guest star as well.  Shkira guest stars as herself, and in one of the funniest turns of all, Chris Williams, Vanessa Williams real life brother, plays WilhelDiva Hater, a drag queen modeled after Vanessa's character. 

Betty goes through some changes as well..but most of those would give away the season. Suffice it to say, where Betty and Daniel end up in the last episode is pretty much where i expected them to from the start of the series, but it's too bad it took so long because it would have been interesting to explore.  I will say this - Betty finally gets rid of her braces!

The series finale was one not filled with endings but with beginnings and it was overwhelmingly positive.  It is among my favorite episodes of the series.  The entire cast, by the end of season four, had grown up.  There were many life changing events this season for every character, and they all ended up in a better place then they were in the beginning of the season, having moved on.  Just as the cast of Ugly Betty had to move on now that the show was cancelled, so did all of Ugly Betty's characters, each of them to a new, more mature place.


3 1/2 Stars out of 5

Return to Fall TV

Sorry.....I've been taking a short vacation from the Blog...I'm back now.

I figured if i was going to take a vacation from the Blog it would be good to do it before the fall TV and DVD Season Starts.

The Fall DVD TV Season officially started this week with the release of both FlashForward: The Complete Series and Vampire Diaries: Season One both released on Tuesday. Next week is an even bigger week for me as Chuck: Season Three, Supernatural: Season Five, and Smallville: Season Nine are all released.

Not to mention, the fall TV Season starts up the week of labor day, with the season premiere of Vampire Diaries: Season 2 on 9/9, and the Season finale of True Blood: Season 3 on 9/12. Chuck starts up again September 20th, and the premiere of the FINAL season of Smallville, Season 10 is September 24th. Also, the new Fall TV Show to Watch, No Ordinary Family, premieres on September 28th.

One of the many things I like about fall is the premiere of the fall TV Season. This year is a bit of a dissapointment, since my new most anticipated tv show The Cape will be airing midseason, not at the beginning of the fall TV Season. V: Season 2 will also be getting a midseason airing.

A couple of my favorite shows last season got cancelled, incuding Ugly Betty, Eastwick, FlashForward, and Heroes. This means that there will only be three shows that i watch live this fall season, unless something else gets really good buzz. That will be Smallville, No Ordinary Family, and Chuck.

I watch Fringe, Glee, and Supernatural as well, but I'm likely to catch them on DVD next summer...some shows I just enjoy watching when I do not have to wait a week for the next episode.

Stay tuned for short reviews of the already released Ugly Betty: Season 4 and Cougar Town: Season 1...