the newbies of 2006
It's that time again, premiere month on tv. And with it comes a crop of new shows to look forward to or to tune out. I've sampled 7 newbies and have had mixed results. Here's my view on STUDIO 60, HEROES, THE CLASS, THE NINE, 30 ROCK, UGLY BETTY and BROTHERS & SISTERS.
STUDIO 60 ON THE SUNSET STRIP.
NBC. Mondays 10pm
A drama based on a sketch comedy show, somehow doesn't feel like a drama at all, a dramedy yes, drama not so much. This show out of the 7 sampled is one of the best, it is witty, it is intriguing, sharp, fast paced, with interesting characters with a whole lotta back story that can make the whole series worth while. This show has some great acting and writing, Aaron Sorkin brings his great script-writing skills to this show and it fits in perfectly. Which is ironically what drives it down. Sorkin is so into himself and trying to portray all the ordeals he's gone through in the television industry with this show, that it feels like a whole "I'm getting back at them for doing this to me" show instead of an actual show about the characters. The sketches shown are not really helping the idea of doing better comedy than what SNL is doing, and the idea of this show being in the same universe as SNL and NBC is kind of overdoing it, basically because it feels like a carbon copy of SNL which kills the originality it wanted to portray at the beginning of the series. Overall, this show IS quality television, it just needs to truly find itself on its own, but it looks like we have to endure Sorkin relieving himself through it first.
My Grade: B+ (although based on the pilot it would've been a B, but the second and third episodes killed!)
HEROES.
NBC. Mondays 9pm
This drama/sci-fi hybrid has some promising future ahead of it, wildly interesting characters that discover they have special abilities have to use theese 'powers' to prevent a catastrophe that is upon the human race. It seems that each character has an ability that helps them overcome some bad thing in their lives and become better persons because of it. Although the first episode was kind of slow and all over the place with all the characters on their own (the ensemble of actors in this show consists of 10) it feels it's gonna get them all together in some way or another at some point and giving us a great story of 10 great characters. As the season has progressed, the show has evolved into some interesting drama and intrigue. The interconnection of characters, the look into the future, the villainous mystery, it is by far the best new show this season.
My Grade: A-
THE CLASS.
CBS. Mondays 8pm
One word: Sucks. I was really disappointed with this show from the pilot. The commercials didn't make it look like a good show from the start, but i felt it was promising from the way the story looked like it would evolve. Watching the second episode didn't help either; dull, boring, completely un-funny; all qualities you DON'T want in a comedy show.
My Grade: C-
THE NINE.
ABC. Wednesdays 10pm
By far, the most promising premise for a new show this season. It has started a little slow, especially after a killer pilot episode in which we see the 9 survivors of a lethal bank heist that lasted 52 hours, and after what we know as a bad hostage negotiation and police/fbi intervention, they come out completely changed and forever tied to one another. All of these people's lives change after those couple of days, especially because of one of several moments and incidents that happened inside that we as an audience don't know yet and will find out throughout the series. Looks great on paper and on premise, but who knows how it will continue on to live a series life. Hoping for the better, because this show does have good promise to it.
My Grade: B+
30 ROCK.
NBC. Wednesdays 8pm
The other SNL-type show, the one with Alec Baldwin, the comedy. If there has been a type of comedy that SNL has done that I haven't really found funny, it's the one that is IN THIS SHOW. Tracy Morgan is absolutely annoying, the "girlie show" aka 'TGS with Tracy Jordan' is preposterously cheesy. The funniest bits come from Alec Baldwin, as the new network executive in charge of the show, and bumped star Rachel Dratch, now as a multiple cameo lady. The show feels week, completely unfunny, and an utter disappointment.
My Grade: C
UGLY BETTY
ABC. Thursdays 8pm
Now this is entertaining silly fun. Based on a very popular Telenovela that's made it's rounds throughout Latin America, Ugly Betty follows this Mexican girl that desperatly wants to work for a magazine, and ends up being asistant to the general editor of a fashion magazine. Its irony at its fullest. The situations are hillariously stupid, the characters are silly to the extreme, but it's all in great fun. Family togetherness just feels right with the Suarez family, and little by little, we begin to like the rest of the stuck up characters at MODE magazine.
My Grade: B+
BROTHERS & SISTERS
ABC. Sundays 10pm
Here comes a show that has built in warmth and quality week by week. The void left by Everwood is filled by a show that happens to be run by the same showrunner, and it shows! Based on a family of 3 brothers, 2 sisters, who reunite when Kitty - the youngest of the girls - comes back to L.A. and their father dies, leaving the family business in a legal and financial ruck. This family is just plain likeable, with the married older sister that runs the company now, the brother who actually runs the company, the gay lawyer with homo-problems, the younger junkie brother and the conservative political Kitty, all surrounding a crazy-ass mother with issues. It's the void that needed filling although it is still a work in progress.
My Grade: B
So, here they are. The new shows that made their debut this fall. Hopefully the good ones survive, the bad ones leave the air, and the struggling ones can find their core so they can survive.
Recapping...with HEROES, UGLY BETTY, THE NINE and BROTHERS & SISTERS we have four great shows worth sticking to so they survive into a great television era. The rest hopefully can pick up or go home soon.
The End.
STUDIO 60 ON THE SUNSET STRIP.
NBC. Mondays 10pm
A drama based on a sketch comedy show, somehow doesn't feel like a drama at all, a dramedy yes, drama not so much. This show out of the 7 sampled is one of the best, it is witty, it is intriguing, sharp, fast paced, with interesting characters with a whole lotta back story that can make the whole series worth while. This show has some great acting and writing, Aaron Sorkin brings his great script-writing skills to this show and it fits in perfectly. Which is ironically what drives it down. Sorkin is so into himself and trying to portray all the ordeals he's gone through in the television industry with this show, that it feels like a whole "I'm getting back at them for doing this to me" show instead of an actual show about the characters. The sketches shown are not really helping the idea of doing better comedy than what SNL is doing, and the idea of this show being in the same universe as SNL and NBC is kind of overdoing it, basically because it feels like a carbon copy of SNL which kills the originality it wanted to portray at the beginning of the series. Overall, this show IS quality television, it just needs to truly find itself on its own, but it looks like we have to endure Sorkin relieving himself through it first.
My Grade: B+ (although based on the pilot it would've been a B, but the second and third episodes killed!)
HEROES.
NBC. Mondays 9pm
This drama/sci-fi hybrid has some promising future ahead of it, wildly interesting characters that discover they have special abilities have to use theese 'powers' to prevent a catastrophe that is upon the human race. It seems that each character has an ability that helps them overcome some bad thing in their lives and become better persons because of it. Although the first episode was kind of slow and all over the place with all the characters on their own (the ensemble of actors in this show consists of 10) it feels it's gonna get them all together in some way or another at some point and giving us a great story of 10 great characters. As the season has progressed, the show has evolved into some interesting drama and intrigue. The interconnection of characters, the look into the future, the villainous mystery, it is by far the best new show this season.
My Grade: A-
THE CLASS.
CBS. Mondays 8pm
One word: Sucks. I was really disappointed with this show from the pilot. The commercials didn't make it look like a good show from the start, but i felt it was promising from the way the story looked like it would evolve. Watching the second episode didn't help either; dull, boring, completely un-funny; all qualities you DON'T want in a comedy show.
My Grade: C-
THE NINE.
ABC. Wednesdays 10pm
By far, the most promising premise for a new show this season. It has started a little slow, especially after a killer pilot episode in which we see the 9 survivors of a lethal bank heist that lasted 52 hours, and after what we know as a bad hostage negotiation and police/fbi intervention, they come out completely changed and forever tied to one another. All of these people's lives change after those couple of days, especially because of one of several moments and incidents that happened inside that we as an audience don't know yet and will find out throughout the series. Looks great on paper and on premise, but who knows how it will continue on to live a series life. Hoping for the better, because this show does have good promise to it.
My Grade: B+
30 ROCK.
NBC. Wednesdays 8pm
The other SNL-type show, the one with Alec Baldwin, the comedy. If there has been a type of comedy that SNL has done that I haven't really found funny, it's the one that is IN THIS SHOW. Tracy Morgan is absolutely annoying, the "girlie show" aka 'TGS with Tracy Jordan' is preposterously cheesy. The funniest bits come from Alec Baldwin, as the new network executive in charge of the show, and bumped star Rachel Dratch, now as a multiple cameo lady. The show feels week, completely unfunny, and an utter disappointment.
My Grade: C
UGLY BETTY
ABC. Thursdays 8pm
Now this is entertaining silly fun. Based on a very popular Telenovela that's made it's rounds throughout Latin America, Ugly Betty follows this Mexican girl that desperatly wants to work for a magazine, and ends up being asistant to the general editor of a fashion magazine. Its irony at its fullest. The situations are hillariously stupid, the characters are silly to the extreme, but it's all in great fun. Family togetherness just feels right with the Suarez family, and little by little, we begin to like the rest of the stuck up characters at MODE magazine.
My Grade: B+
BROTHERS & SISTERS
ABC. Sundays 10pm
Here comes a show that has built in warmth and quality week by week. The void left by Everwood is filled by a show that happens to be run by the same showrunner, and it shows! Based on a family of 3 brothers, 2 sisters, who reunite when Kitty - the youngest of the girls - comes back to L.A. and their father dies, leaving the family business in a legal and financial ruck. This family is just plain likeable, with the married older sister that runs the company now, the brother who actually runs the company, the gay lawyer with homo-problems, the younger junkie brother and the conservative political Kitty, all surrounding a crazy-ass mother with issues. It's the void that needed filling although it is still a work in progress.
My Grade: B
So, here they are. The new shows that made their debut this fall. Hopefully the good ones survive, the bad ones leave the air, and the struggling ones can find their core so they can survive.
Recapping...with HEROES, UGLY BETTY, THE NINE and BROTHERS & SISTERS we have four great shows worth sticking to so they survive into a great television era. The rest hopefully can pick up or go home soon.
The End.
posted by bto at
5:23 PM
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