The Other Shows
OK, it’s time for our occasional discussion of the other TV shows.
First up 24. Fox announced they are not renewing 24. It’s not that its ratings were that bad (between 2.8 and 3.5 typically). It is just not high enough to justify the high production cost. Purportedly the producers are trying to get NBC, with its dismal lineup, to pick it up.
I think this season has been one of 24′s best (other than the silly hillbilly subplot with one of the techs). But part of me thinks they ought just put the show out of its misery.
In other news both Burn Notice and White Collar had their season finales. Both these tend to have a bit of problem in that they are trying to be both clever yet formulaic. I think Burn Notice in particular really suffered this last season. The “spy notes” were far more dubious than before. The formula wore out and it just lost a lot of the energy it once had. White Collar is new, but it is already suffering a lot of the same problem. I think both these shows have more difficulty than some of USA’s more comedic shows in that you don’t have the comedy to offset some of that bad plots. Burn Notice’s finale was quite good though and one hopes they are about to shake it up a bit more. White Collar I’m more dubious about.
House has been quite mixed this season. It started off amazingly strong but couldn’t maintain that level of writing.
The Office has also been pretty mixed. It just hasn’t had the quality of writing it once had. The bankruptcy was a clever plot but something just is off this season.
In other news Spielberg’s and Hanks’ new WWII series, The Pacific, starts this week. I’ve heard mixed things about it. Unlike Band of Brothers this is a mix of several books and reportedly is a bit more sentimental than the original series. Still, the reviews are pretty positive. I’m looking forward to seeing this. (I’ll wait until the series has finished airing and watch the whole thing)
Chuck has been great. After being on the edge of cancelation it has emerged as one of NBC’s stronger shows. Although there is a question of whether its ratings are strong enough. However given how dismal NBC performs overall I suspect it’ll be here an other year.
If you’re not watching Community, you’re missing out on a great sitcom.
Comment by cantinflas — March 14, 2010 @ 8:56 am
The episode of Community before the last one, where everyone was trying to get Abed to ask a girl out, was hilarious. Maybe the best episode I’ve seen of any show all season.
The baby episode of the Office was really funny though. “Wrong baby!”
Comment by Susan M — March 14, 2010 @ 10:00 am
The Office baby episode was one of the best labor and delivery shows ever. My wife really hates how TV and movies portray labor and delivery, but she really liked low they did it, especially the male lactation specialist.
Have not seen Community. Probably should since I plan on teaching at a community college.
Our favorite right now is Modern Family and I really like The Middle.
Comment by Chris Henrichsen — March 14, 2010 @ 11:33 am
Stuff I have to watch as soon as possible include Community, Lost, Modern Family and 30 Rock. The Office is going downhill rapidly for me, I’m losing interest quickly and probably won’t watch it anymore next season. It’s just to wacky for me now (which may not make sense to anyone but me).
I stopped watching 24 a couple of years ago and have never looked back.
Every episode of Burn Notice is starting to feel the same to me now. I still love the characters, the actual storytelling is lacking now.
I was super excited about Pacific until the reviews started rolling in. Now I’m cautiously optimistic. From what I’ve read it seems to have less focus on a small group of characters. I hope it works. Band of Brothers started my love affair with almost everything HBO. Which brings me to Big Love. Wow has that show gone off the rails. I haven’t watched the finale, but I’ve watched everything else and am just growing tired of the bigger picture. I want them to get back to the family and leave everything else alone.
Comment by jjohnsen — March 14, 2010 @ 12:15 pm
And House did something strange for me. The first episode this season was so good it made me dislike the regular formula of the series. Now I’ve lost interest and only watch when I don’t have anything else saved.
I’m also burned out on all things reality other than Top Chef and Amazing Race. It doesn’t matter whether people are dancing, making clothes or battling to get a pot of rice. I’m sick of all of them. I dislike the people, I dislike the judges and I’m just overall tired of overproduced “reality”. I’m only sticking with Chef and Race because I love to cook and I love travel, so I can put up with the “reality” to see the people engaged in those activities.
Does anyone else have reality burnout?
Comment by jjohnsen — March 14, 2010 @ 12:20 pm
Not me. It’s fascinating for me to see how the shows are edited. Especially if you can watch unedited bits online, like with Project Runway. I often watch PR twice, because I watch it on my own and then later my husband wants to see it. I like to watch it a second time, knowing who won and lost, to look again at their editing choices. The first time through I like to try to figure out if I can tell who’s going to win or lose based on editing choices.
Also, Celebrity Rehab and Sober House are big faves right now.
Comment by Susan M — March 14, 2010 @ 1:01 pm
I gave up on Top Chef this year. It had started to seem a bit too contrived and repetitive. Plus honestly not being able to taste the food makes judging the contest difficult. (I gave up on Iron Chef after a while for the same reason)
I am still sticking with So You Think You Can Dance, which presumably will start up again once American Idol (which I don’t watch) ends. Partially because there are always so many local kids in it.
Comment by Clark — March 14, 2010 @ 1:39 pm
Damages has been fantastic this season. Again, it’s the best show you’re not watching that’s on right now.
Comment by Tim J — March 15, 2010 @ 6:55 am
The show I really look forward to, despite the constant disappointment, is the Mentalist. Simon Baker is just so much fun to watch. (And Cho!) I’m disappointed, though, by how little time is spent on the story arc of Red John. I don’t know if it’s like Monk, where they can’t solve it until the series ends.
The USA shows (Bum Notice, White Collar, Psych) still work because I love the characters. Characters welcome, indeed.
Comment by FHL — March 15, 2010 @ 10:15 am
My wife and I love 30 Rock, but we can’t be bothered to watch any TV anymore. We just wait for everything to come out on DVD.
Comment by Syphax — March 15, 2010 @ 2:15 pm
Justified is premiering tonight on FX. Stars Timothy Olyphant somewhat reprising his role as Bullock from Deadwood.
It should be noted that the series is based on an Elmore Leonard story and was adapted by the guy responsible for Boomtown.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Cnl-xa_nFU&feature=related
Comment by Tim J — March 16, 2010 @ 11:31 am
I’ve watched about half of Justified. Good idea, but something seems a little off in the direction. We’ll see how it goes. I really like Timothy Olyphant as an actor though. I do wish Dish had FX in HD though.
Chuck has really been shaking things up. Shows like Burn Notice ought take notice of how it’s done. Yeah it’s a bit silly. But the spies always were meant to caricature over the top movie spies like the Roger Moore James Bond.
24 left the rails the past two weeks. I stand by my claim that the first 12 episodes was the best the show has done since the first season. However the Starbuck character was annoying and made zero sense. Now (spoiler ahead if you care) they completely turn the character on its head which makes the first half make no sense. Worse of all they’ve returned to the same tropes that they do every year and which have been overdone. (Quick, launch an assault of CTU, have a mole in the staff) The direction has been poor the past couple of weeks too. Bummer.
Comment by Clark — March 23, 2010 @ 10:25 am
Man, I loved Boomtown. I want to get it on DVD.
UFC has finally given me what I’ve been dreaming of: a show about two fighters training for a fight. It’s called Primetime and it’s only a half hour show. It’s interesting to see how they prepare for a fight. The fight is coming up soon, I’m wondering how long ago they filmed the training footage. I’m thinking they might be filming and editing it as they go so it’s not delayed much at all.
Comment by Susan M — March 23, 2010 @ 12:05 pm
How do you only watch half? I really, really dug the pilot. It’s standard set-up, but I really like the characters and the acting. I’m signing on for the season.
Agreed. This seems like the stunt they pulled a couple years ago with the evil president being revealed midseason. I’ll stick it out for the rest of the year but I’m glad 24′s run is almost over.
Comment by Tim J — March 23, 2010 @ 2:23 pm
My wife came downstairs and wanted to watch Chuck and 24.
Comment by Clark — March 23, 2010 @ 2:50 pm
I’m enjoying Parenthood. I kinda want that family to adopt me. Community and Parks and Rec. are both getting better every week. I’m getting very impatient waiting for Bones and Fringe to return.
Comment by Rose Tyler — March 23, 2010 @ 3:44 pm
I thought Justified was quite good, and frankly, felt the direction, particularly of the characters was spot on. It’s true to its source. It definitely has the feel of an Elmore Leonard novel–perfect, if you don’t mind a little chit-chat before the guns come out.
Comment by Brian G — March 23, 2010 @ 4:13 pm
Finished watching Justified and then tonight’s episode (after finishing watching that fantastic episode of Lost). I really, really dig it. Fantastic writing. I know for the first one they were copying a lot of Leonard’s writing. But not the second. We’ll see if they can keep it up.
Comment by Clark — March 23, 2010 @ 11:26 pm
Second episode was great. It’s not groundbreaking “The Wire” stuff, but the acting, writing, and characters are awesome. Even my wife likes it and this is so not her type of show.
Comment by Tim J — March 24, 2010 @ 6:44 am
BTW – anyone read the short story it is based upon? (Fire in the Hole)
Let’s hope this one stays around a little longer than Karen Sisco also based on US Marshal from a Elmore Leonard story. Of course Raylan Givens as a character was in two other novels by Leonard. I’m halfway thinking of picking them up now.
Comment by Clark — March 24, 2010 @ 5:32 pm
I tried watching Justified and made it halfway through an episode. I don’t understand the appeal at all. The writing was good? Seriously?
I wish someone would actually do a unique drama. Something other than cops or doctors or lawyers.
I caught Southland the other night and thought it was decent if completely unoriginal. At least Boomland had the told-from-different-characters’ perspective thing going on (which is why I loved it).
Comment by Susan M — March 26, 2010 @ 10:29 am
I finally caught up on the last three episodes of Community. I haven’t laughed that hard at a sitcom in a while–maybe The Office Season 2 or 3. The pottery episode had me rolling. “No Ghosting!”
Comment by Tim J — March 26, 2010 @ 10:57 am
I think the naked pool episode might be the funniest thing I’ve seen on TV all season. Did you catch how they ended up looking just like the Egyptian art the guy showed him earlier?
Comment by Susan M — March 26, 2010 @ 11:20 am
I can’t think what that would be…
Comment by MCQ — March 26, 2010 @ 8:39 pm
I can think of *tons* of stuff! Without even really trying.
Comment by Susan M — March 26, 2010 @ 10:18 pm