Other new TV shows you plan on watching? by millernate

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Other new TV shows you plan on watching?

POSTED BY: MILLERNATE
UPDATED: Thursday, August 29, 2002 18:44
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Friday, August 23, 2002 4:47 PM

Hello,

I was wondering what with all the lambasting that the new fall schedule has been getting if anyone planned on watching any of the other new series (other than Firefly

) that are due to be coming out this fall. Despite the shots taken at it there does appear to be a couple of shows with potential due to be coming out new, though like Firefly these shows have their problems (I'm going to have to use imdb.com data for this since futoncritic.com is *still* closed). The shows are:

Boomtown (Sunday 10:00 NBC) - A somewhat interesting cop/lawyer show that apparently tells the story in "Pulp Fiction" chronology (i.e. backwards and forewards) with each timeframe offering a different perspective. The actors are decent but more importantly the two announced writers: Graham Yost (Band of Brothers, From the Earth to the Moon) and Javier Grillo-Marxuach (writer/producer for The Chronicle, writer for The Pretender) have done good things in the past which is a good sign for this type of show. Drawback: Its competing with The Practice, which David E. Kelley has recently rededicated himself to so who knows how long it will be on for.

CSI:Miami (Monday 10:00 CBS) - So sue me but I like CSI. Yes this will be more of the same but this show has Emily Proctor who I really liked in West Wing so I'll tune in for at least a little bit. The only problem is that this is likely to just be more of the same, which could lead to a Law & Order Special Victims Unit effect (i.e. this show will be okay but nothing more and the main series will suffer).

8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teen Daughter (Tuesday at 8:00 ABC) - Yes because of its timeslot there isn't a chance in heck that I'll actually watch it but it does have some promise...besides being the only show on ABC that anyone has any optimism about that is

. For one thing, the writer that imdb.com lists for it (Tracy Gamble) was a Writer/Co-Executive Producer for Golden Girls, a writer for Newhart, a writer for Home IMprovement, and a writer for Married with Children which were all shows I liked. For another the producer is the same man who gave us Liar, Liar. Toss in that John Ritter can, on occassion, be fairly funny and you have one of the only new sitcoms out there that stands any shot at being decent.

Cedric the Entertainer Presents (Wednesday 8:00 FOX) - This is a comedy variety show hosted by the well regarded stand-up Cedric the Entertainer (The Original Kings of Comedy concert film). While I don't like Cedric nearly as much as his Original Kings of Comedy cohort Steve Harvey I still think he is very funny.

While it is a fact that comedy variety shows haven't succeeded in a while one of the executive producers is Matt Wickline who was a writer for In Living Color (one of the only sketch comedy shows to succeed in the mainstream outside of Saturday Night Live). I'd like to see Variety shows make a comeback so I'll be rooting for this show.

The Twilight Zone (Wednesday 9:00 UPN) - I've recently been getting into both previous versions of this show (the original 1959 one and the 1985 "New Twilight Zone" version) so I'm really wanting to give this a shot. I'm also somewhat encouraged that imdb.com list Robert Hewitt Wolfe as a writer (which his website doesn't confirm but his site does mention an upcoming project that is "really cool but can't be mentioned until he dots all the i's" so I'll take that as a yes) and the decision to have Forrest Whitaker host. Also, from what I'm hearing, there are plans for some fairly inspired guest spots that should prove interesting.

My only problem is that, so far, there haven't been a lot of talented writers listed for this show. Which is somewhat worrisome considering the anthology genre (Henry Alonso Meyers from The Chronicle is a promising choice that seems to be free lately). This is up against Fastlane, Birds of Prey, and West Wing which does not bode well for its longevity (particularly being up against West Wing).

MDS (10:00 Wednesday ABC)- While the expectations for this aren't as high as the John Ritter sitcom listed above I'd say the quality is likely to be higher. This is about renegade doctors in a "Doctors vs. HMOs" type situation. The cast is fairly solid (including one of my alltime favorite character actors Edward Herrmann) so it should at least be decent (I expect it will be better than its opposing Freshman doc drama Presidio Med but that's just me). The idea is sound but both doctor shows could very well cancell each other out and get killed by Law and Order (opposing Mds on NBC at 10).

Push, Nevada - Brought to you by big name actor (and former Oscar winning Screenwriter, regardless of ghostwriting) Ben Affleck and writer Sean Bailey, Push, Nevada is an attempt to do something different as it is a mystery show that also has a game in which viewers can deciper clues from the episode and try to win prizes. There has also been some inspired casting as Armand Assante and Jon Polito (The Chronicle, numerous Coen Bros. movies) have listed roles. This isn't likely to last long, however, as it is up against CSI, Will & Grace, and WWE Smackdown (which still has a decent viewership among young men).

Hack - Yes, I know, another cop/crime fighter show, I realize I'm blowing my credibility with everyone here (at least I didn't embrace Everwood, the WB's newest 7th Heaven clone, I'd probably be kicked out then

).

This does, however, have a very promising cast as it has David Morse (ST. Elsewhere, The Green Mile, 12 Monkeys), Andre Braughner (Gideon's Crossing, Homicide: Life on the Street), and George Dzundza (the Deer Hunter, Law & Order's first season, Crimson Tide). The writing is also looking decent considering that David Koepp (Panic Room, Spiderman) is a writer/executive producer, Lynne E. Litt (The Practice, Law & Order) is a writer/producer, and Liz Friedman (the Invisible Man, Xena Warrior Princess) is a writer. The good cast combined with a chance of solid writing could make this show the 2002 equivalent of The Equalizer (which is pretty good considering that I remember liking The Equalizer

).

Any debate or posting of your own choices is encouraged as debate is almost always a good thing

.

Nathan
"Remember, only you can prevent emoticon abuse."

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Saturday, August 24, 2002 9:16 AM

ZICSOFT

Hack looks promising. Always liked David Morse, though he's mostly been in crap since St. Elsewhere was canceled. This could be good, if the usual demand for "more action!" doesn't push out the human side of the premise.

I'll certainly give Boomtown a look. But it'll take more than clever narative gimmicks to sustain my interest.

I like mysteries, but Push will have to be more than a mystery puzzle to be entertaining.

I cannot abide CSI. Yeah, the forensic science is interesting. But how can anybody get around the total lack of realism? It's true that no cop shows are all that realistic, but everybody knows that CSI people do not do things like interview witnesses and nab suspects -- because that's not how they're shown on all the other cop shows!!!

Looking forward to the return of ER. The proportion of engaging characters is way down (especially since they stopped giving the supporting regulars any significant screen time) but still enough to be fun. But I am not optimistic about the season premiere, which seems to be a heavy-handed attempt to exploit the whole terrorism thing.

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Saturday, August 24, 2002 5:51 PM

MOJOECA

CSI's dramatic licenses do take some getting used to. But a realistic show about forensic scientists wouldn't be all that different from watching paint dry.

--- Joe

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Sunday, August 25, 2002 5:52 AM

SHUGGIE

Quote:
Originally posted by mojoeca:
CSI's dramatic licenses do take some getting used to. But a realistic show about forensic scientists wouldn't be all that different from watching paint dry.

--- Joe

I'm reliably informed that with a strong enough microscope - watching paint dry is actually quite fascinating.

:)

Shug

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Sunday, August 25, 2002 10:44 AM

ZICSOFT

Quote:
Originally posted by mojoeca:
CSI's dramatic licenses do take some getting used to. But a realistic show about forensic scientists wouldn't be all that different from watching paint dry.

That's kind of beside the point, isn't it? There's dramatic license, and then there's dramatic license. If CSI had been made more dramatic by making all the bad guys space aliens, nobody would accept that as "dramatic license".

I guess I set the bar higher than most people when it comes to willing suspension of disbelieve. But come on, a cop show that ignores even the conventions of other copy show? Isn't that a bit much?

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Sunday, August 25, 2002 1:09 PM

MOJOECA

Quote:
Originally posted by Zicsoft:

I guess I set the bar higher than most people when it comes to willing suspension of disbelieve. But come on, a cop show that ignores even the conventions of other copy show? Isn't that a bit much?

I have faith that much of the audience understands that CSI's conventions are unrealistic. I think they watch because it's a pretty good mystery series, and it's educational. I'm pleased when the mainstream is exposed to hard and popular science to counter the strands of New Age beliefs and junk science that just won't die.

Speaking of suspension of disbelief... I think STARGATE requires the most going in (even in the context of science fiction). How do all these worlds have English? At best, they would be speaking Egyptian. Of course, not even that would make sense. Has the show ever accounted for this?

--- Joe

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Thursday, August 29, 2002 2:00 PM

COOLGHOUL

Count me in for The Twilight Zone and Hack.

It'll be fun getting into The Twilight Zone - I wonder how exactly it will be like or different from the original version.

Hack, 'cos I really like Morse.

The others... I dunno...

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Thursday, August 29, 2002 6:43 PM

SCORPIUS

firefly
birds of prey
hack
8 simple rules for dating my teenage daughter
haunted
boomtown
sheild
hiddin hills
csi mimami

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Thursday, August 29, 2002 6:44 PM

SCORPIUS

firefly
birds of prey
hack
8 simple rules for dating my teenage daughter
haunted
boomtown
sheild
hiddin hills
csi mimami

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

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