Fall 2006 - New Shows

[airpolgas]

I just thought I'd share my experiences with the new shows that are out. Maybe you guys can chime in with your opinions also. This way, others may check out the good ones or steer clear (and maybe save some precious DVR space) from the ones that suck.

I'll just keep editing this post whenever I see another new show.

Vanished (Fox Mondays, after Prison Break)
The series is too slow for me. The high point of the pilot was the kidnapping scene involving the lead agent, but it all became "meh" soon afterwards.

Verdict: No PVR for you!

Justice (Fox Wednesdays)
My impression of this show is a legal version of CSI. In the pilot, the prosecutor and the police department were so incompetent, that after watching CSI, you'd wonder why they would even have a case. I also don't buy Tom Nicholson for the role he's playing.

But wait, that's not the worst part. The worst part is the camera! That thing gave me headaches.

Verdict: No PVR for you!

[Danny R]

Since Vanished is based in Atlanta, I've watched it just to see how they incorporate various landmarks.

But its obvious some of the writers are not locals, as you occasionally get oddly pronounced place names (Chamblee was skewered) and other odd references "he's heading for THE 20", when everyone here just calls it I-20. ;)

[Nick]

Send the writers around the perimeter to look for Turner Field! :lol:

[Mark Lamutt]

I tried Vanished for about 2 minutes. When both the husband and wife started talking with California accents rather than Georgia accents, I was done with it. Didn't even try Justice.

I'm looking forward to Heroes and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip from NBC and Smith from CBS.

[lacruz]

Since Vanished is based in Atlanta, I've watched it just to see how they incorporate various landmarks.

But its obvious some of the writers are not locals, as you occasionally get oddly pronounced place names (Chamblee was skewered) and other odd references "he's heading for THE 20", when everyone here just calls it I-20. ;)


That's how they refer to Interstate Highways in Los Angeles..."The 10," "The 5," etc. You're right NOBODY talks like that in Atlanta or anywhere else in the South. Where I live, I-95 runs through town. People call it "95," or "I-95." Nobody says "The 95."

[airpolgas]

Adding on...

The Class (CBS, before How I Met Your Mother)
Very promising comedy. I am not quite sure how it will stack up to the female demographic, because my wife said the only good looking guy is the gay character. The potential for Friends success is there because of the ensemble of characters, but future writings will determine that.

Verdict: PVR Worthy

[Mike D-CO5]

I Loved the Class show. It reminded me of Friends and it was easy to get into the characters and it was funny. I laughed a lot during the show, unlike some of the other comedy shows I normaly watch. IT has a lot of potential.

[Mark Lamutt]

I watched Jericho tonight, and loved it, but I don't see how it's going to succeed. Definitely doesn't have that warm fuzzy feeling that shows seem to have to have to survive.

[Danny R]

I liked it to. Sorry to hear that I'm dead though (Atlanta was blown up).

I don't know... I imagine Jericho will appeal to folks who like shows such as Lost. While it appears that there was a nuclear holocaust, I predict there will also be a lot of mysteries as well.

[airpolgas]

Standoff (Fox Tuesdays, after House)

After a so-so pilot, I was hooked on the 2nd episode. Sadly, I've read that the viewership drop is huge after the House lead-in, so this show might not survive. Jericho is still on the PVR and will probably get to watch it tonight.

I need another tuner!!!! :D

Verdict: PVR Worthy

[Mike D-CO5]

LOVED Jericho . Kept me on the edge of my seat and the tension kept building all through the episode. It definately will become one of my favorites this year. But since it has a sci- fi type plot it will most likely be cancelled by the middle of the year. Every Sci- fi show goes belly up on the networks.

[jrjcd]

i really liked the kidnapped kickoff, very good show-but i am at a loss as to how you sustain this for 22 episodes...i hope it doesn't come down to the "near save" of the week...

[jrjcd]

and studio 60 IS so far the BEST show of the season..

[Mark Lamutt]

I watched Kidnapped last night, and was completely hooked by it. Great cast, and it made me really want to see the next epsiode.

On the other hand, I watched Smith last night as well, and had the opposite reaction. Great cast, but it didn't do anything at all for me. I didn't like any of the characters, and my reaction walking away from it was "At least he didn't kill the cat" and "my god I feel sorry for those kids"...neither of which were reactions that the show was trying to generate I would think. My wife liked it more than I did, but not enough to make a point to watch it. And I was really looking forward to this one, too.

[jpurkey]

I don't know... I imagine Jericho will appeal to folks who like shows such as Lost. While it appears that there was a nuclear holocaust, I predict there will also be a lot of mysteries as well.

Jericho is CBS's "Lost", IMO. I did enjoy it and I hope it will not get cancelled. However, I'm not very optimistic about that. But even if it does get canned, maybe they'll be a DVD release of the un-aired episodes.

The other new program I'm enjoying is 'Til Death.

[Steve Mehs]

So far I’ve watched Jericho, Kidnapped and Smith. Shark and Six Degrees are still on my DVR unwatched. I liked all three series, but don’t see them lasting too long.

Jericho – The Pilot left many many questions unanswered and I can’t wait to see how the series progresses, I love end of the world doomsday stuff, but based on the three sci fi shows from last season, I don’t think this will captivate an audience, as CBS shows that don’t feature crime labs or a bunch of losers in a jungle don’t seem to do well. Never watched Lost though. I hope Skeet Ulrich can pull this one off, I enjoyed his last TV series Miracles on ABC which lasted about 5 episodes. Miracles was also a darker show, as was crime drama, The Inside on Fox. Why people prefer happy ending BS as opposed to dark suspense I have no idea.

Kidnapped – I cannot stand that hippie from Six Feet Under as the lead role. Attention NBC, Dolby 5.1 would have made that shootout in traffic much more enjoyable. But overall the plot was decent, I just don’t see how the series will continue, will there be a different victim every few episodes, I can’t see how it will stay interesting with the same family being involved for the next 9 months. I guess I have to echo what Jack said above. I’m glad to see that Delroy Lindo is still in the business. I enjoyed is roles in Heist, Gone in 60 Secs and Broken Arrow.

Smith – I thought the plan was very well executed, excellent storyline the show had a decent body count and lots of action and suspense. I like crime dramas and all that, but I’m hoping this will turn into a decent action series, and CBS keeps it around.

Again CBS remains my most watched network, 11 out of the 14 network shows I currently record are from them. My dilemma will come in a few weeks when The Nine starts. Wednesday nights 10-11 I already have CSI:NY and Kidnapped recording, and with The Nine, it looks like I’ll have to record one of them on the living room DVR in SD.

On that note, I just have to give props to my DVR! Scientific Atlanta DVRs aren’t exactly popular among users who have used other DVRs, but in an action packed week it has been rock solid. Between current active series, series that are in rerun mode right now and series that have been canceled that I never cleared out, I have about 30 events listed as to be recorded, and everything that should be recorded gets recorded and everything that shouldn’t get recorded doesn’t. It may not have the pretty UI of TiVo, but it’s just as good!

That's how they refer to Interstate Highways in Los Angeles..."The 10," "The 5," etc. You're right NOBODY talks like that in Atlanta or anywhere else in the South. Where I live, I-95 runs through town. People call it "95," or "I-95." Nobody says "The 95."

Must be a regional thing, like soda v pop. In Upstate NY, all interstates and expressways are called THE. The 90, The 400, etc. US 219 is expressway in some parts regular road in others as you near the Pennsylvania state line, when talking about the expressway part it’s ‘The 219 Expressway’.

[tsmacro]

Must be a regional thing, like soda v pop. In Upstate NY, all interstates and expressways are called THE. The 90, The 400, etc. US 219 is expressway in some parts regular road in others as you near the Pennsylvania state line, when talking about the expressway part it’s ‘The 219 Expressway’.


Interesting because I grew up in Binghamton and then lived in Syracuse for about ten years after that. Unless it's reletively recent phenomenon (say the last 6 years) I never once heard anyone call a highway "THE" anything 'round those parts. It was always "route 81 or route 17, etc" now some people pronounced it "rowt" and others "root". And in Syracuse "690" was usually just that, 690, no "route", "I", "highway", "the" or anything else proceding it.

Anyway back on topic, this past week I was stuck in a hotel room (with no DVR arrrgh! :lol: ) so I did watch some new shows. Studio 60 was good i'll probably keep up with that one. Shark, liked James Woods, but the show is just basically House with lawyers instead of doctors. Jericho, I found it interesting, but a show who's premise is that probably most of the people in the U.S. are dead because of a nuclear holocost is probably just about as DOA as Denver in the show. The premise might work for a movie but hard to imagine it keeping a sizable audience week after week. A couple of weeks ago I tuned in to check out 'Til Death and thought it was ok but actually ended up enjoying the show that comes on after "Happy Hour" more. Both those shows are probably doomed though unless they get new time slots, they're up against some heavy hitters! So i'm betting out of the new shows i've seen so far that probably only Studio 60 is likely to have much of future.

[Steve Mehs]

Maybe it’s exclusive to the Buffalo area then :) I saw your post before I went out, I was at WalMart and played dumb out of towner and asked 3 different people, what’s the best way to get to a few locations, (picked towns off of Interstates and Expwys). It was 100% hit, THE came up everytime. I can’t see myself saying The 17/The 86 though, it will always be the S. Tier Expwy to me. :)

Anywho, I watched Six Degrees and Shark today. Six Degrees = MySpace ( :barf: ) on TV. Social networking is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard of, this show is off my DVR. It also reminded me a lot of Love Monkey, but without the music business in the storyline. Shark was pretty decent, I never even heard of James Woods until a few months ago when they made fun of him on an episode of Family Guys. He seems like a good actor, love the overly arrogant attitude his character has, reminds me of myself. :)

[airpolgas]

Finally got to see Jericho, and I got to say it hooked me. I would agree with tsmacro that the storyline might be stretched too thin at the end of the season. It probably won't help that I still have this bias against the actor playing the mayor, since he's so good at being bad in Deadwood.

SPOILER**

I thought they will break new ground by killing the kid in the bus. No kid dies in Hollywood as far as all the movies I've seen are concerned. Not that I want the kid to die, but it is so cliche that whenever I see a kid in peril on any movie or show, I know he or she will not die.

[Mark Lamutt]

Finally got to watch last week's Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, and holy **** that's about the best hour of television I've seen in a long time. Aaron Sorkin is a freaking genius.

Also watched the pilot of Heroes tonight. I think it could be really interesting if it's given long enough to develop, because it definitely starts slowly. But, it feels like it's one of those slowly moving snowballs getting ready to roll down a hill and get much bigger and much faster once it gets going. So, who knows...

[airpolgas]

Finally got to see Studio 60 last night when I realized my House recording went haywire. Talk about a good show. Wow. I can't believe Aaron Sorkin even had the tenacity to make one of the lead into a coke addict. I agree with Mark, best hour on TV right now.... then again, I have 3 weeks worth of The Wire to see. :D

[Mark Lamutt]

Wow. I can't believe Aaron Sorkin even had the tenacity to make one of the lead into a coke addict.

Especially as it's autobiographical. That takes some real guts there.

[Nick79]

Studio 60 is a good show, especially when Judd Hirsch did his rant about the show (Studio 60) being unwatchable because the network refused to air a certain sketch for fearing it might be offensive.

[TheRatPatrol]

I know this isn't a new show, but does anyone know how long ABC will continue to air an encore presentation of Grey's Anatomy on Friday nights? Theres too many shows on Thursday nights and all of my DVR's are tied up recording other shows, so I have to record it on Friday nights instead. :D

[Crystal Pepsi Ball]

I know this isn't a new show, but does anyone know how long ABC will continue to air an encore presentation of Grey's Anatomy on Friday nights? Theres too many shows on Thursday nights and all of my DVR's are tied up recording other shows, so I have to record it on Friday nights instead. :D

From what I understand, at least this season will be like this.

[cj9788]

I watched Ugly Betty last night and I was really surprised it was funny and serious with all the twists you expect in a soap. My wife watched Betty on Telemundo when it originally aired and says that the English version has made a lot of changes enough to make her want to watch the English version just to see what else they changed. Very good show. :biggthump

[cybok0]

and studio 60 IS so far the BEST show of the season..

I agree but shark is right behind it.:)

[airpolgas]

Finally got to see the two Kidnapped episodes, and I have to say it is far more interesting than the show I gave up on 10 minutes in called Vanished. I hope it takes them the entire season to resolve this kidnapping, so the audience gets to be part of the process, much like in 24.

[TheRatPatrol]

So I guess ABC is not airing Grey's Anatomy on Friday nights anymore? I see Ultimate Makeover (or whatever its called) is now on Friday nights. Looks like I'll have to record one show on Thursday nights in SD now. :(