Monday, September 26, 2011

Person of Interest Review

Network/Writer(s): CBS/Johnathan Nolan

Actors: Jim Caviezel, Micheal Emerson, Taraji P. Henson

Summary: An ex-CIA hitman and a scientist who team up to prevent crimes before they happen.


***
[NOTE: This review may contain spoilers, so please watch the show before reading, or don't.]

Not really a fan of procedurals, except when they have a different or interesting ideas. Person of Interest satisfies this need for me. It basically centers on an ex-CIA Hitman who is recruited by a mysterious man of science with a limp, and is set in New York City, which gives them the chance to have multiple seasons without draining the well (Hell, Law and Order lasted 20 years!).

The ex-assassin, John Reese, played by Jim Caviezel Jesus, who we find out loses someone he loves on 9/11. Before I go on, let me digress here, does every show that is centered in New York have to have some connection to 9/11? It's a tragedy, I know, but the city is transient enough that not everyone needs to be associated with that disaster. Not every show that's based in Hawaii has a connect to Pearl Harbor (correct me if I'm wrong).

Back to Jesus and his missions, he is recruited by a former government scientist named "Finch." Finch created a way for the government to take all of the spying they are doing on Americans and separate them in to basically important and non-important list (holy 1984, Batman). But the twist is that Finch only gets social security numbers. I like this idea because it give the computer a cold approach, while leaving enough mystery that you can have a normal procedural show.

The first case that Reese takes on is that of an ADA who, like most characters the episodes revolves around, may be the criminal, or they maybe the victim. The show moves along at a snails pace with some slick transition shots as Reese follows the ADA gathering information. Then, when he sees the slightest hint of suspicion from one of the possible "suspects" he moves in. This is where the show picks up, as the first twist in the series is a good one, when we find out the ADA is not as squeaky clean as she seems, and is part of a dirty cop/prosecutor gambit.

When the action picks up, Jesus shines. Between bad ass moments, such as, taunting one of the dirty cops who has been tabbed with killing him, and the setting off a flash grenade to flip the car over and escape, he begins to really sell the character. If the rest of the season is like the last half of the show rather than the first half, in terms of dialog and pacing, I think it will succeed on a network like CBS.

Caviezel and Emerson give top notch performances, which should propel the series through season one, just like Mark Harmon did for NCIS. It'll be interesting to see how they use the talent of Henson. If she can become a part of the team in an indirect way by mid-season, I think this show has a solid chance to not hit the first season wall that most procedurals hit. This usually happens when they don't know how to freshen up the show so that it doesn't become predictable; a hurdle which is great when a show clears it.

Rating: 7/10. Slow start hampers overall experience, but great plot twist and interesting exposition, make it worth the time.

Interest: Moderately High. Premise and actor will keep me watching, but if it gets too complicated, I'll bail.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Revenge Review

Network/Writer(s): ABC/Mike Kelley

Actors: Emily VanCamp, Madeline Stowe, Gabriel Mann, Henry Czerny, Connor Paolo, Ashley Madekwe, Joshua Bowman, Nick Wechsler

Summary: Emily Thorne returns to Southampton and rents the seaside home she shared with her father, David Clarke, 17 years ago. With the help of her only friend, Ashley, she sets her sites on her first target, and puts her carefully organized plan in motion.


***
[NOTE: This review may contain spoilers, so please watch the show before reading, or don't.]
 
I was kind of on the fence about Revenge when I first saw Emily VanCamp drive past me everyday on the side of a bus. But I was intrigued enough to give it a chance because I was such a fan of VanCamp in Everwood. And I'm glad I did!

The Count of Monte Cristo (read it!), a classic story of payback and long range revenge plots, is one of most sampled stories in literature, and Revenge takes the main plot from the book and puts a modern twist on it. Instead of a ship, it's the financial industry. And instead of Europe, it's the Hamptons. 

VanCamp plays the role of the Count, or Emily Thorne (formerly Amanda Clarke), but instead of being the one who was screwed over, she's the daughter of the person back stabbed by his co-workers, and branded a terrorist sympathizer.

The travesty is revealed to her by her father's one confidant, Nolan Ross, played smoothly by the underrated Gabriel Mann. She is left a great fortune, which by the way would be impossible to get without leaving a trail, but thus is TV. She plots her vengeance for years, and decides to start the plan when the opportunity comes to rent her childhood beach house for the summer. One last thought on the money, they never specify exactly how much she has or how she has been able to maintain it (hopefully we learn later), but I guess when she nonchalantly buys a $10,000 ticket to a charity event, we're suppose to assume she's SUPER LOADED.

Despite the minor problems with her character backstory, VanCamp is brilliant in the pilot, her expressions can instantly go from cheery to evil without much effort. She showcases the fire that burns inside Emily, and still allows her to be vulnerable when needed. Especially when she meet childhood friend Jack Porter (Nick Wechsler), who has raised her puppy that was left when her father was arrested.

The show really shines when Victoria Grayson (Madeline Stowe) appears on screen. Stowe steely look is perfect for the vindictive "Queen Victoria". The guts of the show lies in the performance of Stowe and VanCamp when they talk on screen. If VanCamp can keep up with Stowe, the series could be one of the best in a while, but if she falters, then the illusion that Emily can best Victoria is lost. We need to believe that Emily is smarter than Victoria or the story doesn't work.

Opening with what looked to be the final scene of the series is a ballsy move by the creators, but exciting at the same time. This show is tailor made for a one and done series, like Harper's Island and The Killing. If ABC tries to milk more seasons out of this show, they water down the effect the show could have. But then again, Desperate Housewives is still on the air

Monte Cristo is one of the best revenge stories ever written, and if the writers can keep Revenge on track and follow that template with some deviations here and there, ABC will have a monster hit on its hands. But if the try to make a second season, it will be a grave mistake.

The pilot from the outside has the look and feel of a CW show, but the writing and the direction is basic cable level. I believe this show could have played well on an A&E or FX, but I'll hold judgement on if it is right for ABC until a few episodes in.

A stellar cast of known actors, but not too known, will make this the breakout show of the season, and definitely the best pilot so far. Only a little slip up at the end with Amanda Emily's backstory, kept this from being one of the best pilots in a while.

Keep an eye on Connor Paolo, last seen as a Van Der Woodsen, in his first role since Gossip Girl. His performance on that show was greatly undervalued and I hope he gets to shine in this series

Rating: 9/10. Only a small mistake kept this pilot from being a 9.5 or 9.75.

Interest: Very high. Season long mystery arc suck me in each week (Miss you, Veronica Mars). Plus, VanCamp lights up every scene she's in, and even if this gets dragged down by plot, I will still tune in for her.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

New Girl Review

Network/Writer(s): FOX/Elizabeth Meriwether

Actors: Zooey Deschanel, Max Greenfield, Damon Wayans Jr., Jake M. Johnson, Hannah Simone

Summary: Jess Day is a young woman who, after discovering her long-term boyfriend is cheating on her, moves into a loft apartment with three male roommates - prickly bartender Nick, womanizer Schmidt and intense personal trainer Coach. The guys try to help Jess get back on her feet and into the dating world.

***
[NOTE: This review may contain spoilers, so please watch the show before reading, or don't.]

In the last the review, I mentioned that I really don't care for sitcoms. Even after writing that review, I still don't have a reason, but after watching New Girl, I can easily explain what I like about certain sitcoms.
It's all about the delivery. If the actors say their lines like they should be winking afterwards, then that is what turns me off. This is why I believe that shows like The Office, Scrubs, and now New Girl, have excited me more that your generic Rules of Engagement-type sitcoms (seriously, I thought that show was going to be the next According to Jim). Each of those shows lead actors (Steve Carell, Zach Braff, and Zooey Deschanel) has the uncanny ability to deliver their line to almost absolute perfection. Sure they will miss from time to time, but I will give an actor a little rope, if they've been good in the past.

Make no mistake about, Deschanel steals this pilot. She is pitch perfect in every scene. It is a really hard job to make the awkward girl a tolerable character. She plays Jess as sweet rather than goofy. Each time that she makes a mistake, it registers as her trying too hard, not being goofy for attention. It's a fine line, but she balances it wonderfully.

Jess' three roommates, Nick, Schmidt and Coach (really?) are still a work in progress. There are flashes of comedic brilliance from Nick (played by Jake M. Johnson), especially when he realizes that Jess just created a theme song for herself. His deliver of line is genius because it's like he's the audience. Also, it appears that he could have the ability to stay with Deschanel if the scenes skew dramatic.

The opposite can be said about Coach (Damon Wayans Jr.) and Schmidt (Max Greenfield). The lines and delivery for both characters is wooden and stale. Schmidt douche-y personality seems more sad than douche-y. While the Coach character suffers from the same problems as Schmidt, I think Wayans Jr. has better chance to grow the character than Greenfield. But neither has been given a good 3D character to work with.

The writing is very good. Jokes are crisp, and it allows Jess' personality to shine, but it fails to deliver as strongly with the other characters. I'll hold judgement on Cece (Hannah Simone) because she was really there to show that Jess had another friend. For a pilot, the writers did their job and showcased the main character but hopefully, they show as much TLC to the others in future episodes.

Rating: 8/10. Strong writing, but a little unbalanced in terms of character development.

Interest: High. Deschanel is perfect for Jess. She can play, sweet, awkward, and hurt without much effort. If you want another point of reference, rent 500 Days of Summer tonight.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

2 Broke Girls Review

Network/Writer(s): CBS/Molly McAleer

Actors: Kat Dennings, Beth Behrs, Jonathan Kite, Brooke Lyons

Summary: Experienced waitress Max Black meets her new co-worker, former rich-girl Caroline Channing, and puts her skills to the test at an old but re-emerging Brooklyn diner. Despite her initial distaste for Caroline, Max eventually softens and the two team up for a new business venture.

***
[NOTE: This review contains spoilers. Please watch episode before reading, or not. I really don't care]

I'm not really the biggest sitcom fan. I don't know why. I love comedy, and comedy writing, but for some reason sitcoms get really boring for me. Especially multi-camera versions. There are exceptions though, but they are mostly single camera. The Office, Scrubs, and Arrested Development are the few that I've actually stayed with for more than a season.

Despite my hesitation, I gave this show a shot because I have enjoyed everything that Kat Dennings has done. So I expected this show to be the exception to my rule.

But it didn't completely win me over despite Dennings' good performance as tough as nails waitress, Max Black. Most of my negative feelings toward the show has to do with Dennings co-star, Beth Behrs, and the cliche situations she was forced to act.

Behrs played her role as former socialite, Caroline Channing, well, but was forced to deliver very stereotypical lines and that hurt her performance. The one redeeming light for her work was that she could stand toe-to-toe with Dennings when asked. These were mostly scenes where she wasn't acting like a vapid air head. Most notably when Max is asking her rapid fire question when she is first hired.

Instead of making her naive, they made her seem stupid, even though they claimed she went to Wharton Business School. Which despite making my eyes roll when it was first mentioned, actually paid off at the end of the episode when she devises the cupcake store business.

If you haven't noticed by now, predictability is one of my pet peeves. I don't expect the show to surprise me with every scene, actually I enjoy guessing what the major plot is before it happens. I feel like its a payoff for paying attention.

But that is also the problem, I pay attention. So when a show get so predictable that I could tell the person I'm watching it with what will happen the rest of the episode after the opening credits; there a problem. Every big gag on 2 Broke Girls was telegraphed. From the horse at the end, to the cheating boyfriend, to Caroline not sleeping at a friend (I've seen way too many Gossip Girls), the show really laid everything out early as if they were expecting elderly people to watch it.

For a "hip, young show", there was way too much hand holding with jokes, and very elementary setup-punchline moments. Even with all that, the show had one surprise element that will keep me glued for at least another few weeks: the money counter at the end. I know it seems stupid, but the idea that they have a thought of how the season will end, has me intrigued.

The writing was okay, and the performances helped make it look better, but I'm hoping that they both get better as it goes along. And can we please get rid of the "One Day at a Time" Schneider wannabe in the kitchen. A 5-year-old could write his lines.

Rating: 6/10. Very predictable, but still well done for the genre.

Interest: Mild, but I'm curious where the cupcake business goes. I like the money counter at the end.


Friday, September 16, 2011

The Secret Circle Review

Network/Writer(s): CW/Andrew Miller

Actors: Brittany Robertson, Thomas Dekker, Natasha Henstridge, Phoebe Tonkin, Shelley Hennig

Summary: Cassie Blake's world is turned upside down after her mother dies in a mysterious accident, forcing Cassie to move in with her loving grandmother Jane in the small town of Chance Harbor, Washington.When strange and dangerous things begin to happen, Cassie's new friends are forced to tell her their secret - they are all witches and her arrival will complete the Circle.

***
[Note: This contains spoilers, please watch the episode before hand. Thanks.] 
There's nothing better than a good mystery involving some sort of super natural power, or ability. If done correctly, the ancient back stories, and interlacing of families, allows for interesting avenues for the story to go. Good character go bad, bad characters redeem themselves, and you can repeat the process. The only caveat is that each time you change the dynamic, it needs to be plausible.

This why I rank "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" as my favorite show of all-time. Each time Angel switched side, or Spike's eventual arc to champion, or Willow's dip into black magic, the story leading up to it was easily understandable. This has been carried on by "Angel", "Vampire Diaries", and early "Heroes". If you need to re-watch an episode multiple times, or review past episodes to figure out a twist, then it was done wrong.

Thankfully, "The Secret Circle" is in the hands of one of the best show runners/creator/human beings alive in Kevin Williamson (Dawson's Creek, Vampire Diaries, Scream). Like every other pilot he has been a part of, you finish the show with a very clear idea of where the show is headed.

The opening scene did a great job of setting the tone for the series. There's a bad witch (warlock?) dressed in black (of course) who kills the innocent women dressed in white (oh, CW, with your metaphorical story telling). The woman is the mother of the protagonist, Cassie Blake, played by the adorable Brittany Robertson. Seriously, she can play detached, cynical girl with the best of them. I hope the writers do a better job helping her show range then those on Life Unexpected did. This girl could easily be the Joey Potter of this generation, minus the hair tucking and talking out of the side of her mouth, with Jen Lindley's acting ability.

Once she gets to Chance Harbor, Washington, which when it's first shown, looks like the sister city of Forks, but once we get into town proper, it gives off a Capeside-Salem-Massachusetts feel. Which is perfect since the show is about witches. The show was originally suppose to be New Salem, Maine, but even the CW didn't want to be that obvious.

We meet all the typical character in a town like this: Cassie's Grandmother (The elder), Faye (the maybe-bad teenage witch), Dianna (the good witch), Adam (the brooding teen who could be good or bad; Angel), Dawn (the hidden bad witch), Charles (the big bad), and Ethan (the holder of past knowledge). Once the interweaving of the character occurs, the plot takes form. Charles is Dianna father, Dawn is Faye's mom, Ethan who was "destined" to be with Cassie's mom, is Adam's dad, and Adam is "destined" for Cassie but dates Dianna. Confused, yet?

For a pilot, they pack a lot of the interweaving in it. Some of these reveals could have been held off, but no ones tells stories like that anymore (the Vampire Diaries have blown through 6 seasons worth of characters in 2 years!). Gone are the days of the slow, introspective plot where we learn to feel for the character. Today we need to be instantly gratified with a love triangle, or a plot twist. I don't know if it's the right way or not, but I feel that we need a little more time with the character before they threw out the star crossed lovers storyline.

Now, that you've meet everyone, it is time for the reveals. In the last 15 minutes, we find out the Ethan and Dawn are working together, that Faye is just power hungry, Dianna wants to control it (I see these two flip-flopping at some point), Cassie's is the most powerful of all ("Make it stop!" Is a very simple, but apparently, powerful spell), and baddies will be coming for Cassie and her "power". The latter of which was obviously if you were slightly paying attention during the show, but you know, let's beat that dead horse one more time before the credits.

The magic in the show is nothing special, yet. It's the one thing I thought was done perfectly by the writers: To slowly reveal the power of the teenagers, while showing the devastatingly evil magic they could ascend to through their parents. The only disappointing thing was that spell were, for lack of a better word, lame. The main one they say out loud is "a drop of water/light as air," is very simplistic. If they went for simplicity, at least make it sound a little more ancient; use older, less commonly used words.

I read a review on the A.V. Club that said this show has the possibility to be "Dawson's Creek by way of Twilight", if I'm the CW, and this happens, I'm orgasming in my office right now. Those two entities have the most loyal fan bases in the last 20 years of pop culture, along with "Lost" and the aforementioned, "Buffy". The network would make untold money if that happened.

Hopefully, the Secret Circle will learn form it's predecessors and string along a narrative that is not always predictable (well, this is the CW, some of it is going to be predictable). If they achieve this, they will form a powerful combination with Vampire Diaries on Thursday.

Rating: 8.5/10. Gave you most of the background in 60 minutes, but left enough mystery to allow the show to breath, and possibly separate from the books.

Interest: Beautiful women (Shelley Hennig is much prettier than she looks in the pilot), interesting story, and Kevin Williamson. You're damn right, I'm still watching.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Ringer Review

Network/Writer(s): CW/Eric C. Charmelo, Nicole Snyder

Actors: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Kristoffer Polaha, Ioan Gruffudd, Tara Summers

Summary: A young woman on the run from the mob poses as her wealthy twin sister to try and evade them, but soon discovers that her sister has a price on her head as well.

 ***

Sarah Michelle Gellar (miss you, Buff) plays a dual role, which she does a lot better as separate characters than acting with herself (more on that later). She plays Bridget, a recovering addict stripper, and Siobhan, a New York Socialite. She's a lot stronger as Bridget, probably because it's much closer to Buffy than the cold Siobhan.

First off, I'd like to point out that I know that the CW is a little more low-budget than the big four networks, so my next point should be taken with a grain of salt. The scenes where Gellar act opposite herself are laughable in production quality. Though I enjoyed the mirror scene because it was as if they were showing off. Also, she was very wooden and awkward in those scenes, and I was glad when they were finished.

I understand that they wanted the slow, film noir-ish type of storytelling, but the beginning was painfully slow. It was the opposite feeling I had with the ABC Family series "10 Things I Hate About You", where they tried to cram every plot point in the first 10 minutes, and I turned it off at that point.

But Ringer does the opposite, and tries hard to hold back plot points, and kinda takes us through one thread at a time early on. Maybe this is the way it should be but it was way too sleepy for me. Thankfully, things picked up once Siobhan commits "suicide". Hopefully, the writing continues to be this good for the whole series, and doesn't slide back into sleepy mode.

They do a solid job of showing Bridget being overwhelmed in her new life, and trying to figure out how to keep her secret. She's doesn't immediately know how to fit in, and she tries to do things as she thinks they should be. Most notably, her sister's marriage.

In her attempts to save it, she finds out that Siobhan was having an affair with her best friend's husband, Henry, played by the underrated Kristoffer Polaha (Miss you, Baze). After the confusion lifts, Bridget ends things with Henry, and thinks she has every thing under control until... SPOILER (please watch the episode first before reading past this point)

***

Siobhan is pregnant!

The only good thing that comes from this is that Bridget now doesn't have to keep making excuses for not drinking (priorities!). Even though the fake pregnancy has been done before (Glee, for starter), this one actually causes a dilemma more that just an evil scheme.

The writing in the pilot was  uneven, probably the result of some rewrites after CBS passed on it, but the ending...the ending they nailed.

They cut back to the opening scene where Bridget was being cased by a masked man. Seriously, did he really need the mask? He was sent to kill one skinny former drug addict, and I assume he planned on succeeding. You only wear the mask if you plan to leave living witnesses.

I digress. The reveal that Siobhan is alive (BTW, did the CW really have to reveal this twist in the preview) was perfect. It made me sit and wait for the preview of next week's episode, and that is all you really want from a pilot ending; make people want to come back. Thoroughly enjoyed the final 40 minutes of the show.

Rating: 7.5/10. Would have been higher with a better start.

Interest: The ending has me hooked, so let's see how long they can tell this story before it gets boring.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

TV Pilot Preview

Ahh, TV pilots. They can either be outstanding or outright terrible. It's true that some fall in the middle, but those aren't ones that we remember.

Don't be fooled, a good pilot doesn't necessarily a good show. There are plenty of examples out there, such as, Life Unexpected. Or even that a show will last for years, such as, My So Called Life.

The best example is a short-lived NBC Drama, The Black Donnellys. It Pilot was far and away the best I've ever seen, and the show kind of nosed dive after that. And before you Lost fanatics scream and holler, I've never actually seen the Lost pilot. OMG, WTF. I know, I know. But even without seeing it, I can admit it probably would be in my top five.

So, Mark, why does a pilot usually mark the high point for a series?

The prevail thought, and the one I agree with, is that the writer has been working on the pilot much longer than they do on the rest of the season's episodes. In theory, they has more time to flesh out the story and take notes from the network and incorporate them before the show airs. There is also more time for re-shoots, and recasting if necessary. The long time period, just like when you create a video game or build a car, allows for most of the bugs to be worked out.

Or, they've told the whole story that's worth telling in one episode. Sometimes there's nothing there for a second episode, so the start throwing shit at the wall and see what sticks. Best example: The Beautiful Life.

So without further ado, here's the list of pilots I will be watch and reviewing (date of premiere and network):

SUNDAY

Once Upon a Time (Oct. 23, ABC) -- Interesting concept with fairy tale characters living in a small town named Story Brooke (I'll wait for you to stop laughing....OK). Reason for watching: Ginnifer Goodwin and Jennifer Morrison. The J/Ginnifers will bring me in, but hopefully the story keeps me.

Pan-Am (Sept. 25, ABC) -- Highly advertised series, probably the most marketed new series (or maybe I watch a lot ABC/Disney programming). More intrigued than excited; probably a watered down version Mad Men. Christina Ricci on TV is enough to make me tune in.

MONDAY

2 Broke Girls (Sept. 19, CBS) -- I love Kat Dennings. That is mainly the only reason I'm giving this show a chance. Of the sorta well known, 'I've seen that girl before but can't place her' Kat Dennings is tied with Krysten Ritter for actress I'll give any show she's in a chance (miss you, Valley Girls).

Hart of Dixie (Sept. 26, CW) -- Rachel Bilson. Rachel Bilson. Rachel Bilson. If you've read my prior post, you'll remember that I miss watching her on TV. Also, I trust that Josh Schwartz will give me at least a watchable season one. After that not so much. The NYC doctor in Alabama is intriguing enough to have me tuned in. Underrated Jamie King as the Queen Bee should be fun.

Terra Nova (Sept. 26, FOX) -- Second most marketed show, so I have to see what the hype is all about. Little known fact, I loved dinosaurs (got the shit scared out of me as an eight-year-old watching Jurassic Park in theaters) and the kid in me wants this show to be good.

TUESDAY

Ringer (Sept. 13, CW) -- Sarah Michele Gellar's return to TV. The twins storyline has a lot of great avenues to go down. Hopefully, it doesn't get too complicated, too quickly. Look for review tomorrow!

New Girl (Sept. 20, FOX) -- If you have iTunes, watch the free preview. Zooey Deschanel is great in this pilot, and the writing is spot on, but I'm skeptical about the male leads. Let's hope they improve as the season rolls along. Definitely worth a season pass if that's your thing.

WEDNESDAY

Revenge (Sept. 21, ABC) -- This seems to be one of those one season and done shows, but the premise is so carnal. People screw her family over, she wants payback. Enough said. Emily Van Camp is too shabby either.

THURSDAY

Charlie's Angels (Sept. 22, ABC) -- Honestly the only reason I'm watching this is because of Minka Kelly. Besides that there's not much interest, unless they surprise me with a great start to the series. My prediction is this will either last forever, or flop by mid-season.

Person of Interest (Sept. 22, CBS) -- Procedural? CBS? Seriously? All kidding aside, the premise is great. A mail has develop a system where he can see when a crime will occur, by spying on specific people. But he doesn't know whether said person is the victim, criminal, or witness. Plus, Jesus is in it, with the evil guy from Lost.

The Secret Circle (Sept. 15, CW) -- Happy to see Brittany Robertson get another show. She suffered from bad series planning and bad writing on Life Unexpected (affair with a teacher, really?). This show is about witchcraft, and the mysterious story and town with a writer from the Vampire Diaries, should equal a great series.

Prime Suspect (Sept. 22, NBC) -- Maria Bello is probably the best actress on network TV this year, and if this series is anywhere near good, she will win a Primetime Emmy. Supporting cast of detectives should allow the story telling to be smooth and well-acted (miss you on Fringe, Charlie). Could be a contender for best drama as well.

FRIDAY

Grimm (Oct. 21, NBC) -- Interesting concept, but those that don't know much about the Brothers Grimm may get lost early on. Freshen up on these stories before viewing. Could be a diamond in the rough for NBC.


A review for each show listed will be posted the day after the pilot. It will contain an info box, a review, a grade for the pilot, and whether or not I will continue to watch (which will mean corresponding reviews). If I don't like a pilot, I will tell you either the situation or the moment that I lost interest. If I like a pilot, I will continue to watch it, and I will have an interest meter at the bottom of each review (not a ratings system).

I hope you enjoy my thoughts, and will read and comment as we weave our way through September's premieres.


Changes to Blog

Since this is a young blog, it will periodically change as I feel the need to improve with more content or scale back and be more focused. Much like an adolescent, I'm learning every day as I write this blog.

For the foreseeable future, this will be almost exclusively a TV Blog with some commentary about sports and movies. So for now, I'm abandoning the daily topics, and will post review the day after shows air and sometimes will post two or three times a day depending on if I have something to say.

So starting the week of September 19th, each day will be dedicated to reviews of TV shows. I will mostly be reviewing new shows, but will throw my opinions in about older shows and sometimes I may write a post about an already completed series that I'm catching up on (look out for my Felicity review in a month or so).

You will get a preview of how the blog will begin to take shape with the reviews of Ringer and The Secret Circle this week (Wednesday and Friday, respectfully). Hope you enjoy the more focused format, if not feel free to tell me about it, or offer to help out.

Have a happy 2011-2012 TV season!