Things I will be watching, at least for a couple of weeks. With the exception of the first thing on my list, I'll stick to the stuff premiering in the fall... I just wanted to mention Eli Stone because the pilot was really awesome. But everything else here is something that'll be starting in the next couple weeks.
(This is clearly way too many shows to actually be interested in, but I figure within 2 episodes, 6 or 7 of these 10 will fall off the list -- as shows usually do -- and I'll be left with a couple of new shows to watch and it'll work itself out. But it scares me to think that there's at least *something* about each of these that could make me watch them, and it's definitely way more TV than I really want to be watching.)
Eli Stone (midseason, ABC) -- Drama about a corporate lawyer who starts to see visions. The best pilot script I read, and it was executed very nicely. It's a Greg Berlanti / Marc Guggenheim show -- Berlanti created Everwood and Jack & Bobby, both of which I thought were terrific, and he ran Brothers & Sisters last year, which I think is a really compelling, very solid show. Berlanti writes smart characters I want to root for, he writes characters who have inner lives, who I can care about. That's relatively uncommon on TV. For whatever reason, whatever he does resonates with me, consistently. Loved this script. Expect I will love the show. Can't wait for it to premiere.
Dirty Sexy Money (ABC) -- Greg Berlanti's other new show, although he didn't write the pilot for it. Peter Krause stars as the lawyer/consigliere for a wealthy family of spoiled misfits. I liked the script and thought they did a really good job with the execution. It has a look and feel to it that's different from other stuff on TV. In LA, they've plastered the city with billboard ads. I expect the show will do well. I'm not as excited for this one as I am for Eli Stone, but I have faith that Berlanti will execute in a way that will draw me in.
Chuck (NBC) -- A computer geek who becomes a secret agent, from Josh Schwartz (The O.C.). Likable lead, interesting premise, really engaging pilot episode. Usually this kind of stuff isn't my thing, secret agents don't do much for me, but there was something about the pilot that hooked me. It doesn't get a season pass yet, but I'm giving it at least 2 or 3 episodes.
Reaper (CW) -- Similar to Chuck, in that it's not the kind of thing I usually hook into, but I loved the pilot. It's about a guy whose parents sold his soul to the devil, and now the devil has come to collect. He has to capture zombies and return them to hell. This sounds terrible but it's written with a nice amount of humor and lightness... I don't know, something about it really worked for me.
Aliens in America (CW) -- Comedy about a high school exchange student from Pakistan. Script was nice, pilot was funny with a nice heart to it. In terms of tone, feels a lot like Everybody Hates Chris, which I watched in its first season but then never picked it up again.
New Amsterdam (Fox) -- Cop drama, but not really. It's about a detective who has been alive for 350 years. Native Americans put a spell on him -- he won't die until he falls in love. The fun here is this guy's history, and seeing how his 350 years of experiences affect his modern-day life. The more they stick to character -- rather than standard police procedural stuff -- the more chance I'll stick around.
Journeyman (NBC) -- Time traveling journalist. Kind of in the same world as Quantum Leap or Early Edition. Interesting premise, good pilot, worth a chance to see what they end up doing week to week. I like time travel stuff.
Life Is Wild (CW) -- Drama about a veterinarian who moves his family to South Africa. The pilot was solid. It's somewhere on the spectrum between 7th Heaven and Everwood. I'm not sure where on that spectrum.
The Big Bang Theory (CBS) -- Comedy about physicists. Nice concept, but my concern is that it's just going to be a standard sitcom with these two-dimensional nerdy guys, instead of creating real characters I'll want to care about. How I Met Your Mother does the sitcom-but-with-real-characters extremely well.
Kid Nation (CBS) -- See post below.
Other shows I have thoughts on:
Pushing Daisies (ABC) -- It's high-concept, a guy who can bring back dead people for 60 seconds to help solve their murders. The pilot was interesting, and I liked it, but I have no idea what a typical episode is going to look like. I'm probably going to watch episode 2 and see what it's actually about.
Cavemen (ABC) -- The pilot wasn't very funny, but they're supposedly re-shooting the whole thing. I think it could work, but the pilot was all about using caveman as a stand-in for black, and playing with the standard stereotypes there... which was a little offensive and lazy... so hopefully they've gone back and reconceived and made it work.
I've been to a taping of The Big Bang Theory and it is hilarious. I understand your concern about the characters coming off 2D, but trust me, you fall in love with these guys (& girl) more and more as it goes on.
Posted by: tim | September 20, 2007 at 01:55 PM
What did you think of gossip girl?
Posted by: JD | September 20, 2007 at 02:07 PM
A. Yes, what DID you think of gossip girl?
B. Sorry, this is dated, but which office cast member did you see in whole foods?
Posted by: E | September 20, 2007 at 11:00 PM