Shows You/We Should Probably Be Watching

Anyone else feeling overwhelmed with TV viewing? It just seems like there’s too much. This might be a side effect of half-season runs. Instead of taking weeks off during the year, thereby allowing you to change focus, everything seems to be happening all at once. And just when I think I’ve caught up on my DVR, there’s a whole new episode of something I haven’t seen. It’s daunting.

Because of that, I’ve been very resistant to starting new shows. Even some that I have started, I’ve stopped following. Not because I don’t care, it’s just that I prioritized. So, I fall behind, miss a bunch of episodes, then try to come back…with mixed results. It’s actually a little embarrassing. I should be better than this!

So, I feel like you most often hear us talking about the shows we ALWAYS watch. Lost, 24, ANTM, HIMYM, The Office, Mad Men. But there are a lot of currently running shows I’d like to get into if I had the time. So, if your DVR schedule doesn’t have 25 entries (like mine does), you might want to check these out. Then let us know how they are! Also, any we need to be watching.

I’ll get you started with two shows I’ve decided will be my Lost and 24 replacements next year, even though I’m not much of a sci-fi guy.

V – There have only been 6 episodes, but I’ve enjoyed them all immensely. It doesn’t seem like the rest of America is, though. I really hope it comes back next year, so start watching! It’s got interesting characters, hidden motives, good twists, pretty nice acting, impressive visuals. Basically, everything you want. Yes, it’s about aliens. But really, what show isn’t about science fiction these days? I know there are a lot of skeptics out there when it comes to V, because they loved the mini-series. But I implore you to give this version a chance.

Someone get this man an Emmy. And probably a root beer float.

Fringe - I watched almost all the episodes last season (I think…maybe I actually watched them all…I can’t remember…obviously didn’t leave an impression), but have missed about 6 this season. Which is ironic since the Fox show has really blossomed. I’m definitely going to diligently finish off the season (and this is the primary reason), and hope you come along for the ride. At first, this seemed like a simple science procedural, with completely stand-alone episodes. But as the series has progressed, the mythology has taken a central role. And leading the way is the incredible John Noble. Seriously one of the Top 3 actors currently on television. He balances senility and hubris, humor and heartbreak effortlessly. A pure joy each and every episode. And the support cast and storylines back him up well. Just over the past few episodes, Fringe has become must-watch television for me. It should be for you too!

Now, here are some shows that I really want to watch, but haven’t been able to. So why don’t you do it for me and report back!

Castle - More than just a cop procedural. Nathan Fillion apparently brings a unique light-heartedness to the show and makes each episode incredibly entertaining. So I’ve heard.

Justified - It’s brand new on FX, and I intended to start watching it. The previews seemed incredibly weird and stylized…almost surreal. A modern day western. But every critic I’ve read loves it.

Sons of Anarchy – Another FX show, one that evidently blossomed in its second season. The concept of bikers turned me off immediately, but the character drama is said to transcend that.

Undercover Boss - I’ve started to catch up a bit online. This is a great reality show for its entertainment value, but a few things concern me. I hate when shows use a cookie cutter for every episode. The structure is exactly the same. And some of the actions by the bosses don’t seem natural. They seem staged. But I think the reactions by employees are genuine, so there is a truth to the show. It definitely has a feel-good aspect that TV could use more of. And since it relies on people not suspecting video crews following the new guy, I think this show has a pretty limited run.

Chuck - I think it’s too late for this. Three seasons in. Maybe on DVD.

Lie to Me - A procedural by name, but not practice. There’s no set structure. The way things work constantly changes, and the lead character played by Tim Roth is fantastic. Very compelling stuff. I watched half the first season and some of the second, but it slipped off my list for some reason.

“V” vs. “O”

Political Commentary? No doubt.

Moltisanti shared a link with me last week about ABC’s new drama, V. I thought I’d share it with all of you, if you hadn’t seen it. It’s a great piece in the Chicago Tribune about how V clearly is trying to critique Obamamania. After watching the premiere (and loving it), I have to agree. It’s all about hope and change of blind faith. A must read…and a must view. To be fair, here’s a liberal dissecting and hating it, though I personally laughed at how the author doesn’t think this stuff actually happened during the last election cycle.

(to be clear, when I say “this stuff,” I don’t mean alien invasions and lizard people. I mean journalists kowtowing, people supporting anything, etc)

They’ve Arrived: V Premiere Review

They're here! And they want to give us universal healthcare!

Who are they?  What do they really want?  Where did they come from?  These are the questions viewers and fictional New York residents have to confront in the wake of the arrival of the visitors.

I was really excited about this show.  (I have to hand it to ABC’s aggressive marketing tactics.  Or perhaps it was that I missed the excitement of reviewing new shows.)  After watching the premiere, I have no strong feelings either way.  My reaction after the watching was, ‘well, OK then.’

Here’s what happened in the premiere. On a regular afternoon, an earthquake grips the world and a spaceship descends on New York.  The visitors have arrived!  It’s like balloon boy all over again, as the world’s eyes are glued to the sky.  The question then becomes, what do we do about them?  The Vs are very beautiful and instantly they have a following.  Anna, the Vs’ leader, has an Obama-like charisma and takes to the airwaves to get the world to trust them.  (Oh yeah, I went there.)  However, a few people have figured out that the Vs don’t exactly come in peace (despite the establishment of healing centers–universal health care!).  The main characters so far are Erica (Elizabeth Mitchell), who plays an FBI agent struggling with her teenage son.  She’s skeptical of the Vs, and he’s a groupie.  Sadly, Erica discovers her partner Dale (Alan Tudyk) is a V, and she knocks him off at a secret meeting after he brutally attacks her.  One other of our main characters, Ryan (Morris Chestnut) is also a V.   So clearly the show is going to revolve around the people who have figured out they’re not nice and the others who are infatuated with the Vs.

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's balloon boy! It's THE VISITORS!

I like that the opening shots of the show moved quickly, but I felt like as it got into the middle part, it dragged.  I kept looking at my watch during the episode.  And after it was over, I felt like it was way longer than 44 minutes.  I like seeing some familiar faces, including Elizabeth Mitchell from Lost, and Alan Tudyk and Morena Baccarin from Firefly.  The acting is good, the writing is solid, but for some reason or another, it just didn’t grab me.  I feel like the show ‘gave away its hand’ too soon so to speak.  We know the visitors are bad (they want to bring us universal healthcare!  Shun them!  Shun them!), and that they have no bones and are lizardy.  For this show to grab me, I think I would need more mystery from the get go.  (This perhaps is why I liked FlashForward so much better.  In fact, given the genre of the thriller/sci fi shows, I’ll take FF over V any day.)

Perhaps I’m just sapped as my semester heads down the home stretch, but I found it very hard to muster up any strong feelings about this show either way.

Grade: B