Originally published at Toob Talk. You can comment here or there.

Liv Tyler attempts to escape from one of the interlopers in The Strangers.

It being the Halloween, I’ve been in the mood for horror films.

Over the last few years, there has been no shortage of supposedly scary movies. Problem is, most of the ones I’ve seen haven’t been all that scary.

Disgusting? Yes. Full of loud noises and quick movement? You bet. Violent? Uh-huh. But scary? Really scary? Nope. Not really.

“Really scary” takes some subtlety and time that’s lacking in most modern horror. Instead, writers and directors go for the quick “gotcha!” or the over-the-top blood & gore effects to try to scare the audience. When I first saw the ads for The Strangers, I was a little worried that it was just another torture porn film along the lines of Hostel.

Well, I finally got around to watching it and I’m happy to say that it’s a lot better than I was expecting. The buildup to the scares is a slow burn that gets every edgy nerve going one by one until the anticipation of the inevitable jump is barely alleviated when something actually happens. The characters–both protagonists and antagonists–are mostly a mystery to us, we’re left to fill in backstory all on our own. (Something else too many films don’t do any more–leave a little work for the minds of the audience to do when it comes to characters.)

Kristen (Liv Tyler) and James (Scott Speedman) arrive at a secluded home, James’ parent’s house, that they’ve requisitioned for what was supposed to be a romantic weekend. It’s clear right off the top that things didn’t quite go as planned earlier in the evening–both are upset and distant from one another. The mood is heavy and sad as they go about settling in as best they can, brushing away the spread rose petals and sullenly drinking the champagne straight from the bottle.

That’s when the first knock comes at the door. A young–perhaps teenage, perhaps 20something–girl asks for someone who is definitely neither of them. We never see her face, for some reason the lights on the front porch aren’t working, even though they clearly were before.

And from there, the sadness turns to tension which turns to fear which culminates in a scene of true horror.

And it does it all with a minimal effects budget, next to no gore, mostly implied violence, and a whole lot of atmosphere.

Writer/Director Bryan Bertino did a fantastic job. Granted, the story is about as simple as you can get, but it’s been done much worse before. The run time of the film is short, which is good–any longer and it would have been too much of a strain or filled with gimmicks and cheap thrills. Bertino keeps things tight and tense, something much more seasoned directors seem to have more trouble doing as time goes on.

If you’re prone to an overactive imagination, I recommend you don’t watch this one while home alone, you’ll be jumping at every little noise. And for those who are looking for some sort of gore-fest… well, you probably won’t like this movie at all. Same goes for those who like everything handed to them on a gilded platter. You’re going to have to work your brain just a little to put all the pieces together. But when you do, you’ll get a good solid shiver and a lasting sense of unease that usually only comes from more classic horror films.

Originally published at Toob Talk. You can comment here or there.

Things in the world outside of that box in front of my couch have kept me a bit behind on much of the new season and a wee bit too busy to get down most of my thoughts. So, here you go, in a short-ish format.

Heroes is wobbling along, sometimes more steady than others. There are some interesting new characters, but a strong, clear theme that helped make season one a popular and critical success–and was missing from the subsequent seasons–is still nowhere near strong enough to raise the show above the bad taste the last season left in many people’s mouths. I think the writers may be biting off more than they can chew by keeping the number of “main” characters as high as they have. Old habits, I guess. I do like the traveling carnival that’s been introduced, though… lots of potential there, especially after this week’s episode.

Castle is still a lot of fun. As a police procedural, it leaves a lot to be desired (man, the cop work is really not that good at all), but as a bunch of pulpy, camp-leaning characters, it is full of win. NathanFillion and Stana Katic are getting even better bouncing dialog off one another and the supporting cast is getting a little more time to shine. If you’re looking for a serious show, don’t bother. If you’re looking for something that’s got some cheese in it, then Castle is where to find it.

The Forgotten, I watched one episode of it and decided it was better left to live out its title. As much as I want to love Christian Slater in anything he does, this show just didn’t grab me at all. I would have been much happier if his vehicle from last season, My Own Worst Enemy, had survived.

Mercy was another show I only bothered to catch one or two episodes of. While it’s fun to see Michelle Trachtenberg (once again) play a sparkly, naive, newbie, it mostly felt just like every other modern hospital drama that I’ve seen ads for.

Modern Family has been a pleasant surprise from the first episode on. The show has heart and a kind of quirky sense of humor about half the stuff in it. The other half is standard sitcom fodder, but is usually carried out with just enough push from the cast that it works. Everything I’ve seen in it so far has either made me laugh or smile, and I’ve always felt better after watching an episode. That’s more than I can say for most shows I’ve ever watched.

Cougar Town had a first episode that just left me not wanting more at all. The way the main character was written in the first episode, co-star Krista Miller would have been a better fit for the lead than Courtney Cox. They seem to have fixed that problem now. The comedy now fits with Cox’s appearance better, making the whole character more sympathetic and, overall, much more funny. They still try a little too hard at times, though… and it looks like this week’s episode is going to be full of “trying too hard” moments.

Eastwick has been a very pleasant surprise. I had more then a bit of trepidation going in, seeing as how I absolutely love the film, but the cast and writers have done a good job of adding enough depth and breadth to the story to keep it interesting and on-message. The leads are doing fantastic jobs bringing three very different characters to life–different from one another and different from the 1987 film, which is good because they are different characters in a different time. Even Paul Gross is doing a good enough job to make me believe his Darryl Van Horne isn’t Nicholson’s in a good way.

Flashforward has a lot of potential. So far, we’ve seen a few different ways of dealing with characters who know a little bit of the future. They’re pacing the questions and answers (and red herrings that may not be so red or so herring) well early on, so they may actually have a plan for where this all is going. At the absolute least, we’re getting some good haunted looks from members of the core cast. If they ratchet up the strange factor just a little bit, they could be on par with early seasons of Lost for water cooler discussion factor. As it is, while I’m hooked, I question if they’ll be able to keep enough of the general population interested to keep themselves on the air.

Supernatural is in its best season yet… and it looks like its only going to get better as it goes on. Last week had a killer Abe Lincoln and Gandhi–with Paris Hilton as a guest star–and it worked fantastically! Sometime in the future, it looks like we’re up for a 70s sitcom inspired demonic infestation and numerous other things that I’m sure will leave me wanting more–but also hoping that the show goes out on top, before it all goes to hell.

Fringe is really ready to take the X-File mantel as “strange FBI show”… but it’s got more scifi in it than Mulder and Scully ever ran into. Kind of hard to avoid when your key plot involves interdimensional travel. The important part is, their characters have grown a lot since the first episode of the series and are now really coming into their own (both literally and figuratively). This is another I’m going to keep watching until they cancel it.

Smallville… I’ve only been able to make myself watch the series premier so far. And that… well… I’d have to go back and check but I think they have once againretconned their own continuity. I really hate that. The plots are also looking more and more ridiculous–some of them look to be right out of the Silver Age comics,wich were always downright silly. Again I say, this show should have ended a few seasons ago and we should be watching The Justice League instead.

Dollhouse has continued its upswing since episode six of season one. They’ve made some compelling changes to the show and have really piqued my curiosity on some other areas of how things work inside theDollhoue. The inevitable bleed-through of past imprints on some of the dolls has been distinctly creepy and sweet to see happen.

There’ll be more once I have the time to dig into the DVR and hit up Hulu.com for back episodes… and then there’s movies I want to talk about, too. Oh, but for more time in a day!

Originally published at Toob Talk. You can comment here or there.

Well, The Emmys are done with and that means every network (other than the CW, which doesn’t seem to care about the Emmys) launches their new seasons full-on in the next week or two.

Monday

Monday night finds about half of my stable of favorite shows coming back. Of course, they all overlap.

Two hour premieres of Heroes (NBC) and House (FOX) kick off at 8 p.m. New episodes of How I Met Your Mother (CBS) and Big Bang Theory (CBS) cap off the 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. slot (at 8 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., respectively). Things finally thin out at 10 p.m. when Castle (ABC) looks to be the only thing I’m interested in watching.

All five of those shows left us wanting more when they came to a close in the Spring. Granted, Heroes was struggling a bit to regain its narrative footing after some very poor story decisions and House is quickly running out of tricks to keep things interesting past this season.

How I Met Your Mother, though, continues to charm me with the quirky characters and hard-luck love stories of Ted and company. Sometimes I just relate a little too much to some of those characters. (Of course, that’s nowhere near as problematic as how well I related to the ensemble on Big Bang Theory… half of those outlandish conversations the geek-team has that keep everyone laughing? Yeah, I’ve been involved in those conversations in real life… it’s not too far off. This is why I keep loving this show.)

Castle was a pleasant surprise last season. There was little doubt Nathan Fillion would be fun (he always is), but after the first few episodes the chemistry with Stana Katic fell into place and it was good banter and character play from there on out. The color choices and cinematography for the show are pretty impressive, too. If you haven’t checked it out yet, you probably should.

Tuesday

Tuesday brings us a double-helping of NCIS on CBS, starting at 8 p.m. First we pick up where last season’s cliffhanger left us and then we dive right in to the West Coast deep cover work of NCIS: LA (which actually looks like it may actually be OK, based on the two hour pilot that masqueraded as two episodes of NCIS).

Since I have no desire to watch the second season of 90210 or the new iteration of Melrose Place (both of which kicked in a couple of weeks ago), the only thing the NCIS pair conflicts with is the tail end of SyFy’s new series Warehouse 13 (at 9 p.m.), which has been a lot more enjoyable than I had expected. Again, the points mostly come from good character interaction and some fun stories.

At 10 p.m. you have your choice of watching the stars of two of last seasons canned shows try again. Christian Slater (former of the kind of quirky My Own Worst Enemy, which I liked) comes back in a more standard crime drama called The Forgotten on NBC. It sounds like it’ll be some combination of CSI, Cold Case and Without a Trace. I’m not exactly excited about it.

Also at 10 p.m., over on CBS, is Julianna Margulies’ second try at a lawyer show in as many years. This time around she’s The Good Wife, apparently fighting the good fight from within the walls of an esteemed law firm, no matter what they try to get her to do instead. Sounds a little like Eli Stone without the fun, music or meaning. Best of luck former Nurse Hathaway, I think you may need it to make it past episode six.

Wednesday

Speaking of old NBC medical dramas, on Wednesday, they kick off a new one. Mercy focuses on nurses (not to be confused with the three or four other shows that are doing that this season–some of which started a few weeks ago). I don’t see much to bring me into this, but, as there’s really nothing on against it (though Gary Unmarried premieres its new season during the second half, and that was a kind of funny sitcom), I may check it out a few times.

ABC brings us two new “edgy” sitcom-type shows, Modern Family and Cougar Town, starting at 9 p.m. Both may have some humorous moments in them, but Cougar Town looks to have a little more potential as something almost worth watching. At least it’ll be OK to look at (cast includes: Courtney Cox-Arquette, Crista Miller, and Busy Phillipps, who have all been very entertaining in the past). Modern Family, though, may actually be the one to watch as it looks like it is fully capable of hitting big on satire and social commentary points.

At 10 p.m. on Wednesday, ABC introduces the one show that made just wonder “WTF?”. Seems that after 22 years, they’ve decided it’s time to put a show based on The Witches of Eastwick on TV. (They apparently tried back in 1992, but failed to sell it.) This time around, simply titled Eastwick, Rebecca Romijn, Lindsay Price and Jaime Ray Newman play our “witches”. Being a fan of the 1987 movie, these women have some pretty big shoes to fill in my book. (And we won’t even talk about how Paul Gross is going to take on a part that Nicholson made fantastic… or speculate on how the heck they’re going to stretch the plot out for a whole season, let alone multiple ones if they somehow manage to last that long.)

Thursday

On Thursday, I finally have an excuse to not watch the CW’s whiny vampire Twilight-wannabe series The Vampire Diaries. The first two episodes have been nothing short of trite, predictable and flat, at best. Especially when followed up by what looks to be the greatest season of Supernatural yet.

At 8 p.m. ABC brings us the newest strange mystery show in their line up, this time from hit-or-miss creators Brannon Braga and David S. Goyer. The premise–everyone on the planet passes out for exactly the same two minutes and wakes up remembering various points in their own futures–sounds cool enough, so I’ll be tuning in to see if they manage to keep it interesting. It could be the next Lost-level hit for ABC. Or not.

The only real downside is that it’s on opposite Bones (FOX), which is one of those great shows that I never really watch.

Thursdays at 9 p.m. is shaping up to be the crazy spot on the schedule for me. Supernatural on the CW is the must see of the hour, with FOX’s Fringe running a close second (in last week’s season premiere, there were two distinct references to the X-Files–one in the series’ setting fiction and one in the series’ setting reality… curious to see where they’re going with that). This week we also have the return of Grey’s Anatomy, which I’m now officially two seasons behind on. Not sure how the show’s doing, but people still talk about it, so it’s probably got at least one more season in it. On NBC you have The Office and Community, the latter I haven’t caught yet, but everyone knows the former draws a crowd.

Friday

The week rounds out with the return of a couple of old favorites.

At 8 p.m. Smallville returns for what we can only hope will be its final season. I don’t even know if I’m going ot bother watching any of this seasons episodes in real time. Last season was abysmal as far as continuity and story were concerned–this show should have ended a couple of years ago or, at least, segued into a Justice League spinoff.

Thankfully, in the same time slot over on CBS, The Ghost Whisperer debuts for its new season on its new network. Now the lead in to Medium, you can get two hours of ghost-influenced chicks. Should be interesting, seeing as how things were left last season with Melinda and her growing family.

Oh, there’s also the ever-present Law and Order that can be seen on NBC.

The real show I’m looking forward to is Dollhouse. Joss Whedon was lucky I stuck with him through five iffy episodes last seasons. He hooked me with episode six, though, and had me holding on for a solid ride in the second half of the season. Now, with a well-established playing field and some interesting threads running, I’m curious to see what he’s going to do with the second season.

If nothing else, it’s going to be an interesting first few weeks of the new season. I’ll be placing bets on which ones will last more than three episodes before being bounced and, ultimately, canceled by their networks. So far, my money is on any new medical drama or lawyer show to get the boot before episode six. That market is still over-full with CSIs, Law & Orders and lingering misty eyes for ER. Of course, half the shows I like are also apt to get the boot.

Originally published at Toob Talk. You can comment here or there.

According to Movieweb.com, come November, Farscape will finally be available in one complete box set.

Some of us have been waiting a very long time for this.

Twice before the series started to get released, first in bulky, expensive, partial season boxes then in the more streamlined, slightly less expensive, and no less partial “Starburst” edition sets. I know I sank well over $200 into the most of season one that I have before I gave up (when the Starburst sets started to come out). I vowed to never buy another set of Farscape DVDs until I was sure they were going to be done right.

Well, a full series set for about $150 with what sounds like all the extras from the previous versions, plus some new stuff, is right enough for me.

If you’re a sci-fi fan and haven’t seen Farscape, you’re missing out. Created by Rockne S. O’Bannon (who did some fantastic work on The New Twilight Zone back in the late 80s), it tells the story of John Chrichton (Ben Browder), an American test pilot who finds himself thrown an unknown distance across the universe and surrounded by aliens (a number of which–including two main characters–who were provided by the Henson Creature Shop). The ever-growing ensemble cast brought together some of the most fun actors science fiction has to offer: Claudia Black, Anthony Simcoe, Gigi Edgley, Lani Tupu and Virginia Hey to start with more added as the story progressed.

A solid mix of drama, humor and homage to what’s come before it, Farscape was the best thing on the SciFi Channel (now SyFy) right up until they unceremoniously canceled it.

Come November, the whims of a network program director won’t matter any more. We’ll all be able to indulge in the adventures of the motley crue of escaped convicts trying to do the right thing (and stay alive).

Originally published at Toob Talk. You can comment here or there.

Have you ever fallen for someone without even knowing what they look like? Maybe it was on the phone or, more likely these days, over the Internet. Even then, imagine not seeing a picture of them at all until just before it’s time to make the decision to date them in the real world or not.

That, in a nutshell, is the premise behind the newest reality relationship experiment show, Dating in the Dark.

Three men and three women–most surprisingly close to average looking–spend four days getting to know one another. The catch is, the only time a man and woman can be in the same place together is in the dark room between the two wings of the requisite mansion they’re staying in.

And when they say “dark” they mean dark. The only light in that room comes from the infrared lamps that provide illumination for the infrared camera. Not a drop of visible light. This becomes quite obvious as we get to watch the two potential suitors stumble about trying to find one another and avoid the furniture.

Unlike most other “competition” dating shows, like The Bachelor or The Bachelorette,  there is no prize and no actual competition. There are no silly physical challenges or trivia contests. Nothing that purposely tries to bring out the worst in the participants.

On the contrary, much like the first few iterations of Beauty and the Geek, Dating in the Dark is much more of a social experiment we all get to watch. Sure, they throw in some neat little twists–like having professional sketch artists come in to draw pictures of how each side thinks the other looks. (In the fist episode, the guys were pretty darn close in their descriptions of the women… the women, not so much.)

Most of the action takes place in that dark room where we get to see everything the participants can’t. That in and of itself is an interesting twist. In the dark, it’s easy to forget there’s a camera there. People behave differently, are more open. And when the only company they have is the sound of someone else’s voice and, perhaps, the phantom touch of that invisible other, people can surprise themselves.

After an initial group meeting, each participant chooses one member of the opposite sex to spend some time with. Once that meeting is over, they’re all told who the “experts” (who’ve studied the massive personality tests and questionnaires they participants have filled out) think would match up best. From there on out, the participants can choose to focus on one person or continue to make time with others.

Not surprisingly, with only four days and a handful of meetings to be had, all the participants chose to spend most of their time with their expert-made match.

Right before time in the house is up, the pairs get to see one another for the first time. Again it takes place in the dark room, but this time there is a single spotlight that briefly shines down, revealing first one participant and then the other. Neither can see the other’s reaction–but we can, thank to the infrared cameras.

After that last shock to the system, each participant must decide if they’re willing to leave the house with their partner.

In the first episode, there were a couple of nice surprises. The participants were wonderfully realistic in their attitudes and reactions, not at all the over-the-top cartoons that most reality shows trot out in front of the camera. All of them seem to have done some serious thinking about what they usually look for in the opposite sex and at least considered re-evaluating their habits.

Looking at the ratings, the show did pretty well, pulling in just 200,000 fewer than its seasoned lead in, The Bachelorette.

Only the next few episodes will tell if it was curiosity or actual interest that made people tune in. Going through an entire “cast” each week is a risk most reality shows haven’t taken in a long time, relying on the familiar faces (and conflicts) to keep bringing viewers back. I admire the producers for taking that chance.

I think it will be fascinating to see how a good sized sample of participants react. Hopefully, they won’t change the process too much every week (it looks like they’ve swapped out at least one “getting to know you” bit for episode two).

If you liked Beauty and the Geek (before they started with the stunt casting and willful manipulation of the contestants), you should definitely check out Dating in the Dark. If Survivor or Rock of Love more suits your tastes, you may not be all that entertained… but you may be reminded of just how human even people on a TV show can be.

Originally published at Toob Talk. You can comment here or there.

Perhaps my favorite type of storytelling on the Internet. This one is only about three weeks and eight posts in. It’s suitably creepy and engaging enough to keep me wondering where it’s going… at least for now.

More to come… (when I finally have time  to write about things again…)

Originally published at Toob Talk. You can comment here or there.

Fox just ran a two-hour TV movie that’s obviously a set up for a series. I think it would be a pretty good one.

Virtuality is set on board the first deep-space exploration vessel Phaeton. The crew has been picked for their various areas of expertise… and how interesting they’ll be on camera. See, part of the plan for their 10 year trip in search of a new place for humans to move to is to broadcast the day to day goings on of life aboard the ship.

Kind of like The Real World: Deep Space.

And that’s pretty much how the story plays out.

All the conflicts and interpersonal drama framed like your typical reality show. At first, I found it a bit annoying. But by the halfway point, I was kind of caught up in the actual sci-fi aspects of the story. See, the real hook is the virutal reality gear that the crew uses to alleviate the boredom of long-term close-quarters living. Of course, there’s also the ubiquitous ship computer (named Jean) with the erily calm demeanor, no matter what’s going on.

Oh, and then there’s the strange guy who keeps showing up in the crew’s VR sessions. He tends to do things like shoot them and push them off mountains during otherwise peaceful and relaxing happenings.

By the end–which really wasn’t a sutiable end for a stand-alone movie–there’s a whole lot of mystery and the crew is locked in to their long trip to another star.

The cast is pretty good: Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (New Amsterdam), Clea DuVall (Carnivale), Sienna Guillory (Eragon) all raise the quality far enough above “reality TV” level that the show is watchable. The mystery, though, is what makes it interesting.

That mystery is co-written by Battlestar Galactica’s Ronald D. Moore.

Here’s the official Fox Preview of the show:

Originally published at Toob Talk. You can comment here or there.

Not too terribly long ago, I was singing the praises of Kings, by far one of the most literary things to hit network TV in a while.

After running four relatively unpromoted episodes on Sunday nights, NBC let the show skip a week before showling this past week’s episode on Saturday at 8 p.m. Not that they mentioned much loudly about the move. Now, after that one Saturday airing, the show’s been moved again, this time to June (but still on Saturdays).

So, for all intents and purposes, this already fully filmed series that only has seven episodes left in its arc is dead. The network will claim it’s because no one watched it. I’d contend that it’s more a case of no one knowing it was there to watch and then a case of those of us who did know about it, not knowing we had to follow it somewhere else to see more.

I see this sort of thing happen with a disturbing level of frequency among shows I like. Some manage to survive a little bit longer, most don’t.

The good news is, you can pre-order the first season right now (Kings - Season One), and that’s something I’d highly recommend as it may be the only way you’ll be able to see all of it.

Originally published at Toob Talk. You can comment here or there.

This past Sunday, NBC aired the first episode of their new series Kings. It tells the tale of the kingdom of Gilboa, pulled together from beaten and broken territories after the Unification War and built over the course of a generation into one of the most powerful and prosperous kingdoms in the land.

But all is not well–there are tensions escalating to the north and dissent within the halls of government. Even the royal family has agendas and secrets that may threaten the kingdom. Among the rustlings of change, a new face emerges, fresh from the front lines with a nearly unbelievable faith in his king. Will this new David become the leader of the people? Or will his mere presence seal the fate of King Silas?

Sounds like a good period piece, doesn’t it? It is–except that the “period” in question is more or less right now. This is the modern world we’re dealing with, complete with tanks, HDTV and a world-wide news network watching the move of everyone around any royal family.

Don’t let the modern trappings fool you, this show is full of all the classic intrigue, myth, and heroics that you’d expect from any classical story of a king and his kingdom. The show creators have spared no expense in making this world lush, both visually and culturally. It has a depth and an historic sweep that few shows I’ve ever seen have been able to touch.

Perhaps most importantly, the writing and acting are top notch. Ian McShane as King Silas delivers what would almost be corny dialog with a panache and regality that’s easy to buy into. Chris Egan as David Shepherd glides though the battlefield and halls of government with a genuine honesty and naivite that, in less capable hands, would be downright unbelievable. Every bit of the cast is just as talented.

Without a doubt, this premire is the best two hours of television I’ve seen in a while. If the quality sticks, the story it tells in its first season will be epic and on par with any of the literary classics on similar subjects–part King Arthur, part MacBeth, and, perhaps, part Bonfire of the Vanities, Kings is something special that should be seen. (Watch a Clip)

Originally published at Toob Talk. You can comment here or there.

Either Fox has given up on 24 or it’s been decided that The Golden Globe Awards are irrelevant to other networks.

Usually, the big awards shows–Oscars, Grammys, Golden Globes–and big sporting events clear the schedules of ever network that isn’t broadcasting them, relegating the prime time slots to reruns and movies.

Not the case tonight as Fox premiers the new season of 24 (which as been a long time coming due to last year’s writers’ strike and Kiefer’s legal troubles) directly against the Globes.

ABC doesn’t even seem to care about the Globes as they’ve got new episodes of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and Desperate Housewives on tonight.

CBS tunes in 60 Minutes and Cold Case freshness in those first two hours, too.

Guess all signs point to the Globes being irrelevant to network programming concerns.

Originally published at Toob Talk. You can comment here or there.

Like many of the more savvy and dedicated (or just busy) television watchers out there, I tend to time shift a good half to two thirds of what I watch.

That’s mostly because bunches of it is on major networks during prime time.

As anyone who knows me is surely aware, I love my TV shows. Watching TV with my brain turned on has been a hobby of mine for at least two and half decades now.

Lately, though, I’ve noticed that some of those time shifted shows have been lingering on the DVR longer and longer. Some never get watched before they get erased to make room for something else. Right now I’ve got nearly a whole season of three different shows awaiting me in time shifted, digitial format. These are shows I was all about watching, really… some of the better ones from last season that I just couldn’t catch for one reason or another this season.

So why do they sit unwatched? Mostly because there’s no imperitive to watch them. Since the writer’s strike the viewing habits of a whole lot of people around me have changed considerably. (And most people I know didn’t watch all that much TV to begin with.) They either catch things sporadically, have been sucked into reality shows or time shift most of their own viewing.

It’s that last caveat that really gets me.

Once upon a time, a show would be on and, if you wanted to see it, you had to watch it right then. Chances are if the show was a big enough deal, by the next time you ran into friends with similar tastes, they’d have all seen it at the same time.

This simply isn’t the case any more.

Now it can be anywhere from that night to when the season comes out on DVD that people watch that one episode you so want to talk about. Now there’s always the fear of spoilers and leaked “secrets” and surprises.

Thankfully, there are still a few “go to” shows that are still event TV. Battlestar Galactica, Heroes and a few others have managed to hold on to their status as water cooler chat fodder. Chances are good that if you talk about them the next day, people will have seen them.

But half the stuff on my DVR right now? Nope. Not event TV. Even worse, in my circle of friends, there aren’t a whole lot of people watching those particular shows. If I bring them up in conversation, forget being able to talk about a recent episode, I’m lucky if people have even heard of them.

By far this is the biggest problem that time shifting and the introduction of new viewing venues (online and DVD among others) has caused. There’s no doubt that the networks have been veyr slow to adapt to this change. So far, their main course of action has been to attempt to promote everything as “event TV”… and we all know that most of it simply isn’t. Well, that and adding more cheap reality shows to the schedule.

People like me, who devour TV shows, are left a bit adrift unless we want to put in the legwork to pop into very specific fan communities to discuss our latest viewings–and that can even run into trouble when you’ve let a few episode back up and really want to discuss the first of the bunch while eveyrone else is on the last.

So this is the time shifting dillemma: how do you do it and still make it feel worthwhile? That’s what I’ve been struggling with for months now.

Because if I don’t talk about these shows–if I don’t exercise my brain–they feel like the waste of time other people purport them to be.

(Of course, if you watch TV with your brain turned off like most people out there, this isn’t a problem at all.)

In the coming weeks and months, I’ll be attempting to solve this problem and others by writing more here.

Hopefully, you’ll be along for the ride and work your brains, too.

Originally published at Toob Talk. You can comment here or there.

Hot on the heels of Forrest J. Ackerman’s death, I’ve come across a couple of much more positive horror goodies.

First, the flick that my friend Kelley was in, Women’s Studies, has been picked up for distribution. That means that all y’all will be able to see it. That’s good news for everyone.

Then, another friend of mine pointed me to a new zombie movie. It’s a foreign zombie film, but was a Sundance Film Festival selection (so it’s obviously got something going for it). What is that something? How about Nazi Snow Zombies? Yeah, that’s right. Nazi zombies coming out of the snow. Don’t believe me? Check out the trailer. See. Told you. Doesn’t that look kind of awesome? It’s called Dead Snow and it’s Norwegian. Here’s hoping it comes around here.

Finally, everyone’s favorite sports equipment-wearing slasher is back in action come February 13. The new trailer for Friday the 13th just hit the web the other day and I have to say I’m impressed. From what I see in that trailer and what I’ve read about the project as a whole, it sounds like this is going to be a good reboot of the series, staying true to the original character ideas and not going too campy too quickly. Plus, it’s got Supernatural’s Jared Padalecki in it. That’ll be good for at least a few jokes in the television series after the movie comes out, right?

Here’s hoping, that as the world crawls out of real horror, we find some good fake stuff on the screen in 2009.

Originally published at Toob Talk. You can comment here or there.

Continuing on with the look at the fall season, we slip quietly into October. (If you’re playing along with the home game, all this is coming from this TV Guide.com calendar which is exceptionally useful.)

Pushing Daisies (ABC, 8 p.m., Wednesdays)

This show really hit the spot last season. It was whimsical, quirky, uplifting and, at times, downright touching. It also carried through a perverse sense of humor and amazing visual style that left me really wanting more when it’s too-short season came to close. Who would have thought the tale of a pie maker and his once dead girlfriend could be so good for family entertainment? (Premieres Oct. 1)

Private Practice (ABC, 9 p.m., Wednesdays)

As much as I like Grey’s Anatomy, it’s spinoff just didn’t do it for me. At all. I’m actually almost surprised that it’s back for a second season. I say “almost” because it’s a show about pretty people having petty problems while screwing around with one another. It’s got “popular hit” written all over it. Well, you can have it. I’m sure I can find something better to do with this hour. (Premieres Oct. 1)

Dirty Sexy Money (ABC, 10 p.m. , Wednesdays)

Big egos, big spenders, dark secrets and a murder mystery, Dirty Sexy Money has it all. Plus Donald Sutherland. This show actually surprised me last season by being as enjoyable and engaging as it was. I’ve been eagerly awaiting its return–as much to see what the mega-rich Darling family will do next as to find out where the next set of clues in the underlying murder plot lead. (Premieres Oct. 1)

The Ghost Whisperer (CBS, 8 p.m., Fridays)

During its first season, The Ghost Whisperer left me in kind of a diabetic coma. Jennifer Love Hewitt was too cute and sunny for someone who had spent her life dealing with dead people. It wasn’t until a couple of seasons in when the show took a little bit of a darker turn that I came back to it. I haven’t been able to let it go since. Last season, with the discovery of the town beneath the town and impending doom around every corner, I think the show hit a high point. Now I’m curious as to whether they can keep the suspense and momentum going. It’s no Supernatural, but, thankfully, it’s also not Touched By An Angel. (Premieres Oct. 3)

Kath & Kim (NBC, 8:30 p.m., Thursdays)

Chalk up another notch in the “American version of a hit foreign show” column. This one looks to be a “revisioning” of an Aussie show (one of, what, three or four shows that whole continent produces?) The only thing bringing me to this with any hope is Selma Blair. She was one of the key ingredients in making Zoe, Duncan, Jack and Jane fun and watchable, I’m hoping she does the same for this show. And she’s got a lot to overcome, because none of the characters look that interesting (let alone sympathetic). (Premieres Oct. 9)

Life On Mars (ABC, 10 p.m., Thursdays)

Speaking of American versions of shows that there don’t need to be American versions of… Life on Mars (U.S. version) reportedly changes just about all the details of the BBC show it’s borrowing it’s title from. I’ve been told again and again that I should check out the original (and I will, I promise… it’s on my list!). That tells me the American version is going to have to work pretty hard to either a) dull itself down enough to get a prime-time following here in the states or b) die a quick death like every other time travel flavored show from last season (Journeyman, New Amsterdam). Guess we’ll just have to wait and see. (Premieres Oct. 9)

Eleventh Hour (CBS, 10 p.m., Thursdays)

Competing for the “strange hour of TV on Thursday” slot against Life on Mars is yet another re-tooling of a foreign show. Again it “borrows” plot and characters from the British. This time around Rufus Sewell replaces Patrick Stuart as a guy investigating strange goings on. A plot that sounds oddly like Fringe, which beat this show to air by a few weeks. It’s bound to be another CSI meets Twilight Zone, X-Files wannabe. But I’ll give Sewell a chance. It could be better than Fringe (which I still haven’t decided if I like or not). (Premieres Oct. 9)

Samantha Who? (ABC, 9:30 p.m., Mondays)

I stand firmly behind the idea that you just can’t go wrong with Christina Applegate. Ever since she broke out of the dumb blond role that made her famous, she’s done one good thing after another. The inaugural season of Samantha Who? took a tired concept (character gets amnesia) and brought a new life to it. A strong supporting cast certainly helped, but Applegate is the heart of the show. I’m curious as to whether her real-life battle with breast cancer will get worked into the plot. It wouldn’t surprise me and I don’t doubt it would fit well with the blend of humor and introspection the show has cultivated. (Premieres Oct. 13)

My Own Worst Enemy (NBC, 10 p.m., Mondays)

Speaking of characters who don’t know who they are, here we have Christian Slater playing a hit man and a family man. Two very different lives crammed into the same body due to some deep-cover, sleeper agent brain tweaking. I don’t know if it’s going to be good, but it will be entertaining. At least for a few episodes. I have my doubts if it can be sustained for a while, but I had doubts about Chuck, too, and that just kicked off its second season in a good way. (Premieres Oct. 13)

Eli Stone (ABC, 10 p.m., Tuesdays)

Just in case you don’t have enough quirky lawyers in your diet, Eli Stone apparently returns to life from his first season cliffhanger ending. Either that or this will be the shortest second season ever. The show never really grabbed me, but it was always entertaining. Most of the time, though, it felt like a low-rent David E. Kelley riff. There’s just something missing, which is a shame because Victor Garber is fantastic in his supporting role. Maybe this season will have more song and dance numbers… not sure how much that would help, but, again: entertaining! (Premieres Oct. 14)

Crusoe (NBC, 10 p.m., Fridays)

Hey! It’s the original Lost! come back in the form of an hour long drama. I really haven’t seen a whole lot on this show, but I’ll tune in just to see how far they’ll go to mash as many shows together as possible in the attempt to make a new hit. But it’s on Friday nights at 10 p.m., not much lasts there for long. I give it four episodes tops before it’s gone. (Premieres Oct. 17)

And there you go–your new fall season… or at least the things I’ll be watching or actively avoiding. Everything else, you’re on your own for.

Originally published at Toob Talk. You can comment here or there.

There are a lot of new and old shows on their way back. A lot of them, I’ve watched or am looking forward to watching. There’s also a bunch I’m dreading or that I’ve given up on. You can make your own plans using this handy dandy calendar of premieres over at TV Guide.com.

NCIS (Tuesdays, 8 pm, CBS)

As spin-offs go, NCIS has done quite well for itself. I’d be tempted to say it’s gotten even better than JAG, it’s parent show. As with every previous season, last season’s finale left me wondering how, exactly, the team would continue pushing on. Granted, over the years, a bit more humor and self parody have crept in. Hopefully the balance will hold and this season will be a good one. But, hey, as long as I get me some Pauley Perrette, all is good. (Premiers 8/23)

The Mentalist (Tuesdays, 9 pm, CBS)

The new show stuck in the middle of CBS’s crime-time Tuesdays looks an awful lot like the cable gem Psych, except with a little more class. Then again, Simon Baker always brings a little class to the shows he’s in. While that wasn’t enough to save Smith a couple seasons ago, he did manage to make The Guardian a pretty decent series (even if the premise was flimsy to begin with). Maybe The Mentalist will click, maybe it won’t. I’m not sure how I feel about it. But I’m willing to give it a chance. (Premieres 8/23)

Knight Rider (Wednesdays, 8 pm, NBC)

OK, so some parts of the recent TV movie that revived the Night Rider franchise weren’t totally horrible. But enough of them were to make me seriously concerned that this iteration of the idea will be as bad as those that have come before–like, as bad as the original, except without the fun. I’ve been of the opinion that they should have just gone for a total reboot of the series instead of tying it in to the original. And, y’know, stuck with the Trans Am. I’ve seen some possible leaks of script bits and the ads that have been running lately and neither of them do anything to increase my confidence in this doing anything other than tarnishing my golden memories of The Hoff and his sweet ride. (Premieres 8/24)

Lipstick Jungle (Wednesdays, 10 pm, NBC)

This show I tuned in to mainly for Brooke Shields. I’m a fan from way back… like when she showed up on the original Muppet show and stuff. I was suitably impressed by the rest of the cast to keep coming back. Last season progressed well through the lives of all the key characters. Yes, it’s got a bit of a Sex in the City vibe, but it’s also a little more grown up. And I, for one, will proudly keep watching to see where it goes this season. (At least I’ll keep watching until it starts to really suck… then it’s all on its own.) (Premieres 8/25)

Grey’s Anatomy (Thursdays, 9 pm, ABC)

Despite the fact that I keep wishing death on the title character, I keep watching. (Please! Can’t she just stay dead the next time it happens… there’s another Grey on the show now… I like her a lot better.) Overall, the show is pretty solid and a tremendous amount of fun most of the time. Last season was really a time for many of the supporting cast to shine. And all the guest bits over the years have been spectacular. The show has been generally well-written, so as long as the continues, I’ll probably keep watching. (Premieres 8/26)

ER (Thursdays, 10 pm, NBC)

This show is entering its 15th season. I stopped watching regularly at least five seasons ago. They’ve done every story they could do. In fact, they did that about ten years ago. All they’ve done now is stretch the bounds of reality to ridiculous lengths and swapped out old characters from the old plots. I say all this because it seems the network is finally putting this lame horse down. I will watch the last episode of ER with as much excitement as I watched the first episode back in September of 1994. If only to make sure it’s over.

Chuck (Mondays, 8 pm, NBC)

OK, I’ll admit, I consider this show a guilty pleasure. It’s generally light, fun and full of action and sexy sexy women. It was just announced that NBC has picked up another nine episodes of Chuck, giving it a lock on a full season before the first bit of ratings are even in. If this show is to really thrive, though, it’s got to get more creative and things need to expand in scope. Having two main jokes (”haha look at the geeky guy and the hot girl together, isn’t that cute and awkward?” and “Ooo! He’s got all sorts of stuff in his head but he doesn’t always read it right.”) is good for one short season. Much more than that and you need to grow your operating paradigm before it gets really silly. After all, Chuck’s not getting any new super secret information in that database he’s got in his head–that stuff’s getting old quick.

Life (Mondays, 10 pm, NBC)

Life is another one of the few shows that caught me off guard with just how good it was. The plot is interesting but the presentation by Damian Lewis of quirky cop Crews is what really seals the deal. One part zen master, one part vindictive, sadistic vengeance-seeker, one part damn fine cop… that’s a character I can get behind and be endlessly fascinated by. My biggest fear is that too many people won’t “get” the show and it’ll be bounced around the schedule a few times before being unceremoniously and quietly canceled.

And that more or less wraps up the new/returning stuff that I give a damn about in September. But, as seasons continue to become more amorphous, a good handful of show premieres have crept into October. More on those later…

Originally published at Toob Talk. You can comment here or there.

There are a lot of new and old shows on their way back. A lot of them, I’ve watched or am looking forward to watching. There’s also a bunch I’m dreading or that I’ve given up on. You can make your own plans using this handy dandy calendar of premieres over at TV Guide.com.

House (Tuesdays, 9 pm, FOX)

From the first episode, I’ve loved this show. Last season, they shook things up a bit adding in a bunch of new cast members and moving most of the familiar supporting cast to the background. The final two hours of the season were mind-blowing and unusually emotional for the show. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t terribly curious to see how those events effect our favorite heartless healer and his only real friend. (Premieres 9/16)

Smallville (Thursdays, 8 pm, CW)

I don’t know why I still bother with this show. It has proved again and again to be one of the most unevenly scripted, acted and directed things on TV. They’ve diverged far from the “normal” Superman cannon and introduced so many quirks and conspiracies that it gives The X-Files a run for its money. But the good episodes are incredibly good. And so I keep watching, suffering through the crap to catch those ever-fewer nuggets of gold (like last seasons Luther on Luther confrontations–those were fantastic). (Premieres 9/18)

Supernatural (Thursdays, 9 pm, CW)

Of course, Supernatural may be the reason I sit through Smallville. This show has consistently nailed the horror genre. There have been episodes that were more terrifying than half the R-rated horror films I’ve seen over the years. The Winchester brothers play wonderful off of one another, which is going to make this season particularly interesting seeing how last season (inevitably) ended. (Premieres 9/18)

The Big Bang Theory (Mondays, 8 pm, CBS)

I almost didn’t watch this show again after its premiere episode. I’m glad I did. It quickly became my favorite new sitcom… and one of my favorite sitcoms of all time (so far). Maybe I relate a little too much to the characters, but the dialog and situations are hilarious regardless of how much one can directly relate. If you haven’t seen it, tune in and watch it. (Premieres 9/22)

How I Met Your Mother (Mondays, 8:30 pm, CBS)

This show is one of the rare cases where a show I really liked has not only survived, but thrived. When it premiered, I tuned in mostly to see what Allison Hannigan would do not playing a Joss Whedon character. I stayed because of the rest of the cast. Again we have a very consistent series where the show runners and the actors know their characters well enough to keep the writers in line (or, at least, smartly pick the right writers for their show… a lesson that could be learned by a good number of higher-budget shows). HIMYM has the perfect mix of ridiculous situations, nostalgia, romance and Niel Patrick Harris. I just hope they end it before they run out of funny. I’d really hate to have to hate this show. (Premiers 9/22)

Heroes (Mondays, 9 pm, NBC)

The first season of Heroes caught me a little off guard by how tightly plotted and solid it was… and how seriously it took itself. Things floundered a little in the second season–some poor scripting decisions and character introductions cluttered things up and then the writers’ strike cut things short. Being cut short, in fact, is probably the best thing that happened to season two. It makes it more of a transition than anything else. The upcoming third season looks like it’s going to be a total blockbuster. The first season gave us a big-deal threat to worry about–now we’re getting something more. We’re getting the real conflict, internal and external, between heroes and villains. I’m kind of excited about it. (Premieres 9/22)

Worst Week (Mondays, 9:30 pm, CBS)

Yet another in a series of what I like to call “lowest common denominator” sitcoms. Everything about this show looks trashy and insulting. No need for wit, just debasing insult humor. It’ll probably be a big hit for a little while, then the novelty will wear off and, before the end of the season, it will be gone. When that happens, TV will be a better place. (Premieres 9/22)

Boston Legal (Mondays, 10 pm, ABC)

I love me some quirky lawyers–especially when they’re written by David E. Kelley. I do, however, worry that this show has gone about as far as it can without devolving into total self-parody (and it was already pretty far into “wink, wink, nudge, nudge, look we’re a TV show” territory). Hopefully, this season will continue to walk that fine line between comedy-parody and biting social commentary. And more Shatner actually acting would be nice… the serious episodes with Denny as the focus were some of the best last season.

Still more next time…

Originally published at Toob Talk. You can comment here or there.

It’s that time again!

A handful of returners and a smattering of new shows begin showing up this week. TV Guide has a very useful little calendar, so you can plan your viewing (or time shifting) accordingly. As usual, I’ll be watching a whole lot of what shows up. But before that, I think there’s already some clear winners and losers out there.

Prison Break (Mondays, 8 pm, Fox)

When this show kicked off the early debuts a few years back, it surprised me greatly. Last season, after I had cheered the tense planning and execution of the escape (season 1) and sat on the edge of my seat while the escapees eluded capture and exposed the conspiracy that started the whole thing (season 2), it just got a little silly and I lost interest. Now that we’re heading into the fourth year of this, the show has long-outlived it’s basic premise and, coincidentally, it’s title. I’m far from caught up and I don’t plan on being. By all means, watch it for the eye candy (heck, maybe we’ll even see some more of that tattoo that’s spent most of the last two seasons covered up), but this is one of those shows that should have had a set story arc and then just let it all go. (Premiers 9/1)

90210 (Tuesdays, 8 pm, CW)

I grew up with the original Beverly Hills, 90210. I’m digging the fact that we’re going to get to see some old characters all grown up and a new batch of students at good ol’ West Beverly High. What I’m not digging is that the powers that be have decided to go the ultra-lame route of recycling the exact same basic plot idea of two new students–a brother and a sister (though obviously not twins)–from a non-hip and trendy middle-of-nowhere town who get thrown into the social web of the 90210-ers. But, the CW crew seems to know it’s target audience (which, admittedly, I’m not… having grown up on the original 90210 and all), and they’ve done a good job with other shows, so I’ll be tuning in and giving it a chance. (Premieres 9/2)

True Blood (Sundays, 9 pm, HBO)

This one looks interesting. It’s a vampire show, so it’s got some big shoes to fill but, well, I’m a sucker for vampires and I’ll give it a chance. The viral marketing/alternate reality game campaign they did was kind of neat. And it’s got Anna Paquin. Here’s hoping it’s worth the time. (Premieres 9/7)

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (Mondays, 8 pm, FOX)

The short first season of this show rocked my socks. Yes, there was some unevenness and yes, it did take some work to get used to the new Sarah Connor, but overall, I think the show has a lot of potential and I’m eager to see where it’s going to go. Especially with a new Terminator movie on the way. (Premieres 9/8)

Fringe (Tuesdays, 8 pm, FOX)

One half of the highly anticipated new “spooky” shows that Fox will be rolling out (Dollhouse being the other). Some are setting this one up for a fall by saying it’ll be “the next X-files!” From what I’ve seen so far (which isn’t much), it has potential to be good and most definitely interesting. It all really depends on how the cast gels and how the writing quality pans out. There has been many a show in the past (including the X-Files) that managed to stab itself in the eye because it’s writing was uneven. (Premieres 9/9)

Do Not Disturb (Wednesdays, 9:30 pm, FOX)

Oh, look, Jerry O’Connell in another sit come. Because, you know, his last one (the awful Carpoolers worked so well last year). I’ll watch it, but I’m not expecting much. Especially since it sounds a bit like yet another import and change of a classic Brit-com. (Premieres 9/10)

Hole in the Wall (Thursdays, 8 pm, FOX)

Go read the description. Then join me in the chorus of “Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?”

More of these later…

Originally published at Toob Talk. You can comment here or there.

Less than a year after the original Stargate series made the jump to direct-to-video movies, Stargate: Atlantis seems to have gotten the ax.

It won’t be completely gone right away, though. Thanks to the odd way the Sci Fi Channel breaks up its seasons, the current (fifth) season will run through January some time. Then there’ll be a two hour movie some time later in 2009. There may be other movies after that.

According to a quote over at Multichannel News:

“We’re excited to tell Atlantis stories on a bigger canvas,” Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper, co-creators of Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis and currently executive producers on Atlantis, said in a statement. “The successes of the two original Stargate [direct-to-video] movies The Ark of Truth and Continuum have shown us the opportunities that the movie format offers. We have plans for both SG-1 and Atlantis to remain vital as we expand the franchise.”

I can’t exactly say I’m sad to see Atlantis go. I’ve always found it to be more than a little uneven as a show. There have been some really solid episodes, but there have been just as many that left me scratching my head wondering “How the heck did they no see how bad this was before they spent all that money making it?” Somehow, they managed to never get their characters quite as vibrant as SG1 did in the same time frame.

Which, I suppose, is one of the reasons SG1 lasted a decade and Atlantis only five years.

For those die-hard Stargate fans, though, there’s little reason to really despair. There’s already a new series that’s been pitched and it’s been promised to be bigger and better than either of its predecessors.

Stargate: Universe, while it has an unfortunately silly title, seems to be based on a good concept. According to the GateWorld website, the premise focuses on a project the Ancients (you know, the race that built the gates, fought the Wraith, created the Replicators, ascended into two warring camps and did all sorts of other questionably intelligent things) started and just kind of let run. That project? Seeding the entire universe with stargates using an automated ship. That ship’s been out there, bouncing along for thousands of years at this point. The second part of that project? A second ship following it to explore the areas around the new gates.

That could be interesting. Kind of a return to the Star Trek idea of “new worlds and new civilizations” being found using a starship. With the extra added bonus that, thanks to the gates, you could easily arrange cameos from favorite characters from the previous two series.

Of course, I’m not going to hold my breath on this show getting made, let alone made well. As a third generation derivative being run by the same people that ran the previous two incarnations of the franchise, it automatically has a lot of baggage to deal with. As we’ve learned with the Star Trek and Star Wars franchises the temptation to apply the same formulas to incompatible ideas is hard to resist. But I’ll wait to at least hear that the series has a green light before I fully rip into it.

In other SG news, it looks like the Stargate Worlds MMORPG is still on track. I can’t imagine it will do exceptionally well if there’s no series to tie into, though. I know I’d be willing to play it… if I had the time and money. And maybe my own group of friends to put together into a solid SG team. (I’ve signed up to maybe get in on the beta of the game, just for fun.)

So, there you have it. We’ve gone from a little movie that got a big following to a series that started on a pay cable network, segued into syndication and then was picked up by a regular cable network and spawned a spin-off with a bigger scope to an online game and, possibly a third series with an even larger scope than its predecessors. Here’s hoping it doesn’t just leave a bad taste in a lot of fans mouths.

Originally published at Toob Talk. You can comment here or there.

Tonight, NBC premiers it’s new “reality” show, Celebrity Circus.

I, of course, won’t be watching it. (I’ll be watching a much more worthwhile “reality” show, Ghosthunters.)

Here’s the thing about what I’ve seen of this show just from the previews–I’ve already seen a better version of this a decade or three ago. It was called Circus of the Stars and it was an annual one shot that showcased the (often impressive) results of a lot of hard work by then-current celebrities.

Celebrity Circus, on the other hand, is an ongoing show that has the ever-popular (and often degrading) competition aspect added in. Viewers are encouraged to tune in not to see the “celebrities” (and I use that term loosely) succeed, but to watch the spectacular (and inevitable) failures. I’m guessing people will be voted off every week. I’m guessing there will be backstabbing, or at least implied backstabbing, as that gets people to talk about and watch the show.

No, I won’t be watching it because I hate what reality shows push on us. They create z-list faux-celebrities who get better known the more they screw up or screw over others. Our society is bad enough without actually encouraging, idolizing and rewarding behavior like that.

So you go and watch the first episode of Celebrity Circus. I’ll be here remembering the good old days when real celebrities like Lauren Bacall and Sammy Davis, Jr. showed up on TV to prove they were more than just pretty faces.

Originally published at Toob Talk. You can comment here or there.

After being horribly disappointed by the Thursday night show I actually watched in real time, I was slightly hesitant to queue up Swingtown on the DVR.

Very quickly, that hesitation turned to elation. This show could be really good.

Yes, sex and swinging was a sizable part of this introductory episode. But it was done with style, some wonderful situational humor and with great effect for character development.

For those who didn’t catch it, the basic plot is this: Bruce and Susan Miller have come into some money, so they decide to move from their distinctly working-class neighborhood to a bigger house in a nicer part of town. The move may be just a couple of miles physically, but social and psychologically, it’s light-years different. Susan’s now former neighbor, Janet Thompson, and her husband Roger bid the Millers (Bruce, Susan, their son BJ and their daughter Laurie) good-bye during the neighborhood Fourth of July barbecue.

Everything that goes on in the old neighborhood and with the Thompsons is played beautifully. There’s an odd rapport between Susan and Roger, it wouldn’t surprise me if it comes out later in the series that they had an affair at some point. The relationship between Janet and Bruce is distinctly antagonistic–he obviously can’t stand her overly-emotional nervous ticks. The cast plays the subtlety of their characters perfectly. Anyone from a small town or close-knit neighborhood knows people like these.

Subtlety, however, is not the strong point of the neighbors at the new house. Tom and Trina Decker are hip and proud to flaunt it. Be it in their coordinated jogging outfits or the swinging (literally) party they invite the Millers to on their first night in the new place. Our first introduction to Tom tells us all we need to know right off the top: he’s an airline pilot, he’s shirtless and he’s flirting with a stewardess–who he brings home to share with his wife. And he’s got the ubiquitous 70s mustache.

The Deckers bring out the more adventurous side of the Millers, much to the horror of the Thompsons, who just happened to stop by as their old friends were on their way to the party across the street and accepted the invitation to tag along. There is much comedy in this sequence of events, but also a deal of poignancy.

We all know how easy it is to fall into a rut, and how different we feel when we suddenly get pulled out of it. That is the transition that is played out during the party.

And that’s just what the grown ups are up to.

There’s also the kids: Rick Thompson and BJ and Laurie Miller. They’ve all got plenty going on, too. Rick and BJ are young boys just discovering the joys, fears and consequences of being interested in girls. Laurie has a crush on her summer school teacher, who is a stark contrast to her (also older) stoner boyfriend.

Not as wholesome and outright family friendly as American Dreams and far from as nostalgic as The Wonder Years, Swingtown definitely has potential to be a great show. The talent is there on the screen and, if this first episode is any indication, there’s talent behind the camera, too.

If CBS gives the show a chance to find its legs, adjusts its marketing campaign appropriately and doesn’t bounce the thing all over the schedule, it may have another hit on its hands.

Of course, this is CBS. They don’t always thing things through very well. So, watch it while it lasts.

Originally published at Toob Talk. You can comment here or there.

I won’t say I had high hopes for NBC’s Fear Itself, but I did have moderate ones. And still, I’m disappointed.

After a promising beginning, the first installment of the new anthology series, The Sacrifice, quickly degraded into a melange of same-old, same-old flat characters and sad excuses for plot twists. We won’t even talk about the total lack of scares in the show. I wonder if the people saying how terrifying it was on the official message board cringe when their shadow moves while they’re walking.

The only thing about The Sacrifice (kind of a misleading title once all is said and done) that is anywhere near above average is the makeup effect for the main critter. Everything else, well, if you’ve seen more than one vampire movie in your life, you’ll pretty much figure this one out right away.

Oops, did I spoil that for you by mentioning that this was a vampire story? You’ll thank me, really. Otherwise, like me, you’ll get really excited as four guys, one of them seriously injured in some way, sticking to back roads run into some car trouble and hoof it across the frozen lake to an odd little compound out in the middle of nowhere. Once there, the place seems empty until the very blond, very busty and (shortly) very friendly residents make themselves known.

Right there we have so many different directions this story could go in. Especially with a title like “The Sacrifice”. But either short story writer Del Howison or screenwriter (and series creator) Mick Garris or director Breck Eisner fail miserably at realizing any of those infinitely more terrifying directions. Nope, instead they go for the tried and true “We catch people to feed them to the vampire that lives here” route.

And, man, do we get to that plot point quickly.

Look, I understand there’s only about 42 minutes to work with. But there’s a lot a skilled writer (and a skilled cast) can do in less time than that. Just look at any half-hour episode of the original Twilight Zone and you’ll see. Heck, look at the more modern Tales from the Crypt, they only had half an hour, too. The new Outer Limits did amazing things with an hour time slot, as does the current scariest show on TV, Supernatural.

In fact, the people who put together this installment of Fear Itself could learn a lot from the cast and crew over at Supernatural.

Lesson 1: Let your quirky characters shine! This is especially true if we’re never going to see them again. In the case of The Sacrifice, that would be Lemon, the brother who’s just along for the ride and always screws stuff up. Not only do we only get to hear a handful of lines from him (most of which are the same thing repeated over and over), but he never gets the chance to do anything. OK, one thing, but we can all guess what that is (hint: it’s right out of From Dusk till Dawn, just like most of the rest of the plot). Sad thing is, he’s the most interesting character in the entire show.

Lesson 2: If you’re going to rush to get to the point, it better be a good one. There have been entire episodes of Supernatural where the viewer (and the characters) aren’t sure exactly what’s going on until the last minute. That builds tension, something this show just didn’t have any of after the first ten minutes.

Lesson 3: Give the characters a fighting chance before you take it away. Really, it’s scarier that way. If the characters think they have everything under control and then suddenly realize they missed something important, they have good reason to panic and the audience has good reason to cringe–in a good way.

Lesson 4: If you’re going to go with tried and true legends and done-it-all-before monsters, you sure as hell better come up with at least something new. Supernatural does it all the time. Yeah, we’ve all heard of Bloody Mary and that guy with a hook for a hand who kills people in their cars and every other urban legend they dredge up for the show. But there’s always some new twist they add to it that makes it worth watching. The Sacrifice just didn’t do that.

I could go on, but I’d most likely be wasting my breath.

The good news is, Fear Itself is an anthology show, so the team that made The Sacrifice won’t be back to bring us more crap. No, next week we’ll have a whole new team bringing us crap. Or not.

I really hope next week is better.

But I’m afraid I’ll be disappointed.