Summer 2010 shows pt. II

Covert Affairs Action-suspense-drama
Seen 3 episodes

It's impossible to start watching Covert Affairs without thinking about Alias. Back in those days Jennifer Garner became the most interesting spy on TV, but she didn't really have that much competition. These days we've seen the entire Alias from the mind of J.J. Abrams, we've seen eight seasons of high quality MI5 spy-action from Britain in Spooks and maybe most of all we've seen the quirky Chuck trying to figure out a spy-life among his nerd-friends at Buy More. It's not easy coming up with a new spy show, while being both high-tech enough to capture the society of this time meanwhile interesting enough on the human level.

Piper Perabo (once upon accelerated into fame thanks to the 2000 hit Coyote Ugly and recently reviewed on the sister-blog in a supporting role in The Prestige from 2006) plays our new spy-heroine, Annie Walker. Her partner, who mostly helps her in a James Bond's Q-kind of way thanks to his blindness, is Auggie Anderson played by Christopher Gorman (Jake 2.0). Annie recruited into CIA isn't just thanks to her skills, as there's some unknown to her connections through her ex-boyfriend. Pulling the strings are the married CIA-mid level bosses Arthur and Joan Campbell, played by Peter Gallagher (The O.C.) and Kari Matchett.

Covert Affairs have several problems. First out it feels like amateur hour, whether you compare it to Alias, Spooks or even Chuck. Secondly the need of pairing a rookie agent with a blind man is, not surprisingly, too much to take serious. Thirdly the family life of Annie reflecting on her cases, is just annoying and without a larger purpose. The same can easily be said about the marriage problems of the Campbells. There are several other issues I could address, but I think I've made my point.

They can still manage to take it to a more professional level in just a few episodes, excusing them self by pointing towards their lead being a rookie agent, polish their out-of-spy angles to more entertaining TV and maybe manage their arch story with Annie's ex-boyfriend in a better way. then they might be onto something, as it's still a spy action-adventure-show and who doesn't love them? On the other hand they might have lost all their viewers before then, or even worse... got canned. Barely a three thus far. It doesn't promise well for the Covert Affairs of Annie Walker.

Rizzoli & Isles Cop-drama-action-suspense
Seen 3 episodes

I don't mind female detectives, I don't mind female examiners and I don't mind a feminine look at the entire way cop-shows are handled, but I do mind cliches, weak dialogues and ordinary cases flushed with less than ordinary drama.

Angie Harmon (Law & Order) is Jane Rizzoli, the tough-as-nail, non-feminine detective more likely to play with guns than dress up. Sarah Alexander (NCIS, Dawson's Creek) is Maura Isles, the know-it-all medical examiner with a new date every night, nice dresses even at murder-sites and the polar opposite of her friend.

Together they are... Well. They are quite boring to be honest, but I guess the creators aimed for being a good team. At least according to the poster. I suggest you rather spend your time on something else, but that's me.

The Glades Cop-drama-action-suspense
Seen the pilot

A Chicago cop is thrown out of the force thanks to a shooting and a wrongful accusation of having an affair with his captain's wife. He joins the state police in a small town in Florida, and once again we have a show about a big city cop adjusting to life in a small society.

Matt Passmore have got the role as our new hero, and unfamiliar to Passmore from earlier I'm anything but impressed. He managed to crush any interest I might have had in this show, in just an ordinary short pilot. While the intro-story was average at best, the attitude, lacking charisma and overall acting ability of the leading man made this an easy show to cut from my schedule.

Huge Drama-teen-family
Seen the pilot

Huge takes us with Nikki Blonsky (Hairspray) as Willamina, to a wight-loss camp at Wellness Canyon. This TV-show is based on the novel with the same title, by Sasha Paley. As usual with ABC Family shows, it's all about the good in people. No surprise when it takes place on such a spirit-camp, and body-image issues are a major part of this show while pitching the usual about inner qualities.

I'm probably not as shallow as Hal, and I really don't need the usual supermodel-wannabee-actresses to enjoy a show. I do however need an interesting storyline, and from watching the pilot it all feels like I could predict the entire season. I know overweight is a major problem in USA, and I bet they are desperate to get a show able to gain focus towards it, preach against bullying and land a couple of new big role models in the wake of Precious.

Nikki Blonsky was both acting well and she was fun in Hairspray, and she also made a good impression during the pilot here. The script she got delivered didn't hold the same standard, and it all became to boring and predictable for me.

Summer 2010 shows pt. I

There's a major change around for my TV-blog. Unlike movies, rating TV-shows fairly on a 1-10 scale is almost impossible. Doing it on a scale including half-scores even more so, so as a result I'm taking the TV-ratings back to the stone-age and the good old dice rating.

So. Getting the most important announcement out of the way, it's time to talk about TV-shows again. In between everything else going on, I've had the time to revisit some dear old on-screen friends. All of them top-rated shows, all of them well worth spending time with more than once and only one of them still running. I'll get back to that in a while (another post or two), as I'd like to start my rating with some early impressions of the first bunch of this summer's new scheduled shows. Here's my take on four of the new shows I've checked out thus far from the rainy summer of 2010:

The Good Guys Action-comedy
Seen all 9 episodes

From Matt Nix, the creator of Burn Notice, comes this new comedy-action cop show. Much like his first creation, also The Good Guys aims for an audience looking to enjoy some easy entertainment without too many twists and turns making it impossible to catch an episode whenever you feel like it.

We follow the washed-out, drinking, womanizing and one-case-hero cop Dan Stark (Bradley Whitford(Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, The West Wing)), who's only reason not being off the force is the fact his one heroic story involved saving the Governor's son from kidnapping thirty years ago. While still on the force, he's on the other hand as low on the totem-pole as a detective can get. He and his rookie partner Jack Bailey (Colin Hanks(Roswell)), are assigned routine small crime cases like bicycle theft and the likes. Bailey follows the rules and knows the book, but doesn't really come across as a promising cop to those higher ranked.

Together this duo usually takes their pity-cases to another level through luck, hard work or coincidences. All according to whom you ask maybe. Along with Whitford and Hanks, Jenny Wade plays an important support role as Bailey's ex-girlfriend as well as being the Assistant District Attorney and the second important supporting role is Diana Maria-Riva as the duo's Lieutenant.

Anyway. The Good Guys pays homage to old cop-shows from way back, when big cars, attitude and kick-ass detectives was the norm on TV. I really enjoy the balance between old-school cops and the humor worked in mostly through the Dan Stark character of the extremely talented Bradley Whitford (no secret my appreciation is much thanks to his major roles on the two before mentioned Aaron Sorkin quality shows). Stark telling Bailey stories of how he and his old partner Frank used to do things back in the days, is usually worth the episodes alone. You got to enjoy the humor to really appreciate this show, and it might sometimes take a while to really get into the mood. I enjoyed it from the beginning, but not until the 6th or 7th episode did it really explode into a top notch show for me as my viewing experience was lifted by the knowledge from past episodes.

The Good Guys got early renewals for a second season, and then they decided to stop airing it on the summer schedule after nine episodes; rather accelerate it into their fall schedule. As a result their summer is now over, but more from The Good Guys in late September.

Rookie Blue Cop-drama
Seen 2 episodes

Rookie Blue is another cop show, molded in the same way as parts of good old Third Watch and much like last years new show Southland. Like Flashpoint and The Bridge in later years, also Rookie Blue comes out of Canada, so there should be no doubt Canadian TV is taking steps in reaching markets these days. Third Watch and Southland had a rookie cop. Rookie Blue is centered around a group of rookies, and how they stack up against their challenges arriving from the academy.

The cast includes Missy Peregrym(Reaper), Gregory Smith(Everwood), Charlotte Sullivan, Enuka Okuma and Travis Milne as the rookies, and then their partners, some detectives and family and so on.

I'm definitely going to check out a couple of more episodes, being a huge fan of Third Watch. I enjoy the focus on street cops who has to deal with a variety of challenges, rather than most cop shows who only focuses on detectives and murders. Still. I wasn't that interested in the principal characters from the start. The drama parts also seemed a bit amateurish compared to other shows who's done this or similar before. There's plenty potential, but so far I fear they are heading towards mediocrity.

Scoundrels Drama-comedy-family
Seen 2 episodes

Scoundrels is an American remake of the New Zealand show Outrageous Fortune. I really don't like remakes in general, but on the other hand I've never seen the NZ-show.

Scoundrels tells about the West's, a small-crime family used to warrants, theft and handling stolen merchandise, just to mention a few of their activities. The show kicks off with Dad going to jail for five years, and the Mom (Virginia Madsen) deciding to take the family onto the law abiding ways of living rather than getting more members of the family sent away.

I guess the premise is decent enough, and if the humor had been my kind I might have enjoyed it. Maybe I'll have to check out the NZ-original. When it comes to humor the US remakes often takes another direction. I digress. The family in question isn't really very interesting. I didn't care much for any of them after two full hour episodes, and then there's most definitely something wrong with the idea. Also the actors and actresses seems rather mediocre. The law abiding ways of the Wests might find their audience, but I'll not be one of them.

Haven Sci-Fi-drama-mystery
Seen 3 episodes

Haven is based on Stephen King's novel The Colorado Kid, and takes our heroine FBI-agent Audrey Parker to the small town Haven in Maine. A town where cursed people lives in exile, trying to live their everyday lives in peace. As forces awakens the curses, Audrey is sent to Haven after an escaped prisoner in the pilot. She finds the prisoner dead under strange circumstances, and her curiosity brings her into investigate closer what happened. She finds unrelated clues pointing towards her mother once being in Haven, a mother Audrey never knew as she grew up an orphan. As the arch-theme goes Audrey is offered a position at the local police if she likes to stay figuring out about her past and the forces at play.

Besides the arch-theme, every episodes takes on a new cursed person and the influences and danger it has on the town. Audrey, played by Emily Rose (ER, Jericho, Brothers & Sisters), is partnered up with the local sheriff's son, Nathan, on cases. Nathan is played by Lucas Bryant, his father the sheriff is played by Nicholas Campbell and also Eric Belfour holds a supporting role.

While Haven could have been interesting from the premise, their focus seem to be a little to much Eureka-ish for me to enjoy. Not to crap on Eureka, but the premise of a special town and the awful happy ending focus (maybe not morally awful like most would have a problem with, but looking at the storytelling and the flow, arch and creative freedom... such a obvious morale point of view crushes the quality) is more than I can bare in the long run. The pilot managed to hold some kind of interest, much because of the feel of potential, but in the two following episodes everything went fast downhill. Not only was the cases less interesting, but also the acting, the storyline, the chemistry and the lead characters personality went from maybe potential to abused potential. Audrey Parker live in the shadow of heroines like Fringe's Olivia, and then I really don't blame Emily Rose that much for failing to seize her audience.