2012 MIDSEASON TV PREVIEW

Wouldn't you know, just as we're starting to settle into all the new shows we got this fall - just as we've decided which ones we love, which ones we hate - just as we learn which have been renewed and which have been canceled - we now get a brand new set of premieres to eat up all of our precious free time.  To help you keep track of the abundant midseason premieres, here's a brief look at what's coming in the next few months.

Like I did for fall, I hereby solemnly pledge to watch at least the pilot episode of every one of these shows and let you know how they are.  I will grade every show on a four-point scale as follows:

* Atrocious. I will never watch this show again. Ever.
** Okay. I may give it another episode or two to see if gets better.
*** Solid. I'm interested and will definitely keep watching.
**** Certifiably ADDICTive. A must-see.

Here we go!

Sun Jan. 1 - ANGRY BOYS (HBO @ 10)
From Chris Lilley, the man who brought us the brilliantly hysterical and endlessly entertaining SUMMER HEIGHTS HIGH comes this new sitcom.  Following the same format as his previous show, ANGRY BOYS is written by Lilley who also stars as several different characters: Ruth Sims, a 65-year-old employee at the Garingal Juvenile Justice Centre For Boys; S. Mouse, a rap artist under house arrest for releasing a single called "Poo On You" featuring him pooping on a police car; Blake Oakfield, a Surfing World Champion who had his balls shot off during a gang fight; Jen Okazaki, a Japanese mother and founder of "Gaystyle Enterprises"; and Daniel and Nathan Sims, identical twins living on a farm, one of whom has a hearing impairment.

Tues Jan. 3 - WORK IT (ABC @ 8:30)
Continuing their horrific sexist streak started by Tim Allen in LAST MAN STANDING, ABC next launches this soul-crushing "comedy" about two men who discover that women are taking over the workforce, and therefore they must pass themselves off as women to land jobs.  That's right, folks.  A cross-dressing comedy in the 21st century that manages to insult both men (too stupid to get jobs) AND women (too stupid to notice their coworkers are actually men)!

Sun Jan. 8 - THE FIRM (NBC @ 10)
Based on the John Grisham novel of the same title, this show stars Josh Lucas (POSEIDON) as attorney Mitchell McDeere.  The series picks up 10 years after the events of the novel as Mitchell and his family emerge from a life in the Witness Protection Program.  Presumably, thrillingly legal (or legally thrilling?) shenanigans ensue.  Also starring Tricia Helfer (BATTLESTAR GALACTICA).

Sun Jan. 8 - HOUSE OF LIES (SHO @ 10)
Don Cheadle and Kristen Bell star in this new comedy about management consultants who charm and con the 1% into spending oodles of dough on their services.

Wed Jan. 11 - ARE YOU THERE, CHELSEA? (NBC @ 8:30)
This new comedy was inspired by Chelsea Handler's popular memoir Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea.  It stars Laura Prepon (THAT 70s SHOW) as Chelsea, loosely based on the real Chelsea.  Ironically, Chelsea Handler has a recurring role as Sloane, Chelsea's born-again conservative Christian sister.

Thurs Jan. 12 - THE FINDER (FOX @ 9)
This procedural is a spinoff of BONES starring Geoff Stults as Walter Sherman, a professional "finder." He got his start working for Army Military Police finding insurgents and deserters.  Now, after waking from a coma due to an unfortunate incident with an IED, he helps the likes of Booth and Brennan solve mysteries.  Also stars Michael Clarke Duncan.

Thurs Jan. 12 - ROB (CBS @ 9:30)
Originally entitled the much more explanatory ¡Rob! (the title was changed because the media hates weird punctuation), this sitcom stars Rob Schneider as a life-long bachelor who marries into a tight-knight Mexican-American family.  Hilarious clash-of-culture confusion will follow, no doubt.  Cheech Marin also stars as his new father-in-law.

Sun Jan. 15 - NAPOLEON DYNAMITE (FOX @ 8:30)
Based on the film of the same name (obviously), this animated show stars the voices of the entire original cast in new supremely awkward adventures.

Mon Jan. 16 - ALCATRAZ (FOX @ 8)
One of the shows I'm personally looking forward to the most, this new sci-fi show returns producer J.J. Abrams to his mysterious island roots - this time on the island prison Alcatraz.  According to the show, almost fifty years every inmate disappeared - and now they're starting to reappear, murdering people and having apparently not aged a day since their incarceration.  The series stars Sarah Jones (SONS OF ANARCHY), Jorge Garcia (LOST) and Sam Neill (JURASSIC PARK).

Thurs Jan. 19 - UNSUPERVISED (FX @ 10:30)
From the writers of IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA and the artists of ARCHER comes this new animated comedy about two high school friends (voiced by Justin Long and David Hornsby) who live a life completely devoid of parental guidance.

Sun Jan. 29 - LUCK (HBO @ 9)
Directed by Michael Mann (PUBLIC ENEMIES), written by David Milch (DEADWOOD) and starring Dustin Hoffman, this drama centers around the world of horse racing, from the owners to the jockeys to the gamblers.

Thurs Feb. 2 - I JUST WANT MY PANTS BACK (MTV @ 11)
Based on the novel of the same name, this show follows a twenty-something who has a one-night-stand and then loses his heart...and his pants.  The hunt is on for his skinny jeans and the girl of his dreams who stole them.

Mon Feb. 6 - SMASH (NBC @ 10)
Are you ready for even more singing and dancing on primetime network television?  This new musical drama produced by Steven Spielberg has been described countless times as "the adult GLEE."  It follows the complete journey of a (fictional) Broadway musical based on the life of Marilyn Monroe, from conception and casting all the way to opening night and stars a veritable who's-who of talented actors: Debra Messing, Anjelica Huston, Brian d'Arcy James, Megan Hilty, Katharine McPhee and Jack Davenport, among others.

Tues Feb. 7 - THE RIVER (ABC @ 9)
Another sci-fi thriller (and another on my most-anticipated list), this one stars Bruce Greenwood (STAR TREK) as a wilderness explorer who goes missing in the Amazon rainforest.  Six months later, his emergency beacon goes off and his wife (Leslie Hope - 24) and son (Joe Anderson - ACROSS THE UNIVERSE) go in search of him, followed by a documentary film crew.  What they find may defy explanation.  The show combines the increasingly-popular faux-documentary found-footage style with the sci-fi chills of shows like LOST, hopefully to satisfying effect.  This is the second show premiering in as many nights that was produced by Steven Spielberg, and the pilot was directed by Oren Peli (PARANORMAL ACTIVITY).  I. Cannot. Wait.

Sun Feb. 19 - LIFE'S TOO SHORT (HBO @ 10:30)
HBO is re-airing this British comedy for American audiences.  It is a faux-documentary starring Warwick Davis (HARRY POTTER) as a loosely-fictionalized version of himself trying to worm his way back into the spotlight.  Ricky Gervais writes, produces and co-stars, and the show features cameos from various celebrities such as Liam Neeson, Johnny Depp and Sting.

Sun Mar. 4 - G.C.B. (ABC @ 10)
Shortened from Good Christian Belles which was retitled from Good Christian Bitches, G.C.B. stars Leslie Bibb as Amanda, a reformed mean girl who returns to her Texas hometown years later and must reap what she sowed in high school.  Kristin Chenoweth co-stars as a former ugly duckling who Amanda tortured in high school and is now intent on revenge.  Hopefully she'll bring the same bubbly charm she did to the tragically-short-lived PUSHING DAISIES.

Thurs Mar. 15 - MISSING (ABC @ 8)
Ashley Judd stars in this action drama about an ex-CIA agent whose son goes missing while studying abroad in Rome.  She travels to Europe and uses her agent training to follow the clues, fight the bad guys and find her son.  Also starring Sean Bean (GAME OF THRONES).

Mon Mar. 19 - TOUCH (FOX @ 9)
Jack Bauer returns to television!  Okay, Kiefer Sutherland returns to television, but that's almost as good.  In this new drama he stars as the single father of a mute autistic boy whose mental handicap may allow him to predict the future through patterns no one else can see.  Look for lots of scientific and spiritual discussions in this preternatural series.  (There will be a special airing of the pilot on Wed Jan. 25 @ 9, although the official premiere is Mar. 19 and its regular airing will be on Monday nights.)

*****

The following series have been announced as airing sometime in 2012, but have yet to secure an actual premiere date (some could be saved for as late as summer).

*****

AWAKE (NBC)
Jason Isaacs (HARRY POTTER) stars as a husband and father who finds himself living in two realities after a horrific car accident: one where his wife died but his son survived, and one where his son died but his wife survived.  He then has to try to make sense of these alternate realities while grappling with wanting to keep them both.

BENT (NBC)
Amanda Peet and Jeffrey Tambor (ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT) star in this comedy written by Tad Quill (SCRUBS) about a divorced lawyer raising an eight-year-old daughter and the womanizing contractor she hires to redo her kitchen (Tambor plays the contractor's just-as-womanizing father).

BFF (NBC)
Lennon Parham and Jessica St. Clair write and star in this show about two BFFs, coincidentally named Lennon and Jessica, who move back in together after one of them gets a divorce.  This is bad news for the other friend's live-in boyfriend, and results in undoubtedly hilarious hijinks and awkward situations.

DON'T TRUST THE B---- IN APARTMENT 23 (ABC)
Dreama Walker stars in this comedy about a naive Midwestern girl who moves to NYC and puts an ad out for a roommate...only to land with the snarky, conniving Chloe, played by co-star Krysten Ritter.  The two descend into a battle of bitchiness, with Krysten Ritter aided by her bff James Van Der Beek (appearing as himself).

THE NEWSROOM (HBO)
Aaron Sorkin, the writer behind THE WEST WING and THE SOCIAL NETWORK returns to TV with this new drama for HBO about the inner workings of a 24 hour news network.  Sorkin's pedigree has attracted a slew of top-notch actors: Jeff Daniels, Jane Fonda, Emily Mortimer, Alison Pill, Dev Patel, Sam Waterston...the list goes on.

NYC 22 (CBS)
Executive produced by Robert De Niro, this crime procedural follows six rookie cops in the NYPD as they patrol the streets of upper Manhattan.

SCANDAL (ABC)
From über-producer Shonda Rimes (GREY'S ANATOMY) comes this new drama loosely based on the life of Judy Smith, administration press aide under George H.W. Bush.  It stars Kerry Washington (RAY) as Olivia Pope, a professional crisis manager and former media relations consultant to the president, and her staff of "fixers."  Also starring Henry Ian Cusick (LOST) and Jeff Perry (GREY'S).

VEEP (HBO)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus stars in this comedy as Senator Selina Meyer, who becomes the first female Vice President.  The show comes from British writer Armando Ianucci, who previously satirized the British government in the popular IN THE THICK OF IT (which spawned the feature film IN THE LOOP).  This series should be premiering sometime in April.


That about does it!  26 more shows to look forward to between now and the warm summer months.  And, if I dare say so, fewer look as blatantly bad as some of the fall premieres were (here's looking at you, HOW TO BE A GENTLEMAN and THE PLAYBOY CLUB) - with the exception of WORK IT, which I predict will last at most two episodes.  I'm excited for quite a few of these shows (namely ALCATRAZ, SMASH, THE RIVER, AWAKE, G.C.B. and TOUCH).  I hope they turn out to be as good as they look!  On second thought, I should probably be hoping they're terrible or I'm going to have an awfully busy television schedule every week...

Which midseason premieres are you excited for? (Pick as many as you want!)

Mission Accomplished: A Review of MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - GHOST PROTOCOL

Expected grade: 8/10
Actual grade: 10/10

Now THIS is how you do an action movie, ladies and gentleman.

I've always loved the MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE series, as I'm a sucker for the intrigue of spy dramas and  the action of big-budget blockbusters.  (Well, let me be more specific.  I love the first and third M:I entries -- I had never even seen the much-derided second one until two days ago -- and it definitely deserves all the ridicule it gets.)  So I was thrilled when I heard they were reviving the franchise, especially considering the creative minds involved (more on that in a bit).  I thought the trailer looked fantastic -- I was prepared for a fun, mind-numbing, popcorn-munching time in the theatre.  I got so much more.

Five years after the last mission, Tom Cruise returns to the classic action franchise, this time directed by Brad Bird in his live-action feature debut.  Mr. Bird is best known for his work directing for Pixar, most notably (and relevantly) THE INCREDIBLES.  Forget the fact that it was animated, THE INCREDIBLES was perhaps the best action film of 2004.  JJ Abrams, who breathed new gritty life into the M:I series after the completely ludicrous second entry, returns for this one as producer.  The collaboration of Mr. Abrams' and Mr. Bird's hyper-creative minds results in the most thrilling, adrenaline-pumping action flick in recent memory and hands down the best film in the series.

Mr. Bird's background in animation is perhaps the film's strongest asset -- his adeptness at staging elaborate set pieces (including a jaw-dropping magic trick involving an empty hallway and a final showdown in a constantly-shifting parking garage) and his ability to infuse tense sequences with a sense of zingy fun is apparent and much-needed.  (As much as I enjoyed Abrams' M:I3, my only qualm was how serious everything was.)  Mr. Bird is aided immensely in the humor department by the presence of Simon Pegg (SHAUN OF THE DEAD) as the awkward techno-geek Benji, whose (regrettably brief) headquarters appearance in M:I3 has been upgraded to full-blown field agent and sidekick.  The rest of the supporting cast is just as solid if not as showy: Paula Patton (PRECIOUS) as the emotionally-troubled yet kick-ass Jane, and Jeremy Renner (THE HURT LOCKER) as Brandt, an "analyst" with a secret past.  The film is packed with brilliant cameos (a couple of which I won't spoil here) -- Josh Holloway (LOST) packs a punch in a brief sequence at the beginning; Anil Kapoor (SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE) hams it up as a billionaire playboy; Léa Seydoux (INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS) infuses her few scenes with a palpable sense of danger as a steely-cold assassin.

Tom Cruise will most likely (and ironically) receive the least applause of all the cast members, as this is now the fourth time we've seen him in the role and he still has a less-than-sterling reputation with many people.  But it is impossible to deny his abilities (not to mention balls of steel) when watching this movie.  Notorious for doing most of his own stunts, it's impossible not to gape in amazement as he scales the side of the Burj Khalifa.  Sure, he was assisted by wires that were edited out in post-production, but that doesn't change the fact that Tom Cruise himself was climbing up the outside of the FREAKING BURJ KHALIFA.  You know, the tallest building in the world at 2,723 feet.  The fact that the stunt was filmed on the actual tower itself and not on a green screen lends the sequence a dizzying sense of realism, made even more pronounced in vertigo-inducing IMAX.

In fact, next to the elaborately-choreographed action and infusion of fun, it's this sense of realism that sets GHOST PROTOCOL above its contemporary action peers.  In a time when, aided by increasingly-powerful special effects, action is becoming ever slicker and sleeker, it's surprising and refreshing to see an action film inhabited by fallible characters.  Nothing goes right for these people.  Ever.  Their improvised plans never go smoothly.  They mess up.  Their emotions get the best of them.  They're not perfect.  When Tom Cruise takes a flying leap through a window, he doesn't sail through in a somersault and leap to his feet -- he smacks hard against the windowsill, spins out of control, and nearly plummets to his doom.  The technology, too, consistently fails the agents -- mask-makers run out of paint, sticky gloves run out of batteries, scanner-contacts get scratchy.  Not only do these failings make the movie more realistic, they make it more fun, too.  When technology fails them, the agents have to improvise, ratcheting up the tension to an almost-unbearable degree.

Ratcheting up the tension is maybe what this film does best.  Mr. Bird and the screenwriters take every seemingly-impossible situation -- and carry it one step further.  Ethan has to break out of prison...during a riot.  He has to scale the outside of a skyscraper...with a defective glove.  He has to chase down the nuclear codes...through a blinding sandstorm.  I had to put down my popcorn about halfway through the film just so I could grip the armrests of my seat.  I forgot about it for the rest of the film.

Seriously, if you've ever liked an action movie, ever, do yourself a favor and go see this.  In IMAX, if you can.  In an IMAX screening that's showing the 6-minute THE DARK KNIGHT RISES prologue, if at all possible.  (That's a whole discussion unto itself, but let me just say... Holy Smokes, Batman.)

I give this film a 10 out of 10 for the sheer scope of the superbly-staged action, just the right amount of humor, realistic stunts, and eye-popping IMAX experience.  In terms of taking a sometimes-great, sometimes-ludicrous series and turning it into a viable, respectable, enjoyable franchise, I say to Mr. Bird, Mr. Abrams and Mr. Cruise: MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.

What did you think, Fellow Addicts?  Were you as dizzily impressed as I was?  Or did the action fail to deliver?  Are you hoping for a fifth M:I film?  (After this, I know I am.)  Vote in the poll below and then hit the comments!

What did you think of MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - GHOST PROTOCOL?

ABC pulls plug on MAN UP!

Man down, man down! ABC has announced that they are pulling freshman comedy MAN UP! from its schedule.  Things were already looking grim for the show after it didn't appear anywhere on ABC's midseason schedule, but now the show has effectively been canceled.

The signs were there, although MAN UP! wasn't actually performing terribly, with its latest episode pulling in 8.8 million viewers with a 1.6 rating.  The straw that broke ABC's back was the fact that it was losing a full 40% of its lead-in audience, Tim Allen's LAST MAN STANDING.  Reruns of that show will now take MAN UP!s place.

How do you feel about MAN UP! getting (basically) canceled?

PilotWatch: I HATE MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER

FOX Wednesdays @ 9:30

What's it about?
A new multi-camera family comedy starring Jaime Pressly and Katie Finneran as single moms, best friends - and former nerds - who fear their privileged and overly indulged daughters are turning out just like the mean girls who picked on them in high school.

So, how was it?
This is the second CBS sitcom of the season to accidentally find itself airing on the wrong network.  I'm referring, of course, to the painfully unfunny WHITNEY, whose crass humor and laugh track would be completely at home on CBS next to TWO AND A HALF MEN and feels distinctly out of place on the network that brings us 30 ROCK and PARKS AND RECREATION.  And now FOX is airing I HATE MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER, where the ever-present laugh track, two-dimensional characters and obnoxious humor again bring to mind the sub-par-yet-inexplicably-popular sitcoms of CBS.

As far as can be judged by the first half hour, I HATE MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER has the same problem as FOX's last new premiere, ALLEN GREGORY: absolutely none of the characters are likable.  The eponymous teenagers are indistinguishably bratty, with absolutely no personality trait outside of "selfish."  These two characters would have us believe that all every teenage daughter wants is to be popular, wear slutty clothes, and be mean to their moms (which may or may not be true).  But the bigger problem is that the two moms, Annie (Pressly) and Nikki (Finneran) are too pathetic to be relatable.  They are too easily threatened, too easily defeated, and too easily manipulated by their 15-year-olds.  It's impossible to sympathize with a grown woman who lets herself be walked all over by her own tweeny child, much less one who eats an entire cherry pie with her fingers.  The show would be more appropriately titled: I AM DEATHLY AFRAID OF MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER.

Granted, I'm not a middle-aged woman with a teenage daughter, so I'm sure I'm not the target audience of this specific sitcom.  I don't doubt that this show will find an audience somewhere.  The first episode had a decent premiere with 6.8 million viewers and a 2.8 rating (though this was undoubtedly helped by the fact that ABC's comedy block was entirely reruns last night).

Rating:
** Okay. I may give it another episode or two to see if it gets better.
Truth be told, I probably won't ever watch this show again, but all in all it wasn't exactly atrocious.  Jaime Pressly and Katie Finneran are genuinely good comedic actresses, some of the jokes were funny, and Wendi McLendon-Covey (BRIDESMAIDS) has a delightful supporting role as the girls' principal and former high school rival of the mothers.  This show is just not for me -- someone who despises laugh tracks, prefers strong characters, and has never been a mother.  But I would not be surprised to see this show get a full season pickup if it doesn't lose too much of its initial audience.


Well, that's it!  Our last new show of 2011.  No more premieres until after the New Year.  Have a very happy holidays, Fellow Addicts.  Remember to keep an eye out for SCREEN ADDICTION's Mid-Season Preview, and then join PilotWatch for reviews of shows like ABC's G.C.B., NBC's SMASH and FOX's TOUCH.

What did you think of I HATE MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER?

NBC orders full season for GRIMM

Networks execs at NBC must have been breathing sighs of relief yesterday as they announced they were giving a full-season order to freshman supernatural drama GRIMM.  NBC consistently has the lowest ratings of the big four networks, and this season in particular it has been struggling to get new shows off the ground.  Of its six new shows this year (GRIMM, UP ALL NIGHT, WHITNEY, FREE AGENTS, THE PLAYBOY CLUB, and PRIME SUSPECT), the latter three -- a full half -- have already been canceled (if you count the all-but-guaranteed goner PRIME SUSPECT).  GRIMM was NBC's last chance to cement a new hour-long drama into its schedule this season, so it comes as no surprise that they're willing to give it a shot for at least a full year.

Despite the fact that I think NBC would've renewed GRIMM no matter what its ratings were just to keep a new drama, GRIMM has been performing decently.  Its latest episode drew in 5.4 million viewers for a 1.6 rating.  This may not sound like much, but remember it airs on Friday, where the bar is set significantly lower.  It came in second in its time slot after only CSI: NY, beating both of the other supernatural dramas at that hour, FOX's FRINGE and The CW's SUPERNATURAL.  GRIMM will also get a chance to draw in new viewers in a new timeslot when NBC allows it a one-episode trial-run on Thursday, Dec 8th at 10pm (PRIME SUSPECT's old slot).  If it performs well then, the move could perhaps become permanent (although I would argue that Friday is a more appropriate time for a show like GRIMM, which naturally attracts a smaller cult audience -- it would probably flounder and die a slow death on the more competitive Thursdays).

As happy as I am that NBC has at least one new drama that it hasn't canceled, I can't help but feel frustrated by GRIMM week after week.  The writing is so lazy: every week this cop gets called in on a strange case that IN A SHOCKING TWIST JUST SO HAPPENS TO INVOLVE FAIRY TALE CREATURES IN DISGUISE.  How many weeks are they going to be able to pull that off before it gets tired?  (For me: one -- it was old after the premiere.)  The show would have been infinitely more interesting if they had made the protagonist anything other than a cop: a writer, say, who week-by-week has to actively hunt down the fairy tale creatures wreaking havoc, as opposed to a cop who just passively and coincidentally gets handed the cases.  But whatever.  Beggars can't be choosers.  And this season, NBC are definitely the beggars.

How do you feel about GRIMM getting a full season?

ABC de facto cancels PAN AM and MAN UP!

Wave goodbye to those sexy stewardesses on PAN AM.  ABC's highly-promoted yet highly-disappointing (at least ratings-wise) show is conspicuously absent from the network's midseason schedule announcement.  Come the new year, PAN AM's time slot will be filled by another new show, the Kristin Chenoweth-starring comedy G.C.B. (which is short for Good Christian Belles, which was changed from the original Good Christian Bitches -- why do they keep making this title less awesome?)

Also missing from the midseason lineup is new comedy MAN UP!  No surprise (even though it's way better than the overrated Tim Allen dreck LAST MAN STANDING), as the ratings have been averaging a mediocre 1.9 with 6.7 million viewers.  It is unlikely that MAN UP! will ever see the light of day again after its original 13-episode run ends.  There is, however, a tiny glimmer of hope for PAN AM fans.  ABC did order five more scripts and is currently in the process of reviewing them in order to decide whether or not it's worth it to actually produce more episodes.  That alone doesn't mean the show is getting a back 9, and with its ratings in a veritable nosedive since its strong premiere (its latest episode garnered only a 1.8 rating with a scant 5.7 million viewers), I wouldn't bet any money on seeing the show last past Episode 13.

With the cancelation of the similarly-hyped THE PLAYBOY CLUB, could the (all-but-guaranteed) demise of PAN AM spell doom for the period drama on network channels?  Should period dramas stick to channels like AMC and HBO?  What do you think, Fellow Addicts?

Do you think this is the end for period dramas on network channels?

Showtime renews DEXTER for Seasons 7 & 8

Fear not, fans!  America's favorite serial killer will be returning for more blood-soaked fun.  Quenching fears that this sixth season may be Michael C. Hall's last as the infamous Dexter, Showtime has just announced that they are picking up the mega-popular hit for not one but TWO more seasons.

Here's to two more years of saran wrap, knives and voiceovers!

How do you feel about DEXTER getting two more seasons?

NBC shuts down production on PRIME SUSPECT

Although there has been no official word yet from NBC as to the show's ultimate fate, things are looking grim for freshman cop series PRIME SUSPECT, starring Maria Bello.  Production will be shut down after filming of the show's 13th episode, the final episode of the original order, most likely meaning no back 9.  Also, the show is conspicuously absent from NBC's newly-announced midseason lineup.  Instead, PRIME SUSPECT's current slot at 10pm on Thursdays will be occupied, starting in January, by new drama THE FIRM, based on John Grisham's novel of the same name.  Between the production shutdown, the lack of a back 9 pickup, and its absence from the midseason schedule, it's pretty safe to say that PRIME SUSPECT is looking at cancelation.

This would mark NBC's third axed new show of the season, after THE PLAYBOY CLUB and FREE AGENTS and the fifth cancelation of the season (including CBS' HOW TO BE A GENTLEMAN and ABC's CHARLIE'S ANGELS).  Not a great sign for a network already struggling in the ratings. The latest episode of PRIME SUSPECT drew in a scant 4.86 million viewers for a dismal 1.3 rating.

How do you feel about PRIME SUSPECT getting (basically) canceled?

Of Gods And Men: A Review of IMMORTALS

Expected grade: 6/10
Actual "film" grade: 5/10
Experience grade: 9/10

Tarsem Singh is not a director who churns out work.  IMMORTALS is only the third feature film he has made (after THE CELL and THE FALL), much like director Stephen Daldry, who to date has only directed BILLY ELLIOT, THE HOURS and THE READER.  Both directors also have one film currently in the works, MIRROR MIRROR for Singh and EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE for Daldry.  Other than that similarity, these directors could not be more different: Daldry favors intimate character studies while Singh experiments with the heights of artistry.  But what these two directors have in common is that, because of their limited number of projects, every time you go see one of their films, you know you will be watching a labor of love.

Based on the trailer, reviews and word-of-mouth, I went in expecting to enjoy Singh's signature artistic style, but was prepared to ultimately be underwhelmed by its lackluster screenplay.  It didn't help that the studio kept billing the film as "From The Producers of 300," another visually-impressive yet underwhelming movie about ancient heroes and mighty battles.  It is unfortunate that the studio itself decided to make that juxtaposition for its audience members, because now anyone who goes to see IMMORTALS will, consciously or not, be drawing comparisons to 300.  Of course, some similarities exist: neither feature a particularly unique or compelling storyline; both are populated by two-dimensional characters with well-oiled six-packs and straightforward motivations (liberty! vengeance!); both feature epic battle sequences with the trademark slow-motion-then-speed-up technique.  But there are just as many differences that set IMMORTALS apart and make it even better.

Firstly, 300 is based on previously-established source material, limiting director Zack Snyder's scope of imagination.  He set out to recreate a popular graphic novel, almost frame-for-frame, and he deserves recognition for his success in that aspect.  But because it was such a faithful adaptation, there was no room for Snyder to explore.  IMMORTALS, as an original work, doesn't have that problem, and I could really feel Singh exploring the boundaries of what was possible within the parameters of Greek mythology.  (Side note: Greek mythology buffs might want to steer clear or at least go in prepared -- the story here bears absolutely no similarity to real mythology -- Singh has taken completely free reign to write an original story using established mythological names.)  Singh was inspired by Renaissance paintings of Greco-Roman subject matter, and this film was his attempt to recreate that style in a visual format.  In that respect, he was remarkably successful.

Secondly, I feel that Singh is simply a better director than Snyder.  Both men definitely favor style over substance, but Singh continually shows impressive mastery over the style of his movies.  The only other director I can think of with an equally distinctive visual vocabulary is Tim Burton.  In IMMORTALS, the whole design -- the sets, the costumes, the colors, the fight choreography -- all blend into a breath-taking feast for the eyes.  There are moments of intense beauty, scenes of graphic violence, and sequences of pure adrenaline-thumping action.  As an example of Singh's superior capabilities as a director, while he uses the same slo-mo effects in his action sequences that were popularized in 300, they are utilized exclusively when the gods are fighting, so instead of becoming a mind-numbing gimmick, it sets the gods apart from the mortals and becomes an illustration of their superior speed, strength and agility.  Such a simple difference goes a long way in turning a mere special effect into a specific stylistic choice, and carves a noticeable (and helpful) distinction between battle scenes.

Henry Cavill (soon-to-be Superman in Zack Snyder's MAN OF STEEL) as Theseus shows himself to be a fully capable action hero.  He can give a rousing speech, glower at his enemies, show off his massive pecs, and shove a spear through countless throats with the best of 'em.  Then again, the script doesn't call for much intense "acting" from him, so we'll wait to see what MAN OF STEEL demands of him, but this film gives me hope that he will carry that franchise well.  Most of the "acting" in IMMORTALS comes from Mickey Rourke (THE WRESTLER) as the villain Hyperion.  He chews the scenery left and right, delivering a delightfully unbalanced performance and keeping the audience on edge as you wonder when he's going to commit his next act of atrocious violence.  The final fight between Theseus and Hyperion is one of the most brutal, realistic-looking mano-a-mano sequences I've seen in a while.  Pretty much the rest of the cast is filled with eye candy -- Freida Pinto (SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE) as the virgin oracle Phaedra, youthfully stoic Luke Evans (THE THREE MUSKETEERS) as Zeus, studly Kellan Lutz (TWILIGHT) as Poseidon, blandly beautiful Isabel Lucas (TRANSFORMERS 2) as Athena and Stephen Dorff (SOMEWHERE) with his newly-acquired six-pack as Theseus' sidekick Stavros.

IMMORTALS is the "prettiest" movie and the best use of 3D I have seen since AVATAR.  If you get the chance to see it in theaters in 3D and don't mind a bit of bastardization of Greek mythology, then I would highly recommend it and give it a 9/10 grade for pure visual experience.  After the lackluster script and cliché storyline are taken into account, I can only actually give the film a 7/10.  Hopefully someday Tarsem Singh will be able to blend his superior artistic capabilities with a compelling story and three-dimensional characters.  If so, I'll be first in line.  In the meantime, between the horrendous CLASH OF THE TITANS, the okay-but-not-great 300 and IMMORTALS, I'll take IMMORTALS.  Sure, it could also be accused of favoring "style over substance."  But what sets IMMORTALS apart from those other action-oriented swords-and-sandals epics is that here, the "style" alone is worth the price of admission.

Final grade: 7/10

What did you think of IMMORTALS?

Fall 2011 Favorite New Shows Announced!

Congratulations to ONCE UPON A TIME and 2 BROKE GIRLS for winning the first-ever SCREEN ADDICTION "Favorite New Show" Awards!

ABC's ONCE UPON A TIME cast a spell on fans this year, landing both the distinction of having the largest premiere of the fall, as well as the even-more-impressive honor of being the Favorite New Drama of you Fellow Addicts, with 18% of total votes.  CBS' 2 BROKE GIRLS was similarly strong in the ratings this fall, and landed a solid 24% of votes as your Favorite New Comedy.  Here's the line-up of all 28 new shows:

Favorite New Drama
1. ONCE UPON A TIME - 18%
2. AMERICAN HORROR STORY - 11%
3. RINGER - 10%
4/5. PERSON OF INTEREST / REVENGE - 8%
6/7. HOMELAND / PAN AM - 7%
8/9. GRIMM / THE SECRET CIRCLE - 5%
10/11/12/13. A GIFTED MAN / HART OF DIXIE / PRIME SUSPECT / TERRA NOVA - 2%
14/15. BOSS / UNFORGETTABLE - 1%
16/17. CHARLIE'S ANGELS / THE PLAYBOY CLUB - 0%

Favorite New Comedy
1. 2 BROKE GIRLS - 24%
2. NEW GIRL - 21%
3. SUBURGATORY - 12%
4. UP ALL NIGHT - 11%
5. ENLIGHTENED - 10%
6. LAST MAN STANDING - 9%
7/8. MAN UP! / WHITNEY - 3%
9/10/11. ALLEN GREGORY / FREE AGENTS / HOW TO BE A GENTLEMAN - 0%

All in all, a fairly even spread, which means the networks did a good job this year of playing to diverse audiences.  While 2 BROKE GIRLS won a bigger percentage of comedy fans than ONCE UPON A TIME did of drama fans, NEW GIRL was stiff competition and ended up hot on its heels (24% vs. 21%).  So ONCE UPON A TIME still gets the distinction of having the biggest lead over its closest competitor, and also the highest number of total votes (169 people voted for the favorite drama, vs. only 110 for comedy).  Also important to note, ABC was the only network with two shows in the Top 3 of each category, with the #1 Drama and the #3 Comedy.

So that's it for Fall (minus the oddly-timed Nov. 23rd premiere of FOX's I HATE MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER)!  We'll start this all over again in January when the networks roll out their midseason premieres.  See you then, and thanks for your enthusiastic participation!

-Mr. Screen Addict

PilotWatch: HELL ON WHEELS

AMC Sundays @ 10pm

What's it about?
Tells the epic story of post-Civil War America, focusing on a Confederate soldier who sets out to exact revenge on the Union soldiers who have killed his wife.  His journey takes him west to Hell on Wheels, a dangerous, raucous, lawless melting pot of a town that travels with and services the construction of the first transcontinental railroad, an engineering feat unprecedented for its time.  The series documents the railroad's engineering and construction as well as institutionalized greed and corruption, the immigrant experience, and the plight of newly emancipated African-Americans during Reconstruction.  HELL ON WHEELS chronicles this potent turning point in our nation's history and how uncivilized the business of civilization can be.

So, how was it?
AMC is quickly establishing itself as the go-to channel for compelling dramas, right up there with HBO and Showtime.  Starting with MAD MEN and continuing with BREAKING BAD, THE WALKING DEAD and THE KILLING (and even the short-lived RUBICON), AMC has committed itself to dramas with complex characters and morally ambiguous plots.  It's more than clear that HELL ON WHEELS is meant to follow that basic DNA, but somewhere along the line it managed to fall disappointingly short.

First off, the settings, the costumes, all of the art direction is amazing -- it's a fully immersive 1860s environment.  But it felt as though the AMC execs simply thought, "Let's take our trademark complex characters and their morally dubious actions and dump them in the Wild West!" without really stopping to think about what made those trademark characters and plots so intriguing in the first place.  What we get here is a mere shadow of AMC's superior shows.  The protagonist, Cullen Bohannon, is no Don Draper or Walter White.  This is no fault of the actor -- Anson Mount plays the rugged Confederate soldier to a tee.  But the shades of grey that have made those two now-iconic characters so compelling are absent here.  It feels like the writers were trying to make him complex and contradictory but didn't actually know how to write those qualities into his character, so instead they simply made him a Confederate soldier and former slave owner (bad!) who was convinced by his northern wife of "the evils of slavery" and freed his slaves before the Civil War even started (good!).  He now shoots men in cold blood in churches (bad!) but is really out to avenge the wrongful death of his lovely, progressive wife (good!).  The entire portrayal felt ham-fisted and poorly executed, lacking any of the subtlety or layers that make Don Draper so real.

The rest of the cast is rounded out by characters similarly draw in black-and-white -- there was not a shade of grey to be seen (other than in the bleached cinematography).  Common plays Elam, a former slave now working on the railroad, angry to still have a white boss, angry that his best friend dies on the job, angry about seemingly everything.  He even owns a copy of the Emancipation Proclamation to wave in Cullen's stupid white face.  Dominique McElligott plays Lily, the pale and delicate British wife of a railway surveyor -- but in the tradition of AMC's strong female characters, you know there's going to be more to her than meets the eye.  Too bad they had to prove this fact by having her physically overpower an angry Native American and stab him through the skull with his own arrow in a laughably unbelievable sequence.

Colm Meany plays Thomas 'Doc' Durant, the man in charge of building the railroad and the consummate villain of this story.  You can tell that Meany is a terrific actor and could play a deliciously nasty, love-to-hate-him bad guy -- so it's really too bad that he's given such a one-dimensional, cartoonishly evil role.  There is nothing real about this character, at least yet.  He seems to be evil just for evil's sake, and his only motivation is money.  Not nearly compelling enough to keep me invested in his story.  His monologue at the end of the episode about how he will be remembered as the "villain" of this "drama" did not come across as winkingly self-referential, but instead too meta for its own good.  We get that he's the bad guy and he knows it.

The on-the-nose dialogue poured in all episode -- a full-out discussion of  the morally dubious things war makes people do (show me don't tell me!), or my personal favorite, "We'll manifest our destiny!" (Clearly supposed to make the viewer feel smart for recognizing the phrase "manifest destiny" from our high school history class.)  Everyone kept saying precisely what they were thinking in broad swaths of generality.

But perhaps my biggest problem with this show thus far is its one-dimensional portrayal of Cullen as the noble Confederate soldier fighting for justice and Doc as the evil, corrupt Union government official.  Of course, I know that there were not strictly good guys in the Union and bad guys in the Confederacy -- it was much more complex than that.  But without any subtlety or deeper examinations of motivations, these portrayals feel heavy-handed rather than complex, revisionist rather than real.  TIME Magazine featured a story this summer titled, "Why We're Still Fighting The Civil War," about how our country has fogged up the true conflict with romanticized stories of the Lost Cause and noble Southerners fighting for States' Rights.  The romanticizing of the South, started by BIRTH OF A NATION and GONE WITH THE WIND, is exactly what's led our country to forget what the Civil War was about.  (The TIME article cites a poll done last year by Harris Interactive of adults all across the country -- a two-thirds majority of whom believed the Civil War was fought over states' rights, not slavery.)  I understand the desire to romanticize the underdog, and I'm all for morally ambiguous stories, but unless the writers manage to come up with more complex motives and truer portrayals of their characters, then this show will remain one-dimensional and ham-fisted, furthering the popular romantic notion that the South was nobly defending its land against the aggressive arrogance of the North.  Surely, in 2011 we have come farther than that simple stereotype.

Rating:
** Okay. I may give it another episode or two to see if it gets better.
While I can't fairly give it a one-star rating (it still has AMC's superior production quality and some solid turns by good actors in sub-par roles), I will most likely not be tuning in again unless someday I hear that the show has dramatically transformed into something genuinely compelling instead of a parody of better AMC shows.  HELL ON WHEELS will undoubtedly finds its audience, as the Western is not a genre that has been seen on TV since HBO's dearly beloved DEADWOOD.  Fans of the genre will most likely find things to enjoy in this series, if only because there's nothing else that currently fits the bill.  But those who tune in out of idle curiosity because they like AMC will most likely end up underwhelmed.

What about you, Fellow Addicts?  Did you find the show more engaging and complex than I did? Or were you also bothered by the abundance of on-the-nose dialogue?  How does it compare to AMC's other shows?  Vote in the poll below and then hit the comments!

What did you think of HELL ON WHEELS?

Occupy Wall Street - The Movie: A Review of IN TIME

Expected grade: 7/10
Actual grade: 8/10
(For a full explanation of my grading system, check out this post.)

Before attending this film, I thought IN TIME had one of the most intriguing concepts for an action film since INCEPTION.  After a summer where the idea of action was largely: Giant Robots Fighting Other Giant Robots! or, Aliens Shooting At Badass Cowboys!, it's refreshing to see a movie that is simultaneously targeted at a mass, action-loving audience, and also attempting to take the genre to a slightly higher level.  So I was optimistically looking forward to the film, though not expecting it to be anything earth-shattering.

Indeed, while this isn't anywhere near the greatest action movie ever made, it was surprisingly smart, effective and timely.  The premise of a future where time is literally money is so straightforward it could easily have been ham-fisted and ridiculous.  Instead, the boiling down of our entire economy to its barest bones is a chillingly potent plot device.  Because when you peel away the layers of credit cards and mortgages and loans, time is really what society runs on: I'm willing to spend x amount of time to earn y amount of money, and then I judge a cup of coffee to be worth z percent of the time it took me to earn the money I'm spending.  IN TIME, while a futuristic metaphor, is really just a close look at what happens when a very small percentage of people control a very large percentage of the wealth.  In this film's case, it means that 99% of the population spends their entire lives scrounging for enough time to survive through the day, while the super-rich get to live forever.

It's a farfetched yet oddly prescient idea, especially considering what's happening on Wall Street as we speak.  This film's timing is impeccable, especially considering how long it takes a film to make the journey all the way from conception to the screen.  The screenwriter probably came up with the idea at least two or three, maybe as much as five or ten years ago.  The seeds of our nation's current economic climate would of course have been planted back then, but the fact that they have exploded to the forefront of the people's consciousness in the past couple of months is extremely fortuitous for the makers of IN TIME.

This film could easily be the manifesto for Occupy Wall Street: a grim look at what our nation could come to if things continue the way they are -- if the rich continue to get rich and the poor get poorer.  The main characters of IN TIME cry for the redistribution of wealth, just like the protestors on Wall Street.  The big differences are that the wealth in the film is time instead of money, and the characters break into banks and steal it instead of occupying financial centers.  But the core ideas are the same, and are probably ones that will resonate with many viewers, in the way that the pro-environmental message of AVATAR did.  Was AVATAR heavy-handed?  Did it lack subtlety?  Of course.  But that simple message also managed to reach more people than any movie's message in the history of cinema.  The fact is that the subtle, artsy independent films with deep meanings and hidden truths aren't reaching the masses and inevitably end up preaching to the choir.  So we should count ourselves lucky when a star-studded, mass-marketed action movie delivers some sort of a progressive message, even though that message may be boiled down and basic.  Awareness is being raised in people around the country who may not even think twice when they hear the words "redistribution of wealth" or "Occupy Wall Street."

For that reason alone, this film was elevated above the 6 or 7 I may have given it otherwise.  Because truth be told, as an action movie, it's not amazing.  Solid, but not superb.  Justin Timberlake proves again that he has the best managers around, as his film career continues to ascend to new heights.  He has made one of the most effective music-to-film transitions in recent years.  This is the first time he has headlined a film by himself and he proves capable of carrying at least a basic action-driven plot.  Amanda Seyfried is stunningly gorgeous and thrillingly rebellious as the daughter of the richest man in the world.  The pair has incredible chemistry.  And as wide as the supporting cast is, IN TIME is really Mr. Timberlake's and Ms. Seyfried's, as the film morphs surprisingly (at least for me) into a futuristic BONNIE AND CLYDE about halfway through.

That's not to say the rest of the cast isn't excellent, which it is.  The basic conceit of the film is that no one ages beyond 25, so the entire cast is filled with young, up-and-coming actors at the top of their game.  Vincent Kartheiser (MAD MEN) is slimy and repugnant as the wealthiest man in the world.  Matt Bomer (WHITE COLLAR) appears as a 100-plus-year-old who's tired of being immortal.  Cillian Murphy (INCEPTION) is relentless as a Timekeeper, charged with maintaining order in an increasingly unstable world.  And Olivia Wilde (HOUSE) is given the initially-hysterical role as Justin Timberlake's mother (hysterical just because of the idea of her being anyone's mother).  The film's best sequence occurs early on and involves Olivia Wilde's character -- you'll know it when you see it.  I was shocked when this film almost had me in tears a mere twenty minutes in.

To recap, this isn't the action-iest of all action movies.  There are no explosions, a couple car chases, and some gun play, but it's more of a what-if, futuristic look at our current economic climate, with a couple nifty action sequences thrown in to attract a wider audience.  I hope many people go and see this movie, just for the chance that they might talk about it afterwards.  The best movies inspire debate, not just about themselves, but about their applications to the world at large.  For IN TIME, those parallels are clear and easy to draw.  They are also incredibly important and deserve to be talked about.

What did you think, Fellow Addicts?  Did you feel that the film was elevated by its real-world applications?  Or did you find it a run-of-the-mill action flick?  Vote in the poll below and then hit the comments!

What did you think of IN TIME?

ABC orders full seasons for ONCE UPON A TIME and LAST MAN STANDING

Apparently fairy tales really do come true.  ONCE UPON A TIME will live happily ever after... At least for the rest of this year, as ABC has announced they will be granting their new fantasy show its wish of a full season.  This was basically a foregone conclusion after OUAT had the largest premiere of any new drama this season -- its first two episodes have averaged a 4.0 rating with 12.3 million viewers.  Hopefully this happy ending will be just a happy beginning and the show will live up to its fantastic start.  Incidentally, OUAT is winning the prize of Best New Drama with 21% of the votes from your Fellow Addicts.  (The runners-up are AMERICAN HORROR STORY and RINGER at 12% each.)

Tim Allen's new sitcom LAST MAN STANDING (3.7, 12.7 million) simultaneously received a back-9 pickup, which, along with the already-picked-up REVENGE and SUBURGATORY, makes four new full-season shows for ABC.  That leaves only the fates of PAN AM (2.8, 8.4 million) and MAN UP! (2.2, 7.3 million) undecided for the network.  PAN AM, while not receiving a pickup, did get an order for 5 additional scripts.  Only time will tell whether the ratings for the show increase enough for ABC to consider it worthwhile to give the show nine more episodes.

In related news, ABC's sitcom HAPPY ENDINGS (3.5, 7.9 million), currently in its second season, was also given a full season order.  Great news for fans of this brilliant show.  More of you should be watching it!

How do you feel about ONCE UPON A TIME getting a full season?

How do you feel about LAST MAN STANDING getting a full season?

PilotWatch 2011 Wrap-Up

Well, Fellow Addicts, that just about does it.  This Sunday's premiere of ALLEN GREGORY was the last of the season -- except for FOX's I HATE MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER, which for some odd reason doesn't premiere until Nov. 23rd, and (if you include cable shows) AMC's HELL ON WHEELS, which premieres this coming Sunday.  But excluding those two, we will be having no more new shows until the networks roll out their midseason premieres come Jan/Feb.

So it's time to look back on what we've seen, what we've loved and what we've hated.  This year we witnessed 24 new network shows and 4 new cable shows; 17 dramas and 11 comedies; 4 cancelations and 10 full-season pickups (thus far).  In this wrap-up I'll present the stats, rankings, interesting facts and my personal picks for the best/worst new shows.  Then at the end, you'll get a chance to vote for your favorites!

STATS
I've included current status (where known), Nielson ratings (share of age group 18-49/total viewers) of the most recent episode, and the rating that you, Fellow Addicts, voted on for each show.

ABC
• CHARLIE'S ANGELS - CANCELED (40% Atrocious)
• LAST MAN STANDING - 2.8/9.9mil - 23% Solid
• ONCE UPON A TIME - 3.9/11.7mil - 53% Addictive
• MAN UP! - 2.0/6.8mil - 33% Solid
• PAN AM - 1.8/5.5mil - 53% Solid
• REVENGE - FULL SEASON - 2.7/8.7mil - 50% Solid
• SUBURGATORY - FULL SEASON - 3.4/9.7mil - 53% Solid

CBS
• 2 BROKE GIRLS - FULL SEASON - 4.2/11.1mil - 34% Solid
• A GIFTED MAN - 1.2/8.7mil - 50% Solid
• HOW TO BE A GENTLEMAN - CANCELED (41% Atrocious)
• PERSON OF INTEREST - FULL SEASON - 2.7/11.6mil - 41% Addictive
• UNFORGETTABLE - FULL SEASON - 2.5/11.3mil - 38% Okay

CW
• HART OF DIXIE - FULL SEASON - 0.8/2.0mil - 52% Solid
• RINGER - FULL SEASON - 0.8/1.8mil - 38% Solid
• THE SECRET CIRCLE - FULL SEASON - 0.9/2.3mil - 43% Solid

FOX
• ALLEN GREGORY - 2.4/4.8mil - 80% Atrocious (as of publication -- poll still open)
• I HATE MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER - TBA
• NEW GIRL - FULL SEASON - 4.3/8.7mil - 50% Okay
• TERRA NOVA - 2.1/6.4mil - 52% Okay

NBC
• FREE AGENTS - CANCELED (31% Okay)
• GRIMM - 2.1/6.6mil - 45% Okay (as of publication -- poll still open)
• THE PLAYBOY CLUB - CANCELED (38% Okay)
• PRIME SUSPECT - 1.1/4.0mil - 26% Solid
• UP ALL NIGHT - FULL SEASON - 2.1/5.6mil - 33% Solid
• WHITNEY - FULL SEASON - 2.0/4.2mil - 69% Atrocious

CABLE
• AMER. HORROR STORY (FX) - 2nd SEASON ORDERED - 1.7/3.0mil - 57% Addictive
• BOSS (Starz) - 2nd SEASON ORDERED - 0.4mil - 35% Solid
• ENLIGHTENED (HBO) - 0.1/0.2mil - 42% Solid
• HELL ON WHEELS (AMC) - TBA
• HOMELAND (SHO) - 2nd SEASON ORDERED - 0.4/1.3mil - 62% Addictive


RANKINGS

The Highest-Rated New Dramas: based on share of 18-49 age group
1) ONCE UPON A TIME (3.9)
2) PERSON OF INTEREST (2.7/11.6mil)
3) REVENGE (2.7/8.7mil)
4) UNFORGETTABLE (2.5)
5) GRIMM (2.1)
TERRA NOVA tied GRIMM for fifth in 18-49 ratings, but GRIMM had more total viewers

The Highest-Rated New Comedies:
1) NEW GIRL (4.3)
2) 2 BROKE GIRLS (4.2)
3) SUBURGATORY (3.4)
4) LAST MAN STANDING (2.8)
5) ALLEN GREGORY (2.4)

Your Favorite Dramas: based on % voted Addictive
1) HOMELAND (62)
2) AMERICAN HORROR STORY (57)
3) ONCE UPON A TIME (53)
4) PERSON OF INTEREST (41)
5) THE SECRET CIRCLE (26)

Your Favorite Comedies:
1/2/3) ENLIGHTENED / LAST MAN STANDING / MAN UP! (19)
4) 2 BROKE GIRLS (13)
5) UP ALL NIGHT (12)

Your Least Favorite Dramas: based on % voted Atrocious
1) CHARLIE'S ANGELS (40)
2) THE PLAYBOY CLUB (33)
3) UNFORGETTABLE (25)
4) PRIME SUSPECT (20)
5) BOSS (15)

Your Least Favorite Comedies:
1) WHITNEY (69)
2) HOW TO BE A GENTLEMAN (41)
3/4/5) FREE AGENTS / ENLIGHTENED / LAST MAN STANDING (21)


INTERESTING FACTS

• Your two least favorite dramas were the two dramas that have been canceled so far.  You clearly have great taste, Fellow Addicts!

• On the list of Least Favorite comedies, both of the canceled comedies fall well below the most reviled new comedy of the season, WHITNEY, which 69% of you voted as Atrocious.  WHITNEY, go figure, has been picked up for a full season.  My question remains: Who is watching this show??

• Both HBO's ENLIGHTENED and ABC's LAST MAN STANDING ended up on the list of Most Addictive comedies AND Most Atrocious comedies.  Apparently these two shows are very divisive.

• In the battle of the fairy tale shows, ONCE UPON A TIME is the clear victor.  In a poll, 85% of Fellow Addicts declared that they preferred it to GRIMM.  (The poll is still open, but I think the gap is already wide enough to declare a winner.)

• ABC definitely wins the War Of The Networks this fall, with 6 out of 7 new shows being voted either Solid or Addictive, and their only dud (CHARLIE'S ANGELS) has already gotten the axe.

• The CW remains the least-watched network of the Big Five, but those who are watching are pleased with what they see: all three new CW dramas were voted Solid this year, with THE SECRET CIRCLE landing on your Most Addictive list.

• CBS fared pretty solidly this year with one Atrocious rating (for the canceled HOW TO BE A GENTLEMAN), one Okay, two Solids and one Addictive.

• NBC had quite a mixed bag.  Out of its six shows, four have had their fates determined, with two being canceled and two being picked up for a full year.  We'll see what happens with GRIMM and PRIME SUSPECT to break the tie.  The network had one Atrocious, three Okays and two Solids.

• FOX was definitely the dud of the season: they had the least new shows and the lowest ratings (at least from Fellow Addicts) with one Atrocious and two Okays.  At least they have the fact that NEW GIRL is the most-watched new comedy to take comfort in.  And we're still waiting to see how I HATE MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER will do.


MY PICKS FOR BEST/WORST

Best Drama - AMERICAN HORROR STORY: This delightfully spooky, disturbingly atmospheric, jump-out-of-your-seat mystery is the most creative, unique and fun-to-watch new show of the year.  Watching this show every week is like putting together a jigsaw puzzle -- a puzzle that drips blood, conjures up rubber-clad strangers and might try to murder you.  But putting the various pieces of this story and its obscured timeline together episode after episode is simultaneously satisfying and infuriating.
Runners-up: HOMELAND, ONCE UPON A TIME, REVENGE

Best Comedy - UP ALL NIGHT: Christina Applegate, Will Forte and Maya Rudolph combine to make a comedic force to be reckoned with.  This comedy about new parents and their struggles has been both hysterical and honest from the get-go, a balance that most shows struggle for seasons to find.  Not everyone's cup of tea, but if you enjoy character-based (rather than situation-based) humor, then this just might be the new comedy for you.
Runner-up: SUBURGATORY

Worst Drama - I could go on about how much I despised THE PLAYBOY CLUB, but it's already been canceled, so that just seems like beating a dead horse.  Instead I'll talk about HART OF DIXIE, an insipid little show about a doctor who moves from the Big Apple to Alabama only to discover that the people there listen to Taylor Swift, wear huge Gone With The Wind gowns, and own pet alligators.  The stereotypical depiction of all southerners as an adorably backwards people, combined with the stereotypical depiction of all city-folk as soulless automatons who need to learn to slow down and appreciate life, was all just a bit much for me.
Runner-up: UNFORGETTABLE

Worst Comedy - LAST MAN STANDING: As we already established, this was one of the most divisive new shows of the season, so I know half the people reading this are probably going to disagree with me.  But in my opinion, this show may be the most offensive, potentially harmful comedy to come along in a while.  The idea that all guys must go hunting every weekend and frequent sporting goods stores to be able to call themselves men is so dated its not even funny.  Literally.  There is less to laugh at and more to cringe at in this show, made all the more painful by the fact that it stars Tim Allen, the formerly beloved star of HOME IMPROVEMENT.  Unfortunately, he couldn't have picked a worse way to return to television.  For a funnier, less offensive look at "guy's guys in the modern world," check out the better (if not perfect) MAN UP!, also on ABC.
Runner-up: WHITNEY


Well, that about does it for now!  If you've made it this far, congratulations!  It's now time to vote for what you thought were the best new shows of 2011.  And sometime between now and January, keep an eye out for my Midseason Television Preview, where I'll give you the scoop on more new shows like NBC's SMASH, ABC's GOOD CHRISTIAN BELLES and FOX's TOUCH.

Your turn, Fellow Addicts!  Vote below for your favorite new Drama and Comedy of 2011!  (And for those of you who may still be mourning the loss of one of the shows that's already been canceled, I've included them just in case.)

What is your favorite new drama?

What is your favorite new comedy?

FX renews AMERICAN HORROR STORY for a second season

Happy Halloween, horror fans! FX has announced that they are renewing Ryan Murphy's spooktacular new show AMERICAN HORROR STORY for a second season.  This should come as a shock to absolutely no one who's been paying the slightest bit of attention, as AHS has been making a killing (pun intended) in the ratings and also happens to be a damn good show.

Ratings for AHS have only been climbing in the four weeks since its premiere, and it is now averaging 4.2 million viewers per episode (a huge number for a non-network channel).  At the rate it's going, AHS is on track to have the highest-rated first season of any show in FX history.

If you have yet to tune into this show, now's a great time to catch up.  Part 2 of the Halloween episode that began last week airs tomorrow night at 10pmET.

How do you feel about AMERICAN HORROR STORY getting a second season?

PilotWatch: ALLEN GREGORY

FOX Sundays @ 8:30

What's it about?
A new animated series that tells the story of one of the most pretentious 7-year-olds of our time.  When he looks in the mirror, Allen Gregory De Longpre doesn't see a child.  He sees a young man who is intelligent, sophisticated, worldly, artistic and romantic - characteristics he inherited from his doting father, Richard.  The pair share an extraordinary father-son bond - a bond that is sometimes annoyingly interrupted by Richard's life partner, Jeremy, for whom Allen Gregory has minimal respect, if any at all.  They live together in a stunning architectural loft, along with Julie, Allen Gregory's adopted Cambodian sister.  Although Allen Gregory has allegedly composed operas, written novels and dated Chloe Sevigny, he's about to embark on his greatest challenge yet: leaving the safety of his father's homeschooling and attending elementary school with children his own age.

So, how was it?
It's a basic rule of television that if you want your audience to keep tuning in week after week, you need to have a main character who will keep people coming back for more.  That's not to say they have to be a goody two-shoes; people also love a bad guy -- as long as he's got some relatable, redeemable qualities.  Allen Gregory has none of those.  He is a disgusting, vain, oblivious, rude, selfish person who doesn't care about anybody else and treats everyone like crap.  It's funny for about three jokes, but as soon as we see that there's absolutely nothing deeper or remotely identifiable about the character, we no longer care.

We quickly learn that Allen has adopted these qualities from his equally obnoxious father, Richard.  Watching Allen and Richard throw insult after insult at Richard's partner and their adoptive Cambodian daughter is not hysterical, it's tiresome.  Then somewhere between Allen condescending to his new teacher, having sex dreams about his 60-year-old principal, and crapping his pants, I lost all interest in this show.

This "comedy" was created by Jonah Hill, who also plays Allen.  Jonah Hill has managed to attract talented actors such as Leslie Mann and Will Forte to voice various characters.  I imagine they did this as a favor to their friend, a young man very excited about his new pet project.  I don't know who else thought this show would actually be a good idea, but it seems like no one involved in the production was willing to say no to anything Mr. Hill suggested.  Thankfully, it seems like the American people know how to say "No," as the show's premiere only drew 4.8 million viewers, immediately following the 8.1 million people who watched the third episode of the 23rd season of THE SIMPSONS.

Rating:
* Atrocious. I will never watch this show again. Ever.
I don't need to waste a half-hour of an already jam-packed Sunday (ONCE UPON A TIME, THE GOOD WIFE, DEXTER, THE WALKING DEAD, HOMELAND) to watch people verbally abuse their family members.  This show is definitely not getting a subscription in my Hulu queue.  Better stick to sidekick roles in Judd Apatow comedies, Jonah.

What about you, Fellow Addicts? Did I miss something? Or did you find the relentlessly abusive humor tiresome as well? Vote in the poll below and then hit the comments!

(For a quick glance at the other pilots coming out, check out my Fall TV Preview.)

What did you think of ALLEN GREGORY?

PilotWatch: GRIMM

NBC Fridays @ 9

What's it about?
A new drama series inspired by the classic Grimm's Fairy Tales.  Portland homicide Detective Nick Burkhardt discovers he is descended from an elite line of criminal profilers known as "Grimms," charged with keeping balance between humanity and the mythological creatures of the world.  As he tries to hide the dangers of his new found calling from his fiancé [sic] and his partner, he becomes ever more entrenched in the ancient rivalries and alliances of the Grimm world.  With help from his confidant, Monroe, a reformed Grimm creature himself, Nick must navigate through the forces of a larger-than-life mythology, facing off with Hexenbiests, Blutbads and all manner of ancient evils, including royal lines dating back to the original profilers themselves, The Grimm Brothers.

So, how was it?
As the second of two new shows premiering within five days of each other that are based on fairy tales coming to life in the modern world, GRIMM will draw countless comparisons to ABC's ONCE UPON A TIME.  While this comparison may be unfair (one is a a serialized mystery, one is an episodic crime procedural), it is inevitable and unavoidable.  For my money, ONCE UPON A TIME is by far the superior of the two shows, being infinitely more creative, complex and mysterious.  But that's not to say GRIMM doesn't have its own charms, and will most likely find its own fiercely loyal cult audience that all such sci-fi/fantasy shows seem to garner (FRINGE, SUPERNATURAL).

My main problem with GRIMM is in its very basic chemistry: it's a procedural.  Not one procedural has ever been able to hold my attention.  I don't watch CSI, or Law & Order or NCIS, and I never tuned back in to this season's UNFORGETTABLE after the pilot.  Hour-long dramas with an entirely new plot every week just don't capture my interest.  I prefer something with an over-arching storyline, which is exactly what ONCE UPON A TIME has and GRIMM is lacking.  That's not to say there isn't mythology to explore in GRIMM, but the basic format of each episode will be a new big bad guy every week, and that concerns me.  How many fairy tale bad guys will we go through before the writers run out of ideas and start recycling story lines?  We're not drawing from the infinite well of human experience, here.  The Brothers Grimm only wrote so many stories, and if the entire show is based on their writings, they're drawing from a very limited pool.

As for the pilot itself, it was a mixture of intriguing and infuriating ups and downs.  The production value was excellent -- the forest settings were lush and creepy, the colors popped, and the creature effects were decent.  David Giuntoli is blandly likable as Nick, but Kate Burton steals the show as his docile librarian (but secretly badass monster hunter) aunt.  Unfortunately, the writing was bogged down in cliché after disappointing cliché: The protagonist who doesn't know his own super-secret background; the black best friend and partner who's always got the main white guy's back no matter how crazy he sounds; the "bad guy" who turns out to be a misunderstood, wisecracking good guy; the mild-mannered ceramic-collecting postal worker is actually the creeper kidnapper hiding the girl in his basement (this whole plot line felt ripped straight from SVU: Supernatural Edition).  And unfortunately for the seemingly-capable Bitsie Tulloch, who plays Nick's fiancée Juliette, it seems as though her role will be relegated to nothing more than lovely damsel-in-distress, as Nick's aunt warns him to leave her or she'll be in danger (and we know that of course he won't).  In a world becoming increasingly aware of gender roles and the underrepresentation of women in popular media, the creation of an entire female role for the sole purpose of being a pretty plot device is disappointing.

But my single biggest problem with the show is the simple fact that Nick is a police officer.  That seems all-too-convenient, given the fact that he now finds himself faced with chasing down supernatural bad guys.  It felt lazy and contrived to me, especially given the fact that Nick's aunt, the only other Grimm we know, is a librarian.  That, to me, seems so much cooler.  Why couldn't Nick be something more commonplace like an accountant or a banker or what have you?  That would've increased the ironic juxtaposition of his new role and allowed for a lot of character development and exploration as he grows into his new role as a bad-guy-catcher.  It seems like the writers missed a real opportunity here to make their protagonist infinitely more interesting by having him be a writer, just like his ancestors, the Brothers Grimm.

The underlying mythology is the one thing that gives me hope for this show.  FRINGE started its first season as an episodic, X-FILES-ish sci-fi drama and has morphed into one of the most well-written, well-acted, under-watched shows on television (and one of my personal favorites).  Maybe one day GRIMM will surprise us all and transform into something similar.  The question will be whether or not it remains interesting enough in the meantime to hold my attention in this sea of new shows.  We'll see.

Rating:
** Okay. I may give it another episode or two to see if it gets better.
GRIMM had the misfortune of premiering against Game 7 of the World Series, but still did surprisingly well, considering: it managed to get 6.5 million viewers with a 2.1 rating.  That's the highest-rated non-sports show that's aired on a Friday since last December.  That sounds great, but that still puts it in 8th place for drama premieres this season between the already-canceled CHARLIE'S ANGELS and the desperately-struggling PRIME SUSPECT.  Also remember that CBS postponed all scripted shows last night in favor of reruns due to the game, while FOX similarly postponed their new episode of FRINGE (which seems like it would have somewhat of a crossover audience).  So for anyone not wanting to watch baseball that night, there weren't many other options.  We'll see what happens next week when those shows come back.  Granted, the bar for Fridays is set much lower than any other night of the week so even middling ratings can mean survival for a show airing then.

What about you, Fellow Addicts? Are you intrigued or turned off by the episodic nature of the show? Did it bother you that Nick was a police officer? Which do you like better, this or ONCE UPON A TIME? Vote in the poll below and then hit the comments!

(For a quick glance at the other pilots coming out, check out my Fall TV Preview.)

What did you think of GRIMM?

Which fairy tale show did you like better, ONCE UPON A TIME or GRIMM?