On the Couch with Matt and Francesca

Saturday Night Live - Michael Phelps

2008-09-16T08:06:00.000-07:00

Matt's Take

This season is a big one for SNL so I thought I'd start commenting on the show every week here on OTC. We enter this season of Saturday Night Live with the election looming and a number of old-line cast members spending their final few episodes with the cast. Amy Poehler will be around until she has her baby at which point she will leave to begin work on her new Greg Daniels' sitcom. Maya Rudolph will reportedly play Michelle Obama whenever needed.

And of course there's the conditional return of one SNL's biggest stars, Tina Fey. Apparently Lorne Michaels has struck some sort of arrangement with Fey to bring her in on a regular basis this fall to portray Sarah Palin, a character she debuted in the opening sketch of this week's show.

To say that bringing in Fey to play Palin was a good move is an understatement. It's sheer brilliance. I say this to you as a conservative who wants to kick Seth Meyers in his smug little shit-eating grin after every lame, Daily Show-wannabe cheap shot he spits during Weekend Update. What Fey has done with Palin is exactly what Will Ferrell did with George W. Bush. She has captured the pre-existing public persona and fleshed it out to perfection. In an election with so few funny characters (Obama and McCain just aren't funny), Fey's Palin is the one chance SNL has to really create an iconic comedic moment during this election. As long as she understands that conservatives will laugh as long as she doesn't get too mean, this is a character that will have all of America laughing.

Other thoughts and observations (SPOILER ALERT):

- Michael Phelps was a good idea but was absolutely awful on SNL. One of the worst hosts in years and should have been in WAY fewer sketches.

- Funniest moment of the night: Andy Samburg as Cathy. "Aakkk!"

- Worst sketch of the night: The Charles Barkley Show. Yikes. It's glaringly evident that it's time for Keenan Thompson and Darrell Hammond to go.

- Kristin Wiig is a genius. I love her. The home school mom in the game show sketch, brilliant. But she's funny because she's constantly coming up with new ideas and characters. It feels wrong to make her repeat a character as they did with the "I said weee!" girl. Yes, it was still pretty funny the second time around but it just feels like she's capable of better.

- Digital Short was so-so. They'll do better next week.

- Two very good commercial parodies. Love to see that.

- Let's talk about Weekend Update: reports are that when Poehller leaves, Seth Meyers will take over the Update desk on his own. This would be a COLOSSAL mistake. The guy is without question the least charismatic person to ever sit behind that desk. He brings nothing to the table other than being a sniveling angry liberal comedy writer trying to vent his frustrations into bad jokes.

Mark my words: if Lorne Michaels lets Seth Meyers anchor Weekend Update on his own, it will go back to being what it was before Tina Fey and Jimmy Fallon took over: the point at which everyone turns off SNL for the night.

Fringe - Pilot (1.1)

2008-09-12T12:51:00.000-07:00

Matt's Take

It's been a while and there's been a baby but we (or at least I) have decided to take up our blog once again for the fall 2008 season, beginning with this little gem from one of OTC's favorite television masterminds, J.J. Abrams (LOST, ALIAS).

FRINGE was perhaps the most heavily hyped new drama heading into the fall season, marketed as a sort of updated version of THE X-FILES. Being a massive X-phile myslef (yes, we call ourselves that) I approached this pilot with both enthusiasm and skepticism, knowing that the bar was set extremely high by Chris Carter and his team during their 7 season run.

While it may not be fair to compare FRINGE to THE X-FILES, the comparison is inevitable. You've got a two person investigative team (male and female) working for the FBI to expose a massive conspiracy tied to supernatural activities and bizarre pseudo-science. But that's basically where the similarities end. These two shows share the same basic premise but a great television series needs so much more than a good premise. You need a great cast, a great story and great writing.

In a lot of ways, FRINGE shares more DNA with LOST than it does with THE X-FILES. When Abrams co-created LOST, he kicked it all off with a pilot that became the talk of the town (just like FRINGE). He built a great premise but set sail with a mediocre cast and a less than spectacular writing staff. Those weaknesses haven't kept LOST from become a great show, thanks to phenomenal plot twists and storytelling and a cast that has developed and improved since the pilot.

FRINGE comes to us with an interesting premise: an FBI agent discovers an international conspiracy known as "The Pattern", a series of disastrous events caused by technology appearing to originate from the same lab. That lab was run by a man named Walter Bishop who is locked up in a mental ward as the show begins. FBI Agent Olivia Dunham (who tells us her name is Olivia Dunham about 12 times in the first half-hour of the show) has to convince Bishop's son, played by Pacey from Daswon's Creek, to take his crazy father out of the mental hospital so he can use his crazy old methods to figure out a way to solve the mysteries.

Cool premise, lots of cool special effects, plenty of room for humor and great inventive storylines. As far as the quality of the production, FRINGE blows X-FILES out of the water. A lot of that just has to do with television production budgets these days but nonetheless, some of the effects sequences, particularly the opening sequence, are on par with Hollywood films.

Where FRINGE still needs to prove itself is in the quality of the people involved. The cast did not blow me away in the pilot, particularly the lead female Anna Torv. She's a forgettable face and a mediocre actor but pilots are rarely a fair point of judgement since it takes time for an actor to put their own unique spin on a character. Joshua Jackson is...good enough. He's sarcastic and dark and somewhat brooding but kinda funny. He's Pacey from Dawson's Creek, okay? The old kooky Dr. Bishop is great. He will be the emotional center of the show.

The writing, meaning the dialogue, has got to improve as well in order for the cast to shine. The pilot was very pedestrian and utilitarian in terms of writing. The characters tell us what's going on and who they are and what their motivations are. We don't have time for character development just yet.

FRINGE is promising but it's got to give us audience members some reason to care beyond the fun and cheesy mythology/premise in the first four episodes. Here's hoping.

The Office-Launch Party

2007-10-11T20:23:00.000-07:00

Francesca's Take

All my disparaging remarks from two weeks ago? canceled out by tonights show. (oh yes, i'm actually writing this promptly after viewing. However, matt probably won't write his half for like a week so...). This one was funny. This one was charming (i have learned to accept and love jim and pam as a couple. It's sort of gotten them back to when we first, first met them: buddies with very little angst between them). And by george, it had a great musical number.

first, i would like to say that pranks on dwight are the best! Particularly when dwight feels threatened by them. The computer im-ing him was brilliant. I also really like that in this The Office (versus the original), they take pains to prove now and again, these people are actually fairly competent at their job. It's most striking when they do it with michael, since he's such a bonehead most of the time, but Dwight's BBC counterpart, Gareth (who was really a very different character), never seemed to do, um, anything. That said, this is not the place for the BBC vs. American debate, i'm merely saying i like that little hint at credibility.

For me, the peak of the episode came during andy's musical number. This was for a couple of reasons. 1) i don't know if i did it here, but i have said aloud, to anyone who would listen, that i predicted Andy making a move on angela. He did. I'm a genius. also, while he and dwight were charming as buddies (their victory dance was terrific) they were really pretty great as arch-nemisises...nemisisi. 2) i love abba and have a particular affinity for the song Take a Chance on Me. Also, i like acapella singing. 3) right as andy got to the big finish of the song, my cat, who had been resting gently in my lap, started awake, got big in the eyes, lept of my lap and threw up. Four times. on various areas of our carpet. Yay, tivo. And also resolve pet stains spray.

Another thing to love: i'm a big fan of them letting ryan eat crow now and again. he clearly got the job by default and i like that they're letting michael have little triumphs over him. It's nice. And i always like it when dwight and michael buddy up. They are a force to be reckoned with.

Dear The Office,

i love you.

your friend,
Francesca

Matt's Take

Very solid installment, but again a little too much of the hour is spent developing plot threads. The Office is about jokes and while some of those jokes are payoffs from long-developing storylines, most of them are quick hits.

Like Dwight and Andy doing a ridiculous impromptu celebration dance after defeating the online sales computer.

Or Pam convincing Dwight that the computer is alive.

Francesca and many others I've spoken to disagree with me, but I just don't find the Dwight-Angela story all that compelling. For a plot thread like that to be interesting, you have to love both characters or at least love to hate them. And the problem is, I don't know what to feel about Angela.

She's obviously an unlikable character. Like Dwight, she's odd and offbeat but unlike Dwight she doesn't make that charming or funny. She's just mean and cold and harsh. Maybe part of it is Angela Kinsey's performance, which I've never felt is really as strong as her co-stars, but whatever it is the character just doesn't work for me. The sign of great character is that you get excited every time they are on screen and for me I get bored and disinterested when Angela is on screen.

Alright, enough criticism. I want to mention a couple of transcendent moments this episode featured that were on par with the quality of this show's predecessor, Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's original BBC version of The Office. I won't go too deeply into this today but essentially while I feel the American version of the show is an excellent comedy in its own right, the British series was a work of art that transcended comedy. It was some of the best narrative film making of this decade.

The American show under discussion today takes a much broader approach to the same concept the British show was based on but in "Launch Party" the show achieved a couple of moments that came close to the British series in tone. The first was Michael's defiant cussing out of Ryan over the video teleconference. The brilliant awkward tension of the situation was immediately cut by Kelly Kapoor smashing pizza onto the screen where her former boyfriend's smug face was trying to seem unflappable.

The second moment was the end of the episode, a simple long take that begins with Dwight and Michael improving an impression of Ryan their former underling. The impression turns awkward when Michael says "Ooh I'm Ryan, I'm so hot" and the two sit in silence on the hood of Dwight's car soaking the moment in.

There's a sense of triumph and positivity among the characters on the American show that never existed in their British counterparts and that's really the key difference between the shows. Both sets of Office workers are in rough situations but while the Brits either resigned themselves to eternal unhappiness (or in David Brent's case lied to themselves and everyone else about it) the Americans all really seem to have hope that there's a better future for them. Whether it's Jim and Pam dreaming to get out one day or Michael and Dwight dreaming that the corporations big plans will blow up in their faces, The American Office is about staying cheerful and defiant in the face of a bleak existence.

Chuck-Chuck Versus the Tango

2007-10-11T13:56:00.001-07:00

Francesca's Take

Ok, so now we know how the naming is going to work: Chuck versus the Something.

Once again, Chuck shows itself to be very likable. Not so likable that i'm getting excited for it exactly, but it's a pleasant diversion.

In my mind, the only thing Chuck is suffering from, really, is that it shares so many similarities to Reaper. And i like Reaper better. So, while i enjoy Chuck on its own, i find myself thinking, "yeah ok, this is what's going down at Buy More. I can't wait until tomorrow to find out what's going on at The Work Bench." Not good.

of course, working to Chuck's advantage are more set pieces and prettier people. But i think that works to their advantage on the action side. Gritty works better for the comedy side and since i am more prone to like comedy to action, Reaper will always win.

Anyways, sorry this is a lame blog. it was a good episode. I like it and i will continue to do so. i really enjoy that they still come through with the sappy sibling stuff. You rarely get to see that on tv. But i will continue to be baffled by the decision to make-up the sister within an inch of her life. Who decided that the Elvira look screamed "good sister." i just don't get that.

Matt's Take

I want to take my portion of the blog to explore the striking similarity between Chuck and another new series that this blog has kept up with, Reaper.

For shows based on two very different concepts, they are incredibly similar in structure and in their target audience as well. I'll run this down like a laundry list:

* Main character is a twenty-something male with moppy hair, uncertain about his future (both extremely similar to John Krasinski's Jim Halpert from The Office).

* Hero character works at a big chain warehouse-type store (Chuck works at Best Buy, Tim from Reaper works at Home Depot)

* Wacky and somewhat disgusting sidekick (though Reaper's sidekick is much funnier)

* Both shows feature an ominous and threatening boss-type figure who turns out to not be that bad of a guy

* Both heroes have loving and supportive family members

What we're getting to is that this is almost exactly the same show aiming for the same audience. The question now is, which one of these shows will win the battle? On the one hand, Chuck is on a major network and has exposure that you just can't get on the CW. It also has higher production value and a better looking cast.

All that said, I actually think Reaper has a better chance of sticking it out for a second season. Anyone who's seen both shows will admit the writing on Reaper is much better. It's funnier, the weekly plotlines are more interesting and it features a much more interesting premise than Chuck's computer-in-my-brain gimmick. Despite lacking the financial advantages Chuck has, Reaper is overall a much more watchable show and in the end that could be all it takes.

We'll follow the developments here on OTC.

Aliens in America-No Man Is an Island

2007-10-09T08:31:00.000-07:00

Francesca's Take

Once again, this show has proven itself to be mighty refreshing. The best stuff is easily between Raja and Justin though the sister's storyline was somewhat reassuring. After the pilot, i wasn't quite sure why they needed her. i still need more convincing, but her story was fairly funny.

That said, the real chemistry is between raja and justin. Justin is pulled in two directions. On the one hand, hanging out with raja is pulling him even more into the depth of highschool society (this week, raja befriended "small paul", the eleven year old genius who dorks it up in high school, carrying a briefcase and volunteering to read the lunch menu on the school's television station.) When raja accepts an invitation for he and justin to attend small paul's slumber party, it's too much for justin. (though, to be fair, raja had already proclaimed to their literature class that the thing he would bring to a desert island was justin and also asserted their friendship in the buff in the locker room).

Justin goes to his sister for advice on how to shake raja. His sister advises that he does what she does to him: ignore him and pretend like they are in no way related or to be associated with each other. This gives her the very funny bit about "someone realized that you and i had the same last name. I told them we adopted you from a retarded family." Justin replies, dismayed, "the whole family had to be retarded?" She notes that you can't be too careful.

anyways, justin attempts to put distance between himself and raja. Raja doesn't resist. Justin realizes, after falling asleep in last period for five hours and no one noticing, that he really needs to have his one friend. a very amusing profession of friendship follows.

and i love this show. Sure, sometimes it's crude, but it is, unfortunately, crude in the way that high school students really are. And, once again, the classroom scenes are just great. oh, i like this show!

Matt's Take

This show keeps on rolling! I have to say, I'm absolutely shocked at how well this little-show-that-could has continued to provide consistent laughs on what could be a very sentimental and saccharine show.

In the same way that Justin abandons all hope for popularity and dives right into geeky happiness with Raja, this show continues to push its humor envelope forward because, well, it has nothing to lose.

Shows with big budgets like, oh I don't know, HEROES or THE X-FILES or even my beloved LOST almost always ultimately have to change the way they operate at some point appeal to ratings and the target audience and all the people who have a vested interest in the financial success of the show. When you have a small, intimate comedy like this you often see the show develop its own off-beat identity, embracing its geek appeal.

In that way, this show continues to remind me of shows like FREAKS AND GEEKS or even more kid-friendly fare like EVEN STEVENS or PETE AND PETE. Only with more gay jokes.

I have to say the sister character is one of my favorite parts of the show, particularly when it comes to her relationship with her mother. I love the way mom identifies so well with her daughter because she's essentially still the same as she was when she was in high school. She's shallow, petty, cold and ignorant. She hasn't grown one bit. Dark suburban comedy at its finest.

Bionic Woman

2007-10-09T08:27:00.000-07:00

Francesca and Matt's Joint Message:

after careful consideration, we have decided that we can't bear to watch another episode of this show. Sorry if you were looking for insight. You can just reread the first post about it. It's probably pretty much the same thing we'd say every time anyways.

The Office-Dunder-Mifflin Infinity

2007-10-05T09:06:00.001-07:00

Francesca's Take

Ok, this is what i'm talking about. Last night was a solid show. And i couldn't help but think that this one should have been the premier. It dealt much more with alot of the stuff that had been left hanging in last season's finale. And, with my head hung low, i admit, they've charmed with with pam and jim. I think what sold it was when toby (mean toby! who knew!) outed them and everyone was so happy for them. That was really a nice moment. Another one of those, "aw, michael's really a great guy at his core" moments. The rest of the episode brought the funny and hard.

A few favorite moments: Michael driving into the lake despite dwight's protestations ("it's a lake! it's a lake, michael!"). Phyllis' snarky little comment about assigning new sales randomly (spicy!). Garbage, the cat. But probably the moment that made me laugh the longest and hardest was the confessional after kelly tells ryan she's pregnant. Kelly Kapoor shaking her head vigorously at the camera made me just about lose it. And then in short order it's followed by her next confessional, "we're going on a date!" Seriously, she might be my favorite character on that show.

I have to say, i'm glad they calmed jan down some. If they wanted to keep that character around, it's definitely good she's been somewhat cowed. Because the rapid downward spiral was difficult to watch, even on a comedy. And they've struck an almost functional relationship tone with she and michael and that could be interesting.

then there's ryan. Boy, he's become a jerk, huh? he's always been right on the cusp of it, but now he official is a (explative deleted). As matt pointed out, while it's not really fun to see now, it will inevitably have a good payoff of him getting knocked down a few pegs. We can only hope.

all in all, last night's episode seemed back in step with their best stuff. We spent some time with every character and thus, i didn't feel cheated like last week. I was elated. Like the good old days.

Matt's Take

That's more like it, Office. After a sluggish and utilitarian start to the fourth season of the best sitcom on television, The Office returned to form with a laugh-a-second gem entitled "Dunder Mifflin Infinity".

I could sit here a day later and quote to you all the awesomely funny lines and sight gags that worked in this episode. That's what this show is at its best, it's quick-hitting idiocy mixed in with heartfelt stories about lost and misguided people trying to find happiness with one another.

All my doubts have been allayed about the premises put in place for this season. Jim and Pam being together works...for now. It's cutesy but still fun and safe and with a little tension.

Michael and Jan works. It's not too outlandish or ridiculous but really kind of functional. Jan is just crazy enough that she needs Michael and Michael is stupid enough that he can't see how crazy she is.

But most of all, what a great move it turned out to be to make Ryan the Temp the new bad guy. He's always had a sleaziness about him, a quality they really started stepping up more and more last season. Now he's just a full-on jerk. Since the rehabilitation of Andy, there's been no villain on the show, no character that brings everyone else together. Ryan is that uniting force. He's perfect for the job.

The only element of the show I'm still not buying into is the Dwight-Angela relationship. It's just not all that compelling or interesting to me. They are two nasty, ugly and largely unlikable people so any time we spend with both of them is not usually very fun. Angela and Dwight are characters we laugh at, not with, so it's hard to take anything from their on-screen relationship.

But I'm nitpicking, really. The second episode of the season proved all the doubters wrong. Yes, getting Jim and Pam together is a good idea. Yes, Ryan works as a bad guy. Yes, the hourlong format can work for this show. And yes, The Office is still the best sitcom on television.

30 Rock-Seinfeld Vision

2007-10-05T08:55:00.001-07:00

Francesca's Take

now, matt and i were early champions of this show. I'm fairly certain that it still hasn't quite found it's audience, but thank you very much to the NBC heads having a little good faith (remember, these folks did the same for the office three years ago when i'm fairly certain matt, bec, and i were the only people watching). Stays of execution make me respect them alot. And 30 Rock is very worthy of the reprieve.

It's always been uneven. It took it a few episodes for it to find it's footing and it sort of lost it's way again at the end of last season. But when it's good, it's very, very good. And last night it was very good.

Liz Lemon, neurotic to the core, works best as a mildly depressed single (or as the girl who wished she was single and who's beeper salesman boyfriend would buy her cheeseburgers as a sign of affection). Don't get me wrong. i liked floyd. And it was nice for her to be happy. But sitting on the floor, eating take out ham in a 4000 dollar wedding dress (she was in the wedding dress, not the ham), was a call back to what makes her character great and relatable. Starstruck kenneth was a beautiful thing to behold. Kinda fat jenna was pretty hilarious (it would of been funnier if that torso wasn't so close to home for me) and tracy jordan's a joy. Jack was back to his whisper-y, conniving self (so much better than him being fettered to the fake british woman). And jerry seinfeld was really very funny. guest stars, particularly appearing as "themselves," are often not very funny. This role was very well written. it was a great season premier.

a note: how often has lost been referred to in other tv series? i thought last night's joke, with regards to seinfeld vision was spot on, dwight schrute mentions is fairly regularly and i was delighted when, in this week's episode, chuck got in on the game. As he rattled off a number of our countries secrets, tucked in there was a comment about "oceanic flight 815." You know those lost folks have got to feel pretty good about that. And, strangely, those are all NBC shows.

Matt's Take

This was a real treat for me. Seinfeld really hit its stride right around my middle school years and I was just old enough to get some of the jokes and ever since that point it has informed my sitcom sensibilities. The half-hour television comedy can't go back to the formulaic days of Full House and Family Matters in the post-Seinfeld era, which in many ways makes 30 Rock a successor of Seinfeld.

It's a non-traditional comedy in that it mixes Tina Fey's very grounded, intellectual wit with zany, outrageous flights of fancy. Jerry Seinfeld blends seamlessly into that world.

As Francesca mentioned, 30 Rock was a bit uneven during its first season ranging from pure brilliance to a bit off the mark. To be fair, even the jokes that didn't work in the first season were ambitious enough to applaud. Fey and company rarely go for the easy joke and that has to be admired in the world of ratings-driven comedy.

So far, the second season is off to a nice start with the show's best episode since last year's brilliant "Black Tie" (which featured Paul Reubens as an inbred Austrian prince). 30 Rock's ultimate fate is very much tied to Tina Fey's talent as a writer and that means it's no certain success. The ceiling is very high for what it could become but for now Fey and Team 30 Rock must focus on creating a more solid identity for the series.

Pushing Dasies-Pie-lette

2007-10-04T16:10:00.001-07:00

Francesca's Take

first, a word about the title of this episode: clever. And a word about me: not very clever. It took me awhile to get it.

So, a word about the series: whimsy. Not something you get alot of on network tv and definitely not something you would expect to be done so well. The premise is, i suppose, somewhat supernatural, but you watch it and what comes across is the quirky. With a color palette saturated enough to rival the film Nanny McFee, you are immediately made aware that this is not quite of this world. After all, where in this world could a man eke out a living as a pie maker?

so here's the thing: our hero, ned, can bring people back to life. He discovers this when his dog gets hit by a truck. The grieving boy touches his dog and it bounds back to life. He only discovers the downside of this power when his own mother dies. He touches her, she bounds back to life, and, a few minutes later, his neighbor (incidentally, his love, a girl named chuck) sees her dad keel over. See, if he keeps something alive for more than a minute after its death, someone else will die. he finds out another nasty side effect: if he touches what he brought back again, it dies. Permanently.

this is all told quirkily by a narrator who voices over with the vaguely british authority of a fairy tale. Which works beautifully.

The rest of the episode gives us what will become the gist of the show: when an investigator, emerson cod, oversees ned bring back to life (and promptly re-kill) a bad guy, he enlists him as the second half of a crime-solving duo. They visit the morgue, bring folks to life for a minute, ask them who killed them, collect the reward. simple enough.

until one of the victims is ned's old flame and first love, Chuck. he brings her to life but can't bear to kill her again. and there's the lovely, sad thing. he loves her, but he can't touch her.. Anyways, they solve her murder and we meet her excellent, quirky (that word keeps coming up) aunts and the plot is very cleverly (that word again) uncovered and i say, old chum, it was a very enjoyable hour of tv.

enjoyable and totally bizarre. We can only hope it sticks around. I think it deserves to.

Matt's Take

This is a show that will almost certainly divide audiences. There will be a large group, maybe even a majority, who either don't get it or think it's just too clever, too overdone. Then there will be another group that thinks this show is brilliant, refreshing, unique and a sign that creative television can still exist.

To be honest, I'm not sure which category I fall into just yet. To be sure, it's not beyond me. I'm as big a fan of Tim Burton (an obvious influence on this show's style) as anyone. I'm a big believer that sometimes you just need to show your brain something that it would never come up with on its own. It gets things going, gets the juices flowing.

Yet there's a part of me that thinks Pushing Daisies might just be walking that thin line between being weird for weirdness' sake (usually a good thing) and being weird because you've seen others have success by being weird (not a good thing). It's a fine line to be sure but one that intelligent viewers will notice sooner or later.

To give an example, the guys from Monty Python made some of the most brilliant comedy of their time by defying expectations and acting in a way no one could predict or expect. But as a result of the Pythons' success, we've seen a number of lame comedians come along who simply say something shocking or nonsensical and expect people to laugh.

The worst part about this phenomenon is that often audiences will have the same reaction to the cheap knockoffs as they had to the original simply because their brains are conditioned to the feeling. You see or hear something bizarre or nonsensical and you laugh.

My point is, I'm still not sure if my brain responded kindly to Pushing Daisies because it's a quality show or because it seems like a quality show. A few more episodes should tell the truth about whether Pushing Daisies is the weirdly sweet Burtonesque love story it looks like or a cynical attempt to reel in us artsy intellectuals.

But off the bat, it's an original idea with fun characters, a beautiful visual style (a very underrated thing in television these days) and an excellent cast, the last factor being in my opinion the most crucial factor in the success of any television series.

There's a ton of promise but I'm still in wait and see mode here.

Kid Nation-Deal With It!

2007-10-04T09:10:00.000-07:00

Francesca's Take

why, oh why, can't kids be voted off? some crack head decided to put the horror of a pageant queen on the counsel. This has to be one of the most disfunctional children i've ever seen. I am, naturally, talking about taylor. So horrible is she that, when the kids all come down hard on her at the town hall meeting and made her cry, i cheered. When they shot back at her w ith her trademark wail of "DEAL WITH IT!" i practically stood on my chair. She apparently learned that the most effective way to deal with conflict was to drawl at the top of her lungs, "That's the way it is! DEAL WITH IT!"

urg.

in other news, very interesting was the decision the counsel had to make as a result of winning their challenge. Faced with a choice of prizes, either a "frontier" microwave and a barrel of cocoa or a pile of hot pizzas for them to enjoy right now. the obvious choice was the microwave and cocoa. It would last longer and potentially have a greater impact on the community. However, upon further investigation i (and smart counsel member mike) realized that, given there conditions, there wasn't much to actually cook in a microwave. And, when he pointed out that "sometimes the things you need aren't the things you need, i learned to love the kid. A microwave might seem like a good idea but these kids, who had been fighting like crazy that morning, might be better served by some good food and something that would lift them out of their collective funk.

but, as per usual, whiny butt taylor got her way.

seriously, every show needs a villian, and i know they could just be editing her to be this way but...i don't know. She seems pretty horrible to me.

i hate nothing more than a bratty kid.

oh, and now the nimrod yellow team (led by my favorite, taylor) is the upper class. Is there no justice?

Matt's Take

I don't care if it's tacky, I don't care if it's gimmicky. I know a lot of it is staged and contrived but I don't care about that either. This show is great. It's as compelling an hour of television as you can find right now. I love it and can't wait for another one and there aren't many shows I can say that about.

My favorite moments from this week's installment:

* "Cowboy" Colton locking eyes with a bull and scaring it away.

* Bully Greg cussing like a Soprano in front of the 8-year-olds.

* Morgan spouting off psychological terms in her analysis of the town trouble-makers.

* Alex, the sunglass-wearing Asian kid, screaming "The violence, the violence!"

* The kids doing soft drink versions of jagerbombs during their crazy, late-night party.

* MOST OF ALL, the kids revolting in the town council meeting and making stupid beauty queen Taylor cry.

Ultimately, that's what this show is: a collection of amusing moments involving kids being stupid and taking themselves way too seriously. As long as you don't take it as seriously as they do, it's a lot of fun.

Reaper-Charged

2007-10-02T20:11:00.000-07:00

Francesca's Take

Hurrah! Reaper! Still funny, the girl still looks like Hilary Swank and sock is still funny. Though i was a little unclear on what, exactly, our freak-of-the-week was doing, i didn't really care. It was still fun. There were still more than a few belly laughs. And Ray Wise is still delightful as the devil (i feel pretty bad saying that).

The only issue i have (and, it's making me laugh, so i'm not taking it too much to heart) is that they did alot, alot of rehashing. The only thing i can think is that this episode was maybe written before it was certain as to whether or not the pilot was going to air. Also, i think there was some discrepancy with the whole thing of leaving mom in the dark. From the pilot, i got that it was sam who made the decision to leave his mom in the dark on the whole collecting evil souls side project. they were sort of making it seem like he was getting pressure from his dad to keep her in the dark this week. That whole storyline was a little convoluted.

still, i forgive it. Why? i like the show. and i really like the trend of suiting up before facing evil souls. In uniforms made from The Work Bench products. I don't love broad comedy all the time, but i do love it when people look silly. And their rubber suits and caps were pretty silly. i can forgive almost anything when a guy , facing seemingly imminent doom, finds true sorrow in the fact that he's going to die looking like a, um, prophylactic.

that's comedy, my friends.

Matt's Take

Retreading the basic plot points of the show was a major pain to sit through but I guess a show with this complicated of a premise needs to go over things a few times before the CW audience can absorb it. Many high-concept shows go through the same process.

The strength of any comedy series (or drama series for that matter) has to be the writing staff and Reaper has a good one. The one-liners are never stale or easy as we so often see in television comedy today and the three main male characters are given pitch-perfect "guy talk" dialog that's as funny as any dialog you'll hear on network TV.

I'm also pleasantly surprised at how well the romance plot thread has played in the first two episodes. I thought it would feel forced or uninteresting but again the strong writing gives us the right tone of cutesy dialog between the two leads that it makes you smile and root for them to get together.

Two episodes in, I'm still very interested in Reaper and will definitely give it to November sweeps to see what it can do.

Aliens in America-Pilot

2007-10-02T19:46:00.000-07:00

Francesca's take

Oh no! I love this show. And as soon as Matt mentioned it, i realized he was right: the premise of this show means it's going to have to fight hard to stay alive. Especially on the decrepitly teenage-friendly (read: mostly horribly programmed) CW. What i mean to say is, CW's primary audience, the folks who cherish Gossip Girl, will have a tough time even giving a show with two nerdy leads (and, unlike chuck, these nerds actually look like nerds) a chance.

But oh. It's good. And i think it should be required teenage viewing.

The premise sounds terrible. A family gets an exchange student, in hopes that the awesome, soccer playing, cute euro kid will make their less-than-cool son, justin, popular. it's the nature of an exchange program, right? Built-in friend? It's telling that the parents go for it, even more telling that our lead, who is fully aware of his nerdiness, goes for it too. The entire family is horrified when they realize they've not gotten the prince william they were hoping for so much as a pakistani kid who just happened to fly through london, not originate from there. The mother, who just wants to up her son, can't bear that this tragedy has befallen their family. they're from wisconsin, after all. they don't deserve this. He might be a terrorist. They pose as students, she notes. Sounds horrible right? wait for it.

Justin recognizes that going to school with his nightshirt and baggy pants-clad kid (a muslim, no less) would only make matter worse for him. So he stays home and eats a tray of brownies. The exchange student, raja, has as terrible a day as you might expect. A well-meaning teacher asks the students to have a dialogue and exchange their feelings about raja. When one girl says she's angry at him for "blowing up those buildings in new york", the teacher encourages everyone who's mad at raja to raise their hand.

After Raja shares this, the "highlight" of his day with justin, he asks him about his life. And just like that, in a charming montage with an enjoyable voice-over, we find out that justin's found a soul-mate in raja, his freak equal.

That comes at about the half-way point of the episode. Dad's found out he can be content with their little pakistani surprise (after all, the boy cleans, which dad's never seen a high schooler do, and the exchange program gives them a monthly 500 dollar check), but mom's still having some trouble with the way things unfolded. She puts the plan into action to send raja back, now against justin's will. In a surprisingly not contrived-feeling moment, we find out that raja's parents are both dead. This moment of pathos finally wakes up mom, and raja stays. in a voice-over, we find out that the whole family ended up sharing a wonderful dinner, with raja entertaining and delighting them all.

have i not convinced you? well, how about this: Entertainment Weekly described the voice-overs to be Wonder Years-esque. I submit that the entire show has a feel of that revered sitcom. It's funny, but it gets right to the warm fuzzy when it needs to.

still not convinced? about five minutes in, i thought, "oh my. This could be the next freaks and geeks."

let's hope it doesn't suffer the same fate. I'm not sure i could stand another high school gem that didn't make it past season one.

Matt's Take

This show is seriously very good. Alright, at least the pilot. This is another one that I was baffled to discover Francesca had Tivo'd because not knowing that it was a comedy, it sounded to me like Crash the television series.

This show is not sappy or preachy in the slightest. Francesca mentioned "Freaks and Geeks" as a comparison to this show and I think that's a fair assessment. The point of the show isn't that American teenagers are racist. It's that they are just as hateful to the off-beat, geeky kids in school as they are to a kid they believe to be an icky, weird terrorist.

The humor is what makes the show worth watching and its portrayal of the ludicrous world of high school is right up there with Mean Girls, which in my book is the best high school comedy of the past decade. There are gags like the classroom scene Francesca mentioned that are over the top and ridiculous but the humor can take on more subtle notes as well. Raja is a character that could have easily been overdone in one direction or another but the show finds the perfect balance of innocence and intelligence, of foreign and familiar. I think most writers would have tended to turn Raja into a Steve Urkel but instead we get a catchphrase-free character with believable depth and likable qualities.

I agree with Francesca that this show will have a very difficult time finding its audience, which is a shame. The good news for "Aliens in America" is that it comes on the CW which doesn't seem to be overly concerned with ratings (see the cancellation of Veronica Mars) so if this series fits into the overall image the CW is trying to project, it's got as good a shot as anyone.

Chuck-Chuck Versus the Helicopter

2007-10-02T19:37:00.000-07:00

Francesca's Take

Good news! chuck continues to entertain! Bad news: his sister's bangs. What happened between the pilot and the first real ep? Was she attacked by a rogue hairstylist? seriously, i was distracted through the whole episode. It harshened needlessly her pleasant face.

There were alot of interesting dynamics going on. I like that the two agents are not able to trust each other while they both demand that chuck trusts them. And casey? i'm really warming up to him. While i'm not sure that this show really needs to be an hour (it seemed like there was a pretty good amount of piddling before they got to the meat of things), it's just entertaining enough for me to forgive it. matt and i were discussing that, while strict dramas tend to fare better in the hour format, with comedies (see the office premier) it's a little dicier. So where does that leave the action/comedy? It's a tough balancing act. Still, i believe they can pull it off.

A couple of bones to pick: 1) Is the chick the only one who works at Weinerlicious? If so, am i to believe that the CIA built a cheesy hot dog joint just so she could work across the street from chuck? Why doesn't she just work at Save More? (wait, is that the name of the store? between this and reaper, i'm getting my super stores confused). Bone to pick, 2) does chuck just not get in trouble for the nerd herd cars that he keeps busting? that's weird.

i forgive it all. The show is good natured and i like chuck's face. When his face breaks into a smile, i come to to find myself signing away the next season full of mondays. Alright, i lied a little. We have tivo. So i'm signing away about 42 minutes of each week for the season. Whatever. Sue me.

Matt's Take

As surprised as I am to say it, Chuck is not bad two episodes in. A story like this is all about balance and so far Chuck has kept the balance between action/adventure and comedy/romance pretty well in check.

Francesca gave an adequate exploration of this week's episode so I want to talk about the continued success of the overall concept of the show. Let's compare it to another effort to blend espionage with comedy, the abysmal The Whole Nine Yards which starred Matthew Perry in the Chuck role and Bruce Willis and Amanda Peet as the secret agent types.

The Whole Nine Yards represents what happens when there's too much comedy in the equation. It becomes impossible to take the action seriously and turns the whole enterprise into something that really doesn't appeal to anyone.

It's hard to really explain the precise difference, but Chuck is able to keep us interested with a running storyline involving high-stakes espionage and intrigue while still devoting time to a silly side story about Chuck's sister hosting a dinner party in which the food may or may not have been poisoned by the two secret agents.

Point here is that while I'm not over the moon for Chuck, it works for what it is and it's an hour's worth of light entertainment that will keep you interested and give you at least a few solid laughs.

Bionic Woman-Pilot

2007-10-02T19:24:00.000-07:00

Francesca's Take

Matt really dragged his feet on watching this one. I was intrigued. For one, all of my experience with the bionic woman was limited to an excellent episode of freaks and geeks where bill haverchuck dressed up as the bionic woman. from his stirring rendition of Jamie Summers, I knew that she had a bionic ear. and wore dresses from bill's mom's closet. What i knew beyond that was that the actress playing the latest version of J. Summers was British and maybe had cankles a little.

i was interested.

turns out, the show is not all that exciting. I think for an action/mystery show to work, it should follow the Lost model. Easily the most explosive and exciting pilot i've ever seen, it dropped you right into the action and, though it left you with a million questions and very little knowledge of the characters, it was so freaking amazing to watch, even after one episode, i could barely wait until the following week. (Honesty time: i didn't have to. I actually crammed the first season in the week before the second season on dvd). The bionic woman misfired in trying to introduce us to the character for the first half before throwing in some action in the second half. Worked for chuck, because as a half comedy, we were still entertained when there wasn't action. This one took itself very seriously the whole time. And it was kinda boring. and the few things they left open-ended (will's dad? the prisoner? or something?), were so mysterious that i'm not curious at all.

all this said, i may just be rough on it because i do not, do not like katee sackoff. First of all, that's a pretty annoying name, wouldn't you say? though her unbearable tough-girl, chin-jutting persona from Battlestar Gallactic is somewhat toned down here (thank you, jehovah), she still carries enough of that affected-ness with her that it makes me wish i had a bionic leg to kick her with.

we'll give it another week, but it didn't grab me. Which is weird, given the bionic strength and all.

Matt's Take

As Francesca mentioned, this is a show that I just was not excited about at all since it first appeared on the fall schedule back in May.

Looking deep into my heart, I'm probably a bit of a chauvinist. Any show or film that ever touches on that dreaded concept of "Girls can do it too" almost always sucks to me. Estrogen and testosterone just don't taste good together on film.

But ultimately, The Bionic Woman doesn't fail as a show because it's a woman being masculine. It fails as a show because it's poorly written and poorly acted. The lead Michelle Ryan is very average. Average looking, average talent, average voice. There's nothing charismatic or interesting about her or her boyfiend or her sister.

The one interesting aspect of the show is the idea of an evil corporation led by Twin Peaks alum Miguel Ferrer and their plot to use Jamie Sommers to catch a rogue, evil Bionic Woman. That's kind of cool and if the fight sequences and action pieces didn't have a lame Evanescence-like soundtrack, they would be pretty cool too.

The problem this show runs into is the same problem Kill Bill and Charlie's Angels (movies) and any Michelle Rodriguez movie ever ran into. Writers who tend to write stories about super-masculine women don't understand that testosterone driven plots lose all their intrigue when you inject a scene of the main character crying or holding a baby in the middle of it.

I'll probably catch hell for this one from the blogger above me but someone had to say it.

The Office-Fun Run

2007-09-28T06:28:00.000-07:00

Francesca's Take

Oh boy. I love the office. I was super excited to see what things would be about after all the twists and turns of season three's finale. Turns out, things are not very exciting.

Oh sure, someone gets hit by a car and gets rabies and Michael pukes, but with the changes in the office, some of the dynamics seemed to have changed. And maybe not for the better.

So Pam and Jim are dating. Initially, it looked like they would be doing it on the sly and i thought, "what a clever way to still keep the mystery about them." but then they "came out" as it were, and now i'm worried about how that's going to play out. It was more fun for everyone when there was something keeping them from each other, be it roy, karen, pride, whatever.

New cocky Ryan maybe isn't my favorite. Plus, where will kelly get her funny from if she doesn't have her "great love" to act as foil? Andy Bernard was barely used and we all have seen what a rock star of a character he can be.

And, here's what really kills me, it just wasn't very funny. sure, there were some funny moments, but not many. I think someone maybe thought, "what a funny concept: michael hits merideth with a car, angela's cat died, andy bernard's nipples bleed" and then decided that there wasn't any need to write funny since it was all so intrinsically funny. But the funniness in this show has always come from character reactions, not so much the situation.

This is hard for me to admit, but maybe stretching plain old episodes into an hour isn't such a great idea. The hour-longs made sense as they were last year, because they were used for big, important story lines. Last night's episode, entitled Fun Run, didn't get around to the Fun Run until the second half hour. I was genuinely confused. I thought that maybe they were just going to do two half-hour episodes...it didn't have a great flow to me.

All of this said, the office is, and will continue to be, my number one, most get-excited-about show on television. I'm sure this was just a fluke, but i really expected more and was a little let down.

Matt's Take

Let me start by saying I was less disappointed with the premiere than Francesca. I thought there were enough laughs to make it a satisfying episode on its own. There was no one single gut-busting moment but it was a solid installment.

As for the new situations being setup, this is nothing new for The Office. They began last season with Jim at another office with new characters we didn't care about yet. Format changes happen all the time on successful shows and the shows continue on. The issue with the new developments between Jim and Pam could be problematic though.

One of the key premises of the entire show is the sexual tension between Jim and Pam, which is eliminated now that they have gotten together. Eliminating sexual tension between the leads is a tempting route to take for a writer but it has spelled death for many a show from The X-Files to one of my favorite television romantic comedies, Ed. I'm not saying they can't find a way to make it work here but I'm skeptical at the very least.

I'm starting to feel that Andy Bernard (Ed Helms) has largely served his purpose on the show and isn't adding anything at this point. His character arc last season was brilliant and gave us a hilariously annoying character that simply could not survive for long in the office. They ended his character arc at the appropriate point but then brought him back a few episodes later as a new man without all the wonderfully annoying trappings. While I love the character and what Ed Helms brought to him in his original state, I don't think Andy is bringing much to the table at this point.

For this show to succeed it has to be about three things:

1) Michael Scott being hilariously stupid and heartfelt at the same time.

2) Dwight Schrute

3) The exquisite agony of watching Jim and Pam grasp at what could be the perfect love but coming up just short.

If those three factors continue to exist, the show will be fine but if one is removed I'm not sure the show will hold the same luster.

Kid Nation-To Kill or Not to Kill

2007-09-27T07:13:00.000-07:00

Francesca's Take

Though many people were scandalized by the thought of children on a reality show where they might get hurt, since I heard of it, I thought this had the potential to be a really, really interesting show. Even bordering on something a la PBS, more social experiment than reality show. Since it’s a network show, it naturally isn’t as dignified as I might have hoped. But it’s not too bad either.

Now, we missed the first episode, but let me tell you what I know. Forty kids were left in a “ghost town” in the desert. I’m fairly certain it’s a set, but it’s pretty convincingly bare-bones. There are four kids who serve as the Town Council. They are the heads of the “counties.” The counties are made up by kids of the same-ish age group. Oh yeah, the kids range from 8 to 15. The counties are split into classes. Based on some sort of challenge, the counties get ranked into their class. I don’t remember precisely how that broke down, but the upper classes get the easier jobs and the lowest class are the laborers, getting stinky jobs like hauling water and cleaning outhouses. Also, each week the town council chooses one kid to receive the gold star. It’s worth 20,000 dollars (the use of which is to be determined by their parents. I think the idea is scholarship). They have to choose unanimously a kid who they think has really shone and help the community. Ok, let’s go.

One of the great things about kids is their ability to tell it like it is. At one point, while the kids were debating as to whether or not they should kill some of the chickens (they conveniently have an older kid, Greg, who worked with a butcher and, conveniently, “has experience with PVC.”) They battled back and forth, and understandably. Who want to see chickens, who they had previously relied on for eggs, get slaughtered? Ultimately currying favor for fresh meat was a kid, very much not on the council, who stood up and said, “how many of you have had chicken before? We need the protein!” Done and done. On survivor, there would be undercutting, backstabbing, and snarkiness. With a bunch of kids, they were honestly trying to suss it out.

There was some drama about the yellow county (the youngest county, led by the horrible Jamie Lynn Spears clone, Taylor) not doing their share of the work in the kitchen. And Greg, who had previously been a punk, worked hard to impress the council in pursuit of the gold star.

The centerpiece was this week’s challenge. The prize was either a heated moon-bounce waterslide thing that would go in the middle of the town (the kids really wanted this. They were very, very cold and they thought it would boost morale) or something that was under a barrel. (It was unclear whether it would be revealed before they made their decision). The four counties had to transport water from a pump, through various obstacles and get it to a water wheel. Using PVC piping. (hence, Greg’s little bragging fit described above. Seriously, what kind of a life has this fifteen year old led? Butcher, plumber? Weird). The order in which they finished would determine their class for the week. The big prizes were contingent on everyone finishing.

So the water went on and off they went. Now, I initially complained about the challenges to Matt. I thought that’s what cheapened it. I had spoken too soon. This was a pretty difficult challenge and it forced the kids to work together, which they did very well. I was impressed.

When it got to the end of the hour, all the teams had finished except the green team. They got so close, but they didn’t get it done and the kids didn’t get the prizes. The prize under the barrel was the promise of more water pumps (that were freeze-proof) and the green team was crestfallen. You know how the other teams responded?

They hugged the green team and told them they did a good job.

That’s when I was sold. Only kids would do that.

Matt's Take

I hate reality television as a format and think it's an absolute waste of airtime in almost every case but as soon as I heard about Kid Nation I knew it would be different.

There are several inherent flaws in the reality TV format that Kid Nation circumvents. Firstly, reality show participants have long since become too self-aware of the possibility of earning celebrity status to have any hope of acting like a relatable human being. If the point of reality television is to realistically depict people in a competitive environment, that goal has been abandoned by shows like Survivor and Amazing Race where the primary goal of the contestants is not to win the contest but to become famous somewhere along the way so they can become a commentator on the 7th installment of I Love the 80's.

The participants of Kid Nation are children. Are they slightly more self-aware than normal children? Perhaps but even the ones attempting to stand out in the crowd are simply not smart enough to create controversies, hide their true feelings or do any of the other things that make reality shows seem phony.

The premise of the show is a little hokey with all the "kid's can do anything" rhetoric but to me that's not really what the show is about. That's what they told the parents it would be about.

Kid Nation is about watching kids try and accomplish something as a group, which is more interesting than watching adults try to do it. Kids are brutally honest, they are shameless, they are not strategic in any way whatsoever.

Reality television, like any format of entertainment, relies on interesting and compelling characters and Kid Nation delivers better than any reality show on the air right now.

Reaper - Pilot

2007-09-26T12:01:00.000-07:00

Francesca's Take

*NOTE TO READER: Though matt wrote and published his take before i started writing this, i haven't read his. In part, because i don't want to be influenced and in part because sometimes he steals my analogies and i want you to know that all my opinions were come by honestly. BOO-YA, hubs!*

My friends, i think we have a winner. This show was fuh-hunny. i don't hold pilots to the same standard as a regular show. They're just babies at this point, trying to work things out. A glimmer of comedy is enough to keep me interested. It's just a pilot, after all. There's alot of exposition that needs to be covered. That's what makes them sort of difficult to draw a conclusion about, too. They spend half the show saying "this is what the show is about" and then the other half showing you, "this is what the show will be." Now, both of the shows we have reviewed have shown that, yes, they can be a successful 30 minute version of the premise, but will it keep me engaged for an hour?

with chuck, i'm optimistic, but not totally sure. I'm fairly certain that i've found my v. mars replacement in reaper. The comedy is solid and clever. The main dude's best friend is a poor man's jack black. Which, at first, seemed like it might be a detriment but then,after he gave us a few belly laughs, it was apparent: poor man's J. black or no, the fat, outlandish, snarky, funny guy is always gonna be a winner, if done well. And the fellow who's standing in here for the great man with a guitar is definitely able.

It should be noted that the leading lady still needs to convince me. She bears a bizarre resemblance to hilary swank, to an almost distractingly weird extent. She wasn't very well defined as a character (is she the love interest or just one of the guys?), but i hope they let the buddy thing live without the intrusion of a romantic storyline. because those were easily the strongest parts: the guys hanging out and goofing off.

a word about the devil: as a rule, i'm not into stuff that glorifies the devil. But i got to say, this is a very appealing characterization. Not like in a "hey, the devil is cool" kind of way, but in a "yeah, that's probably about right." They definitely show him to be evil, but rather than the pure liquid evil that you might expect, they made him into a sly business man, who's just trying to get the job done. He's funny, sure, and even a little humble (i really liked that he said (paraphrased), "oh, don't worry. God wins."), but let's be honest, gang. He squashed a man with a zamboni. He's not to be trifled with. Ray Wise (who i really only know from his creepy, creepy turn in twin peaks as laura palmer's dad), is an absolute delight. He plays ever note of this creepy, funny, smart little devil perfectly. and, frankly, i'm really just relieved that he's not waltzing to "mares eat oats and does eat oats and little lambs eat ivy." ooh. i might not be able to sleep, now that i have that image in my mind.

anyways, bottom line? i can't wait to see next week's episode..

Matt's Take

What is it about someone playing Satan on screen that is so fun to watch? Maybe it's because it gives us a chance to mock the old prince of darkness, laugh in the face of evil. Anyway, psychology aside I've always taken an interest in any shows or movies that touch on the Heaven/Hell mythology. The stakes are the highest they can be and the potential for high drama is always there.

Which is what makes Reaper such an interesting twist. You base a story in the incredibly dramatic realm of the afterlife and make a total joke out of it.

The series is essentially built around one incredibly dark joke: the main character finds out on his 21st birthday that his parents sold his soul to the devil before he was born. Now he has to work for Satan (played by Laura Palmer's crazy-ass daddy from Twin Peaks) by capturing the souls of the damned who have escaped Hell due to an overcrowding problem.

It's pretty dark subject matter to be as funny a show as it is. The hero's best friend is essentially a Jack Black impression but nonetheless, it's funny and it works. The show actually has a very similar feel to Shaun of the Dead, another movie dealing with a dark subject matter in a way that provides laughs but still maintains tension.

So what you've got is a monster-of-the-week type formula akin to the X-Files with a decided comedic tint and some pretty likable characters. Making the show interesting week in week out will be the key as always but this could be the most promising new show of the fall season.

Chuck-Pilot

2007-09-25T16:19:00.000-07:00

Francesca's Take

With one of my favorite shows gone (V.Mars, i loved you to the end...even if you did get not very good), i'm looking for a replacement. Part of the reason i could love v. mars to the end was that i really liked the characters. The plots got off the mark towards the end, but man alive, did i care about Veronica, her pop, her friends and, sigh, yes, even simpering logan. Which is why I take heart in Chuck.

With engaging and exciting action sequences (thanks McG, man behind one of the worst director names ever and the Charlie's Angels franchise) and a rather clever plot, what really heartened me was the cast. I like chuck. He's believably dorky, but easy to love (though, admittedly, i am a sucker for the short sleeve shirt/tie combo. Blame dwight schrute. Or george michael, the michael cera one). His sister is nice to the point of saccharine, but seeing how me and my sisters, pretty solidly in adult-hood, deal with our little brother, i'll buy it. our lovely CIA leading lady (or was she NSA?) is likable and, praise jehovah, she has a funky tooth situation. Nothing endears me more. While the pilot stands alone, there are a few threads dangling at the end which make me look forward to next week.

It'll take a few more episodes for me to know if it's love for real, but it's pilot was strong enough that its spot is secure on the tivo.

Matt's Take

To me, watching a pilot for a new show always makes me a little nervous. I know that 9 times out of 10, the show I'm watching isn't going to succeed or really even make it to December. Imagine going to the movies and knowing that if the rest of the people in the theater don't like the movie by the end of the first hour, they're just going to stop the projector and bring the lights up. It kind of makes investing your time feel a little risky.

For me, I always look for one thing in a new show to decide whether it's going to be worth watching and that's how much it offers to me as an audience member. If it can give me something I enjoy so much that I could start to get addicted to it, I know it has a chance of working out in the long haul.

Chuck didn't seem like a great idea for a show to me from the promos but I'll admit that it does have some things to offer. Action-comedy is something that hasn't been tried a lot on TV before for a few reasons. For one it's expensive but also big action pieces need to be in the hour format and comedy tends to work best in half-hour doses.

The lead character in Chuck is a likable guy and thankfully not as goofy as the typical "In Over His Head" guy you usually see in action comedies. He's not the totally inept geek caught up in international intrigue. He's the nice, average, likable guy caught up in international intrigue. It's as if Jim Halpert was suddenly thrust into a season of 24.

The action sequences are pretty durn cool on their own and the premise of Chuck's brain being a massive secret intelligence database has potential on its own. Chuck's friend is funny as is his sister's "awesome" husband. But do all these things work together? I'm not quite sure...

While I'm far from convinced that this show can find an audience, the pilot had enough strong points that I'm interested to see this thing through to at least November and find out how whether these various interesting elements can come together into the sort of 30 Rock-meets-Alias kind of vibe they seem to be going for.