Some shows you should be watching
I sampled most of the season’s new offerings last month and wound up adding several to my regular roster. With some, the luster faded after a few episodes.
For example, “The Class” started out funny and emotionally involving — rare for a sitcom — then quickly became formulaic and only mildly funny, very much like every other sitcom.
I was thrilled with the first few episodes of “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,” then realized I’m only interested in the behind-the-scenes TV stuff, NOT the characters. Last week’s episode, which didn’t deal with the production of their TV show at all, is what made me realize it. In the first few minutes there was an exchange between the director and one of the cast members right after a show — “Your sketch ran 15 seconds long! We had to steal it from ‘News 60′!” “Sorry, people laughed. I wasn’t expecting it either” — and that was more fascinating to me, as a TV junkie, than anything that followed. “Studio 60″ is still amusing and full of cracking good dialogue, but I’m not nearly as engaged as I was at first.
And then there are some that started out good — good enough to put on the TiVo list — and only got better. Here are three.
“Heroes.” Yeah, everyone’s talking about “Heroes.” As well they should! I liked the premise, thought the pilot was solid but not spectacular … and have then been increasingly blown away with each subsequent episode. There are enough answers given to keep us satisfied, yet tantalizing mysteries remain, too. It’s a plot-oriented series, with twists and turns and surprises every week, yet the characters are intriguing, too.
“Friday Night Lights.” I know, it’s about a high school football team, and you don’t care about football. NEITHER DO I! Each of the episodes so far has brought a tear to my eye, or almost, anyway. It’s a sophisticated, funny, emotional look at a small Texas town where high school football rules, and where the people are mostly honest, good, decent folks. In the first episode, the golden boy quarterback broke his back during a game. Subsequently, we’ve followed his progress in the hospital while also seeing the team (and the town) deal with it. The second-string QB, a good kid who cares for his senile grandmother while his father’s in Iraq, is in over his head as the new starting QB. The team is close to mutiny, wanting to win but needing to support their coach. The coach juggles his wife and daughter with his responsibilities to the team. There’s so much going on, so many characters and so many emotions, that I look forward to the show every week. The ratings have been lackluster, however. Find it on NBC on Tuesdays (not this week, though; it aired on Monday this week).
“Help Me Help You.” This new sitcom has done pretty well in the ratings, so apparently people are watching it, but I haven’t heard anyone talk about. It’s funny! It stars Ted Danson as a shrink who runs a weekly group-therapy session for five people of varying nutcase-ness. Each episode focuses on Danson’s personal life (trying to get back with his ex-wife, being a vain and pompous Sam Malone type, etc.) with secondary plots involving a couple of his patients in their own lives. The writing is peppy and smart, the delivery impeccable, the timing similar to the rhythm “Arrested Development” had. (Not having a laugh track to get in the way certainly helps.) A couple weeks ago we saw Danson’s character in a group therapy session with other group therapists. One of them was played by Jonathan Katz — aka “Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist.” Perfect casting! The next week had Danson with some of his psychiatrist buddies trying to start their own little rock band. (One of them was Michael McKean.) Some of the names they came up with for the band were Shoq Therapy, Id Sync, Free Association, The Jungbloods, Flock of Egos, Couch, and Pink Freud. I don’t care where you’re from, that’s comedy.
October 31st, 2006 at 8:19 am
I agree with “Heroes” (I haven’t watched the others). I keep telling people to tune in ICKSPECIALLY if you like “Lost” or “24.”
Have you noticed the networks making a move to non-reality? Writers actually write plots and actors actually act them out. It’s eerie, yet strangely refreshing.
October 31st, 2006 at 8:47 am
I agree about Heroes. I was a bit of a skeptic at first, as I thought some of the writing was iffy, but it has been consistently stronger with each episode, and I love that it doesn’t wait to give us payoffs. I love Lost, as does my wife, but she is not as patient with its slowly unfolding storyline.
I knew The Class was formulaic when I could only manage to watch about 7 minutes of the pilot.
October 31st, 2006 at 10:11 am
Meh, I’m getting bored with Heroes. Yeah, they unveil about 1 mystery every few eps and add 3 more. I guess this explains why I ended up losing interest in Lost. I like mystery up to a point. But then I realize that the answers don’t live up to the hype and I’m always left disappointed. I feel Heroes has been way too slow. I’ve missed the first 1/2 of every ep for the last 2 weeks and haven’t missed a thing. To each his own, but I still think Heroes is hyped way more than it deserves.
October 31st, 2006 at 2:16 pm
Compared to all the other ‘plot-based’ shows this year, Heroes is by far the best. With Vanished, Babylon, Kidnapped, etc. they don’t give you enough new stuff from week to week, and all that builds up is frustration. In my opinion, Heroes is the best show on TV right now.
October 31st, 2006 at 2:35 pm
Oh, I love Heroes. I’d probably love it even if it was bad, because I’m just that nerdy, and I’ve always been a big dark/realistic/angsty superhero lover. (Batman is my favorite, and has been since I was fourteen, so that should tell you something.)
But the great about Heroes is that it’s also good enough to crossover to non-nerds. The way Cowboy Bebop is so good that you can enjoy it even if you hate anime. And that is awesome. Certain plotlines are a bit less interesting than others (I noticed that we had no Matt this week, and probably no one else even noticed), but oh well.
October 31st, 2006 at 4:13 pm
I love “Heroes” and “Friday Night Lights (FNL)”. I’m gaining more and more appreciation for “FNL” every week because I am continually amazed by how good it is, and I loved it especially last night in the place of “Studio 60″, which show I have grown to not like at all due to it’s disappointing me to unrecoverable levels.
And I *think* I recall seeing at the end of “FNL” last night that that same episode was also going to be reaired at its regular time tonight. (And a quick look at my guide confirms that.)
November 2nd, 2006 at 6:45 pm
I agree with your assessment of The Class. 30 Rock is probably in the same boat. We keep taping them because we need something light after all the gritty legal/medical dramas. (Speaking of which, what happened to Crossing Jordan?)
The Nine has turned out to be suprisingly good. While I’m interested in finding out what happened in the missing 52 hours, the characters themselves are interesting enough, particularly Egan.
(Oh, and totally addicted to Heroes – most anticipated show of the week. Ooh! New show (to me) on tonight!)
I may have to try your Ted Danson comedy, although reading your review makes me wonder if I’ll compare it to Frasier.