Ah, September… A time when American TV holds so much promise after the long summer break of reruns and Reality shows. While a few series here and there had already begun, this past week marked the official start of American Television’s Fall TV Season. And unless you have given up your idiot box, there is always that one new series you are waiting to watch on Premiere Night… So I’ve made it my mission to watch as many as humanly possible… Give or take a few.
Before I go further, I do want to make something clear: First seasons are possibly the worst seasons to judge shows. They are still in the middle of getting the chemistry together between the actors, writers, producers (and everyone else). Most series are much prettier and more exciting after they’ve had a few seasons under their belt. Pilot episodes are not always the best to judge either, since most are more proof of concept tests for the networks– rather than actual creative endeavors. But we live in a hectic world and people have to schedule everything– including their TV. That’s how I’m going to approach these Fall Premieres: As someone trying to determine what shows he’s going to watch from 8-10pm every night.
I’ll be rating them as Live! (a show I will try to watch every week), DVR/App (I like it, but can wait till the weekend to watch), Check Back (could be good, but I’ll wait a few weeks and see if it gets better before watching again) and Netflix (I’ll wait till the whole season is over before checking it out). I’m never going to suggest “not to watch”, because shows can get better and my taste will not always be your taste.
The NBC Network has been pulling the trigger early all summer with previews of sitcoms– and they’ve started Grimm a month early too. Even with all that Olympics-related effort, an interesting drama from Canada also premiered this week.
Go On
NBC Tuesdays
9pm ET
I think I mention in my Don’t Trust the B**** in Apt. 23 review that sitcoms are always hard for me to pick up. When I heard about Go On, I had a feeling it was going to be another in a long line of comedies that failed to amuse me. A moment of confession: I’ve never viewed an entire episode of Friends… Nor have I seen ever one of Matthew Perry’s movies… So I came to this show pretty much devoid of judgment on his acting talent. But Go On is based around therapy humor– and I think that has been overdone since Dr. Katz aired.
As I watched the first third of the pilot, I was pleasantly surprised. Perry nailed the show’s central character Ryan King, a sportscaster struggling to deal with the sudden loss of his wife. The humor was fresh and well-timed. As the first commercial break came, though, I had a feeling my interest in the show might slide downward. And I was right. When Laura Benanti’s character walked in and the actual therapy session started, the writers hit every forced therapy joke you’ve seen a thousand times before. This was none of the actors’ faults, of course– just mediocre writing. But I have to give Perry credit. In the moments he was given, he brought quality acting to them. If he wasn’t the lead, I might have given up on the show. But as it neared the end, the episode found its overdrive, punched up the humor and story– and left me satisfied I had watched the entire show.
I also screened the second episode since it was on the next night– and the show does get better. Hopefully, some of the overtly absurd characters will get a little more mellow as the show continues. But overall, NBC finally made me a fan of Matthew Perry and Go On.
The New Normal
NBC Tuesdays
9:30pm ET
The New Normal was getting plenty of pre-season press– as many conservative groups got riled up about the show’s premise. (Yet another reason I avoid TV News these days.) This series struck me as 2012’s “Hot Button Social Issue turned Comedy Sitcom” that probably won’t last past mid-season because it lacks substance.
I’m all for these, because I think there needs to be more diversity in characters and stories– especially in comedy… And sometimes you have to go balls to the wall. A part of me actually hoped The New Normal was going to be good because I thought the idea behind the show– much like Push Girls— is one that needs to be on the air.
What a wasted moment. The premiere episode opens up with one of the lead characters talking into the camera to his unborn child– and I immediately thought, “Is this going to be the gay version of How I Met Your Mother?” But I gave it a shot, and despite more HIMYM reminders throughout the show, I had to give credit to Justin Bartha and Andrew Rannells for some great acting that could easily have devolved into stereotypical “sitcom gay”. I actually wanted to watch a show about this couple. Georgia King and Bebe Woods also make another great actor team in their mother-daughter roles… So much so, I would love to watch all four actors come together– in a different project.
I don’t want to watch them in sitcom format. These actors (in these roles) would be perfect for an independent film comedy like Little Miss Sunshine or 50/50. These characters are made for that style of story… So much so, the sitcom elements fell flat here and interrupted my enjoyment of the characters and their story.
Given that context, there were two major offenders that drove me to dislike The New Normal. One such instance came when the writers actually interrupted their story for what became nothing more than a Public Service Announcement for “non-traditional” families… Using as examples a mother having children late in life and a Little Person mother who was afraid of bearing children. This gesture stuck out like a sore thumb and only made me think, “Social conservatives aren’t watching this show, people… And the rest of us aren’t idiots!” Since this cloying segment had zero creative impact to the recurring characters or their story, I wonder what Network Exec insisted they include it?
The other offender, straight-up, was Ellen Barkin’s character Jane Forrest. My theory is NBC wants another Pierce Hawthorne on the air– once their mission to cancel Community is complete. (That would explain how Chevy Chase— a mere actor on Community— stayed, and Dan Harmon, the creative force behind that sitcom– was unceremoniously jettisoned by NBC Brass.) Unfortunately, all the racism and bigotry that Chase’s Hawthorne exhibits was mimicked and amplified threefold in the Jane Forrest character– and the humor factor was almost negligible. There were times (especially at the end) where I actually felt offended by what came out of that character’s mouth… And I tell dead baby jokes and wear politically incorrect shirts from T-Shirt Hell. I truly hope this offensiveness is contained to the pilot episode. Despite my desire to get to know the lead characters, the secondary elements overshadowed and pushed me away.
Bomb Girls
Reelz Tuesdays
10pm ET
Reelz is a cable network, much like FX, that was banished by Comcast to a section that is very easy for me to skip over while channel surfing. It wasn’t until I began researching the Summer & Fall TV Schedules that I discovered the channel even presented episodic TV series– I thought it was a movie only channel. That said, I also didn’t know Bomb Girls was going to be on until after I had finalized my schedule for the other Fall premieres.
What a happy discovery this turned out to be.
Taking place mainly in a munitions factory during World War II, the series follows the lives of four workers. Anyone craving a show with strong female leads should tune in. With most of the able-bodied men off to War, the 30s and 40s were a time when women routinely took over for their husbands, fathers and brothers– both at home and at work. But that doesn’t mean they were treated the same– far from it. This series’ cast is one of the best I’ve seen on TV in the last few years. From the lead role of the rebellious rich girl, Gladys Witham (actress Jodi Balfour)– to the maternal, yet closed-off floor matron, Lorna Corbett (played by Meg Tilly)– all the leads shine and draw you into these women’s lives.
Historical concepts often offer great drama. They are also much-needed for any TV Generation. Most current dramas simply deal with issues that are nothing more than permutations of previous issues already dealt with by older series. Sadly, shows set in the present day have a tendency to get preachy or didactic– as creators strive to write the ideal story… TV that will one day be seen as a perfect representation of a then current day and time. (I swear TV Creators think about lofty things like this… No matter how lame their shows turn out.) They often fail. Only a very few shows are looked back on with fondness ten, twenty years later.
History provides context and a realistic progression of story and character growth– even if the writers are tackling many of same issues popping up in present-day series. Bomb Girls— in just the first episode– mentions or deals with such current issues as female empowerment in the workplace, domestic violence, class division and xenophobia… All in context of wartime. Tell me we don’t need a show like this right now.
While the first season is only a 6 episode mini-series, Season Two has a full 12 episode order. I would jump in now, because I think this is going to be a great show.
Guys With Kids
NBC Wednesdays
8:30pm ET
Short Review: It has a laugh track. Case closed.
Long Review: I think I’m the only one in the world that finds Jimmy Fallon completely unfunny. (Ed. Note- You’d be wrong about that, W.D.) The only person more unfunny than Fallon is Kevin James. So finding out this show was created and produced by Fallon did not enthuse me. And the fact that nearly every punchline is followed by an over-reactive laugh-track means, to me, the producers know their “entertainment” product isn’t funny. Based around three friends who have kids ranging from newborns to kids, it is everything you expect this show to be. And that’s the problem.
There wasn’t a single joke I didn’t see coming. But there was also something really strange about pilot episode too: It didn’t feel like a show about guys. If you gave this episode’s script to anyone and just named the characters Parent 1, 2 and 3— it would read more like it was about women than men. For example, there was one moment when Jesse Bradford’s character gets a date and Zach Cregger’s character says:
“So what are you going to wear?”
Bradford: “Um…something like this.”
Cregger: “Oh no, no, no. Tomorrow I’m going to take you out shopping.”
I can’t think of any two guys that would ever have this conversation in this context. But how many times have you seen this exact same moment between two TV women?
So not only is Guys With Kids not funny– it’s not even remotely original!
This show is about as disheartening for Dads as Big Bang Theory is for Geeks and Nerds.
More soon. In fact, we’re just getting started!
