Techtite Feature Article!

-------------

Sidebar :

-------------

Is This It...? ...sadly, yes, from our perspective, anyway. Of course, we could have missed one; send a letter if you think we snubbed your upcoming fave. However, keep in mind there are many recurring shows coming back, including the final season of Friends, the reality TV juggernaut Survivor, CSI, Enterprise, and yes, even that cool superhero cartoon, Justice League (hey, what can I say; it's a cool cartoon)...

-----------------

Feel free to contribute. As always, review submissions are accepted!

------------------

Earlier this summer --based on nothing more than teasers, promos, and sales pitches-- Techtite.com listed the top ten shows that looked most promising. Yet now that we've all seen these shows as they actually appear, it's clear that some premieres were good for bad shows, and some premieres were BAD, for actually very good shows! So, the point is: we were a little off the mark. Here's the revised list:

[note: click on links to see full reviews of that show, where applicable. --Ed.]

CSI: Miami (CBS, Monday, 10 pm/ET). What's it about? A spin-off of the hit series CSI, which even topped former heavyweight ER in overall Nielsen Ratings this past season. What's so cool? Premiere now in the can, it's clear that David Caruso, and a well chosen supporting cast, are top-notch. What's not-so-cool? Kim Delaney, as a last-minute addition, was a bit out of sync, and was given a big ta-taa by episode 9. Maybe she was still frazzled after 1) her lawyer drama Philly gets cancelled, and 2) her deal with David Bochco, to be able to return to NYPD Blue after Philly's cancellation, was allegedly only if the show was cancelled "sooner." Added Plus:  All the talented crew --writers, directors, etc.-- that made the original series a hit, will be working on this one as well.

John Doe (FOX, Friday, 9 pm/ET). What's it about? A man wakes up on a small island in the Pacific, with no clue who he is or where he came from. Rescued and returned to American shores, he seems to know every factoid in the whole world --every trivia byte, every encyclopedia entry, every dictionary term ever used-- yet no idea who he is. He works with local detectives to help them solve crimes with his superior brain matter...but can they help him discover who he is, along the way? What's so cool? The series wisely implements a subtle X-Files edge, where John Doe is color blind yet sees key elements of each mystery in full color. Hmmm...  What's not-so-cool? Some critics with too much grey matter on their hands, think that a man with this much knowledge should be in a science lab somewhere, not just solving mysteries for the cops. Personally, I disagree...though I can see their point. Added Plus: The series premiere's final scene was dead-on perfect, with John having no clue even what food he likes, deciding to take a bite out of a Hot Dog with everything on it. Then a girl calls out from the ferry passing nearby, "Tommy...?" This small clue beginning his quest for identity was a fine opening to the series!

Firefly (FOX, Friday, 8 pm/ET). What's it about? In the typical sci-fi program viewing space as "the new frontier," a quasi-heroic band of mercenaries trek their way from colony to colony in the distant future, looking for work...and trying to stay alive. What's so cool? This series is created by Joss Whedon, of Buffy and Angel fame. While this is a far cry from that popular Vampire Slayer series, it has a lot of potential, and even though I'm not as enthused about the series as I once was, I still have high hopes for it to improve...given time. What's not-so-cool? I think what was always so cool about Buffy was that it was a series unafraid to laugh at itself, with any number of incredulous yet intriguing adversaries for Buffy to fight. This show has neither incredulous enemies nor a sense of humor...and to this Buffy fan, that's a very bad thing. Added Plus: Like most sci-fi shows about "space: the final frontier," there are a lot of story possibilities here. If only the writers would start using them... 

Boomtown (NBC, Sunday, 10 pm/ET). What's it about? The intrigue of this series is, a crime is seen from all sides. The caption mentions whose side of the story is about to be told, then shows the same day in the life of the cops/parmedics/criminals/victims, from their side of the story. What's so cool? While it sounds like "Groundhog Day: the Crime Drama," the episodes are not simply the same crime seen over and over from different camera angles. After all, the cops could not see everything the criminals did (and vice versa).  What's not-so-cool? There is no real cut and dry "main hero" per se; people who want their average Joe crime dramas about a singular hero and a singular crime seen from a singular point of view, will not enjoy this drama's fresh approach. Added Plus: A finely chosen cast, none of which seems poorly cast; a rarity in dramas, where as a rule, at least one actor sticks out like a sore thumb.

Birds of Prey (WB, Wednesday, 9 pm/ET). What's it about? Following in the footsteps of WB's other superhero hit, Smallville, this show tells a tale of the world of Batman, next-generation style. Catwoman is dead, Batman is missing in action, and their daughter takes on the reigns with the help of her two friends: enter The Birds of Prey! What's so cool? The writers are keeping true to actual DC comic story arcs, including a paralyzed Batgirl (Dina Meyer), who renames herself Oracle and is the eyes and ears of the "Birds of Prey." Meanwhile, Bird #3 is the daughter of a classic DC comic character called The Black Canary; a cute touch. Oh, and check out who they cast as their arch-nemesis Harley Quinn; Mia Sara!!! What's not-so-cool? Any actress' involvement in a role depends on her ability to "identify" with the character. In a series based on pure fantasy, this takes time. As an end result, the series really didn't show its muscle until as late as episode #5; by then, many would-be watchers already jumped ship. If it can survive this hurdle, though, the series looks very promising...Added Plus: series writers include Paul Dini, best known for his fantastic work in the award-winning Batman: The Animated Series.

The In-Laws (NBC, Tuesday, 8 pm/ET). What's it about? Dennis Farina and Jean Smart are in-laws to newlyweds Elon Gold and Bonnie Somerville, who move into her old bedroom in her parent's house while trying to make ends meet in college. What's so cool? Farina, whose role as a mobster in Midnight Run was one of the best part of that film, makes this sitcom a total blast! Likewise for Smart, who showed her comic expertise in a recurring guest stint on Frasier last season. It's nice to see her in a sitcom of her own.  What's not-so-cool? Maybe it's due to so many scenes next to seasoned actors like Farina and Smart, though Elon Gold and Bonnie Somerville are not as experienced in comic timing as their "in-laws" clearly are. Added Plus: Made by the producers of Frasier, this sitcom has the teeth to succeed. Maybe.

Push, Nevada (ABC, Thursday, 9 pm/ET). What's it about? Sure, it's just been cancelled; I still have to give it the kudos it deserves here, ans one of my favorite new series of this season. Co-created by Ben Affleck, it told the story of IRS agent Jim Profock, who one day receives a FAX about some bad goings-on in Push. He soon finds himself in a world where a person seems to be murdered every episode (no joke), the local law enforcement labels every murder "clearly a suicide," and over a million dollars is missing...which you, the viewer, can help find! What's so cool? Yes, YOU can help solve the crime, and get $1,000,000 and change for doing so. No joke. The better non-joke, though, is that even without this sales pitch, this was a very amusing drama, with a great cast and a decidedly macabre edge. What's not-so-cool? A Thursday night time slot. The show was a clay pigeon just waiting to be shot down by CSI, in mere weeks. Added Plus: Clues to solving the mystery were suffixed to the final-to-air episode, allowing the million dollar prize search to go on as planned. This was a very classy move for a show only on the air for 7 weeks. 

Hidden Hills (WB, Friday, 8 pm/ET). What's it about? A suburban dad (Justin Louis) shows us life in his eyes, in daydream sequences not unlike Ally McBeal...though this time, seen through the eyes of a guy. What's so cool? The dream sequences are funnier than anything Ally ever dreamed up, dancing baby or not. They also seem to have grasped the "mind of a guy" pretty well, enhancing the believability of an already hard-to-believe sitcom premise  What's not-so-cool? "Wife" Marshall is supposed to be a M.D., which as much as I like her is a role a bit out of her reach. Her medical-oriented phone conversations are spoken in a tone that makes it clear she barely knows what she's saying. Added Plus: Louis and Marshall are unafraid to do anything for a laugh...even strip naked in the premiere, in an an amusing "almost caught in the act" joke. Such uninhibited attitudes from the leads allow for many jokes that other sitcoms would be too scared to try. This has so far kept the series from looking like "just another dumb dysfunctional family sitcom."

Without A Trace (CBS, Thursday, 10 pm/ET). What's it about? In a series concept that should've been thought of long before this: Jack Malone (Anthony LaPaglia) heads an FBI division for missing persons. What's so cool? LaPaglia is a big plus: one of many fine movie heavyweights who are now contributing to TV. What's not-so-cool? This series is placed in the same precarious time slot that made The Agency such a roller-coaster ride in the ratings, last season. Will it succeed where its predecessor failed, or will it suffer the same fate as Agency and be thrown to the ratings abyss known as Saturday nights? Only time will tell... Added Plus: Sure, he can't bring everyone home safely and still look "believable," yet if they continue to bring back over half of their cases safe and sound, that's a happily-ended series I'd love to see each week.

Dinotopia (ABC, Thursday, 8 pm/ET). What's it about? Disney apparently was so impressed with what they saw during production of their mini-series of the same name, they decided to make it into a whole series! What's so cool? Every week; million-dollar CGI effects offer Dinosaurs, Dinosaurs, Dinosaurs.  What's not-so-cool? 1): the cast for the series is quite different from the mini-series, with 3 totally different leads. 2): The time slot; opposite Friends and (for most of the season) Survivor! Added Plus: Special FX galore, which seems to be a foul word on network TV lately.

-------------------------------

 Send your own "critical opinions" via Techtite's Letters page!