Techtite Game Reviews ---

Whether a show succeeds or not is a roll of the dice. However, there's no denying what new shows are the most eye-grabbing. That said: Here are the ten most intriguing shows of the new season. Mind you; "intriguing" merely means they are the ones that look promising. Whether they will still be on the air in 2004, well...keep that pair of dice handy.

Tru Calling (Fox, Thursday, 8 pm/ET). What's it about? Eliza Dushku from Buffy the Vampire Slayer is given her own series. She's Tru Davies, a college intern now working at the city morgue, who is contacted from the great beyond by the newest "residents" there. In typical Twilight Zone fashion, she then finds herself at the start of the day that inevitably killed that person. Can she save them from whatever happened to them, before the day ends...? What's so cool? While this is sort of a hybrid of The Dead Zone and Early Edition, this no-fate-but-what-we-make formula could be just what the time-traveler fans wanted. Oh; did we mention Eliza Dushku is the lead star? What's not-so-cool? Word is this is another one of those "pilot episode was re-shot" deals; that's never good. What's worse: the Thursday at 8 time slot, right opposite Survivor, and Friends' final season. Then there are Dushku's "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" fans, the majority of whom wanted a series with Dushku as Faith, not "Tru Davies." Eliza felt a fresh, new series was a better idea. Will fans agree...? Added Plus: Eliza Dushku...hello? Of course this pilot is worth seeing.

Skin (FOX, Monday, 9 pm/ET). What's it about? In perhaps the boldest spin on Romeo & Juliet in years, this nighttime soap has the daughter of a porn empire mogul fall in love with the son of the man who would be D.A. The drama picks up from there. What's so cool? Producer Jerry Bruckheimer is at the helm (C.S.I., Pirates of the Caribbean); Ron SIlver plays the seedy porn empire kingpin. Sounds like a good one-two punch, for a good new drama. What's not-so-cool? Can any "Romeo & Juliet" plot last a full season? Added Plus: The lovelorn duo in this series are well cast, and are cute enough to bring in a bushel of similarly lovelorn teenage fans...if the show can keep the story interesting.

The O.C. (FOX, Thursday, 9 pm/ET). What's it about? Welcome to the O.C., where as soon as you learn the rules the rules have been changed. Welcome also Ryan Atwood (Benjamin McKenzie), former juvenile delinquent, and newest "adopted" resident of Orange County. He's brought into his assigned attorney's home, when the lawyer sees some of himself at that age in the now-homeless Ryan. Ryan's new neighbors include 16 year old Marissa Cooper (Mischa Barton), Marissa's overprotective boyfriend Luke (Chris Carmack), and the attorney's only son, Seth (Adam Brody), who is now Ryan's best friend. What's so cool? Wisely not trying to be the "next 90210" this drama has a nice blend of both adult and teen storylines, making it a perfect blend of 90210's best elements, with a nice slice of Melrose Place. It also helps that Benjamin McKenzie and Mischa Barton are a well chosen pair of teen leads.. What's not-so-cool? People who partied hearty this summer may have completely missed the six episode "sneak-peek" of the series. Will this series be easy to enter, for anyone who missed the sneak peek? Added Plus: Adam Brody is dead-solid-perfect in his role as Seth. It's a hard role to play --the typically insecure teenager, whose only "weakness" is his lack of confidence-- and he performs it perfectly.

Jake 2.0 (UPN, Wednesday, 9 pm/ET). What's it about? Jake is an ordinary computer operator who keeps applying for a chance to be an agent at the NSA offices he works in. One he is asked to fix the computer of an experimental lab, the exact same time someone is attempting to steal the secret technology being studied there. One of the canisters of experimental toxin explodes, making Jake into a sort of cyborg, on a cellular level. Welcome to Jake, 2.0! What's so cool? Part Max Steel, part Six Million Dollar Man, with a likeable guy in the lead role and a wonderfully appealing supporting cast. Jake can do things faster, even healing from wounds, and his remote transmitters within the micro-bots floating around in his bloodstream, means he can tap into any digital device with merely a thought. What's not-so-cool? This is the dark horse of the season thanks to it being on UPN, though with a lead-in like Enterprise, it's probably got the best chance of anything on that network. Added Plus: Unlike shows made for guys or shows made for gals, every character on this show is intelligent. Neither men nor women are treated as the "dingbats" here. My, what a unique perspective for TV!

The Lyon's Den (NBC, Sunday, 10 pm/ET). What's it about? One of the three lead lawyers of a prestigious law firm jumps to his death under mysterious circumstances. Taking his place is Jack Turner (Rob Lowe), who is everything this law firm is not. He takes the job anyway, however, because what it pays will help him do the good things in law that he does; a crusade for what's right, not what's most-profitable. Jack quickly learns that his new law firm is one filled with conspiracies, ambitions for power, and a slew of hidden secrets. Welcome to The Lyon's Den. What's so cool? If Rob brings to this series what he brought to The West Wing, he more than deserves his own series. What's not-so-cool? While Sunday at 10 is not the worst time slot, it's hardly the best. Added Plus: I've been waiting for years for someone to give Elizabeth Mitchell (Gia) a lead role. This is one of many icings on the cake that make this show a must-see.

Joan of Arcadia (CBS, Friday, 8 pm/ET). What's it about? Joan Girardi (Amber Tamblyn) is just a typical teenager, when she starts getting contacted by God. Trouble is, as the typical TV series formula goes, she is the only person who can see him talking to her! What's more, she never sees God as the same person. He can be a fellow student, a cafeteria worker; anyone. However, how cool is it to be given such a gift, as an ordinary teenager? What's so cool? This is one of the most bold series concepts this season. It's hard to not be intrigued at the premise: "Joan from Arcadia gets contacted by The Man Upstairs"... What's not-so-cool? ...and??? That's the thing the promos have yet to explain. What exactly is Joan supposed to do? The answer, from what we're told so far, is that Joan is being taught to think about the consequences of her actions. However, this isn't the sort of lesson in life that requires "divine intervention" per se. Why not save a life or change history or something...? On the other hand: the series does have that potential. The writers just have to write it into the show. Added Plus: Interpret this as you will: the web site Television Without Pity (a well-known, female-run TV fan-site) had a niche laid out for Joan --recap page, forums, and even a FAQ link-- over a month before the pilot even aired. How's that for signs the female demographic will be watching...?

Miss Match (NBC, Friday, 8 pm/ET). What's it about? Alicia Silverstone stars in the next series by Darren Star, who made Sex and the City an Emmy-winning smash hit. She's Kate Fox, a divorce lawyer by day, matchmaker by night. What's so cool? Everyone loves a good romance story; this is a romance series. 'nuf said. What's not-so-cool? After being inundated with lackluster "matchmaker" reality shows galore (The Bachelor and Cupid, to name just two), will people be ready for a fictional drama on the same topic? Added Plus: Kate Fox is no "Carrie Bradshaw," and to me, that's a good thing. After countless Sex and the City episodes where Carrie hears a man speak and then rips his opinions to pieces --what is Carrie's problem with hair scrunchies, anyway?-- Kate's a woman who's more interested in making relationships than breaking them. This could be the "SATC" of the next, smarter generation. Count me in.

The Handler (CBS, Friday, 10 pm/ET). What's it about? Joe Pantoliano (Risky Business, Matrix, The Sopranos, etc.) is given his own TV series. He plays Joe Renato, the FBI man you come to when you need an operative trained for intense undercover work. What's so cool? Joe in his own series, that's always cool. Even cooler is that the series looks cool. What's not-so-cool? Joe will always remind me of his unforgettable role as "Guido the Killer Pimp" in Risky Business. Others remember him as the mobster in The Sopranos or the double-agent in Matrix. Oh, and let's not forget his comic supporting role, in the under- appreciated Robert DeNiro and Charles Grodin vehicle, Midnight Run! After so many roles as a mobster, pimp, or hustler, will people be able to look at Joe Pantoliano as a "good guy"...? Added Plus: The series seems to have a good sense of humor. Joe's asked by one of his undercover assignments if she's just supposed to sit on the street and witness a crime, while acting like a pan handler. Joe replies optimistically, "Yeah...but you get to keep what you earn!"

Las Vegas (NBC, Monday, 9 pm/ET). What's it about? Big Ed Deline (James Caan) is a former CIA agent now working for the best surveillance agency in all of Las Vegas. Added to the mix of diverse characters are: Danny McCoy (Josh Duhamel), who's Ed's best employee regardless of his rep as a party-animal; Mike Cannon (James Lesure), head valet; Jane (Vanessa Marcil), the savvy new casino host; and Mary Connell (Nikki Cox), Danny's childhood friend, now a high-class escort. What's so cool? Much like CSI, this is another inspired drama concept that is based in Vegas yet isn't a mere mob-story clich�. What's not-so-cool? You get James Caan in the lead role, yet give the most lead time to other younger cast members like Duhamel? Give Caan more screen time per episode, please. Added Plus: While CSI had a good concept in making the character of Catherine Willows (Marg Helgenberger) an ex-exotic-dancer, they cowered away from that concept, with at best one or two episodes mentioning her "exotic" past at all. With a character like "escort" Mary, this series is bound to cover the sort of gritty Vegas nightlife stories CSI seems to have pulled away from lately.

Cold Case (CBS, Sunday, 9 pm/ET). What's it about? Whoever said that the only "shelved" police cases were "X-Files"...? Some are "cold cases"; several years old, long abandoned, waiting for someone to care enough to dig even harder for the truth. Enter Lily Rush (Kathryn Morris), who sees her new assignment as a need to dig for the truth, no matter how many people gave up before her. What's so cool? This is not the typical crime drama you see on TV. Many of these cold cases will be several years old; no real crime scene per se, no major witnesses. Lily must dig for the truth that has been covered in so much dust and dirt; my kind of crime series. What's not-so-cool? Every Dana Scully needs her Fox Mulder. Are we to presume Lily is a lone wolf or something? While she is assisted by a "team" to seek the truth, she is the only character seen in all the promos. Where's her partner...? Added Plus: Kathryn Morris is fresh from her role in Minority Report. The fact that was one of my favorite movies of 2002 makes this series even more appealing.

Think the above shows were easy to make look good? Check out the seven shows that didn't make the cut:

Fall Season's "Unlucky Seven," 2003

Techtite Feature Article!

Top 10 Most Intriguing New Shows, 2003

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