I know what you're thinking. You're thinking at this rate, it will be SPRING before I finish my Fall TV Warning series. Well, I went ahead and WROTE it. So you might as well stop thinking it. Yes, the season is underway, but if just one person is waiting for my tale on "Back in the Game," this will all be worth it.
Back in the Game: Aw, jeez, I just put the pressure on myself. I don't have much to say about this ABC sitcom about a softball player who is trying to raise a family and put up with her dad. Jimmy Caan is Grandpa, and it's clear he's supposed to be providing the laughs in this by being outrageous, gruff but lovable, just plain old, etc. I'd rather see him going around breaking kneecaps. And, hey, I saw you in the preview, too, Ben Koldyke. Don't think I forgot that you were in "Work It." Folks, if you forgot, please don't look it up.
Sean Saves the World: Sean Hayes plays a divorcee trying to raise his daughter. Linda Lavin plays Jessica Walter. This series has a throwback feel reminiscent of the old Thursday night NBC lineup. Unfortunately, it's the lesser shows it feels like, stuff like Veronica's Closet and Suddenly Susan, subpar sitcoms built around personalities who couldn't really sustain an entire sitcom.
We Are Men: I swear every other year, there comes to network television a new series with the sole apparent purpose of giving Jerry O'Connell an excuse to wear a Speedo. He's in great shape now. We get it. Otherwise, little stands out in this comedy about a generic jilted guy who moves to a condo complex with a group of wacky swinging singles led by Tony Shalhoub. It looks like Shalhoub is having fun, but, yeah, I don't think so. And, hey, Kal Penn is here, too, helping the memory of his stint in the White House become ever dimmer.
Super Fun Night: The premise sounds OK--socially awkward friends decide to cut loose--but the preview was all about Rebel Wilson being humiliated and somehow managing to be stripped to her underwear. I'm sure her performance will be called "fearless," but who does she think she is, Jerry O'Connell?
Betrayal: Why did this preview annoy me so much? I don't know, it's supposed to be a twisty, sudsy (I guess) drama, but all I got out of it was that we were supposed to feel sorry for the two leads because, gosh darn it, why does it have to be so HARD to commit adultery? I got a kick out of seeing James Cromwell being all crotchety, though.
The Crazy Ones: Robin Williams, "I'm back!" at the beginning of the trailer, with that trademark impishness, says it all. I was surprised, though, that in the sneak peek, it was more about Sarah Michelle Gellar, who plays the daughter and colleague of Robin's ad man, making an ass of HERself. David E. Kelley is somehow involved, for better or worse, though it seemed like CBS wasn't going out of its way to promote that. Really, shouldn't this be a bigger deal? Robin Williams coming back to TV is news, or at least I thought it was, but this didn't seem to get a lot of hype.
Monday, September 30, 2013
Saturday, September 28, 2013
This Week in DVD and Instant Watching
Iron Man 3: What the hell is this? Some kind of anime thing? Eh, I'm not into anime, sorry.
Room 237: Oh happy day! This cool-sounding documentary delves into the various elaborate interpretations fans have of Kubrick's "The Shining," and I wanted to see it as soon as I heard about it. Oh happier day--see below.
I Spit on Your Grave 2: All right, but at least you know what you're getting, unlike that weird "Iron Man 3" art flick.
Redemption: I was really worried when I saw the cover for this one. Jason Statham is kind of dressed up, and what;s that look on his face? He doesn't look like he's about to kick ass. No, the guy looks almost...pensive. What, is he thinking? Or even worse...reflecting? Fortunately, I saw the words "avenging angel" in a plot synopsis. So he's still kicking butt, right? Whew!
South Park Season 16: I have lost track of what happened in what season, but the only thing that matters to me here is that, hey, this must mean a new season is airing!
Modern Family Season 4: Every time I think the show is slipping, it comes back with a solid enough effort to make me keep it on my must-see list each week. Plus as long as it continues, there's always the chance of seeing Sofia Vergara in a hot dress at the Emmys.
The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts: Hey, Time Life comes through with another big megaset. There is a scaled-down version with some of the roasts, but Time Life has the massive complete collection. This means that if any of us have an, uh, "alternative" DVD set, we can retire that and upgrade to the official, high-quality version.Right on! And it's only...$250?
Hey, we can get by perfectly well with only one kidney, right?
The Big Combo: This awesome but underseen film noir from Anthony Mann with cinematography by the great John Alton is a real standout, and I hope Olive Films' DVD and Blu-Ray releases do it justice. Me, I'm pretty happy with the old Image DVD I have, but I'm willing to listen, and even if this isn't a big upgrade, I'm just glad that it's out there and available. See it.
In streaming....
Remember that Room 237 documentary I mentioned a while back? You know, a movie I've actually heard of and wanted to see, as opposed to that "Iron Man 3" curio? Well, not only is it on DVD, it's on Netflix Instant Watch! Whoo-hoo! We all like to complain about Netflix, but sometimes they come through for us.
On the other hand, where the heck is the eighth season of How I Met Your Mother? Not here! I thought it would be here in time for the new season. Netflix DID add a bunch of weird Discovery reality and "science" shows like My Dog Crapped What? and stuff like that. Yippee.
Last week I expressed disappointment with the initial offerings of Hulu-Plus' BBC deal. Well, this week the service added some more, and it's apparently staggering the titles as it rolls them out. Smart move. I still haven't seen anything really exciting, but there's more to it than it first appeared. And, hey, now that the fall season is here, we're getting a reminder of why we want Hulu in the first place, right?
Room 237: Oh happy day! This cool-sounding documentary delves into the various elaborate interpretations fans have of Kubrick's "The Shining," and I wanted to see it as soon as I heard about it. Oh happier day--see below.
I Spit on Your Grave 2: All right, but at least you know what you're getting, unlike that weird "Iron Man 3" art flick.
Redemption: I was really worried when I saw the cover for this one. Jason Statham is kind of dressed up, and what;s that look on his face? He doesn't look like he's about to kick ass. No, the guy looks almost...pensive. What, is he thinking? Or even worse...reflecting? Fortunately, I saw the words "avenging angel" in a plot synopsis. So he's still kicking butt, right? Whew!
South Park Season 16: I have lost track of what happened in what season, but the only thing that matters to me here is that, hey, this must mean a new season is airing!
Modern Family Season 4: Every time I think the show is slipping, it comes back with a solid enough effort to make me keep it on my must-see list each week. Plus as long as it continues, there's always the chance of seeing Sofia Vergara in a hot dress at the Emmys.
The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts: Hey, Time Life comes through with another big megaset. There is a scaled-down version with some of the roasts, but Time Life has the massive complete collection. This means that if any of us have an, uh, "alternative" DVD set, we can retire that and upgrade to the official, high-quality version.Right on! And it's only...$250?
Hey, we can get by perfectly well with only one kidney, right?
The Big Combo: This awesome but underseen film noir from Anthony Mann with cinematography by the great John Alton is a real standout, and I hope Olive Films' DVD and Blu-Ray releases do it justice. Me, I'm pretty happy with the old Image DVD I have, but I'm willing to listen, and even if this isn't a big upgrade, I'm just glad that it's out there and available. See it.
In streaming....
Remember that Room 237 documentary I mentioned a while back? You know, a movie I've actually heard of and wanted to see, as opposed to that "Iron Man 3" curio? Well, not only is it on DVD, it's on Netflix Instant Watch! Whoo-hoo! We all like to complain about Netflix, but sometimes they come through for us.
On the other hand, where the heck is the eighth season of How I Met Your Mother? Not here! I thought it would be here in time for the new season. Netflix DID add a bunch of weird Discovery reality and "science" shows like My Dog Crapped What? and stuff like that. Yippee.
Last week I expressed disappointment with the initial offerings of Hulu-Plus' BBC deal. Well, this week the service added some more, and it's apparently staggering the titles as it rolls them out. Smart move. I still haven't seen anything really exciting, but there's more to it than it first appeared. And, hey, now that the fall season is here, we're getting a reminder of why we want Hulu in the first place, right?
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Dr. James Kildare is OUT OF CONTROL
Dr, Kildare is out of control in the season 1 episode "The Lonely Ones." Here he is lifting the wallet of an incapacitated patient:
Later, he roughs up a hotel manager whose only crime is minding his own business:
Later, he roughs up a hotel manager whose only crime is minding his own business:
I'm still watching this series, if only to see if someone can stop this rampaging lunatic, but I know you never saw Lew Ayres pulling stuff like this.
Monday, September 23, 2013
Fall TV Warning Part 5
I could run 4 links in a row, but do you really need me to tell you where parts 1 through 4 are at this point?
Ironside: I saw star Blair Underwood say that while his character is in a wheelchair, in no way, shape, or form does that define him. Uh, I understand what he's getting at here, but isn't the whole POINT of "Ironside" that he's in a wheelchair? This isn't "Delvecchio," for crying out loud.
Almost Human: Man teams with robot to stop crime, from what I gather. Two things prevent me from making fun of this: 1) It stars Karl ("Dredd," "Star Trek") Urban, whose work I quite enjoy; and 2) it doesn't actually premiere until November, so we'll have plenty of time to make fun of it later.
Trophy Wife: Well, I guess Malin Ackerman has gone from ingenue to "other woman" in romantic comedies to...this. Good for Bradley Whitford's character for nabbing her, I guess, but the show looks to be about Ackerman finding herself in awkward situations and looking like an ass. Maybe it'll be funny--though the preview doesn't give me confidence--but I just kind of feel bad for her.
Once Upon a Time in Wonderland: Spinoff of "Once Upon a Time," only this time featuring Alice in Wonderland. Considering I don't watch the original show and considering I feel asleep 5 different times watching the Tim Burton/Johnny Depp "Alice," this one isn't high on my list.
Marvel's Agents of SHIELD: I guess I need to finally see "Avengers," huh? I hope this is good, but I kind of worry that the characters are more types than anything--the stock wise-ass already annoys me. Still, I'll give this a chance. I like how it's called "Marvel's Agents of SHIELD," by the way, so we don't confuse it with Archie Comic's The Shield.
Ironside: I saw star Blair Underwood say that while his character is in a wheelchair, in no way, shape, or form does that define him. Uh, I understand what he's getting at here, but isn't the whole POINT of "Ironside" that he's in a wheelchair? This isn't "Delvecchio," for crying out loud.
Almost Human: Man teams with robot to stop crime, from what I gather. Two things prevent me from making fun of this: 1) It stars Karl ("Dredd," "Star Trek") Urban, whose work I quite enjoy; and 2) it doesn't actually premiere until November, so we'll have plenty of time to make fun of it later.
Trophy Wife: Well, I guess Malin Ackerman has gone from ingenue to "other woman" in romantic comedies to...this. Good for Bradley Whitford's character for nabbing her, I guess, but the show looks to be about Ackerman finding herself in awkward situations and looking like an ass. Maybe it'll be funny--though the preview doesn't give me confidence--but I just kind of feel bad for her.
Once Upon a Time in Wonderland: Spinoff of "Once Upon a Time," only this time featuring Alice in Wonderland. Considering I don't watch the original show and considering I feel asleep 5 different times watching the Tim Burton/Johnny Depp "Alice," this one isn't high on my list.
Marvel's Agents of SHIELD: I guess I need to finally see "Avengers," huh? I hope this is good, but I kind of worry that the characters are more types than anything--the stock wise-ass already annoys me. Still, I'll give this a chance. I like how it's called "Marvel's Agents of SHIELD," by the way, so we don't confuse it with Archie Comic's The Shield.
Saturday, September 21, 2013
This Week in DVD and Instant Watching
So many of you viewed last week's "This Week" post (was it the "Star Trek" reference?), the least I can do is get another one out on time. if there's one thing I promise to deliver to my readers, it's that I'll always strive to do the least I can do. This is a short one, though, while I wade through the new Fall TV shows and some things in that mystical realm known as "real life."
World War Z: While my first reaction to this is, "Great, zombies--we haven't seen THAT lately," part of me, for some odd reason, is just grateful that it's not yet another Tom Cruise movie.
The Bling Ring: If you can get past the ridiculous title...you're a better person than I am, because I can't. I don't really want to see a movie about "fame-obsessed teenagers," even if it's directed by Orson Welles.
Disconnect: I have no idea what this is about, but I'm inclined to find out if it stars Jason Bateman and Hope Davis.
Behind the Candelabra: With this original movie about Liberace, starring Michael Douglas and Matt Damon, HBO generated significant headlines and buzz...for about a week. Catch it on DVD now, or wait for a free preview weekend.
Nashville Season 1: I saw the first 10 episodes or so of this, and then I got busier and just fell off the tracks with this one.
WWE SummerSlam 2013: Daniel Bryan vs. John Cena, CM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar...Me versus my readers who could not care less about professional wrestling. The readers win the last battle, and I won't spoil the other two.
In Instant Watching:
Hey, think I should finally sample Inspector Morse? Multiple seasons are now streaming. Speaking of British shows, Hulu Plus made a big deal out of its new content deal with BBC--it even sent me an e-mail about it, which you know means it's important--and when I checked out the new titles, I saw Doctor Who, Torchwood, Primeval, Robin Hood...in other words, mostly the same stuff we've already seen and which has already been streaming elsewhere. In fact, at least SOME of it is STILL streaming elsewhere, like on Netflix. This deal could be worthwhile if more interesting titles are added, but for now, I'm more excited about all the new Fall TV adds (even though most of them look terrible) than I am about this.
Getting back to Netflix, new this past week are Nine, the failed musical which would be a bigger add if this were 3 years ago, and I Don't Know How She Does It, the failed Sarah Jessica Parker vehicle which would be a bigger add if it didn't suck.
I'm intrigued by Netflix exclusive (but not original production) Derek, a Ricky Gervais joint that seems to be pretty low under the radar, and Along Came Polly, the 2004 Ben Stiller/Jennifer Aniston comedy. Oh, it's not a particularly good film, but it's nice to know I can have instant access to the scene in which Phillip Seymour Hoffman's character explains "sharting."
World War Z: While my first reaction to this is, "Great, zombies--we haven't seen THAT lately," part of me, for some odd reason, is just grateful that it's not yet another Tom Cruise movie.
The Bling Ring: If you can get past the ridiculous title...you're a better person than I am, because I can't. I don't really want to see a movie about "fame-obsessed teenagers," even if it's directed by Orson Welles.
Disconnect: I have no idea what this is about, but I'm inclined to find out if it stars Jason Bateman and Hope Davis.
Behind the Candelabra: With this original movie about Liberace, starring Michael Douglas and Matt Damon, HBO generated significant headlines and buzz...for about a week. Catch it on DVD now, or wait for a free preview weekend.
Nashville Season 1: I saw the first 10 episodes or so of this, and then I got busier and just fell off the tracks with this one.
WWE SummerSlam 2013: Daniel Bryan vs. John Cena, CM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar...Me versus my readers who could not care less about professional wrestling. The readers win the last battle, and I won't spoil the other two.
In Instant Watching:
Hey, think I should finally sample Inspector Morse? Multiple seasons are now streaming. Speaking of British shows, Hulu Plus made a big deal out of its new content deal with BBC--it even sent me an e-mail about it, which you know means it's important--and when I checked out the new titles, I saw Doctor Who, Torchwood, Primeval, Robin Hood...in other words, mostly the same stuff we've already seen and which has already been streaming elsewhere. In fact, at least SOME of it is STILL streaming elsewhere, like on Netflix. This deal could be worthwhile if more interesting titles are added, but for now, I'm more excited about all the new Fall TV adds (even though most of them look terrible) than I am about this.
Getting back to Netflix, new this past week are Nine, the failed musical which would be a bigger add if this were 3 years ago, and I Don't Know How She Does It, the failed Sarah Jessica Parker vehicle which would be a bigger add if it didn't suck.
I'm intrigued by Netflix exclusive (but not original production) Derek, a Ricky Gervais joint that seems to be pretty low under the radar, and Along Came Polly, the 2004 Ben Stiller/Jennifer Aniston comedy. Oh, it's not a particularly good film, but it's nice to know I can have instant access to the scene in which Phillip Seymour Hoffman's character explains "sharting."
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Fall TV Warning Part 4
Parts 1, 2, and 3 are--well, they're right underneath this post!
Hostages: Your tolerance for this may depend on how ready you are to embrace a show in which Dylan McDermott is a hotshot super-cool guy with all the answers. He is an FBI agent who holds a surgeon's (Toni Colette) family hostage and tries to force her to botch an operation on the POTUS (that's the Prez, for all you non-insider types). This looks like a movie premise, not a series premise, and here I must confess that while back in Part 1 I said I was forming these opinions based on the previews alone, without any outside influence, I DID learn this week that "Hostages" is designed as a 15-episode event (though of course they have plans to continue it if it does well." So I'm no longer thinking, "How are they gonna stretch this for a whole season?" No, now I'm thinking, "How are they gonna stretch this for 15 episodes?"
The Blacklist: Another show with a slick Uberdude with all the answers. In this case, though, the role is made for someone with charisma, and James Spader looks to be having a great time in this Usual Suspects meets Silence of the Lambs deal. He's a villain who turns himself in and offers to help catch the most sought-after criminals in the world...but he will only deal with a particular fresh-outta-the-academy-type female agent.
This could be an entertaining program, but unfortunately, after watching a good deal of the 49ers/Seahawks on "Sunday Night Football" on NBC, I'm already sick of it. Maybe on Netflix next year?
Tomorrow People: I hate to be so dismissive of the CW, but I lost interest halfway through the 6-minute trailer, and I really only remember half of what it was about. I don't see much point in refreshing my memory. This is evidence of the show's blandness, my prejudice...or both.
Welcome to the Family: Carlos from Desperate Housewives (OK, he has a name, and it's Ricardo Chivera) and Mike O'Malley meet not-so-cute, then discover they're gonna be in-laws. This generic-looking comedy might give me some more of those patented Carlos "incredulous" takes , but I think I'd enjoy them a lot more if they were reacting to Eva Longoria in a nightie than to Mike O'Malley in...anything.
Hostages: Your tolerance for this may depend on how ready you are to embrace a show in which Dylan McDermott is a hotshot super-cool guy with all the answers. He is an FBI agent who holds a surgeon's (Toni Colette) family hostage and tries to force her to botch an operation on the POTUS (that's the Prez, for all you non-insider types). This looks like a movie premise, not a series premise, and here I must confess that while back in Part 1 I said I was forming these opinions based on the previews alone, without any outside influence, I DID learn this week that "Hostages" is designed as a 15-episode event (though of course they have plans to continue it if it does well." So I'm no longer thinking, "How are they gonna stretch this for a whole season?" No, now I'm thinking, "How are they gonna stretch this for 15 episodes?"
The Blacklist: Another show with a slick Uberdude with all the answers. In this case, though, the role is made for someone with charisma, and James Spader looks to be having a great time in this Usual Suspects meets Silence of the Lambs deal. He's a villain who turns himself in and offers to help catch the most sought-after criminals in the world...but he will only deal with a particular fresh-outta-the-academy-type female agent.
This could be an entertaining program, but unfortunately, after watching a good deal of the 49ers/Seahawks on "Sunday Night Football" on NBC, I'm already sick of it. Maybe on Netflix next year?
Tomorrow People: I hate to be so dismissive of the CW, but I lost interest halfway through the 6-minute trailer, and I really only remember half of what it was about. I don't see much point in refreshing my memory. This is evidence of the show's blandness, my prejudice...or both.
Welcome to the Family: Carlos from Desperate Housewives (OK, he has a name, and it's Ricardo Chivera) and Mike O'Malley meet not-so-cute, then discover they're gonna be in-laws. This generic-looking comedy might give me some more of those patented Carlos "incredulous" takes , but I think I'd enjoy them a lot more if they were reacting to Eva Longoria in a nightie than to Mike O'Malley in...anything.
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