Wednesday, September 23, 2009

2009-2010 TV: Wednesday

7-8PM



Gary Unmarried (CBS, Premieres September 23rd)

This airs 7:30-8PM on Wednesdays on CBS. This is not a bad sitcom. I say it's "not-a-bad" in that it's not hilarious, but it's also not really boring. I'm not sure entirely why I say that. Jay Mohr and Paula Marshall do work well together as rival ex''s and the writing for the kids isn't annoying. Even their parents are worth watching when they guest star. And like Two-and-a-half-Men, the guest stars, namely the women who Gary dates, gave me more reason to tune-in/dvr this. I actually really liked Vanessa (Jamie King) the girl who played Gary's girlfriend the 1st half of last season, but they sort of faded her character away. Hopefully they'll bring her back again.

Nah,this show was actually a good guilty-pleasure show that I looked forward to each week. Jay Mohr kind of grew on me. If CBS actually were smart, they'd put this on during the missing 1/2-hour on Mondays and they'd pretty much kill for the sitcom audience as they've had 3 viewer-loyal shows for a number of years, but haven't managed to find a 4th to fill the 2-hour timeblock. This would fit-in really well. Perhaps if it's lasts, it'll find it's way there when Two-and-a-Half-Men finally is done. Hopefully sooner than later.

Mercy: (NBC) Doubt I'll watch this. Anothhhhhhhher medical drama. I think this was brought on due to ER's finally getting off the air. Michelle Tractenburg and Kate Mulgrew are noticeable in the cast. Buffy and Star Trek. So where's the Scifi element? About 3 nurses, with a military background. Sounds more like Grey's Anatomy than Fringe. Humor or a cool story would work for me, but I don't really see where that'll be here.

ABC's new sitcoms. The previews and premises don't do much for me, but I wouldn't mind being wrong.

7PM
Hank: Kelsey Grammar plays a WallStreet Executive. The creator's credits don't do a lot for me. (premieres September 30th)

7:30
The Middle: Patricia Heaton show, sort of a midwestern Malcolm in the middle.
(premieres September 30th)


8-9PM

Modern Family:
Christopher Lloyd stars and created this. Julie Bowen, Ed O'Neil and Sofia Vergara among others. Lloyd I enjoy as an actor, but as a writer? dunno. The previews I caught actually before a movie screening and really didn't do much for me. This is a fictional (of course) mock-Reality show of a Family/s in Suburbia? meh, I wouldn't mind being surprised, but I ain't expecting much even with the cast.



The series is about Jules Cobb, a Florida woman who recently had a divorce and now, with a 17-year old son, decides to find some excitement in her dating life. With the only guy near Jules's age dating barely legal females, she decides to prowl the jungle and comes up with a guy named Bobby. With Jules, however; dating life at her age is suicide.

Cougar Town: This may be the 1 sitcom that I have a bit of hope for among these 4 new sitcoms that in all likelihood, will get pulled for some Reality Show re-runs anyway. Courtney Cox, Busy Phillips, Dan Byrd, Josh Hopkins. And it's about Cougars aka older women who eye younger men. If the writing sucks, it won't matter. the Jerry O'Connell show or even the last Amy Sherman Palladino show had a good cast and premise potentially, but awful writing and so thus they became that way.

Given the other 3's potential to suck, I'm hoping this will stick out and actually be watchable. And a good lead-in to Eastwick.

Glee (FOX) I haven't seen it yet. I like Jane Lynch, and my cousin is involved in the wardrobe selection, but I dunno. The previews left something to be desired. I suppose I hope it continues to air given it's for my cousin's work/and a show (that she enjoys working for I guess).

This Beautiful Life: Another case of an actress I like in Mischa Barton, but it pretty much looks like another 1 of the CW's lovey-dovey teen-soap dramas I am nauseated even thinking of watching. This CW = Clueless Wankers. But I'm failing to even care given every good show they ever bring-on (Veronica Mars, Aliens in America, Reaper) they pull for more of this kind of unwatchable rubbish.

9-10PM



Eastwick



Eastwick is a paranormal drama that airs on ABC. It is based on the movie The Witches of Eastwick and the novel of the same name by John Updike.

cool premise. definitely a good cast: Rebecca Romijn (Pepper Dennis, Ugly Betty), Matt Dallas (Kyle XY), Lindsey Price (Pepper Dennis), Sara Rue and Paul Gross among others.

On Wednesdays until Lost returns in January, i figure this will be THEE show to watch. Cast, premise, if that of course almost-predictable roll-of-the-dice of a movie/old show remake can work. Who knows. The Jack Nicholson/Michelle Pfeiffer movie while a cult-film, could certainly be explored more in-depth.

edit: so it appears both NBC (in 1992) and FOX (in 2002) tried to make a show for this and both failed. So, why did those fail, and why could this succeed? And it's ABC this time, lol. Given this was where Life on Mars aired last Season, it probably won't be back next season. But at least it seems ABC's budget for this will be high enough, they won't have the balls to pull it before it airs at least 13 episodes. I mean we did at least get to see the end of Life on Mars (unlike Pushing Daisies of course).

So like Freaks and Geeks, Firefly, this probably will be worth hanging with all season, even if it's doesn't come back. What happens once Lost returns, who knows. It's ABC, they'll float around a new show into 3 timeslots within 2 weeks sometimes.



Lost

I don't see any official dates for a premiere. But chances are it'll air the 3rd week of January. Eastwick will get moved since it'll be 2 hours. And then Eastwick will either get moved, pulled, or go back-to-back with it.

I haven't written much about Lost (nor Psych actually) which is ironic and almost hypocritical. I think Lost is the most passionate, emotionally and mentally draining show, maybe ever. At least in the last 10 years or so. And when the writing is good, it's really like nothing else. I'm glad that this is the last season though, as they've milked-it, and dragged-it-on for awhile here. Given how many episodes they've done, they would be done by now. But hopefully the questions will be answered, and it won't end like Alias did really (no Rambaldi Prophecy explanation). More along the lines of DS9 and especially Babylon 5. It is the Scifi show of the 2000's. I don't question that. Hopefully it'll conclude to the level that it set for itself the 1st 5 seasons.

I should try and babble-on about it more this season, for the very fact it is it's last season among other reasons. Time, discipline, yadayadayada. And the boards hijack my time.

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