Britt's On

I know. I used to do mid-season report cards, and end of season report cards, but this year I felt the need to comment on the shows I'm watching so far. Just as a point of reference. Because I have some good feelings on some shows, and some bad feelings on others. Anywho.

MONDAYS
GOSSIP GIRL - I mean, it is what it is. The boyf and I often turn to each other and roll our eyes and laugh at the absurdity of this show. I will say this. I like the ongoing Dan / Blair undercurrent, in fact, I like both characters and their storylines this season. I hope they find a way to keep the handsome Prince in the picture, and I'm enjoying Dan finally having an interesting leading story that is (somewhat) legitimate. Serena, Nate, and Chuck all feel sidelined so far, their stories orbiting around non-essentials. Charlie can disappear anytime now, although I'm enjoying that SOMEONE knows she's Ivy. I hope she's gone by season's end though.
Quarter-Season Grade: B

BEING ERICA - Without a doubt, probably one of my most-anticipated shows this year. Typically the only shows I watch on the night they air are results-oriented shows with spoilers, like The Amazing Race and Survivor. But I also try to watch B.E. the night of, just cause I love it so much. However...I'm not disappointed by this season, but the *nature* of this season has Erica taking a backseat to everyone else. While it's fun to get to revisit and learn more about all the secondary characters, I almost miss the lovable screw-up days of Erica circa Season 1. I am still hoping and praying for a season 5!
Quarter-Season Grade: A-

TUESDAYS
PARENTHOOD - I'm a little behind on this show, admittedly. I tend to let the episodes stack up in 2's or 3's and then watch them all at once. So while I know Kristina has had her baby, and I'm pretty sure Joel and Julia are getting Zoey's baby, I haven't WATCHED those episodes. Regardless, this show is consistently good, if a little on the slow side at times given it's a character drama as opposed to a plot-driven drama. That's not a bad thing. I'm SO happy at the return of Jason Rytter (dreammmmy!) and while I'm sad to see Michael B. Jordan leave, I'm curious to see what happens next for Hattie's character.
Quarter-Season Grade: B+

NEW GIRL - Well unfortunately I've only seen three episodes of this season so far, given Fox's commitment to the World Series every year, but from what I've seen, I love this show. I gauge the funniness of a show by the knee-slapping reaction of the bf, and this is by far one of the shows he laughs the hardest at. Looking forward to its return next week.
Quarter-Season Grade: A


THE LITTLE COUPLE - Have I ever talked about this show before? I don't think so. I randomly picked it up a few years ago and have been joyfully following the adventures of little people couple Jen and Bill. This season has been fraught with tension over the delays on their new home build - which they FINALLY moved into last season - but you wouldn't know it with their consistently upbeat, take-charge attitude.
Quarter-Season Grade: A-

RINGER - Amusingly, Go Fug Yourself has been recapping this show. Primarily in terms of the fashion, but in general as well. SMG herself wrote in and explained the show would lighten up and have better fashion in the coming episodes. So good. Cause it's still taking itself way too seriously, and I definitely enjoyed the actors that play Henry and Agent Machatta better in Life Unexpected and Lost respectively (ditto on Buffy for SMG). BUT the show has an amazing way of pulling out some pretty twisty turny jaw-dropping endings each episode. Colour me excited to watch this unlikely tale continue to spin its wild web of lies.
Quarter-Season Grade: B+


WEDNESDAYS
SURVIVOR SOUTH PACIFIC - The producers must have done a happy dance when producing this last week's episode. The number of variables going into the merge are delightfully evil - although I suspect that next week, despite Jeff teasing the contestants, will be the merge given the previews focused only on events that would happen BEFORE the merge. Anyway this has been a pretty choice season so far. We've got loose cannon Brandon on Coach's surprisingly successful and cohesive tribe against Ozzy's martyr-risk by heading to Redemption Island in a last-ditch effort to eliminate hardscrabble fighter Christine from coming back into the game and potentially (although mystifying as to why) joining her old tribe. Beyond that we have scheming Jim, nerdy underdog Cochran, and potential silent assassins in Sophie and Albert. Let the hijinks begin as we roll into the second half of the game, which at this point, really is anyone's game.
Quarter-Season Grade: A

REVENGE - This show is just so...delicious. I mean, salacious would be a more grammatically appropriate choice, but whatever. Madeline Stowe as Victoria Grayson is pretty much the best thing ever, and the OTT writing and constant stream of events is like a darker version of Gossip Girl. It's also fun to root for, yet also be constantly afraid of / for miss Emily Thorne (Emily Van Camp). Bonus points for smarmy nerd boy Nolan providing a bit of comic relief, and even though I want to kick him in the teeth, Tyler (Ashton Holmes) is providing a good, surprising, mysterious villain in this whole twisted mess. My theory: he actually doesn't have any money, and HE may be the one to kill Daniel by summer's end. My question? Why Victoria keeps on hiring Ashley as an event planner if her events all go awry! My fear: that this show will run out of tricks in its bag after the rollercoaster ride that is Season 1, a la Desperate Housewives and Pretty Little Liars.
Quarter-Season Grade: A

MODERN FAMILY - No matter whether this show makes an effort to grow its characters or not, at the end of the day I appreciate that they can still, consistently, make me laugh.
Quarter-Season Grade: A

ANTM ALL STARS - This is such a weird season. While it's refreshing to not have girls fretting over their lack of 'skillz', it's bizarre to see them have meltdowns and cause drama when they've all presumably aged a bit and seen how the show will edit them if they have emotional moments. While episode-to-episode eliminations haven't been that exciting (if anything, they seem more arbitrary than ever), the overall guessing game of what the heck makes someone an All Star IS. My early picks: sweetie Laura, fan fave Allison, or dark horse Dominique. I adore Laura and Allison (although curiously both haven't been front and centre much), but in the grand tradition of All Star seasons of any show, I suspect Dom - who was barely memorable from her season - might sneak in for the win. She's had a good showing so far.
Quarter-Season Grade: B

THURSDAYS
THE OFFICE - My own boss and I had a talk about the Office the other day. Andy Bernard isn't doing it for him, and he's not really selling it for me. In short, the show is floundering. End it. Please.
Quarter-Season Grade: C


THE SECRET CIRCLE - What's disappointing to me here is I was actually sold on TSC before Ringer. But as of right now, this show is perilously close to being deleted off my DVR altogether. My main issue? I legitimately do not care about a single person or action happening on the show. That's bad. I know Kevin Williamson has been doing his best at laying on the drama - break-ups! secrets! historical secrets! witch hunters! Grandma super witch! star-crossed lovers! dead 'main' character! double-crossing! murder! But it's all just...too much? I just see myself not being engaged with this show for the long-term. And seeing as how I've picked up potentially a few more series this fall, if I had to do away with an hour, I'd get rid of this one. I'm watching the Halloween episode this weekend and making my final do-or-die call.
Quarter-Season Grade: C-

WEEKENDS
BOARDWALK EMPIRE - this show is still surprisingly funny, and it has provided at least one emotional or plot-based punch every week, but it is still a little on the slow side. I often find myself asking...okay where are we going here? Take for example, Richard Harrow's trip to the woods to conceivably end his life this past episode, that sort of looped back to his reluctant return home. I'm just not sure what the long-term arc is for so many of the characters and plotlines. Although I am loving Margaret, as per usual, and I'm curious to see where Nucky's new Irish footman is going to take them. Altogether I'm just rooting for Nucky...and terrified of Eli.
Quarter-Season Grade: B+

THE WALKING DEAD - There've been some complaints of things slowing down here as well, and I don't disagree. The first two episodes have felt very fixated on a single event, when I'm anxious for the troop to well, keep trouping along. Still, some high-stakes drama between Carl's shooting, Shane's high school zombie nightmare, and the disappearance of Sophia. I said in the first episode that realistically, the kids would have to go, as per Lost having to get rid of Walt. The show's timeline is very, very short and these kids will grow very, very fast. It's hard to hide that. But I'm still so jazzed and scared every time I watch the show so I'm content. For now.
Quarter-Season Grade: A-

HOMELAND - What an interesting, dynamic little show this is. With relatively few sets, they've made this a very wholly realized, frightening, fraught little world filled with interesting characters. I'm ESPECIALLY intrigued by the end of this last episode, with Carrie and Brodie finally speaking on casual terms. What the hell is that going to lead to? An affair? Deep, deep cover spying? It was just a bizarre, surprising ending - amidst many other puzzling plotlines and questions I had. LOVE!
Quarter-Season Grade: A

THE AMAZING RACE - Generally speaking, it's been an interesting season...even though we've been stuck in one location for a few episodes, there's still been travel drama. I'm cheering for the snowboarders all the way!
Quarter-Season Grade: A-

ONCE UPON A TIME - I watched the premiere, mostly because the post-premiere buzz was so strong. General thoughts? I wish modern-day Ginnifer Goodwin wore her hair differently. Everything felt a little forced and OTT. But the premise is neat, and fun, and different from what else is happening on TV. Another show where I wonder what'll happen once these characters 'awaken' - also I'm baffled as to how no one has noticed that no one ages, unless the town is 'invisible' to the public - but I'm willing to give it a four-episode order before making up my mind.

I picked up another new show. Showtime's Homeland. All too often there seems to be a ton of great American cable TV content that simply isn't available in Canada, and by the time we hear about it, we're many seasons behind (or at least one) and it seems insurmountable to make our way through all of them.

Anyway, we tracked down Homeland, and since we are watching from the beginning, I suspect we'll stick with it - in part because cable TV is just SO frickin' good. Admittedly I was a bit worried about the premise of the show last for many seasons, but we are watching the series unfold in very small chunks of time (I suspect the first season may end when Claire Danes' Carrie's four weeks are up) so I think it'll have legs. And I can see a few possible directions for where it can go.


If you're unfamiliar with the premise, let me fill you in. Damian Lewis plays an American soldier named Nicholas Brody that has been a POW for eight years in Iraq (or some equivalent Middle Eastern country). He's rescued and returned to America, to a life that is confusing and jarringly unfamiliar - his children are grown, his wife has moved on, and the mere thought of facing the public causes him to curl up in the corner of a room.


Claire Danes plays a slightly wild, conspiracy theorist CIA agent that heard from an Iraqi source that an American soldier 'had been turned'. In her quest to bring down the world's number one terrorist, she suspects this turned soldier could be an insider for another mega terrorist attack, and her number one pick for the guilty suspect: Nicholas Brody. And while there is reason for her suspicion, she also comes off a little unbalanced - between her bi-polar meds she takes under the table, her wild-eyed insistence that her complete invasion of this man's private life and the trust of those around her is completely justified, and her nighttime excursions where she pretends to be married but really hooks up with a random dude all make it difficult to fully buy into either person's story.

It's a great cat and mouse game so far, especially since the mouse is unaware there's a cat on him, yet the mouse is also blatantly lying to its fellow mice, leaving the cat also in the dark. I remember thinking that the show reminded me a bit of a more subdued 24 / Alias with its flag-waving American hero premise. And indeed, it's created by the minds behind 24, but it has all the stuff you expect from a cable program: swearing, sex, and violence...and better writing. What's even more fascinating is that it's adapted from an Israeli series, which I can imagine had a very different spin than the 'home of the brave' concept we're getting in two skewed versions: Carrie's dogged determination to not have another 9/11 on her shoulders, and Brody's unwilling role in the spotlight (whether for good or evil) as the white bread family man.

Colour me intrigued, on edge, and excited to carry on watching this new series.

- Britt's On

Okay well. I watched a few new shows this week, and made decisions about the three shows that were on the bubble for me the previous week. I don't think there are any *new new* shows left for me to watch / assess at this point, but I do plan to pick up 'The Walking Dead' come October 16th. And lordy I am excited for it.

In the meantime...

Pan Am
Hmmmm. Okay I can see why people might like the show. It's a shinier, happier, glossier version of the 60s than what we've been treated to for the past few years on Mad Men. But for me, the realities - the deconstruction of the Camelot era - that's what makes Mad Men tick. I'm not really interested in a saccharine replacement. I also wonder whether the show will have real legs...there's only so much interest on a plane, although I'll admit that Kelli Garner's spy gal twist was fun. I think all of the actresses they cast are lovely and dynamic, but the guys are sadly a little square and flat. I also didn't like the constant use of flashback, which is weird because a show like 'Revenge' uses it in equal portions. Anyway. We decided not to carry on with this. I didn't *mind* the show, but I didn't love it. Another gripe? Mad Men provides a social commentary from a modernist perspective, while Pan Am seems content to let you dive into the 60s - which makes you wonder, why should we care?

Terra Nova
I realllllllllly want to like this show. To the point where I'm still hemming and hawing about taping a second episode tonight, to give it another shot (after last week's premiere we opted not to do so). And there is a lot of cool stuff - the glimpse of the 'modern world' was fascinating and jarring and sad. The age of the kids makes for fun teenage drama, as per the crux of last week's episode with Landon Liboiron's jaunt in the jungle. I find all of the actors relatively interesting and engaging to watch...but something is just stopping me from getting into this. I think it's because it seems like a reallllly action-y show, especially based on the clips of 'weeks to come', and while the show is attempting to draw on the mystique of a jungle-set show like Lost, it seems to have forgotten that the action sequences on Lost were some of the weakest parts of the show. It was the mind games and character back story that made Lost, and right now they don't seem too focused on either with TN. I don't know. I think based on the preview of weeks to come, I might have to skip this one altogether.

Suburgatory
I was on the fence about watching this one. I only happened to do so because I heard positive things after the premiere, and it happened to be on at a random time this weekend when I was home. So I sat through two - LIVE - segments of the show (this is notable because I loathe commercials). And that was enough. In fact it's what inspired my 'Art of Comedy' post from the other day - the recognition that this was what I deemed a 'high camp' show which is not to my taste. Everything just felt a little too exaggerated for me. And it reminded me of Easy A, which in theory is a movie I enjoyed, but in actuality, I found it kind of irritating that Emma Stone's character was the only one with a properly working brain. The same seems true of our Proto-Emma heroine here. A good show is built on the shoulders of more than one character. Just saying.

As for my 'Bubble' shows? I decided to keep 'Ringer' and 'The Secret Circle' on my to-record list. The reason being The CW wisely invested in shows with carry-you-along cliffhangers. I find it a little sad that will all of the new programming out this fall, two of the four shows I picked up are teen-oriented (sort of) shows, but whatever. I find the writing on both shows to be a little jarringly blunt (and dare I say, bad) at times, but I have a lot of questions that I'd like to see answered. At this point I suspect TSC will be around for many years to come, a la Vampire Diaries, but I can't say the same for Ringer.

We decided to drop 'Up All Night' after three episodes. Ultimately I feel like the show is trying too hard - there are these forced little moments that remind me of SNL's desire to have 'that moment' that everyone talks about afterwards. I also feel like Will Arnett is the only attraction for me. Christina Applegate's character is never as funny as she ought to be, and Maya Rudolph's Ava is very one-note (and way too derivative of her typical roles on SNL). Ultimately I just don't think I'll 'miss' this show if I stop watching it - but I think it'll do just fine without my viewership.

Revenge is also a lock for me. I'm a little uncertain about the long-term prospects of the series as Season 1 feels very tightly knit and well-constructed, although oddly a little 'monster of the week' when you look at the first two takedowns. I see Season 1 as a wonderful, self-contained entity (and the writers have promised answers by the end of it) - I just wonder whether they've got Seasons 2, 3, 4, and more planned out as well. I see it as a grown-up 'Pretty Little Liars', along with all the other shows I referenced last week.


Oh and this week was also the Season 4 premiere of Being Erica. The exciting news is that Erin Karpluk (Erica) recently mentioned in an interview that she was looking at this season as if it was her last and just enjoying the ride. Which hints that there is a maybe baby possibility that the show will return for a fifth season, despite the flags waving that have said 'final season' for the last few months. I'm an optimist. Sometimes. Anyway this was another emotionally-charged episode and a surprisingly strong opener (I really didn't like the S2 or S3 premieres) that once again found a way to flip Erica's flashbacks in a fresh new way, with the return of her first patient, the ever creepy Josh (doubly so because he is a DOPPELGANGER of a former coworker of mine). My *only* complaint is that I felt like the costume / make-up people really half-assed it this week in making Erica morph into a 1999 version of herself. They're usually way more 'on' than this, and I felt like this week she looked identical to her 2011 self. Either way, beyond psyched for this show to be back, and it's one of the few (alongside TAR & Survivor) that I will make an effort to watch on the night it airs.

- Britt's On

I've got a rule around these parts when it comes to jelly-vision watching. Basically, my aim is to watch three episodes of a show (if I can stand it) and make my decision as to whether to continue after that point. After reading EW's Fall TV Preview, a few more shows have made the cut in the last week. Only after my three-episode rule will I have the guts to turf or set up a series recording for anything that isn't part of my regularly scheduled programming.

Without further ado...

TUESDAYS

Ringer
Talk about a premiere trying to do too much...with a more experienced showrunner, the premiere probably would have been a little less ambitious (and would have had way better special FX for the damn boat scene). BUT, it definitely sparked intrigue. I do hope the show learns to gain a sense of humour at some point - right now it's all serious, all the time, which doesn't lend itself well to SMG's considerable talents, along with castmate Kristoffer Polaha.
Survey Says: I stuck with 'Dollhouse' the whole way through out of Buffy nostalgia (granted Joss Whedon was at the helm). I'm giving Ringer three episodes to *keep* me hooked as I'm not sure how this concept will work in the long, long-term.


Parenthood
A solid season premiere, although the last three minutes were cut off cause of stupid America's Got Talent, so I never saw Adam's final decision. I assume he's opening the studio with Crosby though. I'm a tad confused by Kristina's working situation, and irritated by Hattie / Alex in the premiere, but I loved the 'FNL' joke they slipped in. Altogether a promising start to another year with the Braverman clan.
Survey Says: Obviously I'm going to continue watching. I love this show. Plus...Jason Ritter!

WEDNESDAYS

Survivor: South Pacific
Interesting season premiere...Ozzy and Coach coming back are SO different than Rob and Russell. I think there are some potentially great characters among this cast, and again, Ozzy and Coach can be considered liabilities more than Russell or Rob ever was, so I'll be curious to see how this plays out for them. I predict neither one will make the finals, but one of them may make the final episode.
Survey Says: The tribe has spoken, of course I'm watching!


ANTM All Stars
*Pulls face* The season premiere did nothing to dissuade me that an all-star edition of the show was a BAD idea. Why? Well for one, these girls supposedly have careers to fall back on. Top Model works best when it rewards girls who surprise or grow with the competition. We know what these girls are capable of, and if anything, getting eliminated early on in the show may be a bigger hindrance than help to their careers. The whole thing just felt LOUD and overdone and unnecessary...everything felt like it was on warp speed. I actually like the way the characters unfurl on the show normally. I'm not sure how this one'll go...but I'll watch.
Survey Says: I'm the stalwart amongst my friends that still watches this show. I'm not about to quit now.


Up All Night
Surprise! This is one show that sneaked its way into my fall TV preview, after the big glowing article in Entertainment Weekly. I went into it with an open mind - I'm not exactly the target demographic. My main thoughts? Will Arnett is 90% of the reason why I'd watch this show. Christina Applegate's 'smart girl in a world of insane people' one-liners fell kind of flat without character development, and Maya Rudolph's talk-show host was something we've (quite literally) seen before, but still funny. The baby was cute!! I just wonder what kind of legs this show has with only three lead characters...
Survey Says: I'm test-driving three new comedies this Fall - 'Two Broke Girls' and 'New Girl' premiere this week. I'm only willing to take on one, maybe two, new ones...and at this point, I don't know that 'Up All Night' will cut it. An admirable debut though.

THURSDAYS

The Secret Circle
How pretty is this photo? Stunning scene from the pilot episode of CW / Kevin Williamson's new paranormal drama, 'The Secret Circle'. Generally speaking, I liked it. There was a decent amount of intrigue (if slightly overdone in the way Williamson is known for) and Britt Robertson is great. The only way this show will become a casualty at this point - because I see its potential - is if I simply feel overwhelmed with other, more mature programming.
Survey Says: A show with legs beyond the initial 'what happened to the last circle?' conceit. I'm definitely willing to go past the first episode.

SUNDAY

Emmys 2011
Yeah this was a one-off, but it bears some notice:
- Why must every awards show do a musical opening? Kind of boring. Jane Lynch was an okay host, but sometimes her quips felt a little off-colour (like her attack on Tom Cruise. So five years ago). I LOVED her segment on the Mad Men set though.

- I was SO happy with some of the surprise wins. Julie Bowen seemed floored, and I was totally cheering for Ty Burrell (my fave Modern Family member) to take it as well. Melissa McCarthy ascending from 'character actor' to 'best lead actress' was precious. Margo Martindale, who I primarily know as 'Ninah' on 'The Riches' seemed just tickled. And MOST IMPORTANTLY - Kyle Chandler, the beating heart of Friday Night Lights 'Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can't Lose' was finally recognized for his amazing, soul-stirring turn as Coach Taylor. If I didn't talk about the finale before, it's because I watched it on DVD instead of live, week-by-week. It was amazing. I was so happy for Jason Katims to walk away with the writing award, and would have been content with that. But for them to also recognize KC was brilliant. He was so humble and sweet.

- Some great acceptance speeches this year. Ty Burrell, and the Modern Family writer / creators, stand out in particular. I barely fast-forwarded through the speeches.

- Kate Winslet now has an EGO. Not an 'ego', but she's just a 'T' away from the legendary acting quad-fecta of EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony). Kudos Kate.

- Fashion. Lots of red, which I'm so bored with. I appreciated the pops of colour and there were a few truly stunning choices on the Red Carpet this year. No major disasters.

- Does anyone remember when the Housewives were the talk of the carpet? Oh how the mighty have fallen - not a single Wisteria Lane appearance this year.

- Overall I was fine with the telecast. I would have liked to see Steve Carrell and Connie Britton win their categories, but generally speaking I thought the Emmy voters did a solid, well-rounded job of awarding a very talented bunch of pretty people. Kudos.

- Britt's On