New season shows

How I met Your Mother (Monday)

Summary: The show is a series of flashbacks as related by a father, in 2030, to his kids about how he met their Mother.

Analysis: I didn't erase the first show from my DVR because I'm going to watch it a second time. I really, really liked the show. The only logical problem I had with it is that the guy that plays the dad (Josh Radnor) was able to find a woman to be interested in when his best friend is involved with and about to become engaged to Alyson Hannigan. Obviously there's no way anyone else could compare. Right?

2nd show: Big letdown from the first episode. Still good but in a very typical tv sit-com way. Generic laughs and situations that never would happen in real life. Still worth watching just to see Hannigan's adorable face but the writing is starting to appear on the wall. And it's only the second frickin' episode!

Radnor was very likable in the lead and he's the weak link so obviously the acting talent here is first rate. Hannigan is as adorable as always but Neil Patrick Harris (Doogie Howser) steals the show as the "best friend" and bad influence over Radnor. The writing is also very good--the unexpected ending in the first episode totally surprised me. I even muttered "assholes" to the screen when I realized they caught me. I'm definitely watching this show every week.


Kitchen Confidential (Monday)

Summary: Celebrity chef who had crashed and burned is trying to make a comeback. This show is about his last chance...

Analysis: I didn't see the first episode. It was when I was sick and I fell asleep before it came on. Sad, huh? Anyway, I saw the second episode and unlike How I Met Your Mother this show is still good. I can only guess at how funny the first show was, but the second one was well worth watching. I highly recommend this one for both the acting performances and the writing. I look forward to next week's show.


My Name is Earl (Tuesday)

Summary: Everybody knows about this one due to the heavy advertising NBC was cranking out in late Summer. This is about a career criminal of the annoying and minor type who's never been nice and always screws up. The show is about him trying to turn his miserable life around.

Analysis: I don't think the first episode measured up to the hype but it was very easy to watch. The lead actor, Jason Lee, is charismatic and funny and can probably hold up the show all on his own. Fortunately he doesn't have to since his brother, Ethan Suplee, is also quite funny. My only real complaint about the first episode is that the comic foil was a guy coming out of the closet and that was too easy a target. They should have saved that line on Earl's list for later in the season.

Second episode: Pretty much stays the course set by the first show. Cute but nothing spetacular. I'll probably keep watching but a lot depends on ifThe Amazing Race is any good this season.


Bones (Tuesday)

Summary: Forensic Pathology show that's a mix of the CSI shows and the old Quincy, ME TV series. Loosely based on the books by Kathy Reichs who's also the show's producer.

Analysis: Read the books. LOL This show is so very bad. I bet a lot of people will like it but it's banal to the core. In the very first scene a PhD takes off her shirt to get the attention of a clerk in an airport. Just to ask the arrival time of a plane. The show got better as it went along, but it could hardly have gotten any worse. The plot problems were the only reason I kept watching after a while and there were HUNDREDS of them. For anyone analytical, the show is a train wreck.


Invasion (Wednesday)

Summary: One of the "big shows" of the season. Aliens come to Earth and fall into the swamps of Florida during a hurricane. The sotry focuses on a divorced couple, their kids, and their new partners--and the small town where they all live.

Analysis: This is a really good show. Excellent acting and what seems to be promising to be some good writing also. I doubt I'll watch it since the "aliens on Earth" gimick doesn't appeal to me but I was surprised at how good this show was. Anyone that likes the premise should like the show.


E-Ring (Wednesday)

Summary: A new guy on the block type show. The new guy is a special-ops major who's being apprenticed to crusty Col McNulty (Dennis Hopper). Like you might expect, the fit isn't perfect!

Analysis: I watched this solely because my girlfriend really likes Dennis Hopper. Like so many former hippies she's still in love with that movie Easy Rider. But even though I didn't think this was going to be a good show I was surprised by it. The first show was good. Benjamin Bratt, who plays the major, does a good job of straddling idealism and patriotic fervor. I can see this show really going downhill so a lot will depend on how well they maintain the writing. I only expect to watch it once in a while, but so far it has potential.


Everybody Hates Chris (Thursday)

I fell asleep--that damn sore throat-- and didn't see the first episode of this one. I'll definitely catch the second show.


Threshold (Friday)

Summary: Some kind of alien(s) or objects thereof interfere with a ship in the North Atlantic. Ship's crew goes crazy, some missing, others dead. A covert special-ops team is created to look into the problem.

Analysis: I found it an interesting premise and like the first half hour or so. I found the actual operations team to be too contrived, just too quirky to be real, and the action to be boring. I suspect this show will develop a strong following because there's an obvious effort to keep quality writing like there was with last season's hit, Lost. I just won't be one of the fans.


Three Wishes (Friday)

Summary: Amy Grant stars in a 'feel good' show about fulfilling three wishes in some deserving town each week.

Analysis: Too damn sweet for me. I was gagging before the second commercial break so I can't really say how good or bad this show was. I only made it 15 minutes into the show.

Comments

Anonymous said…
I'm so glad you watched Kitchen Confidential. It's my favorite new show of the season.
Anonymous said…
I like Threshold, and haven't caught How I Met Your Mother yet, as it's opposte something else...

And re: your comment on my audio post, I'm 35, but I sound young on the phone when I'm not speaking in professional mode. When I sing, I'm a lyric soprano/high alto.

That was my experimental phone post, btw, as I'll be netless for a WEEK at Thanksgiving. (Criminal, no?)
Anonymous said…
I didn't see most of those shows, but I did watch the first two episodes of How I Met Your Mother. It wasn't bad, but I'm already finding it tedious. I may give it up in a week or two if it doesn't find some way to grab me. The tedium is due to dad's patheticness. He's a nightmare. There's no way these two should end up together and I assume it'll be a while before they can get them together to explain this. I also don't really like any of the other characters.

I also watch My Name Is Earl. It wasn't bad. It was actually pretty good -- much better than I expected, for sure. I liked the 2nd episode better than the first though. The first one seemed less together and maybe they held back some for it to get it past executives. The second one was funny and irreverant without it looking like they were trying to be shocking. I'll probably try to catch it again. Of course that would delay watching The Race...

I tried to watch Criminal Minds last week and only made it about 10 minutes before deciding I really didn't want to watch it. That's what I expected though. I just recorded it because I wasn't recording something else (and I wanted to see if I could find SOMETHING to watch on Wednesdays!). So, I can empathize with your 15 minutes of Three Wishes.
utenzi said…
Teresa, which two do you mean? They've not introduced the Mom that the title refers to on the show yet.

Lish, it's nice to see that we agree on that show. I hope the quality stays high.
Anonymous said…
They haven't? I just assumed the newswoman was his future wife and we were watching how it comes about since they are so far apart in the beginning. You'll have to enlighten me... are you saying that he's going to get a clue and do better with the next woman?
utenzi said…
Teresa, at the end of the first episode the fellow said something like this to his kids: "and that was how I met your Aunt". So I assume the mother was her sister, but he might have been using "aunt" in the fashion that sometimes close family friends are called aunt or uncle to kids. In any case, it can't be the newswoman.

I'm going back to bed. My head is killing me. Sinus headache--must be a big change in barometric pressure. I hope I live. :-(
Anonymous said…
Kitchen Confidential...haven't heard of that one. Sounds good. What network is it on?

visiting from michele's
Anonymous said…
Thanks for the reviews. I wonder if "How I Met Your Mother" will stay on the air? It was billed as the new "Friends" and that always seems to be the kiss of death.

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