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Fall TV preview from MILD MANNERED REPORTER / RAVING LUNATIC reviews "Harsh Realm" !!!
SPOILER ALERT !!
Glen here...
...with a two reports on the forthcoming onslaught of Fall TV programming.
The first report is a breakdown of some of the higher-profile Fall fare. This report comes
from THE MILD MANNERED REPORTER:
The Mild Mannered Reporter wrote:
** Secret Agent Man: New, hip spy show starring that Mandylor
guy (not the one from Martial Law, the OTHER one) as a spy named Monk
(with a black partner and a sexy co-agent played by Dina Meyer from Starship
Troopers).
Extremely slick, elegant in the Men in Black vein.
Funny and irreverent. I'd say it looks like a winner, but then again - Spy
Games and Fortune Hunter were slick, elegant and funny too.
** Angel: Extremely dark and brooding, very tough to program
in countries that have problems with violence on TV (think England or
Germany).
** Time of Your Life: Jennifer Love Hewitts spin-off from
Party of Five is the
most overcooked show of the year.
Melodramatic in the
worst possible way, and Hewitt comes off as whiny and lame. The concept is
also way too similar to Felicity. Will be recut, probably (if not
reshot).
** Manchester Prep: The series version of the Sarah Michelle
Gellar movie Cruel Intentions.
The pilot recounts the movie, and
even though the lead actress does not repeat the "I'll fuck your brains out"
line that made sure male SMG fans got some sleepless nights, it IS
pretty kinky and nasty.
Very well produced, with a high gloss look. But at
the end of the day: not enough meat to go the distance.
** Stark Raving Mad: Neil Patrick Harris works for a book
publishing company and has to get a horror novelist back to work. Watch this
sitcom sink - fast!
** Action: Wow, this is one rude sitcom about a Hollywood
producer (Jay Mohr). Interesting tidbit: the script for the pilot asked
for a cameo by Kurt Russel. I thought: Gee, they'll never get him to do
it. Well, they didn't. But they got Keanu Reeves!
** Good versus Evil: It doesn't happen often that shows get
booed at the LA screenings. This low budget Brimstone ripoff starring
Clayton Rohner managed to irritate almost every single viewer.
Avoid at all cost (suck on this Glen ;-))
((Glen sighs...))
** Roswell High: frankly, I didn't like it.
The pilot has no
action, no drive, no real atmosphere. The leads look like
doppelgangers of good teen ctors, but not like the real thing.
The concept is weak
(a girl in Roswell discovers that some of her teen pals are actually
aliens stranded on Earth), and producer Jonathan Frakes gives a really
ego-boosting, lame cameo.
** Now and Again: John Goodman faqlls in front of a subway
train (great sequence) and is resurrected as Eric Close (Dark Skies), to
fight for the
government.
This has more depth and sarcasm than one would
expect from a CBS
show, and Dennis Haysbert is great. But the sci-fi elements
are sparse, and
in the end it's just "The Six Million Dollar Man meets John
Frankenheimer's
Seconds.
** Special Unit 2: Secret organisation hunts monsters and
demons.
While it
sounds like Buffy meets the The X-Files, it's more accurately
described as
NYPD Blue meets Ghostbusters. Pretty cool, and Michael
Landes (the "real"
Jimmy Olsen from Lois & Clark) is good.
The monsters look hokey, though. Could be a sleeper hit.
** New Universal shows replacing Hercules: Three half-hours
are in the works, and only Amazon High was shown in parts. It's very
funny, about a bubbly teenage girl sent back to Xena-esque times.
She
alternates between the two timelines, getting a lot of stuff mixed up (imagine
barbarian behavior in American highschools).
The second show is Jack of all
Trades, about a travelling adventurer in the 18th century. A pirate
action show, could turn out cool.
No real info on Cleopatra 2055, the
third show, though...
Glen again...
Next up is RAVING LUNATIC's review of Harsh Realm ( a show which was HREF="http://www.aint-it-cool-news.com/display.cgi?id=3913">reviewed by me earlier
in the week.
Raving Lunatic wrote:
Hi Glen,
I've just seen Chris Carter's new pilot and thought you'd
probably like a review.
HARSH REALM deals with a soldier (Scott Bairstow) who is
sent on one last mission: to win a virtual reality game by setting a new
high score - or so he's told, because when he gets there, he starts to
realize that this virtual world is controlled by an evil dictator called
Santiago (Terry O'Quinn). He has taken over the game and the military are
trying to get this world back by sending a soldier to kill him.
Bairstow is not the first though, as he finds out when he meets a
disillusioned veteran (D.B. Sweeney) who after some discussion agrees to help him
kill Santiago. But, as you might have guessed, this is not so easy...
So much about the plot. And now on to the part where I
tell you wether I liked it or not:
I loved it.
It's dark, it's gritty, but it's not as hopelessly depressing as
MILLENNIUM (a flawed show that I still enjoyed very
much). For a pilot it has surprisngly few effects shots, but I would actually
count that fact on the plus side as it doesn't distract you from the story
(Carter's telling and which in itself is quite fascinating).
This virtual
world, we are told (by the voice of Gillian Anderson in an uncredited
cameo), is just like ours with every human being recreated, though they might
not have the same personality as in ours. That makes for some interesting
confrontations, especially with Bairstow's fiancee who's married to
somebody else in this world and even though Bairstow's character knows this,
he's still unable to cope with the situation.
Talking about Bairstow, he's the one aspect of the show
I'm not happy with. His character fails to grip you and I thought
several times how much better this would be if Carter had stayed with Nic Lea
who originally was supposed to play the part. Bairstow's simply not able to
relate that feeling of loneliness and frustration that should govern
his character. Instead he is often reduced to pointing his gun at
someone whenever he doesn't seem to know what to do next.
Although this is
obviuosly the writer's fault, I couldn't stop thinking that maybe if
Bairstow's acting had been less wooden, you wouldn't have noticed this fact
so much. On the other hand D.B. Sweeny is excellent as the ex-soldier
trying to survive in this strange world. I never pictured him as the tough
guy, but he's surprisingly convincing. The same goes for Terry O'Quinn
as menacing dictator Santiago, who's not one of your run of the mill,
acting over the top evil geniuses but a threatening, power hungry killer
with a hardly noticable streak of insanity.
A nice touch is just another uncredited cameo, this time
by Lance Henriksen as the general who sends Bairstow on his
mission. Guess that means we can expect to see him in later episodes.
All in all HARSH REALM is a very good show with a lot of
potential that could still easily go wrong, if it concentrates too much
on Bairstow's hunt for Santiago. Instead I hope it will spend some time
to show us more about the virtual world and to explore the different
characters.
Well, we'll see...
Glen
If you send a message to the above address & bounces back to you,
address!
Or call:
(512) 347-1992
Mail can be sent to:
Glen Oliver
P.O. BOX 160812
Austin, TX 78716-0812
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Austin, TX 78716-0812
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+ Expand All
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Looks like slim pickens, i think i'll take up reading.
-
Well, considering this year's good shows have been cancelled (Strange World, Crusade), only Harsh Realm captures my interest at all. I haven't seen it yet (As much as I'd like to...), but those who have seen it tell me it will make up for the loss of Millennium and then some. (Which would be quite a feat.)
-
Seems like Carter has a winner on
his hands. Once he puts X-files
out of its misery, it seems he'll
be able to keep this one afloat
a bit longer than "Millenium."
Good riddence to the 'Mulder and
Scully Comedy Hour' and hello
'Harsh Realm'!
Also thought the first batch of
'reviews' was VERY weak...I could
have composed more detailed
stuff based on what I've read in
USA Today and Entertainment Weekly.
Oh well, thanks Glen. -
I, for one, can't wait to see this show. I could care less that the whole audience booed (big freakin' deal), from Glen and Robogeek's reviews (oh check out Andy Mangel's review at Hollywood Heroes at www.mania.com) this is the kind of stuff I love to see. Being a fan of Brimstone, GvsE sounds like something right up my alley.
-
I used to love tv when I was a kid back in the 80's (Cosby show, Family Ties, Cheers, Dukes of Hazzard, and Dallas just to name a few)but now the only tv I watch is Seinfeld reruns, and cable programing like South Park, Crocodile Hunter, and the Tom Green show on MTV. I did read somewhere that Monday Night Football is going to start coming back on at 8pm central, and that is good news. I guess ABC wants another MCGuyver at 7 pm. It suprised me that Jennifer Love Hewitt was going to still do television, I would of thought her huge ego and forehead would just concentrate on film.
-
Hey there folks. Just wanted to throw in my two cents. I've seen three of the new pilots by NBC. One of them was something called the Mike O' Malley show (I think). Another run of the mill crappy sitcoms without anything new to offer. May possibly be reshot. For its sake, I hope so.
Another was one from Dreamworks called Geeks and Freaks. It's highschool in the early eights. Not great, but also, not too bad, The pilot that I saw was an hour long. Much too long for a show like this. It would only work in a half hour format. Most of the stuff in the pilot is stuff that we have seen before. The jocks, the nerds, the stoners, etc... The only reason that it has a good shot at working is because of the nostalgia thing. I wouldn't make a habit of watching it, but I probably wouldn't change the channel if I landed on it accidently.
But the one that I loved, in contrary to what was said above, was Stark Raving Mad. It was hilarious. Very, and I repeat, Very Funny. (SPOILERS AHEAD. PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK. TRUE, IT'S ONLY A SITCOM, BUT I DON'T WANT TO PISS OFF ANYONE.)
Can you think of a better entrance for a character than when Neil Patric Harris walks in to meet Tony Shaloub (spelling???) and finds him hanging by the neck, dead. (He wasn't really dead, obviously, but his reaction was funny as hell). It's not only very smart and funny humor, but has a touch of crude humor as well, such as the dog that loves to hump legs. And I mean loves to hump legs. I laughed my ass off. (One step above Eddie, in Frasier)
Well, in closing, I think it will be the break out comedy hit of the new season, if, and only if, it can maintain that humor level for the long haul. Granted, it is a premise that can run dry quickly if the show isn't taken care of properly. (A lot like NewsRadio. Very funny show, until it ran out of steam in the last season. Okay, Phil Hartman's death had a lot to do with that too.) So I would recommend that everyone at least give this show a shot when it premieres. I don't usually recommend sitcoms, but that's only because most of them stink, but this one I plan on giving a try. Plus, it has a great time slot, between Frasier and ER. If a crap show called Jesse can survive (what an awful show) then I'm sure this will make it at least untill a second season.
That is all.
-
Call me closed minded but I don't really plan to patronize ANY new shows this fall season, regardless of how good / awful / hopeful they may be. I'm tired of television and I think most people out there are too. TV characters don't grow, they don't go anywhere, their whole r'aison d'etre is to stay in stasis so that lack of continuity doesn't mess up the syndication potential. Well, I don't care. They can't give me good popcorn stuff on par with an Indiana Jones-type serial, they can't give me a drama where I could actually believe the "star's" life is in jeopardy, and they can't give me a comedy that makes me laugh anymore... So what I can't give them is my attention. Heck, it's tv's fault that my span is as short as it is to BEGIN with...
-
...sounds fine to me. I usually pay no attention to review of shows months before they air because the public usually doesn't see the pilots. (at least on the shows I try out...or do we?) How much can you tell from a pilot? IMHO The X-Files pilot was as bad as many episodes this last season, but a good piece of the shows after that were terrific (season 2's middle through 3's end). I will give it a whirl, not judging it by The Matrix (great movie) since one has nothing to do with the other. By the time the stupid networks run reruns after three episodes (which I don't get!!!) I'll have decided. But, Harsh Realm looks to be the only show to have captired my eye this new season. G-vs-E looks good but I both watch another show and tape one during it's slot so I got screwed! :( Oh well.
-
How many of these series will be cancelled almost immidiately because they didn't automatically achieve that X-Files rating that The X-Files itslef didn't achieve. In fact, all of the high rated series that I can think of didn't achieve high rating to start with. Buffy didn't immidiately get high figures. People tend to not bother watching new programs now because they know that if they do, and find they enjot the programs, it will be cancelled after 3 episodes. Give these programs a chance to find an audience before cancelling them. See what happens during the second series, then decide it's fate. I am still morning Brimstone, American Gothic and Dark Skies. You Dig?
-
There are good shows on TV sometimes. I'm enjoying "Farscape" still. I can't believe it, but "Crusade" is actually putting on a good show. There will be one less hour of Star Dreck (leaving more time for TNG reruns, I guess). But all of these series sound like retreads. Why doens't anyone in H'wood GET A BRAIN and try something novel. I thought it couldn't get any worse than when Zelazny got "My Name is Legion" ripped off (lamely) with the Pretender (at least they were honest in the naming of it). Now we get a Matrix ripoff from Carter. And, I mean: he took over a simulated world... fine. TURN OFF THE COMPUTER. Series over. Oh, wait, maybe it's HIS computer... Fuck. How much suspension of disbelief am I supposed to maintain for this?
-
WITH A CRAPFEST LIKE THIS, I'D RATHER WATCH "SUDDENLY SUSAN" RERUNS!
-
Jul 13, 1999 5:38:04 AM CDT
RE: For those who are bemoaning the dearth of good TV out there.
by assimiltr
"Wednesday nights watching the best prime-time line-up in years":
Arliss - funny sports agent
Sex and the City - ever-luscious Sarah Jessica Parker and friends
The Sopranos - mob drama
OZ - prison drama
Spawn
Let's see...we have a "Sports caster", a "Bimbo", "Mob Violence", "Prison Drama" and a "Superman wannabe"....Sounds like Wrestling to me.
Chunk HBO, watch TNT! -
Jack of All Trades is the series Renaissance Pictures developed for Bruce Campbell that he ended up turning down late last fall. (He then shaved his head and filmed a movie with Sean "Sam Gamgee" Astin called Icebreaker. Honest.) It'll be interesting to see who they get to replace Bruce in the lead.
--SG -
(I should have tacked this at the end of my first post- oh well) Cleopatra 2525 is about a stripper who gets frozen for a few centuries, then wakes up in some kind of post-apocalyptic world where there are few if any men left (but there are women and evil robots). Amazon High is a spinoff of Xena: a 20th century teen goes back in time and helps to found the Amazon nation long before Xena's time. Jack of All Trades (British secret agent in the old Spanish Caribean- it's been described as a bit "Wild Wild West"-ish, as in the series NOT the movie) and Cleopatra 2525 are the two half-hour shows that will fill the hour vacated by Hercules in January 2000. The two-hour Amazon High pilot was re-tooled back in mid 1998 and, last I'd heard, hasn't been sold yet.
-SG -
...How the Breast Was Won. Or Once Upon a Time in the Breast.
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