Cool News
Herc’s Seen NBC’s Out-Of-Body Hospital Drama SAVING HOPE!!
A Canadian drama from writer-producer Malcolm MacRury (“Earth: Final Conflict,” “Deadwood”) and Morwyn Brebner (“Rookie Blue”) about a comatose chief of surgery enduring a lengthy out-of-body experience that allows him to see (and speak to) dead people, “Saving Hope” stars Canadians Michael Shanks (“Stargate SG-1”) and Erica Durance (“Harry’s Law”), who played Hawkman and Lois on “Smallville.”
It’s not as bad as “Grey’s Anatomy” and not as good as “Chicago Hope” either. I dare say I enjoyed the first two episodes of “Saving Hope” more than most of the “ER” episodes NBC aired over the last five years. The most innovative thing about “Saving Hope” though, might be the omnipresent “Star Trek”-style lens flares its photography employs.
One reason to tune is a relative newcomer named Julia Taylor Ross ("Silent House"), who is hot as fire and is good enough to strip down to her bra in the second episode.
... With Shanks off on the margins, Durance is the de facto series lead. She's pleasant, and no more or less believable as a doctor than half the docs on "Grey's," "House" or even "Scrubs," but Alex as a character isn't compelling.…
... the life of the hospital goes on in ways that weren’t that interesting the first 10 times we saw them: crash carts roll past in slow motion, doctors have sex in the break room, a woman refuses treatment for religious reasons. These medical scenes are competent but forgettable, while the scenes of Charlie’s peregrinations are sometimes interesting and funny but surprisingly infrequent. …
... not the worst show to debut during the summer months — there is a natural curiosity factor built in to the main plot line and both Shanks and Durance are certainly engaging performers. But as "Grey's Anatomy" proved several seasons ago when its lead wandered in death's oddly lit foyer, though there may indeed be more things in heaven and Earth than are dreamt of in our philosophy, a soapy medical drama is probably not the best venue in which to discuss them. …
The San Francisco Chronicle says:
... lukewarm stew of ideas from other shows ("Grey's Anatomy," "Touched by an Angel," the finally out of its misery "A Gifted Man") and films ("Ghost," "The Sixth Sense") with stock characters and situations that occasionally jerk a demi-tear or two, but with absolutely no authenticity. The sloppy sentimentality is cheap and unearned …
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says:
... there’s not much in “Saving Hope” viewers haven’t seen before (and better) elsewhere …
... supremely dreary … One way or another, “Saving- Hope” will flatline.
... wins no points for originality, but boasts a winning lead in Erica Durance. …
9 p.m. Thursday. NBC.
Readers Talkback
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I'll check this out, absolutely. Medical dramas are kind of a guilty pleasure for me. It all started (in a less traditional way) with Quincy when I was a wee lad. The only one I've been able to watch for many years though was House and for some reason (great cast?) A Gifted Man, which I will be sad to see go. Now those are gone. So I'll give it a shot. But what's with the shows with HOPE in the title. Hope Springs Infernal - A beautiful but unavailable woman divorces her attractive (and plucky) fireman husband but must still come in contact with him on a regular basis due to emergency room duties at Hope Springs Hospital. Hope and Lorie - A young married lesbian couple must deal with the prejudices of co-workers and patients as they work at the hospital together. Hope is a young, plucky and positive intern and Lorie is a young hospital director who finds herself professionally at odds with her idealistic wife almost every day as they try to save lives and keep budgets in check. Hope on a Rope - A young, attractive,plucky and unavailable doctor must deal with a new job as part of a helicopter rescue team in the mountains of Colorado. It's there that she falls for a young, attractive and decidedly not very plucky young rescue team member while rescuing hikers and campers from the mountaintops and canyons of Colorado. Hopie Dopie - An irreverent new comedy that focuses on the quirky doctors and patients at a big city methadone clinic. (no-one appears to be plucky so far, but producers have indicated that plucky is a casting buzzword) The writers are unavailable. Hopes and Dreams - A plucky, young, attractive but unavailable sleep research facility is where many young, attractive doctors fall in love while trying to stay awake all night in this quirky new dramedy from the makers of Hopes on the Slopes. Hopes on the Slopes - A young, attractive doctor becomes quirky while being unavailable to ski with her young, attractive but plucky boyfriend on the slopes of Switzerland. Hopey a copey a schlopeny - Doctors quirk their way through an unavailable synopsis while writing stories about young, plucky restrooms at a truck stop in southern Colorado. Hope you've stopped reading by now - A young, quirky unavailable, plucky Colorado-based talkbacker runs out of young, quirky, unavailable and plucky ideas while posting in a talkback no-one seems to be interested in. Or sowww it wooood seeeym. ...... .. .. .
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Michael Shanks gets to make out with Durance at work, and then go home to his crazy-hawt wife Lexa Doig. Nicely done. I had no interest in this, but now I must check out because of the leads.
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He married Doig? Niiihiiice.
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SIGN ME UP
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Although the best Lois Lane OVERALL is still Dana Delaney from the 90's animated series.
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But if Erica Durance was running around either nude or mostly nude I would DVR it. She is scorching hot.
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June 7, 2012, 12:07 p.m. CST
Is it a medical show with the cast of Raising Hope a la Scrubs?
by Dharma4
IF NOT, COLOR ME NOT INTERESTED -Namaste-
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"wins no points for originality, but boasts a winning lead in Erica Durance." i guess that quote wins no points in originality either.
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I dont see that lasting very long.
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June 7, 2012, 2:20 p.m. CST
Looks like a spin on A Gifted Man except the doc is the ghost.
by Wcwlkr
A great freaking show, by the way. When they had started promoting mention Ghost Whisperer I was worried. But after actually watching it was FAR from that show. And a trillion times better. I like Shanks but can't stand Durance, plus I'm not sure how this show is going to go beyond 1 season.
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June 7, 2012, 6:03 p.m. CST
This show looks like dog shit on a sidewalk on a hot summer day
by SenatorJeffersonSmith
And I imagine it will be wildly popular and go for at least eight seasons
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"Doctors! Living! On! The! Edge!" Seriously? I'm already bored.
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How long can he stay in a coma? Just seems like an idea that can't work for too long. Just like Awake. Better idea for a movie than a series.
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June 8, 2012, 5:36 a.m. CST
Weird: if you google image search Julia Taylor Ross, 90% of the pics found are of Elizabeth Olsen
by Rebel Scumb
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I'll watch the next episode.
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Michael Shanks appears happy to star in anything that is not Stargate.
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June 9, 2012, 9:58 p.m. CST
oooh oooh oooh got a idea: cop in coma wanders precinct station
by kabong
me smart like tv producer
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June 10, 2012, 12:31 p.m. CST
re: "The most innovative thing about “Saving Hope” though, might be the omnipresent “Star Trek”-style lens flares its photography employs."
by jim
Herc's being sarcastic, right? The Lens flares style, like the shaky cam, is best when used sparingly and is all but imperceptible. "Firefly" is a good example of both being used perfectly. On this show the only thing the (excessive) use of lens flares accomplished was to make it look amateurish. The shaky cam at times bugged the crap out of me on "Friday Night Lights" but being such an excellent show otherwise, I could tolerate it. This is no FNL; I'm on the fence regarding the show anyway, but if the lens flares aren't at least toned down significantly next episode I think I'm done.
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