Media Critic Fall Line Up III December 2006

by Richard Koscher

If you’ve been reading the previous Media Critic columns you are getting a good idea by now what to watch and when to switch channels, at least according to my own tastes and opinions.

It’s difficult sometimes as a TV Critic because you get to see no more than the first two episodes before the series goes on the air, and in most cases, you only see the pilot episode. It’s difficult to predict success from such a small sample. It’s also difficult to guess how the show will perform in its assigned timeslot.

CBS’s Smith earned the dubious distinction of becoming the first show of this season to be canceled. There is a good chance that the two stars, Ray Liotta and Virginia Madsen, won’t be adding this show to their resumés. According to the Nielsen research a mere 8.4 million viewers watched the final episode.

Fox’s Happy Hour is another show that is trembling on the brink of cancellation. NBC moved their faltering show, Kidnapped, to the Saturday night abyss. The producers were told to wrap up the story-line by the end of the 13th episode.

Heroes
After two discouraging years NBC has moved up into second place behind ABC in the 18-to-49-year-old demographic that advertisers seek.

Heroes is one of the new shows on NBC. In its current Monday time slot the show will face big competition in January when the mega hit 24 returns with the first of its eagerly anticipated 20 new shows.

Heroes is the most recent brainchild of creator and writer Tim Kring, who brought us Crossing Jordan. Heroes is a drama recounting the actions and reactions of normal people who suddenly develop extraordinary abilities.

Heroes seems confusing at first because of multiple story lines and extensive character building, but with a little attention the viewer can easily follow the plot.

The first episodes of Heroes have been very promising. We are introduced to some great characters whose paranormal abilities extend even beyond those of the characters in the show X-Men, which shares a similar theme.

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip Revisited
Heroes has proven itself worthy even after the 4th episode, which I can’t say for Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. I was excited about this show at the beginning, but now I believe that it really needs to step it up a notch in order to remain in the game. The first two episodes were so promising! Episode 3 was disappointing, almost boring. Episode 4 brought back a bit more hope again. The jury’s out on this one.

The OC
Now to some more exciting news. New viewers and old friends of The OC show will love especially the first three episodes of the new season, which show how everybody is coping differently with their grief of losing Marissa.

Who will head for college in order to try to put the past behind them?

Who stays in town because they can’t let the past go?

Will Volchok (Cam Gigandet) go free after causing the tragic accident that killed Marissa?

Will Ryan (Ben McKenzie) decide that revenge is the door into healing? Stay tuned to learn the answers to these intriguing questions.

Ryan becomes engaged in a battle for his soul as the Cohens struggle to keep him focused on the future, and fighting against the forces that threaten to pull him back into his old dysfunctional life. He played his dark part so well that I think he should have gotten the part of Darth Vader rather than Hayden Christiansen.

Sandy (played by Peter Gallagher) returns to the Public Defender’s office, and he and Kirsten (Kelly Rowan) find themselves reaching out to another troubled teen, but this one is not a stranger. It’s Kaitlin Cooper (Willa Holland), the number-one troublemaker at The Harbor School, and too much to handle for her mother Julie (Melinda Clarke), who is off making some trouble of her own.

The person who had been most excited about leaving high school finds himself back there, this time as a teacher. Taylor Townsend (Autumn Reeser) who reminds me a lot of Reese Witherspoon’s character in Legally Blonde, finds herself with some unlikely new roommates and family members.

This season hits the ground running with The OC’s trademark mix of heart, humor, drama, action, and romance.

My Name is Earl
NBC has great comedy hits that return this year that I couldn’t wait to watch. One is My name Is Earl.

This was a very highly acclaimed show! In its first season the show was nominated for two Golden Globes, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, One Directors Guild of America Award, three Writers Guild of America Awards, and it won the coveted People’s Choice Favorite New Television Comedy award.

Earl, played by Jason Lee, who appeared in “Almost Famous,” and “Chasing Amy,” won a small lottery, and, after an epiphany, is determined to transform his good fortune into a life-changing event as he sets out to right all the wrongs from his past.

A few dim-witted friends join Earl in his quest to cleanse his karma. These include his clueless brother, Randy (Ethan Suplee, “Cold Mountain”), and the very sexy Catalina (Nadine Velazquez, “The Bold and the Beautiful”).

Even Darnell (Eddie Steeples, “Torque”), the owner of the Crab Shack where Earl drinks beer, offers support. But Earl’s ex-wife Joy (Jaime Pressly, “Not Another Teen Movie”) is a selfish person who won't lift a finger to help unless there's something in it for her.

Despite his seemingly limited intelligence, Earl is oddly effective in his goal to make things better. This has become the top-rated freshman comedy series.

The Office
The Office is by far my favorite comedy on TV right now. The show reproduces an idea from an English comedy series that is still running on BBC. However, unlike so many of these purloined ideas, the writers and producers have done a great job with The Office. The series is starting into its third year. The initial two years included a total of 16 episodes, which produced a total of three Writers Guild of America Award nominations including the coveted Outstanding Achievement in Writing for a New Series.

The Office is a laughable exposure of the loves, triumphs, tragedies, and petty office intrigues played out in the lives of employees in a regional sales office of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Supply Company. The show has a documentary quality in which the action patently takes place in front of a camera. The characters often speak to the camera directly and in other scenes look at the camera from time-to-time betraying awareness of the camera’s presence.

Steve Carell plays the role of Michael Scott as an annoying boss. In my opinion the real star of the show is Dwight Schrute, played by Rainn Wilson, the annoying assistant to the regional manager. He switches personalities from domineering tyrant to fawning toad at the drop of a hat. Other characters effectively round out the action and create a great chemistry.

The Office seems to gain momentum with each episode. The show makes me look forward to sitting down Thursday and enjoying TV at its best. °