Review - Terra Nova

Hours before the premiere of FOX's Terra Nova, which I was looking forward to, I found myself asking one basic, logical question:  the premise of the show is to save the human race from a self-destructive future by starting over in the past.  So why would you go to a time period - the Jurassic era, the age of the dinosaurs - you KNOW was wiped out by an extinction level event (most likely a meteor)?  Just saying...

Anyway, I can see the appeal of picking this show up, especially by FOX, a network that has a track record going with similar sci-fi genre shows (Firefly, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Fringe).Not to mention the fact that Steven Spielberg is behind this new venture, and we know he can do dinosaurs right.

The premise - not unlike that of Firefly, Earth 2 and the Lost in Space film - is set up clearly in the opening of the pilot:  "At the dawn of the 22nd century (2149 to be exact), the world is on the verge of environmental collapse.  Mankind's only hope for survival lies 65 million years in the past."  (But again, see my initial question...)

The series makes no bones about telling us where we're clearly headed: a world with no sunlight, breathing masks needed outside at all times, population control (having more than two children is illegal), eventual end of life as we know it.  But unlike this show, we don't have a magical portal offering possible salvation.  At least, not yet ...

Terra Nova focuses on the Shannon family:  father Jim (Jason O'Mara, Life on Mars, Men in Trees), a Chicago narcotics detective who went to jail for two years after striking a population control officer who discovered the family's secret third child, Zoe; mother Elizabeth (Shelley Conn, Marchlands, Mistresses), an exceptional doctor who was hand chosen for the "10th Pilgrimage; son Josh (Landon Liboiron, Degrassi: The Next Generation), loyal to his family but not without anger issues, particularly for his absentee father; and elder daughter Maddy (Naomi Scott, Life Bites), smart like her mother but still a teenage girl finding her place.  Jim escapes from prison and reunites last minute with his family at the portal (very Stargate-like), making a mad dash for the new world as the authorities close in.

Upon arrival at the Terra Nova settlement, which looks a lot like Jurassic Park with tall, iron gates surrounding the compound (though not electrified here - defense comes in the form of sonic guns which drive away the animal inhabitants), we are introduced to leader Nathaniel Taylor (Stephen Lang, bad guy soldier in Avatar),  a seven-year Novan who pep talks the new arrivals with a speech about how greed, war and ignorance destroyed their home and how they've been entrusted with a second chance, "the chance to get it right."  Listening to him, watching him in the scenes to follow ... it may be because of the nature of his past roles (many bad guys), but Lang's Taylor is someone you just feel may be not quite on the up-and-up.  

Taylor and Jim butt heads from the get-go, but later team up to deal with various threats to Terra Nova, which in addition to the dinosaurs include a rogue sect of settlers, known as "Sixers" (named for the 6th Pilgrimage they came through on) - think "The Others" on Lost - who broke off shortly after arrival and frequently pilfer Terra Nova and cause violent conflict.  The Sixers are led by Mira (Christine Adams, The Whole Truth), a tough lady who has control of the local quarry filled with meteoric iron, the currency of the land, and who clearly looks out for her own.  My instinct tells me she may ultimately be more trustworthy than Taylor. We'll have to see.

The real action begins when Josh goes "OTG" (outside the gates) with new friend Skye (Allison Miller, Kings) as they run into the creature dangers lurking in the jungle.  The show looks decent for having to rely on a television budget.  It's clear when the actors are standing before a green screen, and the dinosaurs don't have the realism and tangibility they had in Jurassic Park, but if you can accept that and let yourself be submerged in the world of Terra Nova, you're in for an engaging ride.  The physically real compound sets look great and a solid effort is made merging in the CGI - including a very JP scene of a little girl feeding a "veggisaur" (brontasaurus) - and the live action.  I say, concentrate on the characters, the story and the action and you'll enjoy the show.

The last minutes of the pilot set up - as a good pilot should - some dark, ominous plot points and mysteries to unfold to lure you back for more. My curiosity is peaked.

Bottom line: "Terra" should be more viewing of this series in your future.

Catch Terra Nova Mondays at 8 p.m. on FOX.

Review - Pan Am

"Buckle up. Adventure calls!"

My mother was a flight attendant for TWA in the 60s (they were called stewardesses back then) so I have been looking forward to seeing this new series hoping to get a little insight into her world before I came along.  Of course I know, being a television drama, it will be more about telling stories of romance, scandal, trysts - think Grey's Anatomy in the sky - but within the first five minutes of tonight's premiere, I do have an appreciation of certain rules and standards my mother definitely had to follow - maintaining weight and perfection of appearance, quality of on-board service, a respectable reputation.

The 60s was the Golden Age of Travel.  Flying was an event:  exciting, elegant and glamorous and without the restrictions and precautions we have today in the post-9/11 world.  As for Pan Am, it was the premiere airline of the time, the flagship carrier for the U.S. that flew only international flights.  On board you were personally escorted to your seat. Food, cocktails, pillows and magazines were complimentary and every passenger was treated as first class.  Pan Am stewardesses in particular were deemed feminine icons of the time, turning heads as they walked throughout the terminals to the planes in their pristine, bright blue uniforms and white gloves (this image was also featured in the film Catch Me if You Can, the story of Frank Abagnale, Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio) whose many false identities included impersonating a Pan Am pilot). Back then, being a stewardess was one of the few career opportunities for women that allowed them to see the world.  As said in the pilot episode (pun appropriate?), they were "a new breed of woman."

Pan Am is stylish, looks great and has an ease of storytelling about it.  Solid introductions are made of the recurring in-flight crew, which includes Maggie (Christina Ricci, Saving Grace, Ally McBeal), an independent lady who believes she needs to see the world in order to change it; Kate (Kelli Garner, My Generation), a veteran stewardess with a new secret agenda; Laura (Margot Robbie, Neighbours), Kate's younger sister who ran out on her wedding, followed her sister into the friendly skies and now has sudden fame as the face of the Jet Age thanks to a Life magazine cover; Collette (Karine Vanasse, October 1970), who took the term "layover" literally, having had a relationship with a passenger she now has learned is married; Dean (Mike Vogel, Miami Medical, Grounded for Life), newly promoted captain involved with stewardess Bridget (Annabelle Wallis, The Tudors), who has a secret of her own; and fellow pilot Ted (Michael Mosley, Justified, Scrubs), who definitely has an eye for the ladies in blue.

Backstories for each character are told through flashbacks, giving just enough information to relate to what is happening before, during and after the flight featured in the episode, which I'm guessing is how each will play out during the season.  It's early to tell if the series will get any darker as it goes on or if it will stay in the  moderate drama zone like its time-slot predecessor Brothers & Sisters, which would justify Pan Am's pairing with lead-in Desperate Housewives.  A natural match, too, being that both series focus mainly on the female lead characters.

With beautiful sets, an attractive cast, a terrific soundtrack and nostalgia for an intriguing era, Pan Am is easy to watch and has made a promising debut.

Bottom line: Book your ticket for more flights of fancy on board this series.

Catch Pan Am Sundays at 10 p.m. on ABC

Is There Anybody Out There ... Watching?

Well, ratings for the past week have come in and I have to wonder, what's happening?  Seems like nearly every show lost viewers either from last season or the previous week with very few exceptions.  It could be that there is just too much on all at once, but that's what DVRs are for and I think networks are trying to figure out some kind of ratings/tracking system for shows that are watched after their actual air times - a very common practice nowadays. 

Personally, I've never had confidence in the Nielson Ratings system.  I have never in my lifetime met someone who has had a Nielson box in their home or known anyone else to have either.  I know that I personally fall outside of the demographics range given to many shows that I watch (18-34), as are likely countless others, but that fact will never be known because my habits aren't being tabulated.  Question is, who ARE these Nielson families?  WHERE are they and what the heck ARE they watching?

Well, according the afore-mentioned ratings for this past week, these are the winners:

Two and  Half Men - heaven knows they promoted the season premiere enough and had a big enough watch-worthy event - the replacement of Charlie Sheen with Ashton Kutcher - so it's no surprise.  We'll have to see what happens next week.

Another non-surprise - Modern Family.  This is the steamroller of the TV landscape.  Seems it can do no wrong, Emmys sweep and all.  I have not watched the show yet only because I've always had viewing conflicts on that night but I believe it when I'm told how good it is and I'm looking forward to catching up with it when it inevitably comes to syndication.

Happily New Girl also had a big opening week.  I'm a fan, so I was pleased to hear it.

Strong but not stellar debuts/returns included How I Met Your Mother, The Big Bang Theory, Person of Interest, Revenge and Raising Hope. Less than stellar but somewhat solid were the debuts of Charlie's Angels and Prime Suspect (I recommend watching the latter FAR more than the former...).

But the amount of series that all dropped in their numbers is staggering, even shows that have been considered mega-hits, like The Mentalist, Glee, Parks & Recreation and Dancing With the Stars.  And it doesn't seem to matter if the shows are on Monday, Wednesday or the dreaded Friday (which I think has the strongest lineup of shows in years, with Supernatural, Fringe and Nikita), or what network - all seemed to take hits.

Here are some other dippers:


Fringe
Kitchen Nightmares
Blue Bloods
Supernatural
Nikita
Hawaii Five-0
The Biggest Loser
90210
Ringer
Survivor
Up All Night
Harry's Law
America's Next Top Model
Community
The Office
Vampire Diaries
The Secret Circle

So what, pray tell, is everybody/anybody watching out there?  Please leave comments below and let me know what's in your To-View list.

Review - Charlie's Angels

Wow.  I mean ... wow.  There is bad TV and then there's ... this.  I had heard about the retooling.  I had heard about rewrites and other problems.  But I thought, Drew Barrymore is involved and I actually liked the movies.  They were fun, delightfully silly, the cast didn't take themselves too seriously and embraced suspension of disbelief with over-the-top fervor, and it worked.  They were escapist entertaining.  Also, this show is by the same guys that did the long-running, excellent Smallville.  So I went in to this pilot thinking, "How bad could it really be?" 

Oh, dear ...

More often than not, remakes of old series haven't worked - The Bionic Woman, Knight Rider.  Sometimes it's done with stellar execution - Hawaii Five-0.  Charlie's Angels is definitely of the former.  Where do I even start?  Okay, let's go with the cast.  Acting this bad should be illegal.  Rachael Taylor (Grey's Anatomy - she bothered me on that show, too) is by far the worst.  It's like every line delivery, ever look, every gesture has been premeditated and calculated and comes off not at all natural or likable.  In fact, these are some of the most unlikable characters I've seen in a long time.  The other Angels are Annie Ilonzeh (Melrose Place) and Minka Kelly (Parenthood).  There is zero chemistry between these actresses and they just don't make you care what happens to their characters (Abby, Kate and Eve, respectively), a crucial component of a show necessary to make you want to come back watch them week after week. 

We're supposed to believe these gals are like sisters to each other, yet, when one of the trio introduced in the teaser is killed off in the teaser, I felt nothing.  I couldn't have cared less.  And despite the tears and declarations of "I didn't think my heart could hurt this much" (yep, that's just a sample of the dialogue, but we'll come back to that in a moment), it's so painfully unbelievable, I actually cringed.  Hell, I cringed throughout the whole, agonizing thing.  These women are supposed to be tough, bad-ass, but I wanted to laugh every time they got in someone's face or spoke with the intention to intimidate.  I would have laughed too, if it weren't so damn sad. 

And to believe these women would work for a man they'd never see?  "All Angels get zero face time with the boss," Bosley (The Wire's Ramon Rodriguez - the once father-figure character is now a young, hot Latino and is more like a fourth Angel) instructs new recruit Eve.  The gimmick worked in the original series because of the era and the campiness and in the films because, again, it played into the absurdity (and you had John Forsythe's smarmy, velvet delivery in both cases).  Here?  This show clearly wants us to take it seriously as a drama, so the unseen big-man-boss-thing just doesn't fly.  And not five minutes after Bosley's telling of Rule #1, the Angels playfully coo "Any chance you'll be dropping in on the party, Charlie?"  Gag.  Robert Wagner was originally cast to be Charlie but had to bow out.  Wise choice, sir.  The new Charlie is more of a presence in this series, collaborating with his Angels (via a futuristic looking speaker) whereas before he just bookmarked each episode's beginning and end.  Like his cast mates, when he delivers the line post Angel-death, "Thank God you're okay," it's so flat, so emotionless.  He doesn't seem to care either.

Guess this is as good a time as any to tackle the dialogue.  I think I'll just share a few choice lines and let it set:

"Gloria waved goodbye to that life when she enlisted with Uncle Sam."
"Ding ding!  Love a catfight, but ladies, please, back to your corners."
"Abby puts the cat in cat burglar."
"We're Angels, not saints."

Now for the action ... well, let me say this.  You want action sequences and fight scenes that are amazing and breathtaking and have you on the edge of your seat?  Tune into Hawaii Five-0.  It's perfection.  And Grace Park could kick these ladies' asses with her arms tied behind her back.  More strong women who are believable kicking butt?  Check out Piper Perabo on USA's Covert Affairs or Maggie Q on the CW's Nikita.  Or go back and watch Jennifer Garner on Alias or Sarah Michelle Gellar's Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  These ladies?  Not even in the same universe.

I could go on but frankly, I've wasted enough time on this dismal, awful show.  Every commercial break featured a Drew Barrymore Cover Girl ad and I just had to ask her "Why, Drew?  What happened?"  For innocent campy fun, check out the original series or the films - those chicks had chemistry in spades.

Bottom line:  Pray for a quick series demise for these Angels.

Review - The New Girl

Quirk is definitely the new cool.  This terrific new comedy premiered tonight on FOX and earns an immediate place as one of the best new comedies of the season.  TV Guide nailed it when they dubbed star Zooey Deschanel "adorkable" and she'll have no trouble sharing the FOX spotlight with big sis Emily (Bones).

Deschenel plays Jessica Day, an overall-wearing, Dirty Dancing-loving, Lord of the Rings-referencing, marching-to-her-own-drummer gal who finds herself newly single after - yep - finding boyfriend Spencer with another girl.  Suddenly homeless, it's Craig's List to the rescue, leading Jess unknowingly to the abode of three single guys (their ad, which used words like "sun-soaked" and "beige-y" was misleading):  Nick (Jake M. Johnson, fairly new to TV), a sweet soul dealing with his own breakup issues; Coach (Damon Wayans, Jr., Happy Endings, My Wife and Kids and the pedigree of being a Wayans), who has no knack for talking to the fairer sex; and Schmidt (Max Greenfield, already a TV veteran with roles on Raising the Bar, Ugly Betty, Greek and Veronica Mars), who single-handedly keeps the trio's "Douchebag Jar" in healthy abundance of cash.

Deschenel is delightfully, playfully awkward and weird as Jess, who admittedly "can't hide the crazy."  She infuses cooky voices in her conversation, dances inappropriately and constantly sings outloud to herself, even making up her own theme song on the spot to pump herself up to start dating again (the ditty is actually used for the series' title sequence with a cute homage to Marlo Thomas' That Girl).  Ally McBeal once went in search of her theme song ... Jess has it covered.

Quite the motley crue this foursome makes, but it works.  The characters compliment each other nicely and you can't help but fall in love with the dudes when, learning that Jess is being stood up on her first date back out there, serenade her - badly - at the restaurant with "I've Had the Time of My Life."  The show doesn't end the number with the stereotypical group applause but instead has the quartet kicked out of the place ... and you thank them for it, cause that's this show.  Nobody puts these guys in the corner!

Bottom line:  These misfits fit right in.

Catch The New Girl Tuesday's at 9 .m. on FOX.

Make Your Monday with Great TV

Set your DVRs for some terrific viewing tonight as these great shows make their returns:

This funtastic CBS comedy is back for its seventh season to tease audiences with more "is she or isn't she the Mother" antics (show is signed for two more seasons so I'm guessing more "isn't" than "is") with lovelorn romantic Ted (Josh Radnor).  This season also celebrates the pregnancy of Marshall (Jason Segel) and Lily (Alyson Hannigan), new romantic and professional pursuits of Canadian darling Robin (Cobie Smolders) and the wedding (say what?) or eternal womanizer Barney (the masterful Neil Patrick Harris).

Check out How I Met Your Mother on CBS at 8 p.m.

Then tune in at 10 p.m. for the return of two great partner-centric cop dramas, CBS' Hawaii Five-0 and ABC's Castle (they go head-to-head, so choose one for live viewing, one for DVR, but don't miss either).

Both shows had shocking finales that shook up the characters' lives and careers last May:

On Five-0, Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett (Alex O'Loughlin) was arrested for the murder of the Governor Pat Jameson (Jean Smart) by the cold and cunning Wo Fat (Mark Dacascos) while rookie Kono Kalakaua (Grace Park) was suspended for suspicion of the theft from the drug forfeiture locker (sorry to say, she's actually guilty, along with her task force teammates), leaving Detective Danny Williams (Scott Caan) to clear their good names while trying to make sense of the apparent abandonment of the fourth member Chin Ho Kelly (Daniel Dae Kim), who went back to the Honolulu PD just in time to arrest McGarrett.  Fortunately, the team will have help with their precarious situation as Lt. Commander Joe White (Terry O'Quinn, reuniting with Lost alum Kim) - McGarrett's former SEAL training officer - comes to the Aloha State to lend a hand for at least six episodes. 

Hawaii Five-0 has lined up an impressive guest cast for their sophomore season, including O'Quinn, Peter Fonda, Patty Duke, Tom Sizemore and more. Surf's up for Season Two!

Over on Castle, we were left with the shocking shooting of Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) at the funeral of Captain Roy Montgomery (Ruben Santiago-Hudson), who was killed after it was revealed he hadn't been the cleanest cop in his early career and whose past caught up with him at last.  Turns out Montgomery was fighting to protect Beckett from imminent danger brought on by her investigating her mother's murder, fearing she was getting too close (guess so, giving the shooting).  By her side is the ever-charming Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion), successful mystery novelist-turned-unofficial police detective/comic foible/potential love interest for Beckett (think David Addison and Maddie Hayes on Moonlighting), who finally confessed his love for Beckett after the shooting (too bad she was unconscious).  Will this be the season that end the "will they or won't they" tug of war the show's been teasing for three seasons now?  Wait and see ...

Catch Hawaii Five-0 on CBS and Castle on ABC at 10 p.m.

If you like the actors on these shows, catch them on these other shows:

Josh Radnor - The Court (may be hard to find)
Jason Segel - Freaks and Geeks (on DVD)
Alyson Hannigan - Buffy the Vampire Slayer (on DVD, Chiller channel)
Cobie Smolders - The L Word (on DVD)
Neil Patrick Harris - Doogie Houser, M.D. (on DVD)
Alex O'Loughlin - Three Rivers, Moonlight (on DVD, Rivers streams on Netflix)
Scott Caan - Entourage (on DVD, HBO repeats, syndication)
Daniel Dae Kim & Terry O'Quinn - Lost (on DVD)
Grace Park - Battlestar Galactica (2005) (on DVD, streaming on Netflix)
Nathan Fillion - Firefly (on DVD)
Stana Katic - Heroes guest star (on DVD)

Recap - The Emmys

FOX played host to the 63rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, or, as appropriately dubbed by hostess/nominee Jane Lynch (Glee), "The Modern Family Awards" (the show picked up five awards, including Comedy Series, Supporting Actor and Actress).  The show came in at just the 3-hour mark and was paced well with few awkward moments (most of the category intros were presented well, most especially by late night hosts Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon, who physically tusssled when the former called out the latter for claiming not to have written an acceptance speech in  lieu of The Daily Show's inevitable win (it did) but in fact had.  The bit was pulled off by the two Jimmys with great comic flair.   

Charlie Sheen presented an award and wished the upcoming season of Two and a Half Men well.  Was it sincere?  Little hard to tell, but all was good later when stars Jon Cryer and Ashton Kutcher presented together with Ashton assuring his new costar that he is not a troll.

The evening opened with a pre-recorded musical number, "TV is a Vast Wonderland!" (couldn't agree more) featuring Lynch first being directed by Leonard Nimoy (Fringe guest star), then walking through the respective sets of and encountering stars from Entourage (Jeremy Piven and Rex Lee), The Big Bang Theory (cast members Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, Simon Helberg and Kunal Nayyar), Grey's Anatomy (Eric Dane), Weeds (Kevin Nealon), and Mad Men (John Hamm, Elisabeth Moss, Christina Hendricks, John Slattery and Vincent Kartheiser). 

Perhaps the biggest LOL moment was when the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series category came up.  Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation) was the first name read and she promptly walked up on the stage and waited.  At first you thought it was just a "yeah, I'm taking the award no matter what" gag, but as each actress called after that, Melissa McCarthy (Mike & Molly), Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie), Laura Linney (The Big C), Tina Fey (30 Rock) and Martha Plimpton (Raising Hope), came to the stage, you realized it was more an homage to the Miss America pageant, each lady holding hands with the others waiting to be crowned.  McCarthy took the prize and was given a tiara, roses and her Emmy.  Never knowing if it was a pre-planned bit until the end, it was truly a moment.  Well played, ladies!

Little less funny but still well-intentioned were The Emmy Tones, an acapella group who intro-sang each genre of television.  Singers included Zachary Levi (Chuck), Cobie Smolders (How I Met Your Mother), Taraji P. Henson (Taken From Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story), Kate Flannery (The Office), Wilmer Valderama (That 70's Show) and Joel McHale (Community).

Several pre-recorded bits were intermixed throughout the ceremony, including a humorous segment featuring"Why I don't like my job" direct-to-camera-confessions a la The Office featuring a slew of TV stars.  There was also a musical performance by The Lonely Island (the group oft featured in Saturday Night Lives digital shorts with Andy Samberg and Justin Timberlake, though Justin was not present).  Michael Bolton joined in the fun.

One of the better Emmy Award ceremonies but sadly, too few pleasant surprises in the wins.  Judge for yourselves:

And the Emmys went to ...

ACTING

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Jim Parsons, CBS' The Big Bang Theory (3rd nomination, 2nd win)

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Melissa McCarthy, CBS's Mike & Molly (1st nom and 1st win)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Ty Burrell, ABC's Modern Family (2nd nom, 1st win)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Julie Bowen, ABC's Modern Family (2nd nom, 1st win)

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Kyle Chandler, NBC's Friday Night Lights (3rd nom, 1st win)

Outstanding Lead Actress ion a Drama Series
Julianna Margulies, CBS's The Good Wife (8th nom, 2nd win)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Peter Dinklage, HBO's Game of Thrones (1st nom and win)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Margo Martindale, FX's Justified (1st nom and win)

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie
Barry Pepper, Reelz's The Kennedys

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries of Movie
Kate Winslet, HBO's Mildred Pierce

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie
Guy Pearce, HBO's Mildred Pierce

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie
Maggie Smith, PBS' Downton Abbey

SERIES

Outstanding Drama Series
AMC's Mad Men

Outstanding Comedy Series
ABC's Modern Family

Outstanding Reality/Competition Show
CBS' The Amazing Race

Outstanding Miniseries or Movie
PBS's Downton Abbey

Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series
Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

DIRECTING

Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series
Martin Scorsese, HBO's Boardwalk Empire

Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series
Michael Spiller, ABC's Modern Family

Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special
Brian Percival, PBS' Downton Abbey


Outstanding Directing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Series
Don Roy King, Saturday Night Live

WRITING

Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
Jason Katims, NBC's Friday Night Lights

Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series
Steven Lavitan & Jeffrey Richman, ABC's Modern Family

Outstanding Writing for  Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special
Julian Fellowes, PBS' Downton Abbey

Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music of Comedy Series
Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart