Scrubs to Return for Eighth Season?

When NBC announced it's line up for next season Scrubs fans were left empty handed. Not only was the long running "smack me on the ass and call me Sally because this shit is whack" show being cancelled but due to the writers strike six of the planned episodes that were to tie up the series and end it properly were cancelled.

Fortunately the long rumoured move from NBC to ABC looks like it will actually take place. E! Onlineclaims that 16 more episodes will air. Apparently the budget has been trimmed but Zach Braff is on board.

Don't know about you but I'm stoked. You can read the full report from E! here.

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Never Say Die - Friday Night Lights Returning for 3rd Season

The unthinkable has happened. A network TV show that is declining in ratings has been renewed with a landmark deal.

Defying the odds once again Friday Night Lights has been renewed for a third season. The show was renewed for a 2nd season last year, in spite of low ratings, due to critical acclaim and a loyal fanbase. This year the ratings have not improved and it seemed like it would be curtains for the struggling show.

However, NBC and DirecTV have come to a rather unusual deal. 13 more episodes of the show will be filmed with NBC and DirecTV splitting the production costs. The episodes will then premier on the satellite service, DirecTV in October, before being aired on broadcast network NBC early next year.

NBC entertainment chief Ben Silverman said that the deal would allow NBC to make a profit off the show without extending its audience. DirecTV's maximum audience of 16.1 million people is not expected to negatively effect the shows viewership on NBC and in addition the additional marketing from DirecTV is expected to expand the shows audience.

Of course this news is bigger than the show itself. With the writers strike and general Broadcast TV ratings dips negatively effecting the networks advertising revenues, there is a need to find ways to cut costs. Until this the most common way has been cancelling scripted shows in favour of more reality TV.

This deal could represent a change in the way business is done among the networks. Resulting in quality shows with loyal fanbases being kept in production without major budget cuts. It also means that broadcast will not necessarily be the first stop for all it's primetime shows anymore (which already happened with Dexter).

If only this could have happened for Arrested Development.

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The Writers Strike is Over

The writers strike is officially over and tomorrow writers will return to work and begin scripting new shows etc. Read the official announcement on Deadline Hollywood.

In a related story NBC and The Hollywood Foreign Press are apparently planning to sue the WGA because of the cancellation of the Globes. What a bunch of whiners.

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Dexter to be Castrated then Shown on CBS

Studio Briefing reports that due to the writers strike various Showtime shows will be edited down from their adult cable format to be played on sibling broadcast network CBS. CBS chief Les Moonves said, "Dexter is probably the first one to go on -- with some edits. ... It fits with our crime shows."

That means no semi-nudity and overly grotesque gore scenes for the general American public. This is a creative solution (which NBC announced first) from the content starved networks, since most people do not see these shows on cable.

It will be interesting to see how this amazing show fares on broadcast. How will it's rating stack up against the other CBS hits (which are crap). Hopefully not so well that they decide to keep it in its castrated form exclusively on broadcast TV.

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The Bachelor: Forrest Gimp

According to Chris Harrison (host of The Bachelor) the bachelor's decision not to pick a mate is what everyone is talking about in North America (I personally haven't heard anyone talking about it).

I did, however, happen to land on the season finale while channel surfing and notice that this years bachelor is a bigger gimp than usual. He talks like Forrest Gump (as does Bush). I am starting to think that the films success played apart in George W's election. I guess that's how they roll in the states.

What's more shocking than the season finale is that this sexist piece of crap is still on TV. A bunch of women fighting over one man really does nothing to further the feminist movement. You can even hear the sexist undertones in the way that show creator Mike Fleiss talks about the finale here.

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Review: Private Practice

For those of you who can't get enough of Grey's Anatomy here's the spin off...

The Plot: After discovering that she is infertile; being rejected by men left right and center; and failing to get promoted (tough year), Addison Montgomery (Kate Walsh) leaves Seattle Grace, in this Grey’s Anatomy spin off, for sunny California. She begins working at a private practice, which is filled with TV regulars such as Taye Diggs (Day Break, Kevin Hill, Ally McBeal), Tim Daly(Wings), Amy Brenneman (Judging Amy) and Paul Adelstein (Prison Break).

The Good: Generally an enjoyable show and will definitely please a large portion of Grey’s fans. It’s also good to see Daily and Diggs on shows that will actually stick around. Plus Adelstein just continues to impress me (did any one catch him on Scrubs – hilarious).

The Bad: One of the things that makes Grey’s work so well is that it is in Seattle and filmed with a greyish or dull tint, which is contrasted by cheesy character moments. The cheesy moment seem less cheesy in the bleak setting of the show. Practice on the other hand plays it’s equally cheesy (or possibly more so) elements against a very bright and cheerful atmosphere, making it kind of vomit inducing at times.

The Ugly: I’ve seen two episodes so far and none of the medical cases have been particularly interesting. Which is strange because the Grey’s formula is: Find an unusual medical case - Apply it to the character on an emotional level - then further allow it to be a point of reflection for one of the main characters. Also there's an unattractive receptionist/surfer with no acting ability and flabby man boobs who continues to walk around shirtless. Disturbing.  

The Verdict: This show was the top debut of the season for awhile until fellow ABC freshman show, Samantha Who?, knocked it off that pedestal. Plus the ratings have been continuously high and it has already been picked up for a full season. This one is bound to be a success and with time the writers and actors will be able to better define the characters and their situations.

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Review: The Bionic Woman

Our TV reviews have taken a bit of a dive recently but now they are back in full swing with NBC's The Bionic Woman.

The Plot: A woman is almost killed in a car crash, losing several of her limbs. However, her scientist boyfriend reconstructs her with bionic body parts making her into a cyborg super woman.

The Good: The fight between the Bionic Woman and, wait for it… The other Bionic Woman is well choreographed. Plus there are some decent effects.

The Bad: The story is relatively slow and doesn’t really leave one wanting more. Lead Michael Ryan does the whole chameleon thing drifting from tasty to nasty. Critics also find her performance too deadpan but I think it works in the role.

The Ugly: The show has already changed producers a number of time it its short existence, which means that the shows direction is in trouble. There is nothing worse than watching a show that doesn’t seem to know where it is going. The lead character just seems rather ungrateful. She’s angry with her boyfriend for saving her life because of the changes he makes to her. On the other hand her BF tells her she is a cyborg in one of the worst possible manners. Subtlety is an art.

NOTE: A recent episode of Grey’s Anatomy takes the cake for the worst doctor – patient diagnosis report in the history of serious TV drama. It is revealed to said patient that there is cancer in her tongue and that it will be removed and replaced with tissue from her calves. The patient, who is a chatterbox, responds, “Will I still be able to talk?”

McSteamy replies, “Yes, you’ll still be able to talk…” [pause], “But no one will be able to understand you.” [Insert canned laughter]. That’s worse than the doctor from Family Guy.

The Verdict: It’s not looking good for this show, the ratings have been dropping after a promising debut (8.4/13; 6.8/11; 6.4/10; 5.5/9; 4.8/7) and the mainstream media are trashing the show. One of them referred to it as “The Moronic Woman”. Plus I’m fairly certain this is a high budget series so network expectations are higher then what it is generating. It’s lucky this year the writers strikes has given most new shows an extended life cycle. I don’t see this making it to a second season.

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Review: Reaper

Writing this review made me sleepy.

The Plot: Another show with a slacker but this time he doesn’t become a top secret government security concern (Chuck). Sam just turned 21 and what he doesn’t know is that before he was born his parents sold his soul to the devil. Satan himself has come to collect and now Sam must live out the rest of his life as the devil’s bounty hunter, capturing escaped souls from hell.

The Good: Kevin Smith (Clerks) directs this quirky pilot to perfection, delivering a sharp witty, quick paced 40-minutes that packs on the comedy. You have to love a show where the main character dropped out of college because it made him sleepy. Bret Harrison is perfect in the lead role and his own show has been a long time coming. Ray Wise makes a great devil and Tyler Labine as the weird sidekick friend is hilarious.

The Bad: No actual horror here and this is the kind of show that should have some kind of scare factor. Plus I saw the second episode and it was the same formula, which was a bit of a downer. The show needs to make the escaped souls concept better.

The Ugly: Once again a comparison of the first two episodes but the effects budget was obviously much higher in the first and the second really didn't feature much action.

The Verdict: The show scored a 2.1/3, which is good for the CW, plus it has had very small declines since the debut which means this should be around for the season.

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Review: Journeyman

Have you been leaping randomly through time only to return and be disappointed to discover that you missed the premiere of Journeyman. Well at least you can read this review.

The Plot: Much like the average university student, Dan Vassar blacks out and wakes up in strange places. However, Vassar isn't just waking up in strange places but different periods of time. Vassar struggles to understand what is happening to him as he unexpectedly journeys through time. 

The Good: For some reason I was not expecting much from this show but I was completely offside. Everything fits into place in a show that brings back good memories of that other TV time travel extravaganza Quantum Leap. The obvious differences being that Dan Vassar always remains Dan Vassar and that he gets to return to his regular life. There is no explanation as to why Vassar makes these leaps, which will provide a good reason for viewers to keep watching. Kevin McKidd has a charming bulldog like quality in the lead roll. Plus their is a juicy emotional story/love triangle set up that should be entertaining.

The Bad: Nothing overly hectic here but for some reason nobody seems to age in the 10 year intervals in the story. You would think a show that shows people at different stages would have invested in some 'age' makeup.

The Ugly: I can't think of anything, maybe I should mention the lack of ageing thing again.

The Verdict: From what I've seen I want this show to go on, however the similarly themed Day Break (which also had Moon Bloodgood) didn't last last season. Plus the show took a big knock in the ratings from it's second to third episode. I recommend watching this one while it's around.

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Review: The Big Bang Theory

Will this show make a ‘big bang’? Read the review and find out… God, I hate myself.

The Plot: Two nerds amble around in their socially challenged lives until a beautiful girl moves in next door and decides to befriend them.

The Good: The concept is not that bad and has the potential to produce some good comedy.

The Bad: It’s a traditional sitcom (which if you haven’t been paying attention – I hate). The execution is all-wrong and the show just feels clunky. I think there is a strong script here but the actors are not able to pull it off. The best way to look at it would be to compare it to the shows creators other gig – Two and a Half Men. The jokes are similar and at the same intensity but there’s no Charlie Sheen and Richard Cryer to deliver them.

The Ugly: I can’t stand Kayley Cuoco, as they say in France – “She’s lame.” Johnny Galecki doesn’t do nerd very well and instead goes for creepy. Jim Parsons is channeling David Hyde Pierce in all the wrong ways.

The Verdict: While I and about a million other people stopped watching it after the premier it’s doing pretty well for a sitcom currently (and it’s in a tough time slot). I don’t think this show has a particularly high budget, so if the viewer dropping stops it should make it through its first season. It might even hit its stride late in the season as many new sitcoms do and gain some viewers.

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Review: Chuck

It’s a strange name yet there’s a martial arts expert (Chuck Norris), a kick ass author (Chuck Palahniuk), two recent movies (I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, Good Luck Chuck) and now a TV show that all share it.

The Plot: Josh Schwartz (The OC) brings us the story of slacker inadvertently exposed to a subliminal message that encodes his brain with all the information from the recently destroyed US super computer. Now Chuck has all of the US governments secrets and classified information lying dormant in his head and is suddenly America’s no.1 security concern.

The Good: This is a fast paced quirky action comedy. The lead Zachary Levi is charismatic and likeable and he is surrounded from a great support cast. Plus Adam Baldwin is in the show (which would mean something to you if you’ve heard of Firefly or Serenity).

The Bad: None of the jokes are laugh out load funny. They are more of the – think quietly to yourself, “well that’s worth a chuckle but not out load” kind of variety.

The Ugly: Nothing, really this is one of the best new shows. Some may argue that the show is cheesy and far-fetched but that’s exactly what it’s meant to be.

The Verdict: It’s in a tough time slot having to deal with Dancing with the Stars, the How I Met Your Mother/The Big Bang Theory comedy block, and Prison Break. Plus it’s the lead in for Heroes, which has seen its ratings dropping rapidly. In TV world when a new show is the lead in for a hit and the hits ratings starts to drop the new show is often blamed. As much as I love this show the ratings have been steadily dropping from 6.0/9 to 5.1/8 to 4.5/7 after three episodes, if this continues the show is toast.

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Review: Back to You

Anybody want to read a review of Back to You? ...Anybody?

The Plot: A big time news anchor fucks up royally on air resulting in him returning to the small town news station where his career began.

The Good: The return of Kelsey Grammer (Frasier) and Patricia Heaton (Everybody Loves Raymond) to TV charms this small screen sitcom right up. Plus having Fred Willard (Anchorman) in the cast is a further bonus. As far as traditional sitcoms go this is a top-notch act. A high joke ratio with the punch lines being delivered by seasoned pros. Throw in some melodramatic soap opera type plot aspects and you have a formulae for a very entertaining show.

The Bad: It’s a traditional sitcom. Traditional sitcoms are over, maybe not in the ratings but they’ve served their purpose in culture and will soon disappear. It’s only a matter of time before we do away with the canned laughter for good. Allowing the audience the autonomy to decide what is actually funny and being able to squeeze more jokes into the 22-minute format.

The Ugly: Some fat guy who was more than unconvincing as the station manager. On a generally excellent cast he stands out like a sore thumb bringing the show down.

The Verdict: I’m predicting a moderate hit, but what the hell do I know?

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Review: Gossip Girl

After a long delay, due to technical difficulties, the new TV season reviews continue with Gossip Girl .

The Plot: Picture a snooty private high school in New York where the majority of the students get more pocket money than you make in a year. At this high school the queen bee of uber-chicks suddenly disappears without a trace. One year later she returns unexpectedly causing mass confusion among her spoilt pears. The whole event is documented by the schools anonymous gossip blogger – Gossip Girl.

The Good: Josh Swartz (The OC) is back delivering some more of those quick witty comments that made his first show a success.

The Bad: The cast members who get these lines might as well be reading passages from the dictionary. That’s right, there’s no Adam Brody here just some uncharismatic pretty boy who wouldn’t know sarcasm if it pissed in his Sprite Zero.

The Ugly: I read a review of this show that said if you turned off the sound you wouldn’t be able to distinguish it from The OC, which I found odd because visually the shows a hit. Great cinematography that captures autumn in New York, making this a somewhat different looking Teen show. However, it’s the same old same old in terms of story. Swartz has his beloved triangle theory in full force and the actors are all really just there for their aesthetics. Plus, the little girl from The Grinch is there wearing skimpy outfits, and at 14 that’s just creepy.

The Verdict: I’m tempted to rule this show off, but it might be a hit with the teens. With such a “young” cast there’s a chance they might hit their stride after a couple of episodes, plus the CW doesn’t exactly expect stellar ratings.

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Review: K-Ville

Review of the series premiere of K-Ville but maybe the title already gave that away.

The Plot: Set in New Orleans two years after Hurricane Katrina following two cops trying to help rebuild the city.

The Good: It looks good visually as the show is shot in a hardcore edgy style similar to The Shield. However, the highlight of the show is seeing Anthony Anderson in a dramatic role. Anderson is more known for his comedy but the man is one fantastic piece of actor. He’s one of those rare individuals that can express whatever he’s feeling through his eyes alone. Also there is an interesting twist at the end of the pilot and although it seems improbable it does add another dimension to the show.

The Bad: The action sequences are all over the place and for some reason whenever there is a shot of Anderson and Cole Hauser running with their guns out they are aimlessly firing off rounds. They look like a couple of kids with water pistols.

The Ugly: The plot surrounding the duo’s first case is ridiculous drifting further and further into B grade action towards the end. Maybe the producers consulted Steven Segal on how to pull off an ending. The main villain even has a fancy little speech when apprehended.

The Verdict: As bad as the ending of the episode was Hauser and Anderson have good chemistry together and the show is worth it just to watch Anderson actually act. It debuted after the season 3 premiere of Prison Break, which had a rating of 4.9/8 and actually built on this to pull off a 5.7/9 rating. This means the marketing guys did their job, if they can up their game for the next episodes and the drop off is not to bad this one may stick around.

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War, Family Guy and the Emmys

Stewie and Brian from Family Guy sing at the Emmys, Ryan Seacrest is a tool, and apparently it’s wrong to hate war.

So the Emmys on Sunday were the lowest rated ever. Is anybody surprised? Firstly, Ryan Seacrest was hosting not exactly a crowd puller, “Oh, look that guy with no personality is hosting the Emmys! I have to watch!”

Secondly, Fox had a five second delay to cut out swear words and unpatriotic speech, like “war is bad”. Did they have to cut out the whole of Sally Field’s comment? They don’t even cut out “God damn” from sitcoms anymore. Plus, hey why not use that 5 second delay to get the crowd shots right. Watch the Family Guy clip above. Could they have found less interested people to zoom in on in the crowd? Way to engage the audience at home. Well-done Fox.

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TV Season

The new TV season is here and we're reviewing it. Life is great.As some of you may know I am currently in Canada, which means I can view the new shows that are currently launching with the new fall season. Since all these shows will eventually trickle down to SA, I will be reviewing the first episode of most of them (I’ll only review a few reality shows). Here is the breakdown of what to expect. I have not done any research into this breakdown I am simply basing this on the marketing that has found me.

Nashville – Fri, Sep 14, 9pm – Fox
Will not be reviewed. A reality show from the same people who made Laguna Beach. Sounds like the same thing as Paradise City except it’s set in Nashville and it revolves around country musicians.

K-Ville – Mon, Sep 17, 9pm – Fox
A buddy cop drama set in New Orleans set two years after Hurricane Katrina. Starring Anthony Anderson (The Departed, Transformers) and Cole Hauser (Pitch Black). The promos make it look like a fast paced action show shot like The Shield. Since I’m an Anderson fan I’m rooting for this one. Read the review.

Kid Nation – Wed, 19 Sep, 8pm – CBS
Will not be reviewed. Reality show where a bunch of kids are placed in an adult free town and are in complete control of its running. The show has already generated a fair amount of controversy concerning child labour laws. Read the review.

Back to You – Wed, Sep 19, 8pm – Fox
Sitcom starring Kelsey Grammer (Frasier) and Patricia Heaton (Everybody Loves Raymond) as two TV news anchors. Due to the two leads this is obviously very high profile. The show uses a laugh track, which is an automatic negative, but this one will probably land an audience. Read the review.

Kitchen Nightmares – Wed, Sep 19, 9pm – Fox
Will not be reviewed. A reality cooking show with Gordon Ramsay.

Gossip Girl – Wed, 19 Sep, 9pm – CW
An adaptation of a successful teen novel (or something along those lines) from Josh Swartz the creator of The OC. The promos show a bunch of emotional peeps in their early twenties falling in love and yelling a lot. The camera work looks slick and this could definitely be the next big teen show. Read the review.

Chuck – Mon, Sep 24, 8pm – NBC
Another from Josh Swartz, this time with a grown up Seth Cohen type character becoming involved in the world of international espionage completely by accident. An action/comedy adventure that seems to have some zing. Read the review.

The Big Bang Theory – Mon, 24 Sep, 8:30pm – CBS
A sitcom about two highly intelligent nerds who can’t get a date. Then a beautiful woman moves in next door and befriends them. That’s pretty much all I’ve heard. Read the review.

Journeyman – Mon, Sep 24, 10pm – NBC
Confusing trailer about a man who jumps around through time. Don’t know how this will do since it looks pretty similar to Day Break which fell off the TV screen pretty quickly last season.
Read the review.

Reaper – Tue, 25 Sep, 9pm – CW
Kevin Smith directs the pilot with the funny neighbor from Grounded for Life in the lead. Centers around a guy who finds out his parents sold his soul to the devil and know he has to become the devils bounty hunter. The film takes an action/comedy position and could fill that hole left when every one of Joss Whedon’s shows were taken off the air. Read the review.

Cane – Tue, 25 Sep, 10pm – CBS
Jimmy Smits plays a wealthy heir to a rum empire. It looks like a Latino version of Dallas.

Bionic Woman – Wed, Sep 26, 8pm – NBC
A remake of the Bionic Woman series. A woman gets a large portion of her body replaced with bionic parts, which turn her into a super powered individual.

Private Practice – Wed, 26 Sep, 9pm – ABC
Medical drama/ Spin off series of Grey’s Anatomy that follows Kate Walsh’s character to California. This show basically had its debut during the last season of Grey’s Anatomy (al la Boston Legal in The Practice) so it will have less room for error than the other new shows.

Dirty Sexy Money – Wed, 26 Sep, 10pm – ABC
All I know is that Peter Krause (Six Feet Under) is in it, which is enough for be to be highly excited.

Life – Wed, Sep 26, 10pm – NBC
Damien Lewis (Band of Brothers) stars as a cop who is wrongfully imprisoned for life. After fifteen years in prison new forensic evidence clears him and he returns to the force a changed man with a surprisingly optimistic outlook on life.

Big Shots – Thu, 27 Sep, 10pm – ABC
I’ve so far heard nothing about this but the cast includes Dylan McDermott (The Practice), Michael Vartan (Alias) and Christopher Titus (Titus).

Moonlight – Fri, 28 Sep, 9pm – CBS
New vampire drama, which is probably not so great since it is scheduled on a Friday.

Aliens in America - Mon, 1 Oct, 8:30pm – CW
The promos don’t really explain much but have a bunch of quotation (hopefully not from CW executives) claiming this is the funniest show ever. Seems to be about high school nerds.

Cavemen – Tue, 2 Oct, 8pm – ABC
A sitcom based on a series of car ads. Looks lame.

Carpoolers – Tue, 2 Oct, 8:30pm – ABC
Saw the preview on ABC’s website of the pilot and the acting lacked the proper timing. However, many sitcoms start out this way and get better after 4 to 6 episodes. Centres around the adventures of four guys in the same carpool. Not quite sure how they’ll make a whole season out of this.

Pushing Daisies – Wed, 3 Oct, 8pm – ABC
Another show that hasn’t been advertised much here. The ads say it’s amazing but not much else.

Life is Wild – Sun, 7 Oct, 8pm – CW
Apparently set on a South African game reserve. Probably a lame family show.

Women’s Murder Club – Fri, 12 Oct, 9pm – ABC
A group of four women solve murders. Not much hope for this because as with Moonlight it is also on a low-rated Friday night.

Samantha Who? - Monday, 15 Oct, 9:30pm – ABC
Sitcom staring Christina Applegate about a woman who has amnesia and needs to rediscover who she is. A potentially funny premise plus Applegate can be hilarious (see Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy).

The Next Great American Band – Fri, Oct 19, 8pm – Fox
American Idol with bands.

Viva Laughlin – Sun, 21 Oct, 8pm – CBS
Who the hell knows?

Catch the reviews as the shows debut.

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Driver is Lara Croft

Who’s the new Tomb Raider? If the headline didn’t give it away you better read the rest.Minnie Driver will be the voice of Lara Croft in Tomb Raider ReVisoned a new animated series from GameTap. The series will be available free at GameTap from July 10. A new episode will be made available every week till August 23.

The first three-part instalment will be helmed by Peter Chung, the creator of Aeon Flux. With following instalments involving creative talents such as Peter Chung, Jim Lee, Warren Ellis, Cully Hamner, Gail Simone, David Alvarez, Michael Stackpole, Brian Pulido, and Christos Gage. I’m personally looking forward to the Jim Lee and Warren Ellis instalments.

"World-famous writers and artists are each doing their own version of Lara Croft, telling a different story the way they see the character," said Ricardo Sanchez, from GameTap. Find an interview with Sanchez about the project here.

Presumably, the announcement of Driver was delayed to generate additional hype before the launch on Tuesday, otherwise Driver will be very busy this weekend (chuckle…no one else? Ok.). Watch the trailer below.

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