Year: 2006

In the US: Wednesdays, 9pm ET/PT, CBS

In the UK: Season one currently on Five. Will probably air on Living in 2007.

Characters re-cast: 0

Major characters gotten rid of: 0 (1 soon)

Major new characters: 0

Format change percentage: 0%

Cast members looking seriously older: 1

Criminal Minds was one of those shows I rejected as stupid over a year ago when I saw the screener. I’ve caught an episode here and there since, and while it’s not that bad, it combines massive over-seriousness with completely preposterous storylines.

The thing is, most serial killers, psychopaths and sociopaths are really dull. They’re not like the serial killers in books and movies. So when you make a TV series about them, you either have to come up with some completely unrealistic serial killers or produce a dull show.

So I tuned into the premiere episode of the second season, which picks up from last season’s finale, The Fisher King (Part One). My, they’ve gone for “interesting” killers in a big way, haven’t they?

Continue reading “Review: Criminal Minds 2.1”

In the US: Wednesdays, 10pm ET/PT, CBS

In the UK: The usual places



Characters re-cast: 0

Major characters gotten rid of: 0

Major new characters: 2

Format change percentage: 0%

New hair styles: 1

I’ve tried watching CSI: New York. I made it through the first season and a half. Then I just got so bored, I stopped. The few episodes I caught after that did nothing to make me think I’d made the wrong choice. Now it’s back for a third season. Have they done anything to change it to make we want to reconsider?

No.

There have been a few changes. Claire Forlani has joined the cast as Mac’s new girlfriend (Eww!) and there’s another police officer to help out while Flack is recovering. But it’s still a dull show, with no real personality of its own. The scripts are sub-CSI, the characters not as interesting. Don’t start watching it if you’re not already, that’s my advice.

In the US: Mondays, 10pm (ET/PT), CBS

In the UK: It’s everywhere. It’ll probably be beamed inside your eyelids by the end of next year.

Characters re-cast: 0

Major characters gotten rid of: 0

Major new characters: 0

Format change percentage: 10%

New hair styles: 0

They really pushed the boat out on this one. For a show that doesn’t even get as far as Miami for its regular filming, you have to at least admire their willingness to ship some of the cast and crew out to Rio de Janeiro for this opening episode.

But oh my, was it ever stupid, even by CSI: Miami standards.

Continue reading “Review: CSI: Miami 5.1”