TV reviews

A complete archive of The Medium is Not Enough’s reviews of TV programmes since 2005

US TV

Preview: Californication

27 July 2007 Rob Buckley 11 Comments

Californication

In the US: Mondays, 10.30pmET/PT, Showtime. Starts August 13th

In the UK: Five/Five US. No air date yet

You’ve got to hand it to David Duchovny. Let’s face it, he’s not as young as he was. He’s not exactly decrepit – far from it – and time has treated him very well. But it’s not the early 90s and those calls for him to star in things like The X-Files and, more relevantly, The Red Shoe Diaries aren’t coming in as often as they used to.

Faced with that problem, what does he do? He exec produces his own show, in which he stars as an irresistible 40-something who spends every waking moment sleeping with women less than half his age. And a few others as well.

Nice one, David.

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US TV

Review: Damages 1.1

27 July 2007 Rob Buckley 6 Comments

Damages

In the US: Tuesdays, 10pm, FX

In the UK: Not yet acquired

Do we really need another show about lawyers? Haven’t we had just about every insight possible now into law, the lawyers, victims, etc?

And indeed, it’s tempting, at first, to assume that Damages is a show about lawyers. With a name like Damages, you might think it’s about the corrosive effect the law, crime, etc have on those who have to deal with it. To a certain extent you’d be right.

But Damages is really just a psychological thriller that happens to have the law as a backdrop. Starring Glen Close, Rose Byrne, Ted Danson and Tate Donovan, it’s a show about lawyers, all right. Really nasty, ruthless, backstabbing lawyers.

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US TV

Preview: Bionic Woman

26 July 2007 Rob Buckley 10 Comments

Katee Sackoff in Bionic Woman

In the US: Wednesdays, 9pm/8c, NBC. Starts September 26th.
In the UK: Acquired by ITV2

Battlestar Galactica is everyone’s favourite current example of adult science-fiction. It has two exec producers: the highly visible, highly involved Ronald Moore; and the not very visible, not very involved David Eick. Many people have wondered exactly what parts David Eick is responsible for in producing this top show.

Judging by this pilot for NBC’s remake of The Bionic Woman, he’s responsible for all the crap bits.

Now, it’s worth remembering that the pilot is already being extensively retooled, with recasting, rewriting and more happening behind the scenes to bring the programme up to scratch. But it’s going to take a lot of work to remove the clunky dialogue, poor characterisation and tedious pseudo-feminist sub-text.

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Preview: Pushing Daisies

23 July 2007 Rob Buckley 8 Comments

Pushing Daisies

In the US: Wednesdays, 8/7c, ABC. Starts in the Fall

In the UK: ITV1/ITV2

The French have a lot to answer for. The Napoleonic Wars, Michelin, the croque-monsieur: all are listed in their various crimes against humanity. Also on the list is the concept of the auteur, first proposed in Cahiers du cinéma back in the 50s. In short, it’s the idea that a film should be a reflection of a director’s personal vision.

Zut alors! Between the DoP, editor, visual effects team, producer, actors, production staff and the assembled multitudes for any movie, how can the director be entirely responsible for its look and style?

Nevertheless, there are some auteurs out there: Michael Mann, Darren Aronofsky, et al – all give films a particular, recognisable style.

There are television auteurs, too. Bryan Fuller is one. Responsible (among others) for Dead Like Me, Heroes and Wonderfalls, he’s now come up with another modern fairytale called Pushing Daisies, in which a man is blessed/cursed with the power to bring people back from the dead.

Don’t believe me? Okay, how many heroes of modern TV shows can you name who are pie-makers? Hmm. Okay, you’ve got a point with Richard Griffiths in Pie in the Sky. And that can bring the dead back to life? Ha. Got you there.

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Preview: Chuck

23 July 2007 Rob Buckley 8 Comments

Chuck

In the US: Starts September 24th, NBC, 8pm
In the UK: Not yet acquired

There have been many iterations of the “nerd becomes spy” genre over the years: Jake 2.0, Joe 90, Condorman, Spies Like Us and many more. Joining this not-so-elite genre is Chuck, in which a tech support guy accidentally gets thrown into the deep end of international politics, thanks to an email from his former roommate.

Despite this somewhat derivative concept and despite coming from McG, “creative force” behind Charlie’s Angels, Fastlane, Supernatural and Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll, Chuck is actually a surprisingly good action-comedy show with some nicely fashioned characters and a good cast.

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