US TV

An archive of articles about US television programmes and production.

US TV

Review: Traffic Light 1×1

10 February 2011 Rob Buckley 10 Comments

Traffic Light

In the US: Tuesdays, 9.30c/8.30c, Fox

Poor Alex Breckenridge. She never has much luck with Israeli imported TV formats, does she? One of the best things about both Dirt and Life Unexpected, she was also the best thing about The Ex-List, one of the first TV show formats to be imported by the US from Israel (the other being In Treatment). The Ex-List lasted all of four episodes before getting canned, but alas, poor Alex, she was in the pilot for Fox’s new rom com, Traffic Light, back when it was called Mixed Signals, and then she got recast. Not even an episode this time.

Still, if it’s any consolation to her now she’s on True Blood, this one looks like it’s going to last about four episodes too, especially since it’s currently in the practically-dead Running Wilde‘s time slot.

Based on the popular Israeli sitcom, Ramzor (which is apparently very funny if you can speak Hebrew), Traffic Light – which had a better title back when it was Mixed Signals – feels like an odd mix of a lot of the other rom-com sitcoms out there right now, particularly Rules of Engagement, Perfect Couples and Better With You. It sees three guys, one heavily married, one considering moving in with his girlfriend and one perpetually single, trying to navigate their friendships and their relationships, all while slightly disapproving, slightly dull women look at them as they mess up and embarrass themselves.

You know who else doesn’t have much luck with TV series these days? Kris Marshall – yes, him off the BT ads and My Family. He’s in this, too.

Cue two almost identical trailers, one with Alex, one without, all with Kris. By the way, these contain all but three of the jokes in the first episode, so you can save some time by watching them.

Continue reading “Review: Traffic Light 1×1”

Old Gems: The Littlest Hobo, Lassie, Champion The Wonder Horse, Gentle Ben, Flipper, Skippy the Bush Kangaroo, Benji, Zax and the Alien Prince

10 February 2011 Rob Buckley 8 Comments

There is a long television tradition of hyper-intelligent dogs and animals being able to solve all manners of problems and crimes to the backdrop of a great theme tunes. It goes back to the 1950s and the days of black and white TV but although the animals and locations changed, they were pretty much all the same show at heart. So today we’re going to have a brief look at a few of these “saviour animals”, all of whom seem capable of understanding English and saving human beings.

So after the jump, in no order whatsoever, we have Champion the Wonder Horse, Gentle Ben, Flipper, Skippy the Bush Kangaroo, The Littlest Hobo, Lassie and Benji, Zax and the Alien Prince. There are more heroic animals out there, but that’s enough for one day, don’t you think?

Continue reading “Old Gems: The Littlest Hobo, Lassie, Champion The Wonder Horse, Gentle Ben, Flipper, Skippy the Bush Kangaroo, Benji, Zax and the Alien Prince”

Thursday’s “wot no Armitage?” news

10 February 2011 Rob Buckley Post a comment

Film

British TV

US TV

  • CBS picks up JJ Abrams’ Persons of Interest
  • Fox orders Weekends at Bellevue pilot
  • Trailer for A&E’s Breakout Kings
  • Henry Ian Cusick to star in Shonda Rhimes pilot
  • More pilot casting, including Nestor Carbonell in Ringer
  • NCIS’s Scottie Thompson joins Partners
  • NBC picks up pilots for Wonder Woman, Prime Suspect, Smash and Grimm
  • Tuesday ratings: No Ordinary Family still dropping off
US TV

Review: The Chicago Code 1×1

9 February 2011 Rob Buckley 6 Comments

The Chicago Code

In the US: Mondays, 9/8c, Fox
In the UK: Acquired by Sky 1/Sky 1 HD. Coming soon

‘Gritty’ seems to mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people. To many, it means ‘realistic’ – that it depicts the seamier, less pleasant parts of life. To others, it just means ‘looks a bit grimy’.

The Chicago Code – formerly called Ride Along – is gritty. A cop show set to a backdrop of corrupt Chicago city politics, it wants you to believe that it’s gritty in the sense of realistic. But to be honest, although it has Shawn Ryan (The Shield, The Unit) as show runner and principal writer, in a post-Wire, post-Southland world, it doesn’t really succeed – it just looks a bit grimy.

It’s not half-bad and it features the likes of Jessica Beals, Jason Clarke (Brotherhood) and Delroy Lindo, but it’s not as cutting edge as it likes to think it is. Here’s a trailer, followed by a featurette in which you get to hear Clarke’s normal Australian accent.

Continue reading “Review: The Chicago Code 1×1”

Wednesday’s R for Andromeda news

9 February 2011 Rob Buckley 1 Comment

Film

British TV

US TV