In the US: Tuesdays, 9.30/8.30c, Fox In the UK: Not yet acquired
Three episodes in and I can confirm we at last have the first decent new comedy of the season: Fox’s The Mindy Project. As I mentioned in my review of the first episode, it’s a funny, anti-romcom romcom. Since then, it’s dialled down the romcom name-dropping, but stuck to its romcom guns, while simultaneously adding in a bit more workplace comedy. There’s even a new character, although he’s more amusing when he has less to do.
And really, all I can say is “Watch it”, because although it’s not as consistently paralysingly funny as Archer, say, it still has its moments (the end scene of episode two was deliciously dark and nasty) and it’s a really good half-hour sitcom that’s better than all the other new comedies by miles. Oh, and that it’s got a crappy new title sequence, but don’t let that put you off.
Over the years, US TV has had numerous famous science-fiction and fantasy ‘anthology’ series: The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, and The Night Gallery to name but a few. In the UK, we’ve been far less lucky. But we’ve had a few, the classiest and most sophisticated of which was Out of the Unknown, which I’ve already discussed a bit back in Weird Old Title Sequences (go and watch The Machine Stops – it’s great).
Initially, under the oversight of Irene Shubik, Out of the Unknown covered purely science-fiction concepts and adaptations. However, by the third and fourth series, a new production team was put in place, following Shubik’s departure from the programme. New producer Alan Bromly decided that in light of the Apollo missions, people weren’t impressed by space travel any more, so decided to go for more psychological horror stories instead – with mixed success.
Possibly the worst of his run was To Lay A Ghost. In this, Eric and Diana Carver move into a new home in the country, but a series of strange events soon cause Diana to suspect the house is haunted by the ghost of a man who seems to be interested in her particularly. She was sexually assaulted when she was a schoolgirl and ever since has had a complex about sex and intimacy. When they call in Dr Philmore, a paranormal expert, he suspects that Diana subconsciously wants to the dominated by this supernatural intruder.
To Lay A Ghost unfortunately still exists in the BBC archives – yes, from the same season, the BBC wiped Nigel Kneale’s one contribution to Out of the Unknown, Chopper, but decided to keep the “woman raped while a child can now only achieve sexual satisfaction by being raped” story. FFS. Watch it if you dare:
However, I wouldn’t leave you only with that ‘horror story’ to watch this week. Have more faith.
Instead, let me leave you with possibly the best remaining play of the fourth series (and possibly of all the fourth series), The Man In My Head, by John Wiles. Set in the near future, it features a group of soldiers who are carrying out a dangerous mission against a country they are not even sure they are at war with. Their briefing has been imprinted on their subconsciousnesses and can only be triggered by coded radio signals.
Acting automatically and without thinking, some of them begin to question the nature of their mission, especially after one of them accidentally triggers his own cover story, which was designed to fool interrogators if they were captured. But is their dissent all part of their programming as well?
The play features some dodgy CSO effects, but it’s well directed by Peter “I cancelled Doctor Who, I did” Cregeen who intriguingly makes use in the play of real news footage of the Vietnam war – something that got Doomwatch‘s Sex and Violence banned in 1972. Enjoy!
In the US: Tuesdays, 9/8c, The CW. Starts October 19 In the UK: Not yet acquired In Canada: Acquired by CTV2 for simulcast In Australia: Acquired by Network Ten
The medical procedural (MP) is something of a blank slate. Any network can stamp its DNA into the MP and make it its own. Fox can take the MP and add a little bit of crime drama to produce The Mob Doctor. NBC can take the MP and turn it into a low-quality bombastic explosion fest that runs out of budget by episode two (Trauma). ABC can make the MP a soap opera within three seconds (Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice).
So how about The CW, a network best characterised by Gossip Girl, America’s Next Top Model and Privileged? What would it do with an MP? Think about… What’s your answer?
If you guessed “young female doctor has to face up to mean, probably black girls, while finding career success and true love, probably with someone from Smallville in it”, you’d be right. Emily Owens MD is indeed a show about a young female doctor – Emily Owens (Marnie Gummer from The Good Wife) – who has just qualified from medical school and wants to become the best doctor ever. She moves to Denver to train with her heroine, Gina Bandari (Necar Zadegan from The Event), which is coincidentally where her best friend and secret crush Will Collins (Justin Hartley from, you guessed it, Smallville) is also going.
But whom should she discover has joined the hospital she’s going to be an intern at? Why the girl who used to bully her at high school, Cassandra Kopelson (Aja Naomi King), of course. And not only has she got to survive the girl who secretly messed up her cards just before the debate and knows her nickname is ‘pits’, she’s got to deal with all the other cliques in the hospital. Because it turns out a hospital is a lot like a high school.
Clearly someone had a good weekend. Thanks to Hebbie for this one – see you on Friday!
Sister Chastity, Hebbie: 15
Toby: 5
Sitting Board of Winners 2012 January
Hebbie, Sister Chastity
February
Sister Chastity
March
Sister Chastity
April
Sister Chastity, Shilohforever
May
Hebbie, Sister Chastity
June
Hebbie, Sister Chastity
July
Hebbie
August/September
Toby, Sister Chastity
Got a picture of David Tennant sitting, lying down or in some indeterminate state in between? Then leave a link to it below or email me and if it’s judged suitable and doesn’t obviously infringe copyright, it will appear in the “Sitting Tennant” gallery. Don’t forget to include your name in the filename so I don’t get mixed up about who sent it to me.
The best pic in the stash each week will appear on Tuesday and get ten points; the runners up will appear on Friday (one per person who sends one in) and get five points.
Each month, I’ll name the best picture provider and then at the end of the year, the overall champion will be announced for 2012!
