NEW T.V. SEASON REVUE(ED)
(Brought to you by the magic that is Tivo)
 The Colbert Report (Comedy Central, Mo - Th, 11:30pm-Midnight). Love the Daily Show. Loved Colbert on said show. Not so loving The Colbert Report. I know it's new and trying to feel its way out but right now, its "way" feels clunky and awkward. The reason why Jon Stewart works is because he plays the straight man to all the comedians around him (btw, Rob Cordury as the new "This Week In God" host = genius). Colbert is a comedian parodying a straight man but with no foil to contrast with. It's just not working right now. Here's hoping he finds better footing.Alternate Opinion: After the first show, the EW Popwatch said the show was, "pretty dead-on funny." |
 Everybody Hates Chris (UPN, Th 8-9pm). Best new show of the season. Not just one of the smartest Black sitcoms in recent memory, just one of the smartest sitcoms, period. Great characters, good writing, and good god: engages race in a frank (though irreverent) fashion, more so than any other show on network TV I can think of (The Wire not included). Alternate Opinion: The Parents Television Council lists the show as "one of the ten best...for family viewing on prime time television." (Worst show? The War At Home. Poor Michael Rappaport. Dude just can't catch a break). |
 Prison Break (Fox, Mo 9-10pm). Entertaining enough but even though it's barely half a dozen shows in, it's starting to wear a bit thin on me. They better break out soon. And I could care less about the investigation being led by the attorney/ex-lover. They needed better casting there.Alternate Opinion: The Blogcritics.com's Sterish says, "This is a good way to start off the fall season." |
 How I Met Your Mother (CBS, Mo 8:30-9pm). I like the premise of the show: 25 years in the future, man tells his kids about how he met their mother back in 2005. And on that premise alone...I've been watching but really? The casting and writing are both very uneven and they seriously need to kill the laugh track. I'm very surprised by all the positive reviews this has been getting...there are things I like: Neil Patrick Harris killing "Doogie" off forever, the return of Allyson Hannigan (post-Buffy), even though her role is pretty dull, the lead character (played by Josh Radnor) is easy to like, but this just doesn't gel right.Alternate Opinion: The TV Squad says, after the pilot, "I think this is going to speak volums to the generation it's supposed to." (Somehow, I don't think this is my generation they're referring to). |
 My Name Is Earl (NBC, Tu 9-9:30pm). Like Everybody Hates Chris except remove all the Black people and replace them with white trash. Good writing, Jason Lee is solid...but I just have no interest in trailer park sitcoms. Nothing personal.Alternate Opinion: Newsday's Review Crew gave it one A, two Cs, and a D. "Each week, Earl corrects one thing he has done wrong in the past. Perhaps NBC can take its cue from that premise and cancel this show." |
 Supernatural (WB, Tu 9-10pm). This had gotten some positive pre-season chatter so I checked out the first three episodes. Imagine X-Files without the engrossing sexual tension and far more tepid writing.Alternate Opinion: One Couch Critic says, "the show really does keep us going each week, and I can't wait to see what happens next." |
In Short:
- Invasion (ABC, We 10-11pm). Another Lost wanna-be but with a plot that manages to move even slower.
- The Apprentice: Martha Stewart (NBC, We 8-9pm). It's nice that Martha writes each fire-ee a personalized letter but this show just lacks bite. If Martha doesn't rediscover her inner b****, the ratings on this are just going to slide even more.
- Three Wishes (NBC, Fr 9-10pm). My sister-in-law is one of the co-hosts (hint: I'm not talking about Amy Grant) so I have a conflict-in-interest in saying anything about this positive or negative. It's definitely aimed at the red states/Walmart country though, for better or for worse.
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