V & FlashForward | Televisions Greatest Disappointments of 2009

Back in the premiere season of 2009, a wide range of new shows premiered with some promise, but there were a select few that thought destined for TV greatness and there was some massive hype. In the end, 2009 ended up being one of the more disappointing seasons for network television. Even with all the hype and potential to be the next TV juggernauts, they turned out to be spectacular failures and didn’t even come close to ratings gold. Some are now gone and the rest teeter on oblivion. However, the biggest names were V and FlashForward. So here is a look back at those shows, why the hype, and why they disappointed.

FlashForward

The single most anticipated television series of the year was placed at number one in everyone’s best new show of the year list. There was not one person online or anywhere that did not think Flashforward was the new Lost. It received huge press and even had references to Lost in its premiere. Too bad it was cancelled after one season because it turned out to be less than interesting.

Why The Hype: a fantastic premise that intrigued everyone.
The premise that the world would blackout for a minute (137 seconds to be exact) and catch a glimpse of their future, gave the potential for a great series and a great mystery to draw viewers in.

Why it disappointed: slow moving, inability to capitalise on the premise, and the inability to stop saying “flashforward”.

The downfall of Flash forward is actually very simple, although it could be said that its hiatus contributed to its struggle. Apparently the problem with a “flashforward” is people just want to talk about it, which is a problem when each episode is spent talking about it instead of taking action and the word is consequently said every second.

V

V was plugged as the new big sci-fi series to take over geekdom with a wealth of episodes filled with sci-fi discussion material. For some reason though, it had a 12 episode season that seemed to have no story progression at all. Although it has survived (by winning a star trek-like battle to the death with FlashForward), it has not produced the success or quality it promised and still teeters on cancelation.

Why The Hype: reptilian aliens wearing human skin who want to take your planet and eat you (awesome!), a terrorist group fighting them, and those trailers looked damn good.

V seemed like the perfect idea now that BSG was over. It used the same idea of revamping an old sci-fi series for the better. The pre-premiere trailers were the best of the season and promised a large scale, special effect driven, expensive series. The pilot itself was very promising and even snagged very high ratings. What it promised to the viewer was good Samaritans turned terrorists fighting alien infiltrators, and they can distinguished man from lizard by cutting down to the skull bone behind the ear. The main draw though was the money backing to bring up the production value to be at least on par with BSG, and which that shot of V leader Anna’s image towering over a city seemed to suggest.

Why it disappointed: story issues, premature hiatus, money issues, poor use of characters, cheap graphics, general lack of suspense.

V had plot issues from the beginning and took a six week hiatus 4 episodes in to fix them unsuccessfully, a decision that cost them viewers. What it did deliver was a story that seemed badly conceived, with characters that seemed useless to the story and a season that was promised to involve a group of people fighting aliens which became about (and let me try to articulate this) keeping the aliens from knowing they want to fight them... at some point. Nailed it! Although it’s not mentioned very often, there was an issue with the alien sets being replaced by green screen effects, which looked kind of terrible. V was supposed to be the next generation, the expensive generation, the enhanced graphics generation, but in some ways it was actually less impressive than the original. Maybe they thought it was a good idea to make the interior of the V ship look bigger using CGI, but it probably would benefited the show to just build a set that looked real and didn’t remind the viewer it was fake.

Haven Pilot Review

The SyFy channel’s new series Haven opens on a bad note. The pilot episode showed an old formula being used badly: normal criminal investigators turned paranormal investigators (The X-Files, Warehouse 13) in a strange town (Eureka, Twin Peaks). This has been used mostly by the syfy channel for quite some time and it doesn’t make sense why they would want another show like this when they have so many already, which are better. It’s time to move on, SYFY channel. Stop working the X-Files angle; it’s over used. The plot in Haven and everything else is, for lack of a better word, cheap. The town of Haven is filled with those with powers who cause trouble. A Plot like this is not sustainable in a series. The lead characters are trying to unravel the mystery of the town of Haven to reveal their own histories and one’s an orphan with ties to the town, while the paranormal phenomena are always caused by people with supernatural abilities. Since these investigations comprise most of the show, there is little room for variety and more room for predictability because it’s a small town and the issue will always be resolved by either killing or calming the person with powers. There is little value in a show that has the same outcome every episode. Resolving the emotional issues of a person with superpowers gets old fast.

As for the characters, FBI agent Audrey Parker is one of the better aspects of the show, while her partner is dull and poorly acted. His character seems almost like a gimmick, a cop who feels no pain, literally. If they had made his “superpower” unmentioned, they could have played with it a bit more and revealed it progressively rather than make him Mr. Gets-Shot-A-Lot. Between the two there’s very little chemistry, which makes the long process of watching them interact for of the episode agenizing. In the end, Haven is one of the worst of its type, and the comparisons between itself and the shows it attempts to copy will always leave it lacking.

Futurama | S06E05 "The Duh-Vinci Code"… What Crap!

Bad News Everyone!

The fifth episode of the recently resurrected cartoon series has marked a low point in the shows return. The episode was, to put it bluntly, not funny. It revolved around a search of Rome Italy for clues to Da Vinci’s last great creation. The Professor called Fry stupid a number of times within the first few minutes of the episode and for good, Fry’s idiocy reached a new height while sinking the show to a new low. The Episode begins with a parody of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire and Fry was the contestant. Now it has been established within the series that Fry is a special kind of guy, he is not clever nor is he in any way articulate but even he would know the answer to the first multiple choice question: “What tool is used to hammer a nail?” And the same bad joke kept coming back throughout the episode about this nail on nail action, it was dull and unamusing. Just like the rest of the episode. As essentially a spoof of The Da Vinci Code which was published in 2003 and made into a movie three years later, the idea seemed somewhat dated and out of place, something the writers’ kind of thought would be a good thing to have an episode about back in 2006. Well, it didn’t work out. Aside from a few flashy digital animations in The Duh-Vinci-Code, with Da Vinci’s greatest inventions being put through an oversized Mouse Trap like device. Other than that, it was the worst episode the show has had since its triumphant return to the silver screen. I’m betting the next installment of the show will win me back. Here’s to hoping. 

Shows To Watch Over The Summer Break (Part II)

OK it’s summer and it is hot. What you should be doing is getting out there and enjoying the weather, doing those things that you have been putting off because it has just been too cold outside… or not. If you are an “or not” person, there are options to all of those summer reruns and loads of reality shows being crammed down your throat.

 Such as:

   

The Inbetweeners (Series 1-2)

As a show set about a group of teen boys trying to survive their high school years you may find yourself immediately uninterested, but The Inbetweeners is a classic story with a nice British twist. You know how all American shows about teens are bullshit, and are obviously written by 50 year olds who don’t want parents yelling at them over the shows content? The Inbetweeners, though over the top, depicts teeniness as it really can be. What do these boys want? Beer, Sex and good times, unlike American shows their attempts to get these things are done in a manner that is incredibly funny and true to life (and vulgar). There is definitely no pandering to the more reserved members of the TV watching community, who believe children will act out anything they see on TV.  A great half hour show loaded with original funny material.

The League (Season 1)

Comedies are great for summer viewing especially when they are based around an obscure and nerdy pastime. The League follows a group of friends and their annual quest of creating a NFL fantasy football league. The premise of this show doesn’t sound very funny but the league and the men (and secretly some of their wives) who constitute it make it funny. None of the actors are exactly well known but that is all part of the charm to this basically unknown show.

Justified (Season 1)

Justified is one of those great FX shows that combines a simple premise with great actors and a solid story arch. The show focuses on the life of a US Marshal who has to return to his home town after leaving many years earlier deep in the heart of Kentucky. Sounds hallmark right? Elements within this show really make it interesting such as the use of Jim Beam bourbon.  It can be anything from a solution to a hostage situation to a coffee sweetener… who knew. The playful manner of addressing aspects of the show would make casual onlookers scoff, like the cowboy hat that the main character proudly sports for most of the season. The writers of the show make no bones about pointing that fact out and using it as point of contention, admiration and a few cheap laughs thrown in for good measure. Justified was one of the new best shows to come out this year and if you missed it when it first aired you should check it out during the summer.    

The Wire (Season 1-3)

Everyone references this show for a reason, as a cop drama that traces the steps of both the lives of drug dealers and the police who try and catch them. But unlike most similar shows this one follows the strategies and inner working of both organizations’ to an unprecedented level.  Bottom line is that The Wire took what you thought could be accomplished with a conventional television show and turned that on its head. Not to be accused of praising The Wire too much, that is to say, you have to understand that after the third season the show The Wire was only a shadow of its former self. That being said, seasons 1 – 3 are some of the most intricate and rewarding seasons of television ever made. The creators of this show do not pander to the audience as though those watching are incapable o following a complex multifaceted story.  A great show you have to pay attention to in order to keep the story straight.  

Futurama (Vol.1)

As one of the best adult cartoons ever made Futurama is great for the Saturday morning cereal munching sci-fi geek in all of us. Season 1 of the series is by far the most creative and contains many great episodes. But you could also continue with Futurama in its 6^th season on the Cartoon Network which is airing over the summer months. And despite what the naysayers have been saying, season six is shaping up to be one of the series best. Fry, Leela, The Professor, Amy, Bender, Zapp all of the characters are in top form, (“You forgot to mention ZOIDBERG!” [weeping]).   

Party Down (Season 1-2)

After being canceled only recently Party Down can be grouped together with some of those other great comedies that were prematurely ended such as Arrested Development and Futurama. The show is about a catering service crew who work in Hollywood, most of the people who work for the service are failed or aspiring actors. The interactions of the servicers and the party attends were hilarious. There is also a subtle romance between two characters and in Season 1 the word Supercrackers gets thrown around a lot to great affect. The seasons are very short but that makes them all the better, the best episode from season 1 has to be Celebrate Ricky Sargulesh. Steven Weber of Wings fame, guest stars in this episode as a psychopathic with trust issues concerning his girlfriend and strange eye wound. The Second Season’s best episode was Steve Guttenberg's Birthday, where the cast ends up parting with the Goot on his birthday and acting out a science fiction screenplay written by one of the service team. It was funny and this episode served as a reminder that Steve Guttenberg (Cocoon, Three Men and a Baby) is still alive. 

What do you think of this list? 

Futurama is Back! A Sneak Peak At Season 6

"Good News, Everyone!”

The long canceled cartoon has been resurrected on the Comedy Network. After a number of straight to DVD movies the show has returned to the silver screen for its sixth season and it is still funny. The season is set to kick of June 24th with two back-to-back episodes called Rebirth and the other In-a-Gadda-Da-Leela. After seeing a sneak preview of both episodes today I can say with confidence that both episodes are hilarious.

“Kiss My Shiny Medal Ass!”

Rebirth restarts the series as the entire cast of the show, lest the professor, have lost all but their heads and are reborn via one of the professor’s masterful science experiments. Each member of the crew (or what is left of them) is dumped into a vat of stem cells and then squeezed out of a sphincter looking outlet on the side of the vat. When Leela fails to wake up from her rebirth and will not respond to the very scientific poking stick of the professor, Fry is sent into a serious state and can only be consoled by a Robo-Leela. After that, the craziness ensues Futurama style. Highlights from this episode are: the rebirth sphincter, the professor’s explanation of where he got the stem cells for the rebirth vat, when the professor slaps Amy on the ass after she says she is “baby smooth” and of course the Cyclo-pod the endangered monster that only eats Cyclopes’.

“Captin Zapp Brannigan…need I say more”

In-a-Gadda-Da-Leela is a Zapp Brannigan heavy episode. It begins with a black and white dream sequence in which Zapp is saving the day and at the end a Leela-like woman falls into his arms. The entire episode revolves around a similar storyline from Star Trek: The Motion Picture, in which a probe returns to earth named V-GINY (HaHa!) and the only way it can be stopped is if Leela and Zapp take a stealth ship within the probe in order to destroy it! The episode is peppered with dream sequences from the mind of Zapp Brannigan, as well as an interesting/hilarious turn behind the purpose of the Death Star like probe is revealed. Highlights from this episode were, Zapp’s instance on Leela sitting on his lap during their mission into the Death Star; Zapp’s diabolical attempt to sleep with Leela and Amy suggesting an orgy after everyone learns the world is going to end. That was priceless.

“I need ass to mouth resuscitation”

The style and humor of these episodes are classic Futurama and if these episodes are any indication of things to come, the rest of the season will be well worth the wait.

Best American TV Miniseries of the Past 10 Years

Miniseries are often overlooked by most on account of their propensity for being a waste of time. They are often cheaply made and lack any of the storytelling quality that feature films possess. Over the past few decades that stigma has gradually lifted. Television networks such as HBO and SyFy (once Sci-Fi) have made making miniseries into a science; the best of which can be boiled down to four, two from HBO and two from Sci-Fi.

Frank Herbert’s Dune (Sci-Fi Channel – 2000)
“The Spice Must Flow!”
A true science fiction story if there ever was one, Dune follows the life of a Paul Atreides or Muad'Dib the heir to the House of Atreides. He has been trained in the Bene Gesserit way which among other things makes him a formidable fighter. As the heir to the House of Atreides he will be responsible for taking over one of his family’s greatest assets, and one of the most valuable things in Herbert’s fictional universe, the production of Spice. Spice is only found on the planet of Arrakis or Dune and allows for the faster than light spaceships to be piloted. Without the flow of Spice commerce between planets would be impossible. Spice and the conflicts that arise because of it are an allegory for the relationship most countries on Earth have with oil and oil rich countries. The parallels are never far from ones mind while watching Dune. The miniseries is of very high production value the fight scenes are quite impressive. The complex mythos drawn out throughout the miniseries is very rich and immersive. As one of the flagship miniseries to be aired on the Sci-Fi Channel, Frank Herbert’s Dune was quite the achievement and stands up to the test of time.



Band of Brothers (HBO – 2001)
Arguably one of the finest exampled of World War II Storytelling, Band of Brothers follows Easy Company of the 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment as they make their way through boot camp and then onto their service in the European theater of WWII. Easy Company’s movement throughout Europe is historically accurate and incredible entertaining to watch. The characters that make up the tapestry of the miniseries well acted and are given a certain level of gravity due to them being based on actual soldiers who serviced in the war. In fact, the beginning of each part of the miniseries has a brief interview from a surviving member of Easy Company. The production value of Band of Brothers is through the roof, the sets are fantastic and the acting is superb. By the end of watching the show you are left with a definite impression and a renewed appreciation for those who served in World War II.



Generation Kill (HBO – 2008)
For those who have seen other HBO miniseries on war, namely Band of Brothers, you go into watching Generation Kill with high expectations. Unlike Band of Brothers, Generation Kill follows modern soldiers during the 2003 invasion of Iraq by the U.S. Armed Forces. However, like Band of Brothers, Generation Kill follows U.S. Marines of the 1st Recon Battalion on their mission during the first four weeks of action in Iraq. It is very focused on this group of men during the initial push into Iraq. The Marines are accompanied by a Rolling Stone writer who is trying to capture the historical event for his magazine. This leads to many interesting expositive conversations between the writer, who is very much an outsider, and the battle hardened Marines. In the miniseries, 1st Recon is the tip of the spear for the American invasion forces on the ground and because of that they are first to experience the pangs of war and the thrill of battle. What makes this seven part miniseries truly interesting has to be the characters. Generation Kill is much like an extended road trip movie and road trip movies are only as interesting as the passengers in the car. Disagree? Think about it, you have characters rolling around in an uncomfortable vehicle looking for a good time in a big city they have never been to before. It’s just that the vehicle they are driving is a lightly armored Humvee with a gun turret mounted on top and instead of meeting new people along the way you… kill them. Though there are some spectacular portions of action and the location where the show was shot, (in parts of Africa in order to simulate the terrain of and structural architecture of Iraq) it’s the characters and the dialogue that goes on which brings this show to life.



Battlestar Galactica (Sci-Fi – 2003)
A remake of a terrible 70’s science fiction show Battlestar Galactica has changed the game for all future science fiction shows. Set in a futuristic universe where the enemy of the human race are self-aware robots called Cylons. Battlestar Galactica known lovingly by fans as simply BSG began as a three hour long miniseries. It explains how the Cylons returned to their place of origin in order to destroy their makers. The miniseries essentially begins with the annihilation of all twelve human colonies, leaving all but a few survivors. The remaining survivors led by a dying President and a would-be-should-be-retired Battlestar Captain acting as the only line of defense from the incessant attacks of the Cylon fleet. As a show the quality of the acting and stories which made up this instant classic is unmatched in the realm of science fiction. The visual effects in this series are movie quality but they just act as a backdrop for the drama of the show. The miniseries acts as a very firm basis for the ensuing TV which went on for a number of great seasons… and some really dull episodes.

Three British Shows That Should Never Be Remade In The U.S.A.

We all know who Ricky Gervais is right? He is the mastermind behind The Office and has his fingers in all of the subsequent regional spinoffs. His show is an example of taking a British show idea and successfully translating it into a foreign country. But this is a very rare phenomenon. What happens to most Brit shows that become Americanized? Well, they suck. There are many reasons for why the sucking factor for the British to American shows is so high, but here are the main reasons. One, the actors: not to be mean but when you think of British TV you generally don’t think of really good looking actors, you instead think of really talented actors. British shows tend to be more character driven so they need a talented cast to pull in views. That means the actors must be funny, clever and relatable. This is where the difference can be seen in the Americanized versions of British shows, they always get better looking actors who can’t act very well. Two, the language: what makes British shows endearing to non Brits are all of the colloquialisms that go unused here across the pond. Certain jokes, explanations and just general word play can’t be Americanized it just don’t work. Three, the season length of a season/series: British shows only go on for about 13 episodes a season or less, which means the creative story telling must be very focused otherwise the season will be a very short disaster. American shows can run a whapping 24 episodes within a single season, leading to filler episodes and episodes of low quality. And you can really tell which episodes were thought up by the American team while watching through a season of an Americanized British show. What often happens is that the content and story of one British episode will be stretched out over two or three American episodes, this leads to some very weak episodes that lack any real draw.

Here are some U.K. shows that should not be Americanized. Although, I know that two of them are definitely being redone in America. Even so, these shows will not be successful and here’s why:

Peep Show: This show is great but if Americanized it will go from being a zany comedy about two amoral men who are completely codependent into Accidentally On Purpose.

Being Human: What could be hotter right now than a show about Vampires, Werewolves and Ghosts who all live under the same roof? This show is very well done in the U.K. but if remade over here I guarantee it will turn into a Three’s Company mixed with Moonlight.

The Inbetweeners: A show about a group of teen boys trying to survive high school. A classic story, but here is the twist. You know how all American shows about teens are bullshit and are obviously written by 50 year olds who don’t want parents yelling at them over their shows content. The Inbetweeners, though over the top ,depicts teeniness as it really can be. What do these boys want? Beer, Sex and good times, unlike American shows their attempts to get these things are done in a manner that is incredibly funny and true to life (and vulgar). There is definitely no pandering to the more reserved members of the TV watching community, who believe children will act out anything they see on TV. To remake this series without the cursing and British verbal crudity would rob it of its very soul.

What do you think?