open your eyes

New shows on The Watch List

Reaper - [Comedy][Anticipation Level 6] Sam’s parents sold his soul to the Devil and now he must do the Devil’s work by capturing souls who have escaped from the underworld. Normally that description wouldn’t make me interested at all but this one has a few things going for it. Ray Wise looks like he’s got the Devil role down perfectly and from the trailers I can’t imagine someone else in this part - I guess Elizabeth Hurley was booked. Reaper is being described as part comedy, drama, horror, and action, making it somewhat unique on TV.

Bionic Woman - [Drama][Anticipation Level 9] Theres less cheese and more drama in this new version of Bionic Woman then in the old 70s version. Executive producer Glen Morgan describes it like this, “It’s a science-fiction story about someone who became half robot when they didn’t want to be.” I think I’ll go check all the boxes in my Watch List requirements section then sit back and enjoy. I hope this one’s good.

Spoiler warning - this preview gives away quite a few plot points in the pilot

Kid Nation - [reality][anticipation level 3] - Basically survivor in New Mexico with kids age 8-15. The first episode didn’t really grab me and I wasn’t too high on this to start with.

30 Rock - Not a new show but new to me since I never saw an episode last year. Lots of good press and tons of awards have raised my interest level from non-existant to lukewarm. I’ll watch the season 2 opener and decide after that.

The fall season’s rookie class seems weaker than the last few years with only a handful of new shows worth watching. Perhaps this is a good thing since there was too much to watch last year. Of course that was quickly remedied when 75% of the new shows were yanked off the air within 3 months of their pilot. Criteria to make it on The Watch List: 1. No half hour comedies. Those typically bore me to tears. Good for when you’re making dinner or something and dont want to be distracted by anything good. 2. No soaps. Unless its the one that the wife wanted to watch and now I watch it more than her. 3. Action is good. Weird is sort of good. SciFi is real good. Different is very good. 4. No cop/law shows, or CSI and its spinoffs. Unless its good, but thats rare.

The new shows on The Watch List:
Chuck - [Comedy/Action][Anticipation level 9] I’ve read “Alias meets 40 Year Old Virgin” in multiple places and it really does seem to fit. Chuck is a Geek Squad type employee who accidently gains access to all our government’s secrets and is paired with the tv-typical secret agent hottie who kicks all sorts of ass eight days a week. Plus its got Adam Baldwin who was great in Day Break.

Journeyman - [Drama][Anticipation level 4] This one could be really good or really bad but its going to take a few episodes to figure that out. Its got the nice post Heroes time slot so that should give it an audience and buy it some time to keep that audience. Journeyman is about a guy who seems to randomly travel through time to when a past girlfriend was alive and he intends to fix things this time. I have to admit the preview is a little confusing.

Before I get into my run down of what I’m watching this fall, here’s a list of what I was watching last fall. It looks like a lot but I didnt watch many of the new shows very long and thanks to having a DVR, each hour long episode is reduced to 42 minutes.

These was my list of new shows to definitely watch:
Heroes - The only new show that is back for a second season.

Vanished/Kidnapped - Had planned to watch one but not both. Vanished sucked, and both were cancelled quickly.

Smith - Awesome pilot, somewhat lackluster next 2-3 eps, then disappeared. Had high hopes for this one since it had Ray Liotta.

The Unit - Tried it, didnt like the family stuff but really liked the actual combat. Couldnt get into it due to the family stuff.

The Nine - Actually watched this one until it was yanked from the schedule. Had tons of hype but didn’t appear to have any desire to move the plot forward more than a couple steps per episode which made it hard to watch. Had the problem of characters knowing infinitely more than the viewers. Very Lost-ish in those aspects but a lot worse.

Jericho - Tried it, didnt like Little House on the Nuclear Wasteland type stories. Just awful so I gave up. Props to the fans for getting a partial second season after it was cancelled.

New shows that I was going to watch if I had time:
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip - Some impressive dialogue but overall boring. Actually surprised no one watched it, didnt expect cancellation.

Justice - This one was very good and I hate lawyer shows (but love a good Denny Crane scene). Unfortunately didnt make it past midseason aftering being yanked around on Fox’s schedule.

Survivor - Not a new show but I never watched much before. And I didn’t watch this one either.

Returning shows:
Desperate Housewives
Amazing Race
Prison Break
Lost
Nip/Tuck

1a. Mass Effect [Xbox 360] - I sort of feel like saying go play Knights of the Old Republic and Jade Empire and then you’ll know why this game is anticipated so greatly. Those two games are very high on my list of favorite games of all time and I expect Mass Effect to be every bit as good and deliver some extra wow due to being on the Xbox 360.

I’ll try to explain. KOTOR and JE are epic RPGs - well maybe JE isn’t quite long enough to be epic but it was perfect in my opinion. In traditional RPG fashion, you start off weak and confused about your past and future. Over the course of the game you become more powerful, learn more about your past, figure out where your future lies, and basically kick a whole lot of ass on your way to becoming the most kickass ass kicker around.

But Bioware also adds top notch storytelling, excellent graphics, good dialogue (maybe great for a game), and an overall fun experience. I feel what pushes KOTOR and JE, and hopefully Mass Effect, into the greatness category is the story. Simply put, those games could be tweaked into movies and I’d gladly pay to see them. Jade Empire’s music was stuck in my head for days after finishing it.

Mass Effect is a shooter/rpg hybrid and while I’m not crazy about that combo, Bioware’s track record of excellence has me trusting them completely. A must buy.

1b. The Orange Box [PC] - There can only be one except in the case of not being able to decide and therefore making two games #1. If you never played Half Life 2, go stand in line for this release now! The Orange Box includes Half Life 2, Episode One, Episode Two, Portal, and the most important part of the new stuff, Team Fortress 2. I believe Counter Strike Source is a free download for HL2 owners so toss that in the list also.

Team Fortress 2 has been in various stages of development since 1999. The one set for release next month is at least the third design as the other two were scrapped before release. I have to admit that I was super excited about the 1999 TF2 version but this one looks to be the true successor to Team Fortress Classic with its cartoon look and whimsical attitude. TF2 is all about class based warfare, sort of like rock, paper, scissors where each class has advantages and disadvantages thus forcing a team to be balanced.

If you play one online first person shooter this year, it needs to be Team Fortress 2.

And you get all that other stuff with it too.

Before the top two, here are the games that didnt quite make the cut.

Honorable Mention:

Guitar Hero 3/Rock Band - At $100 and $200 respectively, these games are just too pricey to earn top 10 status in my book. But they sure do look like fun don’t they?

Bioshock - Very good reviews so far but the demo didn’t blow me away.

Halo 3 - I gave into the pressure. Nothing about the Halo franchise excites me but there has to be something good for all those gamers to be this excited about. Right?

Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts
Enemy Territory: Quake Wars

Games bumped to next year that might have been top 10 material:

Grand Theft Auto 4 - Would have been #1. Just killed me when I found out about the delay.

Mercenaries 2
Splinter Cell Conviction

6. Super Mario Galaxy [Wii] - I dont know what to expect here. I do know that millions of gamers will love the new Mario game but I may have outgrown it. Unlike the next game on this list, Super Mario Galaxy is a true platformer with lots of the typical jumping and collecting of various stuff.

5. Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction [PS3] - I like my PC for first person shooters and strategy games but I like consoles for sports and cute, fun platformers. I’m not sure you can even call Ratchet a platformer anymore since its very action oriented but thats a good thing as Insomiac always puts the craziest weapons in this series. The trailer for Tools of Destruction just screams animated movie; maybe Sony Pictures should make it happen.

4. Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune [PS3] - This one’s got lush tropical environments, guns, hand to hand combat, exploration, story, touches of Indiana Jones, a dash of Tomb Raider. Whats not to like? And coming from Naughty Dog, one of Sony’s top developers, you know its at least going to be good. Hopefully it will be great.

3. Heavenly Sword [PS3] - This is the only game on this list that I’d be content to just watch someone play through the game because the story and presentation look so far above anything else out there right now. Our hero, Nariko, is part of a clan of warriors who guard the Heavenly Sword which gives its bearer superhuman power but also kills them. Of course the evil King Bohan wants the sword and kills or imprisons Nariko’s people and she must wield the sword to defeat evil and save the world. A lot of comparisons to God of War here and it would have challenged for the #1 spot if it werent so short (6-8 hours) and the top two weren’t so strong.

Here’s a quick attempt at listing my top 10 most anticipated games coming out from late August to Dec 31. Yeah I know I’m a little late and Fall doesnt start in late August.

10. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption [Wii] - The previous two were great (I’m told) on Nintendo’s previous console and I’m excited to try the Wii controls with a first person shooter.

9. Warhawk [Playstation 3] - Sony’s first attempt at a big online shooter is sort of a Battlefield clone but in third person and with more of an arcade feel. Flying warhawks looks like good fun and actually uses the Sixaxis motion controls well. $40 online or $60 in stores with a bluetooth headset so you’re getting a small discount for it being online only.

8. Brothers in Arms: Hell’s Highway [PC] - The first Brothers in Arms was maybe the best WWII shooter I’ve every played, and I’ve played a lot of them. It had graphics, story, presentation, and real squad command which I believe was a first in a WWII shooter. Supressing fire, flanking, and smart AI all add up to a great gaming experience. Here’s hoping the first true sequel is as good as the original.

7. Assassin’s Creed [PS3/Xbox360] - The Prince of Persia team is set to release their first next-gen game and its filled with a lot of the silky smooth arobatic maneuvers found in their previous games. This one is set in Jerusalem during the Crusades and is looking mighty fine.

If Day Break was the best single season series of 2006/07, The Black Donnellyswas the tv show I most wanted to continue the next season.  Day Break was more satisfying because we got a solid conclusion whereas TBD leaves us hanging with a cliffhanger which is typical of dramas these days. The guys that brought us Crash and Million Dollar Baby, Robert Moresco and Paul Haggis, are the creators of The Black Donnellys which focuses on four Irish-American in Hell’s Kitchen and their involvement in smalltime organized crime. Here’s a little preview:

So why was The Black Donnellys so good?

1. Different - Really only the Sopranos could be compared to it - nothing on network TV.

2. Emotions - When playing music over dramatic scenes with little dialogue, theres a fine line between a perfectly written scene and the scene that doesnt allow the viewer to connect with the characters because of said music and little dialogue. TBD sets up these scenes perfectly. We really feel what these characters are going through.

3. Graphic - One episode was pulled before it aired and the rest almost seemed out of place on network tv. I’m not one for senseless violence but here it pulls us into this world of organized crime.

4. The Pilot - The first episode was the best single episode on tv last season and the last 5 minutes pull everything together in a way that truly is never seen on tv. Take my advice and watch this one episode even if you dont watch any of the rest.

Of course the season wasn’t perfect. Some of the episodes from 2 - 9 plod along almost like Moresco and Haggis left it on autopilot with another creative team but it does come back very strong in the last couple episodes. Some scenes are hard to watch and one brother is hard to root since he’s such a terrible person at times.

HDNet has been airing the entire season and supposedly is considering a season season based on dvd sales of TBD season 1 which is available now. You can also hit up your favorite torrent website to sample the best new show on tv last season.

Day Break was an absolute gem of a show that no one watched, a gust of fresh air that was the most enjoyable series I watched last season.  The basic plot of this 13 episode season is like this: Detective Brett Hopper (Taye Diggs) has been framed for murding Assistant District Attorney Alberto Garza and must clear his name, unravel the conspiracy, and protect his friends and family.  Sounds pretty typical but then toss in some Groundhog Day which allows (actually forces) Hopper to repeat the same day over and over and you have a classic murder mystery in choose your own adventure format.  We see the same day repeat but just when we think we are getting tired of it, new information is discovered that allows Hopper to make changes in the day which have a ripple affect on everyone around him.  In one instance he needs a murder book and when he finally finds and steals it, someone he knows is killed.  Hopper wonders why this happened because it never happened before on previous iterations of the day.

The scripting on Day Break is is what drives this show.  Its so much smarter than most serialized dramas plus it has more action than anything other than 24.  Plot threads start in the first couple episodes that continue to weave their way through the season before coming to a logical (mostly) conclusion.  Neither Hopper nor the viewer know much more than the other.  We experience everything through him.  When he confuses events in previous iterations of the day with the current iteration, the viewer is momentarily confused also until both viewer and protagonist realize they made the same mistake.  That’s creative gold!

The acting is good but not great, however Adam Baldwin steals the show. I never watched Firefly/Serenity much (gasp!) or anything else he was in so I’d never seen his work before.

Day Break was originally scheduled to fill in the gap between the fall and spring sections of Lost but ended up being pulled off the air after six episodes and the remaining eps were put on abc.com for a total of 13 episodes.  Sadly there is no dvd set being released so you’ll need to hit up your favorite torrent website to download the season. But dont think going back and watching the full season is a waste of time because you wont get a complete story.  The trend on tv is to end every season with a cliffhanger but Day Break doesnt go that route.  Almost every single plot thread is tied up by the end of episode 13 and it ends in a very satisfying conclusion.  Trust me, this was the best nine hours on television last season. In fact it might be the best nine hours of tv you watch for the rest of the year. I know I’ll be rewatching to catch the little details I missed.