Wow, what a week of TV we had.
Welcome one and all to another bleak week of television!
Every year I look at what my television viewings are this year and every time I”m a little bit at a loss for words. At first I’m flabbergasted, then miffed, and finally I come to accept the schedule for what it is because I realize it’s that awkward period between the Nielsen ratings sweeps period. This particular lull is the one that falls right before the big sweeps period that pretty well dictates what the networks can charge for the advanced advertising sales on their shows for the upcoming fall season. Right now we’re one the precipice of that period.
This is also a very painful period for me to write about television but it isn’t completely because of the lull. There’s not a lot of television that I’m really interested in watching currently. I’m sure part of the problem has been my fascination with getting caught up on the revival of DOCTOR WHO. This obsession, thankfully, is nearing an end thanks to my being well into the fourth series of the show and I’m about to move on to the specials that lead up to DAVID TENNANT’s leaving of the title roll.
Speaking of the good DOCTOR now that the US premiere of the latest iteration of DOCTOR WHO has aired on BBC AMERICA I’m more free to talk about my likes and dislikes about the episode, of which there are many more of the former over the latter.
I’d like to start by getting my complaint out of the way. The only thing I truly didn’t enjoy about this episode was the very opening of it as the TARDIS is hurtling through the skies of London and leading the DOCTOR to his next adventure. It was a bit on the slapstick side for me and it is the only part of the episode that just didn’t seem to fit in for me. I’d much rather have had a cold opening of young AMELIA POND praying to SANTA to take the crack out of her wall. There, I’ve said my piece on that. Let’s move on.
The tone and humor in the new episode is something that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed upon multiple viewings. This new DOCTOR, acted by MATT SMITH, has a very kinetic cadence that plays well both verbally and physically. I had no problem at all accepting that he is now the DOCTOR and for that I think MR. SMITH should be commended. He understands the big shoes that the roll itself has and he fills them well.
Another aspect that I really like about this new series is that in choosing his new companion the DOCTOR isn’t simply plucking someone out of their ordinary life into extraordinary circumstances. We meet AMELIA POND, or AMY as she is later known in the episode, in a manner reminiscent of new head writer STEPHEN MOFFAT’s series 2 episode THE GIRL IN THE FIREPLACE (yes, I know, I’ve covered this a bit before). AMELIA meets the DOCTOR at an early age and his presence has a very big impact on the young girl. TARDIS instability makes the DOCTOR’s promised five minute trip into 12 years and we can tell, after we have our bearings on who is who, that AMY has gone through a lot to cope with her first occurrence of the DOCTOR. Unlike other companions, however, she’s also had elements of this alien life around her for the greater part of her life as PRISONER ZERO hid in a room within her own home. She hasn’t just been exposed to greater universe, she’s been thrust into it for quite some time and the impact it has had runs deep.
After multiple viewing I also have to question what direction the relationship between this DOCTOR and his companion will go. AMY has been obsessed with the DOCTOR for quite some time. She’s drawns cartoons of him, she’s made dolls of him and in a weird move she’s even made her “sort of” boyfriend RORY dress up as the DOCTOR (although we don’t know when she’s done this, so maybe it’s just innocent). She’s spent the better part of her life trying to fill the void that the DOCTOR left in her after disappearing on her. Is she seeking to regain the father figure she feels she finally got back with his appearance or does it run deeper than that? Only future episodes can tell us.
As I also mentioned before the episode features foreshadowing of bigger things to come. PRISONER ZERO tells the DOCTOR:
“The cracks in the skin of the universe – don’t you know where they came from? You don’t, do you? The Doctor in the TARDIS doesn’t know. The universe is cracked. The Pandorica will open. Silence will fall.â€
After now seeing the first three episodes of the season the cracks have continued so rest assured this wasn’t just babble placed in to confuse you. Keep an eye out for clues as to what whatever the PANDORICA is. I admit that subtle story-arc elements like this are what swept me up in the series so it’s nice to see them continue.
FEELING GLEE-FUL?
This last week the other powerhouse of FOX television returned on Tuesday at a special time in the form of GLEE. I was curious about where this episode was going to go since the 13th episode did such a good job as a coda for the season. Rivalries had played out, stories has seemed to come to completion, and there was hope for the future. Where would the show go?
Since the show has another 9 hours to fill you just know that they had to tear apart a bit of what they had put together. RACHEL did a great job of smothering FINN to the point where he was easily lead away, WILL SCHUSTER jumped straight from a failed marriage to a relationship with EMMA that also has some early bumps to contend with, and of course SUE SYLVESTER returned with a vengeance in a plot line that was so ill-thought out that I’m surprised they used it. SUE slips a mickey into the principals drink and then takes pictures of herself with him in a cheap motel. Nothing happened and she states that he’ll have to let her return as the coach of the cheer squad to keep the photos from surfacing. If you’ve got such powerful pictures why not just have him come up with a plausible reason to cancel the GLEE club you hate so much SUE? Oh yeah, then there would be no show. Never mind.
The musical numbers in the episode were good and I’m sure the show will once again build up steam after this bumpy restart. We’ve got lots of great guests to look forward to including NEIL PATRICK HARRISÂ in an episode directed by JOSS WHEDON. Can’t wait for that one.
Well, since this is the second time within three weeks I’ve talked about DOCTOR WHO and I’ve already said too much about GLEE it’s probably best to move on to the other cracks in the universe which seem to have swallowed up just about anything that I really have an interesting in watching this week.
MONDAY
CBS – 8:00 PM: I’m sure TED almost looses his lunch when his Mom gets a bit bold with her public displays of affection to her fiance on tonight’s HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER.
FOX – 9:00 PM: For the first time in 24 history JACK got some ‘action’ while on the clock. Too bad it didn’t end well for RENEE. Now JACK is going to go all MARTIN RIGGS on everyone, right?
ABC – 9:28 PM: ALYSSA MILANO returns to television in an ensemble show where she’s a single mom getting back on the dating scene. I have no idea how this is different from COUGAR TOWN so I guess I’ll have to watch with the rest of you to find out.
TUESDAY
NBC – 8:00 PM: The contestants on THE BIGGEST LOSER get taken through a beach workout by GABRIELLE REECE before one contestant gets some devastating news from home. If you’ve been an avid watcher I’m sure you know what it is.
FOX – 9:00 PM: Just when you thought GLEE couldn’t get any… well… GLEE-kier they dedicate an entire show to ‘The Power of Madonna.’ I wasn’t aware that controversy and bad decisions was a power. Oh well.
ABC – 9:00 PM: Honestly folks I am just as lost about LOST as you are. Only six more hours of the show left. Let’s just hang on and get through the rest of the ride, k?
WEDNESDAY
FOX – 8:00 PM: The performance driven AMERICAN IDOL special IDOL GIVES BACK returns this year with 1 hour and fifty minutes of them asking for kindness and charity before 10 minutes of crushing the spirit and soul of a young hopeful as they tally the votes. Will a contestant get a reprieve like two years ago? You’ll have to watch to see (because I probably won’t).
ABC – 9:00 PM: Even though they are repeats an hour of MODERN FAMILY is still an hour of MODERN FAMILY, know what I’m sayin’?
THURSDAY
NBC – 8:00 PM: JEFF, TROY, and a chicken finger shortage are central to the plot of tonight’s episode of COMMUNITY.
CBS – 8:00 PM: If you saw last week’s SURVIVOR: HEROES VS. VILLAINS than you saw some of the best reality TV to unfold in a long while. Seriously, wow.
NBC 8:30 PM: What’s better than an episode of 30 ROCK at 8:30? The fact that at 9:30 there’s another episode as well.
FRIDAY
NBC – 8:00 PM: WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? returns this week with actress SUSAN SARANDON. For once I won’t dig on this show just because of all she’s accomplished.
ABC – 9:00 PM: Does anyone know if tonight is the last episode of JAMIE OLIVER’S FOOD REVOLUTION? I’m too lazy to look up if it was just a six episode pick up or not.
STARZ – 10:00 PM: One of the STARZ originals that I really enjoyed for it’s simplicity is the show PARTY DOWN. MEGAN MULLALLY takes a break from singing about margarine to guest in the second season to take the place of JANE LYNCH and other than that it’s the same crew of catering hopefuls.
SATURDAY
ABC – 8:00 PM: I’m sure after all of EDDI MURPHEY’s KLUMP action the producers of NORBIT were convinced they had a shoe in for a money maker on their hands. If you watch it for free tonight you’ll see why they were oh so painfully mistaken.
SYFY – 9:00 PM: No MOTHMAN has nothing to do with Godzilla. The West Virginian monster of myth some how comes back to get revenge on childhood friends who cover up an accidental murder (I hate it when those accidental murders happen). Too bad there’s not some better science fiction on tonight. Oh, wait….
BBC AMERICA – 9:00 PM: This week DOCTOR WHO lands on the STARSHIP UK as AMY POND gets her first real taste of traveling with the DOCTOR. If you missed the premiere last week you can catch it at 8:00 PM right before this airs.
SUNDAY
ABC – 9:00 PM: Tonight on DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES they go all retrospective on the FAIRFIELD STRANGLER complete with his own flashbacks! Nothing says entertainment like THIS IS YOUR LIFE for the neighborhood psychopath.
NBC – 9:00 PM: The teams on CELEBRITY APPRENTICE have to create celebrity workout classes at a fitness center. Too bad most of them have no idea what a celebrity would even do during a workout.
A&E – 9:30 PM: Some of the best completely staged incidents on GENE SIMMONS FAMILY JEWELS happen when NICK is involved and tonight he has to entertain the son of a potential client of his dads. I’m popping popcorn for this one.
Comments: None
Leave a Reply |