Autumn TV Report

As we approach halftime of the now not so new season, let's take a look to see where we stand. Remember that these are the shows I have been watching. I have no idea what Julianna Margulies is up to on The Good Wife nor do I care that you have subjected yourself to watching Bristol Palin dance.

Monday

House: They've handled the House-Cuddy relationship well in that it has been business as usual at Princeton-Plainsboro. The major change has been that All-Star Olivia Wilde has been off filming a movie and they've called up Amber Tamblyn to fill her spot. No offense to Tamblyn, but this isn't exactly a fair swap. That said, her wholesome med school genius is a good foil for House and a better character for the show. What to do when Wilde returns?

Tuesday

No Ordinary Family: Disappointingly, there's been a steady decline from a very entertaining pilot. The problem isn't with the very likable stars (Michael Chiklis, Julie Benz, and Autumn Reeser, who I'd really like to see in her own sitcom next year). The problem is that in the wake of recent darker adult sci-fi shows like Lost and Heroes (which I didn't watch), there is too much of an ABC Family hokiness vibe here. I was all set to end its relationship with my DVR when they pull out an ace: Amy Acker. That's right, one of my favorite actresses (Angel, Dollhouse) in the mix. So what do they do with her? Have her shot in her first episode. Don't worry, she's alive, but I can't say the same for the show. I think there's potential here, but I only have time for kinetic.

Raising Hope: Staying strong after a good debut. Garret Dillahunt, who has made a living playing creepy sociopaths, has been a revelation as a comic actor. Really, he makes me laugh out loud. Martha Plimpton has been great and I have been won over by Shannon Woodward. Just very good casting. (The senile grandma played by Cloris Leachman feels, not offensive, but cheap and unnecessary. I don't see her going away, though...unlike the live-in cousin who was in the pilot. I remember things, TV.) I'm still worried about its shelf-life, but for now the biggest surprise of the season.

Running Wilde: The show isn't that great and Keri Russell's character is a little on the grating side, but Will Arnett plays obliviously arrogant better than anyone and it's very hard not to appreciate that. He's helped by Mel Rodriguez as his butler and Peter Serafinowicz as his equally clueless rich man-child neighbor (the latter played Simon Pegg and Nick Frost's housemate in Shaun of the Dead). Nothing ground-breaking here, but entertaining enough.

Sons of Anarchy: After Mad Men, the show I most look forward to each week. I was nervous about this season being undermined by the kidnapped baby storyline, but it ended up serving as a catalyst to not only up the ante for everyone on the show but permanently change the landscape. 

Wednesday

South Park: I've been proselytizing for the appreciation of this show for years. Unfortunately, I think the initial hype surrounding it led a lot of people to write it off as a fad. However, I don't know another scripted show that covers current events better, especially with the ability to put popular hysteria into perspective. Sometimes they miss, as with this season's take on NASCAR (people who watch it are poor and stupid--get it?) But their misses are still more relevant than most shows (I even got Vinny Guns to watch--and like--the episode about Inception).

Thursday

Community: This is a very ambitious show and deserves credit for that. However, that also leads to each episode being more about style over substance. It feels like the writers are just trying to one-up each other in who can be the most hip and meta. Though the cast is good, there's just no investment in the characters.

30 Rock: The best sitcom on TV right now.

The Office: Slow, awkward start to the season, but they've rallied in recent episodes by falling back on their strength: Steve Carrell's Michael Scott. He's their Homer and I really don't see how they're going to keep this thing afloat when he leaves. Take Jim and Pam instead.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: Suffered the same malaise as The Office, which is typical of successful shows that are on the other side of their fifth season. I think that struggling hunger is understandably gone and it takes a few episodes to get back to full steam. And like The Office and Michael, here more Charlie means more funny. Seriously, no more Mac episodes.

The League: This doesn't have the substance of some of the great comedies, but its in-the-moment laugh factor is pretty high. Second best comedy of the season so far.

Friday

The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret: This six episode series on IFC starred David Cross as a salesman who fakes his way into getting transferred to England to head the campaign to sell Thunder Muscle energy drink. Cross also plays a recurring character on Running Wilde...and Arnett shows up here as  Todd's chain-cursing boss. It was funny and worth catching on DVD, though I think they got all they could out of the plot and I can't say I'm excited about a rumored second season.

Saturday

Saturday Night Live: No, don't worry, I haven't started watching this. I just thought I should mention that, yes, this is still on and I can't even remember when I did last watch (not consistently, but at all) this one time can't miss show. I can't see it turning around as long as Lorne Michaels is still calling the shots. They desperately need a new voice behind the scenes and a fresher perspective on current sketch comedy talent.

Sunday

The Simpsons: The recycling of material is getting more and more noticeable, but what do you expect at this point. If you've watched it this far you're in it for the long haul. However long that haul may be.

Luther: I had moderately high hopes for this BBC detective show starring The Wire's Idris Elba. I watched one episode and was done. It may have gotten better, but I didn't like Elba's character (you know, the guy from the title). And there was a lot of choppy (sorry, cutting-edge) editing that was, well, annoying. Probably for the best. Who needs more TV to watch?

Mad Men: I thought this may have been the best season yet. A brilliant character arc for Don Draper within the overall arc that is the show as a whole. And excellent casting, as usual, for his love interests: Cara Buono (she was Artie's girlfriend in Beer League? Really?) and Jessica Pare. I admit, I was Team Faye, but Megan ain't a bad Option B. 

The Walking Dead: An excellent adaptation of Robert Kirkman's comic series that even zombiephobe Vinny Guns is digging. Ok, so here's a gripe: having read the comics, I'm distracted by the changes they made for TV. Not that they made changes, but that they only changed some things, often for reasons I'm not sure were necessary. And then those changes force other changes and it becomes a whole thing. But that's me. It's been re-upped for a second season of 12 eps. I'm worried about the direction it's going, but I'll watch. For you.

And really, this has all been for you. I wouldn't have wasted my autumn like this if it weren't for SMC. But things are better now. By my count, now that Sons, Walking Dead, and Mad Men are done, I'm down to about 4 hours a week. That's not bad. Maybe I'll cure a disease or learn to spelunk. Or  better, watch some movies.