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By Kati Johnston
Special to MSN Entertainment
The trend of the past few years of shows centered on characters with some
kind of creepy phenomenon comes to full flower this fall, featuring lots of
variations on life, death, heaven, hell, empowered nerds and time travel -- lots
and lots of time travel. Even better, more big-screen talent is leaping to the
small screen, including directors like Lasse Hallstrom, Mike Figgis and Barry
Sonnenfeld, and even Sarah Connor of "Terminator" fame. Some missing favorites (Kelsey Grammer, Peter Krause) return, and women of a certain age are finally
in full bloom without having to play nanas in sensible shoes. Here are some of
our favorite shows (and two of our not-favorite shows) for the fall season, and
not a "Head Case" in sight:
Sci-fi and Afterlife Go Mainstream
"Pushing Daisies" (ABC): Director Barry
Sonnenfeld and writer Bryan Fuller have created about as high-concept a series
as TV's ever seen, and it takes a bit of a setup. But boy does it pay off: A
young pie baker, Ned (Lee Pace), has the ability to bring people briefly back to
life with one touch, helping a private investigator pal solve their murder
cases. One more touch sends them back on their way to the afterlife, which
becomes a problem when he saves his childhood sweetheart, a girl named Chuck (Anna Friel), and wants to keep her alive, which means no
touching for those two. Ever. The acting is excellent, the sets are awash with
crazy colors, and the whole merry madness stays on track with the brilliant
narration of Jim Dale.
"New
Amsterdam" (FOX): Director Lasse Hallstrom brings his deft, humane
touch to a moody cop procedural with a twist. Ruggedly handsome Danish actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau plays John Amsterdam, an NYPD homicide
cop blessed (cursed?) with centuries of life when he first lands on the island
of Manhattan as a settler in the 18th century. An Indian spell guarantees he
will never die or age until he meets his soul mate. So here is Amsterdam in
2007, still looking for Ms. Right (and you thought you had a hard time
finding someone to date) and solving crimes using his historical knowledge. This
is a show to invest in.
"Reaper" (CW): Sam has the meanest parents
ever. When he was a baby, his folks sold his soul to the devil, payable
on Sam's 21st birthday, which occurs in the season pilot. Sam, played by Bret Harrison with deadpan John Cusack appeal, is stunned to learn his fate, especially
upon meeting the Antichrist himself, played as a GQ-quality metrosexual by Ray Wise in the role of a lifetime. Turns out that Sam's
fate won't take him to hell, he just needs to help the devil recapture bad guys
who've escaped damnation ("all the overcrowding these days," sighs the devil).
So really, Sam's job is getting rid of the bad guys and making the world a
better place. All from the cozy confines of his slacker universe. And did we
mention it's directed by someone who knows a thing or two about slackers, Kevin Smith? "Buffy"
fans, and boatloads of others, should find a lot to love about this daring and
endearing show.
"Sarah Connor Chronicles" (FOX): Why didn't
FOX think of this sooner? The series follows "Terminator" heroine Sarah Connor (Lena Headey), and her
otherworldly son, John, as they battle enemies from the past, present and
future. Sarah has stopped running and is going on the offensive, which should
make for some pretty exciting action. The show has been moved to midseason, but
as Ah-nuld would say, "She'll be bahck."
NBC's Monday Lineup
Now that NBC has regained a strong footing on Thursday nights ("30
Rock," "The
Office," "Scrubs"
and warhorse "ER"),
it has turned its attention to another night that may just become the true
"must-see TV" of its week, Monday:
"Chuck": Computer geek by day, government op
by night. Zachary Levi plays a computer-tech member of the "Nerd Herd"
who accidentally decodes an encrypted e-mail from the top levels of government.
Now he spends his spare time battling terrorism and potential assassins. No room
for user error here!
"Heroes": Last year's breakout hit already
has fans on pins and needles for the next season. And the announcement that Kristen Bell will guest on a multi-episode arc doesn't hurt
either. If the writers can keep the action fresh, this is a slam dunk. Go, Hiro,
go.
"Journeyman": A San Francisco reporter (when
was the last time there was an actual good-guy reporter character on TV?) does a
wee bit of, you guessed it, time travel to solve crimes and mysteries. He's fast
on deadline too.
Other Notables
"Aliens in America" (CW) -- No, not
outer-space aliens; the kind from countries other than the United States. Our
hero, Justin, is a well-meaning nerd who may not make it through high school
with the load of challenges piled on (bad hair, oddball friends, beautiful and
popular sister). But an exchange student from Pakistan, and their bond, may help
Justin transcend the petty politics of secondary education. Hands across the
chem lab.
"The
Big Bang Theory" (CBS): This show features two adorable --- wait
for it -- nerds (Johnny Galecki from "Roseanne" and Jim Parsons) who are all over quantum physics but
are still stuck in Girls 101. Think their adorable new neighbor, Penny (Kaley Cuoco), can help them?
"Dirty Sexy Money" (ABC): Ooh, the wicked
soapiness of it all. A wealthy, powerful family, the Darlings (Donald Sutherland, Jill Clayburgh and William Baldwin), weave their wicked spells all over New
York, while their privileged daughter, Juliet (Samaire Armstrong), is conflicted about her entitled
birthright. Peter Krause ("Six Feet
Under") plays an idealistic lawyer with a tortured history with the Darlings
who's drawn into their inner circle as a consigliere/fixer. Craig Wright wrote
the part of Nick with Krause in mind.
"Tell Me You Love Me" (HBO): If sex sells,
HBO should rake in the dough. This series pushes the boundaries of TV, pay-cable
and otherwise, in the amount of skin shown as it follows the amorous -- OK,
raunchy -- adventures of three couples. The curious folks will tune in, but will
the writing and character development keep viewers hooked?
Cool Casts
"Samantha Who?" (ABC): The always appealing
Christina Applegate (I admit it, I loved "Jesse")
returns in this show featuring amnesia as a plot device, which allows our
beloved heroine to examine her life and redo past mistakes.
"Cane" (CBS): It's been too long since we've
seen Jimmy Smits, returning here as the ruthless patron of a
sugar cane and rum dynasty. Delish!
"Private Practice" (ABC): The much-touted
"Grey's
Anatomy" spin-off features Kate Walsh getting her fresh start in Los Angeles.
The cast also includes such heavyweights as Taye Diggs, Amy Brenneman, Paul Adelstein ("Prison
Break") and hunky Chris Lowell ("Veronica
Mars").
"Back to You" (FOX): Repartee much? Kelsey Grammer, Patricia Heaton and Fred Willard star in a sassy show about bickering TV
anchors. Should be very popular, but as my editor cracked, "So when did FOX turn
into CBS?" Just sayin'.
Chicks Rule!
The success of shows like "The
Closer" and "Damages" has spawned more series about women in powerful
roles (a slight asterisk on "Saving
Grace," though -- Holly, stop chewing up that scenery!). You go, girls:
"Women's Murder Club" (ABC): Angie Harmon in James Patterson's first TV spin-off creates
an all-female team of top-secret crime-solvers, including a detective (Harmon),
a district attorney, a reporter (another journalist hero!), and a medical
examiner. The cast chemistry rocks.
"Canterbury's Law" (FOX): Mike Figgis
directs Julianna Margulies in this midseason drama as a smart but
morally relative defense attorney. Nobody does darkness like Figgis, and
Margulies is clearly up to the challenge.
"When Women Rule the World" (FOX): Can women really play
better with others? This reality show sets out to prove it. We kind of doubt it
(hasn't anyone been watching "America's
Next Top Model"?), but the machinations should be pretty interesting anyway.
No premiere date has been announced.
What Were They Thinking?
"Unhitched" (FOX): This Farrelly brothers show scheduled for
midseason co-stars a chimpanzee, and hilarity ensues. Hey, we could be wrong,
but the trailer makes us cringe. Did no one learn from "Friends: The Marcel
Years"?
"Cavemen" (ABC): Already saddled with a lot
of bad buzz, this show may tank within a few weeks. We can only assume the Geico
gecko already had commitments. |
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