The Fall TV Report CardNovember 11, 2011
Media savant T Tara Turk goes deep inside cable TV to reveal Video On Demand's Hidden Gems so even the busiest of our readers can get the most out of On Demand TV. Tell Tara what VOD shows you think deserves her attention.
The Fall TV Report Card
Ahh Fall is such a lovely time for television. In the beginning you prep yourself for all the shows you think you might be excited for and then slowly but surely you start weed out the shows you couldn’t quite commit to (that’s not a Kardashian joke, I swear). Overwhelming like your Sears Holiday Wishbook, all the new stuff looks so exciting and then, in the end, you find yourself comforted by the things that didn’t amount to a bunch of smoke and mirrors.
Let’s take a trip back to before Daylight Savings Time when the hype of some of these shows was fresh and new and see where they are now. Let’s call it a premature Scrooged trip.
They Packed Their Knives And Went::
Charlies Angels - I told you there was no way this show would last. We already have CSI:Miami which has like science and stuff so we can feel smart. Besides, a Bosley that’s not funny is not a real Bosely.
The Playboy Club - This show proved that we are not just a bunch of suckers for period costumes and sex. Boggles the mind why they didn’t just stick to the true grueling story of the Playboy Bunny instead of feeding us a mystery even Agatha Christie could care less about.
H8R - It was a place where attention whores met fake fans and it was a place nobody wanted wanted to be. Ever.
The Ones Still In The Running to Become America’s Next Top...err, you know what I mean:
Whitney - I don’t know why but this show is still on and this couple still hates each other.
2 Broke Girls - While I thought the first one is funny, I’m finding that the pony they had in the first episode is the one trick they keep using. The new Facts of Life Blair and Jo are running out of shenanigans which is pretty strange since Laverne & Shirley managed to soar way beyond Schotz Brewery.
Up All Night - I tried it and some of it was hysterical. But then the other twenty minutes had me in a polite grin. For the sake of Maya Rudolph and Christina Applegate, I pray this show hits a stride really soon.
Two And A Half Men - You wonder how long the Charlie Sheen jokes will carry them through but those jokes are sometimes pretty darn funny and Ashton reviving the spirit his Keslo character from That 70s Show was a smart move. Smarter? Get Topher Grace to move in next door. Like he’s doing something else.
American Horror Story - It’s either loved or hated and I’m in the group that doesn’t quite understand it. It doesn’t mean I won’t watch as I was forced to watch Dark Shadows by my babysitter back and the day and I didn’t get that either but I still thought it was juicy.
A Show Like This, Some People Wait A Lifetime:
Pan Am - Sure it’s kinda corny and full of cool costumes but each character stands out for the most part and it’s tackling some pretty interesting issues in its own unique way. The last episode had some interracial dating that went beyond any crazy “Birth of A Nation” stereotypes. Honestly, it’s totally got the spirit of Charlie’s Angels and Sweet Valley High rolled into one. I still think they need some girls of color though.
New Girl - It doesn’t ever fail to disappoint me, but then I also a dorky take on Sex In The City is a genius idea. Never does it go beyond what it says it is and that’s fine because a goofy girl and her socially challenged roommates is a storyline that will forever be ripe for hyjinx. It’s like the reincarnation of Taxi.
Happy Endings - Nobody is talking about this show and I can’t figure out why. You’ve got a gay football loving slacker. You’ve got an interracial couple that would make Saturday Night Live proud. You’ve got two single female friends who couldn’t BE more opposite but equal in their awkwardness and a guy friend who owns the world’s unluckiest food truck ever.
Ones to watch:
Grimm - This show about a cop turned bogeyman hunger just started and I was worried until one of the bogeymen turned out to be the best comic relief you could have for a show about, well, bogeymen.
Revenge - I personally am not interested in a girl on a mission to become a social assassin to avenge her father but my really cool friends who eat and breathe old school 90210 say it’s a keeper.
Did I miss any of your favorite shows? Do tell what should have made the list.
T. Tara Turk is a novelist/playwright/screenwriter, living in LA with her boyfriend and dog - all three successful TV addicts. You can find her at www.ttaraturk.com or follow her on Twitter @ttaraturk.
