Monday, October 16, 2006

More TV Thoughts:

Battlestar Galactica - Well, it's official. Three episodes in, and season three is far and away my favorite season of Battlestar Galactica yet. Some great moral ambiguity, even for the cylons, a tension-filled situation as we wonder how on Earth the humans are going to get off the planet and what kind of plan Adama could have and plenty of questions about what's going to happen next. Along with great writing, great acting and a nice guest turn by Amanda Plummer (that was unexpected).

Studio 60 - I have to admit, while I'm still loving the show, the people complaining about the lameness of the sketch comedy aren't wrong. It's *painfully* unfunny, and they probably shouldn't spend any time showing it if they can avoid it. Because the backstage stuff is great, and I'm really loving the romance between Matt and Harriet, because it really does seem legitimately impossible. They may have great chemistry, but it seems like they don't belong together, and that's an interesting thing. Jordan McDeere is the TV president equivalent of Jed Bartlett... I don't for a minute believe that someone that principled, smart and witty could rise to that position, but I sure wish they could, and I sure love the wish fulfilment of it. How great would it be if someone at network television actually had the principles to pass on a "toxic" reality show like the one pitched tonight? Did seem like Sorkin was talking to his audience a little with the reporter's speech about why it's an important story for Vanity Fair, answering the criticisms of Studio 60 being about "just TV." But I agree with all the points made, so I'm onboard with it.

Heroes - A noticeable uptick in quality, almost a quantum leap forward, as Bryan Fuller (Wonderfalls, Dead Like Me) steps in to write his first episode. The writing was so much sharper, all the character bits seemed stronger and I loved seeing some of the connections being made. Oh, and that ending... totally superhero genre, and I loved it. Fun to see that Hiro's heroic destiny (at least in one world) isn't just as comic relief. And Nathan's character became a whole lot more interesting with the revleation of a wife and kids and his interaction with Niki, just as Niki's subplot continues to intrigue, as we see her other personality for the first time. I was on the verge of dropping this show last week... now I'm anxious to see what happens next. A more consistent level of writing would help a lot, but it's good to know that Fuller's voice isn't entirely lost, as his is the one I trust the most amongst the various producer/writers on the show.

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