Thoughts On Some New TV Shows
I’ve meant to write a post on the pilot of The League since last Thursday, but my half-viewing of the unremarkable pilot of V remake last night only pushed me over the edge to make a general TV post.
Let me start off with V, because I probably feel most strongly about it, even though I was only barely paying attention. Perhaps not focusing on the show only served to exacerbate the fact that a million things happened within that one hour. It was definitely a show that could have benefited from one of those usual two-hour pilots that are seemingly commonplace for “high-concept” shows. The episode wastes no time with the alien ships swooping in over our most populous cities Independence Day-style, but instead of blowing up each city, each spaceship transforms into an HDTV and beams down a hot chick saying that her people come in peace. I would have been convinced.
What follows seems to be a terribly-rushed series of events that includes the reveal that the aliens actually have lizard skin under their human facades, some Michael J. Fox wannabe journalist being forced into a misleading, foreboding interview, the haphazard creation of a resistance that subsequently gets totally struck down, and some terrible teen actor being put under the spell of a moderately attractive blonde chick (maybe I just don’t like blondes). And oh yeah, the husband of the main character turns out to be an alien, and then gets killed by said main character. But then the preview for the rest of the season spoils the fact that he’s not really dead. Nice job, ABC; I’ll be sure not to waste anymore time on this show. It has two actors from Firefly – it’s sure to be canceled within a season, anyway.
The League, on the other hand, has a bright future, even if its premise seems a bit limited. I’ve heard complaints about too much fantasy football, and also too little fantasy football. I think this is proof that they hit just the right amount of discussion about draft order, Adrian Peterson, and accidentally picking retired players. Both the creators of the show and FX realize the audience they’re shooting for — 18 – 35-year-old males — and the vast majority of that group will have some rudimentary grasp of football, if not fantasy football in particular, and that’s all that’s necessary for enjoyment of the referential jokes.
Of course, there are plenty of jokes and situations that aren’t tinged with football talk. There’s a girlfriend/wife? (I missed this unimportant plot detail) that sticks a finger in her lover’s butt, leading to…tension; a filthy song performed at the birthday party of a 5-year-old; and a pube-filled joint framed on a wall. Sounds perfect for a show that airs immediately after It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
The last show I’d like to mention is Community, the newest addition to the NBC Thursday night lineup — pretty much the only thing the network has going for it at the moment. It’s definitely a worthy addition, even if it’s not at the level of The Office or 30 Rock when those two shows first kicked off. It helps that the quality seems to be trending up, with the recent Halloween episode being by far the best the show has had to offer. I think much of one’s enjoyment would have to depend on how much they like Joel McHale’s massively smug and cocky character — if you don’t appreciate it, then you probably won’t like the show. Also of note: Chevy Chase seems to be trying to pull an Alec Baldwin (in 30 Rock), only he’s not really that entertaining. God, Alec Baldwin is awesome.
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