Checking in with New Shows

When the TV season kicked off in September I reviewed all the new shows I saw. This TV season hasn't produced a lot of hits; in fact some are calling it the worst crop of new shows in a decade. We've now seen between five and six episodes of these shows — enough of a sample to get a feel for their identity — and as we are heading into sweeps, it's time to take a look and try to find some diamonds in the rough.

New shows I like:

There are really only two new shows I think have potential for the long term. A possible third is "Boardwalk Empire," but I am still not sure what they are trying to accomplish with the show... Anyway, the two I like are "Hawaii 5-0" and "Detroit 1-8-7"

"Hawaii 5-0" — I wasn't going to try this show when it was announced, but after reading about it and seeing commercials, I decided to give it a shot. This isn't the greatest show, but it is entertaining, has a cool location, and a strong cast — with the exception of Alex O'Loughlin. Scott Caan, Daniel Dae Kim, and Grace Park do well anchoring the show, and it's got plenty of action.

"Detroit 1-8-7" — I wasn't going to watch this show. In fact, I didn't watch the pilot when it aired. My parents saw it and said they liked it and convinced me to watch the pilot. At the time, I gave the first episode a C+ but decided to give it another shot. The show continues to improve and develop the characters. It has managed to find an urban authenticity that is much less forced than the pilot presentation. Surprisingly, it has become my favorite of the new shows.

Shows that aren't making the grade:

So many poor shows, so little time... here are three that have been underwhelming.

"Lone Star" — This is a little like kicking a man when he's down seeing as how the show was cancelled after two airings, but this show was touted pre-season as the best of the new shows. I watched it and never saw the appeal...nor did anyone else. After two ridiculously low-rated airings, this one ended up on the scrap heap. And for good reason. The morally ambiguous premise never worked.

"Running Wilde" — This show is on the verge of cancellation. Coming from the creators of "Arrested Development," I thought this would be funny. I'm still waiting for the jokes to kick in. There is a reason that the show is low-rated, it is squandering a talented cast and production team. The premise just isn't working.

"The Event" — I know this show is getting decent ratings and has received a full-season order, but what I can't tell you is why. The premise is weak, the execution is weak, and the story lines are hard to follow. Even the worst season of "Heroes" made more sense than this. If this is supposed to be the kind of show that will rescue NBC, more tough times are ahead for the Peacock. After more than a month, I still don't know what "The Event" is about and I don't care.

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