TV Tyrant

The state of science fiction on TV

May 24th, 2009 | by | human target, new season, new shows, past life, schedule

May
24

As it is with every year, a whole bunch of science fiction-y shows were canceled at the end of the season, but I have to give it to the networks for trying a bunch of new ones next year.

It was so hard to keep track of the comings and goings during the upfronts, but SciFi Wire thankfully charted it all in a very understandable fashion.

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The clear winner, IMHO, is Fox.

Sure, Fox canceled Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, better known as TSCC because it’s a lot freakin’ shorter. But it did keep Dollhouse around for at least another 13 episodes. (Side note: This comic is probably a bit too close to reality for comfort when it comes to how the decision was made.) I’m thinking that Fox didn’t feel like incurring the wrath of the Whedonverse again, whereas TSCC ended at a spot that could full well be the series’ end. (Not that I wouldn’t have loved to see where it would have picked up in the fall.)

Fox also kept Fringe, which is one of my favorite shows. So the net gets brownie points for that. It’s also picked up Human Target and Past Life, each for 13 episodes and for midseason.

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Life on Mars ending, Reaper beginning

March 3rd, 2009 | by | life on mars, ray wise, reaper

Mar
03

Got the bad news this a.m. that Life on Mars has been canceled by ABC.

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I’ve said before that the show’s totally worth watching just for Harvey Keitel and Michael Imperioli. I wish more people had given it a shot.

The good news, Variety says, is that ABC is going to air the show’s entire run, which entails 5 more episodes, so the show gets to wrap up properly. Site io9 says it will wrap up the rest of the series online, but I’m not clear on where that info comes from, now having read the Variety article (the link in my first sentence).

At least I’m getting back one of my other all-time favorite television characters tonight: Ray Wise as Satan in Reaper.

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In fact, one of my all-time favorite quotes (not just TV quotes, just quotes, period) emanated from his lips:

You’re just upset because you’re realizing the weakness of your species: The most untrustworthy and unreliable creatures on this earth. Except for bears.

He paused, ever so slightyl, before that last bit, and I guffawed when he said it.

Thank you, Ray Wise, for bringing a little laughter into my life each week. You are the BEST SATAN EVER.

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DVR roundup

February 19th, 2009 | by | brothers & sisters, burn notice, flight of the conchords, fringe, life on mars

Feb
19

I’ve been catching up on all sorts of shows lately, so I thought I’d just wrap up some thoughts on some of what I’ve been watching:

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Burn Notice

I think Michael Westen got his groove back. I absolutely adored Season 1. I enjoyed individual episodes in Season 2, but as a whole it left me feeling sort of meh.

But the bickering between Sam and Fiona, the weekly escapades of being a good guy, the decreased emphasis on the overarching mythology (c’mon, we have enough of that with Lost and BSG), Michael’s MacGyveristic tendencies and the goofiness of Sam’s love life (right now, I’m watching the scene where Sam is trying to talk to the lady of his dreams while taking down a bad guy) – nevermind Michael’s mom (Sharon Gless is totally awesome).

All of that adds up to a weekly 40+ minutes of goofy enjoyment.

And Romo Lampkin as a bad guy? Love it.

Fringe

OK, it’s J.J. Abrams, so I was bound to love it.

But the show has my favorite character currently on television – Dr. Walter Bishop.

The man opens his mouth and I laugh. The other week, I recall, someone said something about needing to cut someone open. His response: “Oh goodie, I love to cut.” Or something along those lines.

I giggle almost as much during Fringe as I laugh out loud during 30 Rock.

The whole underlying mythology? I can take it or leave it. I can’t expend that much mental energy on more than one J.J. Abrams special at a time, and Lost is taking up more than its share these days.

What I really like about the show is that even though there’s this mythology, each week can be taken in and of itself. It’s as close as I come to enjoying a procedural. Granted, it’s a procedural that involves the ability to enter someone else’s consciousness and other weirdness, but that’s par for the course with me.

Life on Mars

While I do wonder about the reason Sam’s back in 1973, I watch each week for Harvy Keitel and Michael Imperioli. Keitel’s cop is my second-favorite character on television these days, behind only Dr. Walter Bishop (see Fringe, above).

And Imperioli’s 1970s sexist pig is a joy to behold. Loved it when Annie basically saved his life this week. And Annie’s relationship with Sam is super-cute, too.

Brothers & Sisters

Loved it the first season.

Second season, started to wane.

This season? Pretty much over it, but I still watch most weeks. Dunno why. Can’t help it. Must stop.

Flight of the Conchords

If you’re not watching this show, you are missing one of the funniest things ever on television. “Too Many Dicks on the Dance Floor” almost rival’s last year’s “HipHopOpotamus v. the Rhymenoceros.”

Please, for the love of all that’s holy, just watch this show.

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