One of the chief criticisms lobbed at Doctor Who in the 80s was that it became too insular with certain stories being so stepped in what's come before that novice fans would have a difficult if not an impossible time not just figuring out what was going on in the story much less enjoying it. As someone who discovered the classic series during this particular era and saw several of the stories in question on their initial U.S. syndication run, I can say this was definitely the case in a couple of cases.

And while I love what Steven Moffat is doing with the modern day series, I'm rapidly becoming concerned the series is on the verge of becoming less welcoming to new or casual fans. There's a fine line between rewarding fans for being faithful to a series and being too reliant on continuity so that you make your series frustratingly less than accessible to casual or even new fans.

The summer return of the series, "Let's Kill Hitler" is a prime example. It has a lot of rewards for long time fans as well as few new avenues to explore as series six plays out over the next five weeks. But it was so dense on the mythology of River Song and the entire game Moffat is playing with this season and his tenure as producer that I can see how some could come away from the return of the show scratching their heads and wondering just what all went on.*

* The good news for those fans is that unlike back in my day of first watching, the episode are more accessible to catch-up and get up to speed. Back in the 80's I was at the mercy of whatever syndicated episodes my local PBS station ran.

In many ways, "Hitler" echoes the beats played by two-part series premiere, it just does them in reverse order. Instead of the Doctor trying to get the attention of Rory, Amy and River, it's those three companions trying to get his attention**. You can also add in that the Doctor knows when and where he dies and that it's a fixed point in the time space continuum, but he's keeping that from Amy, Rory and River. Meanwhile, those three know how he dies and have been keeping that from him.***

* I won't even bring up the question of just how Rory and Amy got from the space station at the end of "A Good Man Goes to War" to back home, trying to attract the Doctor's attention.

** Seeing all the lies taking place among everyone made me think I was watching an episode of House with his motto of "Everyone lies."

Thankfully, the premise of going back in time to kill Hitler is only the focus of the story for the first fifteen or so minutes. Instead of trying to tell a story about time paradoxes or pulling a Bill and Ted, Moffat uses idea of going back in time to remove Hitler as bait for the hook and then opens the story up to being something more.

Give Moffat a lot of credit--this story was packed to the gills with ideas that could have easily been their own episode, if explored a bit more. The concept of aliens who live inside a shape-changing robot and travel through time to make various criminals pay for their crimes is an intriguing one. You also had the plotline of Amy and Rory's best friend growing up turning out to be their daughter and someone who is programmed to seek out and kill the Doctor. And then we see the regeneration of Mel into River and her first ever meeting with the Doctor.

And while I like how Moffat is clearly playing a long game with River and the on-going storyline, part of me is hoping he's going to find a way to wrap it up by the end of this series. At some point, the answers aren't going to be satisfying because the questions have been lingering for so long.

That said, I'll be disappointed if Amy and Rory are satisfied that they knew Mel growing up and stop looking for Melody. While they know how the story ends and that their daughter turns out OK, I'm not sure emotionally that will be enough. As we see in the TARDIS, the Doctor understands there are implications to traveling with him. And while what had to happen to Donna was tragic, the idea that Amy and Rory have to give up their child's childhood and formative years to play a role in some bigger cosmic game seems far more tragic and devastating than having to wipe out Donna's memory and her dying if she ever remembers her time with the Doctor. Hopefully Amy and Rory will have some continued fall-out from this and not just go back into the "hey, let's have wacky adventures and avoid things" as we saw earlier this year.

Now, I don't want it to sound like I was completely down on the episode. There was a lot to like about "Hitler." The biggest asset was the performance by Matt Smith. It's easy to see him each week as the Doctor and forget, at times, how solid the work he's doing here really is. But then Moffat steps up and gives him a tour-de-force like the Doctor dying and his body slowly shutting down. Watching physically as the Doctor's body starts to shut down was marvelous from a physical standpoint. Smith seemed to be made of the same stuff as actor Jim Carey as the Doctor faced one leg shutting down and wrestled with the poison slowly killing him.

In a lot of ways, I'm conflicted about "Hitler." There were parts of it I really liked, but parts of it were frustrating. I'm really hoping that Moffat will wrap-up his current masterplan by series' end. It's not that I don't like it or haven't enjoyed it, but I really think I'm ready for the big payoff and then exploring some new, interesting avenue.

Labels: Doctor who, tv round-up

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Tuesday, August 02, 2011
TV Round-Up: Breaking Bad
Open House
Earlier this summer, TV critics Alan Sepinwall and Dan Feinberg discussed the preview segments they'd seen of Breaking Bad, noting how in many ways Walter White didn't get as much screen time as some of the supporting characters in the first three installments of season four. And that's OK because at this point, the series is more than just about Walt and his journey to become Scarface (though that is important, mind you). It's also about how Walt is corrupting everyone who comes into his orbit. (Thankfully, this is handled a lot better than it is on Rescue Me where everyone comes into orbit of Planet Tommy whether it seems feasible or not).

It could be that Vince Gilligan and his writers are sewing seeds of a Walter White slow burn that will ignite at some point this season--probably with very, very bad consequences for all involved. While Walter has been the catalyst for all that's happened this season and since season one, we can slowly see Walt being diminished again, much as he was last year. And it's only a matter of time before Heisenberg rears his ugly head. At some point, I expect the show will allow Heisenberg to stay more on the surface and we could eventually see the Walt we knew at the show's beginning vanish completely.

It may be necessary since Walt isn't exactly the criminal mastermind he thinks he is. Walt's ability to delude himself about what's really going on is shown in detail here when he describes the conflict with Mike last week to Skylar. Walt believes it was just two colleagues having a disagreement and that it's all worked out now. Apparently not so much, since the camera surfacing in the lab could mean that Mike has spilled the beans to Gus. How much longer Walt remains useful enough to Gus to keep him alive remains to be seen. (It is interesting that despite not seeing Gus on screen again this week, his presence looms large over everything that's unfolding here. I have to wonder if he'll be as pleased with Walt's purchase of the car wash and the trail that could create back to him.)

In some ways, Skyler is better at the criminal game than Walt. Or maybe she's still so new to it that the creative juices are still flowing and it's not just part of the daily routine as it is for Walt. Her scheme to get the car wash sold is a nice touch as is her constant pressure on Walt to think through how he spends the money. Watching the scene where she calls Walt out for buying the expensive bottle of champagne (even though he used cash) and leaving a trail was nicely done. It makes me wonder if Gilligan is setting the table for how Walt will eventually fall--not due to his meth making operation but because of a careless mistake and possibly going to jail for tax evasion.

Meanwhile, Marie is back to her old habits. With Hank being emotionally abusive, Marie returns to her life of kleptomania crime, visiting open houses and taking on a different identity each time. She also takes something from each house and ends up getting caught when a realtor she duped at one open house is at another. Marie's breaking down at the thought of going home and back to Hank is telling as is his growing abuse of her. The argument over whether he asked her to get Fritos or Cheatos seems like it could be a case of Hank just trying to pull her strings so he can be alone again. Or to wallow in the self pity of no longer feeling useful. By episode's end, we see Hank become frustrated by watching city council meetings on cable and instead consider the notebook taken from Gale's apartment as evidence. It's probably only a matter of time before Hank puts two and two together and figures that Heisenberg is behind this.

On a random thought, I wonder if Gus is setting up Walt as a fall guy should the super lab ever come to light. Given how thorough Gus is, that could be the case.

Meanwhile, Jesse continues to fall apart, even reaching out to Walt to go hang out. Given how up and down their partnership has been, this is extremely telling. I have a feeling Jesse hasn't even bottomed out yet. It's interesting to see Walt try to briefly reach out to Jesse after realizing that maybe Jesse is struggling after killing Gale. Again, it's someone coming into Walt's orbit and being corrupted by his descent into criminal mastermind.

The season is heating up and getting more and more interesting with each passing week.

Labels: Breaking Bad, tv round-up

posted by Michael Hickerson at 8/02/2011 03:24:00 AM | |
Monday, June 06, 2011
TV Round-Up: Doctor Who -- A Good Man Goes To War

One of the problems with Internet rumors is that they can create false expectations for an episode. For example, last week I heard that as many as two other previous Doctors could turn up for a cameo in this week's mid-season finale. The story was backed up by the IMDB listing and while I didn't necessarily believe that it was the case (it was something too big to keep this far under wraps in the Internet age), I still held out some glimmer of hope the show might go and surprise me with that moment. I was ready for my inner Doctor Who fan boy to weep with delight.

And it never happened.

I've heard it may happen for the series six finale, but I don't think I'm going to buy into the rumor again. Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.

Even not buying into the rumor, there were still a lot of things about the mid-season finale that disappointed me. After last week's installment worked toward redeeming an uneventful and tepid first half of the story, I was hoping the series would get back on track with the type of mid-season cliffhanger and finale that Steven Moffat has been out there talking about since news of the split season was first announced. And that's where I think a lot of the issues with this story arise--it's simply been oversold on the expectation meter since the closing moments of series five. Moffat has told us time and again that we're all going to be picking up our jaws off the floor when the mid-season finale hits and we finally get the revelation of who River Song really is.

The problem is you have to make good on that promise and, at least upon the first two viewings of "A Good Man Goes To War," the episode itself didn't really live up to the hype. Part of it was that I'd guessed River's identity long ago and was secretly hoping they wouldn't go in this direction. The other was that while I like the new series, I'm not a huge fan of episodes that make the Doctor out to be some kind of inter-galactic super hero. One of the hallmarks of the old show was that the Doctor came in, corrected a wrong and then left again in the TARDIS will very little fanfare or accolades. At most, it was a warm handshake and a quick goodbye, except maybe in the case of the Daleks. In that case, I understood why they feared the Doctor since he'd defeated so many of their more audacious schemes in the past and seemed to constantly show up at just the right time to throw a sonic screwdriver into their well-laid plans.

The first fifteen or so minutes of "Good Man" spend a lot of time playing on the Doctor's reputation and showing him calling in favors. And while it's nice to see a bit, it also felt a bit disconnected from a lot of the series as a whole. Oh look, we're bringing in Cybermen, Sontarans and Silurians it seems to say. Look at how clever these callbacks are. Problem is these are callbacks to characters we haven't met before and so they lack the punch they could or should have.

Then the Doctor shows up and easily defeats the forces of evil who had kidnapped Amy and her daughter. But it's too easy and turns out to be a trap for the Doctor. The revelation that Amy and Rory's daughter has become some kind of new breed of Time Lord due to extended exposure to the time and space continuum, I can sort of buy. (I keep reminding myself that a certain segment of fandom hated "The Deadly Assassin" when it first aired because it threw hiccups into the mythology....and I can see where Moffat is trying to do the same thing here).

A lot of the issues I have with this is that it's the first of a two-part story and we're only given so many answers. If we were given everything, there would be little reason to tune back in when the second half of the season kicks off later this year. But I still feel that the episode sold a lot of things really short. Again, a lot of this could be the hype, but I think a lot of it is the essential weakness of making the Doctor into some kind of inter-galactic hero.

That doesn't mean I don't hold out hope. Having River point out how far off course the Doctor has gone certainly feels like the show trying to pull back a bit. If the show is trying to get back to its roots, this is a good step in the right direction in my book.

And I still did like isolated moments in the story. Arthur Darvill is rapidly becoming this season's MVP and his performance here is another solid one. His barely constrained anger and determination to find his wife and child drove the first half of the episode and the reunion of the family on the station was one of the more effective moments in the story. In many ways, Rory has become far more compelling this year than Amy has.

In "A Good Man Goes To War" we have a lot interesting pieces and isolated moments. The problem is that they don't quite all add up in the same way Moffat stories have in the past. I think a lot of this is huge expectations placed on the story by Moffat in both where the storylines came together and in the hype surrounding the show. I'm still intrigued enough to come back in the fall when the show returns (oh, who am I kidding...I'd be back no matter what!), but I have to admit my enthusiasm is a bit tempered.

I'll probably be in the minority on thinking this way, but for now, color my a bit underwhelmed.

Labels: Doctor who, tv round-up

posted by Michael Hickerson at 6/06/2011 11:34:00 AM | |
Saturday, April 30, 2011
TV Round-Up: Doctor Who, "Day of the Moon"

Reviewed by: Michael Hickerson (Slice of SciFi Editor)

If "The Impossible Astronaut" was all set-up, then "Day of the Moon" should have been mostly pay-off. And, for the most part, it was. Except for the fact that watching this two part opener to series six, I couldn't shake the feeling I used to get during Lost and The X-Files--namely that we were answering one question only to replace it with six or eight more.

At this point, I still have faith in Steven Moffat to deliver the answers. But I still have a bad feeling no matter what answer we get to the puzzle that is River Song, it won't be nearly as satisfying or as interesting as many of us have speculated and dreamed up on our own. (Or worse yet, it won't jive with what we've dreamed up and we'll take it out on the show in a backlash).

But, for now, I'm mostly satisfied.

"Day of the Moon" was a less frantic episode than we saw last week. Last week was all atmosphere and exposition. This week was trying to be about resolution, but it still seemed to be missing some of the atmosphere that we had last week.

That's not to say it was terrible. It just wasn't quite what I expected.

The Doctor discovers that the Silence aren't invading Earth, but they've been here the entire time. They've been out there, manipulating human history...but for what reason? We find out they want and need a space suit and send humanity to the moon, but we don't really see why. Was it somehow the Doctor manipulating them into doing this so he could expose them? Or are the Silence trying to expand their empire across time and space?

And has the Doctor made some kind of new, profound enemy that will haunt him across the season? It certainly seems like we aren't done with the Silence.

I did like the way in which Moffat pulled in pieces from the past to show the Silence have been with the show all during the Matt Smith era. We had the blatant foreshadowing from "The Eleventh Hour" referenced, but we also saw how the word Silence has been mentioned. Add in that last year's "The Lodger" saw a Silence control console in the upper room and it's clear that the Doctor has been a thorn in the side of the Silence for some time now--he probably just wasn't aware of who or what he was battling.

We're still left with a lot of pieces that don't quite fit yet. Again, back to my X-Files comparison, it's frustrating to have an episode that sets up some potentially long-term, game-changing threads for the series only to have the show try and go back to some jolly adventure next week. If you watched The X-Files as it unfolded, you may recall that some of the most frustrating episodes were those right after the mythology stories. But, given how we saw the series has been putting building blocks into place since Smith took over, I'm willing to give the show the benefit of the doubt that even the standalone stories won't be too standalone in the grand scheme of things.

I also have to wonder if somehow history has been changed for various characters. I refer specifically to the River's kiss of the Doctor and her statements following it and the question of whether or not Amy is really pregnant. It feels like we have two realities unfolding here and that we could create some kind of time paradox. I have a feeling this is more the case with River and it makes me wonder if the terrible day she refers to in the future is part of her memories and the Doctor's memories coming together and not meshing. It they're passing at different points in their timeline, then at some point there has to be a middle..and I have a feeling that middle or crossroads will be the dark day River has referenced several times.

When it all comes down to it, I was hoping for more definitive answers than we got. And while I'm sure that Moffat has a plan for this season and beyond, I hope it does't take too long to get to those answers.

A couple of quick, random points.

• Kind of implied that the Doctor creates the Watergate tapes. Nice nod.
• I'm willing to accept that the TARDIS can jaunt all over and reach specific points in time and space as needed because River was there. Using it to shuttle Nixon around was nicely done.
• Anyone think the Doctor was being shut inside another Pandorica as Canton was building the box? And whose idea was it? Surely the Doctor must have given it to him since I can't imagine Canton would know the type of material to use to shut out the universe.
• Back to last week's story. In 1969, was Star Trek a big enough show or in the public mind enough for the doomed woman to reference it on seeing the Silence?
• Hopefully we can bury the Rory jealousy thread for good.
• Moffat is good at creating monsters that are like waking nightmares. However, at times the Silence felt a bit like a combination of greatest hits of various other monsters he's used in previous scripts.
• I did like how the Silence were defeated by exposing them via the moon landing broadcast. That just seems Doctor-like.
  
• I did wonder how the Silence got into the TARDIS and if it might still be there. I'm assuming it's not but it could be a thread and threat for later this season.
  

Labels: Doctor who, tv round-up

posted by Michael Hickerson at 4/30/2011 09:10:00 PM | |
Monday, April 25, 2011
TV Round-Up: Game of Thrones -- The Kingsroad

Let's start at the beginning--how cool are the opening credits for Game of Thrones? In a day and age when credits and theme songs are being cut to make room for more commercials, it's nice to know that at least on HBO we can have an opening title sequence that not only features a well done theme song, but also offers some clues to what's coming up in the episode. No, it's not snippets of what's to come in the hour as we saw with Battlestar Galactica. Instead, it's the map of Westeros showing us where much of the dramatic action will center that week.

This week, the story is split between the Wall, King's Landing, Winterfell and the land to the East. If last week's story was about getting us to dive into this world, this week's was about getting our bearings a bit and building up many of the characters we met last week.

Watching the story unfold, it's hard to not read too much into certain things, especially in light of having read the first two novels in this series. I think a lot of this is my adding shades of meaning and foreshadowing to certain lines and moments simply based on my knowledge of what's to come for certain characters and how their fates will play out (if the series remains as faithful to the books as these first two episodes have). It leads me to believe that Thrones could be one of those series that is rewarding to watch multiple times in order to pick up clues and hints once the audience has an idea of the bigger tapestry at work.

As Eddard reluctantly leaves Winterfell to assume his role as the King's Hand, Catelyn remains behind to care for Bran, who is unconscious after being shoved out of the tower last week by Jamie Lannister. Bran saw Jamie and his twin sister, who is also the queen, Cersei in a compromising position. One early scene finds the two discussing his fate and saying how it would be more merciful if Bran were to die instead of being crippled for life. As I said before, this is one of those scenes that takes on more meaning for the audience than some characters involved. Seeing Cersei go to Catelyn to offer comfort, the audience has to wonder if Cersei hasn't gone to try and end Bran's life or to determine how such a thing should be done. It doesn't help that an assassin shows up later to do just that, only stopped by Catelyn and Bran's direwolf.

It's interesting that one direwolf should save the family only to see that one has to be put down by the family as the episode concludes. Arrya is giving a sword by Jon Snow and is training with the butcher's boy. Joffrey comes across them and challenges the boy to duel. The scene shows the cruelty and arrogance of Joffrey, as well as his sense of entitlement. His arrogance catches up with him when Arrya defends her friend and her direwolf becomes involved. Joffrey is humiliated and Arrya flings his sword into the river. Joff covers it up to his mother and the king and Sansa doesn't help things. It's clear to see that Sansa is torn in her loyalties here, but she ends up siding with Joffrey and losing her direwolf in the bargain. (And having just finished up Clash of Kings over the weekend, this scene took on even greater nuances if you know where the Sansa/Joffrey storyline is headed).

At the center of this is Ned, trying to come to terms with his new role as the King's Hand and his love for his family. Ned and Robert sitting under the trees discussing their conquests and days at war was one of the highlight as the episode, as was the warning that war is coming. Ned quickly dismisses the threat of the Targaryens and the Dothraki alliance, saying that the alliance doesn't have the ships to make it to King's Landing much less begin to overthrow Robert. As the episode unfolds, you begin to get the feeling that Robert may have been the wrong man for the job as king.

Meanwhile, across the sea, Daenerys is coming to terms with what marriage to Drago really means. Watching her ask her maid for help in learning how to please Drago and not be taken so brutally was nicely done. Again, I think Emlia Clarke is one of the great assets the series has and she shows it here.

And all that doesn't even begin to get into getting our first real glimpse of the Wall. And it looks as spectacular as we all hoped it would.

The second week of the show may be even stronger than the first. While we're still getting a good deal of exposition, there's still enough rewards here to keep things interesting. I was amazed at how quickly the hour went by watching the latest installment.

It's hard to say which I enjoyed more--this episode or the return of Doctor Who. Both were solid and each can make their claim as one of the best things I saw last week.

Labels: game of thrones, tv round-up

posted by Michael Hickerson at 4/25/2011 03:40:00 AM | |
Sunday, April 24, 2011
TV Round-Up: Doctor Who, "The Impossible Astronaut"
Seven years ago, I was really, really excited about the return of Doctor Who. As a long-time fan, I'd endured the wilderness years when being a Doctor Who fan wasn't necessarily cool, when merchandise was hard to find and every year on April 1, we got that inevitable the show is coming back thread cropping up. So, when news came that Doctor Who was returning in the spring of 2005, I was excited but skeptical. Finally, my skepticism was put to rest that Easter weekend in 2005 when the new series debuted and a new era of Doctor Who was born.

Seven years later, I was even more excited for the sixth series premiere of the revived Doctor Who. After a stellar season first series under the guidance of Steven Moffat and the acting of Matt Smith, I was eager to see where things would go next. Each rumor I heard, each preview sent tingles down my spine in a way that hasn't happened since season twenty-five of the classic series.

Add in that the series featured a two-part opener filmed in America and that the United States was getting the episodes on the same day as the U.K., and my expectations for series six in general and "The Impossible Astronaut" in particular were enormously high.

But were they too high? Could one episode live up to all of that hype in mind? Could Steven Moffat deliver again?

Thankfully, the answer so far is, yes, yes he can.

If you haven't seen the episode yet, here's where the heavy SPOILERS are going to start. And as with all Moffat penned stories, the twists and turns are better if you go in completely unaware of them. Just let the episode wash over you and enjoy it.

That's what I did.

Once again, Moffat's script is intent on playing with the notion that Doctor Who is a show about time travel. And while it could seem that Moffat falling back on old strengths, it's interesting that each story he's done investigating how time travel impacts the Doctor and those he comes into contact with has kept raising the stakes. Last year, the nature of time travel was used to save the entire universe. This time around, it's more personal with the Doctor killed in the opening ten minutes and Amy, Rory and River left to pick up the pieces. The Doctor has apparently sent invitations to several of those involved in creating the scenario in which someone in an astronaut suit will gun him down and then shoot him again mid-regeneration. But what led to this and why? And what is the Doctor up to with sending warnings and setting up this scenario? Is he trying to avoid the situation or is he creating it?

Moffat's script doesn't try to answer these questions just yet, but I have a feeling that even beyond the resolution in next week's story of this plotline, these questions will continue to inform series six. Also, the line of the Doctor running harder than he ever has is interesting. What is trying to catch up to him? Is it part of the silence falling that we heard about last year, but was left unresolved? Is it part of the cracks in time from last year?

But back to the specifics of this episode.

Moffat has been a writer who can create monsters that are creepy and unsettling. We've got the Weeping Angels as well as the gas mask children from series one. This time out, the monsters are something that are recognized when see but quickly fade from memory when not in view. They're encountered at various points in the story by everyone but the Doctor.

After assembling the old team, the Doctor and company head to 1969 and a mysterious call that President Nixon is getting each night from a child. The child is asking for help from the astronaut man. The Doctor inserts himself into the situation and begins to figure out what the calls mean and where they're coming from. The leads to Florida, where the same person in a spacesuit shows up again as do the mysterious creatures. Amy and River are trying to figure out if they should be working to make sure the Doctor doesn't die in the future they saw and its implications. Amy takes matters into her own hands when the astronaut suit reappears, leading to a cliffhanger than has be on the edge of my seat for next week.

As a story, "The Impossible Astronaut" is all about set-up. It dripped with atmosphere, tension and solid work from the leads. But to judge it fully, we'll have to wait until next week when Moffat begins to give us some answers and knock over the chess pieces he's put into play. I can't wait...

Labels: Doctor who, tv round-up

posted by Michael Hickerson at 4/24/2011 07:24:00 PM | |
Wednesday, December 01, 2010
Christmas Special Round-Up: Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer
Growing up, "Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer" was never one of my favorite Christmas specials. I was fascinated by it on a technical level (I clearly recall asking my dad how long it took to animate the stop motion animation for the story), but on the whole I have to admit it wasn't in the upper pantheon of specials like "The Grinch" or "Charlie Brown" or even the not-often shown "Night Before Christmas."

So, it'd been a few years since I'd sat down to watch "Rudolph." Quite a few, actually. I'd say probably close to a decade or so.

So when presented with the choice of "Rudolph" or "The Grinch" last night, I decided to give "Rudolph" another look.

And I came away with the same feeling I did growing up. It's a good, but not great special. Again, on the technical achievement side of things, it's amazing. But on the whole, the special really overstays its welcome. The story works well when it sticks to the story of the song. And I even kind of like Hermie the Elf who wants to be a dentist. But it's really once Rudolph is mocked for his nose and becomes a hermit that things go a bit awry. For some reason, I recall the Abominable being scary as a young viewer (probably four or five at the time) and that may be part of what put me off on the special all these years.

Looking at it with older eyes, I honestly feel like the whole Abominable pursuit isn't the strong point of the story, though it does get us to the Island of Misfit Toys. And yet it feels as though that segment has lost something thanks in large part to Pixar's magnificent "Toy Story" trilogy. I kept thinking of all the mutant toys in Sid's bedroom from the first installment during the entire Misfit Toy segment last night.

Part of it is that lack of really memorable songs in the special. The two big ones, "Holly Jolly Christmas" and the title song don't come until late in the special and I clearly recall as a younger viewer, being anxious as to when we'd hear the famous title song. "Silver and Gold" is OK, but the rest aren't all that exciting.

I don't want to say that "Rudolph" is a bad Christmas special. There are clearly ones that are far worse out there. However, on the whole, it's not quite as great as others. It's fun to watch again every once in a while, but I don't think it will make my annual viewing rotation like other specials and movies. At least until I have kids of my own and get to watch it with them....

Labels: Christmas, tv round-up

posted by Michael Hickerson at 12/01/2010 03:34:00 PM | |
Sunday, October 03, 2010
TV Round-Up
The new fall season is upon us and I've been tuning in to some old favorites and trying out some of the new stuff. A few comments on some of what I've seen.

The Event
This show desperately wants to fill the void for serialized, mystery-driven drama left by "Lost." But the one thing "Lost" had in its favor was that it had interesting characters and while I had my favorites, I was still curious enough to tune in each week to find out more about them. So far, I've not felt any connection to any of the characters on this show. As for the mystery-element, it seems to have borrowed a lot of elements from a lot of other shows--there's a conspiracy story along the lines of "X-Files," there's weird stuff happening along the lines of "Fringe" and there's the everyman caught up in events beyond his control similar to "24." And, so far, it has yet to really engage me in any significant way. I'm not sure telling us that the main hero's fiancee is still alive is the best way to go since it removes that level of mystery.

The first installment ended on a fascinating cliffhanger that really compelled me to want to see episode two. But nothing in episode two left me eager for the third installment. I will still probably tune in and give it another chance or two, but I'm still a bit frustrated by it. I think part of it is that we still have no idea what this "event" is just yet. So far, it's been lots of talking about things in vague pronouns. Even by three episodes in, at least "Heroes" had some idea of where things were headed....oh sure, it fell apart by the end of season one.

No Ordinary Family
As a big fan of Michael Chicklis from "The Shield," I was looking forward to this one. I knew it wouldn't be a gritty drama along the lines of that show, but I still found the first episode a lot of fun. The show remembered that people having powers is fun. Watching each family member discover what he or she can do worked well and there's enough of a sense of a bigger picture unfolding that I'll give this one a long-term shot.

Lonestar
So, I watched the first episode and was intrigued. And then it tanked in the ratings and I've got episode two on the DVR and wondering--should I bother? It will never be completed and it's likely we'll never see any more episodes. Should I just let the pilot sit as a noble experiment and an hour I enjoyed or should I watch the second installment? I can't quite decide.

Terriers
Possibly my favorite new show of the fall. If you haven't seen it, the first three episodes are On Demand from Comcast and worth the time. It's not doing as well as some other FX shows, so please watch. I want more of this one.

Chuck
I've heard several critics pointing out that this season is probably the last for "Chuck" and so I've just decided to go for the ride and enjoy it. It's a victory lap for the show and whatever else you can say about Jay Leno in primetime, it at least gave us at least 19 extra episodes of "Chuck." I like how the show has embraced the Chuck and Sarah relationship, how they've put Chuck back into everyone knows, but he is still leading a double life and how the Buy More has been integrated into things this year. Sure there may be better shows on TV, but there are few that are this much fun. I have a feeling this is one that people will discover on DVD and go, "Why didn't I watch it when it was on." You can thank me then...

Labels: Chuck, tv round-up

posted by Michael Hickerson at 10/03/2010 07:49:00 PM | |