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Tube Talk:
Fall television round-up…
After enduing three straight months of celebrity and gossip columns abuzz with the unveiling of the new fall television line-up, we’ve finally come to that time of the year where all bets are on for which shows will rise, and which shows will fail fantastically like Paris Hilton’s singing career. Now that the pilots have been aired, which ones will have the lasting power to reverberate? Let’s take a look at the best, and worst, that this season has to offer.(Warning: Pilot spoilers up ahead.)
“Heroes” (NBC, Mondays 9:00-10:00 PM)
When a show begins with a less than thrilling black screen full of text, there’s no way to go but up. And thankfully, “Heroes” does get better with each passing minute, even when those minutes sometimes feature Milo Ventimiglia’s blank stare. What starts off as a small-screen retread of “X-Men” is spun into an hour of suspense, mystery, and intrigue. “Heroes” is one of those concepts were the idea looks worse on paper than the actual execution. What differentiates this from other superhero television shows is the time allotment for character development, which builds a strong foundation for future plot lines.
As the introductory pilot unravels and the main idea is set, we meet most of the main undiscovered heroes in various stages of discovery. Claire Bennet (Hayden Panettiere) is a popular cheerleader who can regenerate herself mere seconds after a wound. Fascination and trepidation set in as Claire attempts astounding feats in order to convince herself that she’s not your average perky blonde pep rally staple. And after watching various clips of the insipid Bring It On: All Or Nothing, I’m happy to report that my assumption that Panettiere would be the weakest link in the ensemble cast is unfounded. Peter Petrelli (here as a greasy-haired yet earnest Milo Ventimiglia, who some might recognize as a “Gilmore Girls” cast-off and Rocky Balboa’s son) is a nurse and perpetual nice guy who lusts after a patient’s daughter and suspects that he can fly. Adding to his complicated storyline is a brother in politics (Nathan, played by the little-seen or remembered “Mysterious Ways” star Adrian Pasdar) and a damaged mother who sometimes yields to compulsions of shoplifting. Isaac Mendez (Santiago Cabrera) is a tortured, substance-abusing painter and boyfriend to Peter’s crush. Isaac uses his awesome powers of art to paint pictures of events that have yet to happen, and then totally freaks out when he realizes that he can predict the future. Niki Sanders (played by an underrated Ali Larter) is your average Internet porn star who supports her precocious and long-suffering son by charging strangers $39 a pop to see her grinding on a bed. According to the writers, she likes to do this accompanied by a soundtrack of The Gadjits’ “Mustang Sally,” and mighty early in the morning too, considering her son has yet to go to school. I guess a pervert waits for no one. Niki’s powers are harder to discern, but become clearer in the last act of the show. Hiro Nakamura (played by a very cute Masi Oka) is a Japanese worker drone who fills his time fantasizing about bending the time/space continuum like a character from “Star Trek.” All this fantasizing is not for naught when Hiro learns that he can manipulate time and teletransport by closing his eyes and thinking really, really hard. Filling in the role of Professor Xavier to this rag-tag team of superheroes is Mohinder Suresh (played by a very easy-on-the-eyes Sendhil Ramamurthy), whose brilliant but crazy father dies under mysterious consequences. Mohinder is similarly brilliant but crazy, and flies from India to New York to finish his father’s research and occasionally drive cabs, as brilliant but crazy characters are wont to do. Apparently, in between dodging shady conspirators, studying his father’s world map pinpointing locations of people with extraordinary powers, and fighting jet lag, Mohinder has had time to learn how to navigate the streets of New York without the aid of a map.
While the first act of the pilot strives to set up the character’s circumstances, the second picks up considerably as each future hero grapples with his or her power. Claire worries about being regarded as a “freak,” while her cute emo sidekick thinks she’s swell just the way she is. Peter keeps having dreams about his ability to fly, and in an act that defies all of his nice guy sensibilities, forces his older brother to realize his own powers. Isaac, probably the least compelling character thus far, goes a little psycho and overdoses on drugs. Niki gets into a little trouble with some pony-tailed bad guys looking to collect on a loan, blacks out, and wakes up to find them gruesomely dead. Hiro wills himself to New York and is ecstatic. And Mohinder spends most of his time talking about the wonder and potential of the human body while dodging a shifty man who wears thick-rimmed glasses (and who we find out, in a twist not all too surprising, is Claire’s adoptive father).
And with that, “Heroes” sets the bar for one of the best debuts of the fall. Written with gripping characters, mysterious “Lost”-like intrigue, and a Hiro, the show has the right mix of character development and action, while the cheese factor is kept to a minimum by forgoing a dependency on special effects. Don’t expect to see any tights or capes any time soon.
“Ugly Betty” (ABC, Thursdays 8:00-9:00 PM)
I really had low expectations for this show, but it turned out much better than I could have envisioned. Part of the charm comes from the casting of America Ferrera, a likeable actress who, through an unflattering haircut, unfortunate glasses, and braces, can still manage to steal every scene she’s in. It’s hard to imagine that someone would cast a lead of a television show that is actually interesting, cute, and talented (I’m looking at you, “Grey’s Anatomy”), but Salma Hayek, as executive producer, found a rising star in Ferrera (I’m looking at you, Jennifer Lopez, and your horrible “South Beach,” which incidentally also starred Vanessa L. Williams). Part of the other charm is “Ugly Betty”’s unabashed nod to telenovela campiness, which comes in the form of a nefarious season-long subplot.
Betty Suarez (Ferrera, previously seen in Real Women Have Curves and Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants) is a dorky, unfashionable college grad who dreams of working in the magazine business. When MODE uber-bitch editor Fey Sommers, who is not unlike Anna Wintour, is killed in a freak car accident, morally ambiguous publishing mogul Bradford Meade (“The O.C.”’s Alan Dale) taps his womanizing son, Daniel Meade (Eric Mabius, previously also seen on “The O.C.”), to run the magazine. Bradford obviously doesn’t believe in his son and, in a far stretch from logic, decides to solve this by hiring Betty so that Daniel won’t be tempted to sleep with his assistant. How this will ensure that Daniel can still run a successful fashion magazine with no previous experience in the publishing business is unclear, but if it serves to land Betty a job, I’m not complaining. Unfortunately, Daniel’s nepotism pisses off Wilhemina Slater (Vanessa L. Williams), MODE’s creator/director, who is lined up for the position. Needless to say, Wilhemina is one of the main villains here, as she tries to undermine Daniel and Betty at every turn. Doing most of Wilhemina’s bidding is her sycophantic assistant Marc (Michael Urie). Also evil but slightly less-threatening is slutty receptionist Amanda (Becki Newton, who’s had guest starring roles on “Charmed” and “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”), who really, really wants Betty’s job.
“Ugly Betty” is a perfect blend of campy situational comedy and heartwarming fun. The pilot features hilarious cameos from Salma Hayek (which should clear up what a “telenovela” essentially is) and Gina Gershon as a Donatella Versace clone who once drove her SUV into a crowd. In the home front, we are introduced to Betty’s supportive yet utterly clueless family, which includes sister Hilda (the hilarious and feisty Ana Ortiz, previously seen on “Boston Legal”), father Ignacio (“24”’s Tony Plana), and nephew Justin (Mark Indelicato), who knows a little too much about fashion for us to see where this is going.
There is little lack of stellar performances, especially from Ferrera and Mabius, who plays Daniel’s man ho character a lot more sympathetically than we’d expect. And, perhaps because he’s spent a season on “The L-Word” as a lesbian’s jilted lover or on “The O.C.” as a shady dean who robs the cradle by dating a student, Mobius has yearned for a chance to get some no-strings-attached play. The chemistry between Ferrera and Mabius is superb. Williams’ Wilhemina is the quintessential bitch who, it is implied, will team up with the not-so-dead Sommers to take over the magazine, and does the best that she can do considering that she often engages in over-the-top scenes with Sommer’s barely breathing corpse, which is holed up in a room of her house. It goes without saying that Marc and Sommers’ corpse are one of the most annoying characters here, but thankfully they’re relegated to the back most of the time.
Admittedly, “Ugly Betty” can veer off into the saccharine or sitcom conventional to really break any barriers, but the pilot looks promising and already has more heart than most of the new fall shows going for it. Its lasting power should propel it well into a second season.
“Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip” (NBC, Mondays 10:00-11:00 PM)
When you’ve got Aaron Sorkin as a writer and creator, you know you’re in for some of the most rapid-paced dialogues in the history of television pilots. And “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip” is no exception when it comes to snappy dialogue and understated humour.
The first act of the show is a rather slow set-up for the eventual appearance of the main cast. “Studio 60,” a thinly veiled rip on a “Saturday Night Live”-type variety show, is getting set for another live broadcast (with cameos from the show’s guests, Felicity Huffman and Three 6 Mafia). At the start of a skit, executive producer Wes Mendell (Judd Hirsch) has a telegraphed meltdown about the state of television, which begins with bashing his own show. Unfortunately, his rant is broadcast live, and the network isn’t too happy. Enter Jordan McDeere (the manly but attractive Amanda Peet), the new president of the fictional NBS network, and her boss, Jack Rudolph (Stephen Webber, as smarmy as ever). Jordan has a lot to prove, and this is her first test as the new head of the network. First order of business: fire Wes and hire new show producers.
This is where we are first introduced to Danny Tripp (“The West Wing”’s Bradley Whitford) and Matt Albie (“Friends” alumni Matthew Perry), a writing/directing duo who were fired from “Studio 60” four years prior to the show’s meltdown. Danny is a recovering drug addict who has recently had a relapse and can’t get financial backing as a result. Matt is neurotic, damaged, and probably manic-depressive but a genius writer. The rapport between Danny and Matt is enough to fill its own hour, and Perry is far from the Chandler that we’ve come to expect (outside of the sarcastic jabs that Perry does so well). The pair is reluctant to return, especially since being fired by Jack, but Jordan is savvy and convincing enough to lure them back.
Further complicating Matt’s life is his ex-girlfriend, Harriet Hayes (Sarah Paulson), who happens to be a principal actress on “Studio 60.” A devout Christian, we find out that their break-up had less to do with "The Star Spangled Banner" and more to do with her decision to appear on “The 700 Club” to promote her new spiritual album. We are privy to the couple’s differing ideologies when we find out that Matt once wrote an axed skit called “Crazy Christians.” We also briefly meet the other two cast members who, along with Harriet, comprise the most respected and featured players on “Studio 60” (or “the Big Three,” as Jordan explains to us): Simon Stiles (comedian D. L. Hughley) and Tom Jeter (Nathan Corddry). There’s also unassuming and mild-mannered Cal Shanley (Timothy Busfield), the control-room director of the show.
The highlights of the “Studio 60” pilot don’t come from the behind-the-scenes glimpses of network machinations, but rather the performances. Jordan is tough but nice, which makes her almost too good to be true, but a great foil to Jack’s network suit shtick. Whitford and Perry also make a great pairing, much like an aged steak and fine wine. By the end of the well-paced pilot, characters are established and everything can lurch forward in usual Sorkin fashion.
[ From "The Class" to "Smith." Part II of the review. ]