ABC
Black-ish: Serious Questions Asked with Humor
Black-ish deals with serious
questions of assimilation and race – but does so in the format of a
family-friendly comedy.
Andre “Dre” Johnson has made it.
A loving husband and proud father of four, Dre is also a successful, well-to-do
advertising executive. But the African-American Dre is promoted to
vice-president of “urban marketing,” and his son goes out for field hockey
instead of basketball – then requests a bar mitzvah -- Dre worries that his children have lost touch with
their cultural identity. Andre's sensible physician wife Rainbow (herself of mixed
heritage) tries to protect their bewildered children from Dre’s sudden emphasis
on making the family “black, not black-ish.”
African-Americans assimilating to
wealth and fitting in to mainstream “white” culture has been a consistent theme
throughout the history of American television programming, from The Jeffersons to The Cosby Show to The Fresh
Prince of Bel-Air. Black-ish provides, if not a backlash, then a
counterbalance, asking the question, “While American blacks have gained
tremendously, what have they lost? And how do they regain their own unique
culture?” – concerns that the show’s co-creators Anthony Anderson and Laurence
Fishburne take seriously. But while the program addresses these questions in a
humorous fashion, Black-ish is also a
warm family sitcom that anyone can enjoy, from Dre’s over-the-top rants to the
grumpy responses of his elderly “Pop.” There
is little content of concern: “If I’m not really black, could someone please
tell my hair and my ass?” Rainbow says at one point; and when Dre tells his
son, “You need to hold onto your culture,” the 13 year old replies, “The only
thing I’m trying to hold on to is my first boob.” “You can’t be mad at him for
that,” Pop says.
For combining clean family humor
with a serious but gentle examination of race in America, Black-ish is definitely recommended for family viewing.
Black-ish premieres: Wednesday, September 24 at 9:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
Cristela is an Upbeat Sitcom for the Whole Family
Cristela is an Upbeat Sitcom for the Whole Family
Comedian Cristela Alonzo’s
self-titled sitcom brings the positive family sitcom back to TV.
After six years in law school, Cristela finally lands an upaid
internship at a prestigious law firm. But the sunny Latina must cope with
clueless and often biased co-workers at the firm, as well as deal with her
family at home: sister Daniela (who wants her to get a “real job”), grouchy
brother-in-law Felix (who is tired of Cristela’s freeloading), and mother
Natalia (who wants her to get married and have children).
At a Paley Center panel, the show’s creator and star, Cristela Alonzo,
stated that she was inspired by such past programs as Mary Tyler Moore, The Cosby Show, and Roseanne, to create a family
sitcom with a positive outlook. In this, she has definitely succeeded. In this
tremendously upbeat program, Cristela faces down her co-workers’ ignorance of
Latino life with humanity and humor, while at home she handles her family’s
attitudes with the same sunny yet sarcastic comedy. Devoid of sexual themes or
profanity, Cristela is another solid home run in ABC’s lineup of family
comedies.
Cristela premieres Friday,
October 10 at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
Selfie: "All I Want is a Tweet Somewhere..."
Selfie
tells a My Fair Lady story in today’s
social media-obsessed world.
Eliza Dooley is a woman obsessed
with becoming famous through the use of social media…until a sudden hit to her
online popularity makes her realize that she needs actual friends, not just
people she "friends" online. Eliza asks snobbish marketing guru Henry
Higenbottam to take on the challenge of transforming the shallow,
image-obsessed Eliza into a real human being. But Eliza’s journey may affect
the closed-off workaholic Henry and change in the process.
Loosely based on My Fair Lady
(note the characters’ names), Selfie contains
some risqué content which may concern parents. Describing her transformation
from “most butt” in high school to her current “fab” self, Eliza notes, “I blew
out my curls and pushed out the girls.” She has also been carrying on an affair
with a married co-worker, and later makes a casual reference to anal sex (“No
backdoor stuff”) to an appalled Henry. There is also little appeal in a show
about a vapid narcissist and a hyper-critical workaholic; who exactly are
audiences supposed to be rooting for? Finally, it is difficult to see how the
show’s premise can be sustained for an entire season…let alone how long viewers
will be able to tolerate non-stop dialogue like, “OMG! I was totally LOL’ing.
Hashtag loser!”
Selfie premieres Tuesday, September 30 at 8:00 p.m. ET on ABC.
Manhattan Love Story: Unlikeable People Thinking Nasty Thoughts
Manhattan Love Story: Unlikeable People Thinking Nasty Thoughts
In Manhattan Love Story, viewers hear the lead characters’ thoughts –
but they’re not worth thinking about.
This series follows the budding relationship of a new couple, snarky Peter
and naïve Dana, by “exposing their unfiltered internal monologues” (letting
viewers hear what the characters are thinking).
In the first moments of the first
episode, Peter walks down the street, leering at every woman as he does so.
Viewers hear his thoughts: “Yep. Yep. No way. I think I already did. I don’t
remember her name. Oh God, please don’t recognize me. Yes. Yes!” (Sees the
woman is pregnant.) “I dunno. Probably.” (Camera zooms in on the woman’s
breasts.) “YES!”
During Peter and Dana’s first date, the following dialogue – both
thought and spoken – occurs:
Peter (thinking): “Totally going back to my place. Oh God, did I leave
porn lying around?”
Dana (thinking): “Might go back to his place. Wait, did I shave my
legs?”
Dana talks about her day.
Peter (thinking): “Nice rack.”
Dana (thinking): “Does he really think I can’t tell he’s staring at my
breasts?”
Dana (aloud): “HEY!”
Peter (aloud): “Oh. Um. Sorry, I was just…”
Dana (aloud): “Checking out my boobs.”
Dana starts crying.
Peter (thinking): “Holy sh(bleep)!”
Dana (thinking): “Holy sh(bleep)!”
Producer Jeff Lowell: “We want to establish that men and women think
about things differently. He’s into
boobs, she likes purses and cries all the time.” That sleazy, sexist
sentiment pretty much says it all about Manhattan
Love Story.
The notion of “hearing people’s
thoughts” may have seemed clever to the show’s creators, but it is a device
which works much better in print than in a video medium. It also doesn’t help
that the thoughts we do get to hear are so despicably sexist and sex-obsessed –
in addition to most of Peter’s other thoughts consisting of the kind of
mean-spirited sarcasm that inhabitants of Manhattan and Hollywood types
consider “hip” and “ironic,” but which in fact are just plain nasty. With
unlikeable characters, sexist language, and a gimmick that will become tiresome
by the end of episode 2, there really is no reason to watch Manhattan Love Story.
Manhattan Love
Story premieres Tuesday, September 30 at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
Forever is a Fantasy-Flavored Crime Drama
Catching murderers is easier if
you can’t die.
New York City coroner Henry
Morgan has a secret: he can't die. (Or rather, he dies, but he doesn't stay dead – he revives immediately after
each “death.”) Henry has lived for over 200 years, and uses his lengthy life experience
to help recently-widowed police detective Jo Martinez solve cases, using his vast
knowledge and Sherlock-level powers of observation and deduction.
There was little content to
concern parents in the first episode of Forever.
Some of Henry’s “deaths” are a little gruesome, and as he is a coroner some
graphic views of corpses and dissections are shown (though not as graphic as
those typically seen in NCIS or CSI). With attractive leads and an
unusual concept, Forever may appeal to both mystery fans and those of the
fantasy genre.
Forever premieres Monday, September 22 at 10 p.m. ET on ABC.
NBC
Marry Me: Rapid-fire,
Mean-spirited Dialogue -- and Profanity
The “romantic comedy” Marry Me has no genuine warmth or realistic dialogue…but does
contain insults and profanity galore.
Stoic Jake and drama-queen Annie have been dating
for years, but have never married. On their sixth anniversary as a couple,
Annie explodes in a lengthy tirade about Jake’s unwillingness to commit, during
which she insults his family and all his friends, unaware that Jake is on his
knee ready to propose that very moment – and that his family and all their
friends are in the room. Later, Annie tries to redeem herself by proposing to
Jake at his workplace, thus causing him to lose his job. The two decide to hold
off on their engagement until they can figure out exactly where they are as a
couple – thus setting the stage for the series, which will explore their long,
awkward, and very bumpy ride on the way to the altar…assuming
they get there.
Once again demonstrating that the adage “write what
you know” rules Hollywood, Marry Me
is loosely based on the courtship of the show’s creator David Caspe (previously
producer of the sitcom Happy Endings)
and its star, Casey Wilson. The major difference separating Marry Me from a hundred other
relationship comedies is the show’s allegedly clever writing, delivered at the
speed of sound – a mixture of emotional diatribe, obscure allusion, and mean-spirited
insult which results in dialogue totally unlike anything spoken by any real human
being in the entire history of the universe, ever. The show’s nasty tone is
demonstrated by the following exchange between Annie and Jake’s mother (who,
during her tirade, Annie called a “bitch”):
Annie: “I only called you that because the easiest
way to hurt a guy is to go after his mother. That’s the way I fight.”
mother: “I admire your strategy. That’s the way I
always used to fight with Jake’s father. Though we were bitterly divorced and
he died, I regret nothing.”
Other typical dialogue includes lines like, “You’re
like my little exploding Challenger” and “We can’t get away from each other,
like Paula Deen and the n-word,” and references to erections, sperm, urine, masturbation,
and venereal disease. Profanity is also frequent, with the f-word used
liberally, along with “s***,” “bitch,” “bastard,” “ass,” “titties,” and many
others. During a Paley Center panel, Caspe confessed that “there will have to
be LOTS of bleeps when it airs,” and boasted about the show’s “super-messy,
dark, drag-out crazy fights” between Jake and Annie, admitting he wants the show
to be “funny and uncomfortable at the same time.”
There is little doubt that Marry Me will be praised by other Hollywood writers and so-called
TV critics for its “edgy” writing and supposedly “subversive” (read: smutty, mean-spirited,
and inappropriate) humor; but most viewers at home will likely find the show’s
nastiness, lack of realistic language, and smug tendency to pat itself on the
back off-putting. Totally inappropriate for children and unappealing to many
adults, Marry Me contains zero heart,
zero warmth, zero sincerity – and 1000% snark.
Marry Me premieres Tuesday,
October 14, at 9:00 p.m. on NBC.
A to Z is a
Bittersweet Romantic Comedy
Sincere and warm-hearted, this series tells the
story of a romance…from A to Z.
Andrew Lofland is a romantic at heart and a believer in
destiny – so much so, he works at an online dating service, where he can help
others find “the one.” Zelda Vasco is a hard-headed lawyer serious about her
career, and “destiny” is about the last thing she believes in. When Andrew
meets Zelda, he recalls seeing her at a party several years earlier, and
believes fate has reunited them and that they’re destined to be together. Zelda
is less sure -- but she’s willing to give love a chance.
A to Z is a romantic
comedy with little objectionable content, save for an occasional leering remark
by Andrew’s sex-crazed buddy Stu. This chronicle of totally different people
from totally different worlds, and how they make their relationship work -- or
don’t -- promises to be sincere, if bittersweet at the end, as the show’s
narration hints: “Andrew and Zelda will date for 8 months, 3 weeks, 5 days, and
1 hour. This program is the story of their relationship – A to Z.”
A to Z premieres
Thursday, October 2, at 9:30 p.m. ET on NBC.
Constantine:
Supernatural Shock, Horror, and Gore
Constantine
features levels of violence and horror that are hellish – literally.
John Constantine is a self-proclaimed “exorcist,
demonologist, and master of the dark arts.” Because of a botched exorcism,
during which the innocent soul of a nine-year-old girl was dragged off to Hell
by a demon, Constantine’s own soul is forfeit; yet John continues his reluctant
and resentful battle against evil to protect the innocent. Constantine is
joined in his fight by his indestructible colleague Chas, mysterious angel
Manny, and beautiful, naive psychic Liv, who is new to the world of the occult.
Based on DC Comics’ Hellblazer, Constantine
is essentially a cut-rate version of CW’s Supernatural
with a British accent. Demons, magical
spells, and bloody violence are par for the course: the first episode showed
John undergoing graphic electro-shock therapy; rotting, eyeless corpses
vomiting blood; demons literally dragging people off to Hell; bloody, scarred
zombies à la The Walking Dead;
and Chas being graphically impaled through the chest by a metal pole.
Constantine also throws around a fair amount of profanity, though much of it is
British slang like “bloody” and “bollocks.” While adult fans of the comic and
the supernatural horror genre may enjoy the show’s occult emphasis and gory
special effects, Constantine is not
recommended for younger teens or children.
Constantine premieres
Friday, October 24 at 10:00 p.m. ET on NBC.
The Mysteries of Laura: It’s a
Mystery, Alright…More or Less
Murder mystery? Romantic soap opera? Over-the-top family
sitcom? Gritty cop drama? The Mysteries
of Laura is all of these – but ends up being less than the sum of its
parts.
Laura Diamond is a tough, competent career
detective and the pride of her police precinct. But Laura must juggle her day
job with her home life as a single mom, including two bratty pre-school boys
who delight in wreaking havoc in the classroom, on the street, at home, and
everywhere else. Adding to Laura’s problems is her irresponsible, womanizing, soon-to-be
ex-husband Jake, for whom Laura still has feelings – and who has just been
appointed her new boss. The series will show Laura investigating a different
murder each week, while she tries to hold the chaos of her life together.
In addition to standard violence inherent in police
shows, The Mysteries of Laura features frequent profanity (“ass,” “bitch,”
“douchebag”) and sexual language (“diddling some skank,” “her ass was staring
me in the face”). The program also revels in showing Laura acting
inappropriately, like blackmailing a teacher to let her kids into preschool, or
lying to a parking valet to illegally search a suspect’s car (“I left my
underwear in my husband’s car, and I just got a Brazilian and I’m feeling
drafty”). Jake is the ultimate in irresponsible fathers, taking the kids for
pizza while Laura handles the discipline; while the boys engage in stunts like
urinating on one another in a public park.
Unlike this season’s new Fox show Red Band Society, in which shifts
between drama and comedy are deliberately calculated to tell a story about terminally
ill children without overwhelming viewers with despair, The Mysteries of Laura is a mélange of different genres without any
overriding purpose behind the mix…other than, perhaps, confusion on the part of
the show’s creative team. By giving viewers a lead character who is sobbing
about her divorce one minute, gunning down perps the next, and engaging in
wacky sitcom hijinks a minute later, The
Mysteries of Laura is completely unfocused. The result is similar to what
one would get if one dumped Hawaiian pizza, jalapeño peppers, pickled herring,
and tutti-frutti ice cream in a blender: the resulting concoction would be
creative, unusual, and definitely different…but it’s doubtful anyone would want
to drink it. As these disparate elements demonstrate, The Mysteries of Laura does contain many mysteries – but the
biggest mystery is what the show is trying to be.
The Mysteries of Laura
premieres Wednesday, September 17, at 10:00 p.m. ET on NBC.
FOX
Mulaney: Better than Seth MacFarlane
Mulaney: Better than Seth MacFarlane
Fox’s Mulaney
is a nearly perfect copy of Seinfeld –
except that it isn’t funny.
Stand-up comedian John Mulaney gets his “dream job”
writing for entertainment king Lou Cannon – only to discover Cannon is a
self-absorbed narcissist oblivious to common sense. Mulaney's support system
includes his roommates, personal trainer Jane and fellow comic Motif, and a
pair of wacky neighbors: gay guru Oscar and drug pusher Andre.
The first episode included references to Mulaney
lying to his doctor in order to get “drugged up enough for my job interview,”
and undergoing a prostate exam; Jane reading her ex-boyfriend’s emails and
stalking him; and Motif becoming famous for his constantly-repeated
catchphrase, “problem bitch.”
While during a Paley Center panel John Mulaney
claimed his program taps influences as diverse as the play Our Town, the 1950s TV program Sgt.
Bilko, and old-time radio comics like George Burns, Gracie Allen, and Jack
Benny, in another interview he admitted the show’s true point of departure: “We just watched Seinfeld and copied it.” Indeed, the program is a bare-faced
imitation of Seinfeld, down to the
friends-and-wacky-neighbors cast set-up, Mulaney’s struggles as a professional
comedian, and the program incorporating bits of Mulaney’s real-life stand-up
act. The only major difference is that Seinfeld
was funny. While Mulaney contains no
grossly offensive content (at least in the first episode), neither is it particularly
worth watching. Still, as a Sunday-night program on Fox, Mulaney is a welcome relief from Seth MacFarlane’s endless parade
of ultra-violent, sex-slathered cartoons.
Mulaney premieres Sunday,
October 5th at 9:30 p.m. ET on Fox.
Red Band Society Blends the Silly,
Serious, and Sublime
Mixing off-the-wall comedy, teen soap opera, and
serious drama, Red Band Society is the fall’s most challenging and unusual new
show.
The Critical Care ward of Los Angeles' Ocean Park
Hospital is home to a number of teens, each facing a life-threatening diagnosis,
from heart transplantation to cancer, to cystic fibrosis. Among the residents are thoughtful amputee
Leo; new kid Jordi, who becomes Leo’s roommate; hip rebel Dash; brooding
know-it-all Emma; snotty cheerleader Kara; and Charlie, who narrates the
program from within his coma. Trying to rein in the teens’ wild antics are
tough, “seen-it-all” Nurse Jackson, gentle intern Brittany, and top
pediatrician Dr. McAndrew.
Reminiscent of comedies from M*A*S*H, to John Hughes movies like The Breakfast Club, to Fox’s Glee,
Red Band Society shifts rapidly – often in the same scene – between wacky
comedy hijinks, emotional teenage soap opera, and serious drama literally
dealing with matters of life and death.
In some ways, this is the most family-friendly new
program of the entire fall season, dealing sensitively and honestly not only
with the drama of facing death, but with other typical teen concerns like
popularity, body image, eating disorders, and first love. For presenting an inspirational perspective on such
issues, as well as those of life and death, Red Band Society is to be
commended.
On the other hand, parents should be aware that the
teens are hardly well-behaved role models. Over the course of just the first
episode they steal a car, smoke cigarettes and marijuana, and lie about their
age to buy beer, and one adult character smokes pot from a bong. Language on
the show includes uses of “ass,” “bitch,” “balls,” and talk about “getting
laid.” In addition, some of the insults used by Kara and Emma are shocking for
their heartlessness and cruelty. When asked about the limits to which the
show can go in such scenes, series writer/producer Margaret Nagle exulted, “We’re
so fortunate we’re on Fox. Anytime we talked to the network, they say, ‘Can you
edge it up’? We think we have this happy, inspirational scene, and Fox says, ‘Make
the ending dark and twisted.’”
Producer Steven Spielberg
obviously intended this show to be heart-breakingly touching and inspirational;
Fox obviously hopes to recapture the teen demographic of The O.C. and Glee
. But to those of us old enough to have seen The Breakfast Club (or any other John Hughes movie), there is no
tension, no drama, no inspiration, and no surprises – just lots of emo teens
being emo teens.
Red Band Society premieres Wednesday,
September 17th at 9:00 p.m. ET on Fox.
Gotham Awash in Darkness
and Gore
Gotham
gives viewers a world filled with Batman’s sadistic villains – but no Batman.
New to the crime-ridden city of Gotham, straight-arrow
detective James Gordon vows to make a difference – a task made difficult by the
corruption in his own police department, and particularly in his partner Harvey
Bullock. With the city’s aging crime boss Falcone losing his influence, Gotham
is filled with other up-and-coming criminals eager to supplant him: sleazy
nightclub owner “Fish” Mooney; her lackey Oswald Cobblepot, nicknamed "the Penguin"; riddle-loving forensic scientist Edward Nigma; a budding young
botanist named Ivy; and a mysterious teenage girl who loves cats. Gordon also takes responsibility for mentoring
a child orphaned by the murder of his parents – a wealthy young boy named Bruce
Wayne.
A Batman story without Batman, Gotham is characterized by all manner of mature content. Bullock
makes crude references to sex and masturbation; characters spew language
including “bastard,” “son of a bitch,” and “kiss my ass”; and violence is graphic,
including torture, savage beatings, throats being slashed and gunshots, all
with the victims’ blood spurting. Producer David Goyer has unapologetically boasted
about the program’s extreme brutality: "This is a crime story, and crime
is violence."
Parents are warned that, far from being an upbeat
super-hero show like The Flash, Gotham
is an extremely dark and gory take on the comic-book universe…especially as it
features multiple violent and psychotic villains, but only one beleaguered (and
mostly ineffective) hero. As a result, Gotham is not recommended for children
or young teens.
Gotham premieres Monday,
September 22nd at 8:00 p.m. ET on Fox.
Gracepoint is an
Old-Fashioned Mystery
The murder mystery Gracepoint is devoted to characters,
conspiracies, and clues, not sexual or violent content.
The small, close-knit seaside community of Gracepoint is rocked when 12 year old
Danny Solano is found murdered. Investigating are local police officer (and
mother of Danny’s best friend) Ellie Miller and abrasive detective Emmet
Carver, who is a newcomer to Gracepoint – and who hides his own shady past. Suspicion is at first is directed against
Danny’s father, Mark; but as the two officers delve deeper, their investigation
uncovers many other secrets in the seemingly idyllic town…
Based on the British drama Broadchurch, Gracepoint presents both an intriguing mystery and an
involving character drama – and does so without graphic violence, sex, or even
much foul language, in a welcome shift from such previous Fox crime dramas as Bones. While the show’s mood is somber and its subject
matter is sad, both adult and teen mystery lovers can enjoy the show’s drama
devoid of graphic content.
Gracepoint premieres
Thursday, October 2nd at 9:00 p.m. ET on Fox.
CBS
Scorpion is a Smart, Action-Packed “Funcedural”
Scorpion is a Smart, Action-Packed “Funcedural”
A program full of action without graphic violence,
relationship drama without graphic sex, and which makes being smart look cool, Scorpion is a safe, fun pick the whole
family can enjoy.
Walter O'Brien is one of the smartest men in the
world – and one of the most socially inept. Walter leads his team of fellow
super-intelligent misfits (mechanical engineer “Happy” Quinn, “human
calculator” Sylvester Dodd, and scheming psychologist Toby Curtis) in dealing with
international crises at the direction of Homeland Security agent Cabe Gallo.
Helping the team to deal with ordinary people, normal life, and their own
emotions is former waitress Paige – who is also the single mother to Ralph,
another budding genius who bonds with the team.
Based on the experiences of the real-life
super-genius Walter O’Brien, Scorpion
follows the standard procedural format of a team of quirky experts working
together to solve the crisis of the week. Delightfully, however, it does this
without foul language, sex, or graphic violence. At a Paley Center panel,
series executive producer Nick Santora stated that his goal was to provide a
“funcedural” – an action-packed, character-driven show “for people who come
home from work on Monday night and just want to be entertained.” The sentiment
is echoed by the real Walter O’Brien, who also executive-produces; O’Brien
noted growing up with “fun” shows about intelligent problem solvers like MacGyver, and hoped to provide something
similar for kids today – and the show does. After so many seasons in which
television was swamped with sex and serial killers, it’s nice to finally see an
action show families can enjoy together.
Scorpion premieres
Monday, September 22nd, at 9:00 p.m. ET on CBS.
Madam Secretary: Blatant Pro-Hillary Propaganda
Now, Hillary is preparing to run for president again; and, sheer coincidence, we get a series which glamorizes a blonde woman Secretary of State. Moreover, in the first episode, "Madam Secretary" successfully (and pretty much single-handedly) rescues Americans imprisoned by a fascistic Middle Eastern government. Comparisons with Benghazi are artfully avoided...but then, at this point, what does it really matter?
It really is pathetic the way the so-called "entertainment" networks are so overt about pushing their political agenda on all of America. In Madam Secretary, the lead character is 1) a brilliant college professor who goes out of her way to be snarky and rude to her students; 2) a former “best analyst the CIA ever had,” who was personally trained by the President himself; and 3) a strong, scholarly woman who speaks a dozen languages. All this just proves how brilliant and honest yet down to Earth
The episode does have one enjoyable scene. Elizabeth and her husband raise horses on their hobby farm, and Elizabeth cleans the stables herself. I like to think there was one conservative writer on the program who very deliberately included a scene which shows that the program's Hillary clone is an expert at shoveling horseshit.
Madam Secretary
premieres Sunday, September 21st at 8:00 p.m. ET on CBS.
Stalker: Disturbing
Shock and Horror
Stalker aims
to tell stories about terrorized innocents - but it succeeds in terrorizing
viewers.
Beth Davis leads the Threat Assessment Unit of the Los
Angeles Police Department, an organization which deals with the crime of
stalking. Paired with the uptight Beth is a womanizing transfer from the New
York police, Jack Larsen. The two must deal with their own issues (Beth is a
victim of stalking herself, while Jack is “stalking” his ex-girlfriend Amanda,
in an attempt to forge a relationship with their son) while also helping the
victims of crimes of intimidation and revenge.
From producer Kevin Williamson (creator of Fox’s serial
killer/murder cult program The Following)
comes yet another dark, deeply disturbing series centered on terrorized
innocents preyed upon by ultra-violent psychopaths. The first episode opened with a
woman and her car being doused with gasoline by a stalker, then set on fire and
blown up. Another victim, a college student, claims he and his girlfriend were
surreptitiously filmed having sex by his former roommate. Beth “stalks the
stalker,” and beats the “punk-ass little twit,” then tells him “I can lie
better than you, and they’ll believe me. They always do.” A third stalker
kidnaps, binds, and tortures his victim. Also included are many creepy,
sinister scenes showing stalkers’ methods of following, spying on, and
harassing innocents. In addition, Larson constantly leers at and makes
unwelcome, sexually-charged remarks to Beth. Children, teens, and any other
viewers who don’t want nightmares are advised to stay away.
Stalker premieres
Wednesday, October 1st at 10:00 p.m. ET on CBS.
NCIS: New Orleans is Another Trip to the Well
CBS turns to established stars Scott Bakula and CCH
Pounder in its latest crime procedural.
The latest in CBS’ successful NCIS franchise features the New Orleans field office of the Naval
Criminal Investigation Service, which examines crimes involving military
personnel. Amid the scenic Cajun-jazz-and-gumbo backdrop of the Big Easy, Special
Agent Dwayne “King” Pride heads up his team of investigators: hard-charging agent
Christopher LaSalle, interrogator Meredith "Merri" Brody, and
eccentric coroner Loretta Wade.
Like NCIS,
this procedural features some profanity and frequent references to and
flashbacks of sexual crimes. It also contains limited but horrifically gory
close-ups of autopsies and corpses in various stages of decay, along with
traditional police-show shootouts and the like. Yawn.
NCIS: New Orleans premieres Tuesday,
September 23rd at 9:00 p.m. ET on CBS.
The McCarthys: Unfunny and
Offensive Stereotypes
What does it say when a show’s trailer contains a laugh track?
Loosely based on comedian Brian Gallivan's life and family, this
comedy follows gay man Ronny McCarthy, who is ignorant about sports, and his interactions
tight-knit family of Boston Irish sports fanatics, including politically
incorrect father and high-school basketball coach Arthur, mother Marjorie,
brothers Sean and Gerard, and sister Jackie. Arthur appoints Ronny his
assistant coach to get him to stay in Boston (and to lure a player with a gay
mother onto his team), over the objections of the other brothers. Plots revolve
around Ronny’s rivalry with his brothers and his search for a life partner, and
unmarried sister Jackie’s pregnancy.
This alleged sitcom is filled with offensively over-the-top
stereotypes (ignorant bigot father, domineering, manipulative mother, dumb jock
oldest son, trashy daughter, and a gay son who proclaims his mother is his
“best friend,” and with whom he watches soap operas and dishes about fashion). Other
gay characters are presented as flamingly flamboyant, with Arthur describing
one as a “lez.” Despite a shrieking,
high-decibel laugh track, there is nary a laugh to be found anywhere in the show.
Though there was no violence or sexual content in the first episode, and only
limited profanity, there also is no reason to watch a program that is
just another not-very-good sitcom, and which is unlikely to last out the
season.
The
McCarthys premieres Thursday, October 30 at 9:30 p.m.
ET on CBS.
The CW
Jane the Virgin: More Sex on
the CW
For much of its existence, the CW network has been home to
sex-centered series like Gossip Girl.
Jane the Virgin continues the tradition – with a twist.
All her life, Jane Villanueva has striven to be a “good girl.” A
hard-working A student on track to become a teacher, Jane also works part-time
at a hotel and is engaged to police detective Michael. Most notably, the
24-year-old Jane has retained her virginity, out of determination not to repeat
her mother’s irresponsible mistakes (Jane’s mother Xiomaria became pregnant
with Jane at age 16). But Jane’s life is turned upside down when, during what
was supposed to be a routine exam, she is accidentally artificially inseminated
and becomes pregnant. To make matters worse, the biological donor, wealthy
hotelier Rafael, is a married man, the new owner of the hotel where Jane works
-- and was also her former teenage crush.
As is obvious from the description above, Jane the Virgin focuses on sex – lots of
sex. In addition to the elements mentioned above, Jane, Xiomaria, and
grandmother Alba all watch steamy telenovelas
together; Rafael’s wife Petra, the intended recipient of Rafael’s sperm, wanted
to get pregnant only to hold their marriage together until a pre-nuptial contract
condition kicks in (after 5 years of marriage, Petra gets $10 million) – all
while Petra is sleeping with Rafael’s best friend; Xiomaria is promiscuous,
sharing details of her affairs with her daughter, as well as sending Jane
sexually explicit pictures of other women’s “boob jobs” and sex acts; and while
Jane and Michael have remained physically chaste, Michael texts Jane and
requests they engage in phone sex (when Jane replies that her mother is
sleeping in the same room, Michael texts, “How soundly?”)
Language is problematic, with Xiomaria berating
Jane’s doctor, “Where did you get your degree, the University of Dumbass? My
daughter said she is a freakin’ virgin, so do another damn test!,” along with
frequent references to “boobs” and “boning.”
Also problematic is the show’s attitude towards faith.
During a panel at the Paley Center, the show’s producers patted themselves on
the back for the show’s “respectful attitudes” toward “diversity” (Jane the Virgin incorporates storylines
not only about Latinos, but about Rafael’s lesbian sister); but the show’s
producers are far less respectful of Catholicism. Grandmother Alba, the only
devout individual seen in the pilot, is portrayed as a narrow-minded,
out-of-touch tyrant who traumatizes Jane into remaining a virgin until
marriage: when Jane was 10, Alba gave her a white rose, then ordered her to
“crumple it up!” After Jane does, Alba sternly lectures, “That’s what happens
when you lose your virginity – you can NEVER go back!” Naturally, Alba is also
revealed to be a hypocrite: when the promiscuous Xiomaria became pregnant at
16, Alba urged her to get an abortion. And when it is revealed that Jane is
pregnant despite not having had sex, Jane’s mother drops to the floor and
proclaims her daughter the Immaculate Conception, and prays a “Hail Mary,”
changing the words to “Hail Jane.” (This
must be the “religious content” the CW’s network representative boasted the
show would contain while speaking at the Family
Entertainment and Faith-Based Media convention last month.)
To viewers unfamiliar with Latin American telenovelas Jane the Virgin’s obsessive focus on sexual themes seems both offensive
and over-the-top, and is not recommended for children or teens.
Jane the Virgin
premieres Monday, October 13th at 9:00 p.m. ET, on CW.
The Flash Is
Fast-Paced, Family-Friendly Fun
The Flash is a comic-based
program with an upbeat, truly heroic hero.
As a boy, Barry Allen saw his mother die before his
eyes. The police and the courts agreed Barry’s father was responsible; but
Barry knows what he saw: a ball of lighting shaped like a man was responsible.
Raised by detective Joe West, the now-grown Barry is a forensic police
scientist, with a crush on his oblivious adoptive “sister” Iris. But when
brilliant scientist Harrison Wells’ experimental particle generator goes
haywire, it unleashes forces that transform Barry, giving him the ability to
run at unbelievable speeds. With the support of Harrison’s science team, Barry
vows to protect Central City from other super-powered “metahumans,” and takes
on a new, costumed identity as the Fastest Man Alive -- The Flash!
Unlike its sister DC Comics-inspired program Arrow, which often features a dark,
brooding tone and intense, fairly realistic violence, The Flash is largely an upbeat, positive show with lots of exciting
action but little graphic violence. Where Arrow’s
characters often attack one another with arrows, swords, guns, and brutal
beatings, The Flash centers around
fantasy-style special effects, such as the first episode’s weather-controlling
villain. Unless it changes drastically from the pilot, there is little in The Flash to concern parents of even
younger children. Instead, the entire family can enjoy the character drama and
thrill to the high-speed adventures of The Flash.
The Flash
premieres Tuesday, October 7th, at 8:00 p.m. ET on CW.
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