TV, You Charmer
Maybe this year, you and I can make it work. (A fall season preview.)
'Studio 60': more yuks than West Wing.
[Editor's note: This is the first of two Canadian TV fall preview roundups. Next: the CBC gets a review all to themselves.]
Oh, television. Never are you more appealing than in the rainy season, when summer is becoming ever more a memory. You work in mysterious ways, great box of light around which all living room furniture is arranged. And each fall, you bubble over with new sights, equally inane and compelling, and I reconnect with you as if you were a best friend from high school. It's like no time has passed -- you still let me bask in your comforting glow and I, despite all our years, look as young as ever.
TV, you have changed over the past few seasons. Falling under the spell of critically acclaimed cable series on HBO and F/X, you seemed to have matured. You want to drop f-bombs and show nipples, and what's more, you desperately want to be respected as a legitimate medium. For the most part, you've given up the laugh tracks and cheesy overtures to the Moral Majority, and you're finally letting your freak flag fly.
So how's it flapping this year?
I was upset when they cancelled Arrested Development, but at least its off-kilter comedy seems to have inspired. Case in point: Help Me Help You on Global, Ugly Betty on Citytv and, both Let's Rob (now called The Knights of Prosperity) and 30 Rock on CTV.
Help Me Help You trades in the same kind of quirky, ain't-neuroses-a-kick-in-the-pants wackiness as Arrested Development, and what's more it features Ted Danson. That's right, Sam "MayDay" Malone plays Bill Hoffman, a group therapist in the midst of a mid-life crisis. The show follows Hoffman and his suicidal, in-the-closet, messed-up-about-men patients as they attempt to cure themselves as their own foibles. It's possible Danson has acquired a taste for this type of humour after his guest slots on Curb Your Enthusiasm, which is the daddy of these offspring shows.
Let's Rob features a similar ensemble cast of weirdos and losers, who are on a fairly unlikely mission of robbing Mick Jagger's massive New York apartment. Despite cameos from Mick himself, and a fairly funny cast (including The Tao of Steve's Donal Logue) this one seems a little too abstract for mainstream success. Mind you, they said that about My Name is Earl and that was a major hit last year.
30 Rock is like some sort of purgatory for cast members of Saturday Night Live, desperate to prove that, no, really, they're, like, funny. Starring former SNL head writer Tina Fey, neglected cast members Rachel Dratch and Tracey Morgan, and all-time strangest SNL guest host Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock satirizes network TV, and has lots of thinly veiled jabs at the toothlessness of the cast's alma matter. With healthy nods to The Larry Sanders Show, this might be around for a while, if only 'cause Tina Fey looks so darn cute in those glasses.
Ugly Betty takes the premise of a "plain girl" (Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants' America Ferrera) working in the fashion industry. Crazy, huh? A girl who is not a size zero working in fashion? Uh, when will Hollywood stop insulting our intelligence by putting glasses on a gorgeous girl and calling her "ugly"? Sigh.
All in all, this is a step in the right direction, Television. I see you've learned flattering my intelligence will make me your new best friend. Except...
1. TV, you haven't learned anything.
Despite your newfound predilection for smart, quirky single-camera comedies, you still realize that a good deal of us watch television in order to turn our brains OFF. Hence, hackneyed reality shows are still out in full force: The Bachelor, America's Next Top Model, Celebrity Duets and Laguna Beach are all back this fall. To paraphrase Confessions of a Dangerous Mind author and Gong Show innovator Chuck Barris: millions of Americans will line up to humiliate themselves, just for the chance to be on television.
New this year: Girls Next Door, which follows the "real" lives of Playboy magnate Hugh Hefners live-in girlfriends. Jesus wept.
Also, perhaps solely the fault of Two-and-a-Half Men (also returning this fall), you're still trying desperately to resuscitate the situation comedy. Nowhere is this more apparent than 'Til Death, another fat guy/hot wife effort that portrays marriage as a horrific prison, women as nagging shrews and sitcom writers as ridiculously out-of-touch. Expect this one, starring Everybody Loves Raymond's Brad Garrett, to be a breakout hit. For more of the predictable comedy, see The Class, a Friends-y effort about a class reunion.
2. Originality was never your strong suit.
As mentioned, Tine Fey's comedy, 30 Rock, portrays life behind the scenes at a popular weekly comedy show. On the same network (CTV), Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip does the same thing, albeit as a drama rather than a comedy. Starring Matthew Perry, Bradley Whitford, Judd Hirsh and the lovely Amanda Peet, this Aaron Sorkin-penned series is actually much funnier than its comedic counterpart, though it is laced with enough Sorkinian left-wing soliloquy to fill a million West Wings. Fortunately, there's room for both shows, though you have to wonder what the state of networks is when two shows with the exact same premise show up on the same network.
3. CSI is a vein you will mine until the end of time.
Given the enormous success of crime procedurals like CSI, perhaps we shouldn't be surprised that there are more of these cropping up this season that any other format. With Vanished, The Nine, Standoff, Smith, Shark and CSI: Port Coquitlam* all debuting this fall, the crime drama is making a big showing this year, proving that television audiences like nothing more than a show that doesn't require long-term attention.
4. Jonathan Tucker is this year's It boy
Just as Wentworth Miller and his hot warden-issued flannel had women swooning last year on Prison Break, Jonathan Tucker, as Irish bar owner-cum-mafioso Tommy Donelly will command similar breathlessness on the Black Donnellys this fall on Global. This is neither here nor there, but everyone needs a television crush, and like Prison Break, this show is at least clever enough to watch without being embarrassed that you're drooling over a 20 year old.
5. This year's It girl is...
Oh, we don't know...One of Hugh's girlfriends, maybe? Frankly, we don't care. We'll be watching the Black Donnellys until you're ready.
Well that's it, Canadian television. You're an old dog who's slow in the ol' new tricks department. And though you're still no HBO, at least we've seemed to move beyond the days of Who Wants to Marry My Golden Retriver* and Win My Wife*. Those are strictly for summer.
*Not actual shows...yet.
Elaine Corden is a Vancouver writer and regular contributor to The Tyee.
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darcy.mcgee
5 years ago
Comments on "TV, You Charmer"
Is anything actually "on" CTV? They just buy the stuff and rebroadcast it...they don't produce it.
That both 30 Rock & Studio 60 are produced by the same network in the US is the odd thing.
This is much more than a semantic difference too: Canadian television produces good shows, but I don't see too many of them spoken about here. Perhaps because CTV has long since stopped producing any quality work? (Due South, anyone?)
murdock
5 years ago
Theatre is life,
Film is art,
and Television is furniture.
kootowl
5 years ago
I'll stick to buying HBO box sets...Rome, Deadwood, and the dear departed Carnivale. More than "furniture" (sniff), and, like good books, they can be loaned out to friends who don't have or want cable.
Rob Cottingham
5 years ago
DM, there's always Corner Gas.
Skookum1
5 years ago
Why are Ontario fishing shows broadcast nationally? (on both CBC and CTV) Do people who live in Rivers Inlet or Cranbrook really care about how the pickering were jumping in the Muskokas?
Ditto with Ontario antiques shows.
BC Dude
5 years ago
I don't know about most viewers but I'm just about ready to cash in my Shaw cable, except for basic!
#1 Too many Reality shows as they cost next to nothing to produce but are loaded with commercials.
#2 Commercials are made up of 80-90% Automobiles with a few so called Green S-Hell oil BS!
#3 Have you noticed how commercials are much loader than the programs we are watching, Why does the CRTC not put an end to this invasion of our lives?
#4 Reruns, enough said!
This is the Corporations greatest medium for DUMBING down the general public, US
Canadian TV should be about the total disgrace of how we are being Americanized! Now that would be reality!
cocean
5 years ago
BC Dude, I cancelled my Shaw basic a year ago, haven't missed it at all, and the extra few bucks and time for reading or writing are a bonus. Occasionally, I'm at a friend's place in the evening and she'll have her television on. The experience of watching all those commercials interrupted, occasionally, by programming, only reaffirms my choice.
Not having cancelled my Internet connection, I get to select any programs I do want to see, ad-free.
BC Dude
5 years ago
cocean Thanx 4 the heads up sounds good to me Reading
Loader should be Louder
darcy.mcgee
5 years ago
Don't just cancel your cable back to basic, kill your television.
I went basic a long long time ago. Best thing I ever did.
Short of getting rid of my TV that is....you can watch DVD's on pretty much any computer these days and you'll get a better flat panel monitor for less money.
Skookum1
5 years ago
Which for some reason brought to mind the image of the father of the house with his gun and a blasted-out TV tube that shows up in Len Norris' cartoons (and more than once, I think). Norris' cartoons re TV often are strikingly on-point about its spew, and the mind-dominating, world-confronting spell it cast over his times.
Makes me want to go through the collected works and compare them, as also with other cartoonists from that era; documenting the gut response of the public culture, which including as in the cartoon above blasting the set in the shmacker when you'd had enough of what it was telling you. Think in the above case it was a news item that had pissed the guy off, but I'm not sure.
darcy.mcgee
5 years ago
Put me in mind of Ned's Atomic Dustbin, but I like your reference which I consider somewhat more obscure.
I don't necessarily know that I'm serious about it either, but I know that I enjoyed life without TV, and it's reintroduction to my life has been...bleh.
It's important to raise kids who are media literate though, and making sure they're aware of TV is important. TV's a horrible baby sitter though, and it's generally a horrible source of meaningful information (thank you CNN.)
It's a great source of mindless entertainment. A friend and I suggested a long time ago that since TV had clearly demonstrated that it was not effective at comedy, drama, education or anything else of value it should be reduced to the two things it was good at: porn and sports.
The Internet seems to have won the porn battle, so maybe TV should be 24 hour sports on every channel?
Oh...and Trading Spaces of course. Then again, that's just house porn.
ktg
5 years ago
I don't watch tv (don't own one)...but I do download (the NEW) Battlestar Galactica. I think it's pretty unique compared with the rest of tv right now; it gets overlooked because it's sci-fi.
Nothing else imo on tv right now is worth watching.
trueman
5 years ago
I continue to marvel at the world of Television. I know I shouldn't. I know it is an evil time-sucking machine of little value to mankind. It doesn't feed or house anyone (directly) and much of it is trite pablum (as opposed to relevant pablum.) I like to imagine that Stephen Harper's initial thought when he first watched TV might have been 'this will change the course of history.'
He'd would have been right. Trite, but right.
Anyway, television allows me a wide lens into the world without necessarily polluting it by travel. Granted I have to benefit from the despoiling influence of others, newsfolk, warriors, film makers, but I think the good outweighs the bad most of the time.
A final thought: worldwide, how many people do you suppose make their living from television? I owe it to them not to threaten their livelihood. That helps me sleep at night.
BC Dude
5 years ago
TV = Propaganda = S Harpers so called State of the Union oops that's (USA) rap.
Address to the Nation with the families of our boys & girls (fodder for yank aggression) being the back drop only for his political agenda, reasons nothing more!
I served 3yrs in 2nd PPCLI during Cuban missel crisis, we were going to be sent to the front for slaughter.
Jack's
5 years ago
TV - for the most part - is made for people who have the intelligence of chimpanzees and that can apply to American or Canadian.
Even the Movie channel reminds us of movies we shouldn't bother seeing. I'd say the ratio both in movies and TV shows is 1 in 10 - that is, 1 good or passable one to 10 which are not worth your time.... or I should say, not worth the time of a person with the intelligence exceeding that of a chimpanzee.
Leno is, by far, the best late night show I've seen but even he must lower its standards to try to increase stupid viewer rating. Example: "Jay-walk allstars".
BC Dude
5 years ago
TV, lately has had quite a few very insiteful documentries.
Haper will go down with his bum buddies Bush, Cheney, Rumfeld, C Rice, etc
Collin Powell spoke out against the whole illegal war/slaughter in Iraq by bush admin and the rest of the world, yesterday.
Cheney is being investigated for many wrong doings starting with Halaberton, right on their house of cards is comming down.
Jack's
5 years ago
The quotes I saw about Colin Powell "speaking out" were very mild. He had no fault against George W. All the fault was directed at the U.S. Intelligence Agency.
In fact, he said "the President" was given wrong information by the agency.
Is that speaking out???
darcy.mcgee
5 years ago
Funny how the Tyee editorial staff leaves a blatantly offensive comment like this:
when it refers to Stephen Harper, but removes such comments when they are made about the "political left."
I'm not surprised, I just find it funny.
BC Dude
5 years ago
darcy.mcgee So what's your point? I'm just telling the truth and if that bothers you lets see you Dispel any of it!
I'M WAITING?
Here's some other facts I think are relivent to todays news as 4 more of our BRAVE soldiers die for a yank major mistake.
We should be in Darfur as we WERE known till Martin liberal/ Conservitive Harper decided to go into Afganistan as Aggresors not Peace Keepers, Shame on Canadians for letting this travisty happen.
The MLA's should have their salaries and benefits slashed in half!
If I go to work and miss a day I don't get paid for this and rightly so.
So what makes MLA's better than us working poor?
Campbell has slashed the social fabric of our once great British Columbia our homeless rate is way out of control because of Gordo's ruthless, bigoted, war on our most vulnerable citizens, who will be next?
THIS dictatorship of a drunken coward who's afraid to answer to all the questions that would be asked in the fall legislature! Legislature Scandal, Teresan, 2+ BILLION for a 2010 Winter Olympics, which if put to a referendum would lose by a great majority because it will only fill the pockets of the few so-called elite or as they like to be called "the crème dela crème" to me sour cream! lol
Gordon Campbell's liberal criminals has got to be toppled as he was not democratically elected. CanWest media was able to use the green party which they've never endorsed before to split/take away the NDP votes as they would have had the majority of the votes. This is how the American politics works with big business footing the bills/bribes!
I've had enough of S Harpers cozying up to the Bush Cabal of War Criminals!
"THIS IS FOR THE FUTURE OF MY CHILDREN'S CHILDREN'S CHILDREN!"
http://stopwar.ca/
So I'm going to put myself along with thousands of other peace loving people on the war in Afghanistan on October 28 starting a waterfront station @ 1pm and ending at the Vancouver Art Gallery 2 p.m.!
It's 9:30 a.m. just on news about four more Canadians being killed in this immoral war in another land with no meaning except to fill the pockets of the war machine, big business!
"THERE IS NO PROFIT IN PEACE"
IT'S TIME TO PUT THE GOVERNMENT BACK IN THE HANDS OF PEOPLE WHERE IT BELONGS!
FEDERALLY, PROVINCIALLY and REGIONALLY!
BC Dude
5 years ago
A disgusted senior citizen 15 billion for war? Where is this money comming from?
Our hard earned CCP's maybe?
Who can find out?
BC Dude
5 years ago
Check this out!
http://coat.openconcept.ca/cpp/
Stump
5 years ago
Kind of like books, theatre, music, dance, and people.
Television hardly has a lock on mediocrity.
Stump
5 years ago
Don't blame the hammer when you hit your thumb. Television has done more to democratize knowledge than most other forms of communication. It doesn't require textual literacy, can be received for free, and has let billions of people bear witness to both the best and worst in humankind.