A Geek and his PVR
Fighting an uphill battle against my PVRs diminishing freespaceArchive for March, 2006
So many new shows, so little time
Well, I'm rather behind on reviewing the newest shows, so in the interests of my laziness, I have a mini-review of Free Ride and just grades for the rest of the new shows I've watched.
Free Ride
(Sunday at 9:30 on FOX)
Nate (Josh Dean) has just graduated college in California and is heading home to Missouri. Dissatisfied with his degree’s career path, he thinks spending some time at home will help him find direction. Back home he runs into someone from high school, Amber (Erin Cahill) and is smitten but finds out she’s engaged. Luckily (or unluckily) he runs into Mark Dove (Dave Sheridan), someone who wishes he still was in high school, who makes it his personal mission to see that Nate parties hearty. Throw in his parents who are in therapy and didn’t expect him to return and make him live in the garage, and you have the makings of a quarter-life crisis.
This show, like Sons and Daughters, has some of the dialogue improvised, whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing is another matter altogether. For the most part though, it is pretty funny, with Dove providing most of the laughs.
Grade: B-
ABC
Sons and Daughters
(Tuesday at 9:00 and 9:30)
Partially improvised, Cameron and Sharon are funny, but the kids often steal the show.
Grade: B+
CBS
The Unit
(Tuesdays at 10:00)
Haven't watched yet… 3 (4?) episodes on the DVR waiting
Grade: INC
The New Adventures of Old Christine
(Monday at 9:30)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus is very funny, unfortunately, most of the supporting cast does very little supporting.
Grade: B
NBC
Heist
(Wednesdays at 10:00)
Even though it's very Ocean's Eleven-ish, interesting nonetheless
Grade: B
Conviction
(Fridays at 10:00)
Not watched yet. May be canceled from favorites.
Grade: INC
Teachers
(Tuesdays at 9:30)
Stars Sarah Alexander (Coupling – Original BBC version), and a bunch of other people whom the only other I recognize is Kali Rocha (Halfreck; Buffy the Vampire Slayer). Seems OK for the one episode I've seen.
Grade: C+
WB
Modern Men
(Fridays at 9:30)
3 dudes with woman woes jointly seek the advice of a life coach. Blah.
Grade: D+
Watched log for Thursday
Sons and Daughters: Hospital Visit, Surprise Party
Smallville: Hypnotic
The O.C.: The Secrets and Lies
The Loop: Trouble in the Saddle
My Name Is Earl: Boogeyman
The Office: Michael's Birthday
Watched log for Wednesday
Lost: Lockdown
Lockdown = Locke down… it's a double meaning…
Veronica Mars: The Rapes of Graff
ROFL… the Lamb re-election campaign poster "18 – It's Legal!" Veronica's sob story at the wig shop…
As for the MotW… decent. Too bad I can't really remember what episode Troy was in before. Now I really need to buy and rewatch the season 1 DVDs.
Almost forgot… the cameos by Michael Cera and Alia Shawkat (George Michael and Maebe on Arrested Development) were awesome.
Out of Practice: Hot Water
Courting Alex: Big Client
Watched log for Tuesday
Scrubs: My Bright Idea
Teachers: Substitute
The New Adventures of New Christine: One Toe Over the Line, Sweet Jesus
Watched log for Monday
Monty Python's Personal Best: Terry Jones' Personal Best
Everwood: Ghosts, Lost and Found
24: Day 5: 9:00PM-10:00PM
American Hot Rod: '54 Corvette and '55 Chevy Part 3
Watched log for Friday
South Park: The Return of Chef!
Everybody Hates Chris: Everbody Hates Funeral
Free Ride: Colon Blow to the Head
Watched log for Thursday
Family Guy: I Take Three, Quagmire
That 70’s Show: Son and Daughter
The Loop: Tiger Express
The O.C.: The Undertow, The Journey
My Name Is Earl: Y2k
Review of The Loop
The Loop
(Thursdays on FOX at 8:30 after That 70’s Show)
Sam (Bret Harrison; Grounded For Life) is the youngest executive at TransAlliance Airways. He is also the only one of his friends with a “real? job, i.e. one with a desk and paperwork and everything else in an office. He lives with his older brother Sully(Eric Christian Olsen), the slacker, and two friends from college, Piper (Amanda Loncar), the girl he likes but, who is attached and oblivious to his intentions, and the hot bartender girl, Lizzy (Sarah Mason; Quintuplets).
He has to constantly balance work and his social life, sometimes to the detriment of both. At work, he is berated by his cantankerous boss, Russ (Philip Baker Hall), harassed by the VP, Meryl (Mimi Rogers), and belittled by his MIT-educated assistant, Darcy.
I’m excited to see that Bret Harrison has a lead role, after the cancelation of the little-appreciated Grounded For Life. He definitely seems to be holding together this band of misfits rather well. So far the show has been pretty consistently funny, although his friends seem to be the weak point of the cast.
From my perspective, having recently had to make a similar transition from college to career while my friends all continued to party, I can certainly sympathize with his situation, which may make it all that funnier for me.
So, anyway, decent cast, good writing, and just enough goofiness make this an agreeable way to travel.
Grade: B+
Watched log for Wednesday
Overhaulin’: Hot Head
Bones: The Woman in the Tunnel
Lost: The Whole Truth
Yay! New Lost episode. So, there’s a Sun pregnancy plot, Henry the balloonist’s map, and Locke’s hatch. Charlie was less annoying.
Widmore Labs… wonder if that’ll be important. Just looked it up, and there may be other Widmore companies that may be important.
Weird how the island seems to have some sort of curative powers. Locke’s legs, Sun’s faulty/not faulty fallopian tubes. It’s a miracle.
Veronica Mars: The Quick and the Wed
OMG! Tinseltown Diaries! ROFL! Awesome. Oh, I would love to know what #8 is on the Bachelorette scavengar hunt list. Also awesome was the Silence of the Lambs callback. Ah, Kendall. Haaron. Awesome.
Out of Pratice: Model Behavior
Courting Alex: The Mattress
Watched log for Tuesday
Scrubs: My Extra Mile, My Chopped Liver
Sons and Daughters: Family Finance, Karaoke
Watched log for Monday
Number 1 Single: Timing Is Everything
How I Met Your Mother: Life Among the Gorillas
24: Day 5: 8:00PM-9:00PM
The New Adventures of Old Christine: Open Water
American Hot Rod: ’54 Corvette and ’55 Chevy Part 2
Monster Garage: The Noodler
A Geek and his PVR 