I've said it before, and I'll say it again, television these days is an embarrassment of riches. Add a Tivo, and welcome to the heaven and hell of my life: Too much television goodness and not enough time. And CBS and the CW aren't going to make it any easier for me this year.
On Wednesday of this week, I headed over to CBS for a preview of all of their new shows, complete with Q&As with various show creators and executive producers. Yes, I sat and soaked in television goodness ALL DAY. Rock and joy, my friends.
First up, The Good Wife, "a drama starring Emmy Award winner Julianna Margulies as a wife and mother who boldly assumes full responsibility for her family and re-enters the workforce after her husband's very public sex and political corruption scandal lands him in jail." I was already interested in the show, because who doesn't look at that woman in wonder? It's an awesome jumping off point.
But I am here to tell you that the pilot is entirely kick-ass. Totally going in the Tivo. The cast is top-notch, with the amazing Julianna Margulies, of course, and also Christine Baranski and Josh Charles, Archie Panjabi, plus... Mr. Big (Chris Noth) and Logan from Gilmore Girls! (Matt Czuchry - Remember when Tuesday nights were Logan-Licious?) What I liked most about the show was the dynamic of The Good Wife, Alicia Florrick, going to work in a law firm as a Junior Associate. She soon learns that she's competing with the other Junior Associate, Cary Agos, played by Matt Czuchry, and everyone she meets already has an opinion about her husband or her. The pilot is written and directed beautifully, hitting a variety of themes and weaving a gripping plot that leaves you wanting more. The show is written and produced by husband and wife team Robert King and Michelle King.
Two interesting points from the Q&A... First, the show is going to skirt a line between court room procedural and drama - something it nails in the pilot. Most interesting, whereas many court room shows end in a jury verdict, The Good Wife will often explore the many ways cases end before a jury decision. Second, I asked about the relationship between the two Junior Associates, and not just because I'm a Matt Czuchry fan. More because I am fascinated by non-romantic relationships between people of different ages and/or gender (in this case, both). I think they have an awesome opportunity here to explore a interesting relationship, which they said does get some airtime going forward.
The Good Wife premiers Sept. 22 at 10pm. (Tuesdays)
OK, next up was Three Rivers, set in Pittsburgh, "a medical drama starring Alex O'Loughlin that goes inside the emotionally complex lives of organ donors, the recipients, and the surgeons at the preeminent transplant hospital in the country." This one was somewhat difficult to get a feel for because we saw a cut trailer, however, executive producer Carol Barbee really impressed me as she talked about the research that's been done for the show and all the stories they are going to tell. I think that when you think about the idea, you wonder what it's going to be week after week, but listening to her speak, I was convinced that there's actually a lot to explore.
After they shot a first pilot, they brought in a new director/producer Rob Bailey to give the show a more hospital action/dramatic look. (That's not on IMDB yet, but that's the name I wrote down.) Also, they added the most awesome Alfre Woodard to the cast. I'm definitely keeping my eye on this one.
Three Rivers premiers Oct. 4 at 9pm. (Sundays)
Next, NCIS: Los Angeles, "a drama about the high stakes world of the Office of Special Projects (OSP) a division of NCIS that is charged with apprehending dangerous and elusive criminals that pose a threat to the nation's security." It's going to air right after the original NCIS, which I thought was kinda cool. The show stars Chris O'Donnell, LL Cool J, and Linda Hunt. (I don't know about you, but I always think about her awesome role in She-Devil.)
Executive Producer Shane Brennan is quite engaging and seemed to delight in dropping hints about cross-overs and story reveals. I asked him about a crossover with one of my favs, Numb3rs (a little NCIS/FBI in L.A. action?), and he said nothing was out of the realm of possibility. What most struck me when he was talking about the show was the emphasis on FUN. And they get to shoot in the most beautiful Spanish mission set because the team is undercover.
NCIS: Los Angeles premiers Sept. 22 at 9pm. (Tuesdays)
Then we switched to the CW before lunch: The Beautiful Life: TBL and the new Melrose Place. Both seem surprisingly tempting, and I totally resisted asking about Models, Inc. even though how can you not think about it with 90210 and Melrose Place back on the air? (I actually think they could have done something funny with that, actually, for peeps who remember all those shows.) I primarily didn't bring it up, though, because The Beautiful Life: TBL looks pretty damn awesome. Tight concept, shiny execution. In particular, I like that it's a co-ed show, dealing with both male and female models. I find that I'm really looking forward to this one! It's going to have a lot of stuff and peeps from the fashion and modeling industry, which I find rather fascinating.
And Melrose Place! I can't believe this show is tempting me into total Tivo overload. And yes, they explain how Sydney is back. And Melrose Place, the address, gets an update. And hello, how much do I *love* Stephanie Jacobsen from Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles??? I screamed aloud when I heard her voice at the beginning of Battlestar Galactica: Razor. My main disappointment with what we saw of the pilot, however, is that there's an aspiring filmmaker and they went with the young, male director type. Personally, I would have found it so much more interesting if they'd explored a young female director, which would have been something new to see on TV in an ongoing way. (They danced with the concept with Silver on 90210.) So I'm conflicted on this one. Except that I keep thinking about it...
The Beautiful Life: TBL premiers Sept. 16 at 9pm. (Wednesdays)
Melrose Place premiers Sept. 8 at 9pm. (Tuesdays... after 90210, but of course!)
OK, after we had lunch, I fell in love. With Accidentally On Purpose and executive producer Claudia Lonow. Accidentally on Purpose is inspired by a memoir by Mary F. Pols, Accidentally on Purpose: A One-Night Stand, My Unplanned Parenthood, and Loving the Best Mistake I Ever Made
We watched the first episode, which was hysterical, and I was so in love with the show I couldn't even think of a question to ask. I just wanted to be like, OMG, I love your show! I'm totally psyched that we're going to see a blending (smashing?) of her friends and his, because as I mentioned before, I just love that dynamic. I mean, the leads, played by the delightful Jenna Elfman and Jon Foster, have a romantic dynamic, of course, but the friends... Oh, that's going to be so much fun, too. Ashley Jensen plays Billie's best friend and she is AWESOME! Claudia Lonow described her as your "Oh, that's nothing friend." Where you do something, and you call your friend and you're like mortified, and your like, OMG, I can't believe I just did this," and your friend is like, "Oh, that's nothing..."
Another interesting thing that Claudia Lonow said was how interesting it was to her that this guy, Zack, was totally on board with the baby from the first moment, and how that's different than one might expect from a man. But I think that that's a Gen Y and beyond thing, that our world is changing as men are feeling empowered to claim what they want in life. There's less of that BS where a woman is expected to drag a guy into that life. I mean, want it or don't, dude. Women have better things to do than spend time and energy dragging anybody into anything. And hell, I'll even say this, I think that some of these "slacker" guys who "refuse to grow up" that so many are quick to judge and condemn, are the future house husbands of America. It's a hugely fascinating and fun dynamic.
But I way digress. The sitcom is smart and funny and don't miss it OMG.
Accidentally On Purpose premieres Sept. 21 at 8:30pm. (Mondays)
Finally, we saw a reel for an interesting midseason show, Life UneXpected. "After spending all of her 15 years bouncing from one foster family to another in Portland, Oregon, Lux has decided it's time to take control of her life and become an emancipated minor." The show was created by Liz Tigelaar, who was quite engaging. The clips we saw totally sucked me in, and the show had a nice cool look to me, a little rough and tumble. I'm glad it's a midseason so it doesn't get lost in the fall crush. I think it's going to be a solid show.
I think I'm gonna need a bigger Tivo.
~
BTW, You can win a trip to the Emmy's from CBS if you're "TV's biggest fan." Vlog it, baby, for The Best Seat in the House. Upload by Monday, Sept. 7th at midnight.
Just ordered Accidentally On Purpose downloaded to my Kindle via your link. Can't wait to read it and it sounds like a fun show.
Posted by: liz weems | August 21, 2009 at 04:20 PM
Thanks a lot for talking in positive terms about Three Rivers
Posted by: lanouette | August 23, 2009 at 06:56 AM
Cool! If you remember, I'd love it if you'd let me know how the book is.
Now I am going to tend to my Kindle jealousy... ;)
Posted by: lizriz | August 24, 2009 at 06:20 PM
Hey, no worries. I was definitely intrigued.
Posted by: lizriz | August 24, 2009 at 06:21 PM