RATINGS RECAP: 9/29/10

ABC
8:00 The Middle
Viewers: 8.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.5
8:30 Better With You
Viewers: 7.0 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2
9:00 Modern Family
Viewers: 11.9 million, 18-49 demo: 4.6
9:30 Cougar Town
Viewers: 7.0 million, 18-49 demo: 2.8
10:00 The Whole Truth
Viewers: 4.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2

CBS
8:00 Survivor
Viewers: 12.3 million, 18-49 demo: 3.5
9:00 Criminal Minds
Viewers: 14.6 million, 18-49 demo: 3.6
10:00 The Defenders
Viewers: 10.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.5

NBC
8:00 Undercovers
Viewers: 7.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
9:00 Law & Order: SVU
Viewers: 9.5 million, 18-49 demo: 2.8
10:00 Law & Order: Los Angeles
Viewers: 10.6 million, 18-49 demo: 3.2

FOX
8:00 Hell's Kitchen
Viewers: 6.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.8
9:00 Hell's Kitchen
Viewers: 6.6 million, 18-49 demo: 3.0

Wednesday night was another busy night but all the networks were down from their premiere week numbers. ABC kicked things off with its comedies. The Middle was down a bit from its premiere but it will probably be right around these numbers all season. Better With You dropped about 12% in viewers and the demo in Week 2. If it can level off here or climb a bit, it will be fine. If it drops again next week, it could be in trouble. Modern Family slipped from its series high last week but was still powerful and easily had the best demo of the night. Cougar Town dropped significantly from its series premiere and seems to be settling back into its usual ways of bleeding Modern Family's audience. It had the same total viewer numbers as Better With You but after a much stronger lead-in. Finally, the second week of The Whole Truth only dipped a bit from its premiere but the premiere was a big disappointment. It did nothing to keep from being on the death watch list.

Over on CBS, things were down from a powerful Wednesday last week. Survivor dropped a surprising .5 in the demo but still easily won the hour. Criminal Minds was powerful again but also down in the demo. It was a full point behind Modern Family in the demo at 9pm. The Defenders dropped 15% in viewers and close to that much in the demo and may be CBS's biggest concern among new series as it is well below the relocated CSI: NY. Any further drops will be a red flag for CBS.

NBC saw a mix of good and bad news. The bad news was at 8pm where Undercovers dipped heavily (18% in viewers and over 20% in the demo). It might cut it for awhile for NBC but this is one of the bigger Week 2 drops and the first week wasn't that strong to begin with. Law & Order: SVU followed at 9pm was down a bit from its two hour premiere last week which is to be expected. Law & Order: Los Angeles had a strong debut for NBC, building on SVU and easily winning the demo while nipping The Defenders for the total viewer crown as well. Now how many people will come back next week? And finally, FOX had two episodes of Hell's Kitchen, the first was up slightly from last week and the second was down slightly. It remains a viable Wednesday option for FOX. FOX also announced yesterday that Human Target will air at 9pm Wednesdays in November, replacing Lie to Me, which itself replacing the cancelled Lone Star on Monday nights starting this coming week.

PILOT REVIEW: Law & Order: Los Angeles

LAW & ORDER: LOS ANGELES

Starring: Skeet Ulrich, Corey Stoll, Regina Hall, Wanda De Jesus, and Alfred Molina
Created by Dick Wolf
Teleplay by Blake Masters, Story by Dick Wolf, Directed by Allen Coulter

Law & Order gets a fifth installment in the franchise (of the first four, two remain on the air after NBC cancelled the mothership last spring). This really truly is Law & Order in a new setting. Against the glitzy backdrop of Los Angeles, the first half focuses on the "law" with Detectives Rex Winters (Skeet Ulrich) and TJ Jaruszalski (Corey Stoll). The second half deals with the "order" featuring Deputy District Attorneys Ricardo Morales (Alfred Molina) and Evelyn Price (Regina Hall). The pilot episode focused on a very Hollywood episode featuring a young starlet and her mother.

There isn't much to review here if anyone has seen an episode of the New York version of Law & Order over the last 20 years. It is a standard procedural that will rise and fall in quality from week to week based on the "ripped from the headlines" plot. The team of detectives and attorneys is serviceable with Corey Stoll an early standout. The LA backdrop gives it a bit of a fresh look but I found myself missing the gritty streets on New York. It's a solid show and a reliable formula, but it may be a bit tired by now. What was once an incredibly innovative TV drama style has become the standby. It's fine, but it's nothing special. I'll watch it when I'm bored and nothing else is on but that's about it.

RATINGS RECAP: 9/28/10

ABC
8:00 No Ordinary Family
Viewers: 10.7 million, 18-49 demo: 3.2
9:00 Dancing with the Stars Results
Viewers: 17.3 million, 18-49 demo: 3.8
10:00 Detroit 1-8-7
Viewers: 8.7 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1

CBS
8:00 NCIS
Viewers: 19.1 million, 18-49 demo: 4.1
9:00 NCIS: Los Angeles
Viewers: 16.5 million, 18-49 demo: 3.7
10:00 The Good Wife
Viewers: 12.8 million, 18-49 demo: 2.5

NBC
8:00 The Biggest Loser
Viewers: 7.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.7
10:00 Parenthood
Viewers: 4.8 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0

FOX
8:00 Glee
Viewers: 13.5 million, 18-49 demo: 5.9
9:00 Raising Hope
Viewers: 7.1 million, 18-49 demo: 3.1
9:30 Running Wilde
Viewers: 4.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9

Tuesday night brought a very crowded lineup at 8pm and some mixed results for freshmen series. ABC kicked things off with the series premiere of No Ordinary Family which had the best debut of any new ABC series but didn't knock it out of the park. It would have been perfect for Sunday at 8pm but could get lost in this crowded timeslot when it levels off. The results edition of Dancing with the Stars was down some from last week as to be expected but still powerful. It just barely nipped CBS to win the demo. Detroit 1-8-7 was off only about 7% from its premiere and managed to get second in the demo. If it levels off around here or even a bit lower, it will be significantly outperforming The Forgotten and V in this timeslot last year.

CBS had another strong night. The NCIS franchise was powerful - the original series dominated in total viewers and took second, as expected, in the demo. The spinoff at 9pm came in a very close second to Dancing on ABC, which is good news. Finally, The Good Wife returned at 10pm to respectable numbers. It dominated total viewer numbers and managed to win the demo by a good margin. It wasn't too far off from its series premiere a year ago, particularly in total viewers.

NBC saw very disappointing numbers for its lineup of The Biggest Loser and Parenthood. Loser may be hitting its expiration date as a reality series as it is down a lot from previous years. Parenthood hit a series low in viewers and managed a very disappointing third in the demo. Many thought that Parenthood could win the 10pm demo even with low viewership numbers, but this is not a good sign at all for the sophomore series. Below 5 million is a red flag.

FOX kept the Glee train rolling as it built on its powerful season premiere in viewers and the demo and came close to hitting a 6 in the demo, which would be outstanding. Raising Hope slid just a bit in total viewers and stayed the same in the demo. Although its retention behind Glee is bad, it is decent news that it barely slipped at all. FOX has much more to worry about in Running Wilde. Even with Glee rising and Hope steady, Running Wilde dipped about 20% in viewers from its premiere last week and fell below a 2 in the demo. With FOX already having cancelled Lone Star, is Running Wilde next?

PILOT REVIEW: No Ordinary Family

NO ORDINARY FAMILY

Starring: Michael Chiklis, Julie Benz, Christina Chang, Kay Panabaker, Jimmy Bennett, Autumn Reeser, with Tave Donovan, and Romany Malco
Created by Greg Berlanti and Jon Harmon Feldman
Teleplay by Jon Harmon Feldman, Story by Greg Berlanti and Jon Harmon Feldman, Directed by David Semel

No Ordinary Family is a new big-budget drama from ABC about a family who acquires superhero powers. When the Powell family takes a trip to Brazil to reconnect, their plane crashes and they are thrown into some strange water. When they come back home, they begin to discover superpowers one by one. Patriarch Jim (Michael Chiklis) has Superman powers - massive strength, ability to leap tall buildings, and won't get killed by a gun shot (unless it was very very close). His busy and highly successful wife Stephanie (Julie Benz) has the power of speed and for a woman who doesn't have enough time in the day, this proves very helpful. Teenage daughter Daphne (Kay Panabaker) discovers she is a telepathic and with her powers finds out that her boyfriend is sleeping with her best friend. Son JJ (Jimmy Bennett) initially believes that he didn't get any powers until he suddenly discovers he has an insane amount of intelligence, a welcome relief for someone who was considered an underachiever. Among the others who know is Jim's buddy George (Romany Malco) who is assisting him in his new plan to fight crime with his powers.

This is a stellar effort for a new and different new drama series. The pilot doesn't hit on all cylinders but it hits on enough to give hope for the future episodes. The acting and premise are strong, the dialogue is good for the most part, and there were some good twists towards the end. It has the feel of a movie and once it got past some early canned dialogue and an abrupt cut to the plane turbulance, it found its groove. Chiklis and Benz are solid as the married Powells and it's an interesting role reversal from traditional married roles as wife Stephanie is the successful breadwinner and husband Jim is saddened by the lack of family time. Kay Panabaker had some poorly written dialogue towards the beginning but got better as the episode went on and Malco is great as Jim's friend George. The interview style of the first episode from Jim and Stephanie's point of view but it shouldn't get overdone.

No Ordinary Family is a promising pilot. Hopefully it will be able to find an audience on a crowded Tuesday night. Yes, the premise is similar to the Pixar film The Incredibles, but this, as a serialized drama for adults, can explore deeper themes and problems that come with super powers. The first rate cast and the few twists at the end of the pilot give it enough to be an intriguing start to the series. I will be coming back for more.

RATINGS RECAP: 9/27/10

ABC
8:00 Dancing with the Stars
Viewers: 21.3 million, 18-49 demo: 4.8
10:00 Castle
Viewers: 11.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.8

CBS
8:00 How I Met Your Mother
Viewers: 9.0 million, 18-49 demo: 3.9
8:30 Rules of Engagement
Viewers: 8.1 million, 18-49 demo: 3.2
9:00 Two and a Half Men 
Viewers: 13.9 million, 18-49 demo: 4.8
9:30 Mike & Molly
Viewers: 11.1 million, 18-49 demo: 3.7
10:00 Hawaii Five-0
Viewers: 12.7 million, 18-49 demo: 3.6

NBC
8:00 Chuck
Viewers: 5.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0
9:00 The Event
Viewers: 9.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.9
10:00 Chase
Viewers: 6.3 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1

FOX
8:00 House
Viewers: 10.2 million, 18-49 demo: 3.8
9:00 Lone Star
Viewers: 3.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0 

The second week of the season got underway last season and there was good news for ABC and CBS, bad news for FOX, and so-so news for NBC. On ABC, Dancing with the Stars was dominating and managed to retain nearly all its viewers who turned in for the premiere while dipping slightly in the demo. The news was even better for Castle which rose in both viewers and the demo even with Dancing's slight drop.

CBS's comedies got mostly good news. How I Met Your Mother managed to build on last week's premiere, reaching 9 million viewers and nearly a 4 in the demo. It also nipped House for #2 in the demo, very impressive. The weak link was Rules of Engagement which dipped slightly in overall viewers. It did rise by .1 demo point but lost more of Mother's audience than the first week and fell behind House. This is not what CBS hoped for when it finally let its pinch hitter get a full season. Two and a Half Men dipped just slightly from last week's big premiere and Mike & Molly saw slim declines for Week 2 (about 10% in viewers and 6% in the demo). If it can settle around its current levels, which I believe it will, CBS will have to be satisfied. It will never be The Big Bang Theory but it can be solid. Finally, Hawaii Five-0 also saw slight declines similar to Mike & Molly levels. It's not the breakaway hit CBS hoped for but those are solid Week 2 numbers.

NBC's results were so-so at best, but not horrendous. Chuck continued to die in its 8pm slot. It will probably hold steady around the low levels of just over 5 million and a 2 in the demo. The Event got mixed results. It dropped approximately 17% in viewers and about 20% in the demo which is ok for a Week 2 performance of a heavily hyped show. Still, any further drops would be very concerning. If it can level off here, NBC will be ok. If it continues to drop, especially at this rate, there will be trouble. Dipping below a 3 in the demo isn't promising. Chase saw close to a 15% drop in viewers, but under 10% in the demo. It didn't drop as much as I thought it would, but it still could be headed for Mercy/Trauma levels from last year.

FOX saw about the same from House. The show is definitely down from previous years and the drop to third in the demo in the 8pm half hour is concerning. Still, FOX has much bigger concerns as evident by the now cancelled Lone Star's 9pm performance. Lone Star tumbled about 22% in viewers from its already very low premiere numbers and the demo tied the low rated Gossip Girl on the CW. It was obviously an easy but probably painful decision to swing the ax for FOX.

CANCELLATION ALERT: Lone Star

The first casualty of the 2010-2011 season is in and it is FOX's Lone Star. One of the most critically acclaimed shows heading into the season, it did not make an impact and viewers seemed to reject it. The first episode tanked with an average of 4.1 million and 1.3 in the demo, losing viewers as the episode went on. The second episode fell further to 3.2 million and 1.0 in the demo.

It's a shame that viewers didn't buy into this. I personally watched both episodes one and two and was intrigued by the premise and the talented young cast. I thought there were a lot of interesting storylines they could explore but that will not happen now. From when it was announced for the schedule last May, it seemed like an odd fit for FOX's lineup but critics hoped FOX would give the series a chance to grow. They may have if it had received middling ratings but it was just too low. There was no justification in keeping something this low on the air. In its place will be the third season of Lie to Me beginning next Monday. Lie to Me was originally scheduled for Weds at 9pm beginning in November, but it has proven in the past it can hold its own on Monday nights at 9pm with solid but not spectacular ratings.

RATINGS RECAP: 9/26/10

Here are the final ratings for Sunday night. Check back later today for ratings and commentary from last night and (hopefully) a pilot review for No Ordinary Family, which premiere tonight at 8pm on ABC!

ABC
7:00 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Viewers: 5.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
8:00 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Viewers: 8.5 million, 18-49 demo: 2.5
9:00 Desperate Housewives
Viewers: 13.1 million, 18-49 demo: 4.3
10:00 Brothers & Sisters
Viewers: 9.5 million, 18-49 demo: 2.9

CBS
7:00 NFL Overrun
Viewers: 23.1 million, 18-49 demo: 8.5
7:47 60 Minutes
Viewers: 14.4 million, 18-49 demo: 3.1
8:47 The Amazing Race
Viewers: 11.5 million, 18-49 demo: 3.8
10:17 Undercover Boss
Viewers: 11.5 million, 18-49 demo: 3.8

NBC
7:00 Football Night in America
Viewers: 10.1 million, 18-49 demo: 4.1
8:20 Sunday Night Football Pregame
Viewers: 13.9 million, 18-49 demo: 5.2
8:30 Sunday Night Football
Viewers: 18.1 million, 18-49 demo: 7.3

FOX
7:00 The Simpsons (Repeat) (based on 7pm coverage in 66% of markets)
Viewers: 2.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
7:30 The Simpsons (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.3 million, 18-49 demo: 2.3
8:00 The Simpsons
Viewers: 7.8 million, 18-49 demo: 3.7
8:30 The Cleveland Show
Viewers: 6.6 million, 18-49 demo: 3.1
9:00 Family Guy
Viewers: 9.1 million, 18-49 demo: 4.5

Premiere week wrapped up with a busy Sunday night full of football and season premieres. As usual, the big winner was Sunday Night Football which dominated in viewers and the demo. This should continue all fall especially when major marquee games are on. There weren't any big losers on Sunday night but most concerning might be The Cleveland Show for FOX. It was down big from premiere numbers a year ago and was the weak link in a solid animation night. Perhaps it will get a rest when Bob's Burgers premieres in the spring?

Among other returning shows, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition had a very low 7pm debut but perked up significantly for the 8pm episode. Desperate Housewives continues to show its age but remained a force at 9pm. Brothers & Sisters dropped from Housewives as usual with a particularly concerning drop in the demo. It's somewhat surprising ABC didn't try a new drama here while Housewives still has some power left. CBS had overrun from dominating late football games. 60 Minutes had great numbers for its season premiere and is still a force when it has football as a lead-in. The season premieres of The Amazing Race and Undercover Boss were identical and strong. Undercover Boss was down from its huge spring run but still had good numbers especially considering that it didn't start until 10:17. And over on FOX, both The Simpsons and a one hour premiere of Family Guy saw good numbers and even eclipsed Housewives for second in the demo for the hour.

RATINGS RECAP: 9/25/10

ABC
8:00 College Football
Viewers: 5.6 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0

CBS
8:00 Hawaii Five-0 (Repeat)
Viewers: 6.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
9:00 Blue Bloods (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
10:00 48 Hours Mystery
Viewers: 6.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3

NBC
8:00 The Event (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
9:00 Chase (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
10:00 Law & Order: SVU (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1

FOX
8:00 Cops
Viewers: 4.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
9:00 America's Most Wanted
Viewers: 4.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6 

PILOT REVIEW: Blue Bloods

BLUE BLOODS

Starring: Donnie Wahlberg, Bridget Moynahan, Will Estes, Len Cariou, and Tom Selleck
Created by Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess
Written by Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess
Directed by Michael Cuesta

TV veteran Tom Selleck returns to the small screen in the family cop drama Blue Bloods about a family that has NYPD blood running through their veins. Frank Reagan (Selleck) is the police commissioner, his father Henry (Len Cariou) is a retired cop. Son Danny (Donnie Wahlberg) is a detective with PTSD from Iraq and he has a penchant for taking matters into his own hands (he's accused of police brutality in the pilot). Daughter Erin (Bridget Moynahan) is a District Attorney who clashes with Donny, has a teenage daughter, and is going through a divorce. Finally youngest son Jamie (Will Estes) is a newly graduated member of the Police Academy and is approached about cooperating with special agents who are looking into a secret society within the NYPD. It is revealed in the pilot that there was another brother who was killed while on duty and was cooperating with the Agents who approached Jamie.

Blue Bloods is one of the most intriguing, classiest shows of the new fall season. The hybrid between family drama and cop procedural is woven together very well. The case, so to speak, is solved halfway through the episode but family dynamics play out for the rest of it. The cast is first-rate - Selleck is a commanding presence as the police commissioner and Wahlberg was the star of the pilot as the tough cop who takes matters into his own hands. Moynahan, Estes, and Cariou also were promising and most importantly, they act like a family - it's a believable group. The Sunday Dinner scene was a highlight in the episode. It seems like there are many dynamics they can explore even as they have a basic case to solve each week.

Blue Bloods had a good debut in its sleepy Friday timeslot and CBS would be wise to nurture this show. Not everything was perfect - only three people in the world having the doll they found at the crime scene was a bit convenient. But still, the procedural aspect of this show is secondary to the family storylines. It will be interesting to learn more about the family's history and current relationship with each other. This is one worth coming back to.

PILOT REVIEW: Outsourced

OUTSOURCED

Starring: Ben Rappaport, Anisha Nagarajan, Diedrich Bader, Parvesh Cheena, Pippa Black, Rebecca Hazlewood, Rizwan Manjt, Sacha Dhawan
Based on the movie "Outsourced." Developed for television by Robert Bordern
Written by George Wing and John Jeffcoat, Directed by Ken Kwapis

Outsourced is a new culture-clash comedy on NBC that focuses on Todd (Ben Rappaport) - a young new manager for an American novelties company whose call center is outsourced to India. When Todd reluctantly goes to India, he is met with a group of "B list" callers who know very little about American culture or why Americans would want such odd novelties such as fake vomit. Among the call center employees are a co-manager (Rizwan Manjt) who is eyeing Todd's job, Madhuri (Anisha Nagarajan) who speaks so softly she can barely be heard, and Gupta (Parvesh Cheena) who will talk anyone's ear off.

To be honest, I actually expected Outsourced to be worse than it was. The timing is good, the acting is decent, but the content is not. The show managed to be mildly offensive to both Indians and Americans. It's too bad the content couldn't rise above culture jokes and sex jokes because the talent is there. Ben Rappaport is solid in the lead role and there were some promising performances from the call-center crew. There's also a nice rapport between Todd and his staff. It's a unique show in a unique setting but too often takes the easy way out with the jokes.

This is another niche show for NBC that is unlikely to be broadly appeal. And on top of that, it doesn't seem likely that many Americans in this time of economic troubles and high unemployment would want to watch a show about outsourcing to India. On top of that, the writing needs to get better. Outsourced is never going to be a big hit but it could be a cult favorite if it can find its voice. It's got a ways to go to even achieve that though but all hope is not lost.

PILOT REVIEW: $#*! My Dad Says

$#*! MY DAD SAYS

Starring: William Shatner, Jonathan Sadowski, Nicole Sullivan, Will Sasso
Created by David Kohan, Max Mutchnick, Justin Halpern, & Patrick Schumacker
Written by David Kohan, Max Mutchnick, Justin Halpern, & Patrick Schumacker, Directed by James Burrows

$#*! My Dad Says is a new CBS sitcoms based on the popular twitter feed created by Justin Halpern. In the TV edition, recently unemployed Henry (Jonathan Sadowski) needs money and stops by to see his estranged Dad (William Shatner) who is a grumpy 72 year old man. The show focuses on the inappropriate and outlandish things Dad says, hence the title. Rounding out the cast are Henry's brother Vince (Will Sasso) and his wife Bonnie (Nicole Sullivan).

There was not much to like about this pilot. After promising new multi-camera sitcoms in Mike & Molly and Better With You, this was more reminiscent of the many multi-camera flops in recent years. The writers seemed too focused on coming up with outlandish and funny things for Shatner to say that they failed to build a plot or story around those statements (which aren't that funny anyway). Every actor in this show is over the top, most of all Shatner. He seems to deliver his lines for the sole purpose of eliciting a response from the studio audience. Will Sasso and Nicole Sullivan, both Mad TV alums, are also disappointing and overact. The pilot had many painful jokes and scenes including an unfunny recurring joke about the cot Henry is sleeping on and the final scene had a horrible back-and-forth between Shatner and Sadowski ("when" "now" "why" "because" "I see") that they did not once, not twice, but three times.

I didn't expect much from a sitcom starring William Shatner or from a sitcom based on a twitter feed but yet it even failed to meet those low expectations. There's nothing to see here that hasn't been seen a hundred times on sitcoms and the performances only make the already bad material worse. Multi-camera sitcoms may be making a comeback and that would be a good thing, but this is not part of the revival.

PILOT REVIEW: My Generation

MY GENERATION

Starring: Michael Stahl-David, Jaime King, Kelli Garner, Keir O'Donnell, Mehcad Brooks, Daniella Alonso, Julian Morris, Sebastian Sozzi, Anne Son, Elizabeth Keener

Based on the Swedish Television Series "Blomstertid"
Teleplay by Noah Hawley
Directed by Craig Gillespie

My Generation is a new ABC mockumentary with a unique premise. In the year 2000, nine seniors at a Texas high school were followed around by a camera crew and talked about their lives, their hopes, and their dreams. Now it's ten years later and the film crew has caught up with the nine students to see how they are as adults - how they've changed, their broken dreams, their new lives. The kids were all the high school stereotypes - overachiever Steven (Michael Stahl-David), brainiac Brenda (Daniella Alonso), jock Rolly (Mehcad Brooks), punk Dawn (Kelli Garner), beauty queen Jackie (Jaime King), rich kid Anders (Julian Morris), nerd Kenneth (Keir O'Donnell), rock star Falcon (Sebastian Sozzi), and wallflower Caroline (Anne Son).

I wanted to like this show, I really did. Even when I saw the bad reviews I still had some hope because I thought it was a unique and interesting premise. But it's bad. It's really bad - maybe the worst of the new season. I can't think of a show that has been more contrived. These people don't even seem real - from their fake shock at the camera crew and what they were like 10 years ago ("wow that's right but then the world changed so dramatically after high school") to the all too convenient way that they were all brought back together right at the right time. It started bad and got worse. The writing is bad, the acting is bad, and it comes off awkward. Plus, isn't it convenient that every major event of the 2000s seemed to directly impact one of these nine Texas high school students? I'm not going to detail each cast member, they were all bad.

This may not be the first cancellation of the young season but it should be. The premise deserved better, it could have been a unique and different show unlike anything on TV. But it failed spectacularly. Instead, it's a melodramatic drama that has a weird gimmick. The characters are supposed to resemble factions of a population but they don't even come across as real people. It's bad, it's very bad. Stay away!

PILOT REVIEW: The Defenders

THE DEFENDERS

Starring: Jim Belushi, Jerry O'Connell, Jurnee Smollett, Tanya Fischer, Gillian Vigman
Created by Kevin Kennedy and Niels Mueller
Written by Niels Mueller and Kevin Kennedy
Directed by Davis Guggenheim

The Defenders is a new lighthearted legal drama that takes back in the glitzy setting of Las Vegas. It centers on a team of defense lawyers - Nick Morelli (Jim Belushi) and Pete Kaczmarek (Jerry O'Connell). If the pilot if an indication of how the series will be, the episode focuses mainly on a case but also delves into the personal lives of the partners. Nick is estranged from his wife and has a young son while Pete is a Vegas playboy. Both enjoy the glamor and glitz of Vegas while passionately doing anything they can to defend their clients.

There are good things and bad things about The Defenders. The filming is slick and the Vegas backdrop makes for a lot of fun elements in the show. Jim Belushi is a standout as Morelli. His charisma and performance in the courtroom was fun and enjoyable to watch. He was responsible for some of the best moments of the pilot including spilling the water on the doctor in court and the manipulation of the judge in the Judges Chamber. On the other hand, Jerry O'Connell was flat as the one dimensional Vegas playboy. Unlike Belushi who made an impression immediately, there seemed to be no substance to O'Connell's character. He is the weak link of the two and that will hurt the series in the long run if he can't pull it together. Also, the case and defendant wasn't given a proper introduction in the pilot so it was hard to get invested in the case or its outcome.

There's enough good in The Defenders to come back for more but there are some glaring weak spots, namely O'Connell. Also, the show can't quite seem to decide its tone as it is sometimes very serious, sometimes very comedic, and sometimes melodramatic. It's not a bad thing to have different styles but the tones need to blend together more. It seemed like sudden jumps from funny anecdotal scenes to serious courtroom scenes. There's some promise but it's not there yet.

RATINGS RECAP: 9/24/10

ABC
8:00 Modern Family (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
8:30 Better With You (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
9:00 The Whole Truth (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
10:00 20/20
Viewers: 5.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6

CBS
8:00 Medium
Viewers: 6.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
9:00 CSI: NY
Viewers: 10.3 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0
10:00 Blue Bloods
Viewers: 13.0 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2

NBC
8:00 Dateline NBC
Viewers: 7.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
10:00  Outlaw
Viewers: 4.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1

FOX
8:00 Human Target (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
9:00 The Good Guys
Viewers: 2.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9

Friday night of premiere week saw a mixed bag with CBS having the most to write home about. The big winner of the night was the series premiere of the Tom Selleck drama Blue Bloods. The well-received drama saw over 13 million viewers, a number not seen on Friday in a long time. It was old-skewing as expected but CBS will be very happy if it can stay close to those numbers. On the flip side, FOX's The Good Guys crashed and burned as expected. After low numbers on Mondays this summer with originals, it was DOA out of a Human Target rerun. We'll see how Target does but FOX may be headed back to reruns on Fridays soon. 

CBS also had positive news from the returning drama CSI: NY in its new timeslot. Although it was obviously down from its previous Weds 10pm numbers, it got over 10 million viewers which is commendable. However, Medium saw low returns at 8pm and doesn't seem capable of anchoring the night as it is below what the now-cancelled Ghost Whisperer was receiving last year. NBC had solid numbers for Dateline which is a cheap way to get 7 million viewers on Friday. However, episode two of Outlaw crashed from its solid sample over a week ago. The cancellation clock is ticking on this series as viewers clearly flocked to Blue Bloods instead. ABC aired mostly repeats to low numbers but more exposure for new series Better With You and The Whole Truth while 20/20 had very mild numbers at 10pm. And FOX saw typical low numbers for a rerun of Human Target before the aforementioned The Good Guys.  

PILOT REVIEW: The Whole Truth

THE WHOLE TRUTH

Starring: Rob Morrow, Maura Tierney, Eamonn Walker, Anthony Ruivivar, Sean Wing, Christine Adams
Created by Tom Donaghy
Written by Tom Donaghy, Directed by Alex Graves

The Whole Truth is a new legal drama from Jerry Bruckheimer's company that devotes equal time to the prosecution and defense. Assuming the set up is the same every week, it begins with an arrest and arraignment and then follows each side's preparation and then the trial and verdict. At the end of the episode, we find out through some way if the jury made the right call. The defense team is led by Jimmy Brogan (Rob Morrow) and the prosecution is led by Kathryn Peale (Maura Tierney). Adding to the dynamics is the fact that Brogan and Peale are old friends from law school. The rest of the ensemble make up the two teams.

There is nothing unique or new about The Whole Truth even with its double-sided view. The show attempts to display both sides but ends up nearly having a split personality with two many cuts back and forth, particularly in the beginning. Morrow and Tierney are serviceable in their roles but the writing is not strong enough to make a compelling legal drama. The trial scene was solid but again it was nothing we haven't seen on Law & Order or any other legal show in the last 20 years. The show is also not very visually appealing and looks cheaper than some of the other new dramas this fall. There was also one too many contrived plot points - the daughter testifying, the cancer-stricken wife dying, it was all too easy to predict.

Considering how poorly it debuted on Wednesday night on ABC, don't expect The Whole Truth to be around long. And it shouldn't be. There's nothing mind-blowingly awful about it, it's just not very good. The "gimmick" of this show (going back and forth) falls flat. I wouldn't hold my breath for better episodes in the future. The particular case they had in the pilot was ok, and that's what I would expect in the future. It's not worth your time.

PILOT REVIEW: Better With You

BETTER WITH YOU











Starring: Joanna Garcia, Jennifer Finnigan, Josh Cooke, Jake Lacy, with Kurt Fuller, and Debra Jo Rupp
Created by Shana Goldberg-Meehan
Written by Shana Goldberg-Meehan
Directed by James Burrows

Better With You is a new multi-camera sitcom from Shana Goldberg-Meehan (Friends) that centers on three couples at very different stages of their relationship. Ben and Maddie (Josh Cooke and Jennifer Finnigan) have been together for nine years but are not married ("a valid life choice"). Maddie's sister Mia (Joanna Garcia) has met and gotten engaged to Casey (Jake Lacy) after 7 weeks due to the fact that she's pregnant. Their parents (Kurt Fuller and Debra Jo Rupp) have been married 35 years and aren't quite as romantic as they once were, but are accepting of the immature and oddball Casey because it means there's going to be a wedding and a baby.

Better With You showed promise in its pilot. Coupled with Mike & Molly, this may be good news for fans of multi-camera comedies after all of last year's new offerings crashed and burned due in no small part to their poor quality. Not everything is together yet but it seems to take multi-camera sitcoms longer to get it together than it does single-camera sitcoms or dramas. The cast is strong. Joanna Garcia and Jennifer Finnigan are good together as sisters with very different outlooks on life and Josh Cooke delivered many of the funniest lines in the pilot ("so quick thinking, not good thinking"). I am mixed on Jake Lacy - I realize he's supposed to be immature and dense but he comes off as trying to hard to play that stereotype. The parents (who weren't seen much comparatively) are early standouts. Both seem like they will be excellent supporting roles. The show has good ideas and good moments. Mia being pregnant seemed a bit too contrived and predictable but we'll go with it.

Overall, it has promise. Nestled in-between The Middle and Modern Family, ABC should give this show some time to grow. It occasionally slipped into sitcom cliches but for the most part seemed likable and enjoyable. And best of all, it has a theme song - a sorely missed part of sitcoms in today's TV. The cuts between the scenes (photo reels showing the new settings) were a bit distracting, I'm not sure if that's necessary to keep. Still, Better With You shows promise and that's good enough for a pilot of a multicam sitcom.

PILOT REVIEW: Undercovers

UNDERCOVERS

Starring: Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Boris Kodjoe, Ben Schwartz, Mekia Cox, Carter MacIntyre, and Gerald McRaney
Created by JJ Abrams and Josh Reims
Written by JJ Abrams and Josh Reims
Directed by JJ Abrams

Undercovers is a new escapist spy drama from JJ Abrams who created the hit shows Lost and Alias among others. This one centers on two married former spies turned caterers in retirement, Samantha and Steven Bloom (Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Boris Kodjoe). Coaxed back into the spy business by Carlton Shaw (Gerald McRaney), the Blooms head out on a mission in the pilot to get a former friend and fellow agent Leo Nash (Carter MacIntyre) back and track down a most-wanted enemy in the process. Rounding out the cast are the always-needed tech guy Bill (Ben Schwartz) and Samantha's sister and catering employee Lizzy (Mekia Cox).

This show comes with a lot of pedigree and expectations consider the creator and the pilot shows promise but ultimately doesn't live up to the hype. That's not to say it can't improve and become a hit, but it has some work to do. There are good parts and bad parts. The good parts include the chemistry between the two leads who are newcomers - they are charming and attractive leads who are very believable as a married couple. The pilot also had a good fight scene, dazzling settings as they globe-trot, and a very funny "sexpionage" scene at a wedding. The bad parts though included the fact that the first half hour was incredibly slow moving. I realize they needed to get the story pieced together but it just dragged. Also, the writers need to avoid too much "cutesy" stuff. The banter between the Blooms is a must but it needs to be witty and sharp, not cheesy. There were too many contrived parts and lines like the simultaneous head turn on the computer or the three way "thank you very much" on the phone. A show like this doesn't need that sort of stuff.

Undercovers was ultimately underwhelming as a pilot but promising as a series. The writers will need to keep the stories fresh and cut down on the bad dialogue. The show has promise because JJ Abrams has a great track record and Gbatha-Raw and Kodjoe are extremely promising in the lead roles. But it needs to avoid looking like your average spy movie and it needs to be faster moving than the pilot. It needs work but it could make it.

PILOT REVIEW: Detroit 1-8-7

DETROIT 1-8-7

Starring: Michael Imperioli, James McDaniel, Aisha Hinds, DJ Cortona, Jon Michael Hill, Shaun Majumder, Natalie Martinez, Erin Cummings
Created by Jason Richman
Written by Jason Richman
Directed by Jeffrey Nachmanoff

Detroit 1-8-7 is a gritty new cop drama set in crime-ridden Detroit. Originally conceived as a documentary-style show, it is now a more traditional drama and focuses on the Homicide Division. The ensemble is led by Michael Imperioli as veteran Detective Louis Fitch. Each episode will likely deal with a crime or two and in the pilot, the crimes ended up being connected. Jon Michael Hill is also a standout as Fitch's first-day partner Damon Washington and provided some of the comic relief in the dark pilot. Other members of the ensemble include tough and jaded Detective Ariana Sanchez (Natalie Martinez), veteran Sergeant Jesse Longford (James McDaniel), and Lt. Maureen Mason (Aisha Hinds). If the pilot is any indication, there will be lots of time devoted to the crime and the development of the characters.

Gritty is the most appropriate word that can be used to describe this powerful drama. The setting is an important piece to this show. Just as Hawaii Five-0 has the Hawaii backdrop to add some fun, this Detroit backdrop shows a declining city in crisis. That's not to say it's incredibly somber - there are light-hearted moments like the scene at the playground in the pilot, but it's certainly representative of the downtroddden city. Michael Imperioli's Det. Fitch is one of the season's most compelling new characters - a multifaceted detective who can seemingly talk to any suspect with different methods. He also calls his partner from across the room to insult him. It will be fascinating to see the development of this already good character. The rest of the cast is strong but Imperioli stands out. This show manages to walk the line between focusing on the story and focusing on the characters very well.

Detroit 1-8-7 is a show to root for. TV is in need of a good new cop drama and this could be it. The producers were wise to lose the documentary gimmick as it stands on its own very well. The pilot had a great story that was tied together well and the episode had a very powerful and surprising ending reminiscent of Hill Street Blues' gripping pilot over 30 years ago. This is a keeper.

RATINGS RECAP: 9/23/10

Here are the ratings from last night:

ABC
8:00 My Generation
Viewers: 5.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
9:00 Grey's Anatomy
Viewers: 14.3 million, 18-49 demo: 5.4
10:00 Private Practice
Viewers: 8.8 million, 18-49 demo: 3.2

CBS
8:00 The Big Bang Theory
Viewers: 14.0 million, 18-49 demo: 4.9
8:30 $#*! My Dad Says
Viewers: 12.6 million, 18-49 demo: 4.0
9:00 CSI
Viewers: 14.7 million, 18-49 demo: 3.4
10:00 The Mentalist
Viewers: 15.5 million, 18-49 demo: 3.4

NBC
8:00 Community
Viewers: 5.0 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2
8:30 30 Rock
Viewers: 5.9 million, 18-49 demo: 2.6
9:00 The Office
Viewers: 8.5 million, 18-49 demo: 4.4
9:30 Outsourced
Viewers: 7.5 million, 18-49 demo: 3.6
10:00 The Apprentice
Viewers: 3.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4  

FOX
8:00 Bones
Viewers: 9.9 million, 18-49 demo: 2.7 
9:00 Fringe
Viewers: 5.7 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1



Thursday night of premiere week saw lots of shows return strong, two pilots sample well, one poor sample, and one show that tanked in Week 2. So basically Thursday was all over the map. The big winner was The Big Bang Theory on CBS which dominated in its new timeslot. CBS's big gamble of sending Survivor to Wednesday and trying to launch a comedy block on Thurs has clearly paid off. They have to be thrilled that Big Bang registered nearly 15 million viewers and just under a 5 in the demo, it actually built in viewers from its season premiere at 9:30pm on Mondays. It was a stunning result. Meanwhile the loser was NBC's The Apprentice which crashed and burned in its second week and is now getting among the lowest numbers on the big four networks. How can NBC leave it in this high profile slot?

Among series premieres, two comedies had respectable samplings. CBS's $#*! My Dad Says had a solid debut as it held on fairly well to Big Bang's enormous lead-in. People were clearly willing to give this show a chance, we'll see if it holds up in future weeks. Outsourced on NBC also had a positive sample, holding on fairly well to its The Office lead-in. Both these comedies haven't been getting great reviews so it will be interesting to see how they hold up next week. ABC's My Generation made it two nights in a row for disappointing drama debuts on the alphabet network with just over 5 million viewers. It seems like Weds at 10pm and Thurs at 8pm are cursed slots for ABC.

Returning series were successful last night for the most part. ABC saw very strong numbers for Grey's Anatomy which still kills in the demo. Private Practice was a bit soft and evaporated a lot of Grey's lead in. CSI and The Mentalist both returned to very solid total viewer numbers but seem to be skewing even older. Not even Justin Bieber could help CSI from its old-skewing ways. Still the overall viewer numbers continue to make these shows hits. NBC's comedies saw a mixed bag. Community was disappointing with only 5 million viewers, it seems unlikely the show can rise in future weeks. 30 Rock lost a chunk of its audience from when it was on at 9:30pm but still pulled nearly 6 million. Not great by any means but NBC will take it. The Office posted a strong viewership number for the first time in awhile and remains a strong force in the demo. FOX saw strong viewership numbers for Bones but Fringe continued to bleed from the lead-in pretty heavily. This show is certainly on the hot seat.