Welcome to my Monday newsletter! It's a very busy return of the newsletter for the fall with a look at Task and The Paper, a summer TV recap, my final Emmy predictions, the continuation of my Top 25 Shows Since 2000 and a new feature - a re-review of a pilot I watched during the first year of the blog!
WHAT'S NEW
I watched the premiere of Task last night after the thrilling Bills comeback over the Ravens so I was in a good mood which maybe offset some of the dreariness of this new Philadelphia area-set HBO Sunday night drama. But dreary doesn't necessarily mean bad. Yes, the show is brooding but I still found the first episode quite compelling. The series is setting FBI agent Tom Brandis (Mark Ruffalo) on a collision course with a seemingly simple man, Robbie (Tom Pelphrey), who is involved in a string of violent robberies.
The series comes from the creator of Mare of Easttown, Brad Inglesby, and I do still have the concerns I shared in my Most Anticipated Shows list last week that this show doesn't have as light a touch as Mare and seems more depressing more often. But similar to Mare, the show already feels very much lived in. Ruffalo's sad, unassuming and routine-based life and Pelphrey's more chaotic but warmer household both felt very authentic and in line with their personalities and lifestyles. The pilot did a very nice job and showing us both lives by dropping us into their daily routines instead of giving us too much exposition. Inglesby is really a master at that type of storytelling. The cast is strong, especially those connected to Pelphrey. I was a little less sold on the task force on first glance, though they didn't have much to do and were put together by the ever-strong Martha Plimpton (in a recurring role).
From a plot standpoint, it felt a little slow but it didn't feel unnecessary. I think we needed all the world building to make the rest of the show work and it will pay off as we continue to watch. It already paid off to a certain extent with the final twenty minutes of the first episode. I thought it was a really interesting and intense end to the episode and it only worked as well as it did because we already cared about Pelphrey, Ruffalo and those around them. I think this is going to be another really interesting story to piece together and I know Inglesby excels in that arena. I look forward to watching this over the next several weeks on Sunday nights!
Before watching any episode, I was very surprised to see the mostly positive reviews for The Paper. Even with the show of faith second season renewal before it premiered, I just got the sense that the show was not all that good. But then most critics seemed to like it so I was more hopeful. I've watched the three episodes (I'm sure some reading this have seen the whole season already) and I definitely think there's a lot of potential. More importantly, I thought the third episode was better than the second, which was better than the first.
The first episode got a little bogged down in setting the show in The Office universe and it was almost jarring how similar it was to The Office. The second episode did a good job of sending the characters into pairs to help us get to know them better but it felt a bit all over the place and perhaps trying to do too much in a single episode. The third episode settled things down a bit and really let the characters try to just live in their roles a little bit more. And while the vibe certainly still will never make you forget The Office, it's starting to feel more like it's own show with each passing episode, even if there are fan service mentions of characters from the old show (mostly by Oscar Nunez, who of course appeared on both shows and is still rock solid but perhaps a bit unnecessary).
I am really enjoying the cast here. Domhnall Gleeson is charming in the lead role. Sabrina Impacciatore is a very broad character but mostly working for me. They're going to have to give her more to do than just sabotage Gleeson's Ned soon though. Chelsea Frei is an early standout while the rest of the cast each had some promising moments. Sitcoms can be tough to get right early so I often grade them on a curve but I didn't need to put this on too much of a curve. I wish it was running weekly for more than 10 episodes because I think it could get some momentum that way with the improving quality but I'm sure Peacock had their reasons for rolling it out the way they did and I wouldn't be shocked if Season 2 ends up with more than ten episodes.
LAST WEEK ON...
While the blog was on a summer break, much of TV was too. I thought this was a pretty dire summer for new content. I did watch a few things but there was nothing that really popped my interest to a huge degree. When my favorite summer shows consist of the trashy The Hunting Wives and the inexplicably addicting The Summer I Turned Pretty, you know it's not a banner summer. My actual favorite summer show is probably Platonic but that is continuing on for another month. The second season Apple TV+ comedy is continuing to be a really charming and funny, albeit lightweight, show. As for the two guilty pleasures, I watched The Hunting Wives mainly because of my on-going love for Brittany Snow. I don't think it was good TV by any means but it was easily the most propulsive and bingeable show of the summer. As for the phenom The Summer I Turned Pretty, I've actually watched this show from the beginning but it really took off this summer. It's pretty addicting too in a breezy summer romance kind of way. The performances are surprisingly good even if the characters are frustrating.\
So then there was also the fourth season of The Bear. After loving the first two seasons, I thought the third season was uneven but had some spectacular highs ("Napkins" and "Ice Chips"). I think Season Four was more steady - the lows were not as low, but the highs were certainly not as high. So I actually think it tracks out to be the most forgettable season as I preferred the messiness of the third season to the "fine"-ness of the fourth season. The only other new scripted shows I watched all of were the head-scratchingly weird Smoke (I probably won't be back for a second season if it gets renewed), the meh new season of Criminal Minds: Evolution and the funny but somewhat inconsistent Adults.
Aside from that, I watched a lot of football documentaries - Quarterback, The Kingdom, America's Team and Hard Knocks. Quarterback is a real solid and durable format and I hope they can keep finding people to agree to do it. The Kingdom was about the Chiefs (yuck) but had some interesting moments, I really liked the Andy Reid-centered episode. America's Team was too long but definitely the most compelling and stylish of these shows. And Hard Knocks - well, the Bills are my co-favorite team with the Packers so it was fun to see them. But they are a pretty drama-free team. Great for continued success like they have had but maybe not the most interesting for an HBO series.
I also am slowly making my way through The OC and The Leftovers for the first time ever. So it's not like there wasn't plenty to watch, it was just a quiet summer for scripted fare. Bring on the fall shows!
AWARDS CORNER
The Emmys are this Sunday! Here are my final predictions for the major categories as well as my should wins & should have been nominated
Outstanding Drama Series
Will Win: Severance
Should Win: The Pitt
Should Have Been Nominated: Matlock
Outstanding Comedy Series
Will Win: The Studio
Should Win: Shrinking
Should Have Been Nominated: A Man on the Inside
Outstanding Limited/Anthology Series
Will Win: Adolescence
Should Win: Adolescence
Should Have Been Nominated: Good American Family
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Will Win: Noah Wyle, The Pitt
Should Win: Noah Wyle, The Pitt
Should Have Been Nominated: Billy Bob Thornton, Landman
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Will Win: Kathy Bates, Matlock
Should Win: Kathy Bates, Matlock
Should Have Been Nominated: Elisabeth Moss, The Handmaid's Tale
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Will Win: Seth Rogen, The Studio
Should Win: Seth Rogen, The Studio
Should Have Been Nominated: Ted Danson, A Man on the Inside
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Will Win: Jean Smart, Hacks
Should Win: Jean Smart, Hacks
Should Have Been Nominated: Bridget Everett, Somebody Somewhere
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited/Anthology Series or TV Movie
Will Win: Colin Farrell, The Penguin
Should Win: Stephen Graham, Adolescence
Should Have Been Nominated: Josh Andres Rivera, American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited/Anthology Series or TV Movie
Will Win: Cristin Milioti, The Penguin
Should Win: Cristin Milioti, The Penguin
Should Have Been Nominated: Ellen Pompeo, Good American Family
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Will Win: Walton Goggins, The White Lotus
Should Win: Walton Goggins, The White Lotus
Should Have Been Nominated: Patrick Ball, The Pitt
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Will Win: Parker Posey, The White Lotus
Should Win: Katherine LaNasa, The Pitt
Should Have Been Nominated: Skye P. Marshall, Matlock
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Will Win: Harrison Ford, Shrinking
Should Win: Harrison Ford, Shrinking
Should Have Been Nominated: Ted McGinley, Shrinking
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Will Win: Hannah Einbinder, Hacks
Should Win: Hannah Einbinder, Hacks
Should Have Been Nominated: Meredith Hagner, Bad Monkey
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited/Anthology Series or TV Movie
Will Win: Owen Cooper, Adolescence
Should Win: Peter Sarsgaard, Presumed Innocent
Should Have Been Nominated: Ed O'Neill, Clipped
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited/Anthology Series or TV Movie
Will Win: Erin Doherty, Adolescence
Should Win: Jenny Slate, Dying For Sex
Should Have Been Nominated: Jacki Weaver, Clipped
TOP 25 SHOWS SINCE 2000
The Middle was always that "other" ABC family sitcom. Premiering a week after Modern Family, it was the other anchor - the one that didn't become a sensation and didn't win a trove of Emmy Awards including five straight Outstanding Comedy Series wins. But the funny thing is, it was a far more consistent and ultimately far better show than Modern Family. Maybe it never quite reached Modern's highs but it certainly came nowhere close to its lows. In fact, The Middle was one of the most consistent long-running shows in TV history. Even when the kids got older, even when the show got up there in years and episode counts, it was just as sure of itself and just as rock solid in Season 9 as it was in Season 1. With a fantastic cast that stayed throughout the entire run, led by Patricia Heaton and Neil Flynn, the series was so simple yet so charming. It's not a show I've ever had a huge desire to re-visit but maybe I should sometime. I bet it will feel just as solid as it always did.
PILOT RE-REVIEW
This season, I am traveling back in time to the 2010-11 season, the first season I did this blog. I will be re-reviewing the pilots from that season, at least as many as I can find!
Original Review: Click Here!
What I Think Now: This was the very first show I ever reviewed for this blog and although I wasn't as well-versed in TV dramas at the time, I still could recognize a bad show. This is a really silly show masquerading as something important. I don't mind dramas that don't take themselves seriously but this show doesn't seem to be in on the joke. It seems to think that there is a real possibility that a Supreme Court Justice could give up his position in order to "change the court." It seems emblematic of the hopeful early Obama years and is a liberal fantasy that would make even The West Wing blush. I am not saying that this isn't how I wish the world was. But this show tries to be grounded in reality while dealing with something that seems as much of a fantasy as one involving dragons and talking animals. Jimmy Smits is charismatic and he's trying his hardest here but he can't put lipstick on a pig. I almost feel embarrassed for everyone involved because they just seem so earnest in what they're trying to do. And yet it all just feels so insane. Maybe that's a jaded perspective now that wasn't as prevalent in 2010 but other reviews at the time (including mine) seem like they knew what was up.
What Happened to the Show: Outlaw was developed at an unusual time. It came from Conan O'Brien's production company, Conaco, and the pilot was ordered just days after NBC severed its relationship with O'Brien in a very public spat that led to the return of Jay Leno to The Tonight Show after just a few months with O'Brien at the helm. Perhaps this was a "no hard feelings" play but it was still surprising that it ended up on the schedule. NBC gave Outlaw a preview after the season finale of America's Got Talent to bolster it for a tough Friday 10pm timeslot where it was going against another newbie on CBS, Blue Bloods as well as ABC's longtime occupant in the slot, 20/20. The preview did decently as was to be expected but it flopped as soon as it hit the Friday 10pm slot. Coupled with terrible reviews, Outlaw was not long for the world. The series paused production after three airings and was officially cancelled after its fourth airing with NBC then burning episodes off on Saturdays. Smits, a veteran of NBC with L.A. Law and an acclaimed arc on The West Wing, tried twice more with NBC in the decade to similarly bad results (2013's Ironside and 2019's Bluff City Law).
COMING UP
We're not quite into the full swing of Fall TV yet so there's only a few premieres this week. On Tuesday, Hulu premieres the fifth season of Only Murders in the Building. The show has consistently returned at this time of year each year, which is impressive in the streaming age. I haven't been a big fan of the show since the first season but I might see it through at this point. On Wednesday, Prime Video has the premiere of new drama series The Girlfriend starring Robin Wright. It doesn't seem to have a lot of buzz. On Thursday, Netflix has the second season premiere of Beauty in Black while BET+ has the fourth season premiere of Zatima.
Comments
Post a Comment