The Fall Tsunami

Okay, I am coming out from under the tsunami of fall programming.  I still do not understand the clustering of so many programs.  I probably give up on half of them since I simple do not have time to see them nor room to store them.  To date, I have a list of over 50 television programs that I hope to get back to someday, though I am less than optimistic.

Few of the fall shows have impressed me, and I am still finishing up new shows from the spring and summer, such as Rubicon, which many critics had called slow and dark, and yet it was just what I was in the mood for when it started - a detailed unraveling of a story with a collection of personalities who kept you interested.  TV has not done so well with such stories in the past, but I am glad they are still making them.  I particularly like the main character Will Travers, played by actor James Badge Dale, who was also excellent HBO's miniseries The Pacific, which aired earlier in the spring.

And while we are talking about this pre-fall release of programs, I have already noted my feelings on The Gates, Haven, and Louie.  I liked Louie from the start, whereas The Gates and Haven grew on me a little more slowly.  And this is the point, I had a chance to enjoy these shows in an otherwise boring season of returns.  This is the way to build an audience.

So, as I was saying, this fall season was too much, though I did watch quite a few of the new programs.  As the new season rolled out, I liked Terriers, decided I did not like Nikita, and then found the true gem of the new season - Fox's Raising Hope.  This new show brings together a talented pool of new and known actors to show the modern day mix of Roseanne meets Raising Arizona.  Is it brilliant?  Not at all.  But is it worth 30 minutes at the end of a long day?  Absolutely.  And while it has an odd start with van sex, a baby, and the the execution of the mother, it will grow on you like a fungus (that tickles).

That's about it.  NBC's The Event did not leave me asking "What happens next?"  Instead, I was asking "What were they thinking?"  It was a waste of Jason Ritter's talents, who has not really had a break since Joan of Arcadia.  I was already tired of Lost by the time it ended and I suppose I am not looking for that level of drama again for some time. This is something the networks do not always get.  Just because something worked before does not mean it can be used over and over again.  I believe this was proven with the short-lived FlashForward, which I admit I watched for awhile and yet my interest waned as did that of most viewers.

I have seen plenty of other shows that are worth picking apart for the pure enjoyment of it, but I will try that another time.  Of course, many of these shows are already being canceled, so we shall see which ones will be around to analyze.