Fall TV First Look: ABC’s Pan Am
May 17th
More good stuff for the Fall – and this time around it’s ABC!
Yep, the alphabet net also has a strong line up for later in the year – and just like NBC’s The Playboy Club they’re going retro with the 60′s set airline series Pan Am.
As you’ll see from this Sneak Peek trailer it’s all very ‘Catch Me If You Can‘, with a dash of Mad Men style sixties sexism thrown in for good measure.
The trailer seems a bit lite – but the fact that the show’s from some of the creative minds behind The West Wing and ER is very reassuring. Plus Pan Am’s getting the post Desperate Housewives slot on Sunday nights, filling in for the now canceled Brothers And Sisters. Of course Housewives is long past its peak so I’m not sure how much of a leg up that will be…
But what do you think? Are you intrigued by Pan Am? Or are you a bit tired of all the 60′s set series coming soon? Start weighing in…
Have You Joined Our NEW Facebook Page Yet?
May 17th
Hi everyone,
Thanks so much for continuing to read Remote Patrolled – I love seeing all your comments and discussions – even when you don’t agree with me!
As you may have seen we’ve been doing some tidying up here on the site – and will continue to do more in the weeks and months to come.
As part of this clean up we’ve also created a new Facebook page – Remote Patrolled TV. This will replace the old Facebook page which was simply titled Remote Patrolled and which we’ve now retired.
If you haven’t joined the NEW Facebook page yet we’ve made it super simple – just go to the Facebook box on the left hand side of this page and click Like! That way you’ll be notified each time a new posting comes up here on the site.
Also don’t forget you can follow me on Twitter and check out our sister sites Good Enough Mother and Angry Trainer Fitness. Thanks again – and keep reading…!
Richard
Fall TV First Look: Fox’s Terra Nova
May 17th
The new Fall shows keep on coming – and here’s an extended look at Terra Nova, the second Spielberg production coming to our screens later in the year.
By now you’ve probably seen the teaser trailers for the show – and to be honest this extended look doesn’t offer a huge amount extra. In a nutshell it’s Jurassic Park the TV series, following a family sent back in time as part of an experiment to change the course of history and avert the over-populated present.
Terra Nova stars Jason O’Mara (Life On Mars) as the show’s dad with Stephen Lang (the bad guy from Avatar) as a military leader at the prehistoric camp. But let’s be honest – it’s the dinosaurs that are the real star of the show. We get a quick glimpse of them at the very end of this trailer and they’re definitely impressive!
Terra Nova is set to cost $4 million an episode – costly for a start up series – but there are many current network shows that aren’t far off this total (remember Desperate Housewives’ talent fees are over $2 million an episode). If the money goes on the effects it’ll be money well spent. But will audiences used to $200 More >
Fall TV First Look: Fox’s Alcatraz
May 16th
The new shows keep on coming – and here’s the latest trailer from this week’s upfronts – Alcatraz, the heavily hyped new series from Lost creator J.J. Abrams.
I’ll be honest, I’m half intrigued by the concept of this show and half bored! Alcatraz tells the story of a group of missing inmates from the legendary prison who turn up in the present day with revenge on their mind.
I’ve enjoyed some of Abrams previous work, especially his Star Trek revamp, but I gave up on Lost in Season 2 and Fringe left me cold. Alcatraz looks stylish, expensive and ambitious but I also worry it’s going to turn into a standard, ‘bad guy of the week’ style show. And as The Event and Flash Forward have proven in the last two TV seasons, over-complicated mythologies have a habit of running out of steam mid season.
Still if anyone can sell this kind of show it’s Abrams and Alcatraz is getting the Monday night at 9pm slot in mid-season – also know as the Jack Bauer / 24 slot (it’s also where NBC scheduled The Event this year – ouch!)
But what do you guys think? Are you intrigued by the Alcatraz trailer? Start commenting More >
Fall TV First Look: NBC’s The Playboy Club
May 16th
More goodies from NBC – wow, their slate is SO much better than last year (remember the likes of Outlaw and Chase)
Here’s the first look at The Playboy Club, the already controversial, 60′s set series, focusing on the iconic Playboy clubs – and the girls who work there.
Here’s my take: the series looks super stylish, Eddie Cibrian is great casting as the show’s male lead; I like how the show seems set to tackle hot button issues of sex and race; and it’s a VERY cool idea to have music from the era playing in the club.
The question is whether audiences will respond to this glut of 60′s set series – don’t forget we have ABC’s Pan-Am on the way and Mad Men returning in March. Plus can Playboy’s PG-13 rating handle the adult content the show cries out for…
We’ll see – but for now I’m excited… what do you think? (more…)
Fall TV First Look: NBC’s Smash
May 16th
Now this looks really, really good!
Check out the just released trailer for Smash – the eagerly awaited behind-the-scenes of Broadway TV show that’s top of my Must See List for the Fall (except unfortunately the show has now been pushed to a mid-season slot – grrrr!)
Smash takes us backstage of a Marilyn Monroe inspired musical and features an all star cast including Debra Messing and Angelica Huston. Plus there’s Brit actor Jack Davenport as the show’s sleazy director and ex-American Idol finalist Katherine McPhee as the show’s ingenue. I think this could be the big break for both of them after several false stars, especially McPhee who could be the new Jennifer Hudson…
On top of that the show’s produced by Steven Spielberg, directed by the guys behind Hairspray and Chicago and apparently tested through the roof. I’m so there!
But what do you think? Does Smash look like a smash to you?
Fall TV First Look: NBC’s Prime Suspect
May 16th
Here’s another sneak peek for the Fall season – Prime Suspect, NBC’s remake of the famous Brit TV series starring Helen Mirren.
I vaguely know the Brit show having watched the first season back in 1992. It was superb, though due to my crazy work schedule I never got to see the future series.
American TV has been planning on remaking Suspect for years but now a new version is finally a reality, starring Maria Bello and given a plum 10pm Thursday slot (the old ER slot – in which Bello was briefly a cast member)
The big question for me is whether Suspect will be a Killing-like arced series – as the original was – or opt for a case of the week procedural style, which I’m less interested in. To be honest if the show becomes the latter how is it really any different from Law And Order: SVU or CSI or Bones? Plus since Prime Suspect won’t be following the same cases as the original, how exactly is it a remake, except in name only?
On the flip side – I do have to say these clips look great. I’m also a big fan of Bello who was terrific in A History Of Violence and More >
Fall TV First Look: NBC’s Grimm
May 16th
As you all know I’m super excited for the upcoming Fall Season and the new batch of shows coming from Fox, ABC and NBC (CBS less so!)
As I wrote in my 10 Fall Shows I Can’t Wait To See post, this year’s line-up is heads above last year’s offerings – and I think the networks will be rewarded for making such smart, creative decisions.
I think NBC in particular is going to see a major reversal of fortune – now that the Jeff Zucker years are over and a real program maker, Bob Greenblatt, is in charge.
And here’s a first look at one of the new slate of shows, Grimm, a procedural with a twist that’s going to be going up against Fringe in the Friday night death slot.
Grimm is set in Portland, Oregon and follows the adventures of a detective who has the ability to see fantastical creatures living in the real world. Turns out he’s a descendant of an elite group of hunters known as ‘Grimms’ whose job is to stop these monsters invading our world.
It all sounds a bit CW / Supernatural to me – and the Friday night slot isn’t a huge sign of confidence in the show. But More >
Saturday Night Live: The Ambiguously Gay Duo – Are You Offended?
May 15th
Funny or offensive – you decide?
I’ll admit I often have mixed feelings when it comes to gay representations on TV, but last night’s Ambiguously Gay Duo skit on Saturday Night Live made me laugh.
In case you don’t know the sketch, the Gay Duo is an animated superhero short that’s been running since the mid 90′s, first on the Dana Carvey Show and later on Saturday Night Live.
Last night’s installment turned the duo from animated heroes into live action characters, played by Jimmy Fallon and Jon Hamm. Take a look and you’ll also see Stephen Colbert, Steve Carrell and last night’s SNL host Ed Helms in the mix too.
Was it offensive? Not to me – mainly because I think a big part of comedy is intention and I think these guys are as gay friendly as they come. Plus it’s pretty darn funny in places…
But what do you say… are the Ambiguously Gay Duo offensive – or just good fun? Start commenting…
Ratings Roundup: 14th May 2011
May 14th
Winners and Losers From The Last 7 Days
WINNERS
CASTLE: We haven’t written about ABC’s Monday night crime series for a while now, but under the radar the show’s been steadily building up quite a following and some very nice ratings.
This week’s episode pulled in 12.60 million viewers and a 3.1 18-49 share – one of the highest broadcast ratings off the week. Sure Castle inherits a hefty audience from Dancing With The Stars (20.74 million, 4.2 18-49 share) but many shows benefit from a big lead in and squander the opportunity – just look at how badly many post-Idol shows fare (Breaking In looks like the latest casualty barring a last minute reprieve).
Plus Castle is thrashing the pants off its Monday night competition – the much hyped, but underperforming Hawaii Five-0 (9.44 million / 2.3) and now cancelled Law And Order: LA (5.05 million / 1.2). Does star Nathan Fillion finally have a hit on his hands!
