StarshipTrooper
August 19th, 2008, 01:04 AM
12:00 AM, 18-AUGUST-08
SciFi.com: Fall's Sci-Fi TV Hits--And Misses
The success of Heroes and Lost has spawned a new generation of SF&F TV shows for fall 2008, coming to a flat-screen near you.
What's different for 2008 is the wide variety of shows: From high-tech cars to time-traveling cops to mystical romances, this year has a little something for everyone. Which will be the breakout hits and which will be but distant memories come next fall, when a new bunch of shows will arrive to replace them?
As a service to you, the busy and possibly overwhelmed viewer, SCI FI Wire offers its predictions for the hits and misses of the fall 2008 season, in descending order, based on early buzz and the pilots we've seen so far. You can take these to the bank.
Fringe. Fox. Premieres Sept. 9. Airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m.
From J.J. Abrams and his Star Trek writing team of Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, Fringe centers on FBI special agent Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv), who finds herself drawn into an investigation of a mysterious aircraft disaster in Boston. We love this show. Odds of success: 2 to 1
Knight Rider. NBC. Premieres Sept. 24. Airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m.
Last spring, NBC aired a TV movie/backdoor pilot to revive the franchise that made David Hasselhoff a star. The network is following up with a full-fledged series about the iconic car known as K.I.T.T. and the humans who run him. Equipped with state-of-the art technology, artificial intelligence and the voice of Val Kilmer, K.I.T.T. is partnered with Justin Bruening as Mike Tracer, the estranged son of Hasselhoff's Michael Knight, who continues his father's legacy by fighting bad guys on the open road. The movie did well enough, so there may be an audience for this show. The new show runner, Las Vegas' Gary Scott Thompson, has revamped the series to amp up the action, and he's added a bunch of new characters. Plus, this is a title with some history--but so was Bionic Woman, so that's no guarantee of ratings success. Odds of success: 5 to 1
Life on Mars. ABC. Premieres Oct. 9. Airs Thursdays at 10 p.m.
The bar was set pretty high for this remake of the hit BBC show, about a modern-day cop who finds himself thrown back to 1973, and ABC failed to meet it with a dismal David E. Kelley-produced pilot. Not to be deterred, the network scrapped that effort and brought on producers Josh Appelbaum and Andre Nemec (October Road) to completely retool the show. It's too early to tell for sure if the cast changes and move from L.A. to New York will make a difference, but at least the new show runners seem to have a handle on what made the British show good. O'Mara still has a long way to go to fill John Simm's Cuban heels, but The Sopranos' Michael Imperioli is a nice addition, and Harvey Keitel as Gene Hunt is sheer brilliance. If the new retro promos are any indication, ABC finally seems one of the most important aspects of the show--it's not about just nostalgia for the '70s, but nostalgia for the TV of the '70s. And that timeslot after Grey's Anatomy doesn't hurt either. Odds of success: 6 to 1.
Kings. NBC. Premiere TBD.
Set in the alternate-reality nation of Gilboa, this modern-day biblical tale of David and Goliath follows the rise of David Shepherd (Christopher Egan), an idealistic solder invited to join the court of King Silas Benjamin (Ian McShane) after a heroic battle. Once there, he is disillusioned by the intrigues and deceptions he finds at every turn, yet helplessly taken in by the king's beautiful daughter (Allison Miller). Created by Michael Green, a veteran of Heroes and Smallville, this project has ambition written all over it. That can be a double-edged sword, but when combined with passion and storytelling talent it can click with loyal viewers. The concept may be difficult for a general audience to grasp at first, but if it gets a chance to prove itself, the soap-opera aspect and striking visuals may appeal to more than just a cult audience. Odds of success: 6 to 1 This story continues below the image.
My Own Worst Enemy. NBC. Premieres Oct. 13. Airs Mondays at 10 p.m.
Think The Bourne Identity meets Jekyll and Hyde. Christian Slater stars in as family man Henry Spivey and secret government operative Edward Albright, two very different men who share the same body. This could also be a comeback of sorts for Slater, who gets to stretch here in two very different roles, and he brings considerable charm to both. But it will take some clever writing to keep this interesting premise from wearing thin too early in the season. The premiere may draw a good number of curious viewers, but they'll need a reason to come back the following week. Odds of success: 7 to 1
True Blood. HBO. Premieres Sept. 7. Airs Sundays at 9 p.m.
Yet another vampire show emerges, this one from Six Feet Under producer Alan Ball. This small-town drama, based on novelist Charlaine Harris' Southern Vampire Mysteries, takes place in a world where a Japanese-made synthetic blood substitute allows humans and vampires to co-exist. It's not exactly a peaceful co-existence, and the show uses the metaphor of vampires as outsiders to explore issues of tolerance and the human condition in general. If it sounds familiar, that's because it's been done before. Lots of times. In this case, the protagonist is Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin), a telepathic roadhouse waitress who falls in love with a local 173-year-old vampire (Stephen Moyer). This is HBO (not TV, as the network likes to point out), so the playing field is a bit wider here, but Ball's challenge will be finding new ground to cover within the well-traveled territory of vampire lore. The pilot hinted at this, but the success of the show will depend on how well he's able to do that in future episodes. Odds of success: 12 to 1
The Ex List. CBS. Premiere TBD. Airs Fridays at 9 p.m.
After a psychic at a bachelorette party informs her that she has already met her true love, Bella (Elizabeth Reaser) goes on a quest to reconnect with all of her ex-boyfriends. If she doesn't find "the one" before the year is out, she will be alone forever. The idea comes from a hit Israeli dramedy called Mythological X, but it seems a bit confining for an American show, given the year timeline and the fact that if she actually does find the guy, the show is over. Even more troubling, the audience is supposed to root for Bella, but it's hard when there is little to admire about her. There are two bright spots here, though. The first is its Friday-night lead-in, Ghost Whisperer, which appeals to the same potential demographic. The second is executive producer Diane Ruggiero, a veteran of the underrated Veronica Mars. Still, we predict a tough sell. Odds of success: 15 to 1
Eleventh Hour. CBS. Premieres Sept. 24. Airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m.
Based on the British miniseries of the same name, this Jerry Bruckheimer-produced drama straddles the line between fact and fiction. Rufus Sewell stars as Dr. Jacob Hood, a specialist in the area of scientific crises and oddities who is called in--you guessed it--at the 11th hour, when all other attempts at investigation have failed. Grindhouse's Marley Shelton plays the FBI agent assigned to protect him. Bruckheimer has a winning track record with the CSI dynasty, but this one may prove to lower his average. Even if the pilot weren't contrived and full of cringe-worthy dialogue, it would still likely be eclipsed by comparisons with The X-Files and competition from the similar--and far better--Fringe. Odds of success: 25 to 1
(NBC is owned by NBC Universal, which also owns SCIFI.COM.) --Cindy White, with Mike Szymanski and Brian Murphy
http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=1&id=58651
SciFi.com: Fall's Sci-Fi TV Hits--And Misses
The success of Heroes and Lost has spawned a new generation of SF&F TV shows for fall 2008, coming to a flat-screen near you.
What's different for 2008 is the wide variety of shows: From high-tech cars to time-traveling cops to mystical romances, this year has a little something for everyone. Which will be the breakout hits and which will be but distant memories come next fall, when a new bunch of shows will arrive to replace them?
As a service to you, the busy and possibly overwhelmed viewer, SCI FI Wire offers its predictions for the hits and misses of the fall 2008 season, in descending order, based on early buzz and the pilots we've seen so far. You can take these to the bank.
Fringe. Fox. Premieres Sept. 9. Airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m.
From J.J. Abrams and his Star Trek writing team of Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, Fringe centers on FBI special agent Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv), who finds herself drawn into an investigation of a mysterious aircraft disaster in Boston. We love this show. Odds of success: 2 to 1
Knight Rider. NBC. Premieres Sept. 24. Airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m.
Last spring, NBC aired a TV movie/backdoor pilot to revive the franchise that made David Hasselhoff a star. The network is following up with a full-fledged series about the iconic car known as K.I.T.T. and the humans who run him. Equipped with state-of-the art technology, artificial intelligence and the voice of Val Kilmer, K.I.T.T. is partnered with Justin Bruening as Mike Tracer, the estranged son of Hasselhoff's Michael Knight, who continues his father's legacy by fighting bad guys on the open road. The movie did well enough, so there may be an audience for this show. The new show runner, Las Vegas' Gary Scott Thompson, has revamped the series to amp up the action, and he's added a bunch of new characters. Plus, this is a title with some history--but so was Bionic Woman, so that's no guarantee of ratings success. Odds of success: 5 to 1
Life on Mars. ABC. Premieres Oct. 9. Airs Thursdays at 10 p.m.
The bar was set pretty high for this remake of the hit BBC show, about a modern-day cop who finds himself thrown back to 1973, and ABC failed to meet it with a dismal David E. Kelley-produced pilot. Not to be deterred, the network scrapped that effort and brought on producers Josh Appelbaum and Andre Nemec (October Road) to completely retool the show. It's too early to tell for sure if the cast changes and move from L.A. to New York will make a difference, but at least the new show runners seem to have a handle on what made the British show good. O'Mara still has a long way to go to fill John Simm's Cuban heels, but The Sopranos' Michael Imperioli is a nice addition, and Harvey Keitel as Gene Hunt is sheer brilliance. If the new retro promos are any indication, ABC finally seems one of the most important aspects of the show--it's not about just nostalgia for the '70s, but nostalgia for the TV of the '70s. And that timeslot after Grey's Anatomy doesn't hurt either. Odds of success: 6 to 1.
Kings. NBC. Premiere TBD.
Set in the alternate-reality nation of Gilboa, this modern-day biblical tale of David and Goliath follows the rise of David Shepherd (Christopher Egan), an idealistic solder invited to join the court of King Silas Benjamin (Ian McShane) after a heroic battle. Once there, he is disillusioned by the intrigues and deceptions he finds at every turn, yet helplessly taken in by the king's beautiful daughter (Allison Miller). Created by Michael Green, a veteran of Heroes and Smallville, this project has ambition written all over it. That can be a double-edged sword, but when combined with passion and storytelling talent it can click with loyal viewers. The concept may be difficult for a general audience to grasp at first, but if it gets a chance to prove itself, the soap-opera aspect and striking visuals may appeal to more than just a cult audience. Odds of success: 6 to 1 This story continues below the image.
My Own Worst Enemy. NBC. Premieres Oct. 13. Airs Mondays at 10 p.m.
Think The Bourne Identity meets Jekyll and Hyde. Christian Slater stars in as family man Henry Spivey and secret government operative Edward Albright, two very different men who share the same body. This could also be a comeback of sorts for Slater, who gets to stretch here in two very different roles, and he brings considerable charm to both. But it will take some clever writing to keep this interesting premise from wearing thin too early in the season. The premiere may draw a good number of curious viewers, but they'll need a reason to come back the following week. Odds of success: 7 to 1
True Blood. HBO. Premieres Sept. 7. Airs Sundays at 9 p.m.
Yet another vampire show emerges, this one from Six Feet Under producer Alan Ball. This small-town drama, based on novelist Charlaine Harris' Southern Vampire Mysteries, takes place in a world where a Japanese-made synthetic blood substitute allows humans and vampires to co-exist. It's not exactly a peaceful co-existence, and the show uses the metaphor of vampires as outsiders to explore issues of tolerance and the human condition in general. If it sounds familiar, that's because it's been done before. Lots of times. In this case, the protagonist is Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin), a telepathic roadhouse waitress who falls in love with a local 173-year-old vampire (Stephen Moyer). This is HBO (not TV, as the network likes to point out), so the playing field is a bit wider here, but Ball's challenge will be finding new ground to cover within the well-traveled territory of vampire lore. The pilot hinted at this, but the success of the show will depend on how well he's able to do that in future episodes. Odds of success: 12 to 1
The Ex List. CBS. Premiere TBD. Airs Fridays at 9 p.m.
After a psychic at a bachelorette party informs her that she has already met her true love, Bella (Elizabeth Reaser) goes on a quest to reconnect with all of her ex-boyfriends. If she doesn't find "the one" before the year is out, she will be alone forever. The idea comes from a hit Israeli dramedy called Mythological X, but it seems a bit confining for an American show, given the year timeline and the fact that if she actually does find the guy, the show is over. Even more troubling, the audience is supposed to root for Bella, but it's hard when there is little to admire about her. There are two bright spots here, though. The first is its Friday-night lead-in, Ghost Whisperer, which appeals to the same potential demographic. The second is executive producer Diane Ruggiero, a veteran of the underrated Veronica Mars. Still, we predict a tough sell. Odds of success: 15 to 1
Eleventh Hour. CBS. Premieres Sept. 24. Airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m.
Based on the British miniseries of the same name, this Jerry Bruckheimer-produced drama straddles the line between fact and fiction. Rufus Sewell stars as Dr. Jacob Hood, a specialist in the area of scientific crises and oddities who is called in--you guessed it--at the 11th hour, when all other attempts at investigation have failed. Grindhouse's Marley Shelton plays the FBI agent assigned to protect him. Bruckheimer has a winning track record with the CSI dynasty, but this one may prove to lower his average. Even if the pilot weren't contrived and full of cringe-worthy dialogue, it would still likely be eclipsed by comparisons with The X-Files and competition from the similar--and far better--Fringe. Odds of success: 25 to 1
(NBC is owned by NBC Universal, which also owns SCIFI.COM.) --Cindy White, with Mike Szymanski and Brian Murphy
http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=1&id=58651