The Oberlin Review
<< Front page Arts September 23, 2005

Wanton Distraction: Are TV shows this season worth watching?

Between the fun of class and social gatherings, you probably don’t have much time to spend watching television. You might be one of those people who think there’s nothing good on TV, but you and your cohorts are wrong.

The problem is that, like most entertainment, a large amount of TV makes you reach for the remote and/or eye-gouger, as you can’t stand another second of seeing Martha Stewart act tough because she went to prison or the 500th crime-drama on television where they pluck a set of steak knives from a victim only to discover it was his new wife who accidentally sent the unwanted wedding gift into her husband’s sternum.

So with all this terrible television, how can you possibly find the good shows? How can you find the new shows worth watching and how can you get on board with returning shows? Well, keep reading.

Turn On

Networks don’t stagger their release schedules. They throw all the new shows together into a couple weeks and see who swims to ad revenue glory and who sinks into the depths of obscurity and cult fandom. Here are a couple new shows you might want to add to your schedule:

My Name Is Earl – Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on NBC (Channel 3)

Even though he looks like an ’80s porn star fallen on hard times, that is indeed everyone’s favorite mallrat Jason Lee as the titular Earl. Earl is a shift, borderline redneck who goes into traction after getting hit by a car while jumping for joy over winning $100,000 in the lottery. While in the hospital, Earl learns about karma from Carson Daly (it gets better) and decides that he needs to right all the wrongs he’s committed in his life or karma will continue to be a bitch.

Accompanying Earl in his quest is his equally sketchy brother Randy (played by fellow mallrat Ethan Suplee, who finally saw the sailboat) and former hotel maid Catalina (Nadine Velazquez). Despite NBC’s over-saturation of publicity for the show, they actually have a winner on their hands, as the show uses flashbacks to great comical effect and has enough edge to revel in Earl and Randy’s highly un-P.C. nature.Quote of Greatness: “I’d never been face to face with a gay before.”

Kitchen Confidential – Mondays at 8:30 p.m. on Fox (Channel 8)

Ever wonder where your favorite lesser-known stars went? It turns out that they all decided to work in the food service industry. Confidential stars Bradley Cooper (Wedding Crashers), Nicholas Brendon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), John Francis Daley (Freaks and Geeks), John Cho (Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle), Jamie King (Sin City) and others, but since the show isn’t just these actors standing around for half an hour, here’s the premise:

Based on the shocking non-fiction novel by Anthony Bourdain, we see a world of chefs living like rock stars and suffering the same indignities as well. Given a second chance at a new restaurant despite his previous misdeeds, Jack (Cooper) puts together a kitchen staff of people as crazy as he is, but who seem competent next to some of the waiting staff. Readers of the book will probably be upset that the show isn’t on a network like HBO or FX so the harsher moments of Bourdain’s life can come to the screen, but Fox does an admiral job. Since hedonistic behavior isn’t normally associated with cooking, it feels fresh and surprising. However, Fox can afford to add a little more sizzle and spice before the censors come along to take away the flavor.

Tune In

Few things are as bittersweet as a brilliant-yet-cancelled television show. When you see less than a season’s worth of episodes from great shows like Firefly, Undeclared and Freaks and Geeks you curse the network, but perhaps you should also save a few curse words for the viewing public. Save these shows!

Arrested Development – Mondays at 8 p.m. on FOX (Channel 8)

If you’ve seen it, you know it’s great. It’s been on the chopping block twice even though in two years it has won six Emmys. The producers even offered to give Carmen Electra one of their Emmys if 15 million viewers tuned in to watch the premiere. Unfortunately, Carmen Electra remains Emmy-less, and the funniest show on television continues to get creamed in the ratings.

For those unfamiliar with the premise, it’s a documentary-style half-hour comedy about the wealthy and scandalous Bluth family which is being held together by its only responsible family member, Michael (Jason Bateman). Some people feel that the show builds on the events of previous episodes to the point where they would be lost if they tuned-in midseason, but I guarantee that you can watch any episode and still enjoy it for the double-entendres, quips and sight-gags. This isn’t 24, folks (although they’re both hilarious). So please, don’t make a huge mistake. Watch this show. I doubt Fox will show clemency a third time.

Numb3rs – Fridays at 10 p.m. on CBS (Channel 13)

I know folks love to go out and party on Friday night, but before you start doing stupid things, why not watch a show that will help the transition of making you feel stupid before you even start hitting on every mammal in sight.

For everyone who ever said “I’ll never need to use this” in regards to their math class, Numb3rs flashes you a nerdy grin and then shows you how to solve crime with math. But what really sets Numb3rs apart (aside from the stupid spelling of the title) is that unlike medical mysteries or crimes solved with science, Numb3rs is willing to take the time to explain the math with effective visual aids which look great because the executive producers are these two guys named Ridley (Gladiator) and Tony Scott (True Romance).

Tune Out

Yes, there are some new terrible shows. There are some intriguing shows that fail to live up to their premise (Bones, Reunion). Other shows are embarrassing attempts to ape the success of recent hits (like Lost-imitators Invasion and Surface) and the continued decline of former movie stars (Chris O’Donnell in Head Cases or Jennifer Love Hewitt in The Ghost Whisperer).

Besides, with the shows I’ve recommended here, plus already-popular shows like Lost, Family Guy, Desperate Housewives, The O.C. and C.S.I., surely you can be like me and drown out any possible remnants of a social life.
 
 

   


Search powered by