I love TV. I don’t know what I’d do without it. In the spirit of that love, I’d like to share my thoughts about the current TV season. I watch so many shows that I’ll be breaking down each TV round up by network, and today we are going to take a look at FOX.
Before I get to what I’ve been watching, I would just like to say how psyched I am for season 7 of 24. I just saw the trailer and it certainly got my blood pumping. I’ve missed Jack Bauer for the last year and a half. I love him. I would watch season 7 even if it was 24 episodes of Jack Bauer trying to pass a kidney stone. Given season 6 wasn’t all that good and the trailer for the upcoming 2 hour movie, 24: Redemption, (I begrudgingly admit) looks kind of cheesy, but I’m willing to look past all that. For 5 seasons, 24 was excellent and to be perfectly fair, any action movie franchise on its sixth entry is going to slip in quality. That’s why we’ll never see a Lethal Weapon 6 or Die Hard 6 (Although, loyal guy that I am, I’d certainly pay to see them). I mean really, the good people behind 24 have essentially made six 24 hour action movies. Pretty impressive if you ask me. Anyway, on Sunday, January 13th, you’ll know where to find me.
I have to admit, the show that I look most forward to on FOX right now, is Prison Break. I love this show. It’s farfetched and ludicrous at times, but it is endlessly entertaining. The way they’ve reinvented this show this season is beyond brilliant. The show is so radically different from past seasons that it shouldn’t even be called Prison Break anymore. The boys are no longer breaking out of prison, they’re now working under a government agent (the always fun to watch, Michael Rapaport), to try and take down the conspiracy based Company. They’ve taken every character (enemies and friends) from the last 3 seasons and made them a team. They’ve even humanized former FBI agent Mahone (William Fichtner), and made him a character you have to root for. This season’s storyline about his quest to avenge his young son’s life has been the best storyline of the season so far. William Fichtner is phenomenal and has shown such depth of emotion that it almost makes his fellow cast mates look terrible (they’re not… at all). Prison Break has become a modern day A-Team (my brother’s words) and that is indeed a major compliment. Anyway, if you don’t watch this show, you are missing out and due to its serialized nature, it’s pretty impossible to just jump right in.
I’ve already touched upon what I like about J.J Abrams new series Fringe in a previous blog, but weeks later, I’m still really digging it and if given the chance, this series will grow up to be the heir to the throne vacated by The X-Files. Each episode delivers a story that be contained in just one episode while also continuing the overall storyline of FBI agent Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv) and her associates attempting to stop The Pattern, a worldwide science experiment that may or may not be controlled by the mega giant corporation, Massive Dynamic. Fringe can be spooky, eerie, disturbing, funny, smart, romantic, sad and charming all at the same time… sometimes all in one episode. The cast is dynamic and John Noble continues to draw me in every week with his portrayal of Dr. Walter Bishop. He plays him as a wacky, mad scientist who teeters between acting like a fascinated child to a wizened old soul and back again. Noble gives a truly fantastic performance each and every week, in a truly fantastic show.
I’m happy to report that House is back to form after an uneven season 3, possibly due to the writer’s strike… probably not, but the writer’s strike seems to be the convenient scapegoat for any problems a series experienced last season or now. The first half of season 3 felt like a bad reality show contest in which Dr. House was selecting his new team from a field of 40 applicants. It was a clever gimmick but it went on way too long. It seems that the writers have learned their lesson this season. Instead of dragging out the demise of House’s friendship with Wilson, they finished the storyline in only a handful of episodes with a very satisfying conclusion (Wilson and House are friends again… Yay!). If you are bored by other shows and looking for gripping drama, House is still a good cure.
The last show is Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles. This is the one show on FOX that I feel is in danger of cancelation and it deserves better. Last year when the show premiered (during the writers’ strike) the ratings were solid and FOX decided to renew it. This season has been a different story however, with ratings slipping 45% from last season. I’m not quite sure why there has been such a slip, other than there is more competition in the time slot, but the quality of the show remains the same and in fact it’s actually better than it was last season. The show is also falling victim to its serialized nature as audiences seem to be revolting against shows with continuing storylines. It’s a real shame, but FOX can’t be blamed if they take an axe to this show. FOX is truly the one network that will give a struggling show a chance to find its groove. They let the ratings deprived Arrested Development run for nearly 3 seasons. They allowed The X-Files a chance to grow into a hit show. Any other network would have cancelled The X-Files and Arrested Development after 4 episodes. Terminator does have a chance of surviving due to the pending release of the fourth film in the franchise, Terminator: Salvation, which will surely reenergize the fan base of the Terminator property, and possibly bring a well deserved ratings surge for this underappreciated series. Of course, if it does get axed, it is a perfect fit for the SCI-FI network. After all, SCI-FI is going to have a gaping hole in its schedule once its crown jewel, Battlestar Galactica, ends its run early next year. Why not fill it with The Sarah Connor Chronicles? If it brings half its audience with it to SCI-FI, it will be a large hit for the network. Just a thought.
That’s what I’m watching on FOX this season so far. What about you? What are you watching? Drop me a line and let me know what shows you’re enjoying (or hating) the most. Wow. I totally forgot about Family Guy. Family Guy is the most brilliant, stupid show I may have ever watched. They get away with things on this show that I can’t even believe. There is no subject too sacred or off limits for this show. They skewer everything from 9/11 to Jesus to celebrities to homosexuality to Nazis and that is just the tip of the iceberg. There was an episode this season where Peter (the dad) spent 10 minutes dancing to ‘The Bird is the Word’. Truly demented stuff. I love it! That’s all for now. Next time I’ll tackle the shows I watch on one of the other networks.