Fall TV is back this week, or last week, I don’t know but what I do know is that my DVR is going to be the death of me. How did I fall behind so fast? New episodes have been airing for like two days and I’m already completely overloaded. I think I need to go on a sabbatical just to catch up on all the TV happenings and I’m not even watching any stupid 9-day a week shows like Big Brother or The Voice anymore. Although my TV schedule is aleady stressing me out, I did catch some pilots this week and have mostly positive things to say about them (Obviously, I didn’t watch Dads).
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: For starters, do we really have to write “Marvel’s” all the time? (That whole punctuation of “Shield” is pretty obnoxious, too.) High-maintenance stylization aside, Joss Whedon’s new Avengers-TV-show-that’s-not-about-The-Avengers has loads of potential. Clark Gregg is back as Agent Coulson (he’s not dead!) and handles the overly “Whedon-y” dialogue nicely. (For example, when he’s introduced, he lurks out of the shadows all creepster-like and then admits that he couldn’t resist creeping out behind the shadowy corner – that’s some classic Joss right there.)
So Coulson assembles a team (again, NOT The Avengers) of humans with special talents and they work to rid the world of weird baddies like people with powers, aliens, and probably some other Fringe-esque problems that will likely be abound throughout the season. The action scenes were fantastic, the dialogue was snappy (the episode was written by Whedon, his brother Jed, and Maurissa Tancharoen), and if you’ve ever seen any other Joss show, you know the ensemble will be fleshed out down the road.
Bonus points: Angel’s J. August Richards has a guest-spot in Episode 1.
Survey Says: I’m in it to win it.
Grade: A
The Goldbergs: This ABC comedy is based on the life of Adam Goldberg. He’s the youngest child in this 80’s-set sitcom and much of the script is based on original home videos that the actual Goldberg shot as a child. It’s very Wonder Years meets Malcolm in the Middle – a quirky, slightly-off family trying to get through life and deal with each other’s various shenanigans. Jeff Garlin and Wendi McLendon-Covey play the parents (Garlin’s character is pretty hysterical, but Mom’s role should be spiced up a bit) and Patton Oswalt voices the Adult Adam narrator. The pilot was built around middle child Barry’s want for a car and youngster Adam’s want for boobies. The story could’ve been a little stronger, but it feels like it could possibly work.
Bonus Points: George Segal plays Grandpa.
Survey Says: I’m in it…for now.
Grade: B-
Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Andy Samberg’s a cop. In Brooklyn. Yeah, that about sums it up. If you enjoy Samberg and like watching Andy Samberg play Andy Samberg (just like all the other SNL vets), then Brooklyn Nine-Nine is for YOU, gentle reader! But look – the jokes work, and with a new no-nonsense Captain in town, anything is possible!!! This is the lamest description of a show ever, but that’s basically the premise. It doesn’t sound like the best thing since sliced bread, but the jokes work, the supporting cast is fairly strong, and it’s great to see Samberg lead a scripted series for once.
Bonus Points: Joe Lo Truglio. Boom.
Survey Says: Could go either way, but I’m optimistic.
Grade: B+
The Crazy Ones: Oh, comedians. OK, look. I get it. CBS did a terrible job promoting this new Robin Williams/Sarah Michelle Buffy sitcom. The commercials were awful, the jokes seemed to be very one-linery without much set-up, and once again it’s a case of lead-guy playing lead-guy-man. Robin Williams is very Robin Williamsy and makes funny noises and does funny voices and we should hate this for so many reasons…but I didn’t. Slight bias on the Sarah Michelle Gellar front, but I’m really curious to see if Williams and Gellar can build on the foundation laid down here. As a father/daughter duo, you can sense some inklings of chemistry as their characters go back and forth saving each other’s asses (oh, they’re both ad execs working together). You can sense that these characters have a history together. It’s great to see Williams back on TV in a series, and Gellar has proven that she can do comedy both in Buffy and SNL.
Bonus Points: AHHHHHH KELLYCLARKSOOOONNNNN! (She appears in the Pilot.)
Survey Says: Fingers are crossed.
Grade: B
