TV report card

October is almost over, so it’s time to check in and make with the gut reactions to what I’ve seen so far on the new crop of shows – let’s start with the good news:

Prime Suspect – I was completely off here – this is one of the best new shows on TV, period. While it may be an Americanzation of the Helen Mirren series, Mario Bello’s Jane Timoney is a fantastic character and the ensemble of NY cops she works with, coupled with fantastic writing, makes Prime Suspect must-see viewing. There’s a repeat tomorrow, NBC/10:00, definitely check it out and prepare to be hooked. Great stuff.

Homeland – Another terrific surprise. Disclaimer: I’m not normally a Claire Danes fan. But she’s terrific here as a tightly-wound homeland security agent who thinks that a returning POW from Afghanistan is really The Manchurian Candidate. The problem is, she’s on powerful anti-psychotics and we’re not sure what’s real. A smarter 24, Homeland costars Morena Baccarin, Damian Lewis and Mandy Patinkin. On Showtime following Dexter, Sunday nights. Whether you DVR or wait for the discs, Homeland is a top-notch conspiracy paranoia thriller.

Sons of Anarchy –Talk about a return to form! After last season’s biker brogue, Sons is back on terra firma and kicking serious ass. It’s all character-driven mayhem and Clay Morrow is a much darker fellow this season. Secrets abound and the suspense has never been better. FX has already renewed them for a 5th season, so they must love where the rest of this season is going. Pulp awesomeness.

The Walking Dead – Admittedly we’re only one episode into season two, but I loved it. Record premiere numbers ran over 7 million viewers, up 38% from last year’s smash – a series high. Feels like they’ve taken the chain off, so look out! Love that cast and tone of this show. What’s NOT good is the recap program that follows, The Talking Dead. Smarmy host Chris Hardwick and his disturbingly animated Adam’s apple make snarky jokes with the likes of Patton Oswalt. A clever after-party this ain’t, fellas.

Fringe – So far, so good! Can’t say much without spoiling, so I’ll just say this show continues to thrill – great performances and surprises.

Dexter – Starting a little slow, but feeling like a good year. Need to see more Edward James Olmos, but the writing is sharp and things seem promising. After Breaking Bad, Dexter actually feels a little tame in comparison now!


Now, the bad news:

Terra Nova – Wow, that was one bad pilot. Other than Stephen Lang, those generic characters just don't grab me. Too many freshly-scrubbed teens. It also feels like they're really trying to copy the vibe of Lost, with the cliff markings acting as their version of the numbers. I would have been content to just roll with it, being a huge dino fan, but the CGI has been sub-par. To be fair, have not gone back since the pilot.

American Horror Story – Just too weird. Not scary, just odd and uncomfortable. Jessica Lange is a hoot, but it feels like this one is too depressing to stick with on a regular basis. You True Blood fans will probably love it.

Person of Interest – Isn’t.

Pan Am – Eesh. Painfully overt attempt to ape Mad Men with a weirdly synthetic and completely unconvincing depiction of the sixties. Howlingly awful characters and teeth-cracking dialogue. Barbie’s Glamour Jet is more convincing.

See you on the couch!