So I’m back with Tuesday and Wednesday in my weekly overview of television shows. Fans, keep yourselves up-to-date with all these exciting shows.
Typical Tuesday:
Nothing too stressful about Tuesday nights this season. From 8 to 9 p.m., there’s a smack down between the new ‘90210″ on the CW and returning ‘House” on FOX. I watched the pilot for ‘90210,” and let’s just say that I’ve never seen ‘House” and would definitely watch that over the new show that is supposed to be the hit show of the season. The premiere was exactly what no one thought it would be: an extremely faithful version of the original show.
The plots of the pilots of both shows are virtually the same. They were not half as scandalous as they were commercialized to be, but rather twice as boring. The characters were OK, but did not get enough going in the endless two hours to keep me wanting more. I think in that case, ‘House” comes out as the winner, even though I haven’t followed the show for its past seasons.
Following these are the two competing new shows, ‘Privileged” on the CW and FOX’s ‘Fringe.” As far as I can gather from the previews, ‘Privileged” seems to aim for a younger pre-teen type audience. Basically, I could care less. ‘Fringe,” however, is a far more exciting topic. This show, created by J.J. Abrams, the creator of hit shows ‘Lost” and ‘Alias,” focuses on the vague topic of ‘fringe science,” telepathy, cloning, etc. The fast-paced pilot episode (with only 90 seconds of commercials as a huge plus) keeps the viewer wanting more.
Newcomer Anna Torv proves promising in her lead role as FBI agent Olivia Dunham. In addition, Joshua Jackson plays the genius son of John Noble, a more brilliant and slightly psychotic genius. They play the parts of father and son well with their dialogue as comedic relief throughout the action-packed episode. This new show is definitely worth a peek for the upcoming season.
(Other shows include ‘Dancing with the Stars” and ‘Law and Order: SVU.”)
Woeful Wednesday:
There is only one show I follow on Wednesdays, and it is probably one you have never heard of. ‘Pushing Daisies” on ABC began last season and was cut short due to the writers’ strike. However, this fantasy-mystery series is an extremely creative show, unlike any other I have seen.
The story, narrated by Jim Dale (voice of the ‘Harry Potter” series on tape), focuses on the pie-maker, Ned, who has the power of raising the dead with a single touch of his finger.
Unfortunately, it is not quite as simple as that. Dale narrates from the moment Ned discovers his power by accidentally killing both his mother and his best friend’s father, and continues all the way through to the present day, when Ned runs a pie bakery and avoids human contact, while secretly working with a private investigator by interviewing already dead victims. Now that’s a mouthful. The trick about the victims is that once Ned gives them life, they only have 60 seconds before he must touch them again and return them to their death, or else someone nearby will die in their place.
The show is told in a fairy-tale-esque fashion with fantastical sets and a story book type narration that keeps the plot turning and the viewers intrigued. Mystery, romance and fantasy are what make this show worth watching on a Wednesday night.
(Other shows: ‘America’s Next Top Model,” ‘CSI: NY” and ‘Lipstick Jungle.”)
Rosenberg is a member of the class of 2012.
