SHOWS YOU SHOULD BE WATCHING

There's only so many times a TV fanatic can rave about MAD MEN or LOST. Eventually, you stop adding something new to the discussion. So instead of getting repetitive, let's take a moment to shine a light on a few shows that people AREN'T talking enough about.

1. BIG LOVE

Maybe it's because Bill Paxton is vanilla. Maybe it's because of the excruciating break between seasons. For whatever reason, BIG LOVE has never gotten the attention or buzz of the other HBO signature series, but in the strike-shortened Season 3, the show is firing on all cylinders.

Is there a better female cast on any show? From Amanda Seyfried to the Sister-Wives (Tripplehorn, Sevigny, Goodwin) to the matriachs (Grace Zabriski, Mary Kay Place, and Ellen Burstyn), you've got three generations giving the nuanced performances you're not seeing from females on broadcast TV.

Paxton is arguably the weak link of the show, but how can you help but root for him when he's caught in the middle of manipulative Roman and sociopathic Alby's power struggle? The show is constantly forcing you to adjust your sympathies... just look at middle-wife Nicki. You want to hate her for being an abrupt, cold bitch, but then you feel bad when she discovers her own page in the Joy Book or tells the doctor she doesn't want to have any more kids.

The show's biggest flaw in Seasons 1 & 2 was its slow pacing. With only ten episodes to tell its story in Season 3, creators Mark V. Olsen & Will Scheffer have decided to burn through story at a breakneck pace, cramming more plot into one episode than some cable shows do in an entire season. We're only six episodes deep, yet there's already been at least three episodes that could've served as season finales. Plots like Barb's cancer recurrance, Ana as the fourth wife, and Sarah's pregnancy could've easily been season arcs, but there's more story to get to, and BIG LOVE isn't wasting any time. It's a shame that the season's run its best episodes on both Super Bowl and Oscar Sundays, but if you have HBO On Demand, catch up NOW.

2. SONS OF ANARCHY

Kurt Sutter was credited as being the sickest of THE SHIELD's writing staff, so it's no surprise that his first show on his own is a demented joy ride along with the boys of Sam Crow. Charlie Hunnam still has to grow into the lead role, but come on -- Hamlet on wheels? DAMAGES may get the award buzz, but this is the show that's picking up the mantle of Vic Mackey, Tommy Gavin, and Christian Troy. Sutter's given wife Katey Segal the role of her life (Peg Bundy who?). Ever wanted to see MAD MEN's Rachel Menkes go toe-to-toe with Adriana from THE SOPRANOS? You got it. Also maybe the most fitting role Ron Perlman's ever gonna find without spending 10 hours in make up.

The series got off to a bumpy start, but it finds it's footing by Episode 5 and things just keep escalating as the ATF and rival gangs put more pressure on the boys. Guided by his dead father's manifesto, Hunnam as Jax comes to a crossroads and no freshman show delivered as strong a finish as SOA. Look for an awesome arc from THE SHIELD's Jay Karnes and for Ryan Hurst to break your heart.

3. TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES

Some die-hards of the franchise may take offense, but as someone who's less concerned with the movie continuity and more concerned with smart storytelling, this is one of the unsung shows on broadcast TV. Once again, the male lead is the weak link (Thomas Dekker), but you have two strong performances from Lena Hedley and Summer Glau. Lest you think Glau's Cameron isn't a stretch, check out her showcase episode, "Allison from Palmdale" in which we meet the girl the 'bot was based on. Yeah, she's got more than one note.

Garrett Dillahunt has been an awesome creepster since DEADWOOD, so it's nice to see the show continue to recycle him. Shirley Manson's not the best musician turned actress, but she brings the right coldness to her Terminatrix. And if you're STILL not convinced, how can you doubt a show that makes Brian Austin Green of all people look like a total bad-ass?

The show's a lot smarter than people give it credit for. The writers led by Josh Friedman go to great lengths to tie things together that the casual viewer may take for granted, but for an afficiando, the pay-offs have been great. Even annoying characters like Levin Rambin's Riley end up mattering a WHOLE lot more than you imagined.

The show's on death watch on Fridays, but the entire cast has gone on record saying the back nine is the best stuff yet, and Friedman is writing towards a cliffhanger finale, third season or not. So come on... give the boy-savior and his sexy robot protector a chance.

4. BURN NOTICE

BURN NOTICE wraps the second half of its second season next week, and I'm sure it's gotten lost in the shuffle competing outside of its usual summer timeslot. That's a shame, because there's no little better "popcorn" TV than this. While the case-of-the-week format does occasionally provide a clunker (see last week's Jamaician case, or don't), it delivers more often than not. The dialogue is snappy, the plots aren't too convoluted for the average viewer, and Bruce Campbell gets a weekly payday.

Jeffrey Donovan has toiled in some pretty medicore stuff before, including other USA shows (Touching Evil, anyone?), but he's finally found his breakout role as burned spy Michael Weston. There's just enough of a series arc (who burned Michael?) to keep the serialized fans engaged, but enough froth to keep the spy games from getting too Bourne'd out.

Plus, Donovan and Gabrielle Anwar's chemistry make Brad and Angelina in MR. and MRS. SMITH look like a sexless old married couple.

5. CHUCK

Like BURN NOTICE, CHUCK is an action/comedy spy show. The difference is CHUCK's moments of serious drama and pathos are playing at a higher degree. Honestly, it's a shame the show straddles too many genres, but Zach Levi deserves an Emmy for SOMETHING. While the Chuck/Sarah romance can get a little repetitive, it usually lands the emotional weight the show needs to keep the pop culture references and zany action in check.

The best thing about CHUCK may be that the hero actually learns as he goes -- as the show progresses, Chuck's picked up enough tricks where he can successfully get himself and his handlers out of trouble. He's not completely incompetent. He just can't destroy people with such casual glee as Adam Baldwin, but that's okay.

Somewhere, JJ Abrams is cursing Josh Schwartz for discovering Yvonne Strzechowski first.

Once again, the show dabbles in just enough mythology (The Intersect, Fulcrum, Chuck and Bryce's backstory) to keep things moving, while finding new ways to merge the spy world and the Buy More world together. EVENTUALLY, it'd be nice if Morgan (Josh Gomez) or Ellie (Sarah Lancaster) got wise to Chuck's double life, but we're still in Season 2, there's time. And the stunt casting is something other show's should take note (30 Rock *ahem*). They're icing on the cake, not the whole cake itself.

Of course, no "Must Watch" list is complete without FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS, but you already watched the first-run on DirecTV and have been watching the second run window on NBC if you're a Nielsen family, right? RIGHT?

Emmy Top 10: Supporting Actor, Comedy

Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men
Kevin Dillon, Entourage
Justin Kirk, Weeds
Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother
John Krasinski, The Office
Jack McBrayer, 30 Rock
Tracy Morgan, 30 Rock
Jeremy Piven, Entourage
Fred Willard, Back to You
Rainn Wilson, The Office

Did the Always Sunny guys all submit as lead? Cuz Charlie Day should have made this list and won the whole thing. Would have also liked to see some love for Jason Segal, Ed Helms, or Kevin Nealon, but this category actually looks pretty good.

Who I'd pick: Harris, Krasinski, Wilson, Kirk, Dillon
Who I think Emmy will pick: Harris, Krasinski, McBrayer, Cryer, Dillon

Emmy Top 10: Outstanding Lead Actress

Patricia Arquette, Medium
Glenn Close, Damages
Minnie Driver, The Riches
Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters
Mariska Hargitay, Law and Order: SVU
Holly Hunter, Saving Grace
Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men
Mary McDonnell, Battlestar Galactica
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer
Jeanne Tripplehorn, Big Love

Surprise nod for McDonnell. Didn't think BSG would get any love. The rest are pretty expected, although a little more love for the other sister-wives of Big Love would not have been out of the question (were they submitted for lead, too, or supporting?)

No Ellen Pompeo or her idol Calista Flockhart -- and no tears from me. I'd be tempted to demand some LOST attention, but Evangeline Lilly is the weak link of that ensemble.

Who I'd pick: Tripplehorn, Moss, Driver, Field, Close
Who I think Emmy will pick: Field, Close, Sedwick, Hunter, Hargitay

Emmy Top 10: Outstanding Lead Actor

Gabriel Byrne, In Treatment
Kyle Chandler, Friday Night Lights
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Patrick Dempsey, Grey's Anatomy
Michael C. Hall, Dexter
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Eddie Izzard, The Riches
Hugh Laurie, House
Denis Leary, Rescue Me
James Spader, Boston Legal

A pretty solid list, although no Matthew Fox or Bill Paxton. Perhaps the biggest surprise is Bryan Cranston breaking through. His total immersion in that character left any memories of MALCOLM behind.

This is Jon Hamm's category to lose, as he is the new Golden Boy. Fine by me. If Kyle Chandler could actually make the top five, I might forgive the Academy's snubbing of Connie Britton.

Who I'd pick: Hamm, Chandler, Laurie, Cranston, Hall.
Who I think Emmy will pick: Hamm, Spader, Laurie, Hall, Byrne.

Emmy Top 10: Best Actress, Comedy

One more list of semi-finalists for today...

Christina Applegate, Samantha Who?
Marcia Cross, Desperate Housewives
America Ferrera, Ugly Betty
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Anna Friel, Pushing Daisies
Felicity Huffman, Desperate Housewives
Eva Longoria Parker, Desperate Housewives
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, New Adventures of Old Christine
Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds
Sarah Silverman, The Sarah Silverman Program

Seems pretty straightforward to me, although GoldDerby thinks Silverman over Teri Hatcher is a big deal. I consider this to be in the same vein as Flight of the Conchords cracking the Comedy top 10... just throwing something to the masses to show they're hip. Pretty sure the Fucking Matt Damon video got her this spot, not her actual series.

I don't care for the Desperate Housewives ladies, except Felicity Huffman. Tina Fey the actress leaves me cold, but she's the It Girl for comedy, so no surprise. Mary-Louise Parker has so much charisma, I end up watching even the worst Weeds episodes. I actually watched a little of Samantha Who and thought Applegate was really infectious. And Anna Friel gets love forwhat is mainly a sweet, quirky light dramatic role.

Who I'd pick: Applegate, Friel, Parker, Huffman, Silverman
Who I think Emmy will pick: Fey, Huffman, Applegate, Parker, Huffman, Ferrera, with Friel a dark horse.

Emmy Top 10: Supporting Actress, Drama

The list and my outrage below...

Jane Alexander, Tell Me You Love Me
Candice Bergen, Boston Legal
Rose Byrne, Damages
Jill Clayburgh, Dirty Sexy Money
Sharon Gless, Burn Notice
Rachel Griffiths, Brothers & Sisters
Christina Hendricks, Mad Men
S. Epatha Merkerson, Law & Order
Sandra Oh, Grey's Anatomy
Dianne Wiest, In Treatment
Chandra Wilson, Grey's Anatomy

So after being snubbed for best leading female, our dear Tami Taylor, Connie Britton, dropped down to the Supporting Actress race, where she wouldn't be overcrowded by as many big names with less impressive reels. Lo and behold, the Academy snubs her anyway. REALLY? One of the strongest, most nuanced, most realistic portrayals of a female on TV... network TV, no less... and no love. Well, fuck you, too, Academy.

The other notable name missing is missing by her own choice, Katherine Heigl. In her infinite wisdom, mere months after slamming the guy who made her a bankable film star (Judd Apatow), she turned her claws on Shonda Rhimes and friends and decided the writing for her character was subpar and she declined to defend her crown. Now, it is a rare day when I will defend the writer's of GREY'S ANATOMY for anything, but this is insane. You wanna go do movies, Izzie? Great. But trying to force the producers' hands so you don't have to breach contract is about as amateur as it gets. I hope 28 Dresses is a huge success and keeps the franchise going.

Okay, now back to the names that actually made it. Very happy with Hendricks, perfectly good with Griffiths and Wilson (the only likable female on GREY's). Not surprised by the HBO shrinks, Bergen, Oh, or Merkerson. Sharon Gless is a surprise-- I only hope her BURN NOTICE work is not as god awful as her NIP/TUCK guest arc.

Who I'd pick: Hendricks, Griffiths, Wilson, and Britton. No strong feelings for a fifth.
Who I think Emmy will pick: Bergen, Oh, Wiest, Merkerson, and Hendricks.

Emmy Top 10: Supporting Actor, Drama

Here's the list and my thoughts:

Naveen Andrews, Lost
Bruce Dern, Big Love
Christian Clemenson, Boston Legal
Ted Danson, Damages
Michael Emerson, Lost
Zeljko Ivanek, Damages
T.R. Knight, Grey's Anatomy
William Shatner, Boston Legal
John Slattery, Mad Men
Blair Underwood, In Treatment
Jake Weber, Medium

Biggest ommision is last year's winner, Terry O'Quinn. Also missing is Henry Ian Cusick, whose time-traveling Desmond was the heart of LOST's resurgence. Michael Emerson for sure deserves a nod, and I don't dislike Andrews' work as Sayid, but Des got the shrift.

Emerson, Underwood, Slattery are all great choices. George is the only likable male on Grey's, so Knight's inclusion works for me. Even Dern on the top ten is OK. But Jake Weber for Medium? WHO?

Who I'd pick: Emerson, Slattery, Underwood, Knight, and Cusick.
Who I think Emmy will pick: Shatner, Slattery, Emerson, Danson, and Knight.

Stuck Inside My TV Unstuck, Z Goes To The Movies!

Somewhere in the past five years, my obsession for television started to outweigh my obsession for film. The growth of cable and the magic of bit torrents, Netflix, and DVRs allowed for the absorption of so much good TV that I got spoiled. Film started to seem less magical.

We just hit the midway point of 2008 and TV is still my mistress, but movies are slowly making a comeback by sucking a little less each year. The second half of 2007 was particularly good (see Z’s top five: Michael Clayton, Knocked Up, Superbad, Juno, and Ratatouille). How have the past six months stacked up?

To my surprise, it turns out I’ve seen twelve movies in theaters this year (thirteen if you count double-dipping on one). That’s an average of two a month, or every other weekend. If this is how my viewing habits break down now, how often was I going to the movies when I wasn’t a jaded film snob?

Anyway, below are the twelve movies I’ve seen, ranked from worst to first.

12. SEMI-PRO
Perhaps it’s bad taste to rag on a movie produced by the same company that represents my writing partner and me. Unfortunately, three out of five of us fell asleep during parts of Semi-Pro, and most of what we stayed awake for was awful. Had Will Ferrell just taken a cameo and let Woody Harrleson and Andre Benjamin carry the film, MAYBE it would’ve been better. All I know is the bear on the loose and the poker scene were the only memorable parts of this flick and the less said, the better.

11. INDIANA JONES & THE CRYSTAL SKULL
One of two movies on this list I saw for free, and thank God for that. I like the original trilogy, but I was never a big Indy fanboy. I mean, I love fighting Nazi’s as much as the next guy, but I wasn’t salivating over the next installment in this franchise. Good thing, or else I’d have been sorely disappointed. The plot was laughably bad and the acting wasn’t much better. Hiding in a fridge can protect you from a nuclear bomb – but what protects you from a George Lucas bomb?

10. SHINE A LIGHT
One of two documentaries on this list and a perfectly good concert film. I saw this in IMAX and it was interesting, but not something I probably would have seen without Scorsese’s involvement or wanting to see/listen to something in IMAX. The Rolling Stones are fun and all, but I merely was a bystander amongst fanatics.

9. VINCE VAUGHN’S WILD WEST COMEDY SHOW
The second doc, and again, perfectly good for what it was. The other comedians all had interesting backstories, and enough attention was paid to their struggle for you to empathize with them. The stand-up was funny, but I wish there had been more.

8. HAROLD AND KUMAR ESCAPE FROM GUANTANAMO BAY
And now the list just gets subjective, because everything from here to #1 was worth a second viewing. This was a highly quotable, fun movie. The plot was pretty thin and the acting was serviceable, with Rob Corddry straddling the line between awesome and hammy. It’s an absurd laugh riot and features Neil Patrick Harris’ tragic downfall. What more do you need from this kind of movie?

7. CLOVERFIELD
Other than THE DARK KNIGHT, my most anticipated movie of 2008. So sticking it at number seven means I was disappointed, right? Not entirely. The raw experience of seeing this movie at midnight on opening night in a cramped, dark theater after months of hype sold the experience. The monster was lame and inconsistent in size. I only liked half of the main characters. But the visceral shock and terror of the movie was enough for me to rate it positively. I just fear that further viewing on DVD would render its flaws more clearly. Kind of like CRASH—in theaters, I totally dug it, but the more I thought about it later, the more annoyed I became at the movie’s manipulation to the point where I now hate anything else Paul Haggis touches. I doubt I’ll ever hate anything Bad Robot, but I don’t think I’d like this movie more the second time.

6. 21
Way better than it had any right to be, especially with Kevin Spacey sleepwalking through it. Jim Sturgess is going to be a big fat success on a huge scale once he gets the right project. He’s like James McAvoy minus the Oscar bait roles right now. This was a fun flick (and this is a case where flick is totally the right term), although the best thing about it was it led me to read UGLY AMERICANS, another Ben Mezrich book being adapted by Spacey’s company. That should be an even cooler, deeper film.

5. DEFINITELY, MAYBE
Any romantic comedy that skews to the male POV and features a good cast is going to have a great shot at suckering me in. This was as close to a Cameron Crowe written or Nick Hornby adapted guy-chick flick as I’ve see in a while. Certainly no HIGH FIDELITY but on par with an ELIZABETHTOWN. Ryan Reynolds is insanely likeable and all three leading ladies were worthy of his character’s pursuit. Toss in the hint of a political subplot by making him a campaign consultant and an ending that is satisfying but not easy and you get a well-executed twist on a familiar genre.

4. FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL
I guess after the amazing 2007, anything else can only be a letdown for Apatow and the gang. WALK HARD and DRILLBIT TAYLOR took drumming, but I think FSM was still a success, just not a massive cultural hit like the one-two combo of KNOCKED UP and SUPERBAD. It was funny, sweet, helped launch another Apatow unconventional leading man (yay Segal), but also made me realize Mila Kunis can actually act and be incredibly appealing when she’s not playing a bratty princess in the 70’s. I’m looking forward to more goodness with PINNEAPPLE EXPRESS, but my expectations are being managed so as not to set myself up for disappointment. Mediocre Apatow + friends is still light years better than most comedy.

3. GET SMART
The only movie on this list I actually saw twice, once for free, and once with my dad. I had such little expectations for this, but I laughed more through this than Harold & Kumar or Sarah Marshall. Steve Carrell nailed it without doing a Don Adams impersonation. Sometimes, simple physical comedy and silliness just works. This is the perfect example.

2. IRON MAN
Maybe the best superhero movie minus BATMAN BEGINS. Certainly the best of the Marvel films, with only X2 and Spidey 1 coming close. They followed the Batman formula here – hire a cool director with indie credibility, cast a strong actor based on his chops not just his action-star credits, then surround him with the highest quality actors possible, not just “good for a comic book movie” quality. The only difference here is BATMAN went dark, IRON MAN went lighter. It worked. Robert Downey Jr. reignited his career, Marvel now has tentpole movies for the next decade as they push towards THE AVENGERS, and the line between the critically acclaimed and popcorn fare continues to blur.

1. WALL*E
The most recently viewed and the highlight thus far. Film stopped being magical to me sometime around 2004… and then a little robot named WALL*E came along. It’s stunning – and a little distressing for a writer – to see how so much can be done with so little. The first half of the film is more like a silent film than anything else, and it’s breathtaking. The social commentary borders on being a little too pushy, but the sweetness and innocence of the romance dulls any annoyance at the green agenda. You can put WALL*E and EVE up there with Harry and Sally as far as I’m concerned. It’s a testament to PIXAR – and the power of film in general – that in this cynical time, hampered by short attention spans, theaters all over, mine included, were packed with adults at 10PM on a Friday night to watch a mostly dialogue-free G rated movie about a robot desperate to hold somebody’s hand. If this movie doesn’t touch you, I am pretty confident you have no soul.

EMMY TOP TEN FINALISTS REVEALED

The Academy of TV Arts & Sciences leaked the top ten finalists for Best Drama and Best Comedy. It's a nice mix of pleasant surprises and the usual suspects. Here's the breakdown –

BEST DRAMA
Boston Legal
Damages
Dexter
Friday Night Lights
Grey's Anatomy
House
Lost
Mad Men
The Tudors
The Wire

Six out of ten shows I like, a seventh (Grey's) I like/hate and begrudgingly accept, and the other three selections don't bother me. Boston Legal has never interested me, but it's always in the running for one reason or another. I lost interest in Damages, but the more love non-HBO cable series get, the better for future Emmy seasons. Same for the Tudors.

So what's missing? I would have liked to see BIG LOVE make the cut. I thought Season 2 was faster-paced and more rich than the critically-lauded Season 1. BREAKING BAD was awesome, but I guess with only seven episodes and one AMC series already breaking through, it was a longshot. Next year, perhaps. And I'd take ELI STONE and BROTHERS&SISTERS over Grey's and BL for the "soapy ABC shows with big thematic elements."

MY FINAL FIVE: Mad Men, Lost, FNL, Wire, and Dexter, with House a narrow miss.
WHAT I THINK EMMY'S FINAL FIVE WILL BE: Mad Men, Lost, Grey's, Damages, Dexter, with House or BL lurking as a spoiler.

BEST COMEDY
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Entourage
Family Guy
Flight of the Conchords
The Office
Pushing Daisies
30 Rock
Two and a Half Men
Ugly Betty
Weeds

Some surprises here. No Housewives or Earl or Scrubs, which I have no problems with. No HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, CALIFORNICATION, or IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADEPHIA, either, which I have I do. In a perfect world, those three + THE OFFICE and 30 ROCK would be a fine top five.

I didn't care for Flight of the Conchords – I like the songs, not the show – but it's inclusion along with FAMIL GUY breaking down the animated barrier – are a good trend. I really enjoyed Pushing Daisies, but I'm not sure it belongs in the final five. Weeds and Entourage are great, buzzworthy shows… and they both had terrible seasons. Curb doesn't do it for me anymore. Ugly Betty and Two and a Half Men are competent, but not my cup of tea. No problem with
their inclusion, just not interested. Surprised SAMANTHA WHO didn't crack the top ten, but not complaining.

MY FINAL FIVE: Office, 30 Rock, Mother, Californication, Always Sunny.
WHAT I THINK EMMY'S FINAL FIVE WILL BE: Office, 30 Rock, Two and A Half Men, Ugly Betty, Pushing Daisies with Curb as the spoiler for one of the hour-longs.

If MAD MEN or LOST and THE OFFICE walk away with the prizes, I will be a happy camper. But for now, let's see what the nominations look like in July and we'll go from there.

PILOT WATCH 2008

In which Z gives you the low down on a few pilots for next season...

FRINGE (FOX) - It's no secret I am a huge Bad Robot fanboy. The addition of Pacey Whitter and Deputy Op Daniels to the Bad Robot pedigree only made me even more excited. Ultimately, though, I liked it but didn't love it. First of all, the pilot is two hours, and even with the action they crammed in, it feels a little bloated. There's just too much exposition to get out of the way... which I don't think will be a problem for the series, but it did hurt the pilot episode. John Noble and Kirk Avecedo also deliver the goods, but the jury's still out on the lead female. Little too soft for my taste. And I love Josh Jackson, but some of his dialogue is just criminal. If you take a shot every time he says sweetheart, you may not be alive for the twist ending. Overall, it's a pretty solid pilot, but it doesn't hold a candle to the LOST or Alias pilots. ADD TO SEASON PASS.

TRUTH IN ADVERTISING (TNT) - If I didn't love him so much, Tom Cavanaugh could get a little grating. Monica Potter's storyline never resolves and I want to stab her character in the face for being so quirky. And it will always pale in comparison to that other ad show, MAD MEN. But damn, this was a fun pilot and the chemistry between Cavanaugh and Eric McCormick as partners is crackling. In some weird way, this show could be the bizzaro STUDIO 60. I think this is gonna broaden TNT's appeal beyond its Tough Award Winning Chick Procedural slate. ADD TO SEASON PASS.

SURVIVING THE FILTHY RICH (CW) - Gossip Girl is on my DVR's season pass. I won't pretend it was an accident. And when I came across this script, it was actually pretty smart given the target audience. But the pilot is a 20 minute presentation with some seriously bad acting and at least one role is already being recast. The potential is there, and the key demo will probably watch it regardless, but I hoped for a little more. AVOID.

THE MENTALIST (CBS) - Normally, I hate crime shows. I accept the writing and production values are usually pretty good, and with the exception of David Caruso, the acting's usually pretty solid, too. They just don't grab me in any way as a viewer. I went into this pilot not liking the genre and hating the premise because I thought it was just a serious rip off of PSYCH, which is one of my guilty pleasures. Consider me pleasantly surprised. The twists of the A-story were nothing unpredictable, but the backstory to Simon Baker's character and the balance between sly lighter drama and morbid, depressing drama was handled with care. I don't know that I'd watch it on a regular basis, but I won't make fun of anybody who does. ADD TO SEASON PASS IF YOU LIKE PROCEDURALS WITH A LITTLE BITE.

DO NOT DISTURB (FOX) - Jason Batemen, why on Earth did you direct this pilot? Did you burn through your HANCOCK fee already? Do you have a crack addiction? Or are you just punking Jerry O'Connell and forgot to tell FOX? This pilot was so god awful I couldn't even finish it. Pretty sure FOX will have the same response once it hits the air. AVOID.

RAISING THE BAR (TNT) - Steven Bocho is a TV legend. Steven Bocho is also 65. Maybe it's time to hang it up? I know Bocho's NYPD Blue buddy, David Milch, got some great dramatic work out of Zack Morris before, so I was willing to give it a shot, but man did this thing disappoint. The legal cases were pedestrian and the character reveals underwhelming. The tone was all over the place. To top it off, they utilized the cheesiest time-cut transitions in any scene with a crowd slowly filling in (courtroom, bar, party, etc) that I thought I was watching a student film. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. AVOID.

coming soon... TRUE BLOOD (HBO), LEVERAGE (TNT), and maybe more.