Once Upon a Time

Once upon a time, there was a cute, quirky black princess who had grown weary of kissing frogs.

Opps, sorry, Once Upon a Time wasn’t my fairy tale, but another sort of fairy tale all together (though neither theirs nor mine seems to have a happy ending!). After a summer of hype, I settled in Sunday night for a dose of fairytale magic. What I got was lots of exposition (after all it was the pilot) and lots of promise.

It all started when Snow White (Ginnifer Goodwin) married Prince Charming (Josh Dallas). Before they could even get in a good “Kiss the bride,” the Evil Queen (Lana Parrilla) swooped in with her own wedding gift … a curse. It wasn’t just any curse but the curse to end all curses. It was a curse that would end all happy endings and transport our fairy tale favorites to ‘someplace horrible.’ 

Of course, she doesn’t do it just then, she waits. Meanwhile, Snow and the Prince are expecting their first child. Consumed with anxiety, they visit Rumplestilskin to get some insight on the Queen’s plan. Things don’t look good, but there is one hope. The baby Snow is carrying will save them all once she hits her 28^th birthday.

When the curse comes, baby Emma is the only one who is spared. So what was the curse? Where is this ‘horrible’ place with no happy endings? Our world, of course and they have no memory of who they really are … except for the Queen … who’s now the mayor (did anyone think she wouldn’t be in politics?). Snow is a teacher and little Emma has grown up to be a bail bonds person who meets her 10-year old son for the first time on her 28^th birthday.

He’s runaway to find her and bring her back to Storybrooke Maine. He’s read a fairytale book given to him by his teacher and is convinced the stories are true and she is the only one who can help.

Being a serious fairy tale fan (Grimm’s Complete Fairy Tales is one of my favorite books), it was fun to see some of my favorite characters reimagined in our world. Grandma and Red Riding Hood become a hotel owner with a goth granddaughter in a red shawl in our world. 

I think the show has a lot of promise. Ironically, the fairytales we knew and loved as kids were watered down sunny versions of the actual fairy tales that were often much more intense and gory. Cinderella’s stepsisters each cut off part of their foot to try to fit into the coveted glass slipper. One the way to the wedding, a bird came down and gouged one of their eyes out. On the way back from the wedding, the bird came back for the other eye!

I hope that Once Upon a Time can straddle a happy medium between the intensity of the original stories but still maintain a few moments of whimsy, and dare I saw humor, sprinkled in.

Yes, I'm Back ...



I'd love to say that I thought about my
blogs while I was away, but I didn't!
It was a vacation, it wasn't work!

 And you didn't even know I was gone. I meant to do a quick blog announcing I was going out on vacation, but I came down with a bad case of vacationitis and didn't get around to it. I had a nice, relaxing time on Edisto Island - reading, journaling, taking photos, walking on the beach and just enjoying not having to do anything. Since there was no night life on the island, each night I got to cozy up with my favorite shows. So I'll do a quick recap of the second week of the new TV season.

The Sing-Off: Still loving this show and waiting for Sara Barellis to find her rhythm. I think she is getting over her nerves now and tomorrow night should be better. I still think this show has the best talent of all of the current shows.

The Playboy Club: I'm enjoying this show. I really am. It has enough of an ongoing plot to keep my interest as well as episodic plots that are wrapped up in the hour.

Castle: I'm a fan and these first two shows have this shaping up to be the best season yet. Penny Johnson Jerald brings a new energy to the Captain's role (call me 'Sir' not 'Maam'). Plus, there is the whole Beckett heard Castle's declaration of love but he doesn't know it undercurrent. The search for a superhero in the second episode was pure Castle.

Glee: I've enjoyed the first two episodes but I'm not sure I am really enjoying the focus on Broadway songs. The return of Shelby Corcoran is a good thing but two glee clubs at the same school? The verdict is out on that one. Quinn going after full custody of Beth seems a little short-sighted, I hope that doesn't develop into a full fledged storyline.

The New Girl: The second episode featured a new boy. I still need the boys to be three boys and not just three variants of the same guy (I still get that feel from them). Yet, the second episode was funny and sweet.

Raising Hope: Episode two was more sweet than funny, and I always expect more funny from this show.

The X-Factor: Like the first week, the audition episodes still feel very American Idol, entertaining but not original. I'm looking forward to this week so I can start to see what this show really has to offer.

Law & Order SVU: Danny Pino joined the cast. I loved this episode featuring Mehcad Brooks. I like it when the focus is on the case with more of a human element and less of a 'creep-me-out' factor.

Charlie's Angels: Loving the sexy Bosley, he's like a male angel. This week the dialogue was a touch better. I hate to say this but when Isaiah Mustafa is fully-clothed (i.e. not the Old Spice Guy), he loses a bit of his sexy.

Grey's Anatomy: Okay, Meredith is definitely getting on my nerves. I don't think we have seen much emotional growth from her character ... and it's been eight years. I'm hanging in there but so far, I need to see something new.

Prime Suspect: I want to like this show. After the first episode, I wasn't sure that I could. After the second, I feel like I might be able to like it. I need Bello to show us some different sides of Jane Timoney. The great Helen Mirren originated this show in Britain and Bello has a lot to live up to. I get it, she's a tough-as-nails-takes-no-BS female cop in an all-male environment, I need to see more (and a little less of the pork pie hat).

Fringe: I need Peter back and I'm interested in seeing how that happens. I'm also intrigued by how both universes are working together. John Noble is still the man.

Harry's Law: I was wondering how long Harry could make the quirky law firm inside of a shoe store work. In season two, the storefront and lawyer for the neighborhood storylines are gone. Harry is in charge of a large firm with major cases including a man (Alfred Molino) accused of beating his wife to death and not sure whether or  not he did it. Kathy Bates hopefully has a better cast to play off of.

Glee: Sex Education

It's okay, Emma. I thought an Afternoon
Delight was a picnic!

I am a huge Glee fan, and it pains me to say, I haven’t loved the past two episodes, especially last night’s. Like a teen with raging hormones, last night (and last week’s) show was just all over the place. A lot of people hate the tribute episodes (Madonna, Britney and Gaga); but for me the past two overarching theme episodes (alcohol and sex) have been a little too scattered.

I had high hopes for Gwyneth Paltrow’s return and initially when she covered Joan Jett’s Do You Wanna Touch (the best Joan Jett song ever!), I was enthused. I think her Holly Holiday and Matthew Morrison’s Will Scheuster have great chemistry. However, they almost killed it with Kiss. Morrison should have never ever been allowed to attempt a Prince-esque falsetto. And what was the purpose of that tango again?

I also didn’t understand the renewed interested in the abstinence club, or the whole Puck and Lauren sex tape escapade, or, for that matter Finn’s renewed interest in Quinn. He dumps Rachel for making out with Puck (after Finn admitted he'd lost his virginity to Santana); but, he takes Quinn back … the one who lost her virginity to Puck, got pregnant and initially tried to pin the baby on him. Huh?

I did like Afternoon Delight. In fact, I woke up humming it this morning (which I did not like). I have to admit though, like Emma, I didn’t ‘get’ exactly what an afternoon delight was. For most of my adult life, I thought it was a picnic (I also thought Grace Jones's Pull Up to the Bumper was about parallel parking). I was also confused as to why Carl and Emma would go to Holly (a substitute sex ed teacher) for marital counseling, especially when Emma knew that Will was crushing hard on Holly (I think there was a pun there but no pun was intended).

Then there was the conundrum that is Santana. I’m glad that Naya Rivera got to show some acting range but it came out of left field. I liked it better when Santana was a bitch just to be a bitch. Now, I’m supposed to believe she is a bitch because of her love for Brittany? And Landslide? I didn’t get it. What did that song have to do with anything? Was she declaring her love for Brit or breaking up with her? If I didn’t get it, Brit didn’t get it either. I mean, earlier in the episode she admitted to thinking babies were delivered by storks.

On the other side of the gay coin, there was Kurt. I love the Warblers, I do; but they ain’t sexy — cute as little prep school buttons — but not sexy. I thoroughly enjoyed Kurt’s sexy faces and was horrified by Blaine’s request that Burt give Kurt the sex talk. How does a straight dad have ‘the talk’ with a gay son? Exactly what was in those pamphlets?? LOL! The actual discussion went well though. Burt and Kurt have some of the best chemistry on the show (and the best father-son relationship on TV).

Overall, the episode left me feeling kind of ‘meh’. I can’t wait til Regionals next week with two original songs!

The Guiltiest of Pleasures: Celebrity Apprentice

Not only would I not buy pizza from this Pepperoni Profit,
but he'd probably scare me off of pizza for ever!

It was about 45 minutes into Celebrity Apprentice — after Richard Hatch (first Surivivor winner and former federal prison inmate) started acting like the super Bitch he apparently is and when crazed actor Gary Busey dubbed himself the Pepperoni Profit — that I knew this season of Celebrity Apprentice would be a train wreck of epic proportions.


I mean how can’t it be? The men have Meatloaf, Busey, Jose Conseco, Lil John, plus Hatch, Mark McGrath and David Cassidy. They also have the obligatory country singer, John Rich. Based on his singing and guitar strumming on the streets of New York City, I think his big song is Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy. The women are knee-deep in bitchiness with Nene Leakes (The Real Housewives of Atlanta), Starr Jones, LaToya Jackson, and Lisa Rinna plus Dionne Warwick, Nikki Taylor and Marlee Matlin (the last three I suspect are a lot bitchier than one would initially expect).

Before they could get to the main task, The Donald tasked them with coming up with a team name and selecting a project manager. Starr, who everyone agreed should be the first PM came up with the name ASAP. No, it didn’t stand for As Soon As Possible; it stood for Actors, Singers, Authors and Performers with a Purpose. Or was it Artists, Singers, Actors and Professionals. It could have been Arrogant, Self-centered, Assholes and Primadonnas. I don’t know … and neither did LaToya Jackson when Donald asked her to explain the name. She just couldn’t get it right even though Starr was there coaching her.

I forget who came up with it, but the men chose Backbone as their name … because they were strong and felt they had a lot of, well, backbone. They wisely shot down Gary Busey’s suggestion of Sperm Farmers. They chose Richard Hatch as their premier PM based on his success as the first Survivor. I think they figured he’d have a good head for reality show strategy.

The task was to raise money by running a pizzeria. So after choosing their locations, they were off to their perspective pizza paradises. It wasn’t all about sales; they had to learn the entire process. They’d be running the whole show from the register to the kitchen to the promotions.

It was Backbone’s promotions that gave birth to the Pepperoni Profit (get it profit because he’s there to make money and not prophet as in a religious guy). Rich and Lil Jon were coming up with how they'd promote the pizza and they asked Busey what he’d do. After a long pause, he goes into this fundamentalist pastor shtick sermonizing about pizza and the afterlife. Okay????

While those of us in the audience were scratching our heads over the Pepperoni Profit, Dionne Warwick was scratching her head over the credit card machine that she just could not figure out. I would imagine that after the first few orders, the sequence of steps needed to process an order would get easier but not for Whitney Houston’s godmother. The line snaked outside of the pizzeria while she hopelessly and helplessly tried to get a grip on the complex credit card machine. Starr jumped in and tried to help but Warwick told her with a confidence that completely masked her cluelessness that she knew what she was doing.

Of course, with the Celebrity Apprentice it’s just as much about getting friends with deep pockets to donate than it is completing the tasks and it seemed like both groups were getting some heavy hitters. A friend of Starr’s ordered 40 pizzas at $1,000 a pop. Since they had to actually make and deliver the pizzas, Starr made the executive decision to close two hours early so they could make the delivery.

However, before they closed, they were paid a visit by Curtis Stone, the yummy Aussie chef and former Celebrity Apprentice candidate. He stopped by both shops to sample the pizzas. The team with the best pizzas would take eight pies over to a firehouse where hungry firemen waited. What they didn’t know was that they’d get an extra $35,000 for the effort. Well, the girls won the taste test and while they managed to make their 40K delivery, they missed out on the firehouse.

However, over at team Backbone, all was not rosy as Richard Hatch barked orders and pretty much pissed everyone off … especially former teen idol David Cassidy. Apparently David Cassidy isn’t a very big guy and Richard Hatch (who is kind of big and husky), at several points, summarily pushed David aside while he was talking. David didn’t really like that and tried to say so. Still Hatch pretty much dismissed him again.

So it was off to the boardroom where Trump asked Starr about their team. She said that they wanted to show the world that women could work together. Of course, Lisa Rinna chimed in that they could have worked better together and the two went at it, which sort of disproved Starr’s statement.

It was also in the boardroom whereASAP realized what they had missed out on at the firehouse, but they still managed to win earning $115,268 to Backbone’s $54,104.

As the winners, all of the women lived to see another week (and from the previews a lot more drama) and it was one of the boys who would be fired.

From that point on it was pretty much the Dick and David show … Dick as in short for Richard and Dick as in that’s what the rest of team Backbone thought about Richard. David mentioned the dismissive treatment he received from Richard. Richard (acting like a Dick) called David ‘a little person’ (which everyone knows is the PC name for midgets). Instead of standing tall for himself, David deferred to big guy Jose Conseco to stick up for him.

Looking a little bit whiny and weak, David was the first man fired, leaving Hatch to survive another week.

Super Bowl XLV

Before I start, let me state upfront, I’m a sports girl. I get it. I am not that girl that jumps up after a touchdown and screams “Goal!” Having said that, the only part of last night’s festivities I really enjoyed was the game itself. The way it started, I thought we were in for a boring, high scoring shut out but the Steelers rallied back and made the game interesting and fun!

I was born and raised in Cleveland, so there are two things I can never be - a Steelers fan and a Ravens fan. Needless to say, the right team won.

Here's another confession. I cannot make any sense of Roman numerals. Seriously, it took several Google searches plus counting on my fingers to figure out how XLV got to be 45. Hell, as far as I was concerned XLV could have stood for the Extra Large Version. Anyway...

Xtina, Xtina, Xtina ... Christina Aguilera’s rendition of the National Anthem was ... a hot, loud mess. I get that the girl has a powerful voice, there’s no denying that. Does that mean she has to over sing everything? Geez! And if over singing wasn’t bad enough, over singing the wrong lyrics on the National Anthem is beyond embarrassing. Lea Michelle did a better job on America the Beautiful. Again, it wasn’t an amazing job, but it was respectful, and sung on key, with all the right lyrics.

Let's move on to halftime, shall we? I’ve got a feeling that the Black Eye Peas aren’t a great live band. While they had a great set and dancers, I found there set lacked a little of the whole “Boom, Boom Pow.” Slash? Really? Fergie’s version of Sweet Child of Mind made me miss Axl Rose (and that’s hard to do ). But OMG! The best part about the half time show was Usher.

What was really disappointing were the commercials. The little Darth Vader boy didn’t do it for me, nor did the two Eminem commercials (seeing him in cartoon form was just unnerving). There wasn't much to recommend. I had to go back and review the commercials to find a few that were memorable. So, here they are. Just click on the title, if you want to view the commercial.

NFL Best Fans Ever: I love a bit of nostalgia, so it was great to see all my favorite old TV shows from Happy Days to Seinfeld in this commercial. I mean, I can never see enough of Marsha Brady getting hit in the face with that football. Classic!

Cowboys and Aliens: Damn, this movie looks good. Cowboys AND Aliens? Great combo! Plus, we get a non-Bond Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford. I'm really looking forward to this one.

Sealy Posterpedic After Glow: Simple, sexy and straight to the point. What can I say? It had me almost ready to go out and buy a new mattress!

Worst Commercial of the Superbowl:
Pepsi Max: Love Hurts: I'm a Coke girl all the way, but if I was drinking Pepsi, I wouldn't be after this. I was offended from beginning to end. As a black woman, I am tired of the whole evil-unlovable-neck-twisting-attitude-having black woman ... and she was the star of this sorry spectacle. Next we have her husband, who was portrayed through most of the commercial as a spineless wuss. Yet at the end, he can't help but stare at the blonde jogger who sits down next to him ... because we know black men can't resist a blonde (especially when his wife is one of Hell's Minions). And in the most offensive move of all, Satan's Spawn, who sees her husband throw a flirtatious glance the jogger's way, throws a can of Pepsi Max at his wimpy head. He ducks and she knocks the white girl in a head, knocking her to the ground. The couple grabs hands and run off, like a pair of criminals, leaving the woman holding her head on the ground. And how exactly, does this make me want to drink a Pepsi Max?

Television Review: Harry's Law

Cast of Harry's Law (left to right): Brittany
Snow, Kathy Bates, Nate Corddry, Aml Ameen.

I’ve been a fan of Kathy Bates every since she broken James Caan’s ankles in Misery. So I’ve been looking forward to Harry’s Law for just that reason. I think she’d be perfect for a David E. Kelley series since he goes for that mix of quirky and dramatic.

So I went into Harry’s Law with high hopes, but were those hopes dashed? Before I answer that question, let me give you the premise of the show. Harriet “Harry” Korn is an accomplished patent attorney but not for long. As she leans back in her chair in her cluttered office, smoking a joint, a frustrated partner comes into her office and asks what’s happened to her. She replies that she’s bored and with that she’s fired.

Then we veer into quirky Kelley territory. While walking out of the office, she breaks the fall of a young man attempting suicide (Aml Ameen). Miraculously, she survives virtually injury free. Once again, Harry’s walking (through a rough neighborhood) when she sees a shoe store for rent. She’s so taken by it that she starts walking across the street toward it when she’s hit by a car. Of course, not just any car but the car of a young lawyer who idolizes her Adam Branch (played by Nate Corddry). Once again, she emerges unscathed.

She buys the shoe store and keeps the shoes. She also gets to keep her perky assistant Jenna (played by Brittany Snow). Soon, partly out of guilt and partly out of a desire to work with a legal legend, the lawyer who hit Harry takes a leave of absence to come work for her while she gets her new practice off the ground.

On the legal front, the suicide victim seeks her help on a drug charge and a neighborhood thug who offers his protection for Harry’s business soon find he needs her help as a client.

In promotional interviews, Bates has described the character of Harry Korn as a curmudgeon, a crabby older woman who speaks her mind. And Harriet Korn is that but you can tell that the woman is much more than that. She has layers and I can’t wait to see more of them in coming episodes.

My hopes were not dashed. However, while I enjoyed Harry’s Law, I am worried that it could take an Ally McBeal-esque turn and become too quirky for its own good.

TV Review: Bob's Burgers

I loved King of the Hill. I still watch it almost daily now that it's in syndication. As much as I loved KOTH, I hated The Cleveland Show. Hated It! When I heard the opening notes of the annoying theme song (“My name is Cleveland Brown…”) I knew it was time to take a shower or a bath, walk the dog or do something other than watch that damn show!

So I was curious about Bob’s Burgers, the show that was taking The Cleveland Show’s post-Simpsons spot. I watched it for about 10 minutes. Didn’t laugh. Didn’t like it. 8:30 PM on Sunday is still prime showering and dog-walking time.

First off, I didn’t like the animation. Something about it felt off to me. Secondly, I didn’t think it was funny at all. Here's one joke: the burger of the day was The Child Molester. It was funny because it came with candy! Get it? See, child molesters often use candy to lure children. If you didn’t get that, one of Bob’s kid was there to explain it. Ha!

I’ll pass.

I Hate to Say It but ... I'm Excited!

I know, I know, I said I wouldn’t … but … I’m getting excited about this Simon-less season of American Idol. I used to think of Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez and Randy Jackson as an unholy triumvirate of terror … but, now I’m interested in seeing how it actually plays out. I’m actually looking forward to three judges without the obligatory acerbic Brit on the panel. Hey, it works on The Sing-Off so maybe it can work here.

Plus there are a few other changes I’m looking forward to.

• No more top 24. They will move straight to the top 12.
• The contestants will have to make a music video, learn how to deal with a backup band and dancers as well as promote themselves (I guess they’re trying to steal some thunder from the upcoming X-Factor).
• Instead of having theme weeks based on artists (Elvis, Beatles) … the themes will focus on decades giving the contestants more to chose from.

Now, if only they’d gotten rid of Ryan Seacrest!

The Sing-Off

I’ve been a bad, bad blogger! I haven’t updated this site since Thanksgiving weekend! I promise faithful readers that I will be a better blogger. Hopefully, it’s not too late to move from Santa’s naughty list to the nice one!

Anyway, I am writing quickly because I am about to watch the second installment of a show I fell in love with this time last year, The Sing-Off. A cappella music groups from around the country compete for a cash prize and a recording contract.

The ten acts cover all of the bases starting with a high school group and several singing collegiate groups. One act features a father-daughter team. There’s also a gospel group and even an old school doo-wop group with over 30 years of performing behind them.

The format is pretty standard. We get a little back story about each group, they perform and then get feedback from a trio of judges. Ben Folds of the Ben Folds Five is the main judge, followed by Nicole Scherzinger of The Pussy Cat Dolls and Shawn Stockman of Boys to Men. Unlike other shows, these judges offer both effusive praise and constructive criticism.

What I love about this show is that these are people who genuinely love to sing. Their passion and their energy make them fun to watch. And as television grinds to a halt around the holidays, it’s good to have something fun to watch!

Monday night’s show took the 10 groups down to eight. Tonight, we’ll lose two more groups. If you can’t catch it tonight, it will air Monday and Wednesday nights next week as well.

Raising Hope: Check It Out

I’ve been underwhelmed and unimpressed with this year’s Fall TV choices. The shows I really enjoyed like Lone Star and Undercovers didn’t last. The shows I had high hopes for The Event and Running Wilde failed to connect with me. Yet, there is one new show that has delivered: Raising Hope.

This show was barely on my register. The premise: teen dad raising a baby with his quirky middle class family didn’t create pique my interest. In fact, more than anything else, I watched it because it came on after Glee and before Running Wilde, which, as a huge Arrested Development fan, I was eagerly anticipating (what a huge letdown!).

Raising Hope is consistently funny. Newcomer Lucas Neff is Jimmy Chance whose one-night stand with a serial killer leaves him a single dad to infant Hope after the baby’s mother is executed. This was the pilot and while serial killers and execution don’t seem like a comedic gold mine, trust me, it was funny.

While the show might revolve around Neff, it’s the supporting cast that makes Raising Hope such fun to watch. I’ve seen Martha Plimpton for years, mainly as a guest star on dramatic series like Law & Order, Medium, and The Good Wife. Never in a million years did I see her as a comedic actress; but her timing and reactions as Jimmy’s mother Virginia are dead-on. She gets to play of Garret Dillahunt, as Jimmy's dad, another actor mainly known through dramatic guest roles on Criminal Minds, CSI and Damages with a surprising flair for comedy.

Bringing the entire cast together is comedy legend Cloris Leachman as great-grandma Maw Maw. She’s senile with scattered moments of lucidity and she steals every scene she’s in. Whether she’s thinking she’s in labor or running after some teens that tried to steal her candy on Halloween (while wearing a cat costume), she’s hysterical.

Leachman, Plimpton, Dillahunt and Neff are able to make it work because the writers have given them some great material to work with.

If you haven’t seen it yet, watch it tonight and turn the channel before Running Wilde.

Rocky Horror - Glee Style

My apologies... I thought I posted this last week!

Glee’s Rocky Horror episode last night reminded me of why I love this show so much. Glee can be, at times, a victim of its own success – indulging in all the celebrity fanfare. You can’t really blame the producers for the Madonna, Britney and even Gaga-based episodes. After all, it’s an honor to have so many megastars honored to have their music featured on your little show. But, I think Glee is best when it focuses on the characters and the music.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show is all about fun (it definitely isn’t about plot!) and this episode captured that spirit and enthusiasm. Everyone was in on the act. We got to hear John Stamos sing, Emma (Jayma Mays) rip Will’s (Matthew Morrison) shirt off. And of course, we got a couple of nice ab shots from new comer Chord Overstreet! Mercedes (Amber Riley) stepped into the spotlight and put her own spin on Dr. Frankenfurter (the sweet transvestite from Transsexual Transylvania). Granted, the original was played deliciously by Tim Curry who killed it in a leather corset, hose and heels but she did something different with it and I respect that.

The guest casting that has become such an issue of late was perfect with Rocky Horror originals Barry Bostwick (Brad) and Meatloaf (Eddie) playing TV executives who were against a school production of the adult-themed musical. We got to see more of Sue too (the recent episodes have been a little Sue-light). And a little Sue is always a good thing!

If there was a major drawback for me, it was the bizarre way the Rocky Horror songs were censored. Frankenfurter’s Sweet Transvestite didn’t come from Transsexual Transylvania but from Sensational Transylvania. When Emma sang Touch Me, she didn’t fear getting into heavy petting but heavy sweating. Huh? This from a show that just a week before showed two cheerleaders making out on a bed and discussing a lesbian sex act – not to mention plots about pregnant teenagers and teen boys who get a little too excited too quickly. The changes seemed random and unnecessary.

Next week is all about baseball so it will be a Glee free week but in two weeks, the show will be back and by the promo it looks to be pretty good.

Likin' LOLA a Little More

Last night’s LOLA felt more like Law & Order. A lot of the cosmetic touches were back. My voiceover at the beginning (“In the criminal justice system…”), the dum-dum and the black screens introducing each segment. So, I was a little bit happier that LOLA is making more of an effort to be and L&O show.

Corey Stoll is growing on me but I am still missing the gritty darkness of NYC. I also liked last night’s case more than the previous week’s. It seemed more relevant overall and not so 'unique;y LA (which translated to annoying for me).

It was Terrence Howard’s turn last night as ADA and I’m still not impressed with either him or Alfred Molina nor Peter Coyote as the DA. Right now, they all seem pretty interchangeable, I need to start seeing more personality because the Law side is definitely lagging behind the Order. All three actors are great and I know they can breathe some life into these very standard characters.

However, NBC has ordered a full season, so they’ll have some time to work out the kinks and create something that is uniquely their own.

What's Wrong with LOLA?

I've been a die-hard Law & Order fan from the beginning. Law & Order, Law & Order: SVU, Law & Order: Criminal Intent and even the short-lived Law & Order: Trial By Jury - I've watched them all. In fact, my weekend ritual involves laying in bed and watching an episode or two of L&O (or whatever variation) before getting out of bed. You can almost always find an episode of L&O on some channel, just about all of the time.

I guess because I do see so much L&O that I find the latest version, Law & Order: Los Angeles, so disconcerting. I have been watching it, but to be honest, I'm not really connecting with it. As I thought about it, there are several reasons.

Los Angeles ain't New York. NYC has a character all its own. In fact, the city was a character in L&O, CI and SVU. It provided more than a location. It created its own ambiance, its own mood. Los Angeles just doesn't have the same kind of character. To me, it feels off.

It could be that LOLA, and Los Angeles in general, are just too damn bright. I have to squint just watching it! Maybe part of the New York appeal is that the city itself is just darker, literally and figuratively, and it lends itself effortlessly to a crime drama. Los Angeles is just too sunny!

Then there are the actors. Skeet Ulrich falls in line as an L&O detective, but his partner? Played by actor Corey Stoll, he's got the Kojack head and the Magnum P.I. stache. His whole persona is distracting to me. I know it takes a while for a partnership to gel (and I'm giving this one time) but I miss the legendary banter of Briscoe (Jerry Orbach) and Greene (Jesse L. Martin), or even Bernard (Anthony Anderson) and Lupo (Jermey Sisto) which had hit its stride when the flagship series was yanked last year.

And no one on the Law side: Regina Hall, Alfred Molina or Terrence Howard is really working for me either. None have the world-weariness of a Jack McCoy (Sam Waterson) or the tenacity of a Michael Cutter (Linus Roache).

The stories they have chosen to tell while still 'ripped from the headlines' from the Manson-inspired cult killing to the ring of thieves ripping of a bunch of celebutantes just haven't resonated with me. I think they are trying too hard to be Hollywood stories when they need to just be good crime stories.

Lastly, the hallmarks of a Law & Order opening are gone. There is no voiceover telling me that "In the criminal justice system, the people are represented by two separate yet equally important groups: the police, who investigate crime, and the district attorneys, who prosecute the offenders. These are their stories." Or something similar in the cases of CI, SVU and Trial by Jury. There is no theme song. There is no 'dum-dum' between acts. It seems as if LOLA is a Law & Order show that doesn't want to be a Law & Order show and for me that is not a good thing.

Outsourced

Outsourced (NBC)

Thursday, 9:30 PM

What it’s about: After completing the management training program, a new manager is asked to manage a call center in India.

What I thought about it: Like The Office and 30 Rock, Outsourced is another workplace comedy; but instead of New York or New Jersey this one takes place 10 time zones away in India. I wish I could say it was worth the trip. The elements are there ... fish out of water, culture clashes, and basic workplace drudgery. There is a lot that could be funny ... but it wasn't.

$#*! My Dad Says

$#*! My Dad Says (CBS)
Thursday, 8:30 PM

What it’s about: Based on a Twitter account by Justin Halpern called Shit My Dad Says, it's about exactly what you'd think it'd be about ... funny and inappropriate things a crotchety old man says.

What I thought about it: First off, it's pronounced BLEEP My Dad Says (remember this is CBS and not HBO). The great thing about Twitter is that it's short and sweet and to the point. And on Twitter, Shit My Dad Says is funny. Yet when stretched to a half hour and shaped into common sit-com, it loses some of its zing. I enjoyed William Shatner as the Dad but the rest of the cast was cardboard, formulaic and just not funny.

The Whole Truth

The Whole Truth (ABC)
Wednesday, 10:00 PM

What it's about: A defense attorney and a prosecutor face-off each week on a different case. We get to see both sides and then the whole truth.

What I thought about it: I like the premise: we get to see t he case come together from both sides (prosecution and defense), then after it’s all said and done and the final gavel has been pounded, we get to see a little something that lets us know what really happened. I like the chemistry between the two principals Maura Tierney (ER) and Rob Morrow (Northern Exposure and Numb3rs). Yet, I didn’t really care for the show.

This is a Jerry Bruckheimer production and his trademark fast-pace and fast editing don’t really lend themselves to a legal drama. At some points it was even hard to follow. As a result, I lost interest.

The Defenders

The Defenders (CBS)
Wednesday, 10:00 PM

Where it’s about: Two lawyers in Las Vegas take on the cases that the big law firms won't touch.

What I thought about it: If all we had was television to go on, it would be easy to think that everyone in this country was a cop, a doctor or a lawyer. The Defenders is one of the latest in the long line of lawyer shows. It’s different because it’s set in Vegas … and the new associate (Jurnee Smollett) stripped her way through law school. Jerry O’Connell and James Belushi do a good job playing off of one and you can tell they are having fun. Ultimately though, this show just isn’t memorable or compelling. By this time next week, I’ll have forgotten that it’s still on.

Undercovers

Undercovers (NBC)
Wednesday, 8:00 PM

Where it’s about: A married pair of former CIA agents return to work to beat the bad guys and spice up their marriage.

What I thought about it: J.J. Abrams, the guy who brought us Alias, Lost and Fringe is going down a different path with Undercovers. I honestly don’t think many of his faithful fans will be coming along for the ride. Gone are the intricate plots, the mind-bending twists and turns and all of the mysteries and mythologies. This time around J.J. Abrams just wants to have fun!

I enjoyed Undercovers. It’s fun and entertaining. Boris Kodjoe and Gugu Mbatha-Raw are Steven and Samantha Bloom , a happily married couple who retired from the CIA and are running a successful catering business. Of course they get lured back for one final score and realize that espionage gives their marriage an added boost. The chemistry between Kodjoe and Mbatha-Raw is amazing. I hope the writing picks up in future episodes however. It was a little flat and cliched. I'd like to see a little more wit. So far though, I’m along for the ride.

Detroit 1-8-7

Detroit 1-8-7 (ABC)

Tuesday 10:00 PM

What it’s about: Gritty series about homicide cops in The Motor City (that’s Detroit, y’all)

What I thought about it: I haven’t seen James McDaniel since NYPD Blue. He shows up here on yet another police procedural. This one just didn’t keep my attention. Besides its cool retro soundtrack there wasn’t much to keep me engaged. Detroit 1-8-7 is a very by the numbers show. There is nothing unique about it. The characters didn’t really draw me in and neither did the case they were working on. 1-8-7 is cop code for murder. I predict a similar fate for this show.

Running Wilde

Running Wilde (FOX)
Tuesday 9:30 PM

What it’s about: From the creators of Arrested Development, two long lost lovers reconnect as opposites (she’s a humanitarian and philanthropist) he’s still a spoiled rich kid.

What I thought about it: There were two really big problems with this show. Big Problem #1, it’s a comedy but it wasn't very funny. One attempt at comedy involved a miniature horse and it seemed to just drag on. But oh, this isn’t just a comedy, it’s a romantic comedy, which brings me to Big Problem #2.There was absolutely no chemistry between Will Arnett and Keri Rusell. I’ve seen more chemistry between a business woman and a homeless guy forced to sit next to each other on the subway. Running Wilde should be running off the FOX schedule very quickly.