2012-2013 TV Season Pilot Reviews
*Sorry about the blatant self-promotion, but I just started a blog that I think would be worth checking out.
http://polarbearstv.wordpress.com/
Requirements:
-All pilots I choose to watch (Not premieres of existing shows, NEW SHOWS)
-Both fall and mid season
-Anything from September 2012-August 2013 is fair game.
These are my impressions of the pilots only-they are not an indication of what I may think later.
http://polarbearstv.wordpress.com/
Requirements:
-All pilots I choose to watch (Not premieres of existing shows, NEW SHOWS)
-Both fall and mid season
-Anything from September 2012-August 2013 is fair game.
These are my impressions of the pilots only-they are not an indication of what I may think later.
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- DirectorMartin CampbellStarsAndre BraugherScott SpeedmanDaisy BettsCaptain Marcus Chaplin is commander of the USS Colorado, a ballistic missile submarine. He has a good crew and all are quite good at their jobs. They receive an order to launch two missiles - the target is Pakistan - but they've received the order over a low security radio band and when he requests confirmation, Chaplin is relieved of command. His XO Sam Kendal also requests confirmation and soon after, the Colorado is fired upon - by a U.S. destroyer. Chaplin realizes they are in very deep and heads to a nearby island for safety. The locals aren't too keen with the navy's arrival and Chaplin has to send a message to Washington - one they will clearly understand to mean they and the Colorado are to be left alone.9.5-amazing
Wow. That was an amazing pilot. The acting (Andre Braugher is awesome, as always) was great and the intensity was through the roof. I commend Shawn Ryan And Karl Gadjusek for being able to create such a great atmosphere on the submarine, and I would definitely like to see more of the D.C. storyline (I got a little "24" vibe from that). My main concern was that everything moved a little too fast, but I understand given it was only a one hour premiere. I have no idea where the show goes from here (that could be good/bad), but hopefully this will turn out to be a great show. - DirectorDavid NutterStarsStephen AmellKatie CassidyColin DonnellBillionaire playboy, Oliver Queen, has been considered dead for five years. Now, he has returned. But something, during those five years, has changed him into a mysterious green hooded archer.8-great
It was an enjoyable pilot, that's for sure. The action was well done and I actually like how they tried to make it more of a darker superhero show. Amell is good, but there's not much special about him. I liked Paul Blackthorne and the rest of the supporting cast, but once again, nothing special. This show is very different from the rest of TV, however, and I look forward to seeing what their procedural and serial storylines will be like. - DirectorJon FavreauStarsBilly BurkeTracy SpiridakosGiancarlo Esposito15 years after a global shutdown of all electricity, the Matheson family are hunted by an authoritarian regime known as the Monroe Militia.7.5-good
This obviously had massive expectations, coming from the Abrams/Kripke/Favreau team, and while I don't think it'll be as good as everyone thinks, it was still an enjoyable pilot. Tracy Spiridakos is a promising yet annoying actress (plus she's really attractive), and Giancarlo Esposito was magnificent as always. However, the rest of the characters seemed flat. Billy Burke was passable, but J.D. Pardo was not that great and Elizabeth Mitchell was underused. The visuals were excellent, and while the sword stuff can get cheesy, this show has massive potential. Remember Supernatural's pilot? It wasn't that great either, and look where that show is now. But, to be honest, the pilot was kind of boring. This family stuff will get old like that, and I wish the creators had the intelligence to come up with an original story. I've seen this all before. They could've explored our reliance on technology and the chaos ensuing rather than just jump forward in time. That aspect was sorely disappointing. - DirectorR.J. CutlerStarsConnie BrittonHayden PanettiereClare BowenRayna, an aging country music star, is upset when her record company asks her to tour as the opening act to a new up-and-coming singer named Juliette.8.5-great
I'm surprised at how much I liked this show. Like 666 Park Avenue, the soapy elements are very fun and are definitely a necessary part of this show. Britton and Panettiere are both fantastic, and the singing isn't as annoying as I thought it would be. The supporting characters are also great, as well as the whole "Nashville" feel. This has the potential to be a hit like Revenge was. - DirectorJames MangoldStarsDennis QuaidMichael ChiklisCarrie-Anne MossWhile the Chicago mob sends Vincent Savino to Las Vegas to take over a casino and uncover a rat, the mayor appoints local rancher Ralph Lamb sheriff to investigate the murder of the governor's niece.8-great
This is a beautifully shot, well acted, and ambitious pilot (especially for CBS). Much like "The Good Wife" and most recently "Person of Interest", this show does so much more than just the regular, boring procedural stuff. Hopefully the procedural stuff doesn't take too much away from the setup of Quaid vs Chiklis. Chiklis was fantastic (as always), and Quaid was a pretty good lead. The supporting characters were interesting as well, which is great. I can definitely see this getting boring (it's already slow paced), but I can also see it evolving into a great show. - DirectorTodd HollandStarsMatthew PerryLaura BenantiJulie WhiteRyan King, a radio sports personality, returns to work after grieving for his wife's recent death. His boss says he is not ready to return to work and must attend counseling. He reluctantly attends and meets others who also have to move on.7-good
Matthew Perry is funny enough, and you can see that it definitely is taking pointers from Community on how to run things. However, it definitely is no Community yet. It has potential, though. - DirectorCharles McDougallStarsMindy KalingChris MessinaEd WeeksMindy is a 30 something Ob/Gyn whose love life hits a snag after a messy break up with her long term boyfriend. After getting drunk and making a scene at his wedding, Mindy vows to put the past behind her, find the perfect man and get her life on track.7-good
Mindy Kaling is kind of annoying. I found her annoying in this pilot as well. None of the other characters were memorable (I only remember Ed Helms' cameo), but there were some moments worth laughing at. - DirectorAlex GravesStarsRachael TaylorDave AnnableRobert BuckleyJane and Henry, a young, ambitious couple, are hired as resident managers at The Drake with a nice apartment. Henry works for the mayor, making Gavin interested. A mosaic in the basement makes Jane research The Drake.8-great
This is a fun show. It's soapy,yes, but it's the kind of guilty pleasure stuff you would watch on TV. There are only a few to none scares, but the atmosphere and just the general "feel" of it is really great. Terry O'Quinn is great, and the leads are surprisingly watchable. There are a little too many storylines, but the pilot set up what is going to be an enjoyable, although quite stupid, series. - DirectorMichael CuestaStarsJonny Lee MillerLucy LiuAidan QuinnSherlock Holmes, fresh out of rehab, is teamed with a sobriety partner, a former surgeon named Watson. They have to learn to work together even as they tackle their first case, the mysterious death of a doctor's wife.7.5-good
It's an enjoyable enough series, and while it's obviously nowhere near the level of "Sherlock", I liked the overall vibe I got from it. Jonny Lee Miller was good as Holmes and Liu, while not making much of an impression yet, was okay but definitely interesting as Watson. The format, I'm sure, will get boring. However, I'm interested to see how they'll integrate the mythology. - DirectorJake KasdanStarsDakota JohnsonNat FaxonLucy PunchWhen they were orphaned, goofy rascal Ben Fox broke away from his uptight sister Kate, who became a single but devoted mother to Maddie. Ben, years ago often drops by, using Kate's compulsively neat home as base for his crazy plans and simply delighting them. Now Ben hears his local first love, Darcy, is getting married and decides to take his last chance to win her.7.5-good
This is definitely a promising show. The lead is remarkably similar to Zooey Deschanel and her quirky style. Ben gets annoying, but I laughed enough during this to make me hang around a little more. - DirectorAnthony RussoJoe RussoStarsJustin KirkJoAnna Garcia SwisherBobby Lee"Animal Practice" is a new comedy centering on Dr. George Coleman (Justin Kirk), a top veterinarian with an impressive list of famous animal patients at the Crane Animal Hospital - a bustling New York City veterinary practice where it often seems as if the patients are running the place. Despite his unorthodox style, George has an undeniable gift with animals of all kinds - except the human kind. Much to his chagrin, George recently learned that his ex-girlfriend, Dorothy Crane (JoAnna Garcia Swisher), has inherited the family business and is now George's boss. Whip-smart and ambitious, Dorothy shakes up the hospital as she brings order to the chaos and butts heads with George's animal-friendly administration.7.5-good
I love the monkey. It's awesome. I don't see why everyone hates this so much, but it was an enjoyable half hour. It's not a show I think will be consistently good, but Kirk does a good job here in the pilot. - DirectorMichael DinnerStarsJordana SpiroWilliam ForsytheJames CarpinelloSurgical resident Dr. Grace Devlin (Jordana Spiro) juggles her promising medical career with a secret deal to offer her medical services to a mob boss in order to save her ne'er-do-well younger brother's life.7.5-good
Let me just say, this show is a mess. It really has no idea what it wants to be. The mob stuff is intercut awkwardly with the medical stuff, and the medical stuff is bland and unnecessary. There were some things to like, though. William Forsythe was excellent, and Jordana Spiro is a potentially good character. However, Zeljko Ivanek was wayy underused. I don't hate it as much as the critics, but it needs to find a way to make everything run smoothly. - DirectorRyan MurphyStarsJustin BarthaAndrew RannellsGeorgia KingSpoiled-rotten Angelino gay 'queen' Bryan Collins's latest 'must have' infatuation is a tall order, but nothing is cuter then a baby. His indulgent partner, doctor David Sawyer, even agrees to do all the hard work so 'fun daddy' can just enjoy playing and prancing. However that requires a host mother, not so easy to find, especially with Bryan's outrageous expectations. Then an opportunity knocks: Goldie Clemmons, a small town mother, decides to abandon her dead-end waitress job and move to L.A. in search of a better life for herself and supportive daughter Shania (9). She's a good mother and needs the cash to stay one.6-ok
The lack of laughs was definitely a disappointment, and it tries a little too hard to be heartwarming/sweet IMO. I like Justin Bartha, but the lead seems a little flat. There were some seriously painful stretches to sit through in this pilot, and I'm not sure it can improve. - DirectorGary FlederStarsKristin KreukJay RyanMax BrownWhen she was a teenager, Catherine "Cat" Chandler witnessed the murder of her mother. Cat would have been killed too, but someone - or something - saved her.
- DirectorChris KochStarsJami GertzLenny VenitoSimon TemplemanSoon after arriving in their new home, the Weavers discover all of their neighbors are from a distant planet called Zabvron.2-Disaster
I don't know how this made it to TV. That's all I'll say. - DirectorMarcos SiegaStarsKevin BaconJeananne GoossenNatalie ZeaIn the series premiere episode, FBI Agent Ryan Hardy is called out of retirement to track down serial killer Joe Carroll who's escaped from prison.
- DirectorJason EnslerStarsMatthew DavisJessica LucasAlona TalWhen investigative reporter Jeff Sefton's (MATT DAVIS) brother disappears, Jeff uncover the dark underworld of the TV show "Cult" and its rabid fans - in the series premiere.
- DirectorPeyton ReedStarsBecki NewtonScott FoleyT.J. MillerLet the games begin!
- DirectorPierre MorelStarsAnthony EdwardsCarmen EjogoScott Michael FosterHank Galliston's wife, Leila, is abducted by an international terrorist.
- DirectorDavid SladeStarsHugh DancyMads MikkelsenCaroline DhavernasThe head of the FBI Behavioral Science unit, Jack Crawford, calls on profiler Will Graham to assist them catch a serial killer. The killer has now kidnapped eight women, all similar in appearance and always on a Friday. His most recent victim is Elise Nichols. Graham has been teaching at the FBI academy and isn't too keen on going out into the field. He is particularly empathetic and has a tendency to get far too involved in these types of cases. Crawford arranges for a well-known psychiatrist, Hannibal Lecter, to work with him and ease the stress. It seems Lecter has his own plans for Will.
- DirectorMarc BucklandStarsTia ShipmanReg Clinton BrownDane CookCANCELLED
- DirectorJeffrey NachmanoffStarsJesse SpencerTaylor KinneyMonica RaymundA month after a devastating loss, firefighters of the Chicago firehouse 51 fight to work past it and continue to serve the city.
- DirectorZac MoncriefCarl FaruoloStarsDaniel ToshKaitlin OlsonRoger BlackSteve is threatened when Ethel, a new ranger, comes to town. Malloy gets put on a diet.
- DirectorGreg YaitanesStarsAntony StarrIvana MilicevicUlrich ThomsenAfter completing his 15 year prison sentence, an ex-con tracks down his former partner, now known as Carrie Hopewell, in Banshee County Pennsylvania who it turns out is now married to the local DA and has two children. He takes her at her word when she says she doesn't have any of the cash they stole. Later at a roadside bar, he meets the county's new Sheriff, Lucas Hood who has literally just arrived in town and has yet to meet anyone. When Hood is killed during an attempted robbery, the ex-con assumes his identity. The town's youthful mayor wanted to bring in an outsider as Sheriff to deal with their local power broker, Kai Proctor, who seems to have everyone else in his pocket.
- DirectorS.J. ClarksonStarsMelissa GeorgeDhafer L'AbidineMaurice LeeSam Hunter,an agent for private security firm Byzantium and is left for dead during an operation in Tangiers. A year later, having recuperated in a remote Scottish cottage, she returns to Byzantium anxious to discover who betrayed her. On the orders of her bosses Crane and Keel she is to infiltrate the world of criminal turned millionaire businessman Jack Turner which she does by saving Turner's grandson Eddie from a mock kidnap attempt. This attracts the admiration of Eddie's father Stephen who engages Sam in her guise as a teacher to tutor his son. Jack Turner is due to host Dutch Dr. Horst Goebel but Goebel is murdered by an assassin, who takes his place.