The US TV Season 2009 Pt 1

The 2009/10 US TV season has effectively kicked off this week bringing with it shows you’re familiar with, along with a bunch of new TV series fighting for attention on the schedule. Many of these new shows will not be with us next season. Most for good reason, but there’s always one or two shows that fans will be angry to see it taken so early.

So, what new shows are on the air? Are they any good? And what are their chances for survival? Televised Revolution is here to help with a primer to the uncharted waters of this years US TV season.

Community
The show with the biggest buzz behind it, supported by a favourable critical reaction, Community is certainly one of the stronger pilots this year.

Joel McHale (The Soup) stars as a suspended lawyer who attends a community college after his degree was deemed invalid by the State Bar. A single-camera comedy, the show feels like a 1980′s Bill Murray comedy, with its smart-ass protagonist leading a group of aimless ne’er do-wells.

McHale is fun as the morally-challenged lead of the show, with strong comedic contributions from the entire ensemble. Concerning, though, is the casting of Chevy Chase. His role as a mature-aged student simply isn’t meaty or amusing enough for the on-screen presence and star power wielded by Chase. It’s great seeing him on-screen, but he just feels mis-cast. It’s a role that should have just gone to a good character actor. Instead audience expectation is just too high.

Community stars Joel McHale, Chevy Chase, Yvette Nicole Brown, and John Oliver. The pilot was directed by Joe & Anthony Russo, and created by Dan Harmon.

Eastwick
Based on the 1987 film Witches of Eastwick (itself an adaptation of the John Updike book), Eastwick centers on three women from a small town who meet at a wishing fountain. A man of mystery, Darryl Van Horne, arrives on the scene to ignite their hearts and the magic that exists within them.

The show feels like a mix of Desperate Housewives and The Witches of Eastwick movie, with a dash of the Gilmore Girls small-town flavour thrown in for texture. That later vibe may simply come from the fact the shows town centre is in fact a re-dressed Stars Hollow.

The casting of the show is serviceable and based on long-lasting goodwill from Due South, I’m always happy to see Paul Gross in anything. Visually, the show isn’t particularly distinct and the script just felt lifeless. Eastwick is a show lacking any sense of joy or spark. That said, it may be worth revisiting in a few weeks time.

Eastwick stars Rebecca Romaijn, Paul Gross, Jaime Ray Newman, and Lindsay Price. The pilot was directed by David Nutter (Smallville, Supernatural, and The X-Files), nd Executive Produced by Maggie Friedman.

Cougar Town
I find Courtney Cox to be shrill and awful. And the cultural fascination with middle-aged women hunting young men as lovers is over-done.

Needless to say, I come to Cougar Town with a pre-established animosity. I also didn’t make it to the end of the 20 minute pilot.

Courtney Cox stars as a middle-aged, upper-middle class, sexually charged woman. She shares custody of her smart-mouth son with her financially destitute ex-husband, and has two strong female friends. This is a show that offers no surprises and seemingly has no reason to exist. It certainly doesn’t exist to entertain.

Some of the one-liners in the show aren’t bad, but that’s to be expected from show-creator Bill Lawrence (Scrubs). The problem with the show is that there simply isn’t enough depth to the characters for the audience to care, nor is the premise strong enough to engage. Cougar Town is reminiscent of the pilot to Weeds, only strip away the weed, biting wit, and the strong, emotionally layered female lead.

Cougar Town stars Courtney Cox, Christa Miller, and Busy Phillips. The show show was co-created by Kevin Biegel and Bill Lawrence.

Modern Family
Another single-camera comedy, Modern Family sets its focus on three connected families. A true surprise, the show lifts itself above what could be a tired over-done premise and delivers a show that actually felt fresh.

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Ed O’Neil (Married With Children) is excellent as the tired Jay Pritchett, an older guy who has married (presumably) for the second time in life to his much younger latino-bride Gloria, of whom has an 11 year-old son from an existing marriage. Pritchett clearly feels his age and clearly feels ill at ease with his younger wife and step-son.

Julie Bowen (Boston Legal, Ed) is Jay Pritchetts daughter from his previous marriage, Claire. Claire’s family live the stereotypical family form. She has a loving husband, two daughters, and one son. There is absolutely nothing original about the setup as we’ve been watching this family on TV for decades in different incarnations, yet it doesn’t feel tired on this show. Bowen is a great screen-presence, as is Ty Burrell who plays her husband. Burrell is provided the best scene in the show as he attempts to follow through with a threat to his son that if the mis-handles his plastic BB gun, Burrell would retaliate by shooting the son.

Jesse Tyler Ferguson (The Class) is Mitchell Pritchett, Jay Pritchetts homosexual son. Mitchell is returning from a trip overseas with his partner where they adopted a daughter. Mitchell is ill at ease with the public perceptions that surround his sexuality.

It’s only evident in the final scene of the pilot that the three distinct families are connected.

Christoper Lloyd (Frasier, Wings) and Steven Levitan (Just Shoot Me, Back To You) have produced a progressive, yet very accessible comedy about what it means to be a modern family. The show is very sitcommy and offers very little in the way of innovation, but as far as comfort television goes, this is sterling. I started watching the show with very low expectations and finished happy to see more.

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As the week goes on, Televised Revolution will bring you more reviews of new TV shows hitting the US airwaves, including Flash Forward, Mercy, The Good Wife, and The Forgotten.