Tonight marks the return of "Reaper" (CW, 9 p.m.) to its regular timeslot with a new episode.
One of the most hyped new shows this season of any of the networks, "Reaper" hasn't really established an audience and is a bubble show for next year.
For me, the show has been inconsistent. On the one hand, it features an Emmy worthy comic performance by Ray Wise as the Devil, but it also features one of the most irritating performances on TV from Tyler Labine as Sock, the best friend of the show's hero Sam (Brett Harrison).
"Reaper" has added two amusing guest stars (Ken Marino, Michael Ian Black) as friendly, gay demons who help Sam out. It remains to be seen over the show's final few episodes if "Reaper" is strong enough creatively and in the ratings to earn a reprieve for next season.
TUESDAY'S BEST BETS: At the beginning of the season, I noted that "NCIS's" recurring storyline with Armand Assante as an arms dealer was pretty much a letdown with its resolution. Apparently, the producers decided to beat that dead horse once more as the FBI investigates Director Sheppard (Lauren Holly) tonight (CBS, 8 p.m.)
NBC shows a rerun of "The Best of Chris Farley" (NBC, 8:30 p.m.) before a new "L&O: SVU" at 10 p.m. "Boston Legal" (ABC, 10 p.m.) is also new.
Finally, feeling the pinch at the gas pump? Check out tonight's "Nova" (PBS, 8 p.m.), in which Car Talk guys Tom and Ray Magliozzi search for a new car and explore all of the alternative fuels out there.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Facing The Reaper?
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8 comments:
Sorry, but adios 'Reaper'. Not only have the numbers been bad (even from the CW perspective) but the show's ratings have gone down, and a promising pilot was just that = a promising pilot.
You continue to ONLY pick on Sam's sidekick, Sock (Tyler Labine), who I will argue (along with many critics) isn't as bad as you say 9though not great on this show) and was a great sidekick on the fantastic but short lived 2005 ABC series, "Invasion".
(though William Fichtner & Kari Matchett were easily the best things about the show)
The real problem is the very weak star of this show, Brett Harrison as Sam. It's hard to CARE when the leading character is a slacker who acts like doing the devil's work is some put upon thing like taking out the trash or feeding his dog.
I realize this show wants to be more comedic than say "Buffy" or "Supernatural", but why "Buffy" is the best Television show of all time and why "Supernatural" is one of the best currently on TV, is there is serious danger in every episode, seriously evil and/or sadistic villains, and the lead characters (either Sarah Michelle Gellar and the Scoobies or Jensen Ackles and Jared Padelecki) were dead serious about the business they were in, while still maintaining a hilariously witty and sarcastic personality.
Brett Harrison is a lazy, put upon slacker; the villains are weaker and you never ever get the sense that he cares that much (other than wanting to impress the girl) nor do you ever feel like he's in real danger.
As much as I laugh every week during "Supernatural", I always get the feeling that at any moment, one or both of the brothers may get killed or have something scary happen to them. You had the same feeling of danger in the world of Buffy Summers or her friends.
"Reaper" is a forgettable show that I stopped watching in the middle of like the 4th episode back in October.
Did anyone watch John Adams? I just watched the last one last night and found itso boring. The first 6 were great, but I feel they could have combined the last two into one and made it much more interesting. It just seemed to drag in some spots. In all it was great, just disappointed in the end.
I, by no means, think "Reaper" is close to being the best show on television, but it falls in the middle of the pack, and most weeks it is well above average.
I actually kind of like Tylar Labine, and will agree with Zod that if anything brings the show down it's Harrison's lackluster performance. Although, I think that has as much to do with the writers as it does Harrison's peformance. However, he was pretty annoying in his supporting role on the underrated "Grounded for Life," so maybe it is just him.
Michael Ian Black has been an outstanding addition to the show and along with Ray Wise gives it a great 1-2 punch each week that I look forward to.
That being said, if the show were to dissapear I wouldn't be enraged by any means, but I think it deserves to stick around for awhile.
Couldn't agree with you more, Edge, on your assessment of "John Adams." Talk about great set-up and very little pay-off. Granted, you could just look at it as a 6 episode miniseries and forget the rest of it happened. That's the way I would watch it in the future.
Apparently, edge and jonathan, neither of you are familiar with the term "epilogue." The purpose of the final episode was to bring closure the story of Adams' life. And guess what? That's exactly what it did.
I haven't gotten to watch the John Adams finale yet, so I can't chime in. I've thought the first six were pretty good, though the Adams presidency felt a bit truncated.
Well, i dont want to ruin it for you phillip, but .... John Adams dies.
I understand what an epilouge is, but I wasn't aware it also meant boring because that's what the last episode was.
NOOOO!!!
Just kidding :-)
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