Could it be true? The rumormill is abuzz with news of a possible "reboot" of Alias on ABC:- E-Online: Is This Alias 2.0 News Too Good to Be True?
- yourTV.com: Alias primed for reboot
I hate to be the Debbie-Downer about this, but I just don't see how an Alias 2.0 could live up to the show we know and love. Especially without the cast we know and love. What do y'all think about this?
95 comments:
It's like anything else. Just try to appreciate a show for what it is. You can't compare it to a show you hold in such high esteem and expect to have any chance of liking it.
However, the Rambaldi angle is what made Alias so fascinating. It was when they ignored the Rambaldi storyline and went all soap opera the show suffered. When they went back to Rambaldi, the show quality improved enormously! You really can't call it Alias 2.0 without any mythology...that's kind of what Alias was about!
Yeah, my feelings exactly. But if it does happen and the show is revived, I'm sure I'll give it a chance. I really wonder who they could get to fill JG/Syd's shoes, but I'm all about some butt-kicking ladies. :)
I have a better idea though...how about we go back and FIX the real Alias so it had a real final season? :-D
It really just sounds to me like ABC has a case of "Undercovers" envy. They had the JJ Abrams spy story and they couldn't get rid of it fast enough. Now somebody else has a JJ Abrams spy story so suddenly ABC's talking about rebooting "Alias" without the cast and crew and imagination that made it so awesome in the first place.
There is a whole new interest in spy shows right now. The last few years, EVERYTHING has been about vampires. Now, it looks like spies are back. "Burn Notice" and "Chuck" have been around for a while. "Covert Affairs" and "Undercovers" are new kids on the block this year and even "Nikita" is back. I think this cycle back into the spy genre has probably caught ABC off guard and this is their way of getting a dog in the race without having to expend a lot of time and resources on developing something original.
ABC is dreaming if they think they will keep "Lost" viewers satisfied by gutting the "Alias" we know and love and selling it as a remedy for "Lost" withdrawal.
I'm all in favour of a REAL "Alias" comeback, and, for that matter, I'd love a great original new spy show from ABC, but ABC is scaring me with what sounds like an abusive new way to exploit already wounded "Alias" fans.
Alias bowed with an average of, what, 5 - 6 million viewers? I'm surprised the network would even consider a reboot this soon when shows like Grey's Anatomy are still pulling in around 15 million viewers (pretty huge considering TiVo, iTunes, ext). I can't see this getting off the ground, just like the rumors of the "Buffy" reboot that swirled a while back. CWs "Nikita" will be axed quickly, no doubt, and "Chuck" is always a bubble show, never quite gaining major ratings or, for that matter, much buzz.
Bottom line; chances are slim this'll come about, and even if it doesn, the chances of it lasting are even slimmer - who's gunna tune in to a reboot of a show that very few people watched in the first place? I'll be tuning into "Undercovers" next year and watching my Alias DVDs, as usual.
*
Ratings for "Alias" according to Wikipedia.
Contrast that with the viewership for "Burn Notice" which rarely ever pulls 6 million viewers for USA. And yet, USA has just renewed it for 2 more seasons in addition to the one premiering next week. According to IMDB, this will bring BN up to about 81 episodes by the end of Season 6, closing in on the total run for "Alias".
I guess what I'm getting at is that ABC ditched "Alias" for regularly pulling more viewers than BN, which USA can't seem to get enough of. Does this mean "Alias" would be better off on a cable net like USA? Would it be more successful as a summer series like BN (which, in reality, begins each season in the summer and finishes closer to spring.)?
Either way, like bristow_24, I don't expect this reboot will see the light of day, which does not mean that ABC won't crank out a whole other spy show sometime in the near future. If they do, let's hope it lasts longer than Amy Acker's "Happy Town", which, IMO, lasted an episode longer than it should have.
If you want a TV series to be succesful you need to have a good to great concept, good to great writers, good producers and directors, but exceptional characters. Characters are the secret ingredient, product of the writers directors, but most of all actors. And it is the person on the screen, the actor who becomes the character and brings them to life that we really connect with and care about. The more that viewers care about the characters and what happens to them on the screen, the more real they become to us and the more likely we are to tune in regulary.
The original Alias cast ARE the characters for us now. Who else can be Sidney Bristow, but Jennifer Garner? Who can be Vaughn, but Michael Vartan? Who can be Jack Bristow, but Victor Garber? Who can be Marshall Flinkman, but Kevin Weisman?
And who can craft the storylines the mysteries and the interpersonal dynamics of OUR characters without the guidance of the people who created and guided them?
Without all of these it will not be our Alias. They might successfully morph it into some other Alias. It may even be a good show in it's right. But without the characters we know, we will always want the other.
The question is, what was the main factor in the change in ratings? Was it the time slot, the competition it was up against, or was it the storyline?
Uncle, according to the Wikipedia article, Thursday at 8:00 p.m. is ABC's version of the Bermuda Triangle. Shows that go there never come back, which raises the question, why throw a great show like "Alias" under the bus by assigning it such a brutal slot?
Personally, I used to love to watch "Alias" and "X-Files" back to back every Sunday night.
I guess this is today's "Alias" reboot update, which essentially confirms the obvious, that Jen would have no part to play in this, and that it wouldn't even be produced by ABC, but would be 'first-run-syndication.'.
Now that's truly inspiring.
Yeah, well good luck with that!
Look for "Undercovers" to employ any number of "Alias" bit players during its run. The pilot provides work for both of Jen's "Alias" stunt doubles, Nancy (Amy Tippin) Wetzel and Shauna Duggins as well as a smattering of others.
And, who knows, maybe some more familiar faces will drop by, but I wouldn't count on any biggies. JJ doesn't seem to work that way, unlike Joss Whedon, who tends to bring actors with him from one project to another. Speaking of Whedon, I couldn't help but notice Sloane Clone, Marshall, and The Rose all appearing in S5 of Buffy.
Extendo trailer for "Nikita". They killed her boyfriend Daniel and now she's pissed. Wow, sound familiar?
I'm not sold on Maggie Q as Nikita. I'd rather see Kate from "Lost". She had that distant, tough-as-nails loner survivalist thing nailed.
Extendo trailer for H50, complete with Spike sounding a tad Irish.
The new Nikta on the CW looks pretty good to me. I was never able to slog through the older version due to the acting and production being so poor. From the network that made a great show out of Smallville (if only slightly inconsistent), I think Nikta can be everything it could have been originally.
The obvious connection to ALIAS only bothers me as it relates to ALIAS since ALIAS came long after. JJ ripped the idea from Le Femme Nikita, and not vice versa. He's just the only one to make a success out of it with good casting and a decent budget.
I'm a little like you, Page. I'm not certain I buy Maggie Q, but that is because I'm not sure how they are going to portray her softer side. What JG brought to the character of a seriously capable spy in Sydney was also the school-girl innocence. I don't see the innocence behind the eyes of Maggie Q. At least, not in the trailer. I think she is very good at conveying an unintimidated, supremely capable spy, though... so I'm going to get in her corner.
Re-boot ALIAS? I don't see it happening. They might mean it metaphorically. Like, they intend to get another female-spy show that will be semi-serialized on the order of Lost. If they make no attempt to re-write ALIAS, I can get behind it.
They'll never get writers, however, who will honor the memory of the greatness that was Alias by actually paying attention to the technical details and history of the show. If they try, in any way, to link the new show to ALIAS, it will shred the history, and aggravate those of us who invested 5 years to the former epic, the very demographic they are ostensibly aiming to attract.
Hypothetically speaking:
Rambaldi or not, I think ALIAS would have been great. I loved it, but not everyone likes a touch of scifi in with the mysterious lead story arc. Like the original mold, Nikita, ALIAS could have done great things without the scifi, especially considering the characters, the actors, and the depth of writing that already existed.
With Nikita, Undercovers, Burn Notice (and maybe even Chuck... I don't know... never watched), I think Page is right. ABC sees everyone else having success in female spyz, and they have a sense of having missed a boat, or maybe frustration that Alias went the direction it did. I don't care. If they missed a money boat along the way, I don't feel sorry for them in the slightest because of the treatment ALIAS received from the word Go (no, stop... go, wait, not that, stop... go... etc.).
In any case, I know it sticks out with a male lead, but Human Target deserves to be remembered in any list of really good spy-TV shows. I hope Fox brings it back.
-R.
BTW -
for what it is worth...
I absolutely HATE the word capcha.
I probably do not comment as often because of its aggravation.
..but that's only me.
Robetron,
They better bring HT back!! They are truely brain dead if they don't.
HT has already been renewed for a minimum of 13 eppies. Don't know if it will return in the fall or next year, though.
Speaking of returning, we're about 48 hours away from new BN.
Robetron, I just can't see ABC bringing on a show that pretends to be some sort of continuation of our "Alias".
I have no inside baseball knowledge of the TV industry vis-a-vis rights issues or contractual obligations, but my gut reaction is that JJ would not be likely to give this reboot his blessing. I know he's been a little too vocal in his critique of his own show, but I can't picture him allowing someone else to toy with his legacy. Again, with no insider knowledge, I would not be at all surprised if Bad Robot and NBC had some sort of non-competition clause which would restrict JJ from essentially competing with himself by producing a similar show on a different network.
That said, and as you say, if ABC cranks out an "Alias" reboot which first and foremost, does no harm to our classic, and is worthy of my fandom, then bring it on for sure.
One thing that would absolutely gall me is that a new "Alias" would no doubt be available on Blu-Ray pre-order before S1 ended, while the real deal stays as buried as Arvin Sloane.
capcha is annoying but I understand why SRG is using it. I swear sometimes that I type the right string and still get rejected though.
Hard to find fault with this guy's idea.
I provided my own snarky remark because I just couldn't NOT do it.
I voted for "Alias".
JJ Abrams can make a girl famous, but what happens after that has the potential to be downright embarrassing.
Jen, there is a lesson here for you. Sit up and pay attention. This can happen to you (oops...is happening to you).
It is good to have Burn Notice back, but there wasn't much in the way of new dynamics and typical Burn formula. But the end set a new and interesting plot line in motion.
Fi seems to have put on just a few pounds and looks better as a result.
And I noticed a 47 near the end of the show.
You know what you're getting with BN. It's the old lather, rinse, repeat formula every week, which is frustrating in any show. However, BN is easy, breezy viewing and is a welcome relief at a time when other shows are done for the season.
Now, will "Covert Affairs" follow the same formula? I'm betting it absolutely will. Not my preference, but I don't get a vote.
"Fringe" suffered from the same repetitive grind for a long time, but, whether thru an attack of common sense or the bitter sting of viewer backlash, it seems to have evolved to a point where it likely can't go back to freak-of-the-week without losing all credibility and that's got to be a good thing. I'm all for telling a story, just not the same one every week.
"A-Team" opens a week from today. The trailers look like it should be good fun. And, it will mark the first time I've bothered to watch a Bradley Cooper movie. It took BC a long time to meet my modest standards.
Speaking of "Covert Affairs", a new trailer is up.
This is what it's come to for Gina Torres.
"Firefly", "Alias", and now a show about a fat farm for kids? Oh, dear!
AMC's "Rubicon" might be worth checking out. Not that I get AMC or anything. Previews Sunday night with a full eppie but doesn't debut till later in the summer.
Page,
Does AMC show online at all?
Looks like a good one.
Uncle, doesn't look like AMC stuff is on HULU, and AMC's own website doesn't seem to have a 'watch full episodes' feature.
That's why I love broadcast networks. Cable just gets so frikkin' complicated.
Michael Vartan on the potential return of "Alias".
Michael, in your wildest dreams you'll never achieve the kind of success that "Alias" dumped in your lap. You should be chomping at the bit.
Quote from MV: "The characters themselves were just as much a part of the story as the story itself. It just would be weird [with a new cast]. I have heard rumors of a possible 'Alias' movie, but again, all rumors, who knows how these things get started?"
At least he gets it that the characters and their relationships were a huge reason why we kept coming back week after week, year after year. The only movie I've seen successfully wrap up a TV show is Serenity for Firefly, but I do wish they'd try with Alias...
SRG, JJ's already taken 2 TV franchises to the big screen (MI and ST), so how long before he does the same for one of his own? And, I'm not talking "What About Brian?", either.
Grunberg offer his opinion.
An opinion piece about the reboot.
Page,
I don't think there is much in that article that I disagree with. And checking today's miserable website stats right after reading it and finding only 47 unique visitors today, I have to say the article must be in tune with the Alias vibe:)
Vaughn's not done talking yet.
Looks like Jen's not done spinning her rom-com wheels yet.
Shame on you, JG.
Well,
I'm not impressed with JG's line of movies, but I am impressed that Alias is getting so much chatter recently. That can't be a bad thing. What if we somehow ended up with Alias back on the air? A weekly, or series of TV mini-series is fine with me! I'd even settle for the new type of 12-16 episode seasons.
Uncle, it's nice to see the cast members being grilled about "Alias", especially when they're out peddling loser projects (I'm not mentioning "Hawthorne" by name).
I just don't understand Jen. IMDB has her down for another half dozen of these rom-com turds. There will soon be a time, if it isn't already here, when Jen won't even be considered for serious roles. She might be making a ton of money doing this relentless string of schlock films, but she stands no chance of making a dime off of me at this rate.
Anyone notice that the new guy this season on Burn Notice who is MW's, I guess handler, is named Vaughn?
Uncle, I did notice that little detail. Not much resemblance, though.
"A-Team" out today and I've read nothing but scathing reviews. Looks like typical summer fare to me, though, reminiscent of what we used to pile into the car to go watch at the drive-in back in the day.
Going back to Vartan comments the other day, he mentioned cast members scattered all over, some not even in the biz any more. I wonder who he was referring to there. Hmmmm.
Page,
Who are you thinking of? The only ones I can't remember seeing lately are Sloane and Jack. Though Jack was almost in Star Trek. Dixon's been in very little. Marshall appears occasionally. I imagine anyone no longer in the business, or scattered about would hot foot it to the set if they brought Alias back.
I've never had a lot of confidence in Vartan's intellegence.
There's a good reason for not seeing Sloane lately. It's because he (along with Thomas Grace and Dr. Barnett) spins his wheels every week on that slumber party known as "Brothers & Sisters", where this next season (and this part defies logic), Rifkin's appearances as Saul Holden could eclipse his appearances as Arvin Sloane.
That little statistic is un-freaking-believable for 2 reasons: 1) there's no reason for B&S to be on the air at all and 2) it means "Alias" has been gone long enough for another role to overtake an entire series worth of Sloane appearances.
And, soaps being what they are, B&S could cruise for another 5 years without any of the harsh scrutiny or criticism that an intelligent genre show like "Alias" has to contend with.
I just finished the season final of "Stargate: Universe" and I gotta say, I liked this first season. I'm no fan of SG1 or Atlantis, but SGU is a different show entirely and I'm looking forward to its return in the fall.
"Rubicon" pilot online here...and not even geo-blocked.
I just watched the 47:09 long pilot of Rubicon. It looks interesting. I hope they have a super duper conspiracy lined up to give it a big bang.
Uncle, in addition to the run time of the pilot, there was also a "47" in the license plate of the vehicle Spengler climbs into near the end of the show.
Page,
I should have been watching instead of just listening at that point. I'll go back and catch the ending again.
Did you catch the 47 in Burn the other night?
Uncle, I did notice the 47 in BN. Of course, I was on high alert after you mentioned it.
We all know that the head of British Petrolium was in the President's office yesterday. But did you know that the last time the head of BP was in the President's office was exactly 4700 days before that?
Ooo, and I just killed a big spider walking across the end of my bed where my laptop is sitting.
And, the TV-to-Big-Screen remakes just keep coming. Now, it's time for "The Equalizer".
However, not in time for Edward Woodward to see it.
I can see Crowe as Robert McCall. Hope it works out.
Ouch, I did something I'm not at all proud of tonight. I watched about 10 minutes of "Lie to Me", the type of show I would normally avoid at all costs. However, this evening's guest star was Melissa George and I haven't seen her since the night Sark asked to see her body all those years ago.
Now that I have that out of my system, it's back to regularly scheduled programming for me.
I reworked my Truth Be Told music slideshow and wanted to post it, just because.
It looks best on a small viewer screen.
OK, it's been a while. Truth Be Told
Maybe the problem is with it being a wmv file(?)
Pasting this into my browser works for me- http://www.theunclegun.com/TruthBeTold.wmv
Let me know if it doesn't work for you.
Well, it may never work, so I will post this. Someone placed an order on my site for 2 rings. The item numbers each had a 47 and when I went to my supplier's site to order the rings, my total had a 47. Yes, a triple 47!
Ah, Sinead.
Ah, the amazing TBT.
Ahhhhlmost a decade since that aired? How is that even possible?
Meanwhile, "Smallville", whose pilot aired shortly after TBT, still clings to life and returns for a 10th and final season next year. We're talking well in excess of 200 episodes.
Was "Smallville" so far superior to "Alias" or does the real key to longevity lie with the attitude of the host network?
This URL works. I converted it to an mpg. I'll try making it a text link later.
http://www.theunclegun.com/TruthBeTold.mpg
And it is a shame SV lasted so long, but Alias couldn't. My guess is the SV audience is younger, like the target audience for most movie makers is.
Truth Be Told
I just corrected the Truth Be Told slide show. I decided it was easier to follow by rearranging some of the frames. Plus it is a larger file and will look a little better.
Of 2 people who have watched the "Covert Affairs" pilot, 1 says "this is your new TV addiction", while the other says "Piper Perabo" is fantastic as Annie Walker".
Well, I haven't seen the pilot, but I must say that I'm glad USA changed the first word in the title of the "Covert Affairs" website (which BTW, is now fully decked out) from 'comedy' to 'drama'.
And, bless their little hearts, CW is going to play "Nikita" very straight, very dramatic, according to one of the stars. It's nice to see someone at least attempt a straightforward drama in these days of the much-leaned-upon dramedy. Whether "Nikita" pulls it off or not remains to be seen. I don't find the trailers very inspiring.
"The summer's best new show", according to this.
Heck, off the top of my head, I can't think of another new show this summer, so I'm not sure what the competition is.
So did y'all hear about the 11 U.S. citizens arrested today on suspicions of Russian espionage? Their mission was evidently to "fit in" and glean information. Guess Liberty Village wasn't so far fetched.
SRG, I understand that American authorities are looking for assurances from the Russians that this was a self-contained episode.
I need to track this down, but I thought I heard they were also raising children to be spies over here.
Smallville lasted so long because it remained the top ratings earner for the CW network, which has limited distribution in the first place.
I like the show, and I am as far from being a teenie-bopper as I possibly could be. (I don't think I ever was one.) Yes, it does have an appeal to young people, but how many generations have loved the Superman story. Smallville made it contemporary and made it more real by imagining the difficulties of the Superboy growing up in a world more complex than good versus evil.
Sure, it had it's episodes that were just downright silly. That story for that week didn't work, but there were always the small bits of development toward the inevitable end that we all know: Clark Kent becomes an icon for truth, justice (and formerly, the American way before that became politically incorrect) as he dons the blue tights and red cape.
Alias did not have the benefit of it's audience knowing the outcome, but still wanting to see how it develops. Alias did not have writers/ producers who stuck with the show out of love for the project. Alias was heald to a much higher expectation from ABC than what the CW reasonably expected from Smallville.
While it is a shame that Alias did not last for 10 seasons, it is not a fair comparison to be jealous of Smallville's success. I doubt if CW's highest earning show, Smallville, could add their viewer estimates for the first 5 years and achieve what Alias had in its first two by virtue just having a wider range of opportunity with ABC.
I'm looking forward to Covert Affairs. The CW needs another success. (They foolishly let Veronica Mars die on the vine.)
Have a great Independence Day, for you loyal Americans... and for those who are not... Have a happy 4th of July anyway.
Robetron, I think "Smallville" is living proof that, if longevity is a goal, then it's better to be a top ratings getter on a "fledgling" network than a low ratings getter on a Big 4 network. We'll never find out, but I'd like to know how long "Alias" might have run on a CW or a USA, the latter of which has ALREADY committed to at least 2 additional seasons of "Burn Notice" after this current season ends.
I'm not going to slam anyone for enjoying shows that target a younger audience than the one I currently fall into. I just finished the latest season of "Doctor Who" (the Doctor and Amy Pond) and I thought it was excellent entertainment. Like "Smallville", some weeks are better than others, but at its best it taps into the imagination of youth while keeping it interesting for the rest of us as well. And, it looks great since they started filming in HD last year.
FWIW, the campaign is still on for a "Veronica Mars" movie.
"Covert Affairs" is on USA. CW is banking on "Nikita".
I owe... uh... someone an apology.
After two years of seeing the show "Chuck" mentioned here with some of our favorite spy shows, I finally broke down and decided to give it a shot.
For the last three years I thought the show's humor was more along the lines of [Scrubs], which completely repels me. I found out yesterday and today that...
...while I was right all along about "Bones" - that it is a complete snooze fest...
I was so wrong about "Chuck" that I am ashamed for having made fun of it for this long.
I have watched the entire first season (with the exception of a part of episode 6 because the WB deleted it in order to make room for the following episodes of the season). I'm totally into it.
The humor is not at all Scrubs-ish. It's much more along the lines of Firefly (Adam Baldwin amazingly brings that atmosphere with him).
Alias' very own Marshal made a guest appearance as a rather athletic bad guy, which made me think the whole show is based on Marshal's role on Alias.
The Mission of the Week has veyr much the same feel as Burn Notice, but seems to move the central story along a little quicker.
I had no idea it was so closely akin to the many shows we have talked about at length. I apologize. I'd like to blame NBC's advertisements that made the show seem too over the top to take seriously. They made it seem like the characters of the story take it at all seriously.
Now, my only frustration is that I am at the end of online availability with Season 1. I want more, and season 2 is nowhere available except for rent or purchase.
How revolting!
-R.
Robetron, "Chuck" is always teetering on the brink of cancellation, which plays havoc with the writers, I'm sure. Do we wrap it up here, do we get another "bold" 13 episode order from NBC? That sort of thing.
Wait till you get around to S3's season ending cliffhanger. You'll know exactly which "Alias" episode title matches up with that one. You'll probably say it out loud.
Dixon also does a guest spot on "Chuck" and there is a spy named Sydney in your "Chuck" future. Hey, I don't make this stuff up.
Adam Baldwin is always great ("X-Files", "Firefly", "Angel", "Chuck") and it's good to see him get more than a handful of episodes in one show for a change.
I think it's a quality show that should have the network's confidence, but we know what these execs are like when they have something good on their hands.
"Warehouse 13" returns for S2 tonite and "Covert Affairs" debuts one week from tonite.
Oh yeah, and "Bones" is definitely a snoozefest. Boreanaz is, was, and always will be Angel. It amazes me that he's managed to reach the 100 episode mark with "Bones". But, hey, Ron Rifkin has done it with "Brothers & Sisters". There's no accounting for (bad) taste.
I'm sick at home, and in need of another marathon with which to spend the head-throbbing time. What else could you recommend? Is the 1st season of Warehouse 13 available online? Is it worth my time?
I just can't make myself go back to "Fringe."
Has Nikita aired yet?
Robetron,
Sorry you're under.
Warehouse has a catchup marathon online. They only have the last____
episodes up. Jump right in and see what it's like. I really like it. Season 2 starts tonight.
That's the only one I know about.
And, I grant you absolution for the Chuck transgressions you committed in ignorance. We have all committed this Chuck sin.
I could only find the last few episodes of Warehouse 13 available online. Is it something I could start watching in the middle of the first season (hate doing that) and still know what is happening?
I don't really even know the premise of the show.
Robetron, ScFy channel has 5 episodes of W13 available. Geo-blocked for me, but I assume that's not an issue in your neck of the woods.
W13 is entertaining summer fare, created by Jane Espenson, who has had a hand in some pretty iconic TV shows over the years, including a short-lived series called "The Inside", which starred none other than Adam Baldwin and "Alias" latecomer Rachel Nichols.
Espenson's connection to Joss Whedon is extensive ("Dollhouse", "Firefly", BtVS, "Angel") which means W13 can look forward to guest stars from the Whedonverse. Look for FF's Kaylee and Simon in W13 2.1. Gina Torres was to appear this season but that's off now.
Ditto for her BSG connection, which means the obligatory Tricia Helfer visit along with appearances by Mark Sheppard and Michael Hogan.
Like most summer series, it's only 13 episodes and then a 9 month cliffhanger, but it's well worthwhile and has done very well for SyFy.
Robetron,
Knowing this you should be able to jump in midstream:
There are many artifacts which have unusual and dangerous powers. To keep them from being used by people who shouldn't have them, an organization of mysterious people search the world to locate these objects and lock them in a secure warehouse(s). The characters include 2 former Secret Service agents who have been recruited to do the gathering of these objects. They work for a guy who works for a woman, both of whom have been doing this a long time and who answer to some kind of board of overseers. A semi-psychic, who in the season 1 finale ran off with the main bad guy, was working on the inside. There is also a college age chick who is funny and is the resident computer genius.
Everyone in the show has personal issues.
Thanks fellas. I think I will jump in at ep. 6 and see how it plays.
I was also thinking of giving The Sarah Connor Chronicles a second chance. It's free to watch on Netflix right now. I remember you all talking about it some. Perhaps without the commercial breaks to interrupt the scenes, it might be worth the time. Thoughts?
I'm firmly in the camp that says T:TSCC should never have been canceled. TV is littered with unthinkable crap that no responsible adult would green-light in the first place and yet there's no room on the schedule for "Alias" or a decent sci-fi show like Sarah Connor?
And, where else can you hope to see a Terminator (Simon from "Burn Notice") singing "Donald, Where's Your Trousers" with a cute little girl?
Okay, after 4 episodes of Warehouse 13, I have concluded that it isn't too bad, though a little lacking in intensity. The characters are too busy being funny to be taken seriously when some tense moment is supposed to be happening. To be honest, it reminds me of something I might have watch on Nickelodeon as a pre-teen.
Yet, when you are stuck in the house in the middle of summer with a rasping cough, it is plenty entertaining enough to satisfy the need. I don't think I'll be starting a fan page, but it's easy to watch without much commitment.
I'll come back and mention my initial findings when I give The Sarah Connor Chron. another try.
-R.
Robetron, there's a trend in TV shows right now where you HAVE to keep the content light. I've often questioned whether this is because there is so much bad news making the rounds (housing crash, BP gusher, nasty economic conditions) that "needs" to be countered.
Add to that the fact that summer programming seems to almost always be comedic in tone, and you wind up with shows that certainly could be better simply by seriousing up and being more ambitious. That said, although W13 is not the "X-Files" replacement I was hoping for, there is definitely room in my schedule for Artie and the crew.
Back in the day, all we had to look forward to in the summer were dreaded re-runs. Now we have breezy summer fare in lovely HD. Life is good.
Haha saw a funny tweet today:
@jeffsinger
I think all this recent Russian spy news is just part of Sony Picture's marketing for the upcoming Angelina Jolie movie Salt!
p.s. this is SRG, now married as of last Sunday I'm SRM :)
SRG-M,
Congratulations!!!
Got pictures?
Congrats SRM! :)
Congratulations, SR"M".
Are you absolutely sure that Mr. SRM is not himself a Russian spy? Is it possible that you've been compromised? Are we all in danger? Oh, this is all happening so fast. I've got to get a message to Langley.
Here's a newish trailer for "Salt". Is this what "Alias" would look like with a budget? "Salt" appears to be 'must see' for us spy-freaks....and it's not even a dramedy!!
Jen to the rescue?
Just for the record, these are NOT my words:
"Alias" fans, it is your lucky day.
Holy crap that looks a lot like Alias...
Thanks for all the congrats guys! :)
An interesting article about "Covert Affairs" which sort of dabbles with the issue I mentioned a few comments back about why everything has to be a dramedy these days.
It refers to "Alias" as a 'dark show for a dark time', and goes on to explain why shows like "Alias" or "24" would not make the cut on USA, because they would never pass through the network's "blue skies" filter.
As much as I enjoy "Burn Notice" (and it's easy to grasp the 'blue skies' concept when you watch BN), I don't particularly enjoy being sheltered from 'dark' shows like "Alias" just because networks think it would be better for my mental health if every word uttered by my favourite TV spy had the ability to turn my frown upside down.
I can handle the straight ahead spy thriller with a minimum of comic relief (Marshall will do nicely) without any fear of me taking a suicide leap off of the town water tower just because my favourite show portrays the world as a demoralizing hotbed of conspiracy laced greed and corruption. On the contrary, what better world could there be for a kicky-ass spychick like Sydney Bristow to rise up and fight back on behalf of us good guys?
I like blue sky programming like "Burn Notice" and "Chuck" as much as the next guy. Hell, I might even like "Undercovers", but how about a little variety for those of us who aren't afraid of the dark?
congrats, SRM!
I just happened to be home, and I happened to check in here, and I just happened to have the time to look at the links posted. I happened to notice Covert Affairs premiers tonight, and I just ahppened to be 10 minutes to air time!
Wooo Hoo! I love it when that happens. that's how it happened with ALIAS. I intended to watch, but I had forgotten, but accidentally stumbled upon it.
I hope this is a good portent.
Well, like BN, CA doesn't play in my neck of the woods, so I'll have to turn to EZTV in a day or two to catch the premiere.
ALIAS reborn? Not even close.
Yet, Miss Piper Pebo brings a capable, tough, expressive sweetness that I can only characterize as Sydney-esque.
Something tells me that, while the premier cannot be compared to the absolute genius of "Truth Be Told", the makers of Covert Affairs are setting us up for some seriously decent story lines. I look forward to the next episode.
-R.
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