Thursday, August 21, 2008

Fall Rundown

This is an OT post but as we're a bit low on Alias content, I thought I'd pull together the new and returning shows we've been chatting about over the last couple months for everyone's reference. Here's the rundown with descriptions, links to their websites, when they premiere and on what channel:

Burn Notice
USA - Thurs. Aug. 14, 10/9c (premiere eppy will be shown again at 4pm Aug. 21)
www.usanetwork.com/series/burnnotice
A spy recently disavowed by the US Government uses his Special Ops training to help others in trouble. (IMDB)

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Fox - Mon. Sept. 8, 8/7c
www.fox.com/terminator
Set after the events in 'Terminator 2' Sarah Connor and her son John, trying to stay under-the-radar from the government as they plot to destroy the computer network Skynet in hopes of preventing Armageddon. (IMDB)

Fringe (by our beloved JJ)
Fox - Tues. Sept. 9, 8/7c
www.fox.com/fringe
Centered around a female FBI agent who is forced to work with an institutionalized scientist in order to rationalize a brewing storm of unexplained phenomena. (IMDB)

My Own Worst Enemy
NBC - Mon. Oct. 13, 10/9c
www.nbc.com/My_Own_Worst_Enemy
Henry Spivey, an efficiency expert, lives a typical suburban life, right down to the wife, two kids, dog, and minivan. In contrast, Edward Albright is a lethal, multilingual operative. It would seem the two men have nothing in common -- except for the fact that they inhabit the same body. (IMDB)

Dollhouse (Joss Whedon of Buffy and Firefly)
Fox - Mon. Jan. 5, 2009, 8/7c
www.fox.com/programming/shows/new/dollhouse.htm
A futuristic laboratory assigns different tasks to its various residents, who then have their memories erased upon the completion of their assignments. (IMDB)

Let me know if there are other spy/action/sci-fi-related shows you'd like me to add to the list, happy viewing!
-SRG

19 comments:

Bonkers for Bristow said...

Wow. I just read the review of My Own Worst Enemy and now I'm more interested than ever. Although the guy's marbles that everyone wants are not near as cool sounding as Rambaldi. I'll keep a watch out for that pilot and look forward to dissecting it with you guys.

As for the other shows, Burn Notice continues to be a high point but I am disapointed that they've stopped the running yogurt reference. I don't know what it was about, but I loved looking for it. It was, to me, Burn Notice's version of the red wig.

Somehow Fringe and Dollhouse don't intrigue me but maybe once I see a commercial or a trailer, I'll get interested. And I've given up on Terminator. the pilot was awesome but the rest of the show has been mediocre. The only character with any charisma is the terminator, ironically, as she shows no emotion.

SRM said...

This is the review bonkers is referring to from a previous post. I just read it too and I admit it does wet the appetite, not to mention seeing it described as Alias-esque is sweet.

Page48 said...

I noticed Michael Weston ran out of yogurt last week, too. What up with that? I just (please) wish they would get into the burn storyline a tad more aggressively. That's the part that could really get interesting.

I've been catching up on "Terminator: SCC" the past couple of weeks, since FOX has been blasting it every night. Oddly enough, Summer Glau's Cameron exudes a style very similar to that of her better known character, River Tam, in "Firefly". Every time she delivers a line, I can't help but think of River saying "I swallowed a bug" in the movie, "Serenity". Unfortunately TSCC doesn't really hold a candle to "Firefly".

I'm not sure if Slater's new show will be serial or episodic. Serial gets my overwhelming endorsement, but it seems to be out of fashion right now. Pity, especially with "Fringe" coming on stream in a couple of weeks. I hope the dual personality thing isn't played for laughs, I just want it deadly serious. If I'm looking for spy-giggles, I'll check in with "Chuck".

uncle111 said...

I just watched the most recent BN. He needs to just off his new "handler," who likes the .22, with extreme predjudice.

uncle111 said...

I meant to add that for interpersonal tension in the story he BN's Lauren Reed.

Also, the music and multiframe screen during some of the scenes reminded me strongly of the series "Soldier of Fortune" from pre-Alias days. We got it on Fox here. It was a good one.

Page48 said...

An interview with JJ, appearing in the NY Times, which sheds light on aspects of several of his shows, including "Alias".

Notable (and new to me) is the comment regarding ABC ordering JJ to terminate the whole story of Sydney's double-agency with CIA & SD-6 in Season 2, due to viewer confusion.

As we all know, many of the most exciting moments of the series were a direct result of Sydney's dangerous balancing act of being an operative of both of these competing agencies, but apparently it was all too much for the "casual" viewer to sort out.

Because of the attention deficit disorder of the viewing public, JJ promises that "Fringe" will go easy on the commitment-phobes and be more like fan favourite CSI, where you can watch 3 eppies per season and feel all satisfied inside about your favourite show.

IMO, with the technological advances of even the last few years, there are so many different options available to watch a series at the time of your choosing, now more than ever should be the time to float a complex thriller that requires faithful viewing by people that care enough to watch more than 3 times a year.

But, hey, that's just me.

Page48 said...

Completely OT:

Is there a generational birth defect that causes a massive swath of the American population to pronounce 'strengh' as if if it was spelled 'shtrength'?

Michelle Obama has had the stage for less than 5 minutes now (at the DNC) and has treated us to shtrength, shtruggle, frushtrated, shtruck, shtart and a whole fleet of other painful-to-listen-to s-words. I want to hear her pronounce 'shit'. Sh-shit???

Should the First Lady of the U.S. of A. not know how to pronounce strengh???? It's an annoying hip-hop style of speech that drives me absolutely insane.

While I'm venting, is there not a human being under the age of 35 that knows the difference between 'then' and 'than'? The internet has opened my everlovin' eyes to this abomination and apparently it's extremely (or should I say exshtremely) widespread. Do teachers in North America even know the difference themselves (themshelves)?

That stuff is just like fingernails on a blackboard to me!! Argghhhhhhhh!!!

SRM said...

well everyone has their pet peeves page. :) OT comments are fine but I think as a whole we should try to avoid political comments on this blog since we don't want to make anyone feel excluded or start back-and-forth commenting on politics when this blog is about our fav show Alias. Thanks! :)

Page48 said...

Alrighty than!

But if I ever hear her say "Shydney Brishtow", I won't be responsible for my actions. Who does she think she is, Sean Connery?

BTW, comforting to see yogurt make a triumphant return to "Burn Notice".

Bonkers for Bristow said...

I was glad to see the that Micheal went to the store within the last week, too. Now, however, he's gonna need a new fridge to put that yogurt in.

I gotta say, some of his "aliases" are just as fun as the good old Sydney days. This last one - the drug chemist nerd was great. He even had a prop. I don't remember Syd ever using an inhaler. :)

Page48 said...

Dixon surfaces: Carl Lumbly will follow in Kevin Weisman's footsteps by appearing in spy-giggler "Chuck" this season.

Hard to get really jacked about that, but, hey, it pays a few bills, and it is a spy show...sort of.

Page48 said...

Sydney Bristow posing as an interested observer at the DNC. No doubt seated in Row 47.

Bonkers, I was thinking the same thing the other day re: Michael Weston doing his own version of "Alias" each week. This would of course be Season 4 of "Alias", the one with too much baddie-of-the-week and not enough plot advancement. Get on with it Michael.

uncle111 said...

Page,
The Ben and Gen photo shows that Syd has gone to the dark side. The obvious evidence is the Sloane water she's drinking.

SRM said...

again, please refrain from political comments on this blog, thanks.

uncle111 said...

SRG,
Having seen what getting into political debates on a board can do to the board, I do steer away from even agreeing with political remarks I'm in sympathy with on a board. My comment was meant as a joke tag to Page's comment, with an Alias tie-in and not meant to inflame, insult or make anyone uncomfortable. It seemed a natural joke since we used to comment on Sloane always drinking bottled water.

Page48 said...

Uncle, maybe the pay is better on the dark side.

uncle111 said...

Page,
Well, Sloane got at least $100,000,000+ on the road to betraying the Alliance. No telling how much he stashed away before then.

SRM said...

I definitely understand jokes, but it can be a slippery slope when it comes to political issues, just wanted to stop anything before it started. :)

uncle111 said...

SRG-
I agree.