Tag / Gracepoint

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Post Mortem – Gracepoint

gracepointFrom the moment this project was announced, I knew it wasn’t a good idea.  Remaking Broadchurch for an American audience, with the same star, mere months after the original had aired on BBC America, seemed like a pointless exercise when it was announced last May and, based, on the results FOX saw in the fall, it certainly turned out to be just that.

David Tennant returned as the lead detective and gave basically the same performance, except for swapping in an American accent.  That’s not to say that it wasn’t a good performance, just that it was the same.  Which is my main complaint about Gracepoint: it was the same.  Why bother remaking anything (a show, movie, or even song) if you are only going to replicate what came before.  From my recollection, there was a minor difference in the ending, which seems to be tacked on not for any creative reasons, but simply to fulfill the promise that the ending would be different for those that had already seen Broadchurch.

Series 2 of Broadchurch aired on BBC America earlier this year, but FOX has decided to not move forward with replicating it for a second seaon of Gracepoint.  But before you start to think that the network has learned anything from this experience, they have ordered an American remake of the BBC show Luther, which starred Idris Elba.

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Midseason Review – Thursdays

old-tv-set1Thursday night is traditionally the busiest night of the television week. Here’s our look back at my pre-season thoughts on what’s on the slate for this season.

7:00

Grey’s Anatomy – The medical drama enters its 11th season with a move to an earlier timeslot.  There are cast changes aplenty this year, so hopefully the show can continue its recent quality upswing.

I noticed that episodes of the show started piling up on the DVR somewhat this season.  I’m all caught up now, but with the big logjam at this timeslot, who knows what will happen when the show returns.

The Big Bang Theory – The show returns to Thursdays in late October, following the midpoint of the NFL season.

The show is much more relationship focused this year, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but there hasn’t been as much interaction between the 4 original nerds without their new-found lady friends.

Bones – The show moves back to Thursdays for its 10th season.  Beyond that, there’s not much to say about the show that hasn’t already been said.

Well, the show kicked off the season by killing off John Francis Daley’s character, so there was a bit of a shake up, but the show is pretty much the same as its always been.

8:00

Gracepoint – FOX hopes that taking a successful British mystery, Broadchurch, and remaking it for an American audience while keeping the same star, David Tennant, will make lightning hit twice.

Tweaking the ending of the show ever so slightly did not make the previous 9 1/2 episodes being exact duplicates of their British counterparts a worthwhile watch.

8:30

A to Z – The pilot didn’t exactly reach out and grab me, but star Cristin Milloti, fresh from her turn as the titular mother in the final season of How I Met Your Mother, is exceedingly charming, so I will give this a longer chance to impress.

Well, the show should be wrapping up its 13 episode run soon.  If they have Cristin Milioti’s character die and have the lead guy hook up with Cobie Smulders instead, it would give the show a proper sendoff.

9:00

Elementary – Sherlock and Watson return for a third season of helping the NYPD solve their cases.

Sherlock returned from London with a new assistant, so there has been switch up to the status quo.

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Midseason Review – Wednesdays

old-tv-set1It’s Hump Day. Time to take a look back at my thoughts on the midweek offerings for the fall season.

7:00

Arrow – After a stellar second season, Arrow returns for more angtsy fun.  On tap for this season are DC stalwarts Ra’s Al Ghul and Ray Palmer.

Considering the main character was killed in the winter finale last month, the show will have to jump through a hoop or two to bring him back.

The Mysteries of Laura – Quite possibly the worst pilot I’ve seen ever.  What a waste of good talent.

I did not go back for any future entries after having suffered through the pilot.

8:00

Modern Family – The comedy, entering its sixth season, is starting to show its age.  It’s still fun, but the plots are starting to get a little out there.

I think it is safe to say that we are much closer to the end of this shows run than we are to the beginning.

Criminal Minds – The show returns for its tenth season with a new team member, the lovely Jennifer Love Hewitt.

I don’t know what else there is to say about this show at this point.  It is what it is.

Red Band Society – My initial instinct was to give this one a pass, but a few good reviews, plus an early premiere, made me decide to tune in.

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2014 New Fall Season – Thursdays

old-tv-set1Thursday night is traditionally the busiest night of the week. Here’s what’s on the slate for this season.

7:00

Grey’s Anatomy – The medical drama enters its 11th season with a move to an earlier timeslot.  There are cast changes aplenty this year, so hopefully the show can continue its recent quality upswing.

The Big Bang Theory – The show returns to Thursdays in late October, following the midpoint of the NFL season.

Bones – The show moves back to Thursdays for its 10th season.  Beyond that, there’s not much to say about the show that hasn’t already been said.

8:00

Gracepoint – FOX hopes that taking a successful British mystery, Broadchurch, and remaking it for an American audience while keeping the same star, David Tennant, will make lightning hit twice.

8:30

A to Z – The pilot didn’t exactly reach out and grab me, but star Cristin Milloti, fresh from her turn as the titular mother in the final season of How I Met Your Mother, is exceedingly charming, so I will give this a longer chance to impress.

9:00

Elementary – Sherlock and Watson return for a third season of helping the NYPD solve their cases. Continue reading →

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FOX Upfronts

gracepointIn a departure from years past, FOX focused only on their fall schedule at their upfront presentation and didn’t bother with the winter or spring schedules they usually roll out and quietly ignore when the time comes.  The big changes start on Sunday, with the animation block broken up to include live action series Brooklyn Nine-Nine airing between The Simpsons and Family Guy.

Sleepy Hollow returns for an extended second season, which will follow their highest profile new show, Gotham, featuring a pre-Batman Bruce Wayne and the people who will become his rogues gallery.  New Girl and The Mindy Project return to Tuesdays, following a new reality show that, in a show of restraint, will air twice a week.

Bones returns to Thursday for what is expected to be its final season, where it will be followed by Gracepoint, an American remake of Broadchurch that, like its source, will star David Tennant.  The American version, expected to be have a different ending from the original, will have a limited 10 episode run.

At some point in the spring, The Following is expected to return.  The only exciting show waiting for a timeslot seems to be Backstrom, a comic police procedural from Bones creator Hart Hanson and starring Rainn Wilson.