Grading the New Class

In years past, I've often blogged about some of the new television shows debuting in the fall. I didn't do that this year, I suppose, because none of the shows I sampled really grabbed me that strongly. Here's a quick rundown of what I've (for the most part) already stopped watching.

Pan Am -- Interchangeably dressed characters in a tiny, bland set. The first episode was slow paced, despite being stuffed full with plot threads -- runaway bride, disappearing girlfriend, undercover spy, extramarital affairs, and more. The second episode was so dry, I couldn't finish it.

2 Broke Girls -- I was halfway through the first episode before it made me laugh, and then I thought "maybe this isn't so bad after all." I found the next two episodes to be more like the first half of the pilot than the second. The "highlights" every week were horse poop jokes. No thanks. It's a shame, too, because the two lead actresses were both very good, bringing unexpected dimension, believability, and likeability to their lame, stock characters.

Terra Nova -- The two-hour pilot was surprisingly dull, considering the plot included dinosaurs and time travel. And that was as good as it got. The next two episodes were lamely recycled Star Trek plots, with shallow characters and weak acting.

Ringer -- If it wasn't for Sarah Michelle Gellar's "Buffy aura," I wouldn't have made it through as many episodes of this as I did. Cheesy soap opera stuff that actually did get kind of awesome in the last three minutes of every episode. Too bad it's a 42 minute show.

Revenge -- I haven't bailed on this show yet, but I probably should. It's also cheesy soap opera, but executed much better than Ringer. The problem is, after only three or four episodes, the series is already as formulaic in its own way as any of the myriad crime dramas that run on network television. You know the exact format to every single episode.

Person of Interest -- A cool gimmick, the whole "system with spy cameras all over the city" premise. Good actors, too. But from these good ingredients sprang the most conventional crime-of-the-week series, just like the 12 others CBS has on its schedule.

Homeland -- This Showtime series, running after Dexter, is the one new show I have some enthusiasm for at this point. A rescued Iraq war veteran is suspected by a federal agent (with poor credibility) of having been turned into a sleeper agent. It seemed like the show was going to play the "is he a spy or isn't he?" game for the duration of its season, but then seemed to come out and declare the truth at the end of the first episode. Suddenly, I'm intrigued to see just what sorts of stories they are planning to tell. And the solid cast includes Claire Danes, Damian Lewis, Morena Baccarin, and Mandy Patinkin.

There are a few more new shows still to come later this month, but overall, I'd say it's a pretty lackluster new crop this year. Which is probably fine. I need to watch less TV anyway.