The Fall TV Review Post: An Early Look (Part I)

The Fall TV schedule is pretty full. Everyone is looking to those new series that might get them hooked. All the big players are there and since there are many shows, I decided to split them up into a couple of parts. I'm not going to review the show completely now, it wouldn't be that fair until their first season is over. I will give them either one of three recommendations: Definitely Watch, Casual Watch and Unwatchable. So, I will look at these same series at the end of their seasons and let you know what I think then. I will not be reviewing Boss, Enlightened, or Homeland because I don't have Showtime or HBO, Hell on Wheels because I don't have AMC, I Hate My Teenage Daughter cause it premiers at the end of November and any new reality show that comes out. Let's lets kick off...

Terra Nova (FOX)

After the Battlestar Galactica finale, I really didn't have a lot of options to satisfy my sci-fi quota. Other than Doctor Who everything else is pretty much run of the mill. When I heard of Terra Nova, I was excited for what was about to come. Fuckin' dinosaurs rule. I tried ot keep myself from reading too much information on it and was pretty much able to do that. After watching a couple of episodes, I have to say that I think I will have to wait some more for something to really satisfy me in a sci-fi way (Rosey just won't do anymore!). It's not that the show is bad. Not at all. It's just that the first few episodes haven't really done such a great job in piquing my interest. The things that seem to be important get glossed over for encounters with deadly dinos. That's all fine and dandy, but if you want to keep people interested you have to give them something more. They don't have to get all Lost-y with all of us, but give us some real info each episode so we want to come back for more. I have no problems with the cast yet. I like Shelley Conn as the doctor and Jason O'Mara as the husband and cop. I especially like Stephen Lang as the leader of Terra Nova. He just has this look about him that you know something is not right about him but he could end up being a good guy in the end. Hopefully they turn it on soon or I might have to stop watching this.

Recommendation: Casual Watch

New Girl (FOX)

I have to admit that I have a crush on Zooey Deschanel. When I read she was going to be on TV every week, I thought the world had finally fallen into its rightful place. How wrong was I. She has always had the quirky look down. Quirky is her thing and she has it down pat. Why someone thought turning it up to 11 was good idea for this show should be tossed in a crocodile pit. The idea behind the show is not very inspiring in the first place. A weird girl living with three other men... hilarity should supposedly ensue... It doesn't. It never does. You know why? Zooey Deschanel's Jess is not quirky, she is some mixture between an idiot and completely bat shit insane. When dhe does anything, you never get that ' aww, that was cute' feeling but the 'holy shit, she's nuts. Let's get the fuck outta here.' This show is a real mess. I'm going to find it hard to finish this thing.

Recommendation: Unwatchable

Unforgettable (CBS)

I'm a fan of detective shows. I don't know exactly why I'm so in to them, but I am. I guess it's the sense of having to figure everything out along with the cast that attracts me. That being said, this show won't set the world on fire or change the way detective series are done. Poppy Montgomery (with awesome red hair) plays Carrie, a detective with an interesting quirk. She has hyperthymesia. This means that she remembers everything she hears and sees. I wouldn't want to be this girls husband is she could remember every single thing. It would scare the shit out of me. Anyways, basically she can go back to a crime scene and see things that will eventually lead to them solving the crime. Her back story is mostly what drives the character. When she was little, her sister was murdered and she was left alive. Because of the traumatic events, she can't remember the killers face like she can remember everything else. For years she has been searching for this killer and she seems hell bent on continuing even after 20 odd years. It's not that great a plot point, but I'm hoping they can do something interesting with it.

Recommendation: Casual Watch

Once Upon A Time (ABC)

When I read the premise for this show, I was immediately interested. I like it when authors and shows use characters from stories in different situations and settings. In this case, fairy tale characters are living in a small town in Maine called Storybrooke with no knowledge of who they really are. This happens after a witch fulfills a prophecy. It stars Jennifer Morrison (of House M.D. fame) as the mother of a kid who knows somethings about what is going on and about the town and its inhabitants. It's an interesting premise and I'm hoping to see what they can come up with next. I'm not so sold yet on the evil witch, but I'll give it some time to develop a little bit more. Hopefully, they build on this and continue to make this show interesting before they cancel it or something.

Recommendation: Definite Watch

How To Be A Gentleman (CBS)

If you have never watched Kevin Dillon as Johnny Drama in the awesome show Entourage, then you know why I might be excited about a show like this. Dillon is funny in a macho, jock way that not everyone can do. Too bad this show is just fucking terrible. ?? plays a magazine writer that is supposed to be everything a gentleman is. Except he's the farthest thing from that you can imagine. When you think of gentlemen, you think of people like Laurence Olivier and Michael Caine, not of this effeminate goof ball. Supposedly, Dillon's character is supposed to teach this guy to be young and edgy since the magazine was bought and being revitalized. The premise might have been funny, if it weren't for the fact that both characters are incredibly unlikable... no, hateable. So, look elsewhere for your comedy needs.

Recommendation: Unwatchable - Cancelled (after TWO episodes... terrible)

Up All Night (NBC)

Will Arnett is awesome. I remember watching Arrested Development and laughing out loud at Gob's antics. He teams up with Christina Applegate for this comedy show. They are a couple who, even though they are older and have a daughter, try to be hip and still pretend to have the same social circumstances as before. I think they are both pretty funny. It's one of those shows that makes you embarrassed for the characters on your screen, but to the oomph degree. Maya Rudolph plays Applegate's boss and this sort of TV show host. While some of her stuff is funny, some is pretty lame and having her on screen sort of ruined my viewing experience. Hopefully they tone her down a bit and leave most of the heavy lifting to Applegate and Arnett.

Recommendation: Casual Watch

Year Of The Comeback: Blink-182 - Neighborhoods

This band. Yes, this band. They defined me from the moment I got Enema Of The State for my birthday. They were the voice for a growing smart-ass like myself. We just fit together. Even now, over ten years later, those albums just make me smile whenever I hear them. The music has never been brilliant, but it doesn't matter. It's just fun. Fun is all it aspires to be. And it is.

The Mark, Tom, & Travis Show will forever be a favorite no matter how old I get. And I wear that with badge with honor. As a 23 year old (that nobody likes) I am proud to say that I still love Blink-182, and for that reason, I was terrified when I heard Up All Night, the new single, and I didn't love it. It scared the shit out of me. It's not a bad song, but it's not a first single. It's not Dammit, it's not Feeling This, it's not The Rock Show, and is definitely not What's My Age Again?. I instantly feared the worst.

Neighborhoods has finally hit the shelves. The results are in. And it's not what I expected. I don't think it's what anyone expected. I'll admit I wasn't a huge fan of their self titled album in 2003, after hearing it some more I realize that it's a decent effort, I just wasn't into it at the time. It didn't catch my attention, and I kinda skipped through it.

But in the case of this new album it just feels darker. No more dick and fart jokes... At least not on the studio album, I expect that the live show is a whole different story (I look forward to that). The boys who went streaking have kinda grown up.

Nobody expects a Blink album to be a musical masterpiece, and it isn't. But it is surprising how much they've progressed yet kept themselves faithful to their musical style. From the opening drum beats and melodies you can clearly hear their distinct sound, and Ghost On The Dance Floor is a very nice first step back.

Right off the bat, you can tell that the album is carried by Travis Barker's beat heavy and diverse style, along with Tom DeLonge's and Mark Hoppus' joint vocal melodies. It's just like it's always been. Just musically better. The potty humor might be missed at times. It's not that they take themselves seriously, but we're just not in the 'porn stars on the cover' era anymore. And the music reflects that.

Travis easily steals the spotlight on another Blink album, the guy is as dynamic a drummer as you'll find these days. But Mark and Tom have really upped their game as well. It's not like he's carrying them around anymore. They're nothing spectacular, but they do what they need to do, they play to their strengths and they do it well.

The rest of the songs are spread pretty well in what is a mostly upbeat album. Some may be more memorable than others. Heart's All Gone and Snake Charmer come to mind as really interesting songs. While others like Kaleidoscope keep true to the Blink formula we all know and love.

My one true gripe with Neighborhoods is the album length; the deluxe edition clocks in at almost fifty minutes, with the regular version barely cracking half an hour. It may be the norm for a pop-punk album, but it shouldn't be. If you want to make two minute songs, then make more than fourteen of them. It's not very motivating to spend money on something that would keep my attention for less than an hour.

With this new album Blink-182 have once again proven that the pop-punk genre can mature and keep itself relevant. They may have (temporarily) moved on from their fun and crazy antics, and it's quite refreshing to know that they can. I can appreciate a band trying to reinvent themselves, and I think they did a great job.

Neighborhoods might not be the instant classic that Enema Of The State was to me... But that doesn't mean I can't enjoy it. It's almost a whole different band, and it should be. You can't do the same thing forever.

6/10