Unknownfear

This review is based on the two hour pilot for The Shannara Chronicles (two n's one r) which aired on January 5th, 2015.

Holy, wow. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would not have thought that it was possible to bring such an unbelievable production to a TV format. The Shannara Chronicles has the set design, costume design, CG, concept art and character writing of a super high-budget hollywood movie. You can REALLY tell just how much work was put into it, and frankly, it's pretty spectacular. Produced and directed by the same team that did the breathtaking action series "Into the Badlands" on AMC earlier this year, The Shannara Chronicles is the return of the fantasy adventure that the current TV landscape was severely lacking. Not since The Legend of The Seeker has there been a fantasy epic gracing our TV's but with the Shannara Chronicles, and the upcoming Xena remake, fantasy will once again take hold on our screens. Production value and aesthetic aside, I found the Shanarra Chronicles very enjoyable. I am not familiar with the books in any capacity, but the setting wasn't too distant from your traditional fantasy world, and most of the rules of magic seem to hold true so it was easy to get into and accept. It takes place in the future where Humans have died out and 4 new races each live in their own respective lands; Elves, Trolls, Gnomes and Dwarves. So far we've only seen Elves, a Human druid, and a rover (bandit) but if the other races are anything as imaginative and well-executed as the AWESOME DEMONS then I'm sure they will be a welcome addition.

The show features a very good looking young cast of actors as well as the reputable Manu Bennet (Arrow, Lord of the Rings, Spartacus) and John Rhys-Davies (Lord of the Rings, everything else).

I HIGHLY recommend this show for anyone who appreciates fantasy, adventure, a good story, and action.
And did I mention it has awesome demons?

I can't speak for the show as a whole, but the Pilot was, for me, literally as good as a pilot can get. 10/10. I absolutely loved it and can't wait for next week. The series has a strong premise that has proven to resonate with people (Tru Callin, Pushing Daisies, Izombie) and explores it in a completely unique way with a cast of fast-talking, witty, youthful and likable characters. It's smart, its fresh, its well-written. It's the epitome of a good science fiction series. I'm very surprised that it is on ABC Family. They generally don't have too many Science fiction shows. If I can recall ... all they ever had was Kyle XY and No Ordinary Family ... thas it. So good on them for spending the money to buy this show. That being said, because they are a significantly smaller network, the shows ratings will inevitably be much smaller than they could be if it were on a major broadcast network or even a major cable network like TNT or FX. I predict a 0.6-0.9 for the pilot, then maybe a decline to 0.6-0.7. That actually wouldn't be bad. That should be enough to get it renewed considering the fosters was renewed with a 0.5.

Update: I keep reading all these people saying its terrible, that its forced, too quit, too little character development, too many unoriginal ideas. I don't agree with ANY of these things. First of all, A pilot needs to be rushed and it should severly limit the character development because you only have 54 minutes to get the point of the show across and you do that with action, not words. Secondly, This show has no similarities to fringe whatsoever save for a box full of water that she lies down in and the fact that its science fiction.. You say the show is unoriginal and a rip off of previous shows -- Well what would you have them do, bring back these old shows that were canceled or concluded? Of course material is going to be recycled -- successful shows have a market, and that market doesn't go away after the show ends. They are catering to a market they know exists. You guys are being way to critical. Its a TV show meant to entertain, its not a College Essay and you're not the professor grading it.

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is perhaps the best show I've ever seen. And it can be the best show you've ever seen too; all you have to do is watch it, and it will charm its way into your top spot all on its own.

I've been watching TV for a long time, and I honestly cant say I've ever encountered such consistently masterful writing as Mrs. Maisel. You know how some shows have that one character thats really fantastic that we all love? Like Walter from Fringe, Ichabod from Sleepy Hollow, or Brian from Limitless? Well; Almost every character in Mrs. Maisel is like that, especially Mrs. Maisel herself. One of the most likeable characters I've ever encountered. She will undeniably win you over with her strength of character, her determination, her sharp witt, and her penchant to speak her mind in a time where it was frowned upon for women to be vocal. Whats most remarkable about The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is depth of emotions it draws out of you as you watch. When Midge is being funny, you want to get up and clap, chanting "Billy D! Billy D!" and when she's bombing, you feel like someone tied you down and forced you to watch curb your enthusiasm even though you couldn't handle it. I've never been much of a vocal tv-watcher, but when I watched Maisel, I was on the edge of my seat, in tears, beaming with joy, or commenting out loud how insanely good the show is, every couple of minutes.
It's also worth mentioning that the acting is beyond stellar. Seeing Tony Shaloob as Abe Weissman, the overbearing Jewish father makes me miss Monk terribly. And Rachel's performance as Mrs. Maisel is so entrancing that I am able to forget she's quite likely the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, and just focus on the show and her character. That's saying something.

Watch this show, if you never watch anything else in your life.