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.

This review is based on the two hour pilot which premiered 1/6/17.

Emerald City is a televised adaptation and re-imagining of the classic book and film, The Wizard of Oz.
While the key names and characters are the same, everything has been modernized and greatly toned down in the cheese factor, and instead imbued with a more gritty Game Of Thrones-esque dark realism. And by realism, I don't mean realistic, I just mean that witches are evil, magic is destructive, and no one in this mystical land is a good person, not even Glinda, the so-called good witch.

This is a hard fantasy series that at this point may or may not follow the original storyline, but Its my hope it doesnt and just borrows the original universe and takes it in its own direction story-wise.

The CG is well done, the characters seem interesting, the universe they've build feels large and populated, and most importantly, its not cheesy. There were a few scenes in the pilot that were a bit dumb, some chanting convulsing witches, another screaming over-acted witch, and a ridiculously spontaneous and surprising gender-bending twist that made me raise an eyebrow - but other than that, It was a pretty strong pilot.

Sort of gave me a Chronicles of Shannara feel, but darker. I also really liked the imagination of the creators, turning the classic flying monkey into a steampunk machine, and the Munchkin's into the Munja'kin, a war-like tribe of barbarians. There's some cool stuff at play here.

Should also note that this show is definitely not for kids. There's prostitution, child abuse, murder, and gore. I could personally do without the prostitution, but whatever.

Altered Carbon is a breakthrough series of the Sci-Fi genre, showing that with enough money in your budget, anything is possible. At $70 million, or $7M per episode, Altered Carbon looks like a hollywood movie you'd see in theaters that took 3 years to make. Its absolutely gorgeous. I'd say Altered Carbon is perhaps the only successful TV applications of a true Cyberpunk future Dystopia. The show's world feels much like a cross between Total Recall, Blade Runner, Ghost in the Shell and the game series Deus Ex, but the story itself focuses more on a mystery subplot within this vast and cruel world, and its done in a way that feels very immersive. It's also worth mentioning that Altered Carbon has some of the greatest fight choreography thats ever graced the small screen. Theres tons of action, both long range and hand to hand. There is one sword fight in episode 7 that reminded me of one of my favorite action movies of all time, Equillibrium (2002). So this show will appeal to those who love action, those who love sci-fi, as well as those who loves mystery and intrigue.

Unfortunately, while sexual violence in a dystopian future is a fairly common theme considering the inevitable destruction of the middle class, the show hits this theme way to heavy handed, bordering on an almost unprecedented cruelty towards women. While the show does technically indicate that the same things that are happening to the women portrayed also happens to men, and children, there is significantly more focus on objectifying women in horrific ways. Episodes 8 and 9 were so graphic and disturbing that It almost ruined the entire show for me and made me not want to watch 10 and wish I'd never watched them. After watching 9, I decided to read some critic reviews because I believed there was no way I was the only person who would have issues stomaching these types of scenes. It turns out that 13 out of 15 critics all stated that the shows heavyhanded sexual violence of women was far too extreme and was in very poor taste. So I will absolutely recommend this show for all the wonders it has to offer .. but I would advise STRONG caution when watching episodes 8 and 9, and might even suggest you avoid them all together and ask someone else to fill you in on what you missed (in general terms). Having finished the series now, Ican say that I would've enjoyed it about 20% more had I not watched those two episdoes. Hence the 3 and a half star review instead of 4 and a half. Themes included in episode 9 are snuff rape, torture rape, the brutal murder of an entire family including the children, suggested child prostitution, and more. Be advised.

Oh man!!! I'm so excited to write yet another glowing review about a fall 2016 show. This year in television has been so great!

Travelers might be one of the best new shows of 2016. Syfy is going to be crying itself to sleep when this airs in the U.S. on Netflix and the ratings are tremendous.

Travelers is an extremely well-written, time-tested, formulaic serial drama about a group of travelers from the future sent back into bodies in the present to save the world from a series of catastrophes that lead to devastation in their time.

We know nothing about each of the travelers, but in the pilot, we are introduced to the lives of their host bodies - the very same lives that they must assume, with only the knowledge that has been given to them from files recorded in the history books. 5 Separate travelers with 5 unique situations in which they must blend in makes every minute of this show, even the ones that don't involve saving the world super suspenseful and exciting. So far in the two episodes I've seen, each and every scene has been fun to watch and serves a purpose, and even the characters only present in a particular episode are written to the same high standard.

The cast is full of recognizable array of actors, all alumni from various shows, including Eric McCormack (Perception). Also worth mentioning is Mackenzie Porter, a legendary super cutie whom I literally cannot look at without going, "Geeeeeeeeb!"
Between the script and the music, the other aspects of the show feel well put-together.
Travelers feels right at home with my Science Fiction craving, evoking a similar emotional response to shows like Continuum and The 4400. But at the same time, its extremely fresh.

More and more shows are taking a setup like this, following a group of characters with equal weight rather than a solitary protagonist. We first saw it in 2004 with The 4400, then 2005 with Lost, and it started to become a popular format in 2008 with Heroes. Though more recently with shows like; Heroes Reborn, Sense 8 and Falling Water. It seems to be a format that people like as it adds many layers of character development to the series, without necessarily sacrificing main plot, as was the case with Lost.

I'd even go so far as to say that Travelers may be the culmination of this format nearing its perfection. I just hope that it continues to be as enjoyable as these first two episodes have been. And I can't wait to see Mackenzie Porter next week :D

Rosewood is smart, fresh, fun, and charming. I'm talking about both the show and the man. Morris Chestnut plays Private Pathologist (lab tech/autopsy guy) Dr. Beaumont Rosewood Jr. He's the best in Miami, and he knows it. He's got the witt and the charm to match his skill, and its hard not to like him. Rosewood is a procedural crime drama with a good cast of characters, great sports coats and a beautiful setting. I was very pleasantly surprised. I was not expecting anything from this, but 1 episode and it's already about 1000 times better than Bones ever was.

This review is based on the pilot of "Frequency" which aired 10/5/16 on the CW.

Let it be said that I hope I never have to come back and amend the message of this review.

I write reviews to share my opinion on new shows with you with the hopes of providing information to sway your decision as to whether or not I believe you should be introduced to great new content, or saved the headache of absorbing garbage television. As of this very moment I have seen over 350 television pilots since 1999, and I believe that "Frequency" is up there with the absolute best of them. I hesitate to say its the very best, only because I can't recall off the top of my head all the pilots for every show I've ever seen, but I can say that I've previously never felt the same level of compulsion to go and write the most praise-worthy review I can think of the very second after finishing a new pilot.

Frequency is a new CW primetime drama based off of the 2000 movie starring Jim Caviezel and Dennis Quaid of the same name. If you haven't seen it, it was a great movie, and everyone I know who's seen it would agree. Whomever thought that in the wake of all these remakes and movie-to-television adaptations it was a good idea to adapt the plot of this particular movie into a serial drama, I'd have to say is a genius. Now, I don't want to brag, but as a screen-writer myself, I'm always trying to come up with ideas for new shows, and I had an idea for an uncannily similar show to this about a year ago. In my version, a mysterious ancient mirror purchased at a yard sale allows the owner to see through it into the future, creating a two way path of communication between the present owner of the mirror, and the owner of the future. In my version, the owner in the future informs the one in the past that the world is going to change drastically for the worse, and requests the person from the pasts help to stop it from happening. I thought it was a pretty neat Idea. Anyway, Frequency is a similar concept. A lightning storm causes a phenomenon allowing Raimy Sullivan (CW Alum Peyton List, The Tomorrow People, The Flash) to communicate via an old HAM radio with her dead father, an undercover cop who is alive in 1996.

The show is is many elements, combinining a police procedural, with family drama and science fiction. Over the course of an episode, Raimy will get to talk to the father she never had growing up, and work with him to try and solve his own murder as well as taking down a notorious killer known as "Nightingale" who committed a series of murders in '96, and who has recently returned to finish the job in '16. Together, they will work leads from both sides, trying to find the identity of this killer before he can cause more damage. Additionally ... everything they change in the past, affects the future in unpredictable ways, and lets just say that in the pilot there are some emotional shocks and actual ripples as a result of their meddling with the timeline, and things change. I imagine that each episode more things will change -- such is the nature of timetravel based television. But like Izombie with Liv's personality changes, I find these unpredictable changes to the show's contstants always make for great TV by keeping things both lucid and interesting.

The pilot was masterfully done with great character development and pacing. It had a very movie-esque approach to cinematography and scoring and didn't feel much like a typical CW show in the sense that It felt really emotionally deep, and powerful. While the show clearly has elements of science fiction and mystery, I believe at its core its more about family, and heroism. I feel this is a show that a lot of people will connect with, and If each episode is half as good as the pilot was, I think we may have found ourselves the best show Wednesday night TV has ever had to offer. Although I will say that Designated Survivor is really tough competition, and is a competitor for the Wednesday TV hall-of-fame -- but Designated Survivor is on at 10, and you can and should watch it right after Frequency.

You should also watch Lethal Weapon at 8, while you're at it. And Blindspot. And Arrow.
It's hard to believe that this is a Wednesday night I'm talking about.

This review is based on the Pilot of "Riverdale" which aired on the CW Thursday night.

While not a 'genre' show, Riverdale certainly has a niche market. Basically, the people who loved Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars, Hellcats, and any other very youthful and unrealistic televised highschool/college experiences. I'm quite certain the demographic age range for this series is quite young. You couldn't pay someone older than 30 any amount to watch this show.

As a 26 year old guy from NYC, I've never quite related to a show LESS than Riverdale.
Its about a group of highschool kids who lives in one of those fictional places where the entire school is hot and in shape and everyone gets everything they want. Its hard to watch because nothing like this has ever happened to me. It's like a fantasy -- one full of regret and jealousy - and I, personally - do not watch TV to feel either of those things.

If you are really happy with your high-school and college experiences, maybe you can watch Riverdale and relate - otherwise, its just going to piss you off watching all these absurdly hot people get everything they want and more.

As for the show itself - it IS based on a very old comic and attempts to update it for modern times -- and while some of the references are modern, it struggles to eliminate the inherent cheese factor present in nearly every aspect of the show. It's like that classic high-school movie with Zac Efron -- with no twists. Its exactly that. You've got mean girls, jocks, lockers, oh, and Muuuurderrrr... because apparently having a murder mystery gives this cast of absurdly fake people something to do. It's a contrite, simple and frankly pointless show. Again, if you liked any of the shows I mentioned above, or stupid high school movies, or you had an awesome life you may like this show. Otherwise, skip it - trust me. You're better off just scrolling through Lili Reinhart's instagram feed. (she's cute).

This review is based on the pilot of "Designated Survivor" which aired on 9/22/2016

Kiefer Sutherland returns to TV in another lead role which is perfectly suited for him. He's played Jack Bauer, the most badass man on TV, and he's played a father willing to do anything on Touch, and now he plays a combination of the two on Designated Survivor -- and he also happens to be the president of the United States.

You may or may not have seen the trailers or read the premise of Designates Survivor, but long story short, there is an attack on the capital building during the state of the union, or some important event where everyone in the line of succession to the presidency is gathered, and there are no survivors, leaving Thomas Kirkland (Kiefer Sutherland), the Secretary of Home... something (basically infrastructure) as POTUS. Naturally you have your generals who want to find find a skapegoat to blame, and believe Thomas is unfit to lead, but said opposition doesn't realize that Thomas is surprisingly more competent than anyone, even himself expects, and from the pilot episode we can see that he is a very well-read and educated man who knows how to get things done.

I believe this series is based off a book, and I bet its a fantastic one at that.

I was a little surprised that the pilot was only one hour, as literally everything that happened in it happened in the trailer ... and they didn't cover much else after he becomes president. So that was a bit of a let down, but it was very entertaining, and I can't wait for next week. Jack Bauer for president!!!!