Friday, March 16, 2007
Two new shows
I watched two new shows last night pretty much because there was absolutely nothing else I wanted to watch since my faves were either superseded by first-round NCAA tournament games or in repeats (grrr). Also, to be fair, the reviews I read for both of them were complimentary (and these in the New York Times and written by Virginia Heffernan and Alexandra Stanley who are shall I say a tad dyspeptic when it comes to their reactions to things). Anyway, Andy Barker, P.I. is awfully quirky and may not hold me very long because both Andy Richter the actor and Andy Barker the character are just too cute and too daffy for me most of the time. On the other hand, as Heffernan says, "This peculiar series seals NBC’s new role as the skinflint’s HBO." She's got a real point since some of us haven't wanted to shell out for HBO when there are fifty million other channels. And I agree that "30 Rock, Friday Night Lights and now Andy Barker, P.I. are all so engrossing and so creatively untrammeled that it’s almost suspicious. Have the rules of network TV changed? Does no one need to make money anymore?" I'd say that this is a (grand) trend all around the place, probably provoked by cable's ability to fling many rules to the wind, but I'm not an expert. I'd also say that these shows all have an edge of self-congratulatoriness that's often waivers on an thin sharp edge between hilarious and goose-bumpy-cringe-making. May they never fall off.
And good as it is, my problem with Barker is that the story itself wasn't very interesting or suspenseful partly because everyone was busy being wry and clever. It doesn't work if the characters in funny drama (no, that's not an oxymoron) show that they know they're funny. And I had no similar problems with Raines partly because the acting was better and partly because the story was more interesting. I liked Jeff Goldblum's character, too. And although Stanley had more guard in her enthusiasm for the show than I did, we are in agreement about Goldblum that "he somehow manages to make his way through this muddle of a debut with considerable grace and skill. He has always been a natural in roles that call for glibness and slithery sarcasm, but he is also remarkably moving in those moments when he drops the tough facade...." I recommend both shows and not just as background to the ironing.
And good as it is, my problem with Barker is that the story itself wasn't very interesting or suspenseful partly because everyone was busy being wry and clever. It doesn't work if the characters in funny drama (no, that's not an oxymoron) show that they know they're funny. And I had no similar problems with Raines partly because the acting was better and partly because the story was more interesting. I liked Jeff Goldblum's character, too. And although Stanley had more guard in her enthusiasm for the show than I did, we are in agreement about Goldblum that "he somehow manages to make his way through this muddle of a debut with considerable grace and skill. He has always been a natural in roles that call for glibness and slithery sarcasm, but he is also remarkably moving in those moments when he drops the tough facade...." I recommend both shows and not just as background to the ironing.
Labels: reflections, tv
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