What is it ? :
Comedy about an earnest, honest, optimistic girl from the heartland who is forced to move in with a sexy, unstable new york city party girl who has the morals of a pirate (futoncritic). It was written by Nahnatchka Khan (American Dad) and ABC gave it a pilot order.
Good/Bad :
If Don't Trust the Bitch isn't the the worst comedy script of the season, it's also far from the best. In the pilot, June, the ultimate cliche of naivety, moves to New York for work only to discover that the company who hired her declared bankruptcy. Broke, she decides to find a flatmate and comes across Chloe, the bitch, not in the lovable funny bitchy kind of way, just in the bitch way. Besides not being really funny, DTTB has the apparently recurring issue of having one-liners and scenes that are too vulgar to ever make it to the air on ABC. It isn't a few of them, it's more than half of them.
By the end of the pilot, it feels like the entire show has nothing more to offer, the bitch is actually not such a bitch and the naive is not so naive, it's incredebly predictable, dull and even if the relation between June and Chloe had its moments in the pilot, it seems there is hardly anything to add.
Supporting characters are inexistant besides being used as a punchline for yet more unfunny jokes while the two main characters simply lack of depth or anything that could get anyone to care for them.
I've always enjoyed unlikeable characters as long as I was given a reason to but much like the teenagers in I Hate My Teenage Daughter, Chloe, the bitch, is purely and simply a one dimensionnal bitch I do not care for.
From what I've been told, the script has changed a lot and I don't consider the whole concept of the show to be such a terrible idea, there might be a bit of hope for "DON'T TRUST THE BITCH IN APARTMENT 23".
Will it make it ?
The casting made this one kind of hard to pass on, especially since ABC really doesn't have anything better.
Will it work ?
As it is, I would have to say no.
Should it make it ?
I haven't read anything that made me hope so.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Monday, April 18, 2011
More as the Story Develops (HBO) by Aaron Sorkin
What is it ? :
It's a drama (working titled More as the Story Develops) who's currently assembling its cast at HBO. The pilot is set behind the scenes of a cable news show and was written by Aaron Sorkin (Sports Night, The West Wing, Studio 60 and The Social Network).
Good/Bad :
Before you people get your panties in a bunch, I should probably say that I have always found Sorkin's work very enjoyable, the man is talented, no one can deny it without coming off as slightly retarded or jealous. I don't know him personally and I couldn't care less about his (dis)beliefs or about the way he runs his writing room. What I care about is that this yet to be titled project is good.
There is a bit of Studio 60, a bit of The West Wing and a bit of Sports Night but it doesn't feel like any of them. The style is similar, naturally, it's smart, fast and it won't allow you time to check your phone every once in a while.
In this one, Will runs the 8pm news show for a network called UBS and discovers that his entire staff decided to quit while he was on vacation because of his bad attitude. A suit at the network took the matter in his own hands and hired him a new executive producer, McKenzie who just so happens to have a complicated past with Will.
Before you people get your panties in a bunch again, yes, if you can put two and two together, I'm sure you will be able to tie this pitch with past arcs in some of the shows I mentioned before but the show explores something new and absolutely captivating (that's cable news if you haven't followed). Sorkin is great at making us love unlikable characters and at telling incredibly compelling stories and this script is exactly what the doctor ordered. It will make you laugh, cry and think and you can't say that much about a lot of shows.
If you were a fan of any of his past shows, rest assured, you won't be disappointed so you better get ready to welcome him back to television, if you only know him for The Social Network, then know that the best of Sorkin is on television.
The show will be another exciting and fascinating adventure with intriguing, absorbing and very intelligent people like only Sorkin can deliver. I can't wait.
Will it make it ?
Well, Sorkin should have been on HBO one failed tv show ago and especially thanks to The Social Network, I doubt the network will pass on this.
Will it work ?
It must.
Should it make it ?
Just like Veep and the rest of the network's projects in development... It should.
It's a drama (working titled More as the Story Develops) who's currently assembling its cast at HBO. The pilot is set behind the scenes of a cable news show and was written by Aaron Sorkin (Sports Night, The West Wing, Studio 60 and The Social Network).
Good/Bad :
Before you people get your panties in a bunch, I should probably say that I have always found Sorkin's work very enjoyable, the man is talented, no one can deny it without coming off as slightly retarded or jealous. I don't know him personally and I couldn't care less about his (dis)beliefs or about the way he runs his writing room. What I care about is that this yet to be titled project is good.
There is a bit of Studio 60, a bit of The West Wing and a bit of Sports Night but it doesn't feel like any of them. The style is similar, naturally, it's smart, fast and it won't allow you time to check your phone every once in a while.
In this one, Will runs the 8pm news show for a network called UBS and discovers that his entire staff decided to quit while he was on vacation because of his bad attitude. A suit at the network took the matter in his own hands and hired him a new executive producer, McKenzie who just so happens to have a complicated past with Will.
Before you people get your panties in a bunch again, yes, if you can put two and two together, I'm sure you will be able to tie this pitch with past arcs in some of the shows I mentioned before but the show explores something new and absolutely captivating (that's cable news if you haven't followed). Sorkin is great at making us love unlikable characters and at telling incredibly compelling stories and this script is exactly what the doctor ordered. It will make you laugh, cry and think and you can't say that much about a lot of shows.
If you were a fan of any of his past shows, rest assured, you won't be disappointed so you better get ready to welcome him back to television, if you only know him for The Social Network, then know that the best of Sorkin is on television.
The show will be another exciting and fascinating adventure with intriguing, absorbing and very intelligent people like only Sorkin can deliver. I can't wait.
Will it make it ?
Well, Sorkin should have been on HBO one failed tv show ago and especially thanks to The Social Network, I doubt the network will pass on this.
Will it work ?
It must.
Should it make it ?
Just like Veep and the rest of the network's projects in development... It should.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Veep (HBO) by Simon Blackwell and Armando Iannucci
What is it ? :
Veep is a comedy about a former senator who finds being vice president is nothing like she expected and everything everyone ever warned her about. It was written by Simon Blackwell and Armando Iannucci who worked on political British television show The Thick of It as well as the excellent In The Loop.
Good/Bad :
Veep is incredibly coarse and entertaining, a lot like The West Wing and Eastbound and Down baby's would be. In the pilot, Fantastic Mr Fox is described as a sly fuck and the VP's Press Spokesman is threatened to have his tits sliced off and fed to his dog.
Selina Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), the Vice President, slowly discovers that her newly acquired title hasn't brought her a lot of respect and spends the pilot getting around or avoiding her staff's mistakes. The dialogue is fast and scathing, the one liners are hilarious, politically incorrect, full of pop-culture references and quirky which made the script one of the best read of this season.
The pilot is character driven, focusing a lot more on damage control than on a larger political picture (it's not clear what party the White House is occupied by), Veep offers a shocking version of a very respected and protected fishbowl which will most likely irritate a lot of people. Every character of the show is aggressive, rude, selfish and obnoxious but this time, it is for the best as from the opening scene where the Vice President admires a cornstarch fork and tests drive a hybrid spoon-fork, Veep is without a doubt a show that you do not want to miss.
It is all the way fast, captivating, hilarious and intelligent, simply good and true comedy like HBO has failed to do... until now.
It's HBO, that means you won't have to stupidly stare at your screen for five seconds waiting for the fake laughter to stop after a punchline is delivered and trust me, there are a lot of them. Seriously, do not miss this.
Will it make it ?
It was picked to series today.
Will it work ?
Great casting, great script, great network... What could possibly go wrong ?
Should it make it ?
Beyond any doubt.
Veep is a comedy about a former senator who finds being vice president is nothing like she expected and everything everyone ever warned her about. It was written by Simon Blackwell and Armando Iannucci who worked on political British television show The Thick of It as well as the excellent In The Loop.
Good/Bad :
Veep is incredibly coarse and entertaining, a lot like The West Wing and Eastbound and Down baby's would be. In the pilot, Fantastic Mr Fox is described as a sly fuck and the VP's Press Spokesman is threatened to have his tits sliced off and fed to his dog.
Selina Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), the Vice President, slowly discovers that her newly acquired title hasn't brought her a lot of respect and spends the pilot getting around or avoiding her staff's mistakes. The dialogue is fast and scathing, the one liners are hilarious, politically incorrect, full of pop-culture references and quirky which made the script one of the best read of this season.
The pilot is character driven, focusing a lot more on damage control than on a larger political picture (it's not clear what party the White House is occupied by), Veep offers a shocking version of a very respected and protected fishbowl which will most likely irritate a lot of people. Every character of the show is aggressive, rude, selfish and obnoxious but this time, it is for the best as from the opening scene where the Vice President admires a cornstarch fork and tests drive a hybrid spoon-fork, Veep is without a doubt a show that you do not want to miss.
It is all the way fast, captivating, hilarious and intelligent, simply good and true comedy like HBO has failed to do... until now.
It's HBO, that means you won't have to stupidly stare at your screen for five seconds waiting for the fake laughter to stop after a punchline is delivered and trust me, there are a lot of them. Seriously, do not miss this.
Will it make it ?
It was picked to series today.
Will it work ?
Great casting, great script, great network... What could possibly go wrong ?
Should it make it ?
Beyond any doubt.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
S.I.L.A. (NBC) by Stephen Gaghan
What is it ? :
It's a drama written by Stephen Gaghan (Traffic, Syriana), set in the world of crime, law enforcements and politics in Los Angeles.
Good/Bad :
What an impressive script. S.I.L.A has nothing to do with Southland, it is actually like nothing you've ever seen before. It moves fast, it's shocking, compelling, brilliantly written, thought-provoking and above all, absorbing. SILA has a wide ensemble of characters that interweave along the pilot, each and every one of them being as appealing as it can get. Unlike most shows, S.I.L.A. does not take sides, it just shows every dark layer of cops, politicians and criminals. Some of the characters such as Max or Mullins (for those who've read it) are stunning while the twists surrounding them are unexpected and will make it hard to miss one episode.
If S.I.L.A hits the screen next September, it will be setting new standards for quality network television. It is as good as it gets.
And yes, we find out what S.I.L.A. means.
Will it make it ?
S.I.L.A looks very expensive and tough to broadcast at 8 or 9pm but it is what NBC needs to prove it can still make the right choice.
Will it work ?
It might be good enough to appeal to a wide enough audience, some will like it because NCIS is not on and others will root for it (the way it should be) like no other show on tv.
Should it make it ?
Hands down my favorite script of the new season, I really hope it will, I do.
It's a drama written by Stephen Gaghan (Traffic, Syriana), set in the world of crime, law enforcements and politics in Los Angeles.
Good/Bad :
What an impressive script. S.I.L.A has nothing to do with Southland, it is actually like nothing you've ever seen before. It moves fast, it's shocking, compelling, brilliantly written, thought-provoking and above all, absorbing. SILA has a wide ensemble of characters that interweave along the pilot, each and every one of them being as appealing as it can get. Unlike most shows, S.I.L.A. does not take sides, it just shows every dark layer of cops, politicians and criminals. Some of the characters such as Max or Mullins (for those who've read it) are stunning while the twists surrounding them are unexpected and will make it hard to miss one episode.
If S.I.L.A hits the screen next September, it will be setting new standards for quality network television. It is as good as it gets.
And yes, we find out what S.I.L.A. means.
Will it make it ?
S.I.L.A looks very expensive and tough to broadcast at 8 or 9pm but it is what NBC needs to prove it can still make the right choice.
Will it work ?
It might be good enough to appeal to a wide enough audience, some will like it because NCIS is not on and others will root for it (the way it should be) like no other show on tv.
Should it make it ?
Hands down my favorite script of the new season, I really hope it will, I do.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Smothered (ABC) by Andrew Reich and Ted Cohen
What is it ? :
It's a comedy about a couple who's being smothered by their respective parents who desperately want to spend some time with their only grand child. Smothered is in contention at ABC and has been written by Andrew Reich and Ted Cohen (producer and writer for Romantically Challenged, Worst Week, Three, Welcome to the Captain and Friends).
Good/Bad :
The snooze fest continues with yet another 50 pages of unfunny jokes with Smothered where two grand parents are fighting over their only grand child. There is nothing new in this pilot and it feels drained out by page 20. On one side we have the pretentious and wealthy grand parents who are trying hard to be snobs and on the other side, the complete opposite. I can't understand how anyone could consider seeing this show making it past five episodes plot-wise nor how anyone would greenlight it. It is incredebly cliche, disorganised while the whole concept of the show is uninteresting. Once again, I have nothing good to say about this script, Smothered is purely and simply bad.
Will it make it ?
Not by a long shot.
Will it work ?
I doubt it.
Should it make it ?
Let's just say Smothered is almost as bad as I Hate My Teenage Daughter.
It's a comedy about a couple who's being smothered by their respective parents who desperately want to spend some time with their only grand child. Smothered is in contention at ABC and has been written by Andrew Reich and Ted Cohen (producer and writer for Romantically Challenged, Worst Week, Three, Welcome to the Captain and Friends).
Good/Bad :
The snooze fest continues with yet another 50 pages of unfunny jokes with Smothered where two grand parents are fighting over their only grand child. There is nothing new in this pilot and it feels drained out by page 20. On one side we have the pretentious and wealthy grand parents who are trying hard to be snobs and on the other side, the complete opposite. I can't understand how anyone could consider seeing this show making it past five episodes plot-wise nor how anyone would greenlight it. It is incredebly cliche, disorganised while the whole concept of the show is uninteresting. Once again, I have nothing good to say about this script, Smothered is purely and simply bad.
Will it make it ?
Not by a long shot.
Will it work ?
I doubt it.
Should it make it ?
Let's just say Smothered is almost as bad as I Hate My Teenage Daughter.
I Hate My Teenage Daughter (FOX) by Sherry Bilsing-Graham and Ellen Kreamer
What is it ? :
It's a comedy about two mothers who are being mistreated by their teenage daughters. It was written by Sherry Bilsing and Ellen Kreamer, two Old Christine alums.
Good/Bad :
Will it make it ?
I seriously doubt it.
Will it work ?
Probably not.
Should it make it ?
Easily the worst pilot I've read this season.
It's a comedy about two mothers who are being mistreated by their teenage daughters. It was written by Sherry Bilsing and Ellen Kreamer, two Old Christine alums.
Good/Bad :
I Hate My Teenage Daughter is plain awful. Aside the fact that I didn't even smile once during these 52 pages, I despised each character more than the other. I don't have a teenage daughter but I'm pretty sure that I would lock her up if she turned out that bad. While the plot of the pilot is incredibly predictable, I Hate my Teenage Daughter does make a decent job at showing how tough raising teenagers can be but the show is more of a terrifying look at what our youth is turning out than a comedy. It scared me a hell of a lot more than it made me laugh (because it didn't) and the only thing I liked about it was that the comedy is only half an hour because another 50 pages of this poor excuse for a comedy would have probably put me asleep. I sincerely don't have one good thing to say about this new comedy and I hope none of you get the misfortune of seeing it. I Hate My Teenage Daughter is plain awful.
Will it make it ?
I seriously doubt it.
Will it work ?
Probably not.
Should it make it ?
Easily the worst pilot I've read this season.
Man Up ! (ABC) by Christopher Moynihan
What is it ? :
Supposedly a comedy about what it takes to survive as a modern man. But it is really a comedy aimed at no one in particular about some guys who couldn't act manly if their lives depended on it (which is also the exact same pitch that another pilot at ABC has, accidentally that other pilot is called Man Up).
Good/Bad :
Well, Man Up ! has about three funny jokes and they all include the word vagina or hooker. I doubt any women will manage to stick past the opening where three dudes exchange silly comments over headsets and I doubt further that any one will take any interest in this show. The pilot centers on a father looking for the perfect gift for his son who is turning thirteen. The lead, Will, might be on some level lovable but the whole concept of the show seems very narrow and unsustainable (like, say, Raising Hope). He's like Phil on Modern Family, awkwardly funny; relentlessly trying to act like his wife isn't the actual husband in their relationship. That makes Man Up an early and unnecessary spin-off of Modern Family. Coming back to the humor, it seems a lot of scenes won't translate well on the screen while most of them seem like they can't be aired on a network. All in all, knowing that the show was written by an actor (Christopher Moynihan) is hardly a surprise and unless the show finds itself some supporting character, a lead that shouldn't be a supporting character, some heart, some humor, Man Up smells like a failure.
Will it make it ?
Nope.
Will it work ?
I can't see why it would.
Should it make it ?
ABC needs to move on from the success of Modern Family and explore something new before it returns to being terrible with comedies.
Supposedly a comedy about what it takes to survive as a modern man. But it is really a comedy aimed at no one in particular about some guys who couldn't act manly if their lives depended on it (which is also the exact same pitch that another pilot at ABC has, accidentally that other pilot is called Man Up).
Good/Bad :
Well, Man Up ! has about three funny jokes and they all include the word vagina or hooker. I doubt any women will manage to stick past the opening where three dudes exchange silly comments over headsets and I doubt further that any one will take any interest in this show. The pilot centers on a father looking for the perfect gift for his son who is turning thirteen. The lead, Will, might be on some level lovable but the whole concept of the show seems very narrow and unsustainable (like, say, Raising Hope). He's like Phil on Modern Family, awkwardly funny; relentlessly trying to act like his wife isn't the actual husband in their relationship. That makes Man Up an early and unnecessary spin-off of Modern Family. Coming back to the humor, it seems a lot of scenes won't translate well on the screen while most of them seem like they can't be aired on a network. All in all, knowing that the show was written by an actor (Christopher Moynihan) is hardly a surprise and unless the show finds itself some supporting character, a lead that shouldn't be a supporting character, some heart, some humor, Man Up smells like a failure.
Will it make it ?
Nope.
Will it work ?
I can't see why it would.
Should it make it ?
ABC needs to move on from the success of Modern Family and explore something new before it returns to being terrible with comedies.
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