Midseason Replacement Shows

It used to be that the television season ran from September to May. Almost all new shows were launched in the fall, and then the shows that didn't fare so well weren't renewed for the next season. But with the television market being so competitive and cutthroat, that just isn't good enough any more. Now new shows launch at almost any time that isn't December. Still, though, the most popular time to launch shows other than in the fall, is in the early spring. This year there was a fair crop of so called midseason replacement shows, and here's a rating of several. To be fair, I watched at least two episodes of each show, although this was on at least one occasion against my better judgement.

Life on a Stick (Fox/CTV Wednesday): From the promos I didn't have high hopes for this show. But then in the first five minutes of the premiere episode there's a Spartacus reference. Actually, not so much a reference, as a clip from the movie, and in fact the whole episode has a Spartacus theme, only instead of slaves and Romans it's fast food workers and owners. The cast contains faces you'll recognize, but probably can't name. Of course, giving shows to famous people has resulted in such debacles as, well, anything Tony Danza has been involved with since 1992. So giving a show to marginally recoginzable people might just work. After all, who knew any of the Seinfeld cast before 1990?
So am I saying that Life on a Stick is going to work? Maybe. So far it has been reasonably funny, and the characters are likeable, if maybe a little two dimensional. I think that if Fox gives the show enough time, it might work. They've put it in the slot following American Idol, which is a Good place for it. Only time will tell.

Jake in Progress (ABC Thursday, CTV Monday): Remember in the last rating the comment about giving shows to famous people can result in debacles? Well, apparently the people at ABC decided that John Stamos deserved another shot. This is the network that gave him a show called Thieves back in 2001, which didn't last too long. And of course it's the same network that aired Full House, so obviously someone at ABC has a soft spot for Stamos. I can't imagine why.
This isn't about Stamos himself, but rather it's about his new show Jake in Progress. And how is the show? Well, the words train wreck come to mind. Basically John Stamos plays Jake, who is a New York publicist who works with famous and beautiful people, lives in a hotel, and dates beautiful women, but can't seem to make a relationship work because he's always looking for something, or someone, better. Guess what? This makes the character not terribly likeable. It doesn't make him despicable, either, but it's hard to connect with someone who has a charmed life and seems intent on wasting it. It's also hard to believe that a show about beautiful people would be this Ugly.

Grey's Anatomy (ABC/CTV Sunday): ABC may have missed the mark with Jake in Progress, but Grey's Anatomy more than makes up for it. Bundled behind the juggernaut of Desperate Housewives, this show follows a group of surgical interns in a Seattle hospital. While it ostensibly follows one intern, and features episode bookending voiceovers by Meredith Grey, it's really more of an ensemble show. It has much in common with Scrubs or Ally McBeal, only without the moments of fantasy. As with those shows, the writing is solid and clever, the characters likeable and engaging, the romantic undertones present but not overbearing, and the plots interesting without being heavy and preachy. Unlike those shows, however, Grey's Anatomy stands an excellent choice of becoming a mainstream bonafide hit, especially with its location in the sweetest timeslot ABC could place it. What's more, with a clever title that works on several levels, this show deserves a Good rating.

Doctor Who (BBC Saturday/CBC Tuesday): And now for something completely different. Many of us remember Dr. Who from our childhoods with some degree of fondness. Well, a new generation can now experience a brand new Doctor.
Okay, it's confession time. I never watched the old Dr. Who. Not even once. So I have no idea what it was like. Sorry. This new one is entertaining, though. It's a little cheesy, to be sure, but it's amusing and action rich all at once, which is good. The acting might be a little shaky, but that might have to do with the cast (of two, so far) finding their characters, as is often the case with science fiction.
On the topic of science fiction, this show is definitely in that category, but it falls into a more specific category of British sci-fi. Not a particularly heavily populated category, since the only other British sci-fi show that leaps to mind is Red Dwarf. As a category it differs from American sci-fi in that it doesn't take itself all that seriously, and the production values are miniscule. This means you won't be seeing the advanced visual effects so typical in most sci-fi shows. If that doesn't bother you, then by all means watch it. But if special effects are an essential part of the sci-fi experience to you, then don't bother watching Doctor Who. Too Bad for you.