Tag: Jim Parsons

Fall TV 2017: ‘Young Sheldon’ adorable, skip ‘SEAL Team’

Fall TV is finally here!

Usually a round of shows premiere in the beginning/middle of September, but this year, the only show that’s premiered before the latter half of the month was Fox‘s “The Orville.”

That show, created by and starring Seth MacFarlane, isn’t sure what type of show it wants to be. The pilot had a crazy mix of romantic comedy, science fiction and thriller. It was uneven and predictable. I’m not sure TV was the right medium for it.

But now that we’ve finally hit the first week of new shows, here is my short take on each new regular series show:

‘Star Trek: Discovery‘

8:30 p.m. Sundays streaming on CBS All Access

To boost the CBS version of Hulu, “Star Trek: Discovery” premiered Sunday on CBS. Episode 2 was available during the broadcast.

The sci-fi show definitely has a movie feel to it, including a long thematic opener.

I was definitely out of the loop since I have little knowledge of the world of Star Trek, but it kept my attention.

Compared to “The Orville,” this is true sci-fi. And I can appreciate that there are women in leadership on this show.

Grade: B+

‘Young Sheldon‘

8:30 p.m. Thursdays on CBS

While this show will regularly air starting in November, the spinoff of “The Big Bang Theory” had a special premiere.

This comedy is filled with BBT easter eggs, including a perfect opener with Jim Parsons narrating while a train went around.

The casting of young Sheldon and his mother was perfect (Zoe Perry, the daughter of Laurie Metcalf, who plays Mrs. Cooper in the original, plays her in this show, and she carries a spot-on accent and demeanor). The only casting that bothered me was Sheldon’s dad, only because he played a character on “The Big Bang Theory.”

For BBT fans, this show is not a letdown. For non-BBT fans, it’s still a pretty adorable show.

Grade: A-

‘Me, Myself and I‘

9:30 p.m. Mondays on CBS

Starring Bobby Moynihan, this show focuses on one person in three phases of his life: middle school after his mom gets remarried, post-divorce and raising a daughter, and a just-retired man who just had a heart attack and is figuring out what’s next.

It’s an interesting concept, but very disjointed, even with the small-world moments between the generations.

In one of the last moments, two of the generations crossed over. Not sure if there will be more, but I thought it played well.

Grade: B-

‘The Brave‘

10 p.m. Mondays on NBC

Remember Anne Heche? It seems like she pops up on TV shows every year or so, and here she stars in a drama about of team of government officials trying to protect Americans.

From what I can tell, the team will be the focus, and there will be a new story/mission each week.

But what was supposed to be a nailbiter turned out pretty dull. As we learn more about the team, I expect to care more about the characters, but that wasn’t the case in the pilot.

Grade: C+

‘The Good Doctor‘

10 p.m. Mondays on ABC

The pilot of this medical drama surrounds an interview for Dr. Shaun Murphy, a potential new surgical resident at a hospital. Oh, and Murphy (played by Freddie Highmore, who still looks so young even after his run in the sinister “Bates Motel“) is autistic, so his appointment is controversial.

While I think it’s great to show the challenges and misperceptions of the autism, as well as having the chance to discuss autism in a new way, the show seems unrealistic.

In flashbacks, it’s revealed that Murphy and his brother ran away after their father killed a pet bunny, but his brother also dies at a young age. So how the heck did Murphy go to school, especially medical school?

With other drama that’s sure to pan out in the show, I’m not sure we’ll find out.

Also, similarities abound between Murphy and Sheldon on “The Big Bang Theory,” and it was distracting.

Grade: B

‘SEAL Team‘

9 p.m. Wednesdays on CBS

This pilot had an eerily similar plot to “The Brave,” including the third-act twist. And it wasn’t well done.

Between poor audio (it’s like some actors were sick or not mic’ed properly for most of it), shaky camera work (which may have been a director’s choice, but it was hard to tell), and bad acting, it was tough to watch.

The drama focused mostly on the SEAL team, even though ads for the show mentioned that SEAL members have two families. I don’t know what the plan is, but it’s uninteresting.

David Boreanaz (“Bones“) should’ve waited another year before returning to TV; maybe he could’ve gotten a better show.

Grade: C-

What new shows are you enjoying?

‘The Big Bang Theory’ will survive 3 more seasons if it keeps momentum

This blog was originally published on elkharttruth.com on May 14, 2014.

It’s hard to keep coming up with fresh ideas year after year.

TV shows have this problem annually. Many second seasons aren’t as good as the first, so much so that shows often are talked about in terms of “sophomore slump.”

“The Big Bang Theory,” a consistent ratings darling, avoided a sophomore slump and has managed to keep the ideas flowing for seven seasons … for the most part.

The show was renewed for three more seasons in March (although some of the actors still remain without contracts), but the question is: Can the show continue to be fresh for three more years?

I’m a fan of the CBS show. It’s nerdy without being too smart and it’s funny without being too stupid.

But as a fan, I did not find the most recent season as exciting as previous ones.

The show didn’t hit a good stride until two-thirds of the way through the season, when Sheldon and Amy kissed on a train on Valentine’s Day.

That’s too long to wait in a 24-episode season.

I also kept wondering if Raj (Kunal Nayyar), who finally was able to talk to a woman without drinking alcohol at the end of season 6, would get a girlfriend.

It happened in season 7, but not until the end.

If a TV show has the potential for character growth, that growth should be played out as soon as possible.

“The Big Bang Theory” needs to take a hint from ABC’s “Scandal” and pick up the pace.

At Comic-Con, producers said viewers would have to wait a while to see Leonard and Penny, who got engaged in the penultimate episode of season 7, get married.

Why wait? The show will lose steam if they don’t get married by the end of season 8.

But at the same time, I don’t think anyone wants to see them break up again. Let’s move forward, not backward.

Can the show last another three seasons? I hope so, but only if the episodes are more like the last eight of season 7.

Emmys 2014: Will choices be predictable or unpredictable?

In preparation for Sunday’s 2016 Emmys, here is a blog about the 2014 Emmys, originally published on elkharttruth.com on Aug. 23, 2014.

Another year, another Emmys show.

The Emmys recognize talent in the TV world.

The nominations came out in July, and some winners have already been announced. Congratulations, by the way, to Jane Lynch, who won for hosting “Hollywood Game Night,” one of my favorite shows.

Now some award shows are predictable. “Modern Family” has won the Emmy for best comedy series every year it’s been on the air.

But there’s also a chance for a wild card.

The winners could be predictable or unpredictable choices. Here are my ideas:

Lead actor, comedy

Predictable choice: Jim Parsons (“The Big Bang Theory”)

I’m not going to lie; I just really want Parsons to win. I’m a big fan of Sheldon.

Unpredictable choice: Louis C.K. (“Louie”)

It’s an off-the-wall show on an often-not-talked-about TV network (FX), but C.K. might be recognized for only his writing instead of his acting.

Lead actor, drama

Predictable choice: Bryan Cranston (“Breaking Bad”)

It was the last season, he has a lot of other nominations for the character (including a Golden Globe win this year), so he’ll probably go out with a bang.

Unpredictable choice: Jon Hamm (“Mad Men”)

Although Hamm has been nominated numerous times for playing Don Draper, he’s never won an Emmy for the role. With the show coming to the close, this could be the year he gets recognized. But don’t count on it.

Lead actress, comedy

Predictable choice: Julia Louis-Dreyfus (“Veep”)

She’s won the last two years, and third time’s the charm, right?

Unpredictable choice: Amy Poehler (“Parks and Recreation”)

She finally won the Golden Globe this year, so it might be for the talented comedienne time to win an Emmy … but, again, don’t count on it.

Lead actress, drama

Predictable choice: Claire Danes (“Homeland”) or Kerry Washington (“Scandal”)

I can’t choose here; both play powerhouse characters. Danes won last year, but some are rooting for Washington.

Unpredictable choice: Lizzy Caplan (“Masters of Sex”)

She’s a first-time nominee, so she might have beginner’s luck. Plus, her co-star Michael Sheen isn’t nominated, so she might get some love for being the show’s only lead nomination. (Allison Janney won outstanding guest actress for her work on the Showtime drama.)

Outstanding comedy series

Predictable choice: “Modern Family”

It’s won every year it’s been nominated. Will it take the cake again? Considering it tackled the wedding of Mitchell and Cameron and trips to Australia and Las Vegas, it probably will.

Unpredictable choice: “Silicon Valley”

I don’t even think many people have heard of this HBO show, and to be honest, I haven’t watched even a snippet of it. But it did beat out shows such as “New Girl,” “The Mindy Project,” “Girls” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” so it has a distant shot of winning.

Outstanding drama series

Predictable choice: “Breaking Bad”

It’s won before, and because the show ended its run last fall, it’ll most likely be recognized.

Unpredictable choice: “Game of Thrones”

The number of fans for this HBO show continues to become more excited and eager, and the show has the most Emmy nominations this year.

But the drama, based on the books by George R.R. Martin, has a niche appeal, which dwindles its chance of winning.

The 66th Emmy Awards will air at 8 p.m. Monday, Aug. 25, on NBC.