TV News and Reviews

This week TV.com seems certain of the demise of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Considering Dollhouse’s ratings are on the same level, it might not be long for the schedule, either, unless they decide to give Joss Whedon a chance to build momentum.

TV by the Numbers  seems similarly convinced that In the Motherhood, Cupid, Castle, and The Unusuals are doomed. Nothing official as yet, but the ratings aren’t all that fab. Better Off Ted is on the cusp.

You can see from my earlier blog posts that I won’t cry over In the Motherhood or The Unusuals. I would, however, cry over Cupid, Castle, and Better Off Ted. Especially Better Off Ted. That show is just outrageous and risky and crazy and damn funny. And I love every actor on it. The problem may be that it’s the perfect match for Scrubs, and if it ends up without a sitcom pairing next season, that could put it in jeopardy. Which would be a damn shame. But honestly, Scrubs‘ star has been waning for some time, so pairing Better Off Ted with another up and coming sitcom could actually improve its ratings.

I love Nathan Fillion, but Castle suffers from some weak casting. And terrible scheduling. I’ve missed it twice now because I’m watching Medium and forget to record Castle. Castle isn’t a powerhouse show, but Fillion is ridiculously charming and could do well in a more out of the way timeslot. It’s one of those times where I would welcome a timeslot shift and it could save the show from oblivion.

I suspect Cupid suffers in the ratings because the plot is a hard sell. It sounds incredibly cheesy to say this guy thinks he’s Cupid and goes around matchmaking people. But in actuality, the show is full of heart and sweetness and Bobby Cannavale zips out the one-liners so fast and charmingly it makes your head spin. Each week we get really cool guest stars that you can identify from other sitcoms or shows you’ve loved in the past, and there’s a new set of characters to fall in love with. It’s not brain surgery, but it’s a really pleasant way to spend an hour. It’s a great antitode to all the hard-edged crime procedurals and medical dramas out there.

If you want to save these shows, watching them online may help. If you’re not a Nielsen family, they have no idea you care. Visit the website, watch the vids, leave comments. Let them know people are watching!

Read up on the TV News and Reviews posts for Better Off Ted , Castle , and Cupid.

Better Off Ted, the new ABC comedy that airs on Wednesdays at 8:30/7:30c after Scrubs, deserves a shot. In its pilot week it received less than stellar ratings; however it held its full lead-in from Scrubs. This week a two-hour American Idol apparently damaged its chances, dropping its ratings even lower. If it bounces back next week, that will be a good sign for the series. If not, well…we know how well ABC likes to nurture quality series. (Eli Stone, Dirty Sexy Money, Pushing Daisies, Life on Mars.)

Take a peek at Better Off Ted.

We need funny sitcoms on the air, and so far, Better Off Ted is pretty darn funny. Take the insanity, satire, and sweetness of Scrubs and Office Space and add a little bit more insanity and you’ve got Better Off Ted. As Ted, Jay Harrington turns on a little George Clooney-esque charm and breaks the evil sitcom curse where the lead is less interesting than the supporting characters. Sure the supporting characters are hilarious, too, but Harrington has fun with the role and holds his own.

Harrington and Andrea Anders (as creamer-stealing Linda) have wonderful chemistry, able to trade quick banter, be absolutely adorable together, and turn up the sexy factor whenever needed. Portia DeRossi hits the right notes as the robotic-like CrazyEvil boss Veronica, seeming to relish the role even more in the second episode. Jonathan Slavin as the randomly-screaming flash frozen Phil and Malcolm Barrett as his sensitive genius lab partner Lem stir both geek sympathy and laughter from the audience. The whole team works well and I would love to hop on this crazy train and see where it takes us.

Take the ride with me, and maybe Better Off Ted can stay on the air. (Remember, it’s Wednesday nights at 8:30/7:30c.)

Better Off Ted, the new comedy slated for Wednesdays on ABC come March, looks promising. It stars Jay Harrington (Private Practice, The Inside, Summerland) as an office worker at a research firm who begins to wonder about the morality of some of his firm’s experiments–one of which includes freezing a lab employee. Portia de Rossi (Arrested Development, Ally MacBeal) also stars as his tough, morally ambiguous boss, along with Andrea Anders (The Class, Joey), Malcolm Barret (My Best Friend’s Girl, The Hurt Locker), and Jonathan Slavin (My Name is Earl, Summerland).

Harrington, Anders, and Slavin have had their share of series that didn’t take off–Harrington and Slavin were even on Summerland together–so here’s hoping that they get a winner this time. The show almost strikes me as a Muppets episode made with people–just think Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and his hapless assistant Beaker. It would be nice to have a Scrubs-like absurdity/satire show for a few laughs each week. It’s a good sign that the promo made me actually want to watch the show. These days the ads for TV comedies that are supposed to be “hilarious” leave me staring silently at the screen, wondering what was supposed to be funny. So anything that gets me laughing or heck, even smiling, makes me anxious to tune in.

Better Off Ted premieres Wednesday, March 18 on ABC, at 8:30/7:30c.