Given such harsh criteria, I’m already fairly confident that certain shows won’t get watched by me on a regular basis in the next few months, although I will sit through at least two episodes of most for reviewing purposes and the entire season of all comedies for my other blog, Comedy Centric. Among the new series this fall that will definitely get my love, the following listed under Appointment TV are good to go … for now. Just like with the broadcast networks, however, the situation can change drastically the nanosecond I get bored or discover that a show I’m not presently interested in is actually worth the effort.

*New series are in bold.

Appointment TV

• ABC: Pushing Daisies, Ugly Betty
• CBS: How I Met Your Mother, Moonlight, Shark, Without a Trace
• Fox: Bones
• NBC: Bionic Woman, Chuck, Friday Night Lights, Heroes, The Office
• The CW: Aliens in America, Everybody Hates Chris, Reaper, Supernatural

Record for Spare Time

• CBS: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Cane, Cold Case, Desperate Housewives
• Fox: House
• NBC: Journeyman, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Life, My Name Is Earl, Scrubs
• The CW: Smallville

Record for Holidays and Vacations

• ABC: Grey’s Anatomy, Men in Trees, Private Practice
• Fox: K-Ville

Tags: fall 2007, television, tv

The final installment of Jane finds our magically self-healing heroine switching sides in the continual Neuro battle. Notably filmed in Budapest, Hungary, as opposed to the customary shooting site in British Columbia, Canada, the series finale revolves around the aftermath of a tragic incident at the NICO headquarters that results in the most dangerous Neuros breaking free. Jane then experiences a breakout of her own when she becomes convinced that the people she thought were supporting her were actually lying to her all along. That’s enough to make any criminal-hunting, indestructible superhuman pissed, and I hope she and her series go out with a couple of bangs and a slew of dead bodies to boot.

Tags: Kristanna Loken, Painkiller Jane, Sci Fi Channel, series finales, television, tv

Whenever you watch one of Sci Fi Channel’s home-grown movies and don’t have the urge to burst out in uncontrollable laughter every time an allegedly “special” effect occurs, things are definitely looking up. The first detail that struck me when I began watching the latest Highlander movie was consequently how relatively little time I was spending suppressing giggles and eye rolls. The first fifteen or so minutes of the feature are the best, an observation that both Sci Fi Original Movie and Highlander fans might both agree on.

The plot of the story is rather simple, although it definitely adds resonance if you’re familiar with the mythology and character backgrounds in Highlander history. After learning (or, for devotees, reviewing) three facts about so-called Immortals—they can only be killed with the loss of their head, they gain more power by killing other Immortals, and they cannot have children—we begin in a gloomy area of Eastern Europe where just two Immortals reside among the mass chaos: Duncan MacLeod (Paul) of the small-screen series and archaeologist Zai Jie (Stephen Rahman Hughes), who is desperately searching for The Source, loosely described as a “holy grail of peace and salvation” that only some Immortals believe exists. Duncan is of the contrary opinion that The Source is a “fairy tale and illusion created to give hope where there is none.”

This opening setup is provided through voiceover narration by Anna (Thekla Reuten), a mortal woman and the estranged wife of Duncan who has suddenly started having visions that she cannot clearly explain. When Zai Jie’s quest for The Source awakens a diabolically mutated Immortal called the Guardian (an effective Cristian Solimeno) who promptly kills him, the Immortals Duncan, Methos (Peter Wingfield, reprising his role from the TV series), Cardinal Giovanni (series newcomer Thom Fell), and Reggie Weller (newcomer and comic relief Stephen Wight), as well as mortals Anna and Joe Dawson (television and film series veteran Jim Byrnes), unite to continue seeking The Source themselves. The main peril of this dangerous journey—other than the certain death of several characters, including a major one—is that only one Immortal is deemed fit to receive the benefits of The Source; yet, no one knows which Immortal is The One or what criteria determine which Immortal is worthy of being The One.

As a Sci Fi Original Movie, Highlander: The Source delivers uncommonly adept special effects with considerable fighting—get psyched if you prefer really big knives to really loud guns—and cutting-off of heads, along with an average plot that is endurable if not groundbreaking. Highlander enthusiasts will likely find themselves feeling cheated nonetheless because the movie, notably the first in the film franchise to not enjoy a wide release in theaters (and you’ll understand exactly why after watching), is a retread and fails to advance the series in a significant way.

The ending, which takes up a good twenty minutes that seems like an hour, is especially horrendous and pretty much destroyed all of the goodwill I had developed up until that point. Describing it as muddled would be a gross understatement; tacked on, poorly planned, crudely derivative, a cop-out, and a disservice would be more accurate. Therefore, depending on where you stand with previous versions of Highlander, watch the latest film with either middling expectations or justified trepidation.

The Verdict: B- for Original Movie fans; D for serious Highlander fans

Tags: Adrian Paul, Highlander, Highlander: The Source, movies, Sci Fi Channel, television, tv

BSG fans, don’t forget to mark your calendar for the premiere of Battlestar Galactica: Razor on Saturday, November 24, at 9pm EST. The DVD version streets just ten days later on December 4 at a suggested retail price of $26.98, which will most likely be much lower initially in order to lure buyers into purchasing.

Battlestar Galactica: Razor is an original standalone telefilm that will tell the tale of the Battlestar Pegasus and its admiral, Helena Cain (Michelle Forbes), after the Cylon attack that commenced the modern-day series, but before the ship reunited with the Battlestar Galactica in the middle of the second season. Prominent use of flashbacks will permit the movie to depict how past events unfolded while also granting significant screen time to all of the current major cast members. One aspect of the feature that many fans have been buzzing about is the expected inclusion of footage of the first Cylon War that preceded the advent of the present series, complete with glimpses of the original model of Cylons.

Tags: Battlestar Galactica, Michelle Forbes, movies, Razor, Sci Fi Channel, television, tv

Essentially a film about suicide-inducing evil phantoms that take over computers after a virus establishes a connection between the realm of the dead and the world of the living, the atmospheric yet poorly plotted 2006 Hollywood version starred Lost‘s Ian Somerhalder and Grammy-nominated singer Christina Milian, in addition to Veronica Mars icon Bell.

Moviehole.net additionally reports that Jamie Bamber—better known as Battlestar Galactica‘s Captain Lee “Apollo” Adama to most—was recently cast in the two Pulse sequels slated for 2009. He will portray a divorced father and businessman named Stephen who, after frakking up his own marriage following an affair, hides in the mountains while trying to protect his daughter from the phantom of her dead mother.

The second and third installments, both written and directed by career horror producer, writer, and director Joel Soisson, will be released in direct-to-video format and will feature none of the original Hollywood version’s cast members. Of course, the last comes as no surprise given the widespread flak the film received before it even hit theaters, which makes direct-to-video sound about right. That way, the sequels can take better advantage of Bamber’s huge fan following and the support of those people who did appreciate last year’s visually captivating release, without the threat of a prominent critical thrashing looming overhead.

Bloody-Disgusting gives the following synopsis for Pulse 2: Afterlife.

The world has been reshaped by the invasion of ghosts via the wireless internet. Cities are deserted, technology has been destroyed and the few remaining human beings eschew anything electrical in order to avoid a confrontation with the soulless ghosts that now wander the planet. Most of the ghosts are doomed to a repetitive loop of something they did while they were still despairing humans (a man repeatedly hangs himself, for example), but there are some ghosts so locked in denial, they do not know they are dead. They continue to haunt their homes, wrapped in fear that their souls will soon be torn from them.

And the synopsis for Pulse 3: Invasion is as follows.

It is now seven years later and the survivors on Earth have settled into a primitive lifestyle completely void of electronics. The clusters of human survivors live together in refugee camps as the phantoms have taken over the cities. Justine is now a teenager and she escapes to the city to try and make a life for herself where she is not a drain on her adopted family (her parents both became phantoms in part one). She heads in to the city at the urging of Adam, a seeming survivor in the city that lures her with promises of understanding and friendship.

Tags: Battlestar Galactica, direct-to-video, dvd, Jamie Bamber, Joel Soisson, movies, Pulse, Pulse 2, Pulse 2: Afterlife, Pulse 3, Pulse 3: Invasion, television, tv

In a recent interview with Zap2it, everyone’s favorite boxed Cylon on BSG reveals that Burn Notice regular Bruce Campbell, a longtime friend of her Evil Dead-producer husband Robert Tapert, helped make her guest-star turn a reality. The pair don’t have a scene together, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be good times for viewers when Michael inevitably realizes that all is not as it initially seemed with his latest client.

Besides tonight’s plum appearance in the Burn Notice episode “False Flag,” Lawless fans can look forward to more of Cylon D’Anna Biers when Battlestar returns to the Sci Fi Channel in January to commence its fourth and final season. Lawless will participate in a minimum of two installments after resuming work next month.

Tags: Bruce Campbell, Burn Notice, Jeffrey Donovan, Lucy Lawless, television, tv, USA

That’s why I was thrilled last week and this week when the talented actress showed up in The Closer‘s two-part third-season finale, “Til Death Do Us Part,” playing the seemingly naive wife of a questionable ophthalmologist under investigation for murdering her atypically ethical divorce attorney. Thanks to Brown’s considerable acting chops, audiences are kept guessing to the very end what the extent of her involvement in the crime is.

The two-parter is notable for several other guest stars, as well. Steven Culp, who is in everything these days, it appears, plays hard-hitting defense attorney Lucas Cordry. Culp is known for his work in many film and television projects, of course, most recently including his turns as Bree Van De Kamp’s murdered first husband Rex in Desperate Housewives and deceitful head FBI Special Agent Fred Chambers in the best new series this summer that will probably never return, Traveler.

And then there’s the Yellow-Eyed Demon from Supernatural, one Fredric Lehne, who puts in an appropriately seedy performance as the murder suspect’s primary alibi confirmer.

Another well-deserved shout-out goes to James Patrick Stuart of Andy Richter Controls the Universe and numerous other TV series, who capably brings to life Deputy District Attorney Martin Garnett every time the prosecutor shows up in an episode.

With quality guest stars like that, it’s not a surprise the third season of The Closer comes to a unifying and satisfying end after Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson (last year’s Best Drama Actress Emmy winner and current nominee Kyra Sedgwick) and her crackerjack team of diverse detectives work their case inside and out to reach a just conclusion, despite the threat of a potentially incorrect arrest. I’ve no doubt that Season Four will continue this trend of television excellence.

To learn more about the highly recommended police drama The Closer and to watch episodes online, visit The Closer‘s Web site at TNT.

Tags: Fredric Lehne, James Patrick Stuart, Sarah Brown, Steven Culp, television, The Closer, TNT, tv

The Defuser (38-year-old police detective Jarrett Crippen) definitely has the bulk, tenacity, and heart to do daring deeds. But, try as he might to change it, his inherently domineering personality is such a colossal turnoff, it could leave some victims wishing he’d just leave them alone and go save somebody else.

Hygena (36-year-old homemaker Melody Mooney), the last girl standing, is dedicated and genuine. Nevertheless, her obsession with cleanliness and correctness, not to mention the judgmental nature that both characteristics breed, makes her slow during tasks when time is of the utmost essence. If a life-threatening situation depended on her for resolution, you would probably have just as good a chance of dying while waiting for her to get there or to work her way through the necessary motions as you would of eventually being saved.

Hyper-Strike (21-year-old performer John Stork), on the other hand, is without a doubt one flexible, determined, and highly capable dude. What gets me, though, is how phony he sometimes comes across when he goes into hyper-enthusiastic mode. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, try watching him closely onscreen next time he’s interacting directly with Stan Lee. Victims would never be sure if he was genuinely in it to help them or for some other undetermined, and therefore potentially troubling, reason.

So, since my longtime favorite has gotten himself eliminated and is no longer in the running, I guess whoever wins tonight will be more or less okay by me.

Tags: Hygena, Hyper-Strike, Sci Fi Channel, Stan Lee, television, The Defuser, tv, Who Wants to Be a Superhero?

The title Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style pretty much sums it up when it comes to this wardrobe makeover series. Assisted by former supermodel Veronica Webb, who handles shopping duties with each episode’s guest, and excerpts from his own book, Tim Gunn: A Guide to Quality Taste and Style, the former Chair of the Department of Fashion Design at Parsons The New School for Design and current Chief Creative Director of Liz Claiborne Inc. will counsel assorted needy women from around the country in hopes of helping them to get a clue about how to dress with both ease and charisma, as if they were to the closet born, so to speak.

In the host’s opinion, the ultimate indication of success will be if he and Webb manage to inspire the participants “to achieve their own stylish identities,” what he also calls a “signature look.” I’m pretty sure that just breathing the same air as the fashion master will do wonders; so, one can only imagine how great the lucky women in each of the first season’s eight episodes will look after the phenomenal double team of Gunn and Webb get through with them. If Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style doesn’t become another instahit in Bravo’s mostly superb reality-TV stable, I, for one, will be absolutely stunned.

Tags: Bravo, television, Tim Gunn, Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style, tv, Veronica Webb

The pivotal event in the season premiere occurs on the Sutton children’s first day back at school following summer vacation. Early on, an idiotic tussle takes place in the halls of the high school and then quickly and ridiculously escalates into a full-on riot, complete with silly teenagers running wildly through the streets and looting nearby small businesses as if they were raised in the wilderness by carnivorous animals. That’s unbelievable stuff, to say the least.

Of course, this initial craziness spreads to ultimately impact each of the show’s main characters: father Eddie (Russell Hornsby), who suffers drastic consequences while patrolling the area with his partner Kevin Lund (Michael Reilly Burke); mother Jenn (Nicki Micheaux) at her hospital job; eldest daughter Cassie (Erica Hubbard) and her boyfriend Charles (Robert Adamson), who are at the scene of the original violent incident; and middle sister Lizzie (Rhyon Brown) and youngest child Tay (Mishon Ratliff), who hide in the school computer lab to avoid the fallout.

Lincoln Heights is best when it leaves the confrontations with stupefying criminal acts to Eddie and his realistically dangerous law enforcement job, and saves the thought-provoking and touching interactions among characters for the family members and the various non-felons they encounter. For instance, the “Flashpoint” hospital scenes with Jenn, a highly competent nurse, provide the type of clear-headed respite that makes Lincoln Heights‘ plots more engaging while presenting a commendable portrait of a strong woman capably juggling both a roundly headstrong family and a demanding profession. And, as always, any scene with moody Lizzie or sensitive Tay is genuine and interesting.

I wish I could say the same for Cassie; but, that character and her relationship with Charles has always struck me as fake and forced. I simply don’t see the attraction and definitely don’t care that the two are not the same race, which seems to be a trait that the show wants to drive home for some inexplicable reason. Note to the showrunners: This is 2007—so-called “mixed” couples are everywhere you look nowadays, and they’re really not that big of a deal anymore to most people. Moreover, anyone who thinks they are a big deal likely isn’t watching Lincoln Heights in the first place.

In any case, the sooner audiences get more of the Sutton family just being a family on Lincoln Heights and less of the provocative but overdone violence, the better off the show—and we—will be.

The Verdict for “Flashpoint”: B

Tags: ABC Family, Lincoln Heights, television, tv