Black box – manic highs and lows?... was just lows!

Cast: Kelly Reilly, Ditch Davey , David Chisum Vanessa Redgrave 

I had déjà vu in the first 30 seconds of this show…I saw it the first time it was on… when it was called “do No Harm (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Do_No_Harm_(TV_series)) - which coincidentally was cancelled after airing only 2 episodes…after doing significant career harm to everyone on the cast.

Once again we see what we are supposed to believe is a brilliant doctor – in this case a neuroscientist – who is also bi-polar. So….well respected and smart, supportive aunt, involved in a healthy romantic relationship …but every now and then doesn’t take her meds and goes on crazy sex filled, hallucinogenic adventures?….hmmm…something about this is not adding up.  I’m no neuroscientist but I don’t think that this is a recipe to the successful life that they would like us to believe she has been living.

Kelly Reilly is a newcomer to the North American small screen and in the beginning her charismatic nuances and her fresh face made me more interested in watching the plot unfold.  Her opening scene with Vanessa Redgrave is quite compelling. Perhaps if Redgrave had been the main character I might have been more impressed with the remainder of the episode, because other than Redgrave, Black Box is severely lacking in likeable characters

In a nut shell – this show is overly busy, overacted, over explained and medical terms are delivered to the audience like directions to a 3 year old for potty training.  There was too much, too soon, and it was all too obvious. It was tiring as a viewer to watch case, after crazy case, unfold in the first 25 minutes.

After 30 minutes I wanted to turn this show off but I had to keep watching.  I wanted to be able to conclude at the half way mark that Black Box was the worst show ever I had ever seen.  Instead, I found myself watching until the very end and was not disappointed as I got to see it hit the epic low I knew it would.

Conclusion is, the creators were using old ideas and the writers should get new meds!

Bad teacher…Is just plain bad

Cast: Ari Graynor plays the Cameron Diaz role, other top billed actors include: Sara Gilbert, Ryan Hansen, David Alan Grier, Kristin Davis and Sara Rodier

The cast was full of well known, somewhat respected actors.  I recognised Ari Graynor from her role on Fringe – she played the role of Olivia’s sister (10 episodes) at least she can be happy she hasn't been type-casted!  Sadly, Sarah Gilbert played her usual mousy/nerdy role that I have seen way too many times to be impressed and Kristen Davis played an uptight bitchy girl –“quelle surprise!”

The stereotypes throughout are so obvious that they are uncomfortable - including painting men as sex-hungry-anything-for-some-cleavage idiots - which I find insulting on their behalf.  I hope there are no Principals in North America that hire based on bust size and blonde hair while never glancing at a resume.

If you enjoyed the original Cameron Diaz movie from 2011 then you may also enjoy this show. The movie was never set in any kind of reality and neither is this TV spin off. The premise is the same, but unfortunately so are the jokes. There is little to laugh at, other than the ending where they try desperately to salvage some respect by throwing in a Hail Mary warm moment. Saw it coming from a mile away. Didn’t buy it, didn’t care. Won’t tune in again.

Made in Jersey - Series Premiere Review

Made In Jersey 

Premise   (CBS) MADE IN JERSEY is a drama about a young working-class woman who uses her street smarts to compete among her pedigreed Manhattan colleagues at a prestigious New York law firm. Martina Garretti finds her firm's cutthroat landscape challenging, but what she lacks in an Ivy League education she more than makes up for with tenacity and blue-collar insight. After just a few weeks, firm founder Donovan Stark takes note of Martina's ingenuity and resourcefulness, as does third-year chair Nolan Adams, who is part of Manhattan's royal literati; Riley Prescott, a second-year at Stark & Rowan and the daughter of the former U.S. Ambassador to Sweden; her sassy secretary, Cyndi Vega; and River, a former LAPD detective turned firm investigator. With the support of her big Italian family, including her sexy older sister Bonnie and her encouraging mother Darlene, Martina is able to stay true to her roots as a bold, passionate lawyer on the rise in a new intimidating environment.

First impression: Made In Jersey is like Legally Blonde but smarter and less fluffy.  Martina is a pretty lawyer from the wrong side of the tracks who would like to be taken seriously. She is smart with working class knowledge that helps her to look at the cases in a different light than her upper crust colleagues. 

Cast:   Made in Jersey has a couple of recognisable faces, the most so for me is Kyle MacLachlan best known on TV for his recent work on Desperate Housewives.

Overall Feel: Made in Jersey is a courtroom/crime solving drama which we have seen too many times in shows such as LA Law, The Practice, Ally McBeal, and Boston Legal (to name a few) all of which have been quite successful. I liked it, but didn’t love it. Because the acting is quite strong, I think if the writer throws in some compelling character story lines I could see a season 2.

Prediction: Made in Jersey – 2 seasons…maybe more

Rating (1=low, 10=high): I give this 7 out of 10

666 Park Avenue - series premiere review

666 Park Avenue

 

Premise   (ABC) Based on the book series by Gabriella Pierce , 666 Park Avenue opens with Jane Van Veen (Rachael Taylor) and Henry Martin (Dave Annable), an idealistic young couple from the Midwest, arriving in New York City, the glamorous center of industry and media, they are offered the opportunity to manage the historic Drake. Jane, a small town girl with big ambitions, always knew she wanted to be an architect. Henry, a member of the Mayor's staff, is grounded, intelligent and tenacious. They are lured by the intoxicating lifestyle of New York's wealthy elite.

 

Gavin, who has many skeletons in his own closet, is at the height of his world and commands the dark power of The Drake. Olivia (Vanessa Williams), his beautiful but enigmatic, supportive wife, wears her elegance, wealth and position in society as armor… but cracks will slowly be revealed.

Jane and Henry not only fall prey to the machinations of Gavin and Olivia, but unwittingly live in the dark embrace of the building's supernatural forces which endanger the lives of its residents. These include Brian Leonard (Robert Buckley), a young playwright pining for his early success and promise. Brian's wife, Louise (Mercedes Masöhn), is a rising hot star in the world of fashion photography. Alexis Blume (Helena Mattsson) is a troubled young woman who is the picture of obsession -- what is her real connection to Gavin, and what part will she play in Brian and Louise's life? Tony DeMeo (Erik Palladino), The Drake's doorman, is the eyes and ears of the building. And then there is 14-year-old Nona Clark (Samantha Logan), who has a blossoming psychic ability, allowing her to look into the future of her fellow Drake occupants.

 

First impression: 666 Park Avenue is a show that is pretending to be scary and creepy without actually ever being either.  Don’t get me wrong, there are definitely some scenes that are straight out of a good horror movie, but they seem to come out of nowhere.  In some places there is no back story and in other places the storyline is too obvious and makes the audience feel like we are being spoon fed the details. It’s like there is someone off on the sidelines yelling “be scared…..NOW” and “do you get it now?”  YES we get it! Someone needs to tell writers Gabriella Pierce and David Wilcox that the biggest part of creating that creepy feeling….is subtlety!

Cast:  666 Park Avenue stars Rachael Taylor (Charlie's Angels, Grey's Anatomy, Transformers) as Jane Van Veen, Dave Annable (Brothers & Sisters, Reunion) as Henry Martin, with Vanessa Williams (Desperate Housewives, Ugly Betty, Shaft, Soul Food) as Olivia Doran and Terry O'Quinn (Lost, Millennium, Hawaii Five-0, Alias, The West Wing, Jag) as Gavin Doran.

Overall Feel: 666 Park Avenue is creepy but not in a scary way…this show needs a lot of work to make it a success. I’m already unsure if I am going to tune in for a second episode.

Prediction: The trailer for 666 Park Avenue gave viewers high expectations and it did not come close to meeting them.  I don’t think that this will make it past 5 episodes unless something changes drastically.  

Rating (1=low, 10=high): I give this 5 out of 10

Last Resort - Review of premiere episode

Last Resort

Premise   (ABC) 500 feet beneath the ocean's surface, the U.S. ballistic missile submarine Colorado receives their orders. Over a radio channel, designed only to be used if their homeland has been wiped out, they're told to fire nuclear weapons at Pakistan.

Captain Marcus Chaplin (Andre Braugher) demands confirmation of the orders only to be unceremoniously relieved of duty by the White House. XO Sam Kendal (Scott Speedman) finds himself suddenly in charge of the submarine and facing the same difficult decision. When he also refuses to fire without confirmation of the orders, the Colorado is targeted, fired upon, and hit. The submarine and its crew find themselves crippled on the ocean floor, declared rogue enemies of their own country. Now, with nowhere left to turn, Chaplin and Kendal take the sub on the run and bring the men and women of the Colorado to an exotic island. Here they will find refuge, romance and a chance at a new life, even as they try to clear their names and get home.

First impression: Lots of action, well-acted and full of suspense. Great exciting show!

Cast:  Last Resort stars Scott Speedman (from 90’s show Felicity) as XO Sam Kendal and Robert Patrick who is most famous for his role in Terminator 2. I like the fact that the faces are somewhat new or at least not overexposed.  Sometimes there is more believability in a fresh face.

Overall Feel: Last Resort find the right way to be political without confusing the audience with too much jargon.  It moves quickly and keeps you on the edge of your seat. It’s not a show to put on in the background and ignore, you need to actively watch or you will miss something.

Prediction: I like it, I give it a GREAT first season, but the plot may be a little confining to have a second season.  

Rating (1=low, 10=high): I give this 7 out of 10

Vegas - Review of the series premiere

Premise  (CBS)Dennis Quaid and Michael Chiklis star in this drama inspired by the true story of former Las Vegas Sheriff Ralph Lamb, a fourth-generation rancher tasked with bringing order to Las Vegas in the 1960s, a gambling and entertainment mecca emerging from the tumbleweeds. Ralph Lamb wants to be left in peace to run his ranch, but Las Vegas is now swelling with outsiders and corruption which are intruding on his simple life. Recalling Lamb's command as a military police officer during World War II, the Mayor appeals to his sense of duty to look into a murder of a casino worker - and so begins Lamb's clash with Vincent Savino, a ruthless Chicago gangster who plans to make Vegas his own. Assisting Lamb in keeping law and order are his two deputies: his diplomatic, even-keeled brother, Jack, and his charming but impulsive son, Dixon. Ambitious Assistant District Attorney Katherine O'Connell, who grew up on the ranch next to the Lambs, also lends a hand in preserving justice.  


First impression: CSI meets American Outlaws meets Casino but with less technical jargon, aged cowboys and clean language. I loved it!

Cast:  Dennis Quaid, Michael Chiklis and Carrie-Anne Moss obviously the acting is excellent. With these talented and seasoned actors I’m happy to say they delivered and made the show an enjoyable watch. 

Overall Feel: Set in the 60’s when Vegas was still mostly ranches and deserts I was really worried that this would be too much of a “period piece” to be something that I would enjoy.  Writers Greg Walker and Nicholas Pileggi manage to make this setting current and entertaining while still appealing to a wide audience. 

-          Please note that the mobster violence does rule this out for younger viewers. 

Prediction: We will see a full first season, and I would wager on a second seasons of Vegas.  

Rating (1=low, 10=high): I give this a 7 out of 10

Are two breasts too much to ask for? ...Scores says yes!

It's Saturday night, my oldest son is having a sleepover and I have my best friend over for dinner and we decide it's time for take-out. Wanting to have something moderately healthy, we choose Scores delivery. 

I call the delivery hotline at 310.33.77 and I order the VALUE MEAL "The perfect meal for a small family. This meal deal consists of a quarter leg, a quarter breast, 2 chicken nugget meals as well as all the sides.". I request this meal and then ask them to please substitute a second quarter breast for the quarter leg because we only eat white meat. The call centre agent tells me that they are not able to do this because the value meal is priced at $23.99.  I explain that I understand that there will be some nominal fee for a 2nd breast but that is ok and I would definitely like them to make this substitution and charge me the difference.  She explains again that she is not able to do this because she cannot change the value meal at all.  I feel immediately like this is odd because I am certainly not the first person to request a substitution of this nature and I ask to speak to a supervisor. I get put on hold for 5 minutes and hang up.

 I call back and get a different call centre attendant who goes on to tell me the same thing. I express my disbelief and restate that I am certainly not the first person that has ever requested this, especially since it it the healthier choice ...and she continues to tell me that she cannot make the substitution.  When I ask to speak to a supervisor, she puts me on hold for approximately 3 minutes and comes back to tell me that her supervisor is busy.....wow...so I tell her nevermind and I about to hang up when she says that she can ring it in separately.  I inform her that I am certain that this won't add up to the same price as the value meal plus an extra charge for a 2nd breast substitution but she insists on checking.  So once she has it punched in, she tells me my total would be $35.99 ...instead of the original value meal price of $23.99 ...so a 12 dollar penalty for white meat? really???? I tell her to nevermind again and i hang up ...again.

In complete disbelief I decide to call Scores Kanata location to see if I can get some assistance. I inform the person that answers the phone of the issue I am having with the call centre and ask if it is possible for me to place an order there. He explains that although the food comes from there and I can get take out there, I can not get delivery from there. I again find myself asking to speak to a manager and again I am put on hold for a solid 5 minutes.  The person who answered the phone comes back and explains that their manager is busy as well and can't come to the phone. He asks if he can take my name and number and call me back.  Since I have just been told that I cannot get delivery from this number I assume a call back is quite pointless so I decline.

In a desperate last attempt I call the 310 delivery number again....I bite the bullet and just order it all separately and 50 dollars and 25 minutes later my order is in front of me.

So here are my questions.
1. Am I really the only person who has ever asked to have a leg quarter switched for a breast quarter?
2. If I am, shouldn't there be some way to accommodate a customer when the request is not extraordinary?  I didn't want the chicken breast glazed with gold and delivered by dancing Arabian horses!
3. Why on all of these occasions was a manager not available to solve this issue?
4. Will I ever choose Scores again.....doubtful...