This Week's Sign of the Apocalypse
The season finale of FLAVOR OF LOVE 2 was the highest rated show in VH1 history and the first run of the finale was watched by more than 33% of all African-American households even though it was on basic cable. Among all cable shows, FLAVOR OF LOVE 2 ranks second for the season behind FX's NIP/TUCK in the 18-34 demographic that advertisers love and networks base their rates on.
Think there will be a FLAVOR OF LOVE 3?
Handicapping the Fall TV Season So Far
Among new shows, these look like the surefire hits: Heroes, Shark, Brothers & Sisters.
New shows that should make it, but have underperformed: Help Me/Help You, Friday Night Lights, The Nine, The Game, 30 Rock.
New Shows on Life Support: Pretty much everything else. Viewers have stuck with the hits for the most part.
Already Cancelled: Happy Hour, Smith (which was one of the best new shows) and that CW show about the family of fugitives that I've already forgotten the name of. And, as of this morning, 'Til Death.
Most Likely to be Cancelled Next: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. NBC loves the demographics of the show (it draws the best educated, wealthiest audience on broadcast TV), but its an expensive show to produce that loses ratings every week and is on a third place network. Better luck next time Aaron Sorkin.
Best New Shows: Heroes (NBC) Frankly, nothing else is remotely close. It's the new "Lost".
Worst New Show: A lot of competition, but of the lot I've seen I'm going to nominate Twenty Good Years (NBC) with The Class (CBS) a close second.
Best Returning Series So Far: Battlestar Galactica (Sci Fi).
Most Disappointing Returning Series So Far: (tie)America's Next Top Model (CW), Law & Order (NBC).
The 200 Word or Less Review: The Departed
I don't want to say that Martin Scorsese's new crime potboiler The Departed is the best movie of the year (it isn't), but it's the best movie of 2006 since at least late spring and will definitely at this point finish in my Top Ten. Loosely based on a Hong Kong actioner called Infernal Affairs, Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio (doing his best acting since Gilbert Grape) play two cops masquerading as something they're not, one as a police mole in the employ of gangster Frank Costello (a scenery chewing Jack Nicholson), the other an undercover cop employed by Costello but trying to take his empire down. Lots of tension and cat-and-mouse games and plenty of blood--too much for the squeamish. My only minor complaints--some of the outdoor scenes are in front of obvious matte paintings (New York was used for Boston for a lot of the shooting) and the story could have revved up a little sooner, perhaps cutting that 150 minute running time slightly. Otherwise, it's well worth a trip to the theater. My Grade: A
I had more but I'm running out of gas...much like the Developed World! (Buy those Priuses people). Until next time...
Peace.
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