Unless their call letters are CBS, networks seem to be
having a harder and harder time producing hit television shows. As the networks continue to decide just how
many singing shows and dancing programs audiences will watch, they also have to
try to develop scripted programs people will actually care about. ABC and NBC, the third and fourth ranked
networks, have gone down a road both familiar and yet original in their attempt
to gather viewers. Both are bringing us
programs based on childhood fairy tales, with completely different takes.
Once Upon A Time
(Sundays, 7pm, ABC)
Starring Ginnifer Goodwin, Logan
Morrison, Lana Parilla, Robert Carlyle
ABC is bringing us this little gem about a modern New
England town basically locked in time although its residents are
unaware. With familiar characters such
as Snow White, Prince Charming, Jiminy Cricket, and or course, the Wicked
Queen, Once Upon A Time, flashes
between these favorites’ lives now and their past. The kicker is that no one (but the Queen) remembers
their shared past. The program bounces
back and forth, giving us the back story of some of our favorite characters and
what is unfolding in their lives now. We
get to see what really happened after happily ever after.
Of course, there is a chosen one – a person who is the key
to unlocking the secrets and memories of times long pass and how everyone got
to the modern world. The Wicked Queen
(the town mayor in the present) has no interest in her townspeople learning
about their past. It is her curse that
set the whole thing in motion in the first place.
Well acted and well written, this show is entertainment at
its best. I actually enjoy the back
story more than the present setting. It
looks to me as if the actors also enjoy the fairy tales times. Information is
slowly doled out about the past folk lore so we get to know our beloved
characters at a far better depth than any of the written stories. The present day story is unfolding to set up
the memories when they return to Snow White and Company.
Once Upon A Time is
definitely worth a look. It has a
comfortable feel that is fun and interesting.
I find myself more entranced that I care to admit.
Grimm (Fridays, 8pm, NBC)
Starring David Giuntoli, Russell Hornsby, Silas Weir
Mitchell
Grimm has a darker
overall tome than its ABC counterpart.
It is a cross between a normal police procedural and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It integrates normal crimes and beloved
stories like Red Riding Hood and The Three Bears. The lead character is a detective and a
grimm, someone who hunts and kills creatures like wolves, bears, and bees, much
like Buffy hunted the undead.
The tone was especially dark and stiff in the pilot but has
lightened up slightly in subsequent episodes with a nice dab of levity here and
there. It was a good change. The cops are likeable and are growing into
their roles with each episode. This show
could have been much campier than it is and I guess it could slip to that level
if the writers aren’t careful. For now
though, think of it as a cop show with a cool twist.
As long as NBC keeps the camp factor at a minimum and the
show keeps improving, NBC could have a keeper.
The main story line needs to be constantly developed and moved
forward. The program could easily be
messed up and NBC needs to be constantly vigilant but it is mysterious enough
to keep me entertained for an hour. If
you like cop shows, give Grimm a
chance to show you that investigations can be more than what you are used to.
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