I'll have the full review of the first episode of The Nine when it premieres later this week (Wednesday night at 10, after Lost), but I wanted to tell you the 10 things I jotted down as I watched it.
1. This show isn't just "involving," it's mesmerizing, and that's unbelievably rare on television.
2. The cast is like a greatest hits of television from the past 10-15 years: Tim Daly (Wings, The Fugitive, Eyes), John Billingsley (Star Trek: Enterprise), Scott Wolf (Party of Five), Tom Verica (American Dreams, Will and Grace, Central Park West), Chi McBride (Boston Public, House), Kim Raver (24, Third Watch), and others. The cast is so good it's scary.
3. It's the type of drama that will actually make you say "I can't look at ordinary dramas the same way again."
4. This show is everything that Six Degrees wishes is was (and isn't): a show about complete strangers who find themselves interacting in ways they couldn't have expected and how little things you do or say can have a huge effect on you and others.
5. The Nine has a lot in common with Lost, especially a brilliant use of flashbacks that add a whole new dimension to the story.
6. It's amazing how a good cast, good writing, and great direction can almost instantly insure great quality. Even after this one episode, you're going to say, "wow, this is better than most of the stuff on TV right now." After one episode, I care more about these people than anyone on any of the CSIs or Law and Orders.
7. Maybe banks that charge you for using a teller instead of the ATM are a good thing after all (I'll explain more about that in my review).
8. If there's any justice in the world, this is the show that people will talk about around the water cooler the next day, the show people will e-mail each other about, the show that will make you think about what you would do in that same situation.
9. The whole goal of this show is for viewers to say "I really want to stick with this show to see what happened those 52 hours in the bank," and boy, have they succeeded.
10. This better be a hit, because Tim Daly deserves one. It's on after Lost, so there's a great chance.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-02-2006 @ 1:03PM
Jeremy Lacey said...
i think you mean star trek: enterprise as far as john billingsley's trek experience goes... but yes i cannot wait for this show!
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10-02-2006 @ 1:04PM
Heather said...
This is actually one of the only new shows i'm looking forward to seeing. Thanks for the early look! Now i'm really excited about seeing it!
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10-02-2006 @ 1:15PM
Jimmy said...
There were few new shows I've been eagerly waiting to watch this season, but The Nine (along with Studio 60 and Heroes) is one of them. Everything I read tells me this is going to be a great show. I just hope it can live up to the hype.
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10-02-2006 @ 1:18PM
chuck said...
no idea what you see in this crap. i watched the pilot some weeks ago and didn't get it completely.
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10-02-2006 @ 1:39PM
Malfoy Roark said...
I watched the pilot as well, and I'm not sure what show is trying to accomplish. Is it going to focus on life after the EVENT(dont want to spoil it, not sure what the previews show) or is it going to focus on the things that happened during the EVENT. I don't think this show will be able to balance both. Hopefully in episode 2 itll sort all this out or I'll have to remove it from my hectic tv schedule.
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10-02-2006 @ 1:46PM
Sean Juan said...
I saw the pilot last month and I completely agree with you. Since I saw it, my friend and I keep asking "But what DID happen in there?"
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10-02-2006 @ 1:54PM
TuckerKatt said...
I agree with Chuck -- watched the first episode weeks ago and thought it was a cheap Lost ripoff with the flashbacks and the "we're going to tell you the story in tiny, tiny increments at a time" storytelling style. At the end of the episode I really didn't care 'what happened in there'.
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10-02-2006 @ 4:05PM
Brian said...
"... this is the show that people will talk about around the water cooler the next day, the show people will e-mail each other about, the show that will make you think about what you would do in that same situation."
Hasn't that show already aired? It was last week's Heroes if I'm not mistaken. :)
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10-02-2006 @ 4:14PM
Aaron said...
I agree with the comments on here of people that didn't like this show. I saw the pilot a few weeks ago so I could review it for my school paper. I felt the first little bit was good and interesting, but during the middle of the episode, I was completely disconnected from any of the characters. Most of them acted as if they didn't actually go through what they went through. It seemed very contrived. The cliff hanger at the end wasn't all the much of a cliff hanger to keep people interested in coming back. I just don't see what could've happened in that bank for 52 hours that really would be able to carry this show on for a whole season.
Aaron.
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10-02-2006 @ 5:20PM
Arc|Angel said...
I saw the pilot as well (like many of the less pleased people above). I thought it was great. The psychology of the show is bang on and looks to be opening up some really interesting drama opportunities. Clearly some things from the "event" are up for interpretation but seriously how could you not "get it" a lot of it is pretty clear. The show will be about the event to the degree that nine people because of a single moment have all been changed. It's that change that's going to be interesting.
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10-03-2006 @ 11:33AM
Xandra73 said...
I watched the pilot a couple of weeks ago. I'm a huge fan of Kim Raver and was really looking forward to it. I have to say the pilot was excellent. Especially the beginning and everything until after the hostage situation. The last part when they went back into their lives dragged a bit. And that what concerns me. That last part was a glimpse in what we will get from the show. Nine people and their lives after the bank robbery. And I'm not sure if that's what I want to see. I'm not that much into simple dramas. I need a good portion of action, mystery or something. I wonder if The Nine will have enough of this. The cliffhanger from the pilot was not very gripping in my opinion.
I always think it's funny that everyone compares The Nine with Lost, praising the flashbacks. I have been under the impression that those flashbacks are the thing most Lost fans could live without. ;)
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10-02-2006 @ 8:22PM
Textbook Case said...
I'm suspicious because of your Studio 60 praise (I think it's outright awful), but I'm looking forward to this. Any Part of Five alumnus gets my viewership, and Matthew Fox is literally the only thing keeping me with Lost, I was done with it completely until I saw his 'crazy eyes' face before they put the bag on in the finale.
If I get even a shred of Bailey's alcoholism-downward-spiral acting I'm bound to love this.
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10-03-2006 @ 11:16AM
GRG said...
I thnk this show will be the newest hit of the season. It is blessed with positioning after Lost. I've seen the previews and read what I can find (great fan site at http://www.fidelityrepublic.com/ ) and am sure I will be watching it. One risk is that it does not start providing some answers relatively quickly, oar it will lose a lot of people. However, the premise is terrific - to extend dramas to the "Lost" type of genre.
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10-10-2006 @ 10:49PM
Lizbeth said...
I would PLEASE love to know if anyone knows the song and artist who sang (background) towards the end of the show. (first episode)
It is someone quite well known but i just can't put my finger on his name, and it is driving me..well...batty.
Can anyone help?
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10-27-2006 @ 11:36PM
famw said...
This is a good show that is getting better as it goes. The little teasers of the 3 days in the bank is what is keeping us wanting more. All the different plots lines are not confusing like some shows and the best thing about this show is IT'S NOT REALITY TV and it's GOOD TV!!!
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