You probably heard that ABC's V premiere got off to a big start in the ratings. In fact, it was the biggest drama series premiere of the season, seen by 14.3 million viewers and netting a 5.2 rating among adults 18-49. What does all that mean? To me, it says that even without the skywriting promotion that was canned, ABC marketing had raised awareness and drew the curious, the sci-fi fans, the nostalgic and a few more watchers for the launch.
Despite the big number, there's a good chance that V will sink in future outings because viewers like me were not hooked. I wanted to fall in like/love, but it didn't happen. Here's five reasons why:
Did you miss the series premiere of V last week? If so, no need to despair, because it's on SlashControl and I've embedded it below. The show scored good ratings, and Jason had great things to say about the premiere, noting some similarities to Battlestar Galactica. He was also glad to see how the writers updated the storyline from the classic 1980s miniseries.
"I wasn't sure how they could modify the storylines from the series I remembered to accurately find parallels to our war on terrorism, and the terrorist movements themselves, but they did," writes Jason. "And they did it all while staying true to the struggles and fears that's kept the original series fresh in our minds for 26 years now."
Have the Visitors arrived on Earth with a message of peace? Time will tell, but not before they fully and irretrievably embed themselves into our society.
(S01E07) You know, even without Dominic Monaghan appearing (save for one scene), this episode really captured my attention. There was some further development in the blue hand case, but for the most part it was about the people of the cast and how they're dealing with their lives at this point between the blackouts and the time of their visions.
Since the beginning, I've been waiting to find some confirmation as to whether these were inevitable futures, or just possible futures. And every week, I got more and more proof that it just seems like they're racing toward these inevitable destinies. Even the contradicting visions, like Zoey's vision of her wedding with Demetri, and his lack-of-vision left room for interpretation: she was a bit away from him on that beach.
But really, this episode was about Al Gough. We finally got to see the rest of his vision, and it's a doozy. Plus, Fiona showed up in the Los Angeles office, where she and Al meet again ... for the first time.
First let me say that Modern Family is a good show. Let me repeat that in italics, bold and with asterisks around it so it stands out even more: *Modern Family is a good show.*
But the reason why I say it's "overrated" is because I've been hearing from various critics that they not only think it's great, but it's going to be on their list of the top ten TV shows of 2009. And that's where the overrated part comes in.
(S01E06) Something big is going to happen with Axl, and I can't wait for it. Yes, he's doing the same bored, sleeping, lazy teenager act that we've seen a million times before, but I like the way he works off of both Neil Flynn and Patricia Heaton. And I think there's real potential for him to break out into something unique; like when he put his clothes on for the bus in two seconds.
The writers have already crafted both Brick and Sue into wholly unique, and bizarre, children. By comparison the only thing odd about Axl so far is his name. He's just so ... ordinary! Ordinary was enough, though, for him to be part of a pretty funny storyline that pitted him at odds with his father.
It also makes me terrified of the upcoming teen years. Maybe I'll just ship mine out to some other family to deal with. Maybe he can move to Orson, Indiana and I'll just let Mike and Frankie take care of him. Better send him with an extra coat. You never know when a door might go missing.
The cast of ABC's new sci-fi drama V have nothing to worry about. That is if you don't count the fact that the show just replaced their showrunner, got caught launching a sneaky skywriting campaign and opened with a "split launch."
Last night's episode got off to an "out of this world" start scoring a 5.0 rating and a 13 share of 13.9 million viewers. It gave ABC its highest rating among 18-34 year-olds in three years for its timeslot since 2004's Lost. I guess you could say they had a really successful "launch" and the show really "took off." (Insert rimshot here.)
Of course, this is just the opening episode and could be the result of successful marketing. Do you think V's winning streak will last?
The show will air on Wednesday, November 18, at 10 p.m. (Eastwick will be pre-empted). The interesting thing about the timing is that Janet's new CD compilation, a double set of her hit songs called Number Ones, will be released on November 17
The "Ask TV Squad" column, published every Wednesday, answers your questions about current and past TV shows, as well as about the celebrities appearing on TV. Every week, I will pick a question (or more) sent to us and provide answers in the column. If your question is not picked for a column, it may be answered in a subsequent column or in TV Squad's APB Podcast.
To submit questions to the "Ask TV Squad" column, you can post them below in comments or email them to asktvsquad@gmail.com.
This week, I answer questions about Ghost Whisperer, How to Make It in America and Better Off Ted.
(S01E01) We were promised a modern re-imagining of the classic '80s V mini-series, and that's exactly what we got. Gone were the allusions to World War II Nazism and the treatment of Jews in Europe. Instead, we're offered allusions to the war we've been fighting for eight years now.
I wasn't sure how they could modify the storylines from the series I remembered to accurately find parallels to our war on terrorism, and the terrorist movements themselves, but they did. And they did it all while staying true to the struggles and fears that's kept the original series fresh in our minds for 26 years now.
Even better, I watched this with my 10-year old son who's never seen the original, and he was absolutely riveted. Everything I loved about V back then is here, and there's so much more to get excited about. I always thought V should be an ongoing series, and even though we eventually got one, I think this time they've finally got it right.
Choosing these two guys, however, is not complicated. It's actually pretty damn clever. Both men are very funny, very comfortable in the moment -- a necessity for a complicated show like the Oscars when anything can go wrong -- and they bring a lot of good will and star power to the proceedings.
Attention, attention! This is not a joke. It's not a spoof or a gag. Kathy Griffin will host a dance show for ABC. That's right, the funny lady of Bravo's My Life on the D-List, has said yes to hosting Let's Dance, a new celebrity reality show in which stars compete with one another by re-creating classic routines from pop culture. That means someone is going to try and do Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" dance from Motown's 25th Anniversary Special, don't you think?
I am not a Dancing With the Stars fan, but this show sounds like something I'd be interested in watching for a couple of reason. Number one is Kathy Griffin. I think she's hilarious. She also loves celebrities, so I could see her really getting into this show and being the perfect built-in zingmeister. She'll say whatever comes to her mind, and -- fortunately -- that's usually pretty funny.
My first thought whenever O'Reilly visits The View is Joy Behar. She always looks like she'd rather be anywhere else but sitting next to him. But I suppose she puts up with it -- and has no choice in the matter -- because O'Reilly and Barbara Walters have been friends for a long time, and Barbara, of course, has the final say on who gets on the show and who doesn't.
This is all speculation, of course. I have no idea what goes on behind the scenes. Just reading the body language, which I've learned a little about while watching Tonya Reiman on O'Reilly's Fox show, The O'Reilly Factor.
The Wall Street Journal's All Things Digital blog is reporting that Apple is having meetings with TV networks to see if they'd be interested in having their programs available on iTunes in a deal where viewers would pay a monthly flat fee to watch the shows.
Obviously, many networks already offer various shows on iTunes, but this would be a scenario where Mac and PC users of iTunes would pay a $30 a month subscription in order to watch TV shows. And that would be all shows, not just paying for each show that you want to watch.
One last Halloween post. Bill O'Reilly appeared on The View on Friday, dressed as Dracula. It's a basic costume, but it suits him. Of course, the talk turned to the Fox News vs. the White House story, and then O'Reilly, for some bizarre reason, calls Whoopi "jealous" because he has a best-selling book. But what's equally odd is Whoopi's response, where she lists the awards she has won. I think that has been boiling inside her for a while (that part happens about 7:48 in).
And what's with all the weird mugging and looking around that Whoopi is doing? She's actually kinda of an odd person, isn't she?
(S01E07) You know, even without Dominic Monaghan appearing (save for one scene), this episode really captured my attention. There was some further development in the blue hand case, but for the most part it was about the people of the cast and how they're dealing with their lives at this point between the blackouts and the time of their visions.
The cast of ABC's new sci-fi drama V have nothing to worry about. That is if you don't count the fact that the show just replaced their 
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Attention, attention! This is not a joke. It's not a spoof or a gag. 
It's always fun when Bill O'Reilly visits 
The Wall Street Journal's All Things Digital blog is reporting that Apple is having meetings with TV networks to see if they'd be interested in having their programs available on iTunes in a deal where viewers would pay a monthly flat fee to watch the shows. 
The TV Squad Podcast: Linda Purl talks about The Office, we talk spoilers, and more
Ask TV Squad: Ghost Whisperer and more!
The TV Squad Podcast: Bill Scheft of The Late Show, Cake Boss, Mad Men and more
