TVSquad

With a healthy stable of hits including The Shield, Rescue Me, Nip/Tuck, and Damages, you can easily make the argument that FX has a pretty good idea of what makes a good drama and what doesn't. Unfortunately, you can't say the same thing for comedies.

The cable network has scored a huge hit with It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (now in its fourth season), but they've had no other comedic successes. You might recall that when Sunny premiered back in the summer of 2005, it aired in tandem with FX's only other sitcom attempt, the Eric Schaeffer vehicle Starved. Personally, I thought Starved was a great show and deserved a second season but the ratings didn't justify it. The subject matter (eating disorders) probably didn't help either.

So after a long hiatus, FX is finally giving comedy another shot with Testees, a new sitcom from the mind of Kenny Hotz (Kenny vs. Spenny). I had a chance to see the pilot episode and after viewing it, I think it'll probably do OK.

(S01E01) "Just pretend it's carve-your-own steak night at Sizzler." - Jax

FX is taking a fairly big gamble with Sons of Anarchy. With their trademark drama The Shield ending its seven season run this fall and their other two big hits (Damages and Rescue Me) pushed to 2009 because of the WGA Strike, the network is in dire need of some fresh buzz. The one thing they have going for them? Even FX's previous flops (Dirt, Starved, Over There, Thief) were better than a lot of other things on TV and Sons of Anarchy certainly fits that mold. Once the fall season is in full swing, the only network competition will be CSI: NY, as I don't see Lipstick Jungle or Dirty Sexy Money getting in the way. Sons has the potential to do well. It'll just rest on creator Kurt Sutter and how he plans to make the show appealing beyond this pilot episode.

You're going to hear a lot of things about FX's new motorcycle club drama Sons of Anarchy. It's different, it's edgy, and it covers a fairly taboo topic that, up to now, hasn't really been addressed in a TV drama.

However, strip away the leather jackets and exhaust fumes and you're looking at something we have seen before: Sons of Anarchy is The Sopranos on Harleys. You've got your powerful crime family, illegal gun smuggling, rival gangs, conspiracy, and for good measure? Drea de Matteo (of Sopranos fame) plays a crank addict. Trade the crank for blow and we've seen that before too.

Obviously I'm not going to go into an entire review of this episode of Dexter, as we've already done that once during the show's premiere on Showtime. Also, I gave my thoughts on the CBS version of the series last week. However, I do want to open up a post for newcomers to the series to discuss their thoughts.

I have to wonder if this move by CBS will result in more subscriptions to Showtime once viewers have been hooked, bought the season one and two DVDs and have caught up with things before the show picks up again later this year (I think).

Are you going to keep tuning in? Were you as blown away by the series premiere as we were? Let yourself be heard in the comments.

(S01E01) TV Squad has already done an early look at this series. What follows is a more in-depth review of the pilot episode.

To recap, the episode begins in 1999. It takes place between the second and third movies in the franchise. Sarah Connor (played by Lena Headey) and her son John Connor (played by Thomas Dekker) are on the run from the future.

In the future, John Connor saves mankind from a supercomputer called Skynet that was built by a human creator and financed by the military. Shortly after going online, Skynet became hellbent on making the human race extinct. Unfortunately, future John wasn't able to finish the job before Skynet invented a working time machine. Skynet also uses cyborg foot soldiers called Terminators to do its dirty work.

Sarah and John have to be careful not to leave any clues to their location while they're on the run from both the law and the future. If they do, at best they'll be arrested. At worst, Skynet can find them and send Terminators back in time to kill John before he saves the world.

Episode spoilers after the jump...

(S01E01) Los Angeles and Toronto -- two cities that I will probably never end up moving into or near. Why? Because of the dense population of vampires that make those cities their home. I could understand Toronto: it's cold and gloomy in the winter and you can transverse the city through a myriad of underground passageways. But, Los Angeles? The place is sunny for most of the year. Why the hell would a vampire want to move there? Frankly I would think Seattle would be a better city to live in, or one of those towns up in Northern Alaska. I mean, those places don't see the sun for months at a time. What a perfect location for a vampire to live!

Now that I got that out of my system let's talk about the first episode of the new CBS supernatural drama Moonlight. If you read my early look of this show you could see that I wasn't really enamored with the program. Besides the fact that the acting was sub-par and the featured crime was something you would see on any standard criminal procedural, the whole thing just left me empty.

(S01E01) After posting my early look at this new NBC procedural crime drama, reading your comments, and thinking about Charlie Crews in general, I have come to the belief that Life may actually have a chance this season. Not because of the crimes he and Detective Dani Reese solve -- hey, a murder is a murder is a murder. Not because of Charlie's mix of innocence and quirkiness. I think what is going to keep people tuning into the program is the whole sub-plot of the series: trying to find out who the heck framed Charlie for the murder of three people.

(S01E01) "My mom and dad sold my soul to the Devil and now I'm his indentured servant. How crazy is that?"

Reaper is a show that would be easy for the casual fan to dismiss. To start, it's on The CW. While the network has been responsible for a lot of good television, just being on the network is a strike against a show for many viewers. Adding to that is the premise. When you try and tell somebody, "It's about a guy who finds out on his 21st birthday that his parents sold his soul to the devil." you can see their interest start to wane right before your eyes. "Wait, wait, there's more..." All in all, it's a tough sell. And that's a unfortunate, because it just might be the best new show of the season.

SPOILERS AHEAD!!! DO NOT READ ANY FARTHER IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THE NEW SEASON OF SVU!!!!

The big news about the season premiere of NBC's Law & Order: SVU is not that it is the show's 9th season, or the fact that Cynthia Nixon guest-stars in a pretty chilling role. The big news is that Mariska Hargitay cut her hair! How could she? Frankly, I loved her long locks.

But, I guess that she didn't, and they seem to be back to pre-season 7 length (don't ask me how I know this). Plus, even after the events of last season's finale, her character Olivia Benson still seems to be partnered with Detective Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni). From the promo you'll see after the jump, they'll need to work very closely together.

Title: Encounter At Farpoint (Part II)
Original Air Date: September 28, 1987
Written By: D.C. Fontana and Gene Roddenberry
Directed by: Corey Allen
Episode: S01E02
Stardate: 41174.2

Synopsis: When we last left our heroes, the Enterprise had just entered orbit around planet Deneb IV, so that's a pretty good place to pick up the action, as an Excelsior class ship (in this case the USS Hood) pulls away from the Enterprise, giving us a sense of just how goddamn big this spaceship is. It's a cool shot -- so cool, in fact, we reused it about 900 times over the duration of the series, with different planets (or no planet at all) put into the background.

Picard walks onto the bridge, and before he can find out the Hood's reply to his taunt bon voyage, mon ami (which loosely translates into "suck my balls, assmaster" in 24th century starship captain slang), Q appears on the main viewscreen. Worf leaps to his feet, propelled by his Klingon instincts, and draws his phaser. Luckily, before he can fire, Picard (and the entire audience) point out that all he's going to do there is blast a hole in the main viewscreen. (It is at this very moment that the Big Dumb Stupid Old Worf drinking game is born, one of the only Star Trek drinking games to span two series and at least four movies.) Q gives Picard 24 hours to have his Encounter at Farpoint, or be summarily judged by Captain Q's Kangaroo Court, where he faces death beneath an avalanche of ping pong balls.

Eleven of the 24 hours pass, and we find Riker and Picard getting ready to head down to the planet to meet Groppler Zorn, and have some of those tasty-but-mysterious apples Riker keeps ranting about. Picard then introduces Riker to the ship's counselor. As she walks down toward them, she projects some of her thoughts into Riker's mind, and calls him "Imzadi," which is Betazoid for "Backstory red herring that never really goes anywhere for seven years but finally pays off (sort of) in the last movie when Riker gets Worf's sloppy seconds, but let's not go there because 'ew gross.'"

They all head into the turbolift, and Picard says, "Hey, I think it's great that you guys know each other, because it's important for my key officers to know each other's abilities." Troi says, "We do, sir," and Riker and Picard subtly high-five each other as the turbolift doors close.

(S01E01) I'm not sure how I feel about this show. It's not bad. It's not good either. It's just there, wallowing in a sea of blandness. Honestly, what was so creative about this show that it deserved to get made? Maybe there's some sharp writing in upcoming episodes that wasn't displayed here. Which would be understandable of course. It is the pilot episode and you need to explain what the show is all about: four high school friends reuniting under unusual circumstances. That's a unique idea... right? Not even close.

(S01E01) I think I may be the minority here. I've read a handful of other reviews for Dirt and I think I'm one of the few who actually thinks it's worth watching. I realize it isn't the best show but realistically it'll follow in the footsteps of Over*There and Starved -- two other very well done FX series that just didn't seem to find the viewers. Look on the bright side though: FX could have aired nothing new on Tuesday nights. At least there's something fresh until The Shield returns.

Rather than just repeat myself, most of my thoughts about the pilot are laid out in this preview post I put up a few weeks ago. Dirt has potential if it's done right but my guess is that it won't be handled properly. Brian Lowry over at Variety makes some excellent points about what's wrong and if certain things change then Dirt will definitely climb higher on my list. He suggests that if Don weren't so far out there as a character and if publicists had a larger role on the show, it would feel a lot different. Better? Hard to say, but definitely different.

There are certainly far worse things on television and Tuesdays are sparse for me anyway. So I'll be posting about Dirt every week. I want to know what other TV viewers think though. Will you stick with it or is this something you won't waste your time on? I'd suggest at least sticking it out until the third episode. If you weren't impressed with tonight's pilot, it definitely picks up after that. Let me know what you think in the comments.

J-Lo is the new Debbie Allen. Just like Allen before her, J-Lo is ushering young dance hopefuls into the television limelight. Unlike Debbie Allen, who played Ms. Grant on Fame, J-Lo will not be giving the following speech on MTV's Dancelife: "You want fame? Well, fame costs, and right here, is where you start paying - in sweat."

Lopez, who started out as a fly girl on In Livin' Color and wound up a one-woman corporation, is the producer of MTV's latest reality series - Dancelife, premiering on January 15th. The series follows the story of six dancers looking to make it big in the rough and tumble world of professional dance. You can read the stars' bios online, and an extended preview video has cropped up on YouTube. The series looks like it falls on the Laguna Beach-end of the reality show spectrum - more soap opera than competition. At least, the show's stars have more talent than your average Laguna Beach high schooler or Twentyfourseven party promoter. Now, if only I could "remember, remember, remember their names."

(S01E01) The other day, I gave an extensive review of the Ugly Betty pilot. But after the jump, I'm going to talk about a few of the details in the pilot that I didn't want to discuss in the preview, lest I reveal some mild spoilers. Suffice to say, the show's gotten me interested (which is less than "hooked," but more than "feh, I couldn't care less.").

I think I'm reading too much into this, but it's still fun. Pictured above is some desktop wallpaper from Showtime's new original series Dexter. I was looking at it and wondered if there were any hidden clues about the upcoming premiere season. I know CSI did something like that to pump last year's season finale but that was an actual promo poster and this is just plain ol' wallpaper. Regardless, there's still a lot going on in the picture. There's a guy in the second floor window, the three women gathered around something (someone?), police lines blocking off the sidewalk, and what appears to be a couple of shirtless men to the far right. You can see the full size image here. Anyone else think there might be something more to this? It just looks like one of those pictures that has some kind of hidden message...