Sci-Fi News and Reviews

2008 Fall Sci-Fi - NBC

NBC is the current king of network Sci-Fi. They have the most offerings, the most varied offerings and heck, their parent company owns the SCI FI Channel. So, when Ben Silverman, NBC's co-chairman of entertainment and Universal Media Studios, promised to "bring sexy back" to the network, he must mean chicks in chainmail and good-looking superheroes!

Let's get right into the schedule:

Returning Shows
Both "Chuck" and "Heroes" are back on Monday nights this fall. I have to say that, by the end of the season, I was actually enjoying "Chuck" more than "Heroes". It's smart, it's funny and you should be watching - really! "Medium" will also be back later in the year.

"Bionic Woman" and "Journeyman" both were cancelled. I couldn't really get into either show, although I thought "Journeyman" at least deserved a second season to see how it matured. "Bionic Woman" was just an experiment that failed.

New Shows
NBC has slated a slew of new genre offerings. Some of these look pretty solid!

"Knight Rider"
Last season's miniseries was a ratings hit, so you had to know this was coming. But, it wasn't really very good. I don't have high hopes for this series - but there are some signs that "Knight Rider" actually might not suck.

NBC has hired "The Fast and the Furious" vet Gary Scott Thompson as the showrunner. So, he's got the car chase thing down. The second, and more important item, is that his direction for the series has been reported as "a whole new route". He is also quoted as saying that miniseries did not advance anything about the mythos of the show and the series would need to be reinvented.

So, there is a chance that this could actually be good. Here's hoping.

"My Own Worst Enemy"
Christian Slater stars in this Dr.Jekyll/Mr. Hyde story of a guy with two personalities - one, a typical surburban husband and father, and the other a trained killer. Of course, the division between these personalities will start to break down. I suppose this might be decent, as Slater does good work. I'll have to see more before I make a full judgement.

"Crusoe"
This one might be interesting. It's a Robinson Crusoe story, which is being described as "...equal parts 'MacGyver', 'Cast Away' and 'Pirates of the Caribbean'". I'm not exactly sure how those shows mix (and I heard there will be a "Friday" and I don't think it's a soccer ball), but it will be worth checking out.

"Kings"
This is not included on most Sci-Fi lists. But, when I read that "Kings" "...is an exploration of the timeless David-versus-Goliath struggle" and "...a brave young soldier, rescues the king's son from enemy territory, he sets events in motion that will finally bring peace", I think alternative, speculative fiction - and that counts under my Sci-Fi banner.

That said, "Kings" will need an awesome amount promotion to get me to watch. It sounds like a soap opera to me.

"Merlin"
I am a sucker for sword-and-sorcery type fare, so "Merlin" was instantly on my must-see list. It's set in Camelot and is the story of two young men - Merlin and Arthur. Anthony Head (Giles from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer") is a cast member, so that just adds to my anticipation.

I just hope it's good!

"The Listener"
A paramedic who can read minds is the focus of this drama. I am slightly intrigued, since the release states that "...it balances high-stakes drama with irreverent humor." I could like that. I'll give it a tentative slot on my TiVo

The Outlook
Nine Sci-Fi shows (by my count) is pretty sweet. If "Chuck" and "Heroes" can maintain their quality, NBC could be getting a majority of my viewing time. That's good!

However, I could see *all* of these shows getting cancelled in one season. Realistically, I am betting on two of these new offerings to make it. My guesses are "Merlin" and "The Listener", although "Knight Rider" has an advantage with it's built-in viewership (course, that didn't help "Bionic Woman").

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Posted by Fred on May 23, 2008 11:05 AM
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