On the verge
It’s time to dust off your TV remotes, as this week the first wave of shows post-Writers Guild strike premiere. Many of them are old favorites, like ‘The Office’ and ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ but also returning are shows that, at least as of strike time, were flying below many viewers’ radars. Most are beloved by critics but not by the majority of the public, which is undeserved in most cases. Here are a few hidden gems out in TV Land that merit more fans.
’30 Rock’
Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. on NBC
Basic premise: Liz Lemon (Tina Fey) is the neurotic head writer for a fictional ‘Saturday Night Live’ type show staring the crazy Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan). Liz lives the glamorous lifestyle of a TV writer trying to control her writers, actors and her Condoleezza Rice-dating, Ann Coulter-birthday party attendee boss Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin).
Why no one is watching: Unfortunately, ’30 Rock’ premiered around the same time as the behemoth Aaron Sorkin hype machine that was ‘Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip’ and they were basically the same show. But ‘Studio 60’ and Matthew Perry’s post-‘Friends’ career flopped, and ’30 Rock’ survived, though it has yet to find a large following.
Why you should watch: Fey is arguably one of the best comediennes out there, and ’30 Rock’ has enough witty dialogue and obscure pop-culture references to satisfy fans of ‘smart comedy.’ Baldwin is spot-on as slick business-focused boss, and there hasn’t been a more hilariously na’ve character than Jack McBrayer as Kenneth the Page.
Fun fact: Fey had to leave her job as a writer on ‘Saturday Night Live’ to write and star in ’30 Rock.’
‘How I Met Your Mother’
Mondays at 8:30 p.m. on CBS
Basic premise: Each episode opens up with Ted Mosby (Josh Radnor) telling his kids a story related to how he met their mother. This smarter-than-average sitcom focuses on Ted’s friends Lily, Marshall, Robin and Barney, played by Doogie Houser himself (Neil Patrick Harris). Lily and Marshall are engaged, while Ted and Robin have an on-again, off-again thing that leaves many viewers speculating if she is the mother.
Why no one is watching: The show hasn’t had a stable time slot during its three seasons, and CBS is known more for its slapstick physical comedy shows like ‘Two and a Half Men.’
Why you should watch: Harris’ Barney is an entertaining foil to the rest of the characters as a womanizing magic enthusiast with a love for the phrase ‘Suit up!’ Lily and Marshall make an adorable, non-obnoxious couple who balance out the singles’ antics.
Fun fact: The narrator at the beginning is the one and only ‘Full House’ star/raunchy comedian Bob Saget.
‘Gossip Girl’
Mondays at 8 p.m. on The CW
Basic premise: The mysterious blogger Gossip Girl follows the activities of rich kids in New York City’s Upper East Side, from their drinking, to their parties to their hookups. Serena, the bad girl turned good, takes a chance with Dan, the outsider from (gasp) Brooklyn. Snobby Blair rules over everyone, causing girls to worship her, and good-guy Nate and evil scarf-donning Chuck to fall all over her.
Why no one is watching: The CW is a bizarre network that promotes the hell out of some shows and virtually ignores others. ‘Gossip Girl’ is somewhere in the middle. Because the show has no real star power, it gained most of the viewers it has from word of mouth.
Why you should watch: Written by ‘The O.C.’ creator Josh Schwartz, ‘Gossip Girl’ shows superior writing and better acting despite a cast of unknowns – so far. (Remember the difference between the first and the rest of the seasons of ‘The O.C.?’ Night and day.) Ed Westwick’s slightly vulnerable but mostly evil take on villain Chuck keeps things entertaining, while the sickeningly sweet romance between ‘It Girl’ Serena and outsider Dan somehow hasn’t managed to turn sour.
Fun fact: ‘Gossip Girl’ was originally supposed to be adapted as a movie starring Lindsay Lohan as Blair. Thank God this franchise was saved from the curse of the Lohan.
‘Battlestar Galactica’
Fridays at 10 p.m. on Sci-Fi Channel
Basic premise: What started as a series in the late 1970s became a mini-series in 2003 and is finally the show that airs now on Sci-Fi. The current show follows the journey of the last surviving humans from the Twelve Colonies of Kobol after a nuclear attack by the Cylons, who are still going after the survivors.
Why no one is watching: First of all, it’s on cable, which automatically cuts out a pretty big chunk of audience. Second of all, a sci-fi show inherently comes with a smaller niche audience of, well, geeks.
Why you should watch: Rated No. 2 in Entertainment Weekly’s ‘Best 25 Science Fiction’ shows and an Emmy award winner, ‘Battlestar Galactica’ is a daring metaphor for the war on terror, even tackling a prisoner-torture scandal that left critics and audiences talking.
Fun fact: Sheets of paper in the show’s scenes have the corners cut off. The director did this during the miniseries as a reference to how he had to ‘cut corners’ financially to create the show.
Published on April 6, 2008 at 12:00 pm
