'Oboe Cop' is back and has received advance rough cut copies of the pilot episodes for NBC's three big Fall show premieres. Here's some short reviews:
Studio 60 This cut looked pretty polished, and barring any serious competition, this show will be a hit. At least for a while. It has a pace and style that are definitely Aaron Sorkin, and the ensemble cast works well together. Matthew Perry gets to flex his acting chops a bit more here it seems, while still retaining some of the comedic talent that made him popular on 'Friends.' Amanda Peet and Stephen Weber both put in strong performances. Though I never really watched West Wing much, Bradley Whitford's character seems very similar to what he did on that show.
30 Rock You can definitely tell this is still a rough cut. Or at least I hope so. The pacing of this show seems a bit off. It is funny no doubt, and the writing is solid - it's Tina Fey (duh)! She does a good job in the lead role as well, and Alec Baldwin looks like he is just having a blast the entire time. The biggest character problem seems to be Tracy Morgan's character. He acts a bit too outrageous to be believable, although they are trying to establish the fact that his character is mentally unstable. I think a bit more creative editing can make this show smoother and easier to watch. The biggest problem I think this show will face is that the humor may be too sophisticated for US audiences - much like Arrested Development and Scrubs.
Heroes I did not hold out much hope for this show, and even though the pilot impressed me, I'm not sure how long it will last. The show deals with an ensemble of characters from a variety of backgrounds who slowly discover that they have super powers. Despite the obvious fact that the cultural makeup of the cast of Lost is copied (as well as the interconnected-ness of all of them, despite being from all parts of the world), the characters are endearing and you do become invested in them by the end of the episode. The show does remind me a bit of the movie 'Unbreakable' in the way the people discover their powers, though at an obviously accelerated pace. I can easily see the Japanese character of Hiro becoming famous in a William Hung sort of way.
