Wannabe "Lost?"
It was inevitable that when ABC came up with the J.J. Abrams mystery smash, "Lost," that every other network would want something like it. Here now are the reports.
NBC's "Heroes." Far and away the best of the bunch, and if you aren't watching this, you are missing the show of the season. Personally, I equate this with the first year of "Lost," and that's some high praise after just three episodes!
The concept here is simple. A collection of people in different places on the planet are suddenly finding that they have "powers." These powers vary and are just being developed by the stunned individuals who have them, and they first use them to get themselves out of certain personal situations, then start discovering that maybe they need to use these powers for another reason... As an apparent nuclear attack hits New York City, and several forsee it. Now, they have to figure out how to stop it before it takes place.
Good cast, good acting, taut storytelling, nicely paced, and has logic to it, which is more than I can say for "Lost," nowadays.
CBS's "Jericho." I wanted to call this "'Lost' In America," but Albert Brooks would sue. The concept here is for some unknown reason, nuclear bombs are dropped on at least a couple of American cities (what's up with all the nuclear attacks, btw? Did Kim Jong-il write some scripts?) and the tiny town of Jericho, KS happened to be out of harm's way, for the most part. Now, the residents of this agrarian area must struggle to survive, watch out for Others that enter their area and deal with the remnants of mushrooms overhead.
It seems like this program is attempting to hit you emotionally, with the sense of what it would be like if our country were destroyed by an attack such as this, and if family members outside of the area were missing, so I find it a bit more schlocky. I can see how some might like it as much or even prefer it to "Heroes," but it's a matter of taste.
The CW's "Runaway." We're tagging along with the Raders, a very well to do family. The father was accused of murder and he was apparently set up, which would make proving his innocence extremely complicated. So, he grabs the family, makes them aliases/accessories to this crime, and sets off to find a new place to live where people don't know this dirty little secret and so he can find out the truth and clear his reputation. Thankfully, they have plenty of cash to keep them floating by, and are dealing with every new challenge as it comes. It's sort of fun to see Jack Bauer's late wife Leslie Hope as the mom in this series. I half expect Jack to turn up and save her from this craziness, but that isn't going to happen this time. She has to rely on the skills of Donnie Wahlberg?
Dealing with teen kids and a younger son provides some tension and comic relief, as the children have to remember their new names, and deal with losing their previous lives to help dad out, but there's a true sense that family is important and that message is loud and clear.
Overall, these shows are a better set of clones than I'm used to seeing when some massive smash comes along. In fact, I'd say give up "Lost" and start watching "Heroes!" At least you'll feel like you're getting closer to some sort of answers that the shows writers have concocted.
Grade time:
Heroes: A
Jericho: B-
Runaway: C+
NBC's "Heroes." Far and away the best of the bunch, and if you aren't watching this, you are missing the show of the season. Personally, I equate this with the first year of "Lost," and that's some high praise after just three episodes!
The concept here is simple. A collection of people in different places on the planet are suddenly finding that they have "powers." These powers vary and are just being developed by the stunned individuals who have them, and they first use them to get themselves out of certain personal situations, then start discovering that maybe they need to use these powers for another reason... As an apparent nuclear attack hits New York City, and several forsee it. Now, they have to figure out how to stop it before it takes place.
Good cast, good acting, taut storytelling, nicely paced, and has logic to it, which is more than I can say for "Lost," nowadays.
CBS's "Jericho." I wanted to call this "'Lost' In America," but Albert Brooks would sue. The concept here is for some unknown reason, nuclear bombs are dropped on at least a couple of American cities (what's up with all the nuclear attacks, btw? Did Kim Jong-il write some scripts?) and the tiny town of Jericho, KS happened to be out of harm's way, for the most part. Now, the residents of this agrarian area must struggle to survive, watch out for Others that enter their area and deal with the remnants of mushrooms overhead.
It seems like this program is attempting to hit you emotionally, with the sense of what it would be like if our country were destroyed by an attack such as this, and if family members outside of the area were missing, so I find it a bit more schlocky. I can see how some might like it as much or even prefer it to "Heroes," but it's a matter of taste.
The CW's "Runaway." We're tagging along with the Raders, a very well to do family. The father was accused of murder and he was apparently set up, which would make proving his innocence extremely complicated. So, he grabs the family, makes them aliases/accessories to this crime, and sets off to find a new place to live where people don't know this dirty little secret and so he can find out the truth and clear his reputation. Thankfully, they have plenty of cash to keep them floating by, and are dealing with every new challenge as it comes. It's sort of fun to see Jack Bauer's late wife Leslie Hope as the mom in this series. I half expect Jack to turn up and save her from this craziness, but that isn't going to happen this time. She has to rely on the skills of Donnie Wahlberg?
Dealing with teen kids and a younger son provides some tension and comic relief, as the children have to remember their new names, and deal with losing their previous lives to help dad out, but there's a true sense that family is important and that message is loud and clear.
Overall, these shows are a better set of clones than I'm used to seeing when some massive smash comes along. In fact, I'd say give up "Lost" and start watching "Heroes!" At least you'll feel like you're getting closer to some sort of answers that the shows writers have concocted.
Grade time:
Heroes: A
Jericho: B-
Runaway: C+