Pensamientos Acerca de Televisión

Young Sheldon: "Pilot"

Many people smarter than me have noted the difficulty of creating a prequel to an older TV series and as you might guess, the Big Bang Theory prequel Young Sheldon is no exception. As others have noted, it's hard to tell a story when most of your potential audience already knows what happens to the main character and it doesn't help that the character of Sheldon Cooper wasn't terribly complex to begin with.

This is not to say that the show is not without its merits. Actress Zoe Perry does a wonderful show of portraying a younger version of her mother Laurie Metcalf's character on the original Big Bang Theory and actress Raegan Revord -- who plays Sheldon's twin sister Missy -- has her moments. I also found it nice to see Annie Potts appear on subsequent episodes in the role of Sheldon's maternal grandmother. Lance Barber also deserves some credit for doing the best he can with the rather thankless role of Sheldon's father.

Apart from that, I found the plot to be about as formulaic as that of the original Big Bang Theory. But then I suspect most of the audience for these two shows don't watch them for the plot.

Pensamientos Acerca de Televisión

Will and Grace: “Eleven Years Later”

Will Truman has gray hair. That's the detail I most noticed in the first episode of the new season of Will and Grace, a valiant attempt to revive a series that really doesn't need to be revived.

Indeed, as nice as it was to see the old gang again, I couldn't help but find something sad about the whole effort. After all, when the series ended, both title characters were in steady relationships. Now as the new season began, they weren't. Will was between boyfriends and Grace was divorced. And although the show's writers did their best to put their best face on things, I found it hard to be happy that two sympathetic characters who were so obviously aging were now on their own.

On the plus side, there were Trump jokes. Not very funny Trump jokes but Trump jokes nonetheless.

Then again I'm getting a bit tired of Trump jokes even though I'm not a big fan of Donald Trump. Must be the contrarian in me.

Pensamientos Acerca de Televisión

The Wild Wild West: “The Night the Wizard Shook the Earth”

This was the first episode with everyone's favorite half-“Hispanic” villain Dr. Miguelito Loveless (played by the unimitable Michael Dunn). Of course, as played by Mr. Dunn, Dr. Loveless came across as being about as Hispanic as James Joyce but he still made for a compelling villain. And it didn't hurt that he had Richard Kiel playing his tall, childlike henchman Voltaire. (It said something about the subtlety of the show's humor that a big bad henchman like Voltaire had the same name as a famous French intellectual despite being anything but intellectual.) Rounding out the trio was Dr. Loveless's sister Antoinette, a normal-sized woman played by Phoebe Dorin who constantly demonstrated Loveless's human side by singing with him almost every other time we saw her.

Dr. Loveless would prove to be a recurring character on The Wild, Wild West, basically playing yin to James West's yang in a number of episodes. Granted, the character itself -- a short man trying to act big -- had cliché written all over it, but it's a tribute to Mr. Dunn that the role nevertheless came across in a memorable fashion. James West faced other villains in other episodes, of course, but Dr. Loveless, I suspect, was always his most popular foe. He obviously seemed quite popular with the writers.

Pensamientos Acerca de Televisión

Supergirl: “Pilot”

I had high hopes for this TV series when it first came out but they were dashed when the show quickly became a "super-villain of the week" type of show. And worse yet, it was a boring "super-villain of the week" show.

It didn't help that the show's writer kept feeling the need to remind us of the other great superperson who came here from Krypton instead of just focusing on Kara aka Supergirl. At times even Kara's adoptive sister Alex seemed to get more attention than Kara. (Then again you have to admire the chutzpah of that scene in which Alex basically bawled out Kara for saving her life.)

The oddest part of this show was the decision to cast Calista Flockhart as Cat Grant, the obligatory boss from hell who seemed like one part Ann Coulter and the other part Katherine Graham. On one hand, she had the most interesting lines on the show. On the other, it seemed quite odd to see her evolve into Kara's work mom. Of course, when the second season started, she started appearing on the show less often so I saw no real reason to continue watching the show. I don't think I missed much.

Pensamientos Acerca de Televisión

Cristela: "Mexican Mona Lisa"

I wish I had liked this show a lot more than I did. I really wanted to like it because of Cristela Alonzo's character but it just didn't seem as imaginative as I'd hoped. As cartoonish as Ugly Betty was, it at least aspired to portray something close to modern-day reality by acknowledging the fact that most of us work in a predominantly white yet still multiracial environment. Cristela, on the other hand, still prefers a world of--ahem--black and white, if not brown and white. I don't want to blame this all on Alonzo; after all, I have no idea how much control she had over her material nor how much of the show was influenced by non-Hispanic studio executives. But I still felt the show could have been more promising than it was.

I wanted to root for Alonzo's character but I kept wishing the writing was better, the characterization sharper, the family conflicts not so banal. I would love to see her get a second chance but knowing Hollywood, I doubt that's very likely. But maybe some executive will prove me wrong. I certainly hope so.

Pensamientos Acerca de Televisión

Devious Maids: "Pilot"

I wish I hated this show a lot more than I did. But once I got past the dubious concept behind it, I actually found myself liking it.
Granted, I liked it better when it was making fun of rich white people but still. I was surprised because I really wanted to hate it.

On the plus side, it was nice to see Judy Reyes of Scrubs working -- though I wish she had a better role than maid if for no other reason than the fact that you already see too many Hispanic women on TV playing maids. And my late sister the All My Children fan would have appreciated the fact that it also had a starring role for Susan Lucci even though her character was more benign than the one she played on All My Children.

On the down side, it doesn't even pretend to aspire to any type of social realism. And yes, I know some people would consider that a plus because producer Marc Cherry isn't exactly known for such work but still.

Pensamientos Acerca de Televisión

The Middle: "Pilot"

I saw this a few years ago on the recommendation of blogger Ken Levine and I was pleasantly surprised to find out that it was not half bad. Like some online critics, I tended to like it better when it focused on the three kids than when it did when it focused on the parents but all in all it was not a bad show.

I'm sorry I put off watching it for so long, but then most of the ads I saw for it reminded me so much of the old show Malcolm in the Middle that I thought it was a rip-off. And it did not help that the other show that cast member Patricia Heaton was associated with (Everybody Loves Raymond) wasn't one of my favorite shows either. On the other hand, Neil Flynn -- who played a supporting role on Scrubs -- did a surprisingly good job playing the family patriarch.

Pensamientos Acerca de Televisión

The X-Files: “Nothing Lasts Forever”

Cool: An episode about a Latina vampire slayer.

Plus we also get to see Mulder and Scully discuss religion.

And a handy -- though more than a bit horrific -- metaphor for cultural assimilation.

And yet another handy catchphrase for the show's aficionados.

And the most memorable use of a certain Maureen McGovern song since the original Poseidon Adventure.

Not So Cool: There is no real ending given to the Latina slayer's story arc. No hint as to why she did not immediately go to jail or suffer any fate worse than a sad look at her photo from her own mother.

For that matter, it would have been nice if the Latina slayer had been played by an actual Latina but then nowadays even Guillermo del Toro is not that politically correct in his casting decisions involving Latin characters so it seems silly for me to expect more from the likes of producer Chris Carter.

Pensamientos Acerca de Televisión

The Simpsons: “The Father, the Son, and the Holy Guest Star”

This was the episode that inspired the idea of Catholic Heaven -- which, as you might guess, was a lot more fun to visit than Protestant Heaven. (It's tempting to compare it to Atheist Heaven, but, alas, most freethinkers would consider Atheist Heaven to be at best an oxymoron.)

Plus we also got one of the few positive images of a Catholic priest that I have seen on an American TV show within the last twenty years. And Liam Neeson guest-starred as the priest! No doubt because of his very particular set of skills -- skills he had acquired over a very long career...

Pensamientos Acerca de Televisión

The Twilight Zone (1985): “A Little Peace and Quiet”

Melinda Dillon played a humble housewife who stumbled across a gold pendant that gave her the magical ability to make time stop -- and restart -- whenever she wished, only to find out -- surprise, surprise! -- that there was a drawback to her newfound ability.

What else can I say? I must admit that this episode had one heck of a memorable ending -- but I could not help but wonder what happened next.

Pensamientos Acerca de Televisión

The X-Files: “Mulder & Scully Meet the Were-Monster”

Apparently it sucks being human. Who knew?

Pensamientos Acerca de Televisión

Veronica Mars: “The Bitch Is Back”

If nothing else, the last episode of Veronica Mars's infamous third season deserves credit for coming up with the show's creepiest image: a portrait of Veronica's deceased friend Lilly Kane that just happens to be in a house that Veronica breaks into, thus bringing her adventures back to the very mystery that inspired the show's first season to begin with.

If that wasn't enough, the episode ended on one of the most depressing cliffhangers that I have ever seen on an American TV show.

Pensamientos Acerca de Televisión

The Big Bang Theory: "The Comet Polarization"

You gotta feel sorry for Neil Gaiman after this episode. Granted, the joke was supposed to be about how silly the show's male characters were for not recognizing him but still.

Pensamientos Acerca de Televisión

The X-Files: “My Struggle III”

It's official. The Cigarette-Smoking Man is not only one of the most memorable villains to ever appear on a TV show within the last quarter-century but he's also an outright bastard. Poor Scully.

And what happened to Agent Reyes? Who would have guessed that she of all people would cross over to the dark side?

Pensamientos Acerca de Televisión

The Simpsons: "The Kid Is All Right"

Wait a minute!

The writers of The Simpsons never even tried to introduce Lisa Simpson to a Hispanic friend until the show's 25th season and they have the nerve to kvetch about conservatives?

Pensamientos Acerca de Televisión

Doctor Who (The Second Series): “Kill the Moon”

Well, I always wanted to see a Doctor Who episode with Mexicans in it. However, after seeing this episode, it seemed quite obvious that I should have been more specific.

On the plus side, we got a surprisingly convincing picture of a post-NASA world in which a would-be astronaut finally got to fulfill her lifelong dream of travelling to the Moon, only to find out she had to blow it up.

The Doctor, fortunately, had a better idea but unfortunately, said idea was based on one of the most idiotic ideas about the Moon ever to be presented on TV. (Indeed, one would have to go back to the old Night Gallery episode "The Nature of the Enemy" to find a dumber idea.)

For that matter, this episode managed to come up with a surprisingly silly pro-life metaphor. I suppose my inner Catholic should be offended but that would mean taking the episode more seriously than it deserved to be. However, I would not be surprised to find out that the makers of this episode had to do some serious penance.

Pensamientos Acerca de Televisión

Doctor Who (The Second Series): "The Caretaker"

It's official.

The Doctor is the new Greg House.

Pensamientos Acerca de Televisión

Doctor Who (The Second Series): “Listen”

Oh, no! Steven Moffat is being haunted by the ghost of M. R. James!

Pensamientos Acerca de Televisión

Doctor Who (The Second Series): “Robot of Sherwood”

Boy, I miss Bugs Bunny.

Pensamientos Acerca de Televisión

Doctor Who (The Second Series): “Into the Dalek”

#NotAllDaleks#: Part II.

But seriously, folks...