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September 26, 2007

SFist Watches: Wednesday's Fall TV Premieres

jennifer_Siebel_life.jpg

We're going to start with NBC and the series premiere of "Life" at 10 p.m. because everybody's favorite bumblebee Jennifer Siebel is in it! (See above.) She's only in the episode briefly, at the very beginning, playing the lead character's ex-wife, but she's supposed to be in at least two more episodes this season. However, we don't know if we'll be able to invest the time in this show because we really kind of hated the pilot. They're obviously going for a "House" vibe here, even going so far as to cast a Brit (Damian Lewis) in the lead role as a cop who spends 12 years in jail for a crime he didn't commit. After he's cleared of the crime, he's released and goes back on the job with a fat settlement and a weird penchant for fruit. He's supposed to be this odd, brilliant, "zen" cop, but he really just comes off as someone who likes to stand uncompfortably close to people when he's talking to them. There's just nothing about this show that separates it from every other procedural out there. Also? We're getting tired of all the fake American accents on TV right now. See: "House," "Journeyman," "Cane," "Moonlight," "Viva Laughlin" and...

The "Bionic Woman," which premieres at 9 p.m. on NBC. First off, the show is supposedly set in San Francisco, but they make absolutely no effort to make Vancouver look like S.F. None. We think we even saw a Canadian license plate on one of the cars. Why not just set the damn show in Canada? Or at least Washington state where you can explain away all the pine trees? It's actually kind of insulting. So, yeah, we were a little distracted by all those snowcapped mountains in the background, but we were still able to come away from the pilot thinking it was both hit and miss. On the hit side is Katee "Starbuck" Sackhoff as the rogue, first bionic woman; totally loved her response to Jaime Sommers, "What do you want from me?!" plea. Speaking of Jamie Sommers, that's on the miss side. We acknowledge that Michelle Ryan is quite the looker. But she just doesn't bring enough spark to her bionic woman, and that's probably why the producers decided to expand Sackhoff's role in the series. Plus, villains are always more fun than good guys. Miguel Ferrer is also on board, and he brings his usual amusing deadpan delivery to the show. Lots of potential here--for both good and bad. We'll give it a few more chances to wow us.

On ABC we've got another damn "Dancing with the Stars" at 8pm, followed by the premiere of the "Grey's Anatomy" spin-off "Private Practice" at 9 p.m. Some casting changes have been made since the original pilot episode ran earlier this year, but the set-up remains the same, with Addison joining a...private practice in Southern California with a bunch of doctors that are a little bit older than the kids up in Seattle. We can only hope their antics won't be quite so juvenile.

"Dirty Sexy Money" follows at 10 p.m., and we don't know a whole lot about this show, except that it's a drama centered on a very rich, and very screwed-up family, and their lawyer, who may or may not be rich and/or screwed up. The cast, which includes Jill Clayburgh, Donald Sutherland, William Baldwin, and Peter Krause, seems to be the show's biggest selling point. Haven't seen it; can't say much more about it.

We also don't have much to say about the season premieres of "Criminal Minds" at 9 p.m. and "CSI: New York" at 10 p.m., both on CBS. Except that if you watch "Criminal Minds" because you are totally in love with Mandy Patinkin, you probably won't want to watch this season.


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Comments (10)

The theme to Bionic Woman should be that Daft Punk "Work it, make it, do it makes us harder, better, faster, stronger" song. Shouldn't it?

I'm itchin' to make Jen Siebel crack, but I know she's gonna read it and then I'll feel bad. So I'm going with the old tried and true "I'd Hit it!"...

"First!"

 

Jennifer photographs well - she's a pretty woman. But could someone get her a new stylist? That hair and make-up makes her look totally vacuous and dated. I mean, I assume it's the hair and make-up doing that....

 

They added Audra McDonald to Private Practice which I am super excited about.

I'm also excited to see Peter Krause back on TV. A show about sex, money and the rich can't be that bad right?

 

I LOVE Audra, but not enough to watch that crappy spin off.

 

I second the stylist comment. That hairstyle has to go. She looks like she's channeling Farrah Fawcett in the 70's.

 

omfgomfgomfgomfg Dirty Sexy Money, PROMISE ME someone on this blog will join me, and hopefully many others, in becoming ridiculously obsessed with the show.

 

I am trying to figure out what that expression is on her face - maybe a mix of craziness and tremulousness ?

I still am fed up with her for her insensitive remarks about Ruby last winter. She doesn't sound like a woman who likes women.... and yes, I wonder why she still has that old-fashioned hairdo.

I know she reads these blogs, and I wonder whether she will listen to our fashion advice ?

 

Jennifer's also a regular on Gavin's Must See TV . In a nutshell, it’s kind of like The Apprentice meets The Crocodile Hunter meets Real World meets The Bachelor.

Watch the Mayor's psyche unravel as Booze, Cocaine and Extra Extra-Marital Affairs prevail.

 

Bionic Woman was strangely off, like they crammed a month's worth of plot into an entire episode, which might be the reason the actual Bionic Woman was so boring-- we never actually get a feel of who she is and how she handles the change before she's off being all bionic and butt kicking.

On the other hand, Katee Sackhoff rules, although one day I'd love to see her get a part where she's not tormented and psychotic and has horrible things happen to her.

 

That's kind of a disturbed expression going on there, around the mouth.

 
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