On one Thursday night, I was desperately seeking something to watch on television. I had missed game one of the Dodgers against the Phillies and I was a day away from Saturday morning College Game Day on ESPN.
As a result, I decided to watch Kath & Kim, a new show airing on NBC.
The show is supposed to be about a dysfunctional relationship between a mother and daughter played by Molly Shannon (Saturday Night Live) and Selma Blair (Hellboy 2).
Blair's character moves back home because married life is too much for her to handle, while Shannon's character finds herself juggling her daughter's problems and a new relationship.
Even though the show is based on an Australian comedy phenomenon, I'm pretty sure I've seen a similar plot in a past.
It could have been "All-American Girl" with comedian Margaret Cho, "Cybill" with Cybill Sheppard, or a few years ago "Living with Fran" with Fran Drescher, who deals with a son moving back home and her teen daughter while dating a young man.
Not to mention all the shows in reverse where a single man is dealing with relationships with his daughters.
I think the only real reason I watched the show is because it was discussed in my TV programming class. The whole purpose of the class is to watch TV, and the fall line-up is part of it. I mean, who wouldn't like to watch a hot new show?
Nevertheless, one disappointment of the fall season was The CW's "90210," which had the most anticipated premiere, hot new actors and appearances from original cast such as Jennie Garth and Shannon Doherty.
The show turned out to be a bore. Within minutes, my thumb decided to change the channel before the first commercial break. I remember having the same reaction when I watched the premiere of Laguna Beach.
But I'd regressed.
I'm an old soul and I prefer to watch reruns of the original. And of course, it would be thought because it is a spin-off it's fresh and the story lines are better. However, the writers totally over wrote the drama. The conflicts between the girls and the love triangle was ridiculous.
Some might say I'm being too harsh, but I'm not. I even gave the show a second chance and I was still discontent. Even though "90210" had the highest rating (4.91 million viewers) for the CW Network, I don't predict a 10-year run.
The highlight of the fall premieres was Fox's "Fringe," a science-fiction drama. The show has an FBI agent (Anna Torv) teamed up with two scientists (Joshua Jackson and John Noble) to explain unexplained chemical outbreaks.
It's intriguing. The characters are likable. Torv plays a tough agent who bluffs threats at Jackson, who is a stubborn scientist forced to work with his estranged father (Noble) who was released from an insane asylum.
When all the characters are together, the dialogue is funny even though the topic is serious. Any show starring Joshua Jackson (The Mighty Ducks and "Dawson's Creek") I sense will see success. Plus, he's a little "eye candy" to look at, as my mom would say.
The show gives a viewer a sense of a mini-movie feel. Producer J.J. Abrams ("Alias" and "Lost") is good at making sure the action sequences have some intensity, like with an explosion in the premiere that held my attention.
And I should mention, Fox aired less commercials for the Fringe's premiere than any other network.
I'm busy and I'm sure you are too. All we want is a moment of entertainment to help us relax, and maybe "Fringe" can provide that for us.
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