Pilot Season 2008 [** Spoilers **]

Kur4mA

Mr E wrote: »

Couple of new ones out today, folks.

East Bound and Down: Created by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay, this half-hour comedy follows a former professional baseball player who returns to his hometown in the South to take a job as a substitute gym teacher. (tv.com)

The Mentalist: The Mentalist tells the tale of Patrick Jane who is employed as an independent detective working with the California Bureau of Investigation to solve crimes. He has refined his observations skills to a near perfect level and lends these skills to the CBI to help them solve cases. The team that he works with consists of the senior agent, Teresa Gibson, agents Kimball Cho & Wayne Rigsby and the rookie, Grace Van Pelt.

Hmm, East Bound sounds promising. The Mentalist sounds like complete rubbish but I'm open to being surprised. We need a serious injection of good new TV!

Basq

The writers of 'East Bound' also wrote this feature film just on limited release in the States, but is meant to be very funny:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXaR4wlGu3s

Will give 'East Bound' a look later alright

Mr E

Just had a flick through East Bound, and its "The Foot Fist Way - the TV Series"
HBO FTW!

Basq

Mr E wrote: »

Just had a flick through East Bound, and its "The Foot Fist Way - the TV Series"
HBO FTW!

Whoa whoa whoa... it's on HBO?! :eek:

I'M THERE!

jor el

Mr E wrote: »

[The Mentalist tells the tale of Patrick Jane who is employed as an independent detective working with the California Bureau of Investigation to solve crimes. He has refined his observations skills to a near perfect level and lends these skills to the CBI to help them solve cases.

OK. That sounds rather like Psych. Actually, it sounds exactly like Psych.

jor el

jor el wrote: »

OK. That sounds rather like Psych. Actually, it sounds exactly like Psych.

Psych is a comedic spin on it whereas the Mentalist is far more serious. To be fair, claiming it's a rip off of Psych as so many are doing is a bit unfair. You could always argue that Psych is a Sherlock Holmes rip off.

Smurfpiss

just saw fringe there. was quite good. like a cross between alias and x-files.
Mr jackson's pacey persona gets reallllly f*cking annoying though.
Still it's funny to see Toronto being passed off as Boston.

evil massive dynamics corporation HQ is actually the Royal Ontario Museum. Oh and Harvard is actually University of Toronto

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

oh, it's a canadian show?

well then it's awesome.

Ludo

Deleted User wrote: »

Psych is a comedic spin on it whereas the Mentalist is far more serious. To be fair, claiming it's a rip off of Psych as so many are doing is a bit unfair. You could always argue that Psych is a Sherlock Holmes rip off.

Watching The Mentalist right now...don't think it will last too long tbh. Pretty run of the mill cop show so far.

chalkitdown1

Mr E wrote: »

The Mentalist:

They obviously weren't thinking of the overseas market when they came up with that title.:D

Watching the Mentalist atm and I'm really enjoying it. Simon Baker is a great actor and really plays the role to a T. I really hope that this gets at least a season as it has great potential.

Ludo

Ludo wrote: »

Watching The Mentalist right now...don't think it will last too long tbh. Pretty run of the mill cop show so far.

Just after watching it there and really enjoyed it. It reminds me a lot of the very underrated Life. The twist about Jane's past and the ongoing story about Red John could be very interesting. I'll definetly be sticking with it even jsut for Simon Baker whom is one of the most underrated actors out there.

Basq

Agree with Darko regarding Simon Baker. Excellent excellent actor.

Ivan

Deleted User wrote: »

Just after watching it there and really enjoyed it. It reminds me a lot of the very underrated Life. The twist about Jane's past and the ongoing story about Red John could be very interesting. I'll definetly be sticking with it even jsut for Simon Baker whom is one of the most underrated actors out there.

SPOILERS PLEASE?!

is_that_so

Had a look at East Bound and Down and didn't like it very much.
In fact I was relieved that it was only 30 minutes. Would be inclined to pass on it personally. I thought the storyline was very very weak.

It seemed to hang on how many expletives the lead could spit out in that 30 minutes. I certainly could not see what was funny about a foul-mouthed undesirable who relished being puerile and offensive.

Even so I can see that it will probably get an audience especially

if it has more gratuitous nudity

,with Will Ferrell or Farrelly Brother fans. Just not my sense of humour I'm afraid.

Mr E

I agree... East Bound was patchy, but was very funny in places (the hooker call, and the scene where he was walking in slow motion down the corridor).

I think Kenny is one of the most obnoxious, unlikeable characters in years though. No redeeming qualities at all.

Maybe the goal is for him to soften up over the series?

Basq

Yep, 'East Bound' was pretty patchy alright but had one of two great moments alright.

Mr E wrote: »

I think Kenny is one of the most obnoxious, unlikeable characters in years though. No redeeming qualities at all.

I found that the most enjoyable thing about the show... he's got the obnoxiousness and sheer bastardness of Hank Moody times 1000. But I don't think he'll soften much throughout the series.. could be wrong!

Mr E

Hank has some amount of charisma though (as much charisma as David Duchovny can muster anyway...)

Kenny is just a dick.

is_that_so

The Mentalist: Apart from silly name, so so for me. Really clever bloke with flawed personality is the only one that can solve crimes. Been here before methinks. Fairly predictable imo, especially when you see Zeljko Ivanek, you know there is only one baddie and it has some seriously dodgy lines

"he's banging her like a bass drum" :rolleyes:

. Can't think of any reason to watch it based on the pilot.

I also had a look at a couple of episodes of Swingtown out of curiosity.
Acting is good, feels like the 70s, like the soundtrack but as someone else posted where is it going to go with a title like that. Exercise in nostalgia that is trapped by its subject matter. It's the kind of thing you might watch if you remembered it was on without really caring what was happening in it.

ixoy

is_that_so wrote: »

The Mentalist: Apart from silly name, so so for me. Really clever bloke with flawed personality is the only one that can solve crimes. Been here before methinks. Fairly predictable imo, especially when you see Zeljko Ivanek, you know there is only one baddie and it has some seriously dodgy lines

"he's banging her like a bass drum" :rolleyes:

. Can't think of any reason to watch it based on the pilot.

Yeah wasn't very impressed. There are a number of shows already out there with highly observant detectives - Psych, Monk, Law & Order: Criminal Intent - and this brings nothing new to the mix. I think those other shows distinguish themselves more (humour or performances) and I don't think we really got a good feel for the lead's powers of observation. Also his deductions at times were based on criminal psychology and were more 'Criminal Minds' than something read from the scene.

RuggieBear

i actually liked the mentalist despite myself. And i lol'ed at that dodgy line above.:o It's a cliché of a cliché of a show but it was very undemanding

Ivan

I also liked the mentalist, it was a wittier and more intelligent version of Monk and Mr CSI himself and I find that refreshing. Yes there is a danger of it taking its minor flaws from the pilot overboard and becoming terrible quite easily, but based on that one episode I definitely think it has potential.

Unfortunately I cant seem to get my hands on east bound

Mr E

Love the actor, but I hate this casting..... Meaney was a better fit.

Depending on how successful you were at solving my Life on Mars-themed asterisk quiz last week, this next scoop is either yesterday's news or as fresh as a summer breeze.

After months of topsy-turvy negotiations, Oscar nominated thesp Harvey Keitel has officially inked a deal to join the cast of ABC's forthcoming Americanized redo of Life on Mars. He'll play Det. Gene Hunt, the hard-nosed, iron-fisted head of the homicide department. Philip Glenister originated the role in the British version.

Keitel joins previously announced cast members Jason O'Mara and Michael Imperioli.

OK, Mars fanatics, it's weigh-in time: Is Keitel a worthy successor to Glenister? Does this piece of casting make you more/less inclined to watch?

Basq

Ah Christ... woeful choice!

Meaney has got the comedy past, and is a very capable comedy actor. And Keitel is.. well, not!

Horrible, horrible choice. Keitel is a great actor no doubt but totally unsuited to the role of Gene Hunt and I'm pretty sure that every time I see him in the role I'm going to think of him in Bad Lieutenant.