Let’s bow our heads for a moment of silence. As we learned last night, NBC snuffed out one of our favorite procedurals, the gritty, fantastically acted Southland. You’d think shoving Jay Leno down our throats for five hours of primetime would be injury enough, but no—they had to add insult. This, NBC. This is why TV viewers are dropping network for cable in ever-greater numbers. Viewers know cable offers the kind of risky, investment-heavy programming that’s rare on network television these days, and what’s better, cable will actually stick with it.
Take a show like Mad Men. There’s very little nudity (I can’t recall any, anyway), almost no swearing, and not much in the way of questionable content. Yet this is exactly the kind of show that would never make it on network television. It’s too involved, asks too much of its audience. It’s a think piece. In its own way, so was Southland. Performances (particularly from Regina King, C. Thomas Howell, and Michael Cudlitz) were inspired, the writing was original, and the characters themselves grew in complexity every week. As a TV journalist, I refuse to join the chorus of those who snipe that network doesn’t do good work anymore—The Big Bang Theory, Castle, and House all disprove that, and that’s just one night—but I certainly understand the frustration. All we can do to counter the networks’ shortsightedness is to continue supporting the programs we love, write a few angry columns and letters, and hope that somebody gets it before their business model runs them into the ground. So let’s at least do one of the three and get to this week’s worthy programming.
Law & Order: SVU
Something tells me y’all are going to split on this one. To recap, Stephen Rea guested as Donovan, an ex-con Stabler had jailed two decades earlier, newly implicated in the fake kidnapping of a his neighbor (True Blood’s Deborah Ann Woll). However, when Stabler went to try to apologize for the wolf-cry, Donovan literally threw him off the building (as if Stabler hasn’t been shot, stabbed, or punched enough). Cue the Defense Issue of the Week: solitary confinement. Because Donovan was locked in solitary for nearly a decade and a half, his attorney argued, the very idea of being sent back to that environment pushed him (or in this case, Stabler) over the edge. It’s an intriguing concept, and Stabler’s foray into the hole was certainly compelling. But the episode went off the rails for me with Christine Lahti’s ADA Sonya Paxton.
You know I’ve had a problem with her character from Day One, and this episode showed why. No one behaves like this. No one (and yes, I resent that it’s a woman presented this way) goes from cartoonish malevolence to callow, simpering weakness (and back!), in seconds. One minute she’s instigating a fight with Stabler, the next she’s slapping him, the next she’s questioning his testicular fortitude (while extolling her own, naturally). All the while she looks like she’s about to cry, kiss him, and/or go postal, whatever’s easiest. I also hated that he was only bluffing about her slapping him. Heck, he probably wants to smooch her too, for all we know. And it’s an eye-roller.
What was wonderful this week was how funny procedurals were this week, all across the TV spectrum. Castle started it with that wonderful opening scene of the family helping Mother Martha (Susan Sullivan) run lines for her Broadway audition (and how awesome was the coda, where he explained why he was having the model/babysitter keep in touch with Alexis?). Criminal Minds picked up on with geek-on-geek staredowns between Garcia (Kirsten Vangsness) and Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler). I love that she got “arctangent” before he did, and I have every intention of looking that word up. Bones got into it with Sweets (John Francis Daley) battling Brennan (Emily Deschanel) over psychology vs. anthropology. “Wrong –ology,” he snapped her. “Keep your grubby anthro hands off my psych.” And really, what is the drama between anthropologists and psychologists, anyway? Somebody educate me.
But CSI easily wins the Wheatie for Funniest Show of the Week. Tim Blake Nelson, perhaps best known from O Brother, Where Art Thou, and Drop Dead Diva’s Ben Feldman were excellent in an Office Space spoof that ended nothing like the movie. Nelson played nebbish loser Paulie to Feldman’s womanizing, scheming creep Jason, a dude so foul his own mama was glad he was dead. The plan? Bust into the company safe with a smooth little move from The Score, using water to force the safe open. The way Paulie imagined it, the safe door came flying off, blocking the CSIs from getting to him, while he tunneled out like Andy Dufresne escaping Shawshank. Only no. In a stunning climax we see that the door actually bisected Paulie, pinning him to the wall, his feet dangling above the ground. That’s a hell of a metaphor for only being half a man. If that weren’t enough, the writers winked to a bit of expository jargon Hodges (Wallace Langham) dropped on Langston (Laurence Fishburne). With a look on Ray’s face that basically said, “Really? You’re actually going to explain a scientific procedure to me so that the audience knows what we’re talking about?” Hodges came back with, “Yes, but it was a lucid and entertaining explanation of the process.” Indeed it was, sir.
But what did you think, Coppers? Am I way the heck off base on Lahti? Was Bones funnier, what with Vaziri (Pej Vahdat) dropping the fake accent? Will we ever trust NBC again? Talk to me. And hey, let’s be careful out there.
Photo Credit: Richard Foreman/NBC
Comments (1-25) of 25 Add your comment
I thought Arastoo was awesome. Anytime an actor drops an accent that naturally I am amazed.
i haven’t enjoyed a single episode of SVU this season…Everything is OVER THE TOP. I watch the reruns on USA because its just the core actors doing what they do best…Get rid of Lahti, all the Super Guest Stars and go back to Wong,Benson,Tutuola,Munch and Stabler…please…
I totally agree. When is Lahti leaving and Stephanie March’s ADA Cabot coming back?
Southland,Southland,Southland.Please bring back Southland!!
Mike
I think that the original L&O has actually been better than SVU this year. I’m crushed at the loss of Southland–I had really fallen for that show. LenoTV is killin me.
I think Christine Lahti’s character is driving away a lot of fans. I accept that there are angry, unreasonable, power-mad execs out there in the real world, but that doesn’t make them interesting to watch on L&O world! Even her appearance is irritating – hair like straw and her face is 2 tones lighter than her neck.
Oh and yes, lack of a 10pm time slot 5 days a week is killing adult drama on NBC.
Bummer! Southland was the only reason i watched anything on NBC, since they got rid of Medium…
You know, I’m right in that 18-49 demographic NBC would want watching their shows — in theory. In practice, the only shows I watch/watched on NBC are Chuck and Southland. So I guess CBS and FOX want me more than NBC does.
I’m smack in the middle of the same demo and Chuck is my only NBC show (why didn’t Jay just retire?). ABC can eat sh*t. CBS, Fox and cable know what I like and have the procedurals to prove it.
The worse offense to me is that they renewed the show KNOWING it’s a “dark and gritty” show AND that they’d be airing in a 9pm timeslot (because they chose to do 5 nights of Leno at 10) .. and THEN during filming of its 6th episode they cancel it for those very reasons ?!?!
Currently my TV is NEVER turned to NBC during primetime hours.
I was going to try watching Trauma, but haven’t yet. I was waiting for Southland – but obviously I won’t be watching it on NBC. Only other NBC show is Chuck, whenever that starts airing again (which sounds to be sooner rather than original March plan).
Bones was amazing. Always is. David Boreanaz does “uncomfortable” better than anyone I have ever seen on the large or small screen. And Grr Argh! for the dumping of Southland. They’ve already filmed 6 episodes. How do they lose if they give them a chance?
I’m sad that you didn’t even mention The Mentalist (again). It was a very strong, Lisbon-centric show. Disappointing.
I reviewed it Monday, MJRyan. You can find it here: http://popwatch.ew.com/2009/10/05/alynda-wheats-beat-cop-three-rivers-might-need-some-cpr/
You’re not way off base on Lahti,
Alynda. I usually like her and enjoy her performances, but she’s really horrible on SVU! I thought that stereotype of the ba!!-bustin’ man-eating feminist hard-a$$ D.A. had been purged from TV in the ’90s, but here we go again with Lahti’s character. I agree with the person who said the original L&O is better this season; SVU has become a cartoon of itself.
I really kept wondering, Is it me?, Bootsy. I might even forgive ball-busting feminist if it was consistent. But toggling nasty with weepy is draining my patience. I think they’re aiming for complicated female a la The Closer or Damages. Only she isn’t complicated, she has Dissociative Identity Disorder! And what the hell was that slap about? I just don’t want to hear that she has some tragic past that turned her hard, except she has a chewy nougat center, blah, blah, blah. Move on! (Ooh, sorry to rant!)
I’m a huge SVU fan, but I gotta say that I’m much more in love with Benson/Stabler, Munch, Fin, and Cragen than I am with the well-known guest stars and crazy-tough/unreadable/bordering on insane ADAs. Neal Baer said that this season was going to be “Benson and Stabler against the world” – a theme that I was really looking forward to – but it seems as if he really meant the theme was going to be “the world revolves around Stabler’s past mistakes and the new crazy ADA lady.” (PS, though, if Stabler wants to rectify his past mistake of going back home because his soon-to-be-ex-wife got preggers and he felt way guilty about it, then I’m cool with that. Just sayin.) So…I guess that I’m going to keep waiting this one out, knowing that Steph March is coming back soon as Alex Cabot and that we have a whole season ahead of us. I’m hearing good things about upcoming eps, so let’s all just keep our fingers crossed. (On a related note, did anyone see the new TVGuide Magazine out? Chris and Mariska are on the cover – great interview inside, too. Those two are just The Pretty, man. It’s ridiculous. Sometimes I think that’s their plan – get us to not realize the ridiculous story lines because we are too busy watching CM and MH look amazing in cop clothes and a badge. Hmm. I’ll admit it. I totally give in, every Wednesday night at 9.)
totally agree about people jumping ship towards cable shows. Mad Men would never have lasted on network. Networks apparently think viewers cannot sit still for an hour for serious drama. At least ABC gave loyal fans of LOST exactly what they want. Smart…thought out drama. Southland was dramatic and very well acted…hoping another network will pick it up. NBC is digging their grave by killing an hour for Leno every night.
Let’s see…
–Castle was made of awesome as usual. I love the banter between everyone so much! (Like teasing Castle over the model/date/babysitter and Beckett over the fact she used to model.) I called the bad guy right away, but the story is so secondary to the characters on this show!
—SVU… I stopped watching it a couple of years ago because I thought it was getting to be too over the top. I started up again this year because there wasn’t much new I wanted to try and Wentworth was on. I haven’t really cared for it so far. Plus, count me in as one who dislikes the emotional roller coaster that is the new ADA. Ugh. (And she couldn’t even stick to her guns on the main issue, as she backed down at the end. It’s not that I wanted the guy to be in solitary again, but really? It just takes 10 seconds of scorn from Eliot for her to do a complete 180? Sigh…)
—Bones had another good episode. It’s hard for me to believe that these first few episodes are by the same PTB that did the last episodes of the past season. The comic vs. dramatic touch seems to be back. I loved that Brennan actually asked Parker why and that it was something so child-like.
—The Mentalist was quite good. It actually had me going for a second about Lisbon. Plus I liked the bit of insight into her personal life (as cop-story-cliche as it was).
—I didn’t watch Southland, as I tend not to pick up midseason shows, for whatever reason. I am disappointed that it was dropped, though. I’m especially disappointed because of the reason given. So NBC is really giving up on “gritty” programming because of this Leno fiasco? Sigh. Really? How far the mighty have fallen…
“This is why TV viewers are dropping network for cable in ever-greater numbers. Viewers know cable offers the kind of risky, investment-heavy programming that’s rare on network television these days, and what’s better, cable will actually stick with it.”
I hesitate to say, “truer words have NEVER been spoken”, but truer words have rarely been spoken. Great job.
I’m really disappointed about Southland. I watched a few episodes last year and was excited to catch it this year. NBC used to be my favorite network, and now I only tune in Thursday nights for The Office and 30 Rock. I’m also in the 18-49 bracket, and they’re losing us – fast.
Agreed with posters above that L&O: Mothership has really picked it up and surpassed SVU this season . Lahti’s character needs to go, and they need to return to the formula that worked so well in the earlier seasons.
I love Mad Men but very little questionable content? You mean, aside from the adultery, identity theft, drug use, sexual assault, homophobia, misogyny, and racism? Granted, most of it is in the context of the show’s 60s setting but still.
Yeah, Sara, exactly! Besides that stuff. Seriously, though, you can find the majority of that on daytime television. You just can’t find it as subtly, meticulously done as they do it on Mad Men, on primetime network TV.
SOUTHLAND MUST COME BACK. I mean, the only show that was actually new and unique post-ER era. NBC are you joking?? Trauma is not going to cut it!
Totally love Bones. Each episode so far this season has been incredible. Made me start watching the show all over again from season 1 on dvd through season 4, just because I can’t get enough.