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1. 666 Park Avenue - okay, it's cheesy and a bit 1970s/1980s Horror Movie Cliche. American Horror Story this isn't. Which may not necessarily be a bad thing depending on how well you liked American Horror Story. 666 is a bit more subtle in its approach. In some respects it reminds me of those late somewhat cheesy, definitely low-rent 1970's psychological horror movies a la The Sentinel with a bit of Al Pacino/Kenu Reeves The Devil's Advocate thrown into the mix.
( vague spoilers, cut more for length )
2. Vegas - reminds me a lot of Longmire except without the cool Katee Sackoff. Not that I could get into Longmire, I couldn't. Vegas - I actually found more interesting, oddly enough. But that's mainly because I adore Dennis Quaid - he's an amazing actor, so effortless. He just falls inside his characters. It's like watching Dustin Hoffman. Also like Jason O'Mara - who landed here after doing the dead in the water Terra Nova last year. This is definitely better than Terra Nova, but most things are.
The story is also fairly simple - Rancher in 1960s Los Vegas, Nevada, gets roped into being the new sheriff by the Mayor, after the Governor's daughter is found dead. Reason? The Mayor of Vegas served in the army with Rancher (Quaid), and knows that he is dogged about solving crimes and expert at it. Rancher - name of Lamb, has a wayward womanizing son (Dixon) and a younger bro (played by the aforementioned O'Mara). Into this sorry mix, arrives the Mafia, run by Vince (Michael Chicklis) who wants to turn Vegas into a gambling goldmine. He's staking his claim. Along for the ride - are Carrie Ann Moss as an assistant district attorney who lives on the ranch neighboring Lamb's and clearly has a thing for him, and William Russ as the Shady District Attorney who is aiding Chicklis.
The pilot was well shot. And the acting is okay. But, I sort of wish Chicklis and Quaid could trade roles. Be more fun. Not that Quaid looks like a mafiosa or that Chicklis looks like a lean rugged rancher. Overall it feels like a run-of-the-mill procedural, much like Longmire. But there's some good talent behind it - we've got Nicholes Pillegi who wrote Goodfellas, and Quaid and Chicklis involved. So, it depends on what they decide to do with it. If they go the straight TCOTW route...then it will get dull fast, but if they go the Wise Guy or Boardwalk Empire serial route - it could become interesting.
May need a few more episodes to see. But I'm not sure I have either the time or interest.
3. Elementary - sadly this was the best of the bunch. Although I think I enjoyed 666 Park Avenue more. So sue me, I like cheesy tv. Procedurals? Eh, not so much. I still have Wallander and Luther languishing on my DVR and I'm about ready to give up on both and just delete - and those are high quality procedurals.
What I found interesting about Elementary was the same things I found interesting about House and Sherlock - the dynamic between Sherlock and Watson. In this case, Watson being a woman not to mention Lucy Liu, posed an interesting twist. Also Sherlock's a "recovering drug addict" not an addict like House, or insanely intelligent narcissist like Sherlock in the BBC version. He reminds me a bit more of Arthur Conan Doyle's original version - more of a insanely intelligent but deeply damaged investigator. Holmes was always interesting.
And here, Watson is too. Usually Watson doesn't interest me that much - feels more like Conan Doyle's stand-in (Doyle was an ex-army surgeon and based Watson largely on himself and most versions seem to follow that.) Here, the twist of being female...changes things up a bit. Holmes also was always a bit of a chauvinist. I wouldn't say misogynist - fandom often misuses the word - or uses it instead of chauvinist because it sounds better or packs more of a wallop. But two different things. And I think for the record, Conan Doyle was probably a bit chauvinistic himself - considering the time period. (I'm not a fan of Doyle, sorry. However, I am a fan of his character or the creation of a fascinating and multilayered character that has stood the test of time.)
( vague spoilers )
( vague spoilers, cut more for length )
2. Vegas - reminds me a lot of Longmire except without the cool Katee Sackoff. Not that I could get into Longmire, I couldn't. Vegas - I actually found more interesting, oddly enough. But that's mainly because I adore Dennis Quaid - he's an amazing actor, so effortless. He just falls inside his characters. It's like watching Dustin Hoffman. Also like Jason O'Mara - who landed here after doing the dead in the water Terra Nova last year. This is definitely better than Terra Nova, but most things are.
The story is also fairly simple - Rancher in 1960s Los Vegas, Nevada, gets roped into being the new sheriff by the Mayor, after the Governor's daughter is found dead. Reason? The Mayor of Vegas served in the army with Rancher (Quaid), and knows that he is dogged about solving crimes and expert at it. Rancher - name of Lamb, has a wayward womanizing son (Dixon) and a younger bro (played by the aforementioned O'Mara). Into this sorry mix, arrives the Mafia, run by Vince (Michael Chicklis) who wants to turn Vegas into a gambling goldmine. He's staking his claim. Along for the ride - are Carrie Ann Moss as an assistant district attorney who lives on the ranch neighboring Lamb's and clearly has a thing for him, and William Russ as the Shady District Attorney who is aiding Chicklis.
The pilot was well shot. And the acting is okay. But, I sort of wish Chicklis and Quaid could trade roles. Be more fun. Not that Quaid looks like a mafiosa or that Chicklis looks like a lean rugged rancher. Overall it feels like a run-of-the-mill procedural, much like Longmire. But there's some good talent behind it - we've got Nicholes Pillegi who wrote Goodfellas, and Quaid and Chicklis involved. So, it depends on what they decide to do with it. If they go the straight TCOTW route...then it will get dull fast, but if they go the Wise Guy or Boardwalk Empire serial route - it could become interesting.
May need a few more episodes to see. But I'm not sure I have either the time or interest.
3. Elementary - sadly this was the best of the bunch. Although I think I enjoyed 666 Park Avenue more. So sue me, I like cheesy tv. Procedurals? Eh, not so much. I still have Wallander and Luther languishing on my DVR and I'm about ready to give up on both and just delete - and those are high quality procedurals.
What I found interesting about Elementary was the same things I found interesting about House and Sherlock - the dynamic between Sherlock and Watson. In this case, Watson being a woman not to mention Lucy Liu, posed an interesting twist. Also Sherlock's a "recovering drug addict" not an addict like House, or insanely intelligent narcissist like Sherlock in the BBC version. He reminds me a bit more of Arthur Conan Doyle's original version - more of a insanely intelligent but deeply damaged investigator. Holmes was always interesting.
And here, Watson is too. Usually Watson doesn't interest me that much - feels more like Conan Doyle's stand-in (Doyle was an ex-army surgeon and based Watson largely on himself and most versions seem to follow that.) Here, the twist of being female...changes things up a bit. Holmes also was always a bit of a chauvinist. I wouldn't say misogynist - fandom often misuses the word - or uses it instead of chauvinist because it sounds better or packs more of a wallop. But two different things. And I think for the record, Conan Doyle was probably a bit chauvinistic himself - considering the time period. (I'm not a fan of Doyle, sorry. However, I am a fan of his character or the creation of a fascinating and multilayered character that has stood the test of time.)
( vague spoilers )