Thursday, October 2, 2008

The ups and downs of television: Pushing Daisies and Dirty Sexy Money

So these were two shows I was most looking forward to returning last night...actually, probably two of the shows I was looking forward to returning all season. They were both a little off, but one more so than the other.

I realized what watching Pushing Daisies is like. It's like watching Edward Scissorhands. The fairytale-esque quality of the story and the storytelling. The vintage fashion sense, the saturated colors. I guess it's pretty much like anything Tim Burton, but the fairytale quality of this show is most like Edward Scissorhands. Last night, the pacing felt a little off. Some of the dialogue was a little too cutesy and rushed, but overall, the feel was the same. Am very glad it's back.

Which brings us to Dirty Sexy Money...what did you people do to my show?!? Apparently the show was overhauled for this season and boy, did it immediately show! I felt like it was a caricature of the show I fell in love with last season. Talk about soap! This show was always over-the-top, but in a believable way - people did outrageous things but for logical (or at least relatable) reasons. But characters covering up an accidental death? Without any sign of remorse? And feeling no guilt afterward? Please. Also, Nick and Lisa were always the grounded, normal couple trying not to be pulled into the Darlings world. They were the counterbalance. We saw the Darlings through their eyes and experienced not only their envy, but also their disgust at the opulence and realization of how ridiculous the Darlings' world could be. Now, Nick is helping in murder cover-ups and blatantly lusting after Karen, and Lisa is making out with Jeremy on the street? Please...this is not my show. At least Brian is his same cantankerous self. He's my favorite. I don't know what I would do if they messed with him.

All that being said...I'm willing to forgive premieres. Especially for the sophomore shows this season because due to last winter's writer's strike, their freshmen seasons were cut short. Networks brought back a lot of shows that otherwise might not have made the cut (which is why there are very few actual new shows this season). So this is like freshman season, redux. Which made last night's premieres for all intents and purposes, pilots redux. I'm willing to forgive exposition-heavy pilots. And pilots that are still trying to find their footing, their atmosphere, and their characters. And I'm willing to forgive missteps in shows that I really like. So we'll see what happens.

Am so over Project Runway this season. I want to see really talented people really trying to make their creative dreams come true, not bickering and backstabbing and crying. I have I Love Money for that (and at least on that show there's also canoodling, drunken shenanigans and people making complete fools of themselves...) I Love Money doesn't pretend to be something it's not, and there's nothing I hate more than a hypocrite, PR...

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