There are a lot of good shows on the air. The list includes:
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
Vanished
Gilmore Girls
Veronica Mars
Law & Order: SVU
Jericho
Justice
Lost
Kidnapped
Ugly Betty
Grey's Anatomy
ER
Men in Trees
The Simpsons
I'd be watching Prison Break too if my TiVo hadn't broken. And there are a few other shows I'd like to watch that conflict with these shows, unfortunately.
But let's review the diversity of this new season. Except for the Latina Ugly Betty, all the stars are white. Every show has at least one black person among the top six or seven characters, even the ones set in Kansas (Jericho) or Alaska (Men in Trees). There are several significant Asians and a few Latinos.
But I don't see any Natives in recurring roles. If every show has 10 recurring characters, there should be one Native every 10 shows. Actress Princess Lucaj did have a bit role in the first Jericho, but I didn't see her in the second one. And that's about it.
Men in Trees is a special case, since it's supposedly a new Northern Exposure. I see a few Native-looking people in the background, but there aren't any with speaking parts. Natives should comprise something like 10% of the population in rural Alaska. But I guess this is sort of a Fantasyland version of Alaska. So far it's been sunny every day with barely a hint of inclement weather.
I'm still watching Season 1 of Prison Break on DVD. I'll have to watch Season 2 that way also, since I couldn't TiVo the first two episodes.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I didn't say all these shows were doing well or would do well. I wouldn't be surprised if half of them get canceled. I think there are too many good shows chasing too few viewers.
But I doubt Ugly Betty is in trouble yet. As the LA Times reported:
At 8 p.m., "Betty" emerged as a strong No. 2 to CBS' "Survivor: Cook Islands" (16.6 million), which on this week's episode merged the tribes that had been divided along ethnic lines, effectively ending a controversial "social experiment."
According to one article I saw, Jericho is considered a strong performer and a budding hit.
ReplyDeleteFox is shuffling the air times for Justice, Vanished, and Standoff in an attempt to save them. It'll be too bad if they don't survive. Along with Studio 60, Justice and Standoff are among the best shows of the new season. They're definitely superior to Jericho or Men in Trees.
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