FRINGE!! IMPORTANT!! OFFICE!! MST3K!! FUTURAMA!! HercVault!!

I am – Hercules!!

“Fringe,” created by the guys behind the new “Star Trek” movie (namely J.J. Abrams, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman) was the top-rated freshman show last season. What I wrote about its pilot, included on the series’ new season-one DVD and Blu-ray sets:
Fringe 1.1 FAQ What’s it called? “Pilot.” Who’s responsible? Teleplay is credited to the “Alias”-“Mission Impossible III”-“Star Trek” team of J.J. Abrams (“Felicity,” “Lost”) and Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci (“The Island,” “The Legend of Zorro,” “Transformers”). What does Fox say? “When an international flight lands at Boston's Logan Airport and the passengers and crew have all died grisly deaths, FBI Special Agent OLIVIA DUNHAM (newcomer Anna Torv) is called in to investigate. After her partner, Special Agent JOHN SCOTT (Mark Valley, "Boston Legal"), is nearly killed during the investigation, a desperate Olivia searches frantically for someone to help, leading her to DR. WALTER BISHOP (John Noble, "Lord of the Rings"), our generation's Einstein. There's only one catch: he's been institutionalized for the last 17 years, and the only way to question him requires pulling his estranged son PETER (Joshua Jackson, "Dawson's Creek") in to help. When Olivia's investigation leads her to manipulative corporate executive NINA SHARP (Blair Brown, "Altered States"), our unlikely trio along with fellow FBI Agents PHILLIP BROYLES (Lance Reddick, "The Wire"), CHARLIE FRANCIS (Kirk Acevedo, "Oz") and ASTRID FARNSWORTH (Jasika Nicole, "Law & Order: Criminal Intent") will discover that what happened on Flight 627 is only a small piece of a larger, more shocking truth.” The big news? I’d be shocked if we see another fall pilot this year as good as this one. Scary, funny, suspenseful and superslick “Fringe” will fire imaginations and, like the three Abrams-scripted pilots before it, leave viewers craving more. What’s this about “a larger, more shocking truth?” That “larger, more shocking truth” business is interesting, and complicated. The description of superscientist Walter Bishop as “our generation’s Einstein” represents a rare bit of understatement on the part of Fox’s publicity department. Bishop is more like this generation’s Milo Rambaldi, the shadowy 15th century seer/inventor who haunted the events of “Alias” by designing technology he saw in our future. Bishop’s twentysomething son (who turns out to be plenty brainy himself) believes with Sydney Bristow-esque naivety that his chemist father made his living in a basement below Harvard University, “doing research for a toothpaste company.” Aim? Aquafresh? As it happens, Walter Bishop’s lab beneath Harvard had little to do with toothpaste and more to do with rapidly evolving technology into the realm of science fiction. “He was part of a classified U.S. Army experimental program called Kelvin Genetics,” the FBI girl tentatively explains to Bishop’s shocked son about 30 minutes into the 2-hour pilot. “They gave him the resources to do whatever work he wanted.” And all this is somehow tied to the plane mishap? There was “an accident” in that Harvard lab some two decades ago. Ubergenius Bishop was arrested. Bishop’s lab-mate and only confidant was a fellow named William Bell who, sometime subsequent to Bishop’s institutionalization, became the superrich, superfamous and superpowerful founder of a now-$50 billion high-tech defense contractor called Massive Dynamics, which appears to manufacture robots, weapons, proprietary pharmaceuticals, and a host of other modern miracles. And Massive Dynamics (an entity of which the long-sequestered Bishop remained wholly unaware) recently employed someone with an intimate knowledge of what happened on that plane bound for Boston. Say. Didn’t Fox already air a series about FBI agents investigating the uncanny? It did. Will subsequent “Fringe” episodes deal with sentient extraterrestrial crude oil, killer bees or humanoid tapeworms? We learn late in the “Fringe” pilot that what happened on that horrifying flight is somehow tied to a wave of three dozen incidents investigated and “authenticated” over the prior nine months. Dozens of kids who disappeared a decade ago have just begun reappearing, having not aged a day. A mysterious plane carrying a very noisy device apparently appeared in the skies over Asia not long before a tsunami killed 83,000 people. A man woke up from a long coma and began jotting down a seemingly endless stream of numbers – numbers that turned out to be “above top-secret” coordinates for NATO battlegroups stationed in the Pacific. Few are aware of these incidents, but certain U.S. officials are calling them “The Pattern.” Is the “Fringe” pilot as good as the “X-Files” pilot? Ha! The “Fringe” pilot strips its hot blonde FBI girl down to her underwear just before it sticks a cold metal rod in her brain and drops her in a tank full of saltwater. So yes. The pilot also suggests the “Fringe” series will offer more interesting characters and a more persuasive and coherent mythology than did Fox’s earlier sci-fi FBI series. The production values, stunts and special effects are eye-popping and even its superimpositions (showy, floaty text that tells us whether we’re in Boston or Baghdad) are supercool. “Twin Peaks” had FBI agents investigating weird stuff every week, didn’t it? Is the “Fringe” pilot as good as the “Twin Peaks” pilot? Nothing’s as good as the “Twin Peaks” pilot. Is the “Fringe” pilot as good as the Abrams-directed “Alias” and “Lost” pilots? It is not. But those were two of the best pilots ever forged. How rate you “Fringe’s” cast? Terrific top to bottom. Torv and Jackson are compelling and convincing leads. Blair Brown (one of the pilot’s many nods to “Altered States”) is spooky as a creepy Massive Dynamics exec. “Wire” walker Lance Reddick brings beautiful suspicion and disdain to his latest bald-guy-in-charge. And Noble does a spectacular job as the broken brain at the center of the tale – summoning a performance by turns sad and funny and scary. Abrams didn’t direct this pilot, right? Emmy-winning director-producer Alex Graves, whose work has graced “The West Wing,” “The Practice,” “Gideon’s Crossing” and “Journeyman,” helmed the pilot. His work here is striking and exceptional. EPISODE-SPECIFIC EXTRAS: 1.1 “Pilot.” * Commentary: Series creators J.J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. Learn that the series’ signature floaty titles (which look great in HD) were indeed inspired by “Panic Room,” and were instituted to help those who might want to parody the series. Learn than Anna Torv and Joshua Jackson were not cast until less than 48 hours before the pilot began shooting. Learn that automated planes have been used since World War II. Learn that David Cronenberg’s production designer was hired for the pilot. Learn an early version of “Fringe” would have featured Walter Bishop as the main character with no Olivia and no Peter in the series. Learn that the creators saw Walter as akin to what the William Hurt character from “Altered States” would be today, and that Hurt was approached for the Walter Bishop role. Learn that Abrams had discussed writing a series for Warner Bros. before Kurtzman and Orci became involved. Learn that Abrams originally met Jackson because both were working for the The WB during the netlet’s “Felicity”/”Dawson’s Creek” days. Learn that Abrams hired Orci and Kurtzman, a team since high school, for “Alias” based on their work for syndicated hourlongs “Xena” and “Hercules.” Learn that season two is being shot in Vancouver. * “The Massive Undertaking” (12:11) Learn that Fox asked for a one-hour pilot but Bad Robot gave it two. Learn that the terrifying plane-bound opening scene pioneered a number of techniques. Learn that the pilot was shot in Toronto during its coldest winter in 100 years (minus 35 degrees according to Anna Torv). Learn Torv couldn’t feel her face. Learn Kirk Acevedo’s jaw froze shut halfway though an monologue outside the jet. Learn the fire escape Olivia Dunham jumped on in the pilot was so old someone had to come out and re-weld half of it the day before. Learn the stuntman who flipped the SUV had his family on set when he did it. Learn the original plan was to shoot the series in Toronto as well, but a new New York tax incentive suddenly made it cost-effective to shoot the series with a new crew in the United States. * “Fringe: Deciphering The Scene” (2:17) Learn how effects technicians turned actor Mark Valley into a semi-translucent victim of a sci-fi chemical bath. 1.2 “The Same Old Story.” * “Fringe: Deciphering The Scene” (1:50) Learn the device used to show the last thing a murder victim saw was based on a real “millimeter wave camera” used at airports to see through people’s clothing. 1.3 “The Ghost Network.” * Commentary: Writer-producers J.R. Orci and David Goodman and producer Bryan Burk. Learn that the character of Roy was named for the Richard Dreyfus’ vision-haunted character in “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.” Learn that the big bus scene in the teaser was originally set on a subway. Learn that Josh Jackson does actually play the piano. Learn that “solid smoke” is something the military uses to create instant barricades. * “The Massive Undertaking” (2:09) Learn the tunnel the production shut down in the middle of the night was shot near the United Nations building. Learn that the ice on the victims was actually a clear gel. * “Fringe: Deciphering The Scene” (1:45) Learn not a lot about the scene in which people on a crowded bus are suddenly trapped in amber. * “Dissected Files: Sc. 81: I Believe He’d Want You To Have This” (1:54). The late John Scott’s mother gives Olivia a medal. 1.4 “The Arrival.” * “Fringe: Deciphering The Scene” (1:53) Learn the fight scene with The Observer was difficult because he doesn’t fight back. Learn the scene’s stunt coordinator, Shauna Duggins, is maybe the cutest stunt coordinator ever. * “Dissected Files: Sc. 36: More Things in Heaven and Earth” (:39) Peter explains to Olivia that Walter thinks the cylinder at the center of the episode is from parallel universe. 1.5 “Power Hungry” * “Fringe: Deciphering The Scene” (1:31) Learn an actor was frightened by the “sparking devices” placed in a power box. * “Dissected Files: Sc. 39: The Man With The Birds” (2:09) Peter introduces his old friend Tony to Olivia. 1.6 “The Cure” * “Fringe: Deciphering The Scene” (1:34) Learn the girl’s exploding head was essentially a brown wig atop a blood-cannon. 1.7 “In which We Meet Mr. Jones” * “Fringe: Deciphering The Scene” (1:34) Learn a real dead pig was used for the insert depicting a parasite wrapped around an FBI man’s heart. 1.8 “The Equation” * “Fringe: Deciphering The Scene” (1:50) Learn Torv rehearsed Olivia’s big fight scene with The Attendant for several weeks. * “Dissected Files: Sc. 9: Circadian Rhythms” (1:18) Much to Peter’s regret, Walter decides to start his days in the middle of the night. * “Dissected Files: Sc. 39: Tastes Like Construction Paper” (0:47) Peter and Olivia play poker using Walter’s Necco Wafers as chips. 1.9 “The Dreamscape” * “Fringe: Deciphering The Scene” (1:58) Learn explosive charges were use on the window used for the murderous-butterfly scene . 1.10 “Safe” * “Fringe: Deciphering The Scene” (1:40) Learn not a lot about an action sequence that employs a lot of SUVs. 1.11 “Bound” * “Fringe: Deciphering The Scene” (1:46) Learn dripping water was used in the scene in which Olivia escapes capture. 1.12 “The No-Brainer” * “Fringe: Deciphering The Scene” (1:38) Learn how green sleeves were used for the scenes in which a computer screen transforms into a deadly cyberhand. 1.13 “The Transformation” * “The Massive Undertaking” (2:43) Learn that eight difference sets of dentures were used for the airborne porcuman scene. Learn 15,000 pounds of plane parts were spread around the crash site. * “Fringe: Deciphering The Scene” (1:44) Learn Noble believes the wereporcupine episode is one of the series’ more gruesome. 1.14 “Ability” * “Fringe: Deciphering The Scene” (1:44) Learn head and body casts were made from the actor whose character has skin that grows over all his orifices. * “Dissected Files: Sc. 4/5: Late-Night Questioning” (2:53) Olivia Dunham learns from visiting German federal police officials that escaped prisoner David Robert Jones drew dozens sketches of her before Dunham and Jones met. 1.15 “Inner Child” * “Fringe: Deciphering The Scene” (1:31) Learn Torv felt bad about hurting the guest star with whom she was fighting. 1.16 “Unleashed” * “Fringe: Deciphering The Scene” (1:56) Learn not a lot about this monster-centric episode. 1.17 “Bad Dreams” * Commentary: episode writer-director Akiva Goldsman and series showrunner Jeff Pinkner. * “Fringe: Deciphering The Scene” (2:11) Learn that Noble thinks Goldsman won more than one Oscar. Learn that the blonde woman who jumped off the highrise actually hit a fluffy blue cushion on a large ledge a couple feet below the one from which she jumped. Learn that the blonde woman who hit the car below was actually a very convincing CG effect. 1.18 “Midnight” * “Fringe: Deciphering The Scene” (1:48) Learn that director of photography Michael Slovis thinks it’s difficult to shoot a fight scene in a moving car. 1.19 “The Road Not Taken” * “Fringe: Deciphering The Scene” (1:39) Learn that actor Michael Gaston, who played evil government employee Sanford Harris, was briefly set ablaze for this firestarter episode. 1.20 “There’s More Than One Of Everything” * “The Massive Undertaking” (3:17) Learn that there’s a prototype of Nina Sharp’s arm on display in William Bell’s office. Learn a single story of the World Trade Center’s exterior was built for the season’s final shot. * “Fringe: Deciphering The Scene” (1:37) Learn that the half-truck from the parallel universe was attached by a very long cable to the sedan it hits. OTHER EXTRAS * “Evolution: The Genesis of Fringe” (9:07) Learn that “The Fly” and other films of “Alias” guest star David Cronenberg were an inspiration for the series. Learn that Abrams, Kurtzman and Orci decided to write the script before they pitched it in order to minimize studio executives’ influence on the project. Learn that the guy who directed the pilot directed four dozen episodes of “The West Wing.” Learn that the “glyphs” that appear at the end of every act (the apples, the frogs, the leaves, etc.) and the lights positioned around the symbols spell out secret messages.

(Ars Technica editor Julian Sanchez cracked the code (apparently with little effort) at mid-season but the messages, alas, are so far not that interesting. The season finale glyphs spell out “grave,” a reference one assumes to the one Walter visits in the episode.) * “Behind the Real Science of Fringe” (10:28) Learn that Jules Verne had the idea that the eye might permanently capture the image a person sees when he or she dies. Learn that there’s a theory in physics that posits walls are force fields. Learn that viruses are being used to restore sight to blind people. Learn that U.S. military is trying to develop a helmet that can read and relay soldiers’ thoughts. * “The Casting of Fringe” (9:21) Learn that Torv cut short a camping trip to audition for the series over an Internet camera. She got the job and flew to Los Angeles and then to Toronto the next day. Learn Lance Reddick originally auditioned for Charlie Francis, the role that ultimately went to Kirk Acevedo. Learn that Acevedo turned down an opportunity to audition for “Lost” after he heard its premise. Learn that Acevedo auditioned for Peter Bishop before he auditioned for Charlie. Learn the producers may have originally thought Noble too young for the role of Walter. * “Roberto Orci’s Production Diary” (13:06) Learn that the “Fringe” pilot had a 2-month production schedule, which is three times longer than the average pilot. Learn that Warner Bros. and Fox execs sat in adjoining director’s chairs on the set. Learn that somebody working on this Blu-ray set elected to blur out the “Cloverfield” logo on producer Bryan Burk’s hat even though Orci is not bleeped when he references “Cloverfield” in this mini-documentary. * “Fringe Visual Effects” (15:16) Get a good look at that jaw-dropping CG effect from the pilot’s first scene. Get a look at how they shot that dream-like sequence in which Olivia and John’s consciousnesses merged. Learn how they created the crane crash for the big Observer episode. Learn that look of the creature from “Unleashed” evolved considerably before its “prehistoric fish” head was settled upon. * “Unusual Side Effects” (4:32) Learn that this is actually the first-season gag reel. Learn that Australians say batteries are “flat” instead of “dead.” * “Gene The Cow” (2:46) Learn that the first cow hired to inhabit Walter’s lab had a four-foot horn-span. Learn that a third cow had to be hired when the production moved from Toronto to New York. * “Fringe Pattern Analysis: The Ghost Network” (3:53) Salk Institute research associate Dr. Ricardo Gil Da Costa discusses the idea of thought transmission in the real world. The U.S. military, he says, are already developing helmets that sense changes in human brain activity. * “Fringe Pattern Analysis: Power Hungry” (4:55) UC Irvine associate professor of physics Dr. Thorsten Ritz discusses how pigeons’ perception of the earth’s magnetic fields might help them navigate. He suggests the birds’ eyes may be able to see even very weak magnetic fields or they may sense the fields via iron content in their beaks * “Fringe Pattern Analysis: The Equation” (3:14) UC Santa Barbara professor Dr. JoAnn Kuchera-Morin, who created the AlloSphere Research Facility, discussed the relationship of math to music. * “Fringe Pattern Analysis: Safe” (3:26) Planetary physicist Dr. Kevin Grazier explains why most common matter is mostly empty space, and why a mass of solid matter might be altered sufficiently to allow it to phase through another mass of solid matter. * “Fringe Pattern Analysis: The Transformation” (3:55) USC molecular virologist Dr. Paula Cannon Venter Institute director of environmental virology Dr. Shannon J. Williamson discuss how viruses can be used to transform physiology by delivering useful genetic material. * “Fringe Pattern Analysis: Unleashed” (5:55) Cannon and Williamson discuss how one might create a transgenic species by injecting DNA from one creature into the fertilized egg or embryo of another. Learn that scientists have already been able to create glowing pigs by injecting them with jellyfish DNA, and hope to end hunger by engineering crops that are resistant to disease and drought.

My February thoughts on “Important Things with Demetri Martin”: “Important Things” star and creator Demitri Martin – a alumnus of Yale, NYU law school, Conan O’Brien’s writers room and “The Daily Show” (Jon Stewart produces “Important Things”) – creates brainy, clever, enormously original and, above all, hilarious comedy. He deftly employs musicianship and copious visual aids, and appears to have little use for current events or politics. He reminds me a lot of Steve Martin (no relation), and also comedians like Steven Wright and Rich Hall. The new show teams Martin with the also-hilarious actor-writer Jon Benjamin (who contributed heavily to “Dr. Katz,” “Home Movies” and “Lucy, Daughter of the Devil”). Based on its first two episodes, I’m ready to judge “Things” one of Comedy Central’s best shows, and likely the channel’s funniest original sketch show to date. The first minute of one of the premiere’s sketches:

Important Things with Demetri MartinWed 10:30pm / 9:30c

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That's not the entire sketch; it gets better as it builds. Another longish sketch in the premiere, about an actor having difficulty conveying anger on a movie set, is a little too long and simplistic for its own good. (The sketch also stars famous actress Amanda Peet, which I’m guessing is why it wasn’t cut.) If you don’t find tonight’s episode at least a little funny, I implore you to make a point to catch next week’s installment. Episode two boasts among its many virtues a brilliantly rendered piece about a new rat-extermination system. There’s also a great sketch about a superhero called The Revenger, a Batman-like figure who learns his father’s death – the event which drives him to exact brutal justice – may have been the result of natural causes. If you’re not hooked by the second installment of this 6-episode series, I gratefully release you back into the arms of “Tim & Eric,” “Chocolate News,” or whatever other sketch show you deem superior. Just know I laughed a lot. The Los Angeles Times says:

… the sketches are on the whole less funny than the stand-up, but they have their moments, and the show is on the whole worthwhile. What it is not -- unlike much comedy -- is chummy. …

The Chicago Tribune says:

… feather-light, funny … shares a sensibility with HBO’s similarly dry yet silly “Flight of the Conchords,” on which Martin has appeared … some comedians attempt to hold on to their audiences by bellowing loudly or otherwise shocking them. Martin's subversive approach is to implant his witty concepts deep in your brain, so that you're still thinking about them hours later.

The Washington Post says:

… Think the deadpan Steven Wright, only cheerier and more versatile. A stand-up comic and sometime cartoonist, Martin seems cursed with endless postgraduate cleverness. His is a comic mind that needs room to roam. Fortunately, that's precisely what this new project -- a studio-stand-up/taped-skits/animated-bits/musical-ditty hybrid -- offers. …

The Newark Star Ledger says:

… very funny …

The Boston Globe says:

… If you follow in Martin's tracks, and I recommend that you do, you'll find yourself standing in some mind-bending and even erudite places. He'll have you playing little games with the universe. … Does it all sound too clever, too meta? Martin's low-key ease protects "Important Things" from getting mired in preciousness. His deadpan is warm, and sometimes he actually smiles. He's 35, but he comes across like a kid who's reached that age when he challenges his parents' instructions like a little lawyer, taking apart their words to point out the loopholes. But he seems like a happy kid, too, and one that can make you smile.

Entertainment Weekly says:

… Things just makes you realize how much Martin owes to one-liner, conceptual forebears like Steven Wright and the late Mitch Hedberg. And not in a good way — Martin isn't as sharp as those guys. Too bad, because he is a droll, disarming fellow. …

USA Today says:

… a haphazard collection of jokes, skits and his trademark sketches that feels amateurish and unformed. It's unclear whether he's not ready or the format isn't right, but either way, he's being ill-served by the show. …

Variety says:

… Both his delivery and the show improve in installment No. 2, and one could make a case that by the time the season wraps up, he may have found his comedic groove ... if only he would blink occasionally. …

The Hollywood Reporter says:

… even at its worst, "Important Things" carries a smart sensibility and a swagger that prove consistently endearing. …

EPISODE-LENGTH COMMENTARIES: * 1.1 “Timing”: Writers Demetri Martin, Michael Koman and Dan Mintz. * 1.2 “Power”: Writers Martin, Koman and Mintz. * 1.6 “Coolness”: Writers Martin (with guitar), Koman and Mintz. * 1.7 “Games”: Writers Martin, Koman and Mintz. SKETCH-LENGTH COMMENTARY: * “Cult Leader in Love” (3:00) Writers Martin and Koman. A deleted sketch from the “Timing” episode that turned out to be a lot funnier on paper. DELETED SKETCHES: * Cult Leader in Love (3:00) * Brian Injuries (1:27) * A Tiny Guy Helps Find A Contact Lens (:26) * A Yellow Belt Breaks An Awkward Silence (:28) * Safety Dummy (3:45) OTHER OUTTAKES: * Killing Time in the Studio (3:34) * Killing Someone With Kindness (1:19) * Parking Wars Outtakes (1:46) * Dinner With Heroes Outtakes (3:04) * Basketball 1 (:24) * Basketball 2 (:24) OTHER EXTRAS: * Early Production Graph. “Demetri had wanted to sketches and characters from each episode to relate to each other in different ways. The subtle connections between them would create a kind of internal reality over the course of the season. That didn’t work out.” This is a diagram Martin made to illustrate his idea. * Early Production Lineup. “Because of the budget, the number of actors appearing in each sketchand the number of lines each actor could say was limited for each episode.” This is a chart Martin made for the “Coolness” episode to figure out what the show could afford.

Season five of the “The Office” followed the destruction of Michael’s realationship with new HR rep Holly and the destruction of Angela’s relationship with Andy. Pam spent the first third of the season in New York, then almost eloped with Jim before season’s end. Charles Miner replaced Ryan as Michael’s boss, precipitating the creation of the Michael Scott Paper Company. And Jim got some news in the season’s final shot.

My April thoughts on “Parks And Recreation”: A cruel but hilarious and very “Office”-like mockumentary sitcom from “Office” showrunner Greg Daniels and “Office” writer-producer Mike Schur, “Parks & Recreation” follows a self-deluded thirtysomething mid-level Pawnee, Ind., government official determined to start making her mark on the world by transforming the site of an abandoned condo development into a public park. It stars a lot of talented players, among them Amy Poehler (“Saturday Night Live,” “Baby Mama”), Aziz Ansari (“Human Giant”), Rashida Jones (“The Office”), Paul Schneider (“All The Real Girls,” “Lars and the Real Girl”), Aubrey Plaza (Judd Apatow’s upcoming “Funny People”), Nick Offerman (“American Body Shop”) and Chris Pratt (“Everwood,” “The OC”). The “Parks” pilot made me laugh more and harder than any half-hour network pilot in recent memory. More and harder even than could even the pilots for “30 Rock,” “Andy Barker, P.I.,” or either English-language version of “The Office.” “Parks” is funny enough to explain why “The Office” may seem a bit diminished of late; Daniels, I’d theorize, has been diverting his energies into organizing a strong launch for “Parks.” Mission accomplished, I say. My biggest surprise while watching the “Parks” pilot was the Jones character, a nurse named Ann who doesn’t work for the city of Pawnee; she’s just a citizen who wants the giant hole in the vacant lot filled in before it results in more injuries (her man broke both his legs after hopping the fence surrounding the property). Though Ann and handsome city planner Mark barely meet in the pilot, my guess is Ann, the most Beesleyesque character, will dump her dim, loutish leech of a boyfriend for the Halperty Mark. Such a chain of events could drive to madness the Poehler character, who lusts after Mark and sits each day only a couple of yards from where he does. USA Today says:

... Thanks to Poehler, Leslie comes across as sweet and well-intentioned, a public servant who is able to view being yelled at as "people caring loudly at me." And yet the show merrily tortures her, pushing her in the pit, belittling her efforts, letting the deeply unlikable Tom undercut her with knowing, sarcastic glances to the camera, as if she were Michael from The Office. …

Entertainment Weekly says:

… While I laughed out loud only a few times during Parks' pilot, I dug the performances, the attitude, and the atmosphere that's being created. One would be foolish to underestimate the series this early on. …

The New York Times says:

… charming and funny in its own right and in its own way, even though it relies on the exact same mock-documentary format and deadpan parody as “The Office.” …

The Los Angeles Times says:

… Like "The Office," it does its work quietly -- too quietly for some, I'm sure … But it has a kind of sunny charm, a premise fit for a novel, and is built upon a pair of strong female leads, a rare enough thing in sitcoms. Poehler and Jones have a nice, contrapuntal rhythm. I stamp this show: approved. …

The Chicago Tribune says:

… Asked if it’s fun to document Leslie’s “fact-finding mission” to the big pit, the intern responds tonelessly, “Yeah, it’s so much fun.” You may have a similarly flat reaction to “Parks,” but it’s worth remembering that the pilots for “30 Rock” and “The Office” were tentative and uneven. …

The Washington Post says:

Heaven help us all, NBC has managed to come up with a prime-time network sitcom that suffers from an excess of subtlety -- a flaw so utterly unprecedented that it has considerable novelty value on its own. … Poehler does have inescapably funny moments impersonating Leslie Knope, whose domain is right there in the title and who enlivens every scene in which she appears; she appears in most, but too many do indeed need enlivening. …

The San Francisco Chronicle says:

… Here's the tone problem with "Parks and Recreation," put as concisely as possible: It's "The Office." Maybe if NBC and the people behind "Parks and Recreation" weren't so hell-bent on telling everyone it's not "The Office" and just embraced the fact that - one more time for clarity sake - it's "The Office," viewers wouldn't be put off by the comparison. They would opt in if they were already fans of one of television's finest sitcoms. And let's face it, if viewers don't like "The Office" - which has never been a ratings hit despite the critical acclaim - then they will not go in for "Parks and Recreation." …

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says:

… has its funny moments but the comedy's first episode also has a distant and chilly feel to it. Watching Poehler's pathetic character have her dreams stomped on by apathetic bureaucrats is off-putting, more so than Michael Scott's obliviousness. At least he's in charge of his destiny; Leslie is beholden to others. …

The Boston Herald says:

… Yes, “Parks” has its funny moments. Poehler excels at capturing this perpetually perky public servant. But if you’ve seen “The Office,” you might feel as if you are watching a rerun - only with fresh faces. …

The Boston Globe says:

… has many distinctions, not least of all the hugely talented Poehler from "Saturday Night Live," who promises to develop Leslie slowly, without the haste required in sketch comedy. And the show has the potential to become a flip, witty political allegory. …

Variety says:

The producers of "The Office" have hewn a little too closely to that show's template in "Parks and Recreation," which despite a few amusing moments winds up feeling like that established program in drag. … The serialized aspect of that endeavor should provide an ongoing storyline, but "Parks" seems inherently limited by a lack of what its protagonist has in abundance -- imagination. …

The Hollywood Reporter says:

… a genuinely funny and engaging comedy … it's Poehler who owns the show, and she proves instantly she's got the comic intelligence to carry a series like this one, which draws its energy from character interactions instead of the broad punch lines you'd get on, say, a Chuck Lorre show. She's awkward but not alienating, and she's eager without being repelling. Most of all, there's a genuine heart to her that gives the comedy a balance and lets it be mocking without resorting to cruelty. It's funny, smart and fast. I hope it sticks around.

COMMENTARIES: 1.1 “Pilot.” Rashida Jones and creators Greg Daniels and Mike Schur. 1.2 “Canvassing.” Nick Offerman, director Seth Gordon, writer Dan Goor, and Schur. 1.3 “The Reporter.” Paul Schneider, Offerman, producer Morgan Sackett, Goor and Schur. 1.4 “Boys’ Club.” Chris Pratt, Offerman, Goor, Daniels and writer Alan Yang. 1.5 “The Banquet.” Amy Poehler and director Beth McCarthy Miller. 1.6 “Rock Show (Producer’s Extended Cut).” Jones, Pratt, Yang, Daniels and Schur. DELETED SCENES: 1.1 “Pilot” (8:20) Footage suggests the documentary crew was originally brought to Pawnee’s Parks & Recreation Department via Ann and Andy. We learn “Tom Haverford” is not Tom’s real name. Leslie is tricked into fighting abortion. The main characters choose a name for the pit subcommittee. 1.2 “Canvassing” (5:53) Leslie realizes her long-term career plan would delay until age 84 her goal of secondary goal of getting married. Leslie and Ann listen to a codger’s pointless story. Department boss Ron Swanson solicits a job in the private sector. 1.3 “The Reporter” (1:11) Mark corrects Ann with regard to how quickly the reporter slept with him. 1.4 “Boys’ Club” (3:32) Leslie brings a gift basket to the company that sent her a gift basket (hilarious!). Tom creates a new exhibit commemorating Leslie’s graft (also hilarious!). April successfully shifts the blame for her drinking onto Leslie. 1.5 “The Banquet” (3:58) Leslie asks if Andy has a formal kilt. April is caught off guard when Ann asks about her major. Tom tries out a new pick-up technique. OTHER EXTRAS: * Producer’s Extended Cut of 1.6: “Rock Show” (26:49) * “Hose Cold Open” (1:18) Leslie demonstrates how she deals with loitering teens. * “Music Video: Pit” (1:31) * “Music Video: Ann” (1:57)

“Harper's Island” is a thriller from writer-producer Ari Schlossberg, who penned the 2005 Robert De Niro vehicle “Hide and Seek” – a commercially successful big-screen thriller given positive reviews by 13 percent of the nation’s critics, according to the Rotten Tomatoes website. The series is about a serial killer who disrupts a wedding celebration on a remote island 27 miles off Seattle, and was likely pitched as a scripted “Survivor,” with one member of the cast exiting the island each week via a grisly murder. There’s even a handsome boat crewman who looks a lot like Jeff Probst. It stars at least two Cassidys, David Cassidy’s daughter Katie (“Supernatural”) and supercute Irish actress Elaine Cassidy (the U.K.’s “The Ghost Squad”), as well as Richard Burgi (“Desperate Housewives”), Harry Hamlin (“Veronica Mars”), Jim Beaver (“John From Cincinnati”), Christopher Gorham (“Ugly Betty”), Gina Holden (“Flash Gordon”), Chis Gauthier (“Eureka”), C.J. Thomason (“General Hospital”), Amber Borycki (“John Tucker Must Die”), Ben Cotton (“Stargate Atlantis”), Beverly Elliott (“The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants”), David Lewis (“The L Word”), Ali Liebert (“Kyle XY”), Brandon Jay McLaren (“Power Rangers SPD”), Sean Rogerson (“Underworld: Evolution”), Sarah Smyth (“Undressed”), Cassandra Sawtell (“Good Luck Chuck”) and Claudette Mink (“Paycheck”). The pilot’s biggest problem is it fails to engender much rooting interest in the potential victims, who turn out to be a pretty dull and clichéd lot. Also, it’s on CBS, which places limits on violence with which big-screen slasher filmmakers needn’t contend. Entertainment Weekly says:

… Elaine Cassidy's Abby is a spunky character through whom we see much of the action, but others are clichés, like the bride's jealous ex, the groom's black-sheep brother, etc. R-rated horror flicks have rendered the scariness of Harper's abrupt murders mild stuff; the series could have used more of Christie's tight plotting. …

USA Today says:

… Harper's won't please everyone, and some aspects would displease anyone. Those who enjoy slasher films will find it too tame, those who hate the very idea of such films will find it too gruesome, and those who want first-rate acting and top-level production values will find it wanting. As much fun as Harper's can be if you're inclined to recline into it, the show was clearly produced with too little talent and, odds are, too little money.…

The Los Angeles Times says:

… does not attempt to rise above the confines of its genre because it's too busy rolling around in them. It's tense enough, mysterious enough for those of us who enjoy occasionally watching the screen from behind our hands. But what's more significant is the fact that it could have been just as effective, possibly more so, without the grisly details, without viewers seeing the victims actually meet their very nasty ends. …

The Chicago Tribune says:

… most of the acting is about as superficial as the writing …

The Washington Post says:

… a cunningly constructed, habit-forming mystery … As in all horror stories, characters do manifestly dumb things, like swim alone, drunk, in a lighted pool at night, or go wandering off in the woods once the sun sets and it gets awfully hard to retrace your steps. Once there was a way to get back homeward, as the Beatles lamented, but not for everyone on Harper's Island. For that reason and others, the show may very well and fairly cleverly hold your attention -- in fact, grip it tightly and securely -- as it dangles its array of morbid possibilities in your face. …

The San Francisco Chronicle says:

… might end up being a guilty pleasure. It's got blood and sex and intrigue galore, and there are enough red herrings and frightening gotchas to spill the popcorn two or three times an hour. The writing is just clever enough to probably make the killing-a-week conceit work. …

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says:

… an entertaining enough diversion that may grow more intriguing as other series end their season-long runs next month and viewers become more desperate for fresh entertainment.

The Boston Herald says:

… everything about “Harper’s Island” feels like familiar territory. … “Harper’s” real suspense emanates from wondering who will strike first - the killer or low ratings. I’m betting on a merciless assassin named Nielsen.

The Boston Globe says:

CBS's "Harper's Island" is a limited-run series, which means it arrives tonight with a 100-percent definite end date of July 2. So you can relax. After July 2, you won't need to worry about stumbling across this enervating, vapid, and obscenely over-promoted thriller when you're channel surfing. After 13 episodes, it will never be able to stalk you again. …

Variety says:

… as constructed by series creator Ari Schlossberg and director Jon Turteltaub, "Harper's Island" too often indulges in slasher-movie absurdities, with a murderer who seems to be everywhere at once and genuine clues in too-short supply. This deficiency renders the 25 characters less suspects in a gradually unfolding mystery -- which they ought to be -- than simply shark bait. …

The Hollywood Reporter says:

… completely earnest in its awfulness: the clunky dialogue full of lines you've heard before; the plot twists you remember from every B horror movie; the stock characters whose sole purpose is to annoy you into hoping they get killed soon; the cheesy music cues and intruders that turn out to be just a flock of birds.Every single fragment of the series has been scavenged from other shows or movies. It's as if someone handed creator Ari Schlossberg a book on how to make a boilerplate, uninteresting slasher flick, and he lovingly followed every step. …

A very, very “Meet The Parents”-ish sitcom about a guy who repeatedly fails to impress his future in-laws, CBS’ “Worst Week” is based on a BBC series, Americanized by “Scrubs” writer Matt Tarses. If “Parents” walked a very tricky tightrope “Worst Week” can’t quite manage, fans of “That ‘70s Show” should still enjoy Kurtwood Smith as the cranky dad. USA Today give it three stars (out of four) and says:

… for all the cleverness of its compound disasters, the key to Worst Week is the good-guy appeal of its soon-to-be star, Kyle Bornheimer. …

Entertainment Weekly gives it an “B-plus” and says:

… Best known for clever Stanley and T-Mobile TV commercials, Bornheimer makes an excruciating premise quite palatable … Unlike Ben Stiller's wired energy, which made Parents more tense than funny, Bornheimer absorbs every setback with such a beaten-puppy air that each fresh misery feels ludicrous, rather than merely annoying. Will it work, (worst) week after (worst) week? With Bornheimer, it's strangely possible. His is a feathery touch on wrecking-ball comedy. …

The New York Times says:

… so deeply indebted to the Ben Stiller comedy “Meet the Parents” that it may disappoint many viewers. …

The Los Angeles Times says:

… This is a comedy of frustration -- yours, viewer. There were times I wanted to reach through the screen, shake Sam by the shoulders and say, "Tell the truth now," or "Look before you leap," or "For goodness sake, man, relax." Although it is basic to the DNA of all sitcoms, such haplessness has the potential to grow irritating with repetition; the challenge will be to keep that fresh through a 22-episode American-length season. … But it's all handled very well. The show moves fast without seeming to rush you. The timing, on the part of actors and editors alike, is excellent -- both Bornheimer and Smith are good physical comedians -- so that even while you can set your watch by the Next Bad Thing About to Happen, tension is created, suspense maintained. It's comedic suspense -- not the fear that things will go wrong, but the hope that, against all expectation, they might not.

The Chicago Tribune says:

… Misunderstandings are common on sitcoms, but this sitcom features only predictable misunderstandings and botched attempts at good deeds. Hilarity does not ensue. …

The Chicago Sun-Times says:

… a luke-warm sitcom … expect the one-joke concept to wear out its welcome quickly.

The Washington Post says:

… Sam Briggs, the loco focus of "Worst Week," seems nothing more complex than an imbecilic lummox who is forever blundering into calamity. He is supposed to be testing the patience of his fiancee and her parents, but he tests the patience of viewers, too. This viewer came quickly to the conclusion that there is no point in suffering the insufferable. …

The San Francisco Chronicle says:

… Now, this isn't exactly new ground for comedy. "Curb Your Enthusiasm" (and, for that matter, "Seinfeld"), plus "The Office," have mined this territory for gold. And there's the "Meet the Parents" movies. But CBS' "Worst Week" is both sweeter and more reliant on slapstick. It's a likable mix and presented in a way - single camera, no laugh track - that demands your attention so that the humor can come honestly. It's like rolling a rock up a small hill and down a very steep back side. It might seem like tedium at the start, then it all pays off in an entertaining reward. …

The Boston Globe gives it a C-plus and says:

… Predictable and familiar, it will probably be running on comedic fumes by episode 2. …

Variety says:

… certainly funny enough to capitalize on its "Two and a Half Men" lead-in; how many good weeks will follow remains the tricky part. … CBS' very good "Week" is still an accomplishment worth celebrating.

The Hollywood Reporter says:

… I've watched "Worst Week" three times, and I've laughed through each viewing. That makes me nervous. Can any show that cleverly plotted, written, directed and performed -- and especially one adapted from the Brits -- sustain that high a level of humor week after week? …

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