Fall TV Report - Part II

In a previous post we took a look at some of the new shows in the fall lineup. Now it's time to take a look at returning shows - at least the two that we watch regularly.

First we consider Smallville. In its seventh season, this is a show that has seen some change over the years. Clark (Tom Welling) is without either of his parents as Martha Kent (Annette O'Toole) was elected to the U.S. Senate last season has left Clark to run the family farm. O'Toole was a strong cast member who hasn't really been replaced. Overall the show has been steady if not showing a slight decline. I wondered how they would continue to have good material once Clark and Co. graduated from high school (end of season 4). I'm afraid that the well might be about to dry up.

The mainstay of our TV watching, however, is Heroes. Yes, you do have to get past the fact that the basic premise of the show comes from evolution. This would be a point to emphasize if watching with your children (which we do not). Once get past that fact, this is an incredible show. You may have read in various places that the show was experiencing a sophomore slump; however, I would disagree with these assertions. While it was disappointing that none of the characters that died at the end of last season actually stayed dead, the story has been compelling. Much like the first season it has taken a number of episodes to see how everything ties together. One thing I could do without is the Maya and Alejandro storyline; however, I'm sure that their purpose will become clear as the plot unfolds. The main draw of the show for me, though, is that the characters face difficult decisions. Sometimes they make bad choices and have to life with the consequences. Sometimes it is hard to tell the true motives of a character or where the line between the good guys and bad guys is. In other words it is a show that makes you think. So much of what is on these days is mindless drivel (read reality TV and/or terrible "game" shows). If you haven't been watching, it will be a chore to catch up at this point. I just checked, and only about half of the episodes are available online. It is worth the investment if you can get up to speed.

So there you have it. TV Guide, Entertainment Weekly, etc. can rest assured that we don't watch enough TV for Philip's Corner to become a threat to their loyal readers. However we will check in on these shows again later to see how they are doing. It will be interesting to see of the Writer's Guild strike has an impact on any of them.

Until next time...
PH