[Televisionary]

I was planning on writing about ABC's new drama Six Degrees today, but last night I saw something so awful, so unintentionally hilarious that I needed--no, was forced--to share it with all of you. I looked into the darkness of the abyss where pilots go to die and the darkness looked back at me... and I laughed. Yes, my friends, I am talking about the aborted CW pilot, Mercy Reef, a.k.a. The Reef , a.k.a. Aquaman , which recounts, as the tagline puts it, "The Legend of Aquaman." Helpful, that. Like Smallville before it, this pilot attempted to put a youthful spin on the origin story of another DC Comics superhero, this time the somewhat openly mocked Aquaman. Let me begin by saying that I have nothing against Aquaman as a character. He's from the underwater kingdom of Atlantis, can swim really fast, and can communicate with sea creatures. I know all about how DC tried to toughen him up a bit and give him a rather, um, macho overhaul by having him lose his hand... whi

It's a fantastic set up: a group of strangers, thrown together by fate, form unlikely bonds and are forced to come together when they're taken hostage during a bank robbery, a heist which might not be all that it seems. Meanwhile, outside the bank, police forces and hostage negotiators struggle to get the human shields released and take down the bad guys, who are themselves not all they seem. I wish I could say that I was talking about ABC's new drama The Nine , but I'm not. Rather the above description, eerily similar to that of The Nine 's pilot episode, belong's to Spike Lee's taut thriller from a few months back, Inside Man . During the screening of Inside Man that I attended several months ago, I was on the edge of my seat, my heart racing as I waited to discover the truth behind the bank heist plot, the fate of the hostages, and the motive of the mastermind behind the heist. No such tension here in The Nine (formerly known as Nine Lives ), a paint-by

This year's crop of comedy pilots definitely leaves a lot to be desired. There's not an Office or Earl or Arrested Development among the bunch. Poring over the pilots that have come into the Televisionary offices thus far, my hands were sweaty with anticipation when I finally received my copy of NBC's newest comedy offering, 30 Rock . I've been writing about Tina Fey's pilot (back when it was untitled even) for quite a while now and I wanted to see if the show lived up to the hype that I assigned it. I can report that it honestly does. I've watched the pilot for 30 Rock twice now and each time I've been sucked in by the absurdist humor and witty writing of this hilarious, single-camera ensemble piece. For those of you not up to speed, 30 Rock is one of two new NBC shows centering around the backstage shenanigans at an SNL -style sketch show (the other is Aaron Sorkin's recently relocated Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip ). Oh and that rather odd title?

Ah, Memorial Day Weekend. That time of year which signals the end of the television season and the beginning of summer and, well, summer television. As there have been a lot of new visitors popping up here at Televisionary lately, I thought this would be a good time to take a look back at some recent posts that may have caught your eye, sparked your imagination, or--at the very least--given you a reason to take a break (or sneak one) from work. Without further ado, I give you the first Televisionary clip show. Pilot Inspektor: NBC's Kidnapped NBC's Heroes ABC's Brothers & Sisters Showtime's Dexter Hot Topics: "May We Have an Awesome Blossom": When Does TV Product Placement Go Too Far? "Gilmore" Guy: Who Is New Showrunner David Rosenthal? Fall 2006 Network Upfronts/Schedule Coverage: Musical Chairs: NBC Reshuffles Nearly Its Entire Schedule What I'll Be Watching This Fall Upfronts Scorecard: The CW Upfronts Scorecard: NBC Upfronts Scorecard:

In life, there are quite a few culinary metaphors that could seem to apply to the season finale of Bravo's first installment of Top Chef . That's the way the cookie crumbles, you can't cry over spilt milk, etc. And then there's my personal favorite: if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. While Top Chef 's Tiffani didn't exactly succumb to the heat or pressure of the competition's kitchen, she was done in by her own abrasive personality and an overly ambitious menu that failed to coalesce into a singular vision. Tiffani and Harold's brief was to come up with a five-course meal for eight diners; each course would have to be paired with a specific wine from guest judge Lorraine Bracco's label. But they wouldn't be cooking alone. Producers brought back Lee Anne, Dave, Miguel, and Steven to assist in the kitchens of Craftsteak and Nob Hill at the MGM Grand Resort in Las Vegas. Despite the fact that all four returning chefs wanted to

I think I'm in love. Okay, I'm not in love. But I am totally infatuated--besotted, if you will--with The Thick of It , the brilliant and wickedly funny British comedy that just started airing recently on BBC America. And after two episodes, I am completely smitten. It's best described as The Office on speed or The West Wing viewed through a psychedelic haze if President Bartlett were a lazy, incompetent puppet on strings who's just as baffled as everyone else as to how he managed to land in this office. It's shot in the same faux documentary style as The Office and the result is a rather painfully hilarious political satire. The Thick of It takes the audience on a funhouse ride through the corridors of power (wow, that's a mixed metaphor), seen through the eyes of Minister of Social Affairs Hugh Abbot (Chris Langham), a sap who's completely dependent upon his often incompetent staffers. Hugh is brought in to fill the MP slot after the prime minister'

As expected, NBC has reshuffled its fall schedule, only a week after unveiling the new lineup to advertisers in New York. While rumors were flying last week that NBC would move Aaron Sorkin's new drama Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip away from competition (from relocated Grey's Anatomy ), the Peacock moved more than just that, rearranging Kidnapped, Deal or No Deal, Law & Order, and Law & Order: Criminal Intent , in addition to Studio 60. NBC will also be bringing Crossing Jordan back in the fall, rather than mid-season, and will bench the Patricia Arquette supernatural drama Medium until later in the season. President of NBC Entertainment Kevin Reilly announced the schedule shuffle and issued the following statement: "We've enjoyed an extremely successful development season and are going to do what it takes to give each new series the strongest launch we can. Now that we've assessed the competitive landscape, we've scheduled our new shows in time peri