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Fall
television preview by Joshua Maloni This season, NBC hopes to party Reagan-era-style. When the network’s primetime television shows return the week of Sept. 24 from summer vacation, NBC will look to reinvent itself. After three years of steadily declining ratings, capped by a dismal 2006 campaign that resulted in a fourth place finish, the Peacock Network will look to repeat the 1986 season, the year it regained the top spot after three decades of futility. Twenty-one years ago, NBC became the No. 1 network by reinventing the sitcom though new and up-and-coming shows such as “Cheers,” “Family Ties” and “The Cosby Show.” In 2007, the company is re-imagining the idea of a superhero through shows like “Heroes,” last season’s best new program – not to mention the Peacock’s highest rated scripted show – and a formidable batch of new programming filled with everyman-turned-Superman characters. With “Bionic Woman,” “Chuck” and “Life,” NBC boasts three of the best new series this season. In each show, the lead is an ordinary person given extraordinary responsibilities through a life-altering experience. In the “Bionic Woman,” a modern day retelling of the mid-1970s Lindsay Wagner series, Jaime Sommers (Michelle Ryan) is a 24-year-old bartender left to look after her abandoned, younger sister. Self-conscious about her relationship with a super-smart doctor, she suddenly finds herself clinging to life and in his care. Soon after, she’s embedded with $50 million worth of state-of-the-art technology, which gives her superhuman ability. “I think it’s like, yes, she has these deeper abilities, but at the core of it, it’s this young woman’s journey of self-discovery and her rise to empowerment, and I feel like I’m on that journey and I just felt like an instant connection,” Ryan says of the role. “And I love that she’s just this very grounded, multi-layered character and person and that’s why I thought, yeah, there’s so much to play with her, aside from the action sequences and the sci-fi element.” The show is a remake of a popular original, a series that made Wagner a star. As such, Ryan is faced with the challenge of making the Jaime Sommers character her own. “I know Lindsay Wagner became an icon for doing it and she was incredible and I’m not trying to be her. I’m just doing my own interpretation,” Ryan says. “And I love the fact that we’re bringing back this strong, young female character and I think it gives a great message, purely because … I feel like with the character, you’ve got Jaime making scrambled eggs for her sister and she’s breaking the eggs and you know you’ve got her on these missions and really scared before she has to use her bionic abilities. “And I feel like I’m just sort of – I just connected with the character when I first read the script, so I’m just doing it from the heart and hope that people identify with Jaime as much as I do, really.” “Bionic Woman” made news earlier this summer when it cast Isaiah Washington, the former “Grey’s Anatomy” star who was bounced from that show after an alleged altercation with costar T.R. Knight. “He’s a tremendous actor and, just in watching the dailies and a couple of the early cuts, he’s really sensational, just kind of elevates everything around him and brings a level of, you know, I guess you would say, gravitas to the show generally and I think it’s all good. Couldn’t be happier,” “Bionic Woman” executive producer David Eick says. In “Chuck,” creator Josh Schwartz (“The OC”) has formed a character that’s a hybrid of “24’s” super agent Jack Bauer and a Geek Squad computer junkie. The show is in keeping with the “Heroes” mold, but adds a comedic twist. “I think what separates our show, I think first of all the spy component, certainly, but also I think the humor, the sort of blend of humor and big action and real romance and a grounded, quarter-life crisis. I think we’re kind of trying to hit everything. And that’s what’s been really fun for us,” Schwartz says. “I feel like the show, once you see the show you kind of understand that … it’s better to see the show and understand sort of how it’s unique.” With “The OC,” Schwartz proved he was a hit maker, which is good for NBC. When the show debuted in 2003, it was a pop culture and ratings smash for Fox. However, “The OC” faded fast in its final two seasons, offering fans too much too fast, and becoming too cool for its own good. As a result, Schwartz has learned to pace shows better, fashioning them to last longer. That’s even better for NBC, as it looks to build a more solid primetime foundation. “I think it’s really just trying … to be smart about building them for as long a run as possible. And also always trying to keep that blend of different elements that keeps it interesting for writers and for actors and I think for the audience as well,” Schwartz says. In “Chuck,” the title character (played by Zachary Levi) finds himself imbedded with all of the CIA’s and NSA’s secrets after being subjected to a computer program. The series, which is genuinely funny and filled with spy vs. spy-type action, will focus on his struggles with this newfound knowledge. Schwartz says “Chuck’s” success lies with Levi. “The guy is just doing an extraordinary job of bringing this character to life,” he says. “And I really think it’s a big reason why the show is going to stand on its own and feel so unique and special and different is because of his performance as the titular character and the ensemble that’s around him.” Like “Heroes,” a good portion of “Chuck” will focus on real-life relationships. Stories will feature the protagonist’s interactions with his sister, his best friend and co-workers. Unlike “Heroes,” this show will spend considerable time addressing Chuck’s love life – namely, his relationships with Sarah Walker (Yvonne Strahovski), his CIA handler (not to mention Chuck’s first date since college), and a character to be played by “OC” vet Rachel Bilson. Levi says he’s looking forward to how the show’s writers will develop Chuck’s romantic affairs. “One of the things that I love about the show is that I love the surprises that we get from our writers every week, and the way that they’ve taken our characters,” he says. “If it means that Chuck and Sarah start getting a little bit more lovey-dovey and it, like, actually starts becoming a thing, cool. I trust them to know what’s going to be good for ratings.” “And Yvonne, you know, she’s nothing to shake a stick at. That’s one gorgeous, tough girl. If I have to be lovey-dovey with her, then I’ll take that bullet. I will take that bullet,” he says. “And, if it’s Rachel Bilson or whoever else … you know, I look forward to wherever they take that character. With “Life,” audiences may assume it’s a crime procedural, which are a dime a dozen. However, this show is different from a “Law and Order,” “CSI” or “Cold Case” in that it revolves around a detective fresh from serving 12 years in jail. The catch is, Charlie Crews (Damian Lewis) was falsely accused, and winds up with $50 million in payback. On top of that, he leaves jail having studied and adopted a Zen way of life. That combination of wealth and wisdom makes him somewhat eccentric. Lewis’ quirky portrayal makes his character one of television’s most intriguing and is key to the show’s humor. “I bring a very confused and complex psyche (to the role),” Lewis jokes. “I hope I can bring some craft and a little bit of instinct.” Lewis describes Charlie Crews as, “a bit of a maverick; an eccentric.” Among his most idiosyncratic, endearing habits is an obsession to find and eat fresh fruit. “(The idea) came from a lot of research about prison – what you don’t get. A lot of prisoners don’t get fresh fruit,” show creator Rand Ravich says. Fresh fruit, he explains, is symbolic of Charlie’s fresh, vivid pursuit of life. “A lot of prisoners really miss fruit.” “Life,” of all of NBC’s new programs, faces the stiffest time slot competition, going head-to-head with ABC’s new, much-hyped, “Dirty Sexy Money” and CBS’ established “CSI: NY.” “We’re just writing our shows,” Ravich says. “It’s a show of a different order. It’s about one man’s birth, one man’s re-entry into the world. “I think it will find an audience.” Television’s 5 Best Returning Shows: 1. “Heroes” 2. “Lost” 3. “24” 4. “Smallville” 5. “Bones”
1. “Chuck” 2. “Bionic Woman” 3. “Pushing Daisies” 4. “Life” 5. “Reaper” 5 New Shows Destined to Fail: 1. “Cane” 2. “Viva Laughlin” 3. “Journeyman” 4. “Carpoolers” 5. “Big Shots” |
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