Wiping The Slate: New Spring Shows 09 - Part IV - TV Review

The aspect of cop elements from a more gritty point of view highlight the last new shows of the spring. One gets really down and dirty while the other one just scratches the surface. On the other end, a cartoon series with pedigree falls flat and a miniseries with decent producing credentials flounders without a sense of direction. Such is the journey of the last of the new of the gentle springtime.Southland This new series from John Wells of "ER" fame is one of the more gritty television shows to come out recently. The opening credit sequence sets a tone that works quite well. The new rookie kid is pretty good since you see the life through his eyes. The locations are mostly actual so you get to see a part of LA not usually shot. The stories are fairly engaging and it doesn't use any overarching mythology so you can jump straight in. The comparison I make is to "Backdraft" because you get the feeling on the street while still having the cinematic angle. The scripts aren't changed from their original state so the language is there and is just bleeped out. It makes the series more authentic but doesn't overdo it. Granted the series is a procedural but angled in a slightly different way. This will have legs for sure as long as it doesn't over-inundate the cast or take too many side plots away from the job.Sit Down Shut Up Having heard about this at FOX's luncheon back in January, it sounded like a mix/fusion of live action and animation. The problem is that it doesn't seem to move at all. It has some humor but it requires a little more a delayed reaction. The voice talent (mostly "Arrested Development" alum) doesn't fly off the screen. The science teacher played by Kristin Cronenweth is a small beacon of hope but it cannot buoy the entire series. You are just hoping for something with a little more bite but right now the first few episodes feel distant and disenfranchised. Maybe it will be allowed to grow but without an upturn in energy and creative, it might not have long.The Beast This new series uses Patrick Swayze's "Roadhouse" persona and ups it to a paranoid state. The only downside is that the humor, which he can be very good at, is gone. Despite any personal elements that might be intruding on his work, this is Swayze's best acting in years because he is allowed to move and rivet. Granted the actual structure of the story borders on too procedural but that is done so the different episodes can act as a stand alones. His new partner, a younger chap, keeps up with him at times but this is Swayze's series. He allows his protege to shine without seemingly overtaking the scene. Kevin O'Connor, best known from "The Mummy", plays their handler. His delivery again is monotone despite his great propensity for humor. Again, this is different turf for both Swayze and O'Connor which is probably what they were drawn to. And the good thing about A&E, like AMC, is that they seem to get behind a pilot when they order it and see how it does unlike the networks in the current climate. This show will be allowed to breathe. The eventual revealing of the conspiracy sometimes points too many fingers to make it cohesive but the slip is forgiveable...for now. The Spy Vs. Spy elements can only work so long but the story also does not bog itself too much down at times with an excess of domestic elements. It sticks to the story. That is good.Knights Of Bloodsteel Robert Halmi takes on another one of his sprawling epics but this one is less cohesive. This time it is predicated on "Lord Of The Rings" but lacks a true soul (or script). It involves a search for the Oracle and a disappearing resource called Bloodsteel. Structured within a dragon-filled world, the dialogue is too slang based involving heavy use of  unknown treasures, various warlords and unpronouncable creatures. However there is never any real emotional connection to the story. The only single relationship that is even slight memorable is between an Elfin warrior girl and her grandfather wizard (played by Christopher Lloyd). Everyone seems to wearing ample prosthetics which don't really seem to play well. They just seem to get in the way. Granted this is a cable miniseries so attention to certain balances must be maintained but the story never really gels. It simply goes between battles that never truly amount to a point. The ending psychological standoff between a would-be Highlander and a Voldemort clone seems a little static with the ultimate revelation and resolution being more formula ridden than archetype.And such is the whim of man.