The Dad-O-Meter

MEASURING ONE'S reaction to new fall shows is by no means an exact science. But this year I've rolled out a new tool.

I got a second TV.

One for the bedroom. It was an impulse buy. I've not had a TV in the bedroom, well, ever. At least since I lived with my parents -- in those long ago times when I moved down to dwell, sturm and drang and all, in the basement.

Having a TV in the bedroom, of course, means that one is able to watch TV in bed. And that means that shows can now be measured by using the Dad-O-Meter, which is carefully calibrated in UoS (Units of Sleep.) If I find myself dozing in the middle of the show, (UoS 1) you know that's not good news. If I actually catch myself snoring, (UoS 5) that's a pretty signficant indictment. (There are other gradations on the UoS scale, including "lost time," to "mixed with dream for more satisfying viewing experience" but they're all highly technical measurements, so I won't get into them.) Suffice it to say that the use of the Dad-O-Meter also provides the most concrete evidence yet that I am indeed turning into my father.

My father falls asleep in front of the TV all the time. Then he wakes up ten minutes later and can't follow the action and starts asking questions. But he doesn't fall asleep in front of Rome, say. He discovered the Dad-O-Meter years ago.
So what does the Dad-O-Meter say about the new fall shows thus far?

K-Ville

I liked the pilot, but wasn't sure I saw the show past the cop show set in New Orleans thing. And you know what? If they're going to set a cop show in N.O. and then back away from the Katrina implications, then I definitely am not interested. The preview for Ep 2 looked like it might be going that way, so I stayed away (for now.) It's on the PVR but I decided to check out some other fare.

Chuck (may not be exactly as pictured)

...surprised me. Not because I liked it -- Zachary Levi is winning and the action was great, and that lead actress I've never seen before was good, and she sure is gorgeous. (And just in case you weren't sure of that, they give you not one, but two scenes with her in her underwear to make the sale.) Yes, Chuck was well-executed and fun.

Nope, I'm surprised because I don't want to go back. I guess the thing is, at the end of the day, with the very few "add" slots I have for TV viewing, I'm not clamoring for a cross between Alias and The 40 Year Old Virgin. I want different things from each of those genres. Sorry Chuck. Nice try. But I did stay awake.

Hey..isn't Rachel Bilson coming on this show? Mmm. Maybe one more. I'll check back in a few weeks.

Journeyman

was equally a surprise. I'd read a few vaguely disappointed reviews, and yes, the show is basically Quantum Leap. But there's a couple of things that really drew me in.

First, I thought it was a really well-executed pilot. Great production values, but it didn't exactly look like it was $10 million more than any other ep of the series...I'm not looking to be burned by that this year. Second, Kevin McKidd from Rome is just a magnetic guy. He's a great actor, and you want to go with him. I also appreciated that they didn't go for the obvious cultural reference points when they were in the past. Okay, yeah, there was the guy talking on the cell phone the size of a casket, but there were subtler touches as well. I loved the old clip of Bryant Gumbel and Jane Pauley on the Today show, and the Less Than Zero billboard. I liked the murky morality doublecross -- he's kind of there to save someone, but kind of not. If anything demonstrates the change of attitude in America in the twenty years since Quantum Leap, it's how they handled that plot.

And then, Lord Baby Jesus, there she is. Moon Bloodgood. Oh, man. Seriously, was this woman created in some sort of Evil Genius' lab? Nice twist with her character too -- also being some sort of 'traveler.' And all the stuff with the wife didn't feel forced to me. I liked how committed he is to his wife. Made me feel good and gooey about True Lurrv. "Honey, I love you so much I didn't even have sex with Moon Bloodgood." That should be on a card.

The thing is, I feel like this exact show broke my heart earlier this season, with Daybreak (and Bloodgood, too) so I'll be watching the ratings closely before I commit to an 'add' here.

Cane

Gosh, they're really taking this one seriously. But Jimmy Smits is such a solid television performer that maybe I sh...zzzzz.zzzzZZZZZZZzzzzZZZZZZz.

Big Bang Theory

I was actually asleep before Chuck Lorre's credit came up.

Back To You

Troubling. Pilot was boring and I dozed. Jokes felt creaky. The character of the news director is exactly the same character that Grant Shaud played on Murphy Brown, and that was, what, twenty years ago? Oh wait, except this guy's overweight. And so we get a moment when the audience gets to laugh at the sweatstains under his arms. Nice.

It's not exactly Frasier and Niles quipping about Opera, is it? I also wanted some more genuine nastiness between Patty Heaton and Kesley Grammer. He's an anchorman, for God's sake. I don't want him to be likable. And while we're at it, you should be working harder to make me forget the movie Anchorman. I'm thinking about pulling out the DVD while I'm watching this. Not a good sign.

I can't believe it's not better, though, so I'll give it one more. Maybe. If I stay awake.

Reaper

Here's where the Dad-o-Meter breaks down a bit. I didn't get to the end. (Oh, let's face it, I didn't get much past Act Two) but that's not the fault of the show. Ray Wise as the Devil is fantastic and funny. It had a familiar feel to it, because I'd just watched Chuck, which plays in much the same arena -- but I liked Reaper's sidekick character way, way better. That must be it. The Dad-O-Meter wasn't properly calibrated. I didn't see enough of Reaper, but what I did see made me want to see more.

The Dad-O-Meter did come through on one more essential point. As I fell asleep, I kept hearing James Nesbitt's Ulster accent, intoning, "YES, DAAAHDDY!"

Not a one of these shows has the slick, scary, pulsing originality, "I wouldn't dare sleep through this" as Jekyl. Not a one.