This is the big week, folks. The week when the three broadcast networks roll out epic episodes of their beloved returning series and quietly usher in their least promising new series, buffered by the already-proved successes.
Two of these series began earlier this week. Worst Week, another remake of a British comedy, premiered Monday on CBS. The Mentalist, the third Simon Baker vehicle for CBS, premiered Tuesday. Both of them have a long way to go before they reach the quality of other CBS shows, like CSI, Cold Case and Numb3rs.
Worst Week has a likeable hero in bumbling everyman Sam (Kyle Bornheimer). But because he's so likeable, watching him get into a series of embarrassing and unfortunate situations is uncomfortable.
It's less comedic than sad and depressing. I'm not nearly as charismatic as Kyle, so what comeuppance can I expect? Actually, many people would argue my attitude is similar to Kyle's grumpy, scathing almost-father-in-law, Dick (Kurtwood Smith), which I choose to see as a compliment.
In CBS' new drama The Mentalist, the unfortunate events that led to Patrick Jane (Simon Baker) working with law enforcement have a harder edge. Baker stars as a former successful psychic who becomes a consultant with the California Bureau of Investigation (CBI) after two of his family members are murdered. The promos for the pilot gave the show the same bland feel as Baker's last show, Smith, which was pulled after three episodes.
But the show is better than the ads suggested. Baker has great chemistry with Robin Tunney, who plays the skeptical, frustrated CBI Senior Agent Jane, although Baker would probably have great chemistry with a sock puppet. The three CBI agents who comprise the rest of the team are each quirky in different ways, and I hope to see their roles expand as the season progresses. -
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Stephanie Hummel
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