Persons Unkown (NBC) – Love it or hate it, you can’t deny those that watched had strong views on this unsolved mystery. I gave NBC credit for going ABC’s Harper’s Island route, promising answers and an ending, despite poor performance. “All shall be revealed”, however, was a little fib I cannot forgive. The ending posed more questions than it answered, leaving invested viewers tasting sour grapes. Good show, bad execution. Chance of renewal: nil.
Pretty Little Liars (ABC Family) – Based upon a popular series of tween books, this addictive entry was a ratings success. Pretty girls, romance and an overarching mystery spawned dozens of Twitter fan sites. Horrid acting couldn’t stop the ride, and it won early renewal for a second season.
Hot in Cleveland (TVLand) – Betty White — the hottest babe in Hollywood — leads her over 40 comedic costars (Valerie Bertinelli, Wendie Malick and Jane Leeves) to runaway success in TVLand’s first foray into scripted programming. Betty White FTW!
The Gates & Scoundrels (ABC) – I’m lumping these together because they were on the same night and shared dismal ratings. Richard Hatem’s (lovem) considerable talent couldn’t keep The Gates from closing, and a great cast featuring Virginia Madsen and David James Elliott (JAG) only showcased the awful material they were given in Scoundrels. Flying pigs may inspire renewal.
Haven (SyFy) – Given the timeslot after Syfy hit Eureka, influenced by a Stephen King book and decent ratings probably won’t provide a safe haven for Haven. I’ve watched faithfully, but it’s lacking a spark found in other Syfy series. In spite of my obvious influence over programming decisions (HA!), I’ll be surprised if this eeks out a renewal.
Rizzoli & Isles (TNT) – Following The Closer on Monday nights surely sweetened the pot for this Angie Harmon/Sasha Alexander vehicle, and the duo has proved a ratings juggernaut. I daresay the series features a friendship far superior to that in the Tess Gerritsen books, making for a wickedly fun viewing experience. They’ll be back for a second season!
Covert Affairs (USA) – Adding to an already full stable of fantastic programming, one of the summer’s wildest rides has a kick ass cast (Piper Perabo, Chris Gorham, Kari Matchett and Peter Gallager are among the stars), and gives us another glimpse into the fictional world of the CIA (much to Ivey’s chagrin). No brainer on the renewal.
The Glades (A&E) and The Big C (Showtime) have both been covered here at CliqueClack and should be easy contenders for renewal. Check out the links to learn more about both. Given these, and the others not mentioned below, what show left a lasting impression in your household? Sound off in the comments.
Share your favorites. There were a lot of good shows — pick two!
Clacked by Carissa Pavlica 
on Sep 04, 2010 @ 09:07 EST5EDT
None. Bring on fall.
Wow – not even one? I was pretty impressed with the new slate, even with some of the duds (at least they took a chance)
The nice thing about getting older is that I’m finally realizing what I really want, and to get me to sit down anymore, the offering better blow my hair back. None of the above could even catch my interest.
I was, however thrilled to watch re-runs of Freaks and Geeks.
Persons Unknown, definitely. I think the finale served as a powerful construct of storytelling that reminded us what this show was all about: a thorough, gut-wrenching look at the dynamics of metaphysical captivity, paranoia versus psychological freedom and mind versus matter. It showed us the true effects of the Panopticon, a both mental and physical prison designed by 18th century philosopher Jeremy Bentham (who was referenced in an earlier episode). When paranoia, which is mostly an internal thing, is confirmed to be right by an unseen external source it turns into an all-consuming monster that ravages the mind.
(SPOILERS!) Even if The Program were to have given up on all of them (and effectively had just let them escape after they left the van) these people’s lives would have been tainted forever. They would never have effectively “left” The Program, because for them, the outside world had transitioned into the town they were held captive in, metaphysically. In spite of this it was heartbreaking to see all of them end up in those familiar hotel rooms at the end. The contrast between their realizing what had happened and the new group being initiated by Joe (the knocking on the doors, telling them the key’s in the bible) was a brilliant and chilling sequence. It hurt a lot to see that scene unfold but in some way, it was obvious that these characters we had come to cherish would never leave their circular Panopticon prison; for they were being watched, psychologically, whether they were held captive in a physical holding space or not.
I’m not a fan of cliffhanger endings that explain a few minor questions and then introduce one or two even greater mysteries in the last ten minutes. I feel Persons Unknown’s last episode wasn’t one of them. It even felt like this kind of ending was done on purpose. All of the characters were challenged to adapt and evolve throughout their time in the town (“the way out is the way through”).
Over the course of the season they completed their first circle round the Panopticon prison. It is only natural that once they came to the end, they found themselves back at the place where they started. What inevitably follows is these people retracing the cycle all over again (“level two”) in this circular maze created by a group of inhuman social scientists and philosophers who seem keen to prove that we, as people, are nothing more than that: mere rats in a maze driven towards that bit of cheese that is located at the exit.
They want to prove that people force themselves through a tangled web called society, unaware of the fact that this reward (“getting out” as a metaphor for developing individuality) is just a construct that serves to incite the instincts we all possess. To get to that reward people have to conform and adjust (“the way through”) so ultimately, free will has proven to be nothing but a romantic notion people employ to convince themselves that mind and soul, moreso than body and matter, have meaning.
Sorry for the essay… It happened spontaneously ;D
Thank you for this explanation of Persons Unknown. I didn’t mind the ending, I actually have grown to kinda like it now. Unlike other shows that really have a cliffhanger and wanting more answers, this finale satisfied me. Did it have a “happy” ending…no. But, I never really expected one.
And a good essay it was. Apparently, I shouldn’t have switched my college major from sociology so soon, because like the rats in the maze, I wanted MY kind of answer. You really delved deeper into the meaning of the experiment, and now that I’ve read your explanation, I can breathe easier. And, frankly, I want to get out of my maze! Thanks, Nissa!!
I’m still playing catch up with Persons Unknown but I like what I’ve seen. Now I’m not sure about watching the rest if I’m only going to be left with unresolved questions.
The only show I watched faithfully was Hot in Cleveland. I just enjoyed the throwback to the late 80’s/early 90s style they managed to capture. The show would have been a perfect fit on NBC’s Saturday night lineup back in the day (imagine – Betty White on Hot in Cleveland and Cloris Leachman on Golden Girls). I don’t think there were any episodes that didn’t make me laugh out loud at least once. Valerie Bertinelli is basically the straight woman of the group, so while she’s still cute and perky, she didn’t get many of the big laughs. Jane Leeves seemed to be more of the “voice of reason” character and the target of Betty White’s insults so she got to toss off a few one-liners. Wendie Malick is gold! I’ve loved her since Just Shoot Me, and her characters seems to be heading more front and center with each episode. Her physical comedy in the “Good Luck Hiding the Goiter” episodes was excellent, but she also gets to show a little more humanity – a little – like when she helped the kids with their school play version of “Romeo & Juliet.” And Betty White. What can’t one say about Betty White? If Malick is gold, White is platinum. The lady still has the best comedy timing from her line delivery to her facial expressions, which could almost become mugging for the camera but she knows just how much to give and when to stop. Even her commercial for the season premier of Community is brilliant! It’s pretty much unheard of in this day and age to cast four women of a certain age (and beyond) as the leads in a TV show whether it be comedy or drama, and for them to mesh as well with each other, the absurd premise of the show, and the writing…well, it’s a TV miracle. I love everything about Hot in Cleveland and I’m happy that audiences have embraced it too. This is one show I will definitely be watching when it returns in January.
Oh Chuck – I’m so with you on Wendie Malick. I loved her in (yes, I’m old) Dream On and forever since. Maybe I’m biased, but I think she carries the series, with Jane just behind. I watched each episode two times in a row, because they made me laugh so loud. But together, all four are pure magic.
Annie and Auggie – 4 the win.
I have to go with Louie on this. For something that came from the same mind that made Pootie Tang, its one of the best dark comedies I’ve seen in a while.
I admit I didn’t know who he was, and didn’t watch. But after seeing his recent twitter rant, it makes me want to watch! LOL
. . . . .
Didn’t watch any of’em … but I’ve heard good things about Persons Unknown.
Think I’m going to have to jump on that train at some point …
. . . . .
At some point, I believe I’m going to have to delve into “Persons Unknown” and see what all the hoopla is about …
*POST AUTHOR*
Don’t look now, but it’s coming out on DVD! The link at the bottom will take you right to Amazon to order. Now that I read Nissa’s in depth interpretation of the ending, it makes the whole series worth it, and I’ll take a second look, without my societal blinders on. ;-)
Rubicon was a bitch to get into, but now I’m loving it. If you haven’t seen it, go catch up… the current episode is getting deep into the conspiracy and it’s heating up. Rizzoli and Isles is just fun… haven’t seen an OCD character like Moira anywhere else. I was halfway into Persons Unknown, but the zig-zag scheduling has driven me crazy. Cover Affairs is pretty good. Everything else seemed forgettable.
I hate to see The Closer ummm, close for the summer… it’s one of my favorites. But now bring on Castle and The Mentalist.
*POST AUTHOR*
I tried to watch Rubicon. Watched the first three episodes. But Sunday nights are so full for me, it was the one to go. Maybe I’ll catch up over the fall hiatus when I’m begging for something new to watch. I had to read your post three times to find your typo – remember, our mind is trained to read what we expect, not what we see!
Really? I screwed up editing a comment?
Darn….. thought I fixed my typos, but noooo. Scuse ‘em please.
Thanks for the survey and article. Good stuff.