ABC is trying once again to form a weekly TV series based on the popular Jack Nicholson/Cher film “Eastwick”, about a trio of witches that are drawn together around a mysterious, dark figure of a man as their powers are unleashed.  The film premise was about the witches finally coming around to undo his evil, which lends itself to the series in a more protracted way.

The casting in this show is stupendous. The trio of witches are Rebecca Romijin, Lindsay Price and Jaime Ray Newman.  The three are perfectly cast- they fit well together as well as stand apart as memorable.

The powers they have just begun to unlock of unqiue to themselves- Rebecca’s Roxie (Roxanne) is a hippy-like, Earth loving free spirit that was peddling inferior new-age crafts at local markets before being swept into the mysterious Daryl’s (Paul Gross) irresistable force upon having her powers unlocked.  A self-proclaimed psychic, suddenly Roxie’s visions actually become a reality- she develops into a true psychic, able to see glimpses of the near future.

Lindsay’s Joanna is a struggling journalist who is in dire love with a photographer at the newspaper, seeking a promotion to write more meaningful articles with a sleazy boss who gives her no respect.  After Daryl’s arrival, Joanna suddenly has the power to charm men by staring into their eyes and speaking commands- even forcing a kiss out of her crush before she realizes that it’s the wrong thing to do.  However, flush on the realization of her new power, she has no qualms about “telling” her boss to give her the promotion, a raise and all the money in his wallet (a scene that hints at the humor that will be layered in the show.)

And my favorite, Kat- the adorable Jaime Ray Newman- is a mentally abused, hard working mother of five with a sleeze-ball lazy deadbeat of a husband who blames her for being a failure when she has the audacity to suggest he get a job.  Kat’s powers unlock as those of the greatest mother of all- Mother Nature- and she ends up thrusting a small earthquake upon her husband before later hitting him with a lightning bolt- all unaware of the dangerous powers she possesses.

The pilot establishes the characters quite well, leaves some great room for growth, and already points to the dark side of Daryl- he threatens to kill a young man who was trying to rape Roxie’s daughter, and Joanna’s friend provides her evidence that Daryl is supposed to be dead, per an autopsy report.  There is plenty of room for the show to grow and continue to expand while keeping a central theme going.

Layering the drama with light-hearted comedy should be a winning formula- the previews for next week show Roxie encountering a man who she had a vision of murdering her.  As the three witches look out Roxie’s store window, the attractive young man approches the store front, and Kat and Joanna begin waving at him, finding him cute.  Roxie’s retort? “Don’t wave at my murderer!”

I think that given a chance, Eastwick could be television magic.

Eastwick
ABC
Wednesdays at 10:00 p.m.

Dream Analysis: A remake of the old Jack Nicholson/Cher film (actually the second remake, if I recall) but with a killer cast.  The beautiful (and I do mean it) witches are Rebecca Romijn, Lindsay Price, and the delicious, adorable, beautiful, heart-thumping Jaime Ray Newman.
Dream Value: Eastwick presents the possibility of an “adult” version of Charmed-  plenty of possibility to mix drama, sex, magic and humor all into the cauldron and come out with plenty of quality entertainment.  This isn’t going to be on the quality level of Lost, going down in TV history, but it’s going to be a quality weekly watch for those of us seeking something other than yet another medical/lawyer/crime drama.  Minimum DVR taping, but most will be fans enough to watch it that night- live or within a few hours of airing.
Dream Length: The show just premiered, and hopefully will be given a fair shake to run for five seasons, at least.  You simply never know with the TV executives nowadays, who still seem to think shows can pull in 17 million viewers regularly.  Eastwick is an hour long show.
Nightmares: It’s too early to see if anything is really missing here, or if the plots become cliche, etc.  But the initial pilot was highly promising, establishing the Witches’ first powers and their exposure to each other, the dark force they become centered around, and the means by which they fall in together.  The only nightmare potential here is going to be plot-based- the cast is too good to have a failing on that end.

BBC America has had a very strong tradition of quality Sci-Fi and Fantasy shows in recent memory, though they also have the unfortunate tradition of failing to support the shows after a season or three. (”Series” or three, for my British readers.)  In recent memory, they’ve had the outstanding Wiccan/supernatural show “Hex”, the fun dinosaurs through portals, “Primeval”…  sadly both shows, while high quality and better than the majority of television viewing, were unceremoniously killed at the end of their first and second seasons, leaving plot lines never answered and really creating  a bad taste in the mouths of viewers. (Nothing is worse than not letting a show do a proper wrap up.)  Recently they’ve added the new supernatural show “Being Human”, with the content dealing with vampires, werewolves and ghosts- but we’ll have to wait and see how they treat it, as its first season just wrapped.

Then there is Robin Hood.

When Robin Hood launched two seasons back, it was a great show- an excellent cast committing their capers against the evil sheriff and his dimwitted-yet-dangerous second in command.  In the end, each show was not too wildly different- it always seemed to end with the sheriff smacking his dumb guards around and screaming in frustration as Robin (Jonas Armstrong) and his gang laughed their way into Sherwood forest after pulling the wool over the sheriff’s eyes yet again.  The show never needed to use too much of its dramatic twists to be a fun watch- just reveling in the caper of the week was plenty enough to tune in each week.

The things that made the show so entertaining were the comradery of Robin’s gang, the outstanding villainy of the sheriff and Sir Guy both played to perfection by their respective actors, and the most important aspect of the show- his heartfelt, head-over-heels love for the love of his life, Marion. Marion was not just eye-candy, but a pivotal role within the show-  providing Robin his spirit and moral compass, as well as being feistily played by the drop-dead stunning Lucy Griffiths.  Her Marion is no helpless damsel- in fact, while being forced to live in the sheriff’s castle and fend off Guy’s forceful romantic advances, she served as a masked “superhero” to the poor, delivering food and other necessities to the people in such desperate need under the tyrant’s grip of the sheriff.

Then, at the end of season two, they did the unthinkable.  They had Guy kill off Marion.  Now, I must confess- I have NO problems with major characters dying in shows- but only in the shows that it makes sense in which to occur, and to serve a quality plot.  So I expect cast in 24 and Lost to go poof at any moment, and love it when it happens- even when I love the actor or character, the action gets me more excited about the show, not less.

That’s the problem with the action of killing off Marion in Robin Hood.  Finally coming to terms with their love, they willfully disregard Sir Guy and run off to get married.  They are as thrilled as possible, and the viewer is as happy as they are they are together.  Suddenly, that happiness is ripped away from all involved with Guy’s blade through her stomach, which sets up the feeling and story for season three, which just premiered.

The new theme is dark and vengeful.  Gone is the light-hearted humor of the first two seasons-  Robin can never again be a happy man.  The viewer is no longer happy, as they feel Robin’s pain and are aware this is the last season of the show- and it is always difficult to support a show that is ending sooner than it should.  Most noticeable, however, is the lack of Marion’s presence: The show is overly masculine- especially since the lone female gang-member Djaq has left the group.  Soon another female is set to enter the show, but the feeling will still not live up to the original vibe the show held.

The sheriff and Guy’s relationship have changed for the worse, as well.  Instead of being the slapstick “oh-you-screwed-up-again” goofballs, now they are legitimately threatening to kill each other on a constant basis- one of the main plotlines this season is Guy’s potential to assassinate the sheriff on behalf of the evil Prince.

Gone is the whimsical fun of the show, and now we have a dark and angry Robin, a confused and scared gang following him, a lack of humor, and a black heart at the core of the show’s formerly light-hearted theme.  The problem is, even if they try to spin the series around and end on a positive/happy note (which is not how I understand the show plans to end) it still will be dark, sad and bleak as Robin can never achieve his goal of being with Marion.

Unfortunately, this is just another example of one of BBC America’s great shows that they’ve mishandled.  For once, it’d be interesting to see them stick by one of these wonderful shows to create a legendary television experience, instead of rushing to push the next project out and abandon the shows they just put out the door.

Robin Hood
BBC America
Saturdays at 9:00 p.m.

Dream Analysis: The fun, quirky show of the first two seasons is gone, and a dark revenge plot is now in place.  This season is going to be about wrapping up loose ends- and while the show will get a “proper” send off, it’s not going to be possible (without some severe cheap stunts) to provide a reasonable ending that would have compared to a happy Robin and Marion standing victorious, together, after the fall of the evil sheriff.
Dream Value: While the show has lost it’s fun, it’s still better than the rest of the cop, lawyer and CSI shows on the air, so despite the flaws of the storyline, and the new dark tone, it is still worth a weekly view on your DVR.
Dream Length: This is the third season of hour-long shows. There should be twelve to thirteen in the season, and this is the final season- definitely ended far too early.
Nightmares: Compared to the fun and adventurous first two seasons, this third season is maligned with darkness and vengeance, and the great humor in the first two seasons is now mostly missing- any attempts are overshadowed by the tragedies of the show’s second season finale.  The lack of Lucy Griffiths’ Marion is truly overwhelming to the show.

Everyone has their own favorite entertainment products, and there are countless top five or top ten lists to find everywhere online. Sounds like a great idea- but I’m not satisfied with silly lists that leave any room open for debate. No, I want something monumental- something that chisels the point in concrete, and records it for all time as a fact of existence!

Therefore I present to you… First We Dream’s Ultimate Entertainment List!

Let’s start next page!

It’s time for another “Dream 5″- spotlighting five examples of excellence in their respective element of creativity and imagination.

This week, we’re examining five new offerings on your television that are likely to be great shows.  Keep in mind, though, that in today’s horrifically managed television industry, that does not mean these shows will succeed or have large audience (a few are locks for both, though.)

In the end, great TV is great TV regardless of how they perform on air.  Case in point? Firefly.  Point won.

Let’s start with the first one, next page!

Everyone’s least-favorite rebranded network, the Syfy Channel (formerly the more appropriate and less offensive Sci-Fi Channel) has run a number of episodes of it’s latest Sci-Fi original work- Warehouse 13.

The premise of the show is quite simple- two Secret Service agents are reassigned to work at a mysterious Warehouse in the middle of … South Dakota. One agent, Pete (Eddie McClintock) is a known trouble-maker with a laid back, open-minded and playful attitude. Pete acts on “vibes” he gets (that always turn out true, but have no scientific basis- a sixth sense, if you will). The other agent, Myka (Joanne Kelly) is serious, practical and emotional. She was on the fast-track to the top of her career before a busted operation derailed her rise to power.

Familiar with each other, yet not friendly, they are thrust together into a world they never knew existed within (and without) the Warehouse.  They are suddenly under the terse, gruff command of Artie (Saul Rubinek, who so far steals the show) who has straightforward jobs for them.  Out there in the wide world are countless “artifacts” that exist, and they are to be “snagged, tagged and bagged”.

What type of artifacts?  Louis Carroll’s mirror- which holds Alice’s evil spirit within it.  A chair, that sits in a Priest’s office in a church, that causes anyone to sit in it to act upon their deepest desires.  A sword, that when held by the wielder, deflects light around them- resulting in invisibility.  All of the artificats are tied into historical events, people, places and concepts- normally with a “twist” to the legend as we know them.

Pete and Myka are therefore sent to investigate, find and retrieve these items from whoever holds them in order to return to the Warehouse, where they are “neutralized” (via use of a purple goo that Artie admits he doesn’t even know how it works) and added to the ever-growing list of items in their database.

Clever touches, such as Pete and Myka using an old-fashioned video-communication device to communicate with Artie (high quality webcam on the go!), as well as their wielding a Tesla gun- capable of shocking an opponent into submission and causing short-term memory loss (created by Tesla, of course) make use of some of the show’s magical gizmos.

A late addition to the cast is Claudia (the adorable Allison Scagliotti) who has important history with Artie, and ends up joining the team as a type of aide for him- however, Claudia is a true genius whiz-kid of the highest degree, and often when Artie’s close-minded stubbornness gets in his own way,Claudia builds a new gizmo out of Warehouse artifacts and saves the day.

To date, most of the episodes have revolved around Pete and Myka going out to retrieve artifacts, but a recent one revolved around things going awry inside the Warehouse with it’s infinite rows of magical items just waiting to be “explored”.  Hopefully as the show progresses, they’ll split between snagging outside artifacts with stories involving the artifacts already on their shelves.  There’s got to be some great things laying in wait on the shelves to create havoc.

The show does play somewhat like the X-Files, there’s no avoiding that comparison.  Male / female government agents, he’s open-minded and fun, she’s serious and emotional- I mean, this is Mulder and Scully 2.0.  Though, the actors are doing a great job making these characters their own, so over time they should distance themselves from the comparison.  Another major difference is that the show is more light-hearted.  Even when the artifacts are dangerous and/or deadly, there’s no hint of the darkness that the X-Files enjoyed layering it’s shows with- Warehouse 13 is not out to scare anyone, and Pete and Myka’s relationship- while having the same sexual tension as Mulder and Scully, is far more playful with each other.  They strike the viewer as brother/sister more than will they/won’t they on a sexual vibe.

Overall the show is quite fun now that it’s getting into its stride, and the Syfy Channel is doing a great job bringing guest stars from its other shows to draw viewers-  recently having actors from Eureka and Stargate: Atlantis on.  Television first seasons are notorious for being the weakest- there’s a lot of character building to do, and the actors need to establish their roles, but Warehouse 13 is already well along this path.

Considering the death of so many other Sci-Fi shows in the last year, Warehouse 13 is a solid bet for simple, straightfoward Sci-Fi fun.  It’s not a magical artifact in need of preserving on a shelf in a Warehouse, but it’s worth a slot on your weekly DVR schedule for certain.

Dream Value: This is a fun show that you’ll likely set for DVR viewing at your preferred time- it’s not necessarily must-see-live TV.  The premise is fun and the show is worthy of a solid run, 4-6 seasons.
Dream Analysis: Partly X-Files: The Next Generation, instead of dealing with supernatural “events”, the show is dealing with supernatural “artifacts” of historical legend (or at least derived from historical concepts). The lead characters are definitely Mulder and Scully template-clones, but should develop enough of a different feel by the second season.
Nightmares: None to be had.  The show is not dark and scary, there’s plenty of humor, and there are no technical complaints.  In fact, the special effects are extremely well done- nothing hokey has appeared on the show to this point.  This is fun viewing, though I wouldn’t go so far as to proclaim it kid-friendly.  There are sexual innuendos and violence, including death.  But for adults- nothing complaint worthy!

Warehouse 13

Syfy Channel, Tuesdays at 9:00 EST
Starring: Eddie McClintock, Joanne Kelly, Saul Rubinek, Allison Scagliotta

Magazines such as TV Guide and Entertainment Weekly are tossing around rumors that New Zealand’s fourth most popular folk comedy duo, “Flight of the Conchords”, may not return to HBO for a third season.  If true, this is yet another in an ever growing line of top-of-the-line television shows canceled far, far too early.   The television landscape is becoming more bleak by the day, seemingly, with very few new shows on the horizon that come close in quality to serve as replacements.

Television executives still fail to understand that the days of ten million viewers is long gone, unless you are one of the best shows on television, or the best in TV history- Lost.  With the invention of the DVR, an overwhelming majority of television viewers not only do not watch any TV shows live, they wait far beyond the “Live +7″ rating they have started measuring to factor in DVR use.  I personally prefer to gather up to three or four weeks of a show saved to DVR in order to watch them back-to-back-  it helps keep the show fresh in my mind and really provides much greater enjoyment levels.  (One of my best TV experiences was watching one of the early seasons of 24 in 24 hours. Another was watching season one of Buffy the Vampire Slayer from start to end in a TNT marathon.)

If the show is ending because Flight wishes to move on to other things, so be it (still a crushing blow, as it was one of the top three comedies on TV)-  but if this is HBO pulling another “Rome” and nixing the show early… well, all I have to say to HBO is with the current quality level of the gaming experiences on consoles and PC, the more you pull the plug on quality TV, the more people are permanently leaving and replacing television watching with gaming time instead.  I fully expect that by the end of next year, I will average 1 1/2 hours of TV maximum per day, compared to at least 8 hours of gaming per day.  Is that really the route television executives wish to take?  After all, this isn’t just about me- the gaming industry, with an average gamer age of 37 and growing exponentially, outgrosses the film and music industries combined- TV is but a blip in gaming’s rearview mirror.

I urge TV executives to take a long, hard look at how things are working in our modern technological society and learn to adapt quickly- if you’re putting a new show on the air, keep it on for 5-7 years, because the more you pull one after a year or two, the more people will simply say- “I’ll catch that on DVD, IF it lasts.”

Hoping to see these guys on HBO in a third season, here’s one of their classic songs/appearances:

There are a large number of actresses in the world, all vying for a limited number of roles… but it is a real shame when great talent is being bypassed while other less interesting talents are landing coveted leading roles.

Here’s a “Dream Five ” list (in no particular order)… you may know a few or all of ‘em! Don’t agree? Have one in YOUR top five? Share your list in the comments!

To build the suspense, each actress will be given her own page… go to the next one below!