It's a 'nerd' thing this fall
By Bruce R. Miller Journal staff writer | Posted: Friday, July 13, 2007
Nerds rule. No, really, they do. Just look at the five networks' fall schedules. Nerds are everywhere. Most are computer literate and socially inept. All have a way of ultimately looking cool.
What is this? The world according to Bill Gates?
Perhaps bolstered by the geek factor of "Heroes," the networks have upgraded with "The Big Bang Theory," "Aliens in America," "Chuck," "Cavemen," "Miss/Guided" and "Pushing Daisies."
Want more? There's a reality show, "Farmer Wants a Wife," in which a country guy gets to play "Green Acres" with a handful of women; a comedy (slated for midseason) about tech support guys at a large corporation called "The IT Crowd" and a prequel to "Heroes" in which new heroes leave their mark.
In brief, the new stuff:
ALIENS IN AMERICA (The CW) -- Poor Chris Rock hasn't had a decent schedule companion -- until now. "Aliens" features a similarly geeky kid who can't quite make it in a Medora, Wisc., high school. His mom (Amy Pietz) decides to get him a foreign exchange student to up the ante and help him out. Unfortunately, the kid's from Pakistan. Mom's horrified; the kids at school are even worse. They tease him about terrorism and actually make the Wisconsin guy look popular. Dan Byrd and Adhir Kalyan are great as the disenfranchised teens. The writing is pretty edgy, too. The pilot is one of the best of the year -- and a real sign the genre is not dead. Like "Malcolm in the Middle" it hits right at the heart of everyone.
THE BIG BANG THEORY (CBS) -- Johnny Galecki (remember him from "Roseanne"?) and Jim Parsons play roommates who can't believe their good luck. A hot babe (Kaley Cuoco) moves next door and actually seems to like them. They try to shed their nerd ways (watch the friends who show up) but can't quite make the transition. Parsons is particularly fun and the friends have the ability to steal episodes and win viewers. Better than last year's "The Class," it could be CBS' biggest comedy hit in years. Now, nerds just have to watch.
CAVEMEN (ABC) -- Remember those Geico commercials? They're the inspiration for this high-concept comedy. Three cavemen try to make it in a world filled with prehistoric prejudice. Like "It's About Time," "The Addams Family" and "The Munsters," the series plays off the "fish out of water" concept but really succeeds when it hammers preconceived notions. The three cavemen look a lot alike (sorry!), which could make this an uphill struggle. Still, there are laughs. Particularly good: The caveman with attitude. Bill English, Nick Kroll and Dash Mihok star. Who? They're cavemen. That's enough.
CHUCK (NBC) -- Zachery Levi (from "Less Than Perfect") plays a techie from a big box store who gets a mysterious e-mail from an old classmate. The guy -- a spy -- is trying to get secret information in the right hands before he's murdered. Naturally, the good and bad guys want what Chuck has. Meanwhile, he has to maintain life as an uber-geek. It's a fun ride that combines high-spy adventure with low-tech humor. Levi, too, brings an "Ed" vibe to a show that won't make you upchuck.
MISS/GUIDED (ABC midseason) -- Can you really say goodbye to high school? When a young woman returns to her old school as its guidance counselor, she thinks life could be good. Then, an old rival (and cheerleader) turns up and she's right back where she started. Judy Greer and Brooke Burns co-star.
PUSHING DAISIES (ABC) -- High concept? How's this for one -- an odd child has the ability to make dead things come to life. In adulthood it particularly comes in handy -- he's able to make a childhood love return. The only problem? He can't touch her or she dies again. Lee Pace stars as the man with the magic touch. The series is produced by one of the guys behind "Heroes" and the director of "Men in Black." Weird? It doesn't get weirder than this. This is like "Desperate Housewives" with a real twist.
What is this? The world according to Bill Gates?
Perhaps bolstered by the geek factor of "Heroes," the networks have upgraded with "The Big Bang Theory," "Aliens in America," "Chuck," "Cavemen," "Miss/Guided" and "Pushing Daisies."
Want more? There's a reality show, "Farmer Wants a Wife," in which a country guy gets to play "Green Acres" with a handful of women; a comedy (slated for midseason) about tech support guys at a large corporation called "The IT Crowd" and a prequel to "Heroes" in which new heroes leave their mark.
In brief, the new stuff:
ALIENS IN AMERICA (The CW) -- Poor Chris Rock hasn't had a decent schedule companion -- until now. "Aliens" features a similarly geeky kid who can't quite make it in a Medora, Wisc., high school. His mom (Amy Pietz) decides to get him a foreign exchange student to up the ante and help him out. Unfortunately, the kid's from Pakistan. Mom's horrified; the kids at school are even worse. They tease him about terrorism and actually make the Wisconsin guy look popular. Dan Byrd and Adhir Kalyan are great as the disenfranchised teens. The writing is pretty edgy, too. The pilot is one of the best of the year -- and a real sign the genre is not dead. Like "Malcolm in the Middle" it hits right at the heart of everyone.
THE BIG BANG THEORY (CBS) -- Johnny Galecki (remember him from "Roseanne"?) and Jim Parsons play roommates who can't believe their good luck. A hot babe (Kaley Cuoco) moves next door and actually seems to like them. They try to shed their nerd ways (watch the friends who show up) but can't quite make the transition. Parsons is particularly fun and the friends have the ability to steal episodes and win viewers. Better than last year's "The Class," it could be CBS' biggest comedy hit in years. Now, nerds just have to watch.
CAVEMEN (ABC) -- Remember those Geico commercials? They're the inspiration for this high-concept comedy. Three cavemen try to make it in a world filled with prehistoric prejudice. Like "It's About Time," "The Addams Family" and "The Munsters," the series plays off the "fish out of water" concept but really succeeds when it hammers preconceived notions. The three cavemen look a lot alike (sorry!), which could make this an uphill struggle. Still, there are laughs. Particularly good: The caveman with attitude. Bill English, Nick Kroll and Dash Mihok star. Who? They're cavemen. That's enough.
CHUCK (NBC) -- Zachery Levi (from "Less Than Perfect") plays a techie from a big box store who gets a mysterious e-mail from an old classmate. The guy -- a spy -- is trying to get secret information in the right hands before he's murdered. Naturally, the good and bad guys want what Chuck has. Meanwhile, he has to maintain life as an uber-geek. It's a fun ride that combines high-spy adventure with low-tech humor. Levi, too, brings an "Ed" vibe to a show that won't make you upchuck.
MISS/GUIDED (ABC midseason) -- Can you really say goodbye to high school? When a young woman returns to her old school as its guidance counselor, she thinks life could be good. Then, an old rival (and cheerleader) turns up and she's right back where she started. Judy Greer and Brooke Burns co-star.
PUSHING DAISIES (ABC) -- High concept? How's this for one -- an odd child has the ability to make dead things come to life. In adulthood it particularly comes in handy -- he's able to make a childhood love return. The only problem? He can't touch her or she dies again. Lee Pace stars as the man with the magic touch. The series is produced by one of the guys behind "Heroes" and the director of "Men in Black." Weird? It doesn't get weirder than this. This is like "Desperate Housewives" with a real twist.
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Bill wrote on Jul 13, 2007 7:57 AM: