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The Unusuals

post #1 of 49
4/10/09 at 10:49am
Thread Starter 
Anyone stick around after Lost for this? Not quite as madcap as the commercials made it seem, but it's a winning cast, and I was entertained enough to take a look next week.
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post #2 of 49
4/10/09 at 10:59am
I watched it and I liked it. The way they were selling it I thought it was going to be a half hour sit com similar to The Job. But I like what they're doing more because nothing can quite top the greatness of The Job.
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post #3 of 49
4/10/09 at 11:22am
Without that cast I imagine the episode would have been a one and done affair for me. As much as I like Goldberg and Perrineau, I hope the focus doesn't continue to be on how one is looking for an easy way to die while the other is terrified of it. That just strikes me as a really dull way to do the whole clashing partners thing. Renner's character was the only one that seemed interesting, but maybe that's just because I wasn't expecting much from him. But if the diner he runs at irregular hours featuring terrible food is the show's idea of charming quirk, I think it's gonna get old quickly. Good to see Dukie, though.
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post #4 of 49
4/10/09 at 1:12pm
And apparently this show is already on the bubble to be canceled.
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post #5 of 49
4/10/09 at 3:13pm
Aren't all new shows on the brink of cancellation these days? I can't remember the last one that seemed like it had a good chance of staying around.

I liked the pilot a lot. There have been complaints about the show not being able to decide if it's really silly or really serious. That didn't strike me as too much of a problem (although the scene with the cats in the cop car, as funny as it was, was pretty ridiculous), but I do hope they develop the tone more as they go along. Then again, it's not like it'll have the chance to; the show probably won't get beyond six episodes.
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post #6 of 49
4/10/09 at 3:27pm
Thread Starter 
Not that I'm comparing this to it, but I miss the days when a Hill Street Blues could languish in the ratings but still be given time to build an audience. These days, if you're not a top 20 smash right out of the gate, you're done.
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post #7 of 49
4/10/09 at 3:28pm
There was another example of this. That of course being Homicide.
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post #8 of 49
4/10/09 at 3:56pm
Richard, 30 Rock, The Office, Friday Night Lights, and Life would all like to have a word with you.

ABC and FOX get trigger happy with new shows because they're doing so well. This is what eventually brought NBC down from 1st place to last. Networks always need to be developing new programming to take over, so this could come back to bite ABC in the ass in a few years.

You could also make the argument that having enormously successful shows allows them to hold up less than successful shows, which is why Homicide got a full run, but that doesn't seem to be ABC's game.
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post #9 of 49
4/10/09 at 4:13pm
Scrubs is also one of the best underdog stories out there. Did anyone expect that one to make it past three seasons, especially with its everlasting juggling schedule act? And now it's on season 8, and people who six years ago didn't know the show existed now own all the seasons on DVD. That it switched networks and regained its steam after a lackluster few seasons is also a small miracle.

Anyway, The Unusuals. I thought it was fun, and as far as pilots go, a lot less shakey than a lot of shows that get full seasons and beyond. It's got some issues to iron out, but all in all the cast pops off of each other like a well oiled machine, and the concept of a Bizarre Crimes Unit is a fun twist from the usual NYPD Blue/CSI/Law & Order knock offs.
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post #10 of 49
4/10/09 at 5:07pm
I liked it a lot, but then a cast that good is just a pleasure to see. Also helps that I have a huge crush on Amber.

Didn't think the police scanner voiceover bits were funny in the slightest though. Cut that shit out.
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post #11 of 49
4/10/09 at 5:14pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dr. Murder View Post
Didn't think the police scanner voiceover bits were funny in the slightest though. Cut that shit out.
I was under the impression they'd be part of the plot, with the cops actually responding to the calls, but it looks like they're just being tossed out as random bits of wackiness, and yeah, they don't really work.
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post #12 of 49
4/10/09 at 5:22pm
Of course it will be cancelled. Reminds me of The Street, which also had Goldberg in that the cast is ridiculous for a show that doesn't get top shelf ratings.

Remember Smith? Who the fuck expected that to last? Liotta, Madsen, Baker and Smart? To be fair though this cast isn't as rounded out with film talent.
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post #13 of 49
4/10/09 at 5:26pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard Dickson View Post
I was under the impression they'd be part of the plot, with the cops actually responding to the calls, but it looks like they're just being tossed out as random bits of wackiness, and yeah, they don't really work.
They were followed up on to be fair, we saw the guy in the hotdog costume (same guy who was in Testees on FX), and we saw the identical twins. The visual payoffs kinda worked, just don't think the setup was funny to begin with.
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post #14 of 49
4/11/09 at 9:17pm
Wow, this show wasn't sold at all like it really is. I was expecting a precinct full of freaks and weirdos who investigate X-Files-ish stuff. I liked the first episode, though, so I'll give it a shot. I don't buy Joan of Arcadia as a cop with 4+ years on the job at all. A rookie, maybe.

And the wacky dispatch calls during the scene transitions need to go.
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post #15 of 49
4/11/09 at 10:13pm
I don't want to be, you know, that guy, but the first five minutes of this show are enough to elevate it to "best show ever" status. You all know what I'm talking about.
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post #16 of 49
4/11/09 at 10:16pm
Haha, I knew that would be your reaction.
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post #17 of 49
4/11/09 at 10:19pm
I'm predictable.

I like the show a lot. In a lot of ways, I think it's a good companion piece to Life. Better than Southland, obviously. Which means it won't be on for much longer. But I like Tamblyn (obviously). I like that the show lets her be kind of a smart-mouth in ways that Joan didn't. Anything with Adam Goldberg gets my eyeballs for as long as it airs.
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post #18 of 49
4/11/09 at 10:59pm
My local TV critic panned it, but did mention that red bra. Recorded, watched, enjoyed.

It's about time ABC realized they can't follow Lost with another continuity-heavy drama at 10. This is just light enough.
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post #19 of 49
4/12/09 at 12:22pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by James Woods' Career View Post
Remember Smith? Who the fuck expected that to last? Liotta, Madsen, Baker and Smart? To be fair though this cast isn't as rounded out with film talent.
You know who'd like to forget Smith? The producers of Smith. If I remember correctly, that the set was so riddled with cast in-fighting, the show runners said "fuck it" and let CBS drop the hammer.
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post #20 of 49
4/12/09 at 2:04pm
I hope ABC doesn't axe it too soon. I could see The Unusuals being a really fun show if they get time to find a format. The cast is solid and I liked the pilot enough that it probably means it's going to get canceled though.

Quote:
It's about time ABC realized they can't follow Lost with another continuity-heavy drama at 10. This is just light enough.
I agree with that so much that's why I used to always watch South Park after Lost but South Park just doesn't entertain me like it used too.
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post #21 of 49
4/12/09 at 6:06pm
could be good, but I worry when I see things like special guest star adam goldberg... hope he doesnt get killed off, as hes easily the best part...

Oh, and Im not a huge fan of the male lead, the one whos partner died-- He almost always plays the bad guy, and for a reason-- he comes off as an asshole.
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post #22 of 49
4/12/09 at 9:51pm
I thought it was decent, nothing special really, I hope it doesn't get canceled but I don't think its going to be entering the pantheon of great cop shows.
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post #23 of 49
4/13/09 at 12:03am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brechtsky View Post
could be good, but I worry when I see things like special guest star adam goldberg... hope he doesnt get killed off, as hes easily the best part...

Oh, and Im not a huge fan of the male lead, the one whos partner died-- He almost always plays the bad guy, and for a reason-- he comes off as an asshole.
I think he did a good job in The Hurt Locker. He's a different kind of asshole in that though.
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post #24 of 49
4/13/09 at 1:16am
I watched two seasons of Joan of Arcadia for Tamblyn, so I'll watch every episode of this that ABC airs. The red bra scene was amazing. Though really, she looks hot in anything.
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post #25 of 49
4/18/09 at 10:23pm
I assume this show won't make it to a second season but I'll keep watching until then. The bickering between Goldberg and Perrineau was kind of annoying so I like how the settled their differences at the end of the episode. I buy that they were/are a really good team even though we haven't seen them work great together yet. I'm starting to come around to Tamblyn but it's still gonna take a while for me to buy that she's not right out of the Academy.
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post #26 of 49
4/19/09 at 10:49pm
So far this show sucks pretty hard. The story is completely generic, and riffs of many other cop shows. Infact I could swear they ripped of that one scene from another cop show, where they use a photocopier as a lie detector.
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post #27 of 49
4/19/09 at 11:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nabster View Post
Infact I could swear they ripped of that one scene from another cop show, where they use a photocopier as a lie detector.
Bunk pulled that in The Wire, season 5, if I'm not mistaken.
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post #28 of 49
4/19/09 at 11:16pm
Yea thats right, I was racking my brain trying to figure out where I saw that, for some reason I thought I saw it in the Shield.
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post #29 of 49
4/19/09 at 11:25pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Beageal View Post
Bunk pulled that in The Wire, season 5, if I'm not mistaken.
It was first on Homicide: Life on the Streets with Munch and Bolander using that trick.
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post #30 of 49
4/20/09 at 12:32am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nabster View Post
So far this show sucks pretty hard. The story is completely generic, and riffs of many other cop shows.
Isn't that intentional, and part of the concept? The whole feel of the thing is 'all-purpose cop show', down to the '70s fashions.
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post #31 of 49
5/10/09 at 4:33pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by BubWilliams View Post
It was first on Homicide: Life on the Streets with Munch and Bolander using that trick.
You know, if telling the suspect a photocopier is a lie detector was used on Homicide and The Wire, those two particular cop shows, I'm going to say it's a trick real police pull off, as insane as it seems that there could be anyone stupid enough to buy it.

How's this show been doing, quality-wise? It's first pack of episodes are available on demand and I'm thinking of giving them a try.
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post #32 of 49
5/10/09 at 5:34pm
I don't feel that there have been any duds yet. If you liked the pilot, the rest has been very consistent.
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post #33 of 49
5/10/09 at 10:23pm
The show has only improved since the premiere. It's really good. Extra good news: if you, like me, were immediately annoyed by the "pious cop really has a bad, mysterious past" subplot, it's handled very quickly.

Banks and Delahoy are great.
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post #34 of 49
5/10/09 at 10:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Beageal View Post
You know, if telling the suspect a photocopier is a lie detector was used on Homicide and The Wire, those two particular cop shows, I'm going to say it's a trick real police pull off, as insane as it seems that there could be anyone stupid enough to buy it.
Not to derail, but is has been used in real police work. The trick comes from David Simon's book, Homicide: A Year on the Killing streets.
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post #35 of 49
5/10/09 at 10:50pm
David Simon knows all the shit.
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post #36 of 49
5/11/09 at 11:11am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jcassady View Post
You know who'd like to forget Smith? The producers of Smith. If I remember correctly, that the set was so riddled with cast in-fighting, the show runners said "fuck it" and let CBS drop the hammer.
Please, I'd love to hear more about this Smith backstage bickering....
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post #37 of 49
5/11/09 at 11:55am
I think the whole point of the first season (or complete series) is to see the group at their lowest before seeing them at their best in later seasons. Going back on the topic, I remember many of the big shows of the past start off low working their way up through reruns. I think Cheers had low ratings but won awards. I don't know about the other shows like Hill Street or Homicide but I do believe they also had Emmy noms that saved them the kiss of death. The thing hurts the two new shows I like this and Castle is that they work in canon. Many shows like this can't last but at the same time in order to get an audience to watch you take a chance on reruns or something that gets people familiar.
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post #38 of 49
5/11/09 at 12:17pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dr Vivisector View Post
Please, I'd love to hear more about this Smith backstage bickering....
Second
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post #39 of 49
5/12/09 at 11:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by EdHocken View Post
Not to derail, but is has been used in real police work. The trick comes from David Simon's book, Homicide: A Year on the Killing streets.
David Simon did indeed communicate this story in an half hearted manner in his book, its questionable how serious he took this, its been proved to be an urban myth in reality, theres aboslutely zero evidence to suggest its every actually happened.
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post #40 of 49
5/20/09 at 5:46pm
Aaand cancelled.

Crap.
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post #41 of 49
5/20/09 at 6:56pm
I have all the episodes DVR'ed, having never gotten around to watching them. Now I guess I needn't bother.
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post #42 of 49
5/26/09 at 12:38am
You should bother because it's actually pretty good. The one seriously annoying subplot (OMG, the good cop has a bad past!) was killed relatively fast.

But I am wondering- since this show got shitcanned, are they bothering to show the rest of the filmed episodes? I understand it was off because of the Lost finale but I think it was some According to Jim reruns or something last week.
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post #43 of 49
5/27/09 at 5:16pm
New episode tonight.

ETA: Okay, but the central plot twist was far too easy to predict. Nice reveal in the container though.
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post #44 of 49
6/11/09 at 2:38am
Crap, ABC continued to burn these off post-Lost and didn't tell anybody. I missed last week's and tonight's. Final ep runs on the 17th.
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post #45 of 49
6/12/09 at 12:38am
Yeah, last night's ep caught me by surprise too. Which sucks, because the show was hitting it's stride before the last "finale". HULU here I come!
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post #46 of 49
6/12/09 at 1:34am
The past two episodes have been really good, I think. Last week, Eddie Alvarez was put in charge and immediately fucked up while Banks reenacted Read Window. This week Walsh and Eddie Alvarez (you have to say his full name every time) traded some decent pranks and the cases were pretty good. I'm pretty bummed we'll never get any kind of resolution to the brain tumor subplot.
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post #47 of 49
6/17/09 at 4:55am
Loving the autopsy girl. "You're a big boy. You're very brave." I hope she gets at least one more scene this week (tonight).
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post #48 of 49
6/19/09 at 2:17pm
And it's over. It was a good episode, too. Clearly they were hoping for a back end pick-up. At least I know I won't be missing any more episodes with the cute Korean ME.
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post #49 of 49
6/19/09 at 3:34pm
Yes, I can accept her last scene as a resolution of sorts to the Brain Tumor arc. But damn, I want to know what else the writers had planned.

Would have liked to learn more about Captain Astronaut too.
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