Fancast: Inside TV

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Fancast Info Page for K-Ville

K-Ville is Fox's traditional take on the gritty style police drama with the added wrinkle of being set in New Orleans two years after Katrina. The series focuses on two partners (both with a sordid past and no shortage of demons) and their adventures in The Ninth Ward.

The Ninth has been slow to recover from the hurricane (to put it kindly) and with crime running rampant there's no shortage of baddies -- be they petty, violent or devious politicians looking to prosper from the city's misfortune. The aesthetic borrows heavily from The Shield (it looks great in HD) and comes equipped with the prerequisite car chases, gun fights and morally questionable police tactics.

More than any other new show this fall, K-Ville had the chance to do something special. The premise of a cop show in a post-Katrina New Orleans is ripe with potential. Unfortunately, the series shows little interest in examining the socio economical fall out or the psychological toll of Katrina in any great depth and uses the setting as a gimmick. Whether in the form of a reference to gumbo or "creative" acronyms for FEMA in the form of graffiti, expect nothing more than surface level fodder.

In spite of its shortcomings, K-Ville is still a safe bet for those looking for fun, popcorn style action. But personally, for a show that had limitless possibilities, I expected more.

K-Ville airs Mondays at 9 p.m. on Fox

With impressive overnights and a win in Monday Night's key demographic, the question of whether the country has taken to K-Ville been put to rest (until next week). As for the citizens of New Orleans about whom the show is supposed to be about? That will likely take longer to ascertain.

Times-Picayune TV columnist Dave Walker dubbed it "cliche-riddled, but not hopeless," (which is a much kinder than the critical reaction across the country).

Based on the reaction of his readers, however, the show still has a long way to go:

• "One cop on the verge of breakdown, drinking on duty, his partner a fugitive from justice. White woman trying to take the black mans land by hiring commandos. The recovery is hard enough without making us look like idiots. Who wrote this episode, FEMA?"

• "K-Ville is the second worst man-made disaster to hit New Orleans."

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On An All New Episode
After season two followed Fox River's merry band of bandits as they fled across the country and uncovered conspiracies, season three brings Prison Break back to its roots. This time around, the brothers Scofield find their roles reversed with Michael incarcerated and Linc trying to free him.

As an added kicker, Michael's new home, the Panamanian prison Sona, is no Fox River. After extreme rioting, the guards withdrew from the prison, leaving the inmates to their own accord and manning only the perimeter under a strict "shoot on site" policy.

Naturally, Michael must escape, bringing an unknown inmate (who eats rats) with him. The season will see him meet old friends (Bellick, T-Bag and Mahone are all in Sona too), butt heads with the Kingpin of Sona, Lecharo and foil the plans of the unknown faces that want him dead.

Best Character - Lecharo
That he played my favorite character on The Wire notwithstanding, Robert Wisdom is awesome as the de facto boss of the guardless Panamanian prison. Operating under the belief that "Without rules we are nothing but savages," Lecharo incorporates an intricate set of guidelines to maintain order and social hierarchy in society absent all law.

From his unique method of conflict resolution (fights to the death), to his orientation sessions, to the Darwinian system of assigning jobs, Wisdom takes no more than five minutes to establish Lecharo as the most intriguing character Prison Break has ever seen.

Best Quotes
"Never! Never use my floor as a bathroom!"
-Lechero

"That's not chicken."
-Whistler

DVR Factor
Season Pass - Top Priority - Save Until I Delete
Based on the season three premiere, Prison Break seems to have managed to stay fresh while using what's essentially the exact same premise of season one.

While the show has never been anything more than popcorn fun, with the addition of Sona and Lecharo, certain moments had me thinking that season three's storyline would make for a great series on HBO or Showtime (Think Oz with no guards -- and throw in Al Swearengen and Tony Soprano).

No doubt the acting and dialogue can be painful at times and the plot holes are too numerous to list, but in a genre dominated by CSI and 24, Prison Break remains well ahead of the pack.

Critical Reception

The Good
Variety, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Entertainment Weekly , Chicago Tribune, TV Squad, E! Online, UGO, TV Guide

The Bad
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Orlando Sentinel, Boston Herald

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On An All New Episode
Forty days, forty kids ages (8-15), no adults and an attempt to establish and maintain a functioning society from the ground up in a deserted Wild West town. With the parallels to Lord of the Flies and Deadwood, it's a premise that should appeal to even the most ardent Reality TV haters.

The town operates under only one form of social structure. There are four leaders, each in charge their own 10-man-district. The four districts compete in a competition (the first involved drilling for water) for the assignment of jobs.

First place are the 'upper class,' paid $1 and without responsibility. Second place become merchants, operating a saloon, grocery store and dry goods shop for 50 cents. Third place will work as cooks getting paid 25 cents and fourth place is designated the toughest job of general laborer, making only 10 cents.

Outside of that, there appear to be absolutely no rules. Kids cry, kids eat candy and kids take shots of root beer. It's the wild west.

Best Character - Unidentified
Having only been introduced to a handful of the characters, it's impossible to determine who's the best of the bunch. Personally, I'm holding out hope that a young Al Swearengen will distance himself from the pack, take over the saloon and be running the town by the fifteenth day..

Here are some characteristics to look for in the best character:

• "Why do today what someone else will do tomorrow?"
While it's vital to avoid the appearance of laziness, this is a 40 day marathon, not a one week sprint. Given the oppressive conditions it's imperative to conserve your physical and mental energy.

• "The real money's in commerce."
Secure the job of merchant under any and all circumstances.

The upper class won't last a week before the entire town resents them for the fact they get paid the most for doing nothing. At the same time, being a laborer must be avoided at all costs. Feet to the fire, the upper class can always go Marxist and distribute their wages to appease the masses. The laborers have no outs and given their horrendous responsibilities, they'll probably be dying to go home after ten days.

While the cooks control the food, they are paid poorly, have to do dishes and receive no financial compensation for their goods. Unlike a merchant, they can't withhold assets or gauge prices without causing a violent uprising.

On the other hand, with control over the essential items, the merchants are in charge of all the town's commerce. As the days go on and things become scarce, the economic structure of the town will be in their complete control.

• "Don't forget to tip your waters"
Bribery is essential. A good dictator needs to understand the fact that they must placate the lower class. Not so much that the balance of power will be shifted, but enough that those cleaning the toilets and doing the manual labor don't start slacking off.

• "Every town needs a good saloon."
Control of the saloon is huge. For starters, because it's filled with perishable goods, it probably has better heating than anywhere else. And if it's a well crafted saloon, it's likely got places to sleep. Given the condition of the bunks, setting up camp in the saloon should be the key to a comfortable stay.

Best Quotes
"I feel like I am surrounded by dumb people."
-Sophia

"He's just trying to be a leader y'all!"
-Mike

DVR Factor
Season Pass - Low Priority - Save Until Space Needed
The first episode didn't have much of the social intrigue that would put it over the top, dealing more with melodramatic conflicts and homesickness. So while it's yet to be seen whether Kid Nation can tap the full potential of its premise, the hope is that once they settle into their jobs, the ball will start rolling.

Still, there's plenty to like (of the guilty pleasure variety). Some of the kids are genuinely funny. Certain moments, for example, the kids first attempt at cooking pasta or one kid's rationale for choosing a TV instead of seven outhouses ("If a tornado comes we won't know about it cause we don't have TV!") shatter the unintentional comedy scale.

Even if it ends up being nothing more than mindless fun, Kid Nation is still good for a chuckle and worth a watch if nothing else is on.

Critical Reaction

The Good
Los Angeles Times, New York Magazine, New York Daily News, Time

The Bad
USA Today, Variety, Boston Globe, Washington Post

For cast information, episode and channel listings, video footage, recommendations and more check out the:

On An All New Episode
When a rogue CIA Agent decides to send his old Stanford roommate an email containing the world's most classified intelligence, the secrets are downloaded into Chuck's brain and the Computer sales/repairmen has his world turned upside down. Now the most valuable military asset in the United States, Chuck is unwillingly thrust into the world high stakes spy games.

Best Character - Casey
Adam Baldwin is hilarious as the NSA agent set to keep tabs on Chuck. Not being the most diplomatic of secret agents, Casey focuses on the task of keeping Chuck safe with such little regard for anything else that he ends up stealing almost every scene. For fans of Firefly, Baldwin's return to form is a welcome treat and an added coup for Chuck.

Best Quotes
"I'm not going anywhere Chuck. When you go to sleep at night all you're going to see is Tang in your face."
-Tang

"That was factitious. Idiot."
-Casey

DVR Factor
Season Pass - High Priority - Save Until I Delete
Chuck is a great main character, charming and perfectly suited for the role. Unlike the standard tale of 'the reluctant protagonist,' it's not Chuck's desire that carries the story, but the hilarity of his incompetence in the world of military operations. While he manages to survive (what else would you expect), watching him get outwitted, only to be saved by his handlers is a fun ride.

A lot of the criticism of Chuck has been it's unrealistic premise and gaping plot holes. But Chuck isn't Lost or Heroes. It's a comedy through and through and until it starts taking itself too seriously, anyone that gives it grief for the spy story angle is missing the point entirely.

Critical Reception

The Good
Variety, New York Times, USA Today, LA Weekly, Washington Post, Newsday

The Bad
Chicago Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, New York Post,

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On An All New Episode
Four months ago, we saw the 'Heroes' collaborate to thwart Sylar's attempt to blow up New York, Peter and Nathan fly into outer space with a bomb strapped to their back, Hiro teleport back to tribal Japan and the rest of the cast go about their merry way.

The second season picks up with Claire and her family hiding in California, Mohinder trying to infiltrate 'The Company,' Hiro still in ancient Japan off on some crazy mission and Nathan back from space, guilt riddled and swimming in the bottom of a bottle.

Best Character: Niki
Unfortunately, she's not actually in the episode, but no one did anything in the premiere to knock her from atop the throne. And so it is proven that even in absentia, Ali Larter is still the best actress on the show.

Best Quotes
"The paper business is dog eat dog."
-Manager

"Oh no! I broke history!"
-Hiro

DVR Factor
Season Pass - Medium Priority - Delete When Space Needed
After championing the show for an entire season, arguing with fans of Lost to the death (decided by a game of rocks, papers, scissors, shoot), I was horrified when the season finale bombed so magnificently.

That being said, the premiere of season two was very watchable. While the overall plot has disintegrated to nonsensical levels (the episode takes place four months later but Hiro hasn't moved a muscle), there are stories to be enjoyed on a character by character basis. HRG and Claire's move into hiding and their forced anonymity was pretty well done and Niki, who didn't actually appear in the episode, will always be worth watching on account of Ali Larter.

It's like being a pro-athlete and blowing out your knee. You might still enjoy playing, but it'll never be the same and you'll never be able to shake the resentment over 'what could have been.'

Critical Reception

The Good
N/A

The Bad
New Jersey Star-Ledger, Baltimore Sun, New York Magazine

For cast information, episode and channel listings, video footage, recommendations and more check out the:

On An All New Episode
From the writers of Battlestar Galactica and The X-Files comes NBC's remake of the 1970's sci-fi The Bionic Woman. Jaime Sommers is a 24 year-old bartender taking care of her bratty sister (who can't legally use the internet) and dating a charming doctor by the name of Will Andros.

After an assassination attempt on Will's life by Sarah Corvus, Bionic Woman 1.0, Jaime is left in critical condition. In a desperate bid to save her life, Will transfers her to a top secret facility and resuscitates her using a radical genetics modification technique.

Jaime unwillingly becomes Bionic Woman 2.0 and is irreversibly linked to the underground organization that has left many a life in ruins.

Best Character - Sarah Corvus
In a departure from her role as Battlestar Galactica fan-favorite Starbuck, Katee Sackhoff is dead on (in more ways than one) as Sarah Corvus, the vengeful, take-no-prisoners Bionic Woman 1.0.

Corvus is the ultimate bad girl in that she's not only ruthless and stronger than everyone else (good qualities to have if you plan to commit bad deeds) but viewers can empathize with her. If you'd been stabbed in the back by the top secret organization that turned you into a genetically engineered super-soldier, you'd probably be hell bent on killing them too.

Best Quotes
"Time bombs only matter to those that have time."
-Dr. Anthony Andros

"Tell them Sarah Corvus says hello."
-Sarah Corvus

DVR Factor
Season Pass - High Priority - Save Until I Delete
Forget the negative buzz surrounding all the re-shoots and the departure of writer Glen Morgan (creative differences). This is one of the rare cases where a networks requests resulted in something great.

While it's hardly anything new (government/secret organization creates super-soldier), Bionic Woman hits all the right notes. The moral examination of free will and genetic modification isn't too over the top. The action and mystery is top notch and there are two friendly faces from Battlestar Galactica. Given the choice between Bionic Woman and The Sarah Connor Chronicles, it's Bionic Woman all the way.

Critical Reception
The summer has not been kind to Bionic Woman, but with the so many different versions floating around, a lot of the bad pub is based on things that have been cut or re-tooled. As of now, the amount of reviews for the final version of the pilot are limited. We'll update as they come along.

The Good
Blogcritics Magazine, Seattle Post Intelligencer

The Bad
New Jersey Star-Ledger, TV Gal (Zap2it)

When FOX announced King of the Hill would return for a 12th season, I was thrilled. As much as I love Futurama (and used to love The Simpsons), it's Hank Hill who has headlined the greatest animated comedy of our time.

While South Park and Family Guy beat viewers over the head with idiotic jokes that may as well have been written for ten year olds (that 'South Park' calls them "political" is laughable), Hill and Futurama delivered socially relevant satire with elegant subtlety.

But after the first three episodes, my initial happiness has subsided. ‘Lucky’s Wedding Suit,’ the episode intended to be the Hills’ last hurrah still resonates and I'm dismayed it will never be more than a season finale.

In an industry where very few series go out on their own terms, great series finales are rare. Arrested Development managed to pull it off despite a tragically early demise (as did Freaks and Geeks to a lesser extent).

King of the Hill deserved no less of a send off after its remarkable 200-plus episode run. ‘Lucky’s Wedding Suit’ was just that.

Luanne's wedding allowed us to revisit all the series' minor characters. The closing montage began with the series' regulars standing on Rainey Street, sending off the bride to be and closed with one last visit to the alley.

The final seconds saw Boomhauer reflect on the "enormity of it all" and Hank finally admitting that he's got "well, I'd guess you call it... well, emotions."

It was beautifully done. And as much as I'm enjoy the new season, I've got to wonder if ten years down the road, these extra episodes will have been worth compromising such a magical end to one of the greatest series of our time.

» Watch the Final Scene of Lucky's Wedding Suit

FINAL GRADE: B+

"Aha! A damn liar! I ain't never met a nigga smart enough to use a personal computer. Not even a Macintosh!" -Uncle Ruckus

» Watch the season two premiere of The Boondocks

It's been a long, agonizing wait, but the return of Comedy Central's animated masterpiece, The Boondocks is finally upon us. Created by one of the most important black minds in contemporary America, the transition of Aaron McGruder's nationally syndicated comic strip to the small screen has been nothing short of delightful. With a top-notch soundtrack, unique animation and witty, intellectually-relevant storytelling, the series hit the ground running and never looked back.

After a two year hiatus, the season two premiere, Or Die Trying (a play on 50 Cent's, Get Rich or Die Tryin) employed a different tone from season one, scaling back the magnitude of the social commentary and providing a lighter, breezier form of comedy.

Since McGruder's stated that the Cartoon Network didn't censor or limit him in anyway, given his history, concerns that the season premiere lacked the edge are premature. Fact of the matter is, regardless of underlying themes, the show is damn funny.

Given the characters, even a trip to the movies can't escape the lash of McGruder's wit. Uncle Ruckus is back in all his self-loathing glory. Robert Freeman (Grandpa) and Riley are just as wildly un-PC as when we left them. Huey suffering continues, the lone voice of reason amongst a sea of lunatics.

My only complaint over the episode was Jasmine's crying. It was painful. Already the weakest link in a strong chain, last night was Jasmine at her absolute worst, nothing more than a weight dragging everyone down.

Regardless, the episode works beautifully a refreshing reminder as to why we've missed the show so much. Now all that's left is to get ready for what's sure to be 15 of the best episodes you can find on television -- animated or otherwise.

email nadum at nadum_tv@comcast.com