NBC’s fresh and freshly-killed shows

Wow, did NBC take a dive with overhauled “Raines” hourlong. When I saw the early pilot of the show, it looked quirky, even too smart for television. What you could easily confuse with a Medium rip-off, turned out to be more tongue-in-cheek, more realistic, and yet, had more humour and life. Well, that was the pilot, starring Luis Guzman, and presenting Jeff Goldblum as an odd, conflicted, well-read, and grounded detective.

That episode probably went through a few screenings, a few filters, and somehow lost Luis Guzman (who easily stole the pilot – why doesn’t this guy finally get a break on TV), Goldblum’s odd remarks, and smarts – leaving the conflict (a nice touch), but diluting the persona. Why make a good, smart show simpler? Who are you trying to attract – the people who watch Medium, or those who watch the Ghost Whisperer? Maybe the economics dictate that decision, but after the second episode I was out – Raines doesn’t do that for me.

And now that May is almost here, we’ll be getting (un)confirmed reports of various shows being canned. NBC, as usual, with their horrible PR, is leading the pack – with Black Connelys and Andy Barker. I didn’t care much for the former (it took the spot from Studio 60, and I’m still keeping my fingers crossed about that one – yep, I’m a naive optimist). As for Andy Barker, it’s a shame that show got canned – Andy Richter is a smart guy, and his underplayed slick lines are consistently good. They’re just too smart – also consistently. He keeps putting on a good show after show, and despite critical acclaim, they go nowhere. Maybe he’ll do better on another network – his guest appearances on “Old Christine” are hilarious.

More shows will be killed (or renewed) in the following weeks. Personally, I’d love to see some major cleanup on the big networks, but it’s a real shame to see NBC pulling the plus earlier, on better shows. Makes me wonder how these projects would fare on another network, or on cable. Anyone in love with Psych yet?