I got to check out the pilot episodes for NEW GIRL and TERRA NOVA. Here are my quick impressions.
NEW GIRL - Starring Zooey Deschanel and three dudes
I watched this one first just to get it out of the way and was shocked to find myself enjoying it a lot. I am not a fan of the lead actor (though, I have no problem with her at all) but found myself totally in love with her character. She is silly, quirky, nutty, loopy, geeky, and adorable! The guys who eventually play her roommates (SPOILER!) also work well. Sometimes you watch a cast in their pilot and realize their chemistry just isn't natural and that they will have to work on it. Most of those shows get cancelled. This one doesn't suffer from that problem. But is a network audience ready for this cute, geeky comedy? We shall see. The first episode has a lot of fun dialogue and I could see it fitting in well following GLEE.
GRADE: A-
TERRA NOVA - Starring 20 people
Is a network audience ready for a hokey sci-fantasy show about people living on prehistoric Earth? It certainly looks expensive and that makes me wonder just how long can they keep that production level going? I think people will stick with it purely out of fascination with the aesthetics. But once cost-cutting starts showing itself, will the stories hold people for long? I will at least check out part 2 to see if there is a payoff to the first half of the premiere. But I fear the focus on one family will drag it down to the point where people won't care for long.
Last thoughts: is Jason O’Mara's character supposed to be American? I can't tell. Though, the dude playing his son has the thickest Canadian accent this side of some hicky part of Alberta. Thankfully, Stephen Lang is awesome and makes up some for the horrendous accents. Granted, most Americans couldn't tell a good accent from a bad one so... oh and there is a visual effects moment near the end of episode 1 that I sure hope isn't final.
GRADE: C-
