THE NEW 2011-2012 BROADCAST TV SEASON GETS OFF TO A GOOD START
The 2011-2012 fall lineups of new and returning series to broadcast TV is off to a great start, thanks to the return of many superb series and the premiere of a handful of new shows, most of which show great promise for future success.
Veteran Shows Returning
Among the most notable grizzled veterans returning to the broadcast airwaves are Dancing With the Stars, and Gray’s Anatomy (ABC); Two and a Half Men, NCIS, and Survivor (CBS); The Simpsons and House (Fox); The Biggest Loser and The Office (NBC).
Making the Cut for a “Sophomore Season:”
Among last season’s new shows that “made the cut” for a sophomore season are: Body of Proof (ABC); Hawaii Five-0 (reboot), The Good Wife, and Blue Bloods (CBS); Raising Hope (Fox); Nikita (The CW); and Harry’s Law (NBC).
Promising “Rookies:”
This season has some very promising new shows, including: Last Man Standing and Charlie’s Angels (reboot) – (ABC); 2 Broke Girls, How to be a Gentleman, Person of Interest, and Unforgettable (CBS); Napoleon Dynamite, Alcatraz, and Terra Nova (Fox); Hart of Dixie and The Finder (The CW); and Smash, Awake, and Prime Suspect (NBC).
PERSON OF INTEREST: THE BEST NEW SHOW OF 2011-2012
Of all of the new broadcast TV shows this season, Person of Interest is hands down the best. Here is a tense, taut crime thriller that immediately engages the viewer with its superior story lines, and then compels the viewer to continue watching each episode week after week.
Person of Interest stars Michael Emerson (The Practice, Lost) and Jim Caviezel (The Thin Red Line (1998), The Passion of the Christ). It was created by Jonathan Nolan, and has Nolan, J.J. Abrams, Brian Burk, Greg Plageman, and David Semel as co-executive producers.
Person of Interest: the Premise
Person of Interest’s premise is what sets it apart from every other crime procedural/drama that has appeared on network TV over the past five years. It’s what makes the show so compellingly watchable.
Harold Finch and John Reese are two men who live in the shadows. Finch is a multi-billionaire software developer who created a super-computer for the government. Dubbed “The Machine,” this computer can sift through trillions of megabytes of data in order to predict and prevent terrorist crimes against the United States. Every byte of data from surveillance cameras, audio recording devices, government computers, personal computers, smart phones, and tablets – is fed through “the Machine” for analysis.
Not only does “the machine” see every future terrorist threat, it also “sees” every other future crime as well – murders, robberies, rapes, assaults, and a host of other felonies the government considers “too insignificant” to do anything about.
“The Machine” creates two lists: one of potential terrorist crimes which the government keeps. The other list is of ordinary crimes, which the government considers “insignificant,” and has has no interest in preventing. Finch uses the data from this list to predict and prevent “ordinary” crimes. When “the Machine” “sees” a possible crime, it spits out the potential victim’s (or potential perpetrator’s) Social Security number, but no other clues about the felony that’s about to happen.
Finch, who is suffering from permanent severe physical trauma, enlists the help of a down-and-out ex-CIA agent named John Reese. Reese is homeless, an alcoholic, and mired deeply in depression. He’s also completely dispassionate, willing to do anything with is superior skills to prevent crimes. He agrees to be Finch’s “agent in the field” preventing future crimes, using a form of vigilante justice to achieve noble ends.
WHY PERSON OF INTEREST IS SO GOOD
Person of Interest is a terrific show on many levels. Each of the four episodes shown thus far tells its story in a manner that grabs viewers at the outset and tightly holds their interest. Teleplays are uniformly good; there’s usually a plot twist somewhere in each episode, which is sure to surprise anyone who is watching it.
The acting is superb. Emerson and Caviezel maintain a quiet, reserved demeanor, a characteristic that adds tremendous credibility to each character’s persona. Supporting actors, especially Taraji P. Henson who plays NYPD Detective Carter, and Kevin Chapman, who plays corrupt Detective Fusco, are equally good in their roles.
But what sets Person of Interest apart from other new shows (most of which try to bring something “fresh” and “different” to their story lines) is that this show actually does that. It creates a chilling, almost paranoid atmosphere all the way from the opening to closing credits. As the show begins, viewers hear a brief narrative of the show’s premise, while images of surveillance video crosses the screen. We are permitted to understand that Finch and Reese are mysterious men living on the margins of society, doing work that no one wants to do…
Clips of surveillance audio and video are frequently intercut into the story, heightening the sense of tension and fear conveyed throughout each episode. This is the world we live in now, ten years after 9/11. Look on any street corner in any town and you’ll likely see surveillance cameras. Our words are monitored through listening devices, email-scanning devices, and other means of digitally capturing our data, frequently without our knowledge.
All of this adds up to a show that quietly and poses a question we all must grapple with: is vigilante justice ever an acceptable means of preventing or solving crimes? It’s a question the show’s creators and producers have wisely left unanswered, for viewers are able to see the positive results of Reese’s and Finch’s efforts, but should be troubled by the means they use to achieve their desired ends.
MY VERDICT:
Person of Interest is indeed the best new show on broadcast TV this season. Watch it and enjoy!
Broadcast on CBS on Thursday Nights, from 9:00 to 10:00 p.m.
Sources: Embedded in article.