Undercovers: Discussion Thread

[EricMontreal22]

Yeah, I hate how much credit Abrams gets for lost (to be fair, he even tries to point this out). He did totally help reshape the premise for the pilot, and helped pick the writing team, but he had very little direct input. That said he's become a name liek Joss Whedon that people see, and they automatically give all credit for (Joss Whedon wrote like 5 episodes of Angel--and hasn't been a show runner on Angel, firefly OR Dollhouse, yet often gets all the credit from the Whedonites--though like Abrams it has to be said that the shows do follow in their style).

Abrams was quite involved directly in Alias though.

Anyway I saw Undercovers. Umm... It looked great. I liked the actors. I appreciated the early Alias vibe (juxtaposing their "normal life" etc). I did find it moved too fast, and I found the actual story fairly "who cares". I could see it becoming a show, depending on how serialized it becomes (I know they claim it won't be, but they said that about Fringe too), a show that if I'm home at the time I turn on and sorta half watch. I just didn't find it very engrossing.

[JackPeyton]

I cant wait to watch this show when i get home from school, so looking forward to it!

Ah, the best episode - by far.

[Toups]

Steven and Samantha Bloom are definitely the best looking and sexiest couple on television. Gugu Mbatha-Raw is so damn pretty.

The show was a nice mix of action, comedy and romance.

Loved the postcards as location transition.

[Money]

Undercovers is a pretty mess. The actors are beautiful but their chemistry leaves me cold. I want the show to succeed only because it's rare there's an adventure/drama headlined by Blacks, however it debuted with a little over eight million viewers. I really hope it doesn't get cancelled.

[EricMontreal22]

I missed episode 2, and can't muster um the anticipation to download episode 2--any thoughts on it? I think the fact that it is so light and laid back compared to most recent spy dramas--which I admit is refreshing--is unfortunately also making me kinda... well, not care.

I was reading the metacritic reviews and saw this New York Post quote--sigh when the major papers get information flat out wrong: "The guy who brought you "Alias," "Fringe," and the not-so-successful but interesting "Dollhouse," so, of course, the expectations are high. No, Undercovers isn't as good as those shows, but it is still a lot of fun. "

LOL

[marceline]

I'm just getting caught up but I like what I see so far. I hope NBC gives the show a reasonable chance to find its footing and audience. I need a good action/intrigue offering. I think a show like Undercovers needs a bare minimum of three episodes for people to make a fair judgment.

Obviously I want the show to succeed, not because I'm a resident of the JJverse or because I think the world is better off with more Boris Kodjoe in it but because I remember hearing that Abrams didn't set out to create a "black" spy show. He chose these actors based on their auditions and chemistry with each other. I want that kind of thinking to succeed.

[Toups]

Cancelled. It was fun while it lasted. I have high hopes for Gugu Mbatha-Raw. She's gorgeous and can act. I think they'll be a big star in the future.

I wish NBC would've tried the show on a new night. At least do something before pulling the plug. Too bad the show didn't air on USA because I think it's a better show can Covert Affairs (though I do like the show).

[Sylph]

I am so glaaaaad! Stupid Mr. & Mrs. Smith ripoff!

And LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL at the Deadline comments!

[Sylph]

[DRW50]

http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/11/04/j-j-abrams-undercovers-three-reasons-why-it-went-under/

They're very generous to call Boris Kodjoe a promising newcomer. He's gorgeous and has some charisma, but in terms of his talent, not a lot has changed from where he was ten years ago on Soul Food, a more entertaining show that probably got ratings not that far off from this one. I think he might be better off on something like Zane's Sex Chronicles, or in a procedural on CBS.

[Sylph]

4.22 million viewers, 1.1 in the demo, down 15% from 1 December telecast.

[MontyB]

That's not nice at all, LOL. He's not that bad.

Personally, I wouldn't watch a show like that no matter who was in it. That last good show with that type of premise was Hart to Hart.

[EricMontreal22]

I watched about one and a half episodes, but I didn't think he was so bad either. I could see him having some success on primetime. Gugu on the other hand is pretty great, IMHO--she even stood out in her tiny role on Dr Who.

The show looked pretty but it was not able to hold my interest, whatsoever. Like some blog said, it wanted to get casual viewers, but this kind of show honestly did go out with Hart to Hart, etc. And the Abrams geeks had too little mythology to latch on to (if there was any--I didn't see any in my brief viewing). When the premier came on a bunch of my friends all were over to watch (not that we gathered for that show specifically but we happened to be looking for something on TV) and literallyw ithin about 10 mins everyone was bored or distracted.