Snap Judgment_The Glades by Tina Charles

I'm not having any luck with TV series featuring short, catchy titles this summer. I wanted to continue to satiate my love for vampire shows by getting sucked into ABC's The Gates. Didn't happen. Then I turned my attention to the wannabe gritty police drama on CBS called The Bridge. The jury's still out on that one. Now I've given A&E's The Glades a chance. And all it did is make me long for the days when USA Network's Silk Stalkings was on. If I want to see police officers investigate murders in a pretty Florida town that features the word "Palm" in it, Silk Stalkings (SS) is for me. Chris and Rita made solving crimes in Palm Beach sizzle. Palm Glade is the setting for A&E's newest original series. And where SS provided lots of colorful (do you remember the clothes Lance and Lorenzo wore?) flavor, The Glades is just dull. I only made it seventeen minutes into the pilot before hitting delete. I get the sense A&E is trying for a fun USA Network-type show, but unfortunately, this doesn't cut it. The lead character is Detective Jim Longworth. He's a tough Chicago cop living in Palm Glade after he parted ways with his boss. It seems he accused Jim of sleeping with his wife. He's a loner. He's out of his element. He's constantly sarcastic and doesn't take life seriously. He rather be playing golf than working. I just wish this character wasn't as cliched as he comes off. This is the pilot so immediately Det. Jim has to try and drum up some chemistry with a nurse (played by Lost's Nikki aka Kiele Sanchez). I don't know. Sometimes it takes time for chemistry to percolate but I normally like to see some sort of spark right away, something that lets me know that maybe I'm not feeling them now, but there's potential for a connection down the road. All I'm sensing between the cop and the nurse is a flatline. I'm glad the first episode did really well for A&E in the ratings, but time will tell if this success will continue. If you want fun in your summer shows just tune into TNT's Leverage or USA Network's White Collar.

Snap Judgment_The Bridge by Tina Charles

So I watched CBS' 2-hour pilot for The Bridge, the cop drama about rampant corruption in the Toronto police force and the officer who steps up to fight it. The Bridge tried (too hard) to be gritty TV. I imagine it was going for something like The Wire but it didn't quite succeed. Maybe it was because some of the dialogue was just underwhelming. Maybe it was the fact that at one point I felt like there were so many bad cops I was drowning in corruption. It took me a little bit to understand that the lead character, Officer Frank Leo, was supposed to be charismatic. I just didn't get it at first and I love the actor who plays him (Aaron Douglas, Chief Galen Tyrol, Battlestar Galactica). At first I couldn't believe how his entire division (The Bridge division) would just gravitate towards him and appoint him leader. But by the end, I did get it. He became a solid force for good and Douglas did a good job conveying that.

After a very intense opening to the show, for me the pilot went downhill for the rest of the hour there was so much exposition (a necessary evil of pilots, I know). It was in the second hour that things started to pick up again and Frank found himself in a whole world of trouble. His fighting against the system and corruption made him a target. They went after him and his dad, anything was fair game. But the pilot also started to get exhausting around about Hour 2 because one thing happened after another where bad cops did bad things and good cops did bad things they didn't mean to do. At one point I just wanted some peace and quiet. Plus, so many things happened I don't feel the actors were given enough time to react. One of my favorite parts was the tentative business relationship between Frank and the Chief of Police. They do each other favors but they don't trust each other at all. In fact they both are recording their little get togethers for insurance. I like the potential messiness this new "friendship" will inevitably face in the future.

I admit to liking the flirtation going on between Frank and the prosecutor Abby St. James. She ends up representing Frank (for a $5 retainer, what?). I'm curious as to where this not so subtle flirtation will lead. Ona Grauer plays Abby St. James. For me it's great to see her because she played the very first Crossroads Demon on the CW's Supernatural at the end of Season 2. She and Douglas share a nice chemistry for sure. I don't know how long The Bridge will be on Saturday nights since the ratings for the pilot were much less than stellar. But if I'm home on a Saturday night and The Bridge is on, I may watch live. I don't think I would DVR it.

Snap Judgment_Haven by Claudia Charles

Although I'm not the biggest Eric Balfour fan, I decided to give Haven a shot. I do like that Nicole de Boer stars in the series. I haven’t seen her in too much since Star Trek Deep Space Nine and then in Stephen King's Dead Zone, USA Network's sci fi series also starring Anthony Michael Hall. The opening of the pilot episode seems a little dry to me. They're trying too hard to establish Emily Rose's heroine, Audrey Parker, as a sarcastic know-it-all. She's an FBI agent extraordinaire investigating the murder of a serial killer she's been tracking when she's paired with one of Haven's local police officers, Nathan Wuornos. Look for lots of clichéd references regarding the FBI versus the local LEOs. As for Balfour's introduction, they want his character (Duke Crocker) to be enigmatic, but unfortunately he lacks the presence to carry what could be an interesting role. The acting's so-so, although to be fair, the cast seems to be rather hemmed in by some stock dialogue. So the secret of Haven is that people have powers over the weather? Okay…

I will say that the last fifteen minutes of the episode improved. The mystery was introduced regarding an old picture of a woman who looks eerily like Audrey. Her doppelganger may be her mother, but Audrey has mentioned she's an orphan. I'm intrigued enough with this aspect that I'm willing to watch another episode. The jury's out on this series for me.

Snap Judgment_The Gates by Tina Charles

Interesting thing about ABC's The Gates. I liked the first episode enough that I looked forward to the second. And as I watched the second, I began to like it less and less. I made it about 15 minutes into "What Lies Beneath" and then I deleted it off my DVR. I'm actually really upset about my decision, but the episode was just not grabbing me like the pilot did. I found myself not caring about getting to know the characters. I'm seriously bummed because I love me some vampire TV shows. I watched Buffy, Angel and I'm currently into the CW's The Vampire Diaries and HBO's summer TV hit True Blood. I had no qualms about adding a third vampire show to my TV watching repertoire. Unfortunately, that won't be happening. Plus, I really, really want Frank Grillo (Prison Break, Guiding Light) to get his hit TV show. He deserves one. He's hot and he's talented. And he played Hart on CBS' late great soap Guiding Light back in the day. After The Gates finishes its run I sincerely hope Grillo finds a TV show that he can really sink his teeth into because this one is just not that show it pains me to say.

Snap Judgment_Rookie Blue: Fresh Paint by Kara Howland

We start out in a bar as the new recruits are cuffed. We don’t know they’re new recruits yet (well, we do if we have any idea what the title means). The first rookie to get out of their cuffs – by any means necessary – drinks for free. The blonde chick (we don’t know her name yet) manages to get someone to produce a key so she can get uncuffed first The blond girl shows up to work the next day with her dad, who appears to be a chief. Diaz (the warm and fuzzy guy from the previous night) says some sort of prayer before getting out of the car. Nash sneaks out of her cop boyfriend’s car the next morning. Gregory Smith's character bikes to work. And McNally (Missy Peregrym) seems late as she runs up to the entrance. And of course, there’s narration. There is no training, we hear, that prepares you for life on the street. Welcome to precinct 15. Diaz’s new partner is cranky and warms him he has no patience and little team spirit right now. He’s going through a divorce. Nash’s partner is thrilled to get “Jenny from the Block” and makes it clear that her huge – and may I say ugly – bag isn’t coming in the car. McNally’s new partner is munching on a pastry. Her partner recognizes the name but she doesn’t give him anything.

I had pretty low expectations coming in so I’m happy to say I didn’t hate this. I also didn’t like it enough to get past the “introductions phase.” I like Missy Peregrym but everyone and everything seems pretty stereotypical and if I’m going to watch a cop show I want some originality and perhaps a bit more grit. This seems a little too lite for me and honestly, I’m not prepared to watch another show that uses voiceover in this way. I got enough of that from Grey’s Anatomy when I used to watch it. So, unfortunately, I was only able to make it to the 6 minute mark on this one. Ouch. But perhaps is fared better with you. What did you think?

Snap Judgment_Hot in Cleveland by Tina Charles

This isn't so much a snap judgment since I decided to watch two episodes before making my mind up about the TV Land sitcom. Here's the thing. It could use a lot more laughs. I laughed a few times during the series premiere but in the second episode I probably laughed once. Having said that, there's something really comforting about a show that features stars we've enjoyed in shows from years past. I like all the actresses involved: the greatness that is Betty White (The Golden Girls, Mary Tyler Moore); Valerie Bertinelli (One Day at a Time, Jenny Craig), Jane Leeves (Frasier) and Wendie Malick (Just Shoot Me). Too bad they don't have better material but at this point I don't know if I really care since this sitcom sort of takes me back to the sitcoms from the 70s, 80s and 90s. And that retro feel starts at the very beginning with the "this show was recorded in front of a live studio audience" voiceover. The whole premise is contrived and the writing is stilted but I do hope the dialogue and jokes improve as the series goes along. Bonus points for the John Schneider guest star appearance in the premiere, however. It's always good to see him. Hot in Cleveland isn't so much hot as it is lukewarm but I think TV Land is wise to air this show during the summer when it doesn't have as many sitcom competitors (sitcom-petitors?).

Snap Judgment_Memphis Beat: It’s Alright Mama by Kara Howland

I like TNT. I’m a big fan of The Closer and almost all of the procedurals they re-run every day. I’m not sure the world needs another cop show but I like Jason Lee (even though I didn’t watch My Name is Earl) and I love Alfre Woodard. I wouldn’t say I had high hopes for this show but I thought it might be another cop show I could add to my repertoire. I only made it nineteen minutes into the hour. Usually I like to watch the entire show before I make up my mind up there were two eye-rolling incidents I just couldn’t get past.

The first moment happened when Jason Lee’s Detective Dwight Hendricks was able to come up with the identity of the lost/missing person he was ordered to help so quickly. Even though the detectives usually don’t take on a 10-15, the new lieutenant ordered him to take the case. Lo and behold, it actually turns into something. My second issue surfaced when Dwight started to wax poetic about some Sam Cooke song and how it worked its sexy magic on the parents of some of the cops there. I realize the history of Memphis is saturated in music - which I like - and that things are done a little differently in the south (I grew up in the South so I really do know) but it came off as disingenuous and a bit insulting to me.

There’s some great talent here, but I won’t be watching this show. I do have one question for anyone who knows a little something about Memphis. Are there really that many Elvis impersonators there?

Snap Judgment_Scoundrels: And Jill Came Tumbling After by Kara Howland

I must admit I was pretty excited to hear Virginia Madsen would be on TV this summer. She’s been on my radar since Candyman, which scared the bejesus out of me when I was younger. I’ve been waiting and hoping she’d show up in primetime in something worthy of her talents. I’m not sure I can fully express my disappointment in this show – well, my disappointment in the first ten minutes of this show. That’s how long I made it. Virginia Madsen’s Cheryl is the only character who even made a lasting impression on me in those ten minutes. I’ve never seen David James Elliot in anything (no, I did not watch JAG), although I think he’s decent eye candy. The only one of the children who I felt anything for was Vanessa Marano’s Hope; she seemed plucky. And I thought Carlos Bernard’s cop could be an interesting foil for this family of thieves. But since I couldn’t make it through the entire show, I certainly won’t be watching the series. What is your snap judgment? Did you make it through the whole hour?