Monday Night

The Event
There is a new show on Monday nights that I HAVE to watch, because one of my best friends (Scott Starrett www.scottstarrett.com )writes the show's music. But, after watching the show Monday night, I WANT to watch it.

The show is "The Event," and it's pretty much LOST meets 24. Being a non fan of both of those shows, I find myself surprised that I even like this show.

The show centers around one "event" and through a series of twists, it leads you to believe one thing is the event, when it is, most definitely, something else. It unfolds like the show, 24, in that wonderful time jumping storytelling to go from the current day, back eleven months, or jump forward thirteen days, or go back seven days previous. So, if you're someone who can't keep up, bring a notepad while watching.

For a new show, I'm not surprised by the Monday night time slot. It's a pretty dead night as far as tv goes, unless you're a bachelor/bachelorette/DWTS fanatic, then there's nothing else on. So, kudos to NBC for scheduling. Good job!

As for the opening of a new show, I think it delivers. Creator Nick Wauters (who wrote for such shows as Medium and Eureka) has some obvious experience unfolding an complicated story. The characters are, so it seems, fully developed before the actors even appear. There are twists every few seconds, and enough plot to keep you wanting more, and enough suspense to keep you guessing. Nevermind, the all-star cast of Blair Underwood(super hottie), Jason Ritter (who looks creepily like his father's twin instead of his son), and Laura Innes (from ER), just to name a few. After one episode, it's difficult to tell if the casting is appropriate or just star attached to get the project off the ground.

I do enjoy the acting of the show, mostly due to the fact that the actors are all recognizable and feel comfortable to me. However, I think Jason Ritter is out to prove something and I'm not sure he'll succeed. I think he has many talents, but is still trying to come out from the shadow of his father, and while it was a smart move to sign on to a drama as opposed to a comedy, I think this type of project might be too big for him. I hope he proves me wrong.

And I can't talk about this show without talking about the music. Good lord it's beautiful. It helps the show go from the typical show on tv, to the level of a mini-series, or better yet, a full length feature film. Every scene is gloriously scored so carefully, and yes, having an inside connection does play a factor because it's my friend. And if I didn't adore the music, I would just say nothing. Scott Starrett is definitely one of the industry's "top 5 to look out for."

The last person I have to mention is Jeffrey Reiner, the show's director. I think the entire production are in very capable hands of someone who has been around and dealt with sci-fi and also time-jumping stories. So, let's hope he can steer this ship into the right direction.


Overall, I found myself delighted by the show. I had many misgivings because of the amount of advertising I've seen all around NYC; subways, billboards, magazines, countless TV spots. It just seemed that the network didn't have enough faith in the show to just let it happen. I think it could be a good show. I doubt it will be a great show, but it's fantastic for people who miss LOST. I suspsect it will be a suitable substitute for them. I'm not sure I enjoyed the sci-fi twist at the end of the episode, but only future episodes will let me know if I'm right or not. So, let's hope the show catches on and we'll be able to talk more about the plot and direction the show takes!