mcgees.org

Continuing the mcgees.org trend of reviews for crappy TV shows, I watched the series premier of “Century City”. It has some interesting things going for it. It’s set in Los Angeles in the year 2030, and its genetically-enhanced-humans-3D-holographic-displays mood reminds me most of — and I know this is unflattering — the ill-fated 1993 sci-fi show Time Trax. But aside from that, the writer seemed to have a lot of fun, and many subtle things increase the enjoyment factor. There is the offhanded remark about characters from LA driving to Thousand Oaks to go to a nightclub (OK, local joke, but trust me, it’s funny), there is the name (”Axl”) of a seven year old not raising any eyebrows, there are the seventy-somethings named Jason and Melanie, which is just about perfect. Kristin Lehman’s character is named Lee May, but watching the show I was desperately hoping her name was actually Li Mae, that there would be nothing odd about somebody with a trans-culture name in 2030 (I know that her character, who is probably around 30, would have been born in 2000, and white girls still aren’t being named Li Mae in large numbers, but it’s still a cute idea.)

Ioan Gruffudd, despite having a kick-ass Welsh name, is unbelievably bad. Good-looking in a preppy way, but horribly, embarrasingly bad. Some of it might be the effect of having to affect an American accent and having it come out unnaturally shrill and abrasive (the Catherine Zeta-Jones phenomenon), but really he’s the worst thing this side of Elisabeth Röhm (oh interesting, they were born less than six months apart.  There must be something horribly defective about 1973. 

The best thing the show has going for it? It enters the landscape in the middle of the vast Sahara that is American Tuesday “Prime Time” network television. Even if it only lasts until June, it will probably be better than anything else that’s on. Faint praise, but praise nonetheless.

Wed, 17 Mar 2004 17:24:41 -0600
Under tv
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