More new show reviews: Lost, Clubhouse, Dr. Vegas

September 29, 2004

I’ve really been working for you this week. It’s true. First, there was the tropical island with Matthew Fox, then, the Las Vegas casino with Rob Lowe, and finally, the baseball game with Dean Cain.

It’s exhausting. All in the name of work, of course, I had to check out the new shows Lost, Dr. Vegas, and Clubhouse. From gripping, to well, not so much. Here’s a rundown.

Remember the shows are ranked using this highly scientific Tube Talk rating’s guide:
Four stars – Don’t leave home if this show is on and you don’t know how to set your VCR. It’s must see.
Three stars – It’s good, not great. Catch it if you can.
Two stars – If you’re home with nothing else to do, turn it on.
One star – It’s so bad, you’ll want to shut off the TV and write an angry letter to the network that aired it.

Lost - Four stars. If you watch only one new show this fall, make it this one. You won’t be disappointed. It’s unlike anything you’ve seen on TV. The premiere resembled a big-budget film, from the plane crash scenes to the action sequences. I was on the edge of my seat for the entire episode. If you missed part one of the debut, don’t despair. You can catch part two tonight. Here’s what you need to know. A plane crashed onto an allegedly deserted island in the South Pacific. Less than 50 people survived. Luckily, one of them is Fox’s character Jack, a physician. The man is good in a crisis. And he needs to be, considering the elements aren’t the only test for survival. A creature of some sort made a quick lunch of the pilot. And some of the passengers are not what they seem. Oh yeah, then there’s that dog that keeps eerily appearing. The characters made me feel what they were feeling: fear, dread, shock, courage, and despair. And it looks like there will be more flashbacks this week of the horrific plane crash. The show hasn’t helped assuage my fear of flying or big, scary monsters. But trust me, Lost is worth finding. Check it out Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on ABC.

Clubhouse - Three stars. How can you go wrong with Cain back in uniform as a pro baseball player who befriends one of the team’s batboys? The show is exactly what you’d think: sentimental. It is slow at times and lacks a lot of baseball action. But it has potential. The opening sequence tugged at the heartstrings, as the batboy landed his dream job and raced toward centerfield to the tune of Five for Fighting’s song 100 Years. One moral dilemma later and The Calling’s song Our Lives, and I admit I got a little choked up. I don’t think this show will score a homerun in the ratings, but I enjoyed Cain and the music. Catch it Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on CBS.

Dr. Vegas - Two stars. This show is trying to be Las Vegas. It fails miserably. Despite the great cast, cool music and camera shots that it imitated from the slick Las Vegas, Dr. Vegas falls flat. Lowe is always enjoyable, but even he couldn’t hold my interest. Can he please go back to the White House? The West Wing desperately needs him. My diagnosis for this one: only fans of Lowe will be tuning in on a weekly basis. Catch it Fridays at 10 p.m. on CBS.

Originally published 9/29/04 in The Exponent Telegram newspaper.

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