New Series Reviews: K-Ville; Back To You; Kitchen Nightmares; Kid Nation

K-VILLE (Police Drama-Fox)
STARS: Anthony Anderson, Cole Hauser, Blake Shields, Tawny Cypress, John Carroll Lynch
PREMISE: Anderson and Hauser are partnered as police officers in post-Katrina New Orleans.
WHAT MIKE THINKS: "K-Ville" mixes pieces of every known cop show from "Dragnet" to "The Shield" (where Anderson was superb as a cold-hearted gang banger) and places this uneven mixture into a city that was nearly washed away in 2005. The major problem with "K-Ville" is not the acting (all four leads are just fine), but the way it veers from contemporary issues to standard police procedural. The now-standard police chase and crime investigations have been done much better elsewhere; most Americans have an opinion of the way the government--federal, state and local--have botched the rescue and reconstruction efforts. According to Fox, it will pump 17 million dollars into the New Orleans economy for filming 13 episodes on location. If Fox really wanted to make a difference, it would have donated the money to the city and spared viewers a mediocre cop show.
PREDICTION FOR SUCCESS: Up against NBC's "Heroes" and CBS' combo of "Two and a Half Men" and "Rules of Engagement," (not to mention the last half-hour of ABC's "Dancing With The Stars") it'll be a miracle if "K-Ville" lasts through its 13 week initial order.

BACK TO YOU (Sitcom-Fox)
STARS: Kelsey Grammer, Patricia Heaton, Fred Willard
PREMISE: Grammer is news anchor Chuck Darling, who leaves his Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania television news anchor job for other cities--and finds himself back in PA co-anchoring the local news with Kelly Carr (Heaton)--an odd couple who spar constantly when off the air.
WHAT MIKE THINKS: "Back To You" is a comedy that could have aired in the 1980's on CBS (or NBC). But it's 2007 and the show is broadcast on Fox (a network not known for being subtle when it comes to comedy). Still, "Back To You" has the right components--veteran performers in Grammer, Heaton and the wonderful Willard; a production and writing team that has been involved in some of America's best sitcoms over the past two decades, including "Cheers" and "Frasier"--where Grammer became a household name. For the most part, "Back To You" is generally well-done comedy with some real laughs. There are a few rough spots to work out--
the ensemble cast needs to be defined better with less stereotyping; and the bickering between the two leads needs to be toned down a notch or two. That said, "Back To You" may end up being the best of the new fall sitcoms. Familiarity may not be groundbreaking, but it does have its advantages.
PREDICTION FOR SUCCESS: "Back To You" could be a moderate hit on Wednesday nights (early indications are this show won't be a blockbuster of "Cheers" or "Fraiser" proportions), but a lot will depend on its competition--ABC's "Pushing Daisies;" NBC's "Deal Or No Deal;" CW's "America's Next Top Model" and CBS' controversial "Kid Nation" (reviewed below).

KITCHEN NIGHTMARES (Reality-Fox)
HOST: Gordon Ramsay
PREMISE: Based on the UK version, Ramsay is already well known to American viewers for "Hell's Kitchen." As in the British show, the good (and tart) Chef Gordon goes to failing restaurants and attempts to turn their fortunes around.
WHAT MIKE THINKS: I've spent this summer watching the British "Kitchen Nightmares" on BBC America--and after watching the first episode of the American version, I'm convinced there are two Gordon Ramsays. In the UK, he's still foul-mouthed but with a heart and a passion for what he's doing; the British show is quite informative and entertaining. Unfortunately, Ramsay becomes "Foxified" in the American translation--which means more bleeped out four-letter words, an annoying announcer describing every move; fast edits to make everyone look bad (though some of the real-life restaurant owners need no help in that regard) and a fast pace that gives you whiplash. Indeed, the show's credits admit to the editing and the "possibility" that customers who fill these restaurants are paid for their meal. But still, "Kitchen Nightmares" is compelling and never boring--and the reason is Ramsay. You may not like his behavior, but he gets results--he zeroes in on every problem and flaw, and tells it like it is. The result is often a good one. Let's put it this way: This show will never win a Peabody for quality. But if you like reality programming (and some do), you could do far worse than "Kitchen Nightmares."
PREDICTION FOR SUCCESS: Ramsay's biggest nightmare could be ABC's new "Grey's Anatomy" spinoff "Private Practice" on Wednesday nights. Or CBS' popular "Criminal Minds;" NBC's remake of "Bionic Woman" and CW's new teen drama "Gossip Girl." Still, "Kitchen Nightmares" could do well enough to survive in a tough time slot.

KID NATION (Reality-CBS)
HOST: Jonathan Karsh
PREMISE: Take 40 youngsters, ages 8-15, set them down in a New Mexico ghost town, and give them supplies for 40 days--then turn them loose to see if they can create a community.
WHAT MIKE THINKS: This is the most controversial new fall series in the States--allegations of child labor violations probably led CBS not to release the first episode to critics. Instead, the network launched a massive "Judge For Yourself" campaign, hoping all the bad publicity will turn into good ratings. On the plus side, "Kid Nation" is well-produced and edited--not unlike producer Tom Foreman's other creation "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition." But what you end up with is a "Survivor-esque" series with prizes (gold stars are handed out by the town council to the child that has worked the hardest; each star is worth $20,000) and competitions for basic services (the first involved a choice between outhouses and a television set. Fortunately, the four kids who make up the town council picked toilets over TV.) And not unlike "Survivor's" Jeff Probst, Karsh is the one who actually runs the town (he's the only on-camera adult on the show). But advertisers may be skittish about "Kid Nation": The first commercials didn't come until about 40 minutes into the hour-long show, and they were mostly for new film releases, CBS promos for other shows, and a spot for a product that deals with "feminine itching." Not exactly an appropriate commercial for a show where a large number of children will be watching. Hype and hoopla aside, "Kid Nation" is average television--and not worth the storm and fury that surrounded it. It's not scraping the bottom of the barrel, but it's not at the top of the heap, either.
PREDICTION FOR SUCCESS: See "Back To You" above. CBS is already planning a second season; its website has an invitation for kids to apply as contestants. So good ratings or bad, the "Nation" building goes on.

Until next time, happy viewing!