Here are some quick opinions on the new slate of SFnal network TV programming:

Reaper – B+

Kind of a been-there-done-that premise is enlivened by some interesting tweaks to the deal with the devil concept, but it’s the humor that really makes the show work.

Pushing Daisies – A

The premise–a man has the ability to bring the dead back to life temporarily (or permanently with consequences)–is a cool one, but what’s really going to make this show great, I think, is the relationship between the male and female leads who are obviously in love with each other but can never have a physical relationship–they can’t even touch.

Bionic Woman – F

This was really just ghastly. Everything from the writing to the acting to the directing was just terrible. If I kept watching this show, I’d need some bionic eyes to replace my own, which will have been gouged out.

Chuck – B-

Amusing and fun high-tech spy-thriller type of thing, with liberal doses of humor. The first two episodes were enjoyable, but I have a hard time imagining this show holding my interest for long.

Journeyman – C

Kevin McKidd is great, but the nonsensical time travel and passive protagonist make me yawn. I haven’t given up on it yet, but I’m not hopeful for its future.

Moonlight – D+

There’s no particular reason this shouldn’t be good, I just didn’t think it was.

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While on the subject of TV, why didn’t anyone ever tell me how freaking awesome Robot Chicken is? That show’s hilarious. It’s stop-motion animation random sketch comedy at its best. Don’t believe me? Check out this clip on YouTube and find out what happens when President Bush discovers his midichlorian count is very high…

And while you’re at it, also be sure to check out Flight of the Conchords, another great comedy show. FotC is about two New Zealand musicians trying to make it in the Big Apple. Every episode features some of the bands’ songs, which are presented as music videos within the context of the show. You can see (I think) every song/video from the first season here. Several of their songs are SFnal–including a great parody of Lord of the Rings (it was required they parody LOTR, being from New Zealand).

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I’m somewhat embarrassed to admit that I’ve become hooked on watching Beauty and the Geek. For those that don’t know, B&tG is a reality show in which 10 female “beauties” and 10 male “geeks” all live in one house together, pair up into teams (one beauty/one geek on each), and compete in challenges designed to help the beauties become more than just a pretty face and help the geeks become, um, not socially retarded.

One thing that surprised me is how real the geeks appear to be. This isn’t one of those situations where you have people acting unlike themselves in order to get cast on the show; these guys are the real deal. And man, the producers really got a nice cross-sampling of geeks. This season they have a filker and a LARPer.

As if there were any question which one of these groups I most identify with, further evidence was provided in this week’s episode. During one of the one-on-one’s (when the beauty or geek talks candidly directly to the camera, out of ear-shot of the other contestants), one of the geeks was wearing a shirt (“Viva la Relativity!”) that I not only own, but was actually wearing right at that moment.

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