SURFACE
Premise (From
http://www.zap2it.com) - Ever wonder what life would be like if a new form of sea life began to appear in locales all over the earth? In this expansive drama, those who are about to find out include some naval officers in the South Antarctic Sea, a family in San Diego, scientists from the Oceanographic Institute in Monterey, and fishermen in the Gulf of Mexico. The seemingly innocent creatures they find are beautiful and kids may even want to play with them -- but is there something more to them? One thing's for sure -- they're full of surprises.
Day/Time: Mondays at 8/7 Central (Premiered 9/19, 1st ep. to rerun Oct. 1st/3rd times TBD and on the Sci-Fi Channel)
Network: NBC
Cast:
Lake Bell (Boston Legal)
Carter Jenkins
Jay R. Ferguson
Thoughts on Premiere:
Ever since "Lost" became a colossal hit for ABC last fall it became a foregone conclusion that other networks would follow suit. It's akin to what happened when "Survivor" became a cultural phenomenon what seems like eons ago, leading to an influx of "reality" shows. The same could be said regarding the numerous crime dramas that are still coming in the aftermath of CSI's surprise success.
Well, this appears to be the year of the science fiction drama as CBS has already debuted "Threshold" starring Carla Gugino as a "contingency analyst" dealing with the aftermath of the appearance of a foreign lifeform in the sky above a cargo ship in a remote part of the Atlantic Ocean. The 2-hour pilot/premiere proved to be intriguing, mixing humor with drama very well. Perhaps most notably, it contained a fair amount of action (hand-to-hand combat, etc.), even more than the occasional scuffles featured on "Lost" and maybe owing to creator David S. Goyer's orgins as the mind behind the 'Blade' franchise of films with Wesley Snipes as the titular half-human/half-vampire vampire hunter.
Next up on the science fiction docket is NBC's "Surface" starring Lake Bell ('Boston Legal') and a host of other even lesser-known names. This fact itself makes for an uphill battle as the cast is mostly unknown, meaning people will tune in for the premise only, making the ratings for the premiere something to keep an eye on. Is the show itself worth watching? In my opinion based on the premiere, yes it is.
The show aptly develops different levels of mystery as what happened to a missing scuba diver and, most interestingly, the discovery of large quantity of strange-looking eggs by two young boys lead the pack on a show laden with subplots (It remains to be seen whether subsequent episodes will balance them as well as the premiere did). The egg subplot was the most interesting development as they seem to glow and one hatched and a creature of unknown origin escaped (Smartly, the look of said creature was kept under wraps thus far).
The writing is decent although it lacks the levity present in the pilot for "Threshold", leaving one hoping that it doesn't succumb to self-seriousness down the road. The performances are also decent with Lake Bell lending a solid presence as the show's lead. She's likable enough to care about but not so much so that she becomes cloying.
In the end, "Surface" is yet another new quality show to premiere thus far this Fall ("Head Cases" is the only outright dud of the new season) and well worth watching if you can stomach another science fiction drama. I hope ABC's "Invasion" follows suit when it debuts Wednesday after "Lost."
Grade: B
Your thoughts?
