Scoundrels, based on a hit show in New Zealand, wasted the talent of Virginia Madsen and the charm of David James Elliott. The two played the parents of a family of non-violent criminals; with the help of actors such as 24‘s Carlos Bernard as a cop, Scoundrels played crime for lame laughs.
The kids in the family were the usual assortment of dumb, sexy, rebellious, and intellectual. The hour included that sure-fire side-splitter, the grandma who knows martial arts and beats up young men easily. The dialogue included one daughter saying, “No way,” to which Madsen was forced by the script to reply, “Most definitely ‘way’!” She also had to use the term “butt-boy.” It really didn’t seem fair.
After we’d taped our sides back together, it was on to The Gates. The TV-math formula here was Desperate Housewives + Vampire Diaries – Eastwick.
The title of the show referred to a gated community populated by a few supernatural folks, in particular a pair of husband-and-wife vampires played by Rhona Mitra and Luke Mably. Mitra’s Claire seemed to be sucking the blood from a fellow who almost ran over her daughter not out of vengeance, but out of convenience and boredom.
The Gates gets a new resident, a chief of police (Frank Grillo), who has arrived with his family to escape some Unexplained Thing That Happened In Chicago. Never have I been more moved to use the cant word “Whatever” as a sentence.
It’s clear that The Gates wants to be a satire of suburbia with knowing winks to our rampant vampire-mania, but to be satire, the show would have to be clever. About the most clever The Gates gets is when Claire tries to hide some blood she’d drained in a few bottles of the family wine collection.
How convenient of ABC to schedule two of the worst new shows of the summer back-to-back. The network is making it easy for you to carve out two hours of reading time.
Did you watch these things? Did you like either of them more than I did?
Follow: @kentucker
I liked Scoundrels! For summer TV it was pretty good.
Yeah, I liked it too. Enough to give it more of a chance. Fell asleep for The Gates, and with this review, it’ll probably be my last episode.
Have to say, I discovered “Army Wives” on Sundays this past year and was shocked at how good it is. More authentic than “Housewives” (the fake or “real” ones), an excellent ensemble cast, and at least one moment every episode that brings tears to your eyes. That’s the show I’ll miss when it wraps up for the season.
You should really start from the beginning, it’s even better the first three seasons! Have you watched Drop Dead Diva yet? That’s a really good show too that’s on right before Army Wives.
Thanks for the tip. Re “Diva,” just can’t get into the whole fantasy / body-switching thing! Checking out “The Next Food Network Star.”
I’ve never watched Drop Dead Diva but i’m aware of it and keep wondering, why doesn’t she just lose weight?
@James – It’s obvious you’ve never watched it. The point of the show is to be comfortable in the skin you’re in. Why is the answer always “just be skinny”. As a person who has been skinny, fat, and in between I can tell you it means nothing unless you’re happy.
I have been watching Army Wives for years now. It is indeed very good, and you can’t go wrong with Kim Delaney! It is very well done…Good writing, just enough sentiment, and a great cast. Love it.
Instead of remaking the New Zealand show, why not just SHOW the New Zealand show. I’ve seen it and it is wonderful.
i second that! it feel like the actors on scoundrels are trying to hard, outrageous fortune, which is the name of the new zealand series that abc have copied is in its 5th or 6th season now, its hilarious!
If NZ shows are a full hour like the Brits, then you don’t want them aired here. Cutting 20 minutes ruins them. Just check out some Doctor Who episodes and you’ll see what I mean.
both were horrifyingly awful. Rhona Mitra is the kiss of death to ANY show, she’s numbingly inept at acting, WHY is she on anything????
Don’t know who Rhona Mitra is but decided FROM THE COMMERCIALS that she sucked (pun intended)so didn’t waste my time.
They weren’t that bad. Put down your tiara and mingle with the commoners, Ken.
They put crap like this on and yet axe Happy Town ??
What happened to the brains in ABC? I am surprised Lost lasted as long as it did with the way they are ditching shows at the moment.
Agree! I’ve been watching Happy Town on ABC’s site and it is quite good. Another show that is interesting right now is Persons Unknown from NBC.
Agree, loving Persons Unknown right now! And I have Happy Town saved up on the DVR – wasn’t sure it would make it so I was waiting to watch it all at once. I keep hearing it’s good!
Yeah I liked that show too!(PU)NBC didn’t really do them any justice by not promoting it. I didn’t even know they were on and had to discover it ON Demand. I saw a preview for it last month and heard anything about it since then. It probably will get axed because NBC does not know any support for any of their shows thats not a game show or a reality show..
Talented Writers,
If you care about your product/story and want it to succeed, DO NOT pitch it to NBC
Agree with your comments Butter.
Yes, Happy Town is hitting its stride.
I watched the Gates with low expectations and it seemed watchable to me. Not like my Sunday 10pm slot was all booked up on my dvr anyway.
Btw Ken, they did explain the basics of what happened in Chicago (though I’m sure there will be more to the story).
mine was with leverage and white collar two of the best shows on tv
Not to me
I agree with Garrett. Leverage is one of the best shows on tv. As for The Gates, No thanks. Though Mitra was okay in Shooter, I am just sick of vampires.
Unfortunately Happy Town really didn’t start getting good till the third show and in today’s T.V. that’s three episodes too long. Plus the biggest downfall… the name. Happy Town, seriously?
I watched the Gates. I never need to see it again. TrueBlood is, at least, funny.
Glad I didn’t watch it then. I had plans of watching it, then I realized Leverage was on.
I’m from Shreveport and Southern Trace CC where The Gates was shot. I was excited to watch it, even set the DVR!! I was sooo disappointed!! It was awful!! All of the detours & inconvenience for this??
The entire time I was watching The Gates, I kept wondering…What did Rhona Mitra do to her face?
Just based on the previews of these 2 shows, I’ve already decided I won’t watch them! They were so corny!
Scoundrels was awful. The Gates was a better. Sorry ABC, Vampire Diaries has it all over The Gates.
Scoundrels was absolutely horrible! After that, I couldn’t even bare to give The Gates a try.
I’ve seen all 5 seasons on the NZ version of Scoundrels and the 6th season airs in NZ on Jul 13. All 5 seasons have been brilliant. They have completely taken the plot line of the 1st episode just like the office did when they started. I’d recommend to stick with it for a few episodes to see how it pans out.
Seriously The Gates is tailored for people who don’t have HBO and can’t watch True Blood. No surprise these two shows suck. Thank god I won’t have to listen to “Come on!” every commercial break on ABC.
…I have cable, I have HBO, and I enjoyed The Gates very much, but I seem to be the only one looking forward to the next episode hahahahaha…
haha. Join the club. It was definately better than Scoundrels though. Bu ten again, I’d watc anthging feauring vampires. XD
I thought they were both good. I liked The Gates better. I wish Eastwick was still on.
Me too.
Me three.