Friday, October 23, 2015
Early next week CBS debuts the latest superhero series, and despite
its superfluous nature given the raft of superhero programs on TV,
available via streaming services and at the movies, “Supergirl”
(8:30-9:30 p.m. Monday, KDKA-TV) charms through its strong casting and
earnest storytelling.
And, hey, it’s not like the medium of filmed entertainment is
overflowing with female superheroes, so on that level “Supergirl” stands
out.
Executive produced by Greg Berlanti, who’s also behind The CW’s “The Flash” and “Arrow,” and written by Mr. Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg (“The Flash”) and Ali Adler (“The New Normal”), “Supergirl” soars, thanks in large part to its star, actress Melissa Benoist (“Glee”). She plays Kara Zor-El (aka Supergirl) with a mix of awkward, dorky insecurity and bravery that makes her instantly likable.
The back story begins on Krypton as a 13-year-old Kara is sent away from the dying planet in an escape pod following her baby cousin, Superman. The plan is for her to shadow him on Earth and protect him, but Kara’s pod gets waylaid in the Phantom Zone, where no one ages. By the time she gets to Earth 24 years later, Superman is well-established and doesn’t need her protection. He places her with an adoptive family — Helen Slater, who played Supergirl on the big screen in the ’80s, is her mom; Dean Cain, who played Superman on ABC’s “The Adventures of Lois & Clark,” is cast as her dad in some nostalgic stunt casting — and Kara tries to have a normal, superpower-free life.
As a young adult, she gets a job at National City media company Catco, run by imperious Cat Grant (Calista Flockhart, “Brothers & Sisters”), who defends giving the new superhero the name “Supergirl” instead of “Superwoman.” Cat also gets the show’s best, funniest lines.
Tune in for the optimism reminiscent of the “The Flash” and early Christopher Reeve “Superman” films but do stay for Cat’s cutting zingers that seem far more entertaining than any of the rote fight scenes.
“I’m sorry, darling,” Cat says to Kara at one point, “I can’t hear you over the color of your cheap pants.”
At work, Kara nurtures a friendship with IT guy Winn (Jeremy Jordan, “Smash”), but she’s oblivious to his romantic interest in her. Instead, Kara is smitten by James (not “Jimmy”) Olsen (Mehcad Brooks, “Necessary Roughness”), the company’s new art director. (What he’s art directing in the Catco portfolio isn’t clear: The Tribune newspaper? Some magazine?)
Along the way Kara learns her sister, Alex (Chyler Leigh, “Grey’s Anatomy”), from her adoptive family, has a secret that will eventually involve Kara/Supergirl. That’s all part of the pilot’s set-up that also introduces a villain-of-the-week story generator: A prison ship escaped the Phantom Zone and crashed to Earth, and its prisoners went free.
Supergirl’s job will be to round them up.
That plot contrivance seems both repetitive of the metahuman villains created by radiation on “The Flash” and a little weak in general. “Supergirl” will only soar long-term if the show puts more emphasis on the characters and their relationships, otherwise it risks becoming just another CBS procedural with a superhero lead instead of a criminal investigator. Given their work on “The Flash,” there’s reason to believe the show’s producers can accomplish that if CBS executives give them the leeway.
And if nothing else, the “Supergirl” pilot sets up the series, which moves to 8 p.m. Mondays on Nov. 2, in high-flying fashion.
Making ‘Supergirl’
Fans raised on “Superman” stories, take note: Although he’s mentioned in the “Supergirl” pilot and viewers get a glimpse of his cape, he won’t appear on screen in “Supergirl.”
“He will be a factor in her life, but you won't see him exactly on screen,” said executive producer Geoff Johns at an August CBS press conference. “He’s gonna be more in the background. But he does play a part in her evolution of becoming a superhero.”
Like Superman in the comic books, TV’s Supergirl will be vulnerable to more than Kryptonite.
“It was important for us, especially to have a weekly TV show, to put her in situations where she isn't all powerful, so that you can root for her,” Mr. Kreisberg said.
“Sometimes there’s a tendency with Superman to sort of make him so powerful that there isn’t any danger. And going in week in, week out, you want to feel like Supergirl might not survive any of these things. And a lot of that is based on the comics — there are plenty of things besides Kryptonite that can take her down.”
Mr. Kreisberg said “Supergirl” came together more fully formed sooner than expected, which he said was similar to his experience on “The Flash.” But he knows a superhero show has to demand attention because there are currently so many superhero stories available.
“At any given moment, there are feature films on — ‘Avengers’ or ‘Dark Knight’ or ‘Man of Steel’ or ‘Iron Man’ or ‘Thor’ — and you can get your kick from this stuff anywhere,” he said in a teleconference with reporters earlier this week. “We have to bring something singular and special every week.”
Kept/canceled
ABC canceled summer cop drama “Rookie Blue” after six seasons.
Syfy canceled “Defiance,” starring Murrysville native Julie Benz, after three seasons.
Fox ordered a full first season of procedural “Rosewood.”
ABC gave a full 22-episode first-season order to “Dr. Ken.”
ABC Family renewed “Switched at Birth” for a fifth season; Hulu ordered a 13-episode second season of “Casual” for 2016.
E! renewed docu-series “I Am Cait” for a second season to air in 2016.
After 12 years, Discovery Channel canceled “Mythbusters,” which will begin airing its final and 14th season on Jan. 9.
Another digi-net
Sinclair Broadcast Group will launch another digital subchannel on its stations nationally. COMET, a co-venture with MGM, launches Oct. 31 with a mix of fantasy, sci-fi and adventure programming, including the TV series “Dead Like Me,” “Stargate SG-1” and “Stargate Atlantis.”
In Pittsburgh, WPNT will carry COMET as Channel 22.3.
Channel surfing
Trade reports this week suggest Netflix is developing four 90-minute “Gilmore Girls” reunion movies to be written by the show’s creator. … Broadway fans, take note: PBS debuts “Billy Elliot the Musical Live” (9 tonight, WQED-TV). … FXX airs a marathon of 25 “Treehouse of Horror” episodes of “The Simpsons” in consecutive order starting at noon on Halloween and airing through 12:30 a.m. Nov. 1. … Michelle Veintimilla, a 2014 graduate of Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama, debuted Monday on Fox’s “Gotham” as Bridgit Pike/Firefly, and she’ll appear again in Monday’s episode (8 p.m., WPGH). Ms. Veintimilla’s also had roles in filmed-in-Pittsburgh productions “Not Cool,” “Those Who Kill” and the upcoming movie “Love the Coopers.” … The 16th annual “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” sweater drive kicks off at the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh with an appearance by Mr. McFeely (David Newell) at 11 a.m. Nov. 6. … On Wednesday, YouTube will launch a $9.99 monthly ad-free subscription service, YouTube Red, featuring original programs, including scripted series and reality shows featuring YouTube stars. … This weekend Amazon will sneak its original series “The Man in the High Castle,” offering free viewing of the show’s first two episodes at www.amazon.com/maninthehighcastle. The entire first season will be available to Amazon Prime subscribers on Nov. 20.
Tuned In online
Today’s TV Q&A column responds to questions about “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” WPXI anchor schedules and WQED local programs. This week's Tuned In Journal includes posts on “Hellevator,” “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” and “The Simpsons.” Read online-only TV content at post-gazette.com/tv.
This week’s podcast includes conversation about “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” “American Horror Story: Hotel” and new shows we wish we could keep watching but don’t have time to see. Subscribe or listen to Pittsburgh Post-Gazette podcasts at iTunes or at https://soundcloud.com/pittsburghpg.
