In today's column, I interview Edie Falco about her return to series TV with Showtime's "Nurse Jackie," which I really liked. I also have a full interview transcript.Space issues in the paper meant I had to run the interview in lieu of a proper "Nurse Jackie" review, but look for it to join the blogging rotation starting tomorrow night. I know the pilot is already out there on-line and via On Demand, but I'm going to ask you to keep your comments vague (opinions are fine; plot details much less so) until the episode review post goes up.
I like the dark comic feel, and I love Falco, so I'll be checking back next week. But the show feels assembled from leftover pieces of other hospital dramas, and isn't nearly as provocative as it thinks it is.
ReplyDeleteI found it way too depressing and eventually predictable in its attempts to make Jackie flawed. I still expect the show to be one of those celebrated, award winning shows regardless though, but I was disappointed because of the talent involved.
ReplyDeleteIt was good to see Anna Deveare Smith and Peter Facinelli in a regular tv show though.
Something tells me the creators have seen the Mad Men pilot (i don't think I'm spoiling anything by that comment but if you have seen the pilot you know what i'm talking about)
ReplyDeleteI thought the same thing, Mike.
ReplyDeleteI liked it a lot, but the half-hour format and Showtime marketing it as a comedy made me expect something lighter. It's definitely not that.
ReplyDeleteI am with JD; I also found it very predictable. It didn't seem new or original to me: just a mishmash of House and other medical dramas.
ReplyDeleteGosh, I expected to really enjoy the pilot and I didn't. I love "dark"...my favorite shows of the recent past include BSG, Breaking Bad, Six Feet Under, Sopranos, etc etc...but I didn't enjoy the pilot much at all...maybe my expectations were too high
ReplyDeleteBut I didn't even realize it was only 30 minutes after watching; it felt like an hour to me. It seems, oddly, most derivative of Dexter in so far as how much the main character drives the show (seems even more so), the tone/voiceover from the main character, but less skillfully done and amazingly, less realistic.
Now its only a pilot, so I'll give the show a little more time...don't want to get too specific cause a lot of people haven't watched the first episode yet.
I agree. The writers of this show must have been had mad men on in the background when they wrote this pilot.
ReplyDeleteAs for the show itself I'll be back next week, it seems like it'll be good summer filler much like weeds has become.
Does anyone know when Dexter comes back?
Given the main character and the tone, I thought this show was better suited for TNT than Showtime, although it is not as though Showtime has really carved out a niche, is it?
ReplyDeleteIt is a show with potential, but I don't know that I would make special time for it outside of the summer.
I've thought Edie Falco was great since Oz. I'm really looking forward to this show.
ReplyDeleteI'm very excited to see this one. Given the recent quality of Showtime shows (Weeds went downhill during S3 but really just got awful in S4, Californication was never any good, the L Word was just laughable by the end, and Jonathan Rhys Myers was a good young Henry VIII but him playing S3 Henry who should be in his 40s/50s is ridiculous), Dexter was the only reason I was still keeping the network, and even that isn't as good as its first season was anymore. I'm hoping Nurse Jackie will give me a reason to tune in week to week.
ReplyDeleteAlright, a question for those who've already seen it: iTunes is offering a free download of the pilot episode, but it's an "edited" version. Should I just watch that, or will missing out on all of the uncensored stuff make it suffer in quality? Because I can certainly just download the torrent if need be, but not on my current computer (I'll have to wait a week until I have access to the other again).
ReplyDelete@Savvy Veteran -- I watched the free "edited" version that is streamed through Netflix and didn't feel like I was missing anything. They "silence" certain words. But it ran over 28 minutes long, so I don't think anything critical was "edited."
ReplyDeleteFor those with Comcast, it's also free On Demand this week. I'm going to watch it again with much clearer resolution.
I don't have Showtime, so I didn't think I'd be missing anything until I read Mo Ryan's review. I guess I'm in the minority, but I *really* liked it. Much more than I thought it would. It won't make me subscribe to Showtime, but I will catch it on Netflix when it goes to DVD.
I think it's good writing, good acting and the 30-minute format helps the pacing. Yes, it's dark, but I like that in a show. And I think that Mad Men reference is a *really* thin stretch.
@olucy:
ReplyDeleteThanks for the heads up! I'll just watch go ahead and watch it then. I've heard some really good things, so I'm very much looking forward to it.
That was a great interview! Wow! I can't believe what she said about her experience on 30 Rock. She was one of my favorite guest stars and my favorite "Jack Donaghy girlfriend." It's interesting to read how she felt so out of her skin...she obviously can do anything handed to her. But that doesn't mean it isn't out of an actor's comfort zone.
ReplyDeleteI'm really surprised at the generally meh reviews here. I really liked the pilot. The actors are all great, and working at high levels, and it didn't feel like a retread to me. I'm wondering if episodes will be put up on iTunes for purchase (I try not to avail myself of the illegal options). I think Showtime was really smart to put the pilot out for free.
ReplyDeleteolucy, I had the same reaction! I was stunned that Edie Falco felt so uncomfortable talking about her "30 Rock" stint. Kudos to her for overcoming her discomfort with the comic material, I never would have guessed that she felt out of her element. I thought she was awesome -- definitely the best "Donaghy girlfriend" ever.
ReplyDeleteThe pilot is pretty dark, but I was very pleasantly surprised to see Haaz Sleiman! I loved him in The Visitor.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit to being a little freaked out by Father Phil "administering" to Carmela.
ReplyDeleteDidn't like the show one bit. Liked the concept but the execution was dragged out, predictable. I am glad the comments on here have run the spectrum because other things I have read were just shamelessly praising the program.
ReplyDeleteAnother thanks to olucy for the tip about Comcast on demand.
ReplyDeleteThe nerdy theatergoer in me psyched about seeing Eve Best.
If Gregory House were a married female nurse, he would be Nurse Jackie.
ReplyDelete