Tuesday, June 16, 2009

'Hawthorne' review - Sepinwall on TV

In today's column, I review TNT's irritating, cliche-riddled new nursing drama "Hawthorne" and note how it's impossible to not compare it to the nearly identical and far superior "Nurse Jackie."

25 comments:

maura said...

You've confirmed my suspicions, Alan. I'll be avoiding this show as if it were a rerun of "Full House".

Boricua in Texas said...

Thanks for the warning. I am so not watching this.

shar said...

Much as I'd like to see Michael Vartan in another series, I'm not watching this either.

Anonymous said...

Alan,

They are rerunning the racial epsiode of BETTER OFF TED at 9:30 tonight

not ordinarily picky said...

I know it is irrational to hate the show because TNT is calling it "HawthoRNe," and yet...

skipska said...

Agreed not ordinarily picky. How many nursing shows are there going to be this year? NBC has one coming called 'Mercy' too.

Carrie said...

Why does Michael Vartan keep getting saddled with these dreadfully boring shows? (What? He's dreadfully boring, you say? La la la, I can't hear you!) I'm off to watch my Alias DVDs again instead, I suppose...

Tyroc said...

They showed a trailer for this show before The Hangover last week for some reason. So odd. At first I thought it was a spoof, but it's real. She cares! And she won't take any crap from those arrogant male doctors! Oy.

The fact that she's an executive producer on this seems no surprise as her seeming arrogance comes off on every project she's in.

olucy said...

Yes, Carrie. I'm sorry. And even as a former fan of Alias I have to say...he's boring.

Pamela Jaye said...

thanks for reminding me of the time slot.

it's a hospital show - it's going to have to be utter crap for me to not watch it (especially in summer)

I just saw a blurb for it on EXTRA, too. It does seem that doctor Armand Dorian is getting around. (I did not catch his role on this show (consultant?) but I've seen him in a few shows on TLC/DHC.)

I did ask Bill Lawrence (on the ABC Scrubs forum) and he said that - I believe it was - neither he not Dr John Doris (prototype for John Dorian) had met him.

karen said...

Ever since the very first commercial for this all I could think was that it is a vanity project for Jada Pinkett Smith, and your review kind of confirmed it.

Craig Ranapia said...

They are rerunning the racial epsiode of BETTER OFF TED at 9:30 tonight

Why does that sound strangely unenticing? :)

OnceADaydream said...

Watched it.
the whole thing.
ow
never again.

JackiWhitford said...

When I saw the commercial for HawthoRNe and Jada Pinkett announced that every patient needs a hero and she was it - I knew the show was going to be obnoxious. Whereas House MD pulls it off with great depth of character and even better writing, this cannot be done by bad writers and mediocre acting.

Undercover Black Man said...

I know it is irrational to hate the show because TNT is calling it "HawthoRNe"...

Now if it were called "HawtHOrne," I might check it out.

Clevelle said...

This show is OK and is probably a good fit on a network with shows like THE CLOSER and SAVING GRACE, but the nose-pinching is a bit much especially on a blog where shows such as REAPER, HOUSE and GREY'S ANATOMY are regularly reviewed.

Craig Ranapia said...

Clevelle:

I'm sure Alan doesn't need me to defend his honour but:

1) He calls 'em as he sees 'em.
2) Without trawling through the archives, I don't think Alan's been particularly enthusiastic for a very long time about any of the three shows you cited.

Serena said...

I think it is a great start of a show! With any new series, improvements can always be made. I also think it's refreshing to see a woman of color be in a lead role on a drama series.

Craig Ranapia said...

I also think it's refreshing to see a woman of color be in a lead role on a drama series.

Ever heard of Sturgeon's LAw: 90% of everything is crud. Sadly, its all too true, and while its laudable to see a woman of colour who isn't Tyler Perry it still doesn't win clichéd plotting and groan-inducing dialogue a pass.

Clevelle said...

Craig, Craig, Craig. 3 posts on a review of a pilot that's so bad? If I didn't know any better, I'm almost wonder if you didn't have a personal stake in the failure of this show. Alan doesn't need you to defend his honor mostly because it wasn't attacked in the first place, and from the years I've posted here, I'm well aware that Alan expects his readers to also call it as they see it.

Pamela Jaye said...

Finally watched.
Not having read past the "jump" before watching, I was expecting awfulness. So diminishing my expectations worked.
I don't get premium channels, whichever one the other show is on.

Overall, it was okay, and it left me curious as to what happened to her husband, what her job was, precisely.
It was also nice to see the girl from American Dreams (though suprising she didn't expect to be pelted by bodily fluids) and the screaming lady from Grey's Anatomy

Anonymous said...

Michael Vartan is in this!?! I think I have to try and watch, just for that. Before, the attention was all on Jada and her being a nurse, and how her mom rated her (her mom is a nurse).

Anonymous said...

trying to hard to real and funny.

Anonymous said...

Doctor-bashing is so amateur. It is sad that Jada and her writers can't make her a hero without creating a fantasy world where all the doctors are idiots and all the nurses are competent. And, by the way - LOSE the DOCTOR's Coat. That alone speaks volume on how nurses think. And yes, it is a vanity show for Jada, no doubt about it.

Anonymous said...

I cannot stand this show!! Jada's character is absolutely obnoxious. Quite honestly, the Hawthorne character gives black women a bad name!