I’m absolutely shocked to see these two shows renewed so quickly. The vast majority of the new fall season has yet to even premiere, but TNT and HBO are already throwing around renewals for two of their recent premieres.

“Raising the Bar” has been renewed for season two despite a 2.2 million viewer drop between episode one and episode two. I recently commented that this is a show I simply can’t sit through, and I stand by that – but TNT believes in this drama, and is going to give it a chance to find its legs. Later in the season, after they’ve gotten past their initial order, I may give the show another shot.

“True Blood” has also been quickly renewed by HBO. The show is only in its third week this week, but after it saw a rare ratings increased from episode one to episode two, the network is quick to jump on the renewal bandwagon.

This is actually a very good thing whether you like these shows or not. Many series need a while to find their footing and really discover what they’re going to be about. Its a process that takes at least a few episodes (some will even say a few seasons), and that’s not possible without the support of a network, and its great to see TNT and HBO supporting their investments and giving these shows time to grow.

Jada Pinkett Smith is coming to the network that “know’s drama” in a new series called “Time Heals”. Pinkett Smith will be executive producing and starring in the show. Sony TV is producing the program with Jamie Tarses and John Masius joining in as executive producers as well.

The series will focus on a North Carolina hospital nursing director and single mother played by Pinkett Smith.

So far this season there are two shows that I’ve reviewed the pilots of here on TV Jab that I just can not sit through to review subsequent episodes. Throughout the new fall season I’ll be posting about more shows that just don’t make it past the pilot for me, but the two that I’m talking about today are…

“Fringe”

This CSI for sci-fi show is just not cutting it for me. Sure, there is a larger mystery involved with the show (ala “Lost” or what have you) but nothing about this show gels together. Joshua Jackson seems to be attempting to play George Clooney – and it shows. His dialogue is awkward, his attitude doesn’t feel real – and the premise behind why he is a part of this time feels forced and silly.

The plots have been uninteresting, and the rest of the cast all seem like puzzle pieces to different puzzles that are trying to fit together to make one picture – and it isn’t working.

I will be surprised if this show gets a season 2.

“Raising the Bar”

This show is just plain terrible. I hate that. I really like most of this cast, and would love to see them work together on a successful show…this show just isn’t it. The writing is predictable, stereotypical, and in many ways laughable.

In the 3 episodes that have aired the show has not thrown us one interesting plot twist that wasn’t viewable from space before his appeared. The show wants to have heart, and wants you to care about the people involved in the crimes of the week – but its not working.

***

I fully expect to see both of these shows cancelled in the very near future. There’s just nothing here worth keeping around on television.

(S01E01) “Pilot”

Mark-Paul Gosselaar stars in this Stephen Bochco produced series about Defenders and Prosecutors in The Bronx. It’s another lawyer show, which I think one could argue that television already has enough of – but, I don’t watch many of them, so I haven’t been completely beaten down by the concept yet.

Add to that the fact that I always have to watch the premiere episode of a show starring a former cast member of “Saved by the Bell”, and I was certain that I was going to check this show out.

Now, as I sit here having watched the first episode, I have to say – I didn’t like it very much. That’s not really the type of criticism that you’ll normally find from me. I’m usually a “love it or hate it” type of guy – but this series left me almost feeling confused.

I can’t decide what it wants to be. The Defenders and the Prosecutors have drinks on a regular basis – some of them are even in relationships together. At first it seems like the show might be about the relationships, with the cases taking a back seat to that action. That’s not what happened, however. This episode’s case, which revolved around a man who was being sent to trial for a rape he didn’t commit, was the center piece of the episode.

The part that was less than spectacular was just that you never really believed for one second that he was actually going to go to jail. They tried to drive it home with a hard-assed judge who was basically punishing the innocent man because she was angry at the lawyer who was defending him, but really – they never convinced me for a second that anyone was going to Riker’s Island.

Before the episode was over Gosselaar’s character had managed to have himself thrown in jail at least 2 or 3 times, but even then, there was no surprise when he and his client were eventually let free (I would consider this a spoiler, except for the fact that the two of them going free is clear from the beginning of the episode).

The previews for next week’s show didn’t look too promising either. Gosselaar spent most of this episode screaming about how his friend was getting screwed. The preview leads us to believe that next week will be more of the same. I truly hope not, because if so, “Raising the Bar” won’t be around too long.

Even with all that, the cast is likable enough that I’m not totally turned off on the show. I’ll give it another week – I just hope that next week is better than this one was.