This is the most inexplicably horrible show I have ever seen. I'm always game for singing in TV and movies, but they're not really singing..they're singing along...

sunnydalegirl | October 19, 07:04 CET

Steve DeKnight's on this one too.

Sirk | October 19, 09:14 CET

Soooo bad. I only hope that both DB Woodside & Steve DeKnight move on to better things. Really fast.
In what capacity is DeKnight connected to this train wreck, anyone know?

Shey | October 19, 13:20 CET

Stephen DeKnight is the show runner of Viva Laughlin. It his and Tyler Bensinger's show.

Should be interesting to see the ratings. It's rare networks try anything outside the standard mold. If it's a bomb I'm sure CBS will treat us to CSI: Grimsby instead.

[ edited by gossi on 2007-10-19 10:45 ]

gossi | October 19, 13:44 CET

I did not see it (sounds like I was lucky) but DBW was in the Temptations minibioseries as the bass singer of the group and did very well. His singing should not be a problem. (A very young J.A. Richards was in that too, singing and dancing his heart out.)

newcj | October 19, 14:47 CET

I'm pretty curious how it'll fare rating wise.
Especially how it did yesterday and how it'll compare with its timeslot debut the day after tomorrow.

I've been through more painful shows before, that this wasn't exactly pleasant. Just like some reviews I've read, the lead isn't as likable as he's supposed to be, being mostly annoying.

The singing felt out of place, and maybe it was the way I watched it, but you can barely hear the actors singing, as they do sing over existent songs.

CBS does deserve some credit for trying to be bold this season, and trying to show different things, instead of creating another procedural derivative. But there's the different that works (ex. Pushing Daisies, which I really love - note: I know it's ABC, but it's just for comparison sake) and those that don't work, and Viva Laughlin seems closer to the second one.

I just wonder how big risks networks will be taking, as they decide whether to keep a show or not. With the guilds strikes looming (the writers one risking to be the closest one), it does make one wonder, if they'll risk losing already produced shows for lack of ratings and cancel them if they don't fare as well as they expected, or they'll burn them off, and just don't order more episodes.

Numfar PTB | October 19, 15:00 CET

As a fan of musicals, I figured I had to give this show a try. But wow . . .

Agreed, the lead isn't likeable. I see that he's supposed to be flawed, but it's not playing that way at all.

The highlight for me was Hugh Jackman and "Sympathy for the Devil." That is just campy greatness, folks.

BrowncoatG | October 19, 16:52 CET

Yeah, but they should've let Hugh Jackman SING THE SONG! I could barely hear him, as sunnydalegirl pointed out. Having that other voice in there was very distracting. And other than DB Woodside (and Hugh, who was just a guest star) I was not very impressed with the performances (acting-wise, not just singing), which weren't helped by the uninspired dialogue... sigh.

Unfortunately, I bet that if the show does not succeed it'll be blamed on the "risky" premise rather than on the poor execution of same.

miri47 | October 19, 17:11 CET

I didn't catch it, but I did see "Viva Blackpool," the BBC show it's based on. I loved that one, too bad it sounds like this doesn't measure up.

Hex | October 19, 17:13 CET

I can't believe a show with Hugh Jackman and such great songs could be so dull.

I started having "Cop Rock" flashbacks after a while. * shudders *

zengrrl | October 19, 17:20 CET

Yeah, but they should've let Hugh Jackman SING THE SONG!

That's the big reason the musical bits didn't work for me. "Pushing Daisies" had a musical number recently too, but Kristen Chenowith *sang* "Hopelessly Devoted to You"; she didn't sing along with Olivia Newton-John's recording.

I've heard the comparisons to "Cop Rock" too, but I gotta say, I preferred that over what I heard last night. At least those were original songs and the actors actually sang them.

MaryQue | October 19, 17:47 CET

I too loved DB in The Temptations, but I don't think I'll be checking this one out. Shame this didn't turn out well; he and DeKnight deserve a good show.

I would like to check out the original, though (David Tennant-y goodness). ;)

deepgirl187 | October 19, 17:48 CET

I liked "Viva Blackpool" and love Lloyd Owen so it's a shame this didn't work out. (Have only seen few clips of it myself though...) Then again, I've never quite understood why good British shows need to be made over in US.

Valerie | October 19, 18:00 CET

RavenU, you do know that tags here don't work like they work on YouTube, right?

Storyteller | October 19, 21:12 CET

It bombed in the ratings. It won't be around for long. I really wanted to like it, but it was pretty much a train wreck.

TamaraC | October 19, 21:36 CET

D.B. Woodside is a Yale School of Drama grad? We might have been in New Haven at the same time! (Fans herself).

barboo | October 19, 23:42 CET

Looks like Jericho gets the Sunday-at-8 timeslot. :D

cabri | October 19, 23:49 CET

Since I don't normally do stuff on you tube (I've only place one video on that site and that was a long time ago). I don't know how they put tags on. If you are refering to the fact that I forgot to put commas in this time. Sorry but it was an honest mistake. I thought I had put them in and paid no real attention to it until it was pointed out. Thank you for that, I will fix the error.

RavenU | October 20, 00:08 CET

I wasn't impressed. Which is unfortunate, because I loved Blackpool. But the lead in Blackpool was just a more interesting guy to follow, and the musical numbers were better- the same idea, where they're singing along the song, but they did a better job of selling it, and the dance numbers were better, I think.

Hugh Jackman was pretty much the highlight, I'll agree.

kishi | October 20, 01:41 CET

I actually made it 38 minutes in! I'm proud of myself for hanging in there so long. I think it's from forcing myself to watch the awfulness of Bionic Woman so I now have bad-show calluses on my brain. Not enough to watch to the end of VL, of course -- I think my brain was starting to bleed from the horribleness of it.

cabri | October 20, 16:19 CET