Question: Why did Without a Trace change the night of its series finale to Thursday? I know it's going back to Thursday next season, but in the shuffle, I somehow managed to miss it. I don't know if the guide I have on my television mislabeled it or what, but I couldn't seem to find it anywhere, and then the week I thought it was going to be on, repeats were starting. I'm frustrated by the way networks shift things around so that it's almost impossible to find them. (Bones is a prime example.) Since we don't have many reruns in the summer anymore — which can be both good and bad — I'm just hoping that CBS will replay this season's finale the week before the new season opens, so I can finally see it. One more thing: Any chance that a network like USA would pick up Raines? I actually liked the show, and it seems like it would fit better with shows like Monk, Psych and The Dead Zone. I try to stay positive when something I like is canceled, though: That gives me more time for activities ...
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Question: Any thoughts on NBC's run of Raines? I actually found myself enjoying it far more than I thought I would. As a procedural, it's solid and unique in its approach. Jeff Goldblum plays exactly the character you'd expect him to, but it works. As a fan of Graham Yost's Boomtown, I'm glad to see he got Raines on the air. Does it have any shot at all at a second season?
Answer: I don't see how. I liked the show's quirkiness, but could tell from the start it was a tough sell, and NBC didn't seem to be going out of its way to sell it. With a limited episode order and a terrible time slot, Raines was about as transparent and ephemeral to most viewers as the "ghosts" (or whatever they were) who haunted Raines' investigations. I almost wonder, production budget aside, if this wouldn't have been better suited for USA Network (part of the same NBC Universal family) and its lineup of offbeat mysteries (Monk, Psych). On NBC, it got lost. And I'd be flabbergasted if it was brought back ...
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I think I’m going to have to start off with some of my favorite lines. The best exchange was Raines translating Boyer.Boyer: how hard the plane hitsRaines: impact’s forceBoyer: water deepnessRaines: ocean depthHilarious!Other good stuff included:— "How many of the rest of you were sleeping with my wife? Very funny. Hands down."— "Do you have an appointment?" "No, I have a badge."— "Do I need to explain further?" "I wouldn’t be much of a detective if you did."— "You calling me unprofessional?" "No, I’m calling you a guy."— "You’re a friend whore."— "How’s it being back at work without him [Charlie]?" "A little tough."— "It’s tough to watch her leave, isn’t it?" "Every time."— "A no-hitter isn’t perfect but at least it’s close. Your marriage was a disaster."I think I took way too many notes during this episode. I was feeling a little pressure, because it’s the season finale and I wanted to m...
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As Raines says, law and order takes a backseat to justice. I’m paraphrasing, but you catch my drift. This was one tough case. His cases all get a little gruesome considering Raines is a homicide detective, but the ick factor was high this week. Poor Emily. She seemed like such a sweet kid. It’s unfortunate that at age 10 she thought she was a grownup. I have to say I’m continuously surprised at what little kids get themselves into these days. I’m not a parent so I don’t know what most parents are dealing with, but I can’t imagine myself having an e-mail account and IMing people at age 10. But I got on the technology train a little late; I didn’t have an e-mail account until college and I’ve only been IMing the last few years. But back to the case.I had one big issue with the story: How could Emily have a half day and her parents not know about it? I feel relatively confident in saying any elementary school would not rely on their students to t...
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We got a very interesting introduction to the wife and child of Raines’ slain partner Charlie tonight. Charlie’s wife Lisa (The Closer’s Gina Ravera) is dealing with her husband’s death in a healthy way but her son Jack is still reeling. Not only is Jack angry that his father is gone, but he’s in serious want of some revenge. It broke my heart a little when Jack said he wished he could have killed his father’s murderer. Raines was understandably concerned when he heard Jack say that. So concerned, in fact, that he discusses Jack with Dr. Kohl during his session. When Raines asks her, “What kind of selfish father does something that he knows sooner or later’s gonna kill him,” the doctor assumes she’s talking about Charlie. But Raines is referring to Jimmy’s father who overdosed in front of him when he was five. Dr. Kohl encourages Raines to bring Jack in because whether or not the kid wants to talk to her she seems to be able to ...
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Ratings bits from Friday and Sunday:• On Friday at 9, the time-slot premiere of Raines (8.62 million total viewers) trailed Close to Home by 2.7 mil, but delivered 1.5 million more heads than who last tuned in to the NBC newbie. • The Wedding Bells (4.52 million, down a mil week-to-week) took the ratings plunge, as did Six Degrees (3.18 mil), which (undeservedly! My wife likes it, darn it!) cooled off to the tune of 1.4 mil.• On Sunday, a two-hour batch of The Amazing Race (averaging nine mil) could best neither repeats of Extreme Makeover: HE (9.82 mil), nor Deal or No Deal (10.29 mil), nor a Desperate Housewives clip show (9.79 mil). • A special 10 pm offering of Cold Case (13.09 million) topped Brothers & Sisters (9.13 mil, down more than two mil from its last fresh eppy) and The Apprentice (6.01 mil).
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Question: I'm really enjoying Raines. Jeff Goldblum is fabulous, and the writing is fairly solid. The ratings haven't been awful, but the move to Friday night, I fear, will be the death of this show. What do you think of NBC's treatment of it? I read that the network cut down its order to six episodes early on, and now that it's getting moved to TV's deadest night, I think maybe NBC has let one slip here. Or, will the move to Fridays help Raines? Ratings aren't expected to be as high on Fridays, so maybe if the show doesn't drop too much, would it have a chance? What are the chances we'll see even the six produced episodes, or another season? I hate getting my hopes up for shows, especially mid-season shows, since many of them fail, but I just can't help it here.
Answer: It's a long shot, to be sure, but you really never know, and the one upside for a show consigned to Fridays is that if it does any business at all, it could look like a triumph. I wouldn't read too much into Raines'
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The tone and mood of this week’s episode is very different from last week's. Instead of zingers and destined-to-be-classic one-liners, we have some heavy stuff. I know Raines is a homicide detective who might be crazy, but a bit of levity never killed anyone. (Sorry, I couldn't resist.) Don't get me wrong, though, I really enjoyed the episode and I liked that it was a little heavier, a little darker.Let me sing the praises of Laurie Metcalf for just a moment. I think she’s great. She shines at comedy, as her time on Rosanne proved, but she can also do the heavy stuff, as evidenced on Grey’s Anatomy. She had very memorable guest appearances on Desperate Housewives and My Boys last year, and this is another solid turn for her. But back to our main man, Raines. He seems to have hit a new low; he's becoming a bit of an insomniac and has started drinking. Well, maybe he’s been drinking, but this is the first we’ve seen of it. The whole Alice in Wonderland tea pa...
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Question: What did you think of Raines?
Answer: I loved that A. Martinez was a guest star. But that's about it.
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I’m a huge fan of snarky, sarcastic, dry humor, and this show seems to have it in spades. Jeff Goldblum is highly enjoyable in this role; the taunting, the teasing, the inappropriate humor — I might be in heaven.For anyone who missed last week’s pilot episode the first minute or so did a great job bringing you up to speed. Raines sees and talks to dead people, but they aren’t ghosts and they don’t know anything he doesn’t know. They are more of a sounding board. He talks to them to work out the details of his case. Did I mention they’re dead? He doesn’t do too well with the living. And I think once he’s solved the case the victim’s don’t perform their vanishing acts until he’s helped their families in some way. Last week Raines helped Sandy’s mom get the money her daughter had been saving for her, and this week he helped Aurelio meet his daughter-in-law and grandchild.I have to say I was very excited to see A. Martinez...
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