Geeks everywhere have been wondering whether Ronald D. Moore and company, now universally loved by critics for turning the 1970s sci-fi cheesefest Battlestar Galactica into a relevant and beautiful allegory for the 21st century, would be able to work their same magic on an even cheesier sci-fi show. So far, the answer seems to be yes.

If there’s one thing any screenwriter knows, it’s to hook your audience on the first page of your script. This show absolutely did that for me. And for the most part, it kept my attention and respect. There were a few moments when I rolled my eyes, or when I spent my time discussing with my housemate what a bionic vagina might feel like, but for the most part I was interested in the handling of this new incarnation of Jamie Sommers. So far, her character is a little thin, but the texture of her world filled that gap, and giving her a badass nemesis helped plenty.

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In the late nineties, a trend began in which a movie coming into a theater faced the need to sell a whole lot of tickets in its very first weekend, or it would get pulled, and the next movie would come along to take a shot at a big opener. No time for the flick to build up an audience via word of mouth. Quality becomes less important than hype. Then, at the early part of this decade, the trend hit hard for TV as well. If a show’s pilot didn’t pull big ratings from the right demo, it might get canceled after only a couple of episodes, investment be damned. Fortunately, the last year or so has seen a few shining examples of networks bucking the trend, and sticking with a show because it’s just good.

Cane is the type of show that will benefit from having time to gestate. The pilot is worthy, but one is left more interested in the potential of the story than what was presented in this first installment. Two families, each controlling a sugar farming empire, are at a time of generational transition. Alejandro, played by Jimmy Smitts, inherits control of his father-in-law’s company, against the wishes of the heir apparent. We catch a glimpse of a complex web of characters, and see some backstory between the two families, but it’s not enough to satisfy yet.

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I’m not going to do much of a review here, because the real pilot to this show was the episode of Grey’s Anatomy that aired last May. And if you take your temperature as to how you currently feel about Grey’s, that’s about how you’re going to react to Private Practice. Can’t get enough of George & Izzy or Meredith & McDreamy? Then you’ll probably care about Addison moving to Los Angeles. Kinda annoyed that Grey’s has strayed from its roots? Then you’re likely to find Private Practice feeling like a mediocre Grey’s episode, only without the sex.

Best aspect: A cast you sorta already like, before they even have characters.

Worst aspect: The setting. A new-agey, touchy-feely medical clinic provides inherently less drama than a hospital.

Verdict: I only have room in my schedule for one soapy medical show. I’ll pass on watching this again.

Odds of success: It’s a spin-off of a hit, but it’s on an odd night with a potentially weak lead-in. It’s up against shows the other networks are counting on, but they aren’t likely to compete for the same audience. Overall, it’s a toss-up. Most likely, Private Practice’s success will come down to whether they can manage to find a little fire in their story lines.

Just as Kevin Smith promised, he’s finally working on projects that aren’t rehashes of his mid-90s breakout work. But it’s safe to say that the man has a defined taste. Smith didn’t write the pilot for CW’s Reaper–it looks to have been created by a pair of Law and Order: SVU writers, of all things–but it smacks of Smith’s style. And you know how Kevin Smith movies are simultaneously kinda interesting and yet have an annoying quality to them? Well, that’s present in this project, too. However, I really dug this pilot. (But then again, I liked Dogma. There’s a guilty pleasure aspect.)

The concept of Reaper is that Sam Oliver’s parents accidentally sold his soul to the devil. It’s an interesting twist on the tried-and-true Faust legend that allows a nice interplay between hero and villain. After all, unlike most sell-your-soul stories, our protagonist isn’t guilty of having given in to the Devil’s temptation. Further, the show smartly sets Sam to the task of recapturing escaped damned souls. So even if his boss is ultimately Satan, at least he’s fighting the good fight against bad guys.

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Start with a Stanford grad who majored in engineering yet doesn’t make a lot of money. So far, I can identify. Very, very well, in fact. Then make him romantically reclusive because he’s hung up on a girl named Jill, and give him finger injuries from excessive video gaming. Hey… This is getting creepy… Next, infuse him with ungodly intelligence, providing him insight that helps him navigate any situation. Ahh. The similarities are over.

Chuck is about a nerd whose old roommate–secretly a super spy–sends him an e-mail attachment that secretly contains information from various government agencies. From viewing it once, Chuck’s brain now contains the sum total of U.S. intelligence. Images begin to burst information at him whenever he needs it.

That’s a lot to swallow. Still, if it were executed well perhaps a viewer could look past the ridiculous concept that Chuck has essentially BECOME the computer, and just enjoy the fun.

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