GRIMM and ALLEN GREGORY: Fall TV 2011 [Worth Watching?]

It occurs to me that I haven’t given a golden DVR ticket to any male-led shows all season. How bizarre. Well, this weekend I had the chance to correct that with the premieres of GRIMM and ALLEN GREGORY. Did they make it on to my DVR? Let’s find out!

Overview

GRIMM: An NYC detective discovers that he’s descended from a long line of “Grimms” or supernatural slayers. He also happens to catch a case that mightily resembles the Little Red Riding Hood fairy tale.

ALLEN GREGORY: A ridiculously spoiled and precocious seven-year-old  homeschooler is sent to (shudder) public school.

What I Liked

GRIMM: There’s an unexpected twist where the lead actually ends up getting help from an enemy werewolf. This provided some much need levity to an otherwise heavy-toned show.

ALLEN GREGORY: Lots of laughs, and great situations, like a much-hated adopted sister, nerds who have a friendly working relationship with their bully, and an awesome principal, who is forced to put up with Allen Gregory’s copious amounts of BS.

What I Didn’t Like

GRIMM: For such an interesting premise, this show was rather boring. I could not get excited about the story. Also, it takes itself way seriously, somehow never quite capturing the humor of its extraordinary situation. It felt like X-Files meets Battlestar Galatica with all the humor and urgency sucked out.

ALLEN GREGORY: This was another great premise that just didn’t deliver. I’m a big fan of ARCHER, and therefore the perfect audience for a show like this. But it felt like watching a kid be a complete douchebag to people. I didn’t care when he was bullied, and I really wanted to save his poor adopted sister from his abuse. On second thought, take that back. I’m not the perfect audience for a show like this. What parent wants to watch a child be a complete asshole for 22 minutes every week? We can get that at home. Knowhatimsayin?

How many PoC in the main cast?

GRIMM: 2 — The main character’s partner is black and given a lot to do. Also, there’s an Asian American officer in their department, and there’s potential for a lot of PoC guest spots in future episodes.

ALLEN GREGORY: 2 .– There’s the sister, who was adopted from Cambodia, and a black mentor character — I never did quite figure out what his story was. But in any case, the sister, in my opinion, is the breakout character of the show. So good job.

Final Grades

GRIMM: Show/B- Diversity/B

ALLEN GREGORY: Show/B– Diversity/B

Worth Watching Again?

GRIMM: The show was just too “meh” for me to watch it again. But I imagine it will find a home with other viewers, especially since they’re keeping the werewolf sidekick.

ALLEN GREGORY: I’ll give it a few more watches and decide at a later date if I’m actually going to watch it. The pilot was shaky but intriguing.