Really Surprised!

Nice effects though.

It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

Your blood may run cold, but you now find yourself pinioned to the story.

I only watched the first episode - some people claim the show improved somewhat by the time it was canceled a couple of episodes later - but wow, that first episode was pretty disastrous.Written by Amy Sherman-Palladino, whose work on the Gilmore Girls was brilliant, and starring talented "indie queen" Parker Posey, on paper this was going to be great. But it wasn't. Posey's performance is shrill and brittle; she acts the whole episode as though she has realized she is in a bomb and hopes that if she talks loud enough and fast enough people won't notice. And while the writing isn't terrible, it's not especially funny.Which leads us to the laugh track. There is perhaps nothing so destructive to low-key witticisms than a boisterous laugh track. Sherman-Palladino is not a sitcom writer, and trying to persuade the public that she is by dropping huge laughs on every wry remark or deprecating comment just makes the show seem to be full of unfunny jokes. I had a similar reaction of Sports Night, another show where dry wit combined with loud laughs created nothing but dissonance (although my reaction to that show wasn't nearly as negative as my reaction to Jezebel James).So, if Posey were calmer and the laugh track were gone, would the show have been good? Maybe. I would be curious to see Jezebel James sans laugh track with Posey replaced by, say, Lauren Graham. My gut feeling is that it still wouldn't have worked - that Amy just couldn't find the rhythm of the half-hour sitcom - but I'm not sure. All I am sure of is that the network executive who insisted the show have a laugh track should have been demoted to a janitorial position.

I will admit that I cannot get past a laugh track, but I was willing to try for Parker Posey and Lauren Ambrose. Ambrose was great on Six Feet Under and of course Posey is lovely in all her work. This show is horrible. The few funny scenes are marred by the laugh track but if the writing held up I would be watching still. Parker's character says "Coco" (referring to her sister) as if the name "coco" is as silly to her as it is to the rest of the world. It's as if she knows it's a joke. Lauren Ambrose is left to play the stereotypical early 20s underachiever who doesn't speak to her folks and can't keep a job. This is a sad waste of two great talents and I hope it is canceled soon.

I am a huge fan of Gilmore Girls, and I've noticed that Amy Sherman has tried to include that trademark fast banter in this show as well. However I don't mind that,but the actors can't seem to pull it off. Parker Posey. I've seen her in a few other films and I liked her acting, but on this show....she seems over the top. It's so obvious that she's trying, ever so hard, to imitate Lorelai's method of speaking although it's evident that she can't pull it off. The other characters don't seem to mesh well together. I enjoy the overall plot and I do think that it is a good show, but the acting brings it down considerably. I've watched the 1st and 2nd episode, and I really have tried to like the show but I just can't. It's so disappointing, I expected so much more.

Finally, Amy Sherman returns. Not since Gilmore Girls have I enjoyed so much snappy and witty dialog. Talented actors must have a ball doing so many high speed lines, I'm sure it's a challenge, and I enjoyed every minute of the first show. I can easily overlook the laugh track. Why? Because I'm laughing so hard. Seriously laughing. I'm hooked on the characters after just one show and I can't wait for the next one. I'm not sure, though, if general audiences will respond well to this type of writing and performance. It's all rapid fire. If you blink, you'll miss something, and forget about getting a glass of water. Personally, I love the way Amy Sherman puts a show together and her machine gun writing style tickles me to death, so I'm hoping this show is a huge success. I'm also hoping there's enough people out there who also enjoy this type of writing. Gilmore Girls had a fairly long run so maybe this show will too.