Let’s make this short and to the point: Rookie Blue is a better show than it should be.  That’s seldom the case for network television; usually shows are no where near as good as they could be.  Rookie Blue is exactly the opposite of that.  At its heart, this is a cop show with far too many pretty people.  It’s nowhere near as good, for example, as Southland which was discarded by NBC (because they already had far too many good shows?) after just one season.

But I’m okay with pretty people, particularly if one of them happens to be Missy Peregrym.  And she may not even be the prettiest cop on the beat.  Okay, actually she is.  But the girl seems able to act and the rest of the ensemble cast hold up well enough.  Do I see an Emmy in the future?  Hell no.  But William Shatner’s guest turn as a grandfather obsessed with the disappearance of his granddaughter in the season premiere should get some consideration.  It won’t, but it should.

The plot-lines are overrun with unlikely coincidences and unbelievable twists, but so what?  You ever watch Grey’s Anatomy or House or just about any other television drama?  That’s the way these shows work.  We’re television junkies, people.  We buy anything.  Hunky ex-boyfriend/fiance returns from the military and ends up working as a cop in your same precinct?  Sure.  Why the hell not.  You catch a ride with your on-again/currently off-again police officer boyfriend and crash into a van that happens to have a kidnap victim hiding in the back?  Sure … go with that.

Rookie Blue isn’t about being believable.  If we want that, we watch the far better Southland.  I told you already … it’s about pretty cops doing cool things and, whenever possible, hooking up.  Welcome back you guys!

Rookie Blue airs Thursdays on ABC at 10/9c.

After two episodes, Undercovers is quickly moving up my list of favorite network series.  No, it’s not especially deep and often it’s marginally ridiculous.  Who cares?  The cast is great and the show is a hell of a lot of fun.

Let’s start by getting this out of the way first.  Yes, Undercovers is one of the very few series in television history featuring an African-American lead (or leads).  Yay.  Whoopee.  Hazzaah.

Don’t care.  If I like the characters and/or the actors portraying the characters, I really don’t give a shit what flavor they are.  So … moving on.

You could not ask for a more attractive cast.  Even Gerald McRaney is looking good.  But the two leads are nothing short of jaw-droppingly attractive.  Gugu Mbatha-Raw is a stunner.  She plays the wife half of this husband and wife spy team, Samantha Bloom.  Her specialty … sexpionage.  No kidding on that.  The husband side of the team, Steven Bloom, is played by Boris Kodjoe.  Look up eye-candy in the dictionary and you’ll probably find his picture.  Kodjoe has appeared on People Magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful at least once.

J.J. Abrams is credited as the co-creator/executive producer, so you can’t go wrong there.  The general tone is a lot more Star Trek/Alias and less Lost/Fringe.   In other words, you can jump in at any time and without finding yourself in the deep end where everything is way, way over your head.  The show would be perfect paired with Chuck, also on NBC.

Basically what you have with Undercovers is a lot of action, plenty of firepower, and tons of sexy, all mixed up and baked into a hot, tasty cake of coolness.  Take a bite.  Yummy.

Undercovers airs Wednesdays on NBC at 8/7c

Curse you, Brooke Burke! You almost had me, you reality show vixen! That purple dress you’re wearing on tonights DWTS premiere is a show stopper. I nearly choked on my remote.

But I shall not be swayed, Oh Tempting One! Not this season … not ever more!

Of course, should I have a moment or two to simply buzz past all the inane chatter and waltzing amateurs … we may just meet again.

Oh yes we may.

Well, this may be more embarrassing than admitting I watched the entire season of So You Think You can Dance this Spring.  But here it goes …

I, um, well … I sorta liked it.  Hellcats, I mean.  In my own defense, there is a certain hotness factor that appeals to shallow male TV junkies, of which I am one.  I had never even heard of Aly Michalka before now.  Actually, I guess I had since I’m told she was (is?) one half of Aly and AJ and that sounds vaguely familiar.  I assume she’s the Aly half.

And while skinny, cute young ladies in short cheerleader uniforms sporting belly-button accessories will almost always score a few points, Hellcats might just have something to cheer for besides the hottie factor.  For example, there’s Gail O’Grady, playing mom to Michalka’s Marti.  Gail was once (and forever) Donna Abandando on NYPD Blue, one of the classic characters of all time on network television.  She stole my heart then and, while we have both moved on in years, she is still simply stunning.  And since I fall quite easily for attractive women in television shows, I also must mention Sharon Leal.  Sharon came to my attention back during her days on Boston Public.  Keep in mind she had the share the screen with Jeri Ryan and somehow still get noticed.  Then there is Ashley Tisdale … she did some sort of Disney stuff somewhere.

You may be wondering if all these ladies can act.  Um … sure.  I guess.  Who the hell knows?

There is also plenty of eye-candy for the the women in the audience, most notably in the form of D. B. Woodside.  For the younger types (and those simply young at heart), you also have Matt Barr and Robbie Jones.

You might get the impression that this is your typical CW drama packed tight with all types of good looking people doing all kinds of good looking people stuff.  You would be right.  But they are really good looking people and the stuff they’re doing is a bit more accessible and interesting than the usual CW hottie vehicle.  Both Aly and Ashley have mommy issues and family drama to spare.  There’s a bit of bad blood and bitchiness among the squad, but it’s not overdone.  All of this is mixed in with a healthy dose of good-nature fun and frolic, including your requisite cheer routines.  Unfortunately, many of those fall kind of flat–maybe SYTYCD spoiled me for that kind of thing.

So if you happen to like a little story with your hotties, this one is a step or two above most of your CW content.  And at least they’re not all in high school so I don’t have to feel like a total sleaze for actually enjoying all that hotness.

Hellcats airs Wednesday at 9/8c on the CW

Shenae Grimes as Annie Wilson

I’ll admit it.  The only reason I bothered watching 90210 at all was my admitted weakness for pretty people.  Lots and lots of pretty people here … though some not as pretty as you might think.  Seriously … was Shannon Doherty ever really hot?

I’ve written before that the reappearance AnnyLynne McCord was one reason to watch this.  But I find I’m more taken with Jessica Stroup and Shenae Grimes.  Shanae, as Annie Wilson, appears to be taking the lead of the current class while Jessica, as Silver, is the more interesting character.  Like “character” means anything at all in this zip code.

With some degree of discomfort, I find myself admitting that the guys of 90210 are, in general, more interesting and better performers.  They are all likable, hunky and sensitive.  Except the evil ones (none of them leads, it seems) who are completely unlikeable and far less sensitive … yet still quite hunky.

Okay.  Enough about the overall hotness factor.  Time to review the actual show.

Huh.  Guess what?  Nothing to review.  Thin plot, incredibly generalized characters, very little drama.  Instead of a solid two hour premier episode, we were treated to two standard episodes casually strung together.  A few scattered character insights amidst a deluge of weak dialogue and pouting.  These kids may look pretty hot, but the storyline thus far is nothing short of tepid.

One highlight for me is the dynamic between Shenae Grimes and Tristan Wilds as her brother Dixon.  There is a sweetness and cool about their scenes together that appeals to me.  Is it enough to bring me back for more?  Not likely … not on a Tuesday anyway.  If there is space allowing for it on the DVR, I might give it another look.

If you missed 90210, you have two options: 1) thank God for small favors; 2) catch the re-broadcast this Thursday night.  Do with that as you will.

90210 airs on the CW at 8/7c

Annalynne McCord

There are only a handful of shows I’m looking forward to less than 90210, the CW’s retrofit of the “classic” Fox show from the 90′s.  I didn’t watch it then … I really don’t want to watch it now.  Another in a long, long list of soap style teenage pseudo-dramas populated almost exclusively by pretty people … no thanks.  I don’t watch One Tree Hill and I didn’t watch the O.C. or Dawson’s Creek either.  There is nothing you can do to get me the least bit interested in this craptastic retread of … whoa … hold on …

Annalynne McCord?  That over-the-top psycho chick from Nip/Tuck?  She’s in this?

Yes.  Yes she is.  In fact, 90210 is pulling out all the stops with a simply stunning cast of prettier-than-most people.  Jessica Stroup (The Hills Have Eyes 2) and Shenae Grimes (Degrassi: TNG) are also in this thing.  And for the ladies … the guys aren’t too bad either.  Have you ever noticed Dustin Millegan’s eyes? Dreamy!

Okay.  Maybe an episode or two won’t kill me … as long as there’s cleavage.  If not … I am so moving to a new zip code.

90210 Premiers on the CW Tuesday, September 2 at 8pm (8/7c)