Fall TV Preview - Big Shots - Pilot Training

Big Shots - Pilot - directed by Charles McDougall, written by Jon Harmon Feldman
Premieres Thursday September 27th, 10pm on ABC/CTV

You could call the new ABC show Big Shots "Big Sh!ts" especially after seeing the pilot or "Desperate Husbands" which is funny because the pilot was directed by Charles McDougall who also did the zippy pilot for Desperate Housewives (as well as the original Queer as Folk UK). Sadly here, there's none of that zippiness feeling and we are left with a flat pilot, though the script may be partly to blame since Big Shots is a bit more disjointed and lacks an overall arching mystery (or anything really) to tie the different storylines of 4 big shots together.

The four big shots are Michael Vartan (Alias) as James Auster, a top exec who was secretly going to be fired just before his boss dies, carrying the news with him. Dylan McDermott (The Practice), as Duncan Collingsworth, CEO to a cosmetic company, none of which could hide his poor relationship with his daughter (Peyton List), his trysts with his ex-wife (Paige Turco) or his secret long-ago tryst with a tranny (Jazzmun)(what's with the Tranny's? This is now the third on ABC). Christopher Titus (Titus) is Brody Johns, a CEO that is completely whipped by his never-seen wife, and Joshua Malina (Sports Night, The West Wing) as Karl Mixworthy, a sweet looking man who is cheating on his sweet wife (Amy Sloan) with a hot sexy blonde (Jessica Collins).

Basically, each man has his drama, and they all meet together like a boys version of Sex and the City, hence, at the country club or golf courses and bitch out their women and work problems. It could work if the guys weren't written so scathingly with little redeeming qualities. At this point, the only reason we DO like them is from the residue of former characters. Dylan McDermott's hair, eyes, and Bobby Donnell save his current character from being a complete asshole. I know Joshua Malina can be appealing from Sports Night so at this point I will reserve myself from decking him. Christopher Titus, in the only role probably toned down from a previous role is such a wimp and lacking any bite that I actually DO miss his more spastic antics from his self-named sitcom, while Michael Vartan just has to stand there and look pretty (but James Auster is still no "Not Michael Vaughn").

Luckily, there's a saving grace, and her name is Nia Long. She's not given much to do in the pilot but obviously she's meant as a romantic potential for James, but hopefully, she's also another big shot in the making. Plus Nia Long just makes (almost) everything she does great (or at least watchable) and here's another chance at primetime in the Whites Only area. Jessica Collins turns her mistress role into something enjoyable and fun, but all the other woman at this point are so slightly drawn that you wonder what huge problems they could cause the men in the first place?

I'm giving Big Shots 2 1/2 Stars (** 1/2) for now, basically one full star to Michael Vartan, another full star to Nia Long, and a half star to Joshua Molina just because I loved him so much in Sports Night (and the rest of the Sports Night crew). Still, my female friends who watched this actually really enjoyed it and preferred it over Dirty Sexy Money, though my hunch is because of Dermott's eyes and the fact that he had his shirt off in a poolside scene. I'll probably keep watching though because it will be perfect as background noise as I blog away from the preceding Thursday lineup (Grey's Anatomy, Ugly Betty, The Office, 30 Rock)

Here is the promo clip for Big Shots:


Big Shots

The Full Cast of Big Shots

Michael Vartan

Dylan McDermott

Joshua Malina

Christopher Titus

Nia Long

Paige Turco

Peyton List

Wendy Moniz

Jessica Collins

Amy Sloan