3 Short Paragraphs: Fall 2011 (pt 10)

Why do I get the suspicion that Grimm was devised earlier on as the Dylan Dog series hoping the movie would be a big genre hit. Alas, that movie didn't so so well. Grimm is a monster of the week show about a mystical family who is tasked with policing the evil creatures of the world. As is the usual for such fictions, he is already an adult and doesn't know about his legacy but suddenly through unfortunate circumstances the role is thrust upon him.  The connection with the faerie tale tellers of old is tenuous so it will have to establish something else if it is to last.  I doubt it will.

Once Upon a Time is the other faerie tale story of the season, this time being much more blatant.  The Evil Queen casts a curse that tosses all of the faerie tale kingdom into our world but without their memories of who they were. They live in this picture book perfect town in America but still playing the roles they had in the stories. The Evil Queen is the Evil Mayor, Snow White is a lovely school teacher, Rumplestiltskin is a pawnbroker, etc.  One might make comparisons to Fables, the comic book series from Bill Willingham and one wouldn't be far off the mark. But other than curiosity, I am not sure what would keep me watching it for it is very standard TV story telling.

Hell On Wheels comes out of the blue on AMC as an old west story following the creation of the cross country railway. It is going to be a story of the hardships, corruption and rough life of making the railway reach the west coast.  It focuses the plot on Bohannon, a southern soldier on a path of revenge against the northern soldiers who took away his family.  The first episode is grim as expected, introducing the main characters and the world they are in. It was capable and well designed but I guess I was hoping something would jump out at me.  I will watch for a few more to see if it grabs my attention.