Show: Prison Break (FOX)
Episode: Pilot; Allen - (Season 1)
Originally Aired: Monday, August 29th 2005
Rating: 3 out of 4 Stars
Get the DVD: Prison Break - Season One
Download: The “Pilot” episode on , the “Allen” episode or get a Season 1 Pass

Quick Synopsis: Guy is about to be executed for killing the Vice-President’s brother, which he didn’t commit. Brother of guy on death row hatches plan to help him escape by getting put in jail himself.

Long Synopsis: Lincoln Burrows has been railroaded for killing the Vice-President’s brother. He is to be put to death. No more appeals. Time is running out. There is a conspiracy behind this that includes some secret service agents and a mysterious lady in Montana. Lincoln’s brother has put together an elaborate plan to break his brother out, which includes getting put in the same jail as his brother. He has to try to make alliances with many of the inmates in the prison to execute this plan. He is smart but still not ready for the harsh realities of prison life. Each episode goes about unfolding the plan little by little and letting you in on the conspiracy little by little. The cast is quite large giving you many things to keep up with.

Review: I think this is a pretty good show. The plot is somewhat over-the-top but the acting and storytelling keep you involved and wanting to know more. That is the mark of a good show. No matter how unbelievable the plot may be, if it is told in the right way, the viewer is able to suspend disbelief and enjoy the show. This is so far the case with Prison Break. I would recommend the show based on the first two episodes that aired back to back. Which is a good thing, cause the pilot left you with almost too many questions that you might not of been willing to wait until next week to be answered. Yet when you got some more information, in the second episode, about what was going on and the conspiracy behind it you felt invested enough to want to continue on this fanciful journey. It will at least fill the void until 24 starts up again in January.

I never really watched The Dead Zone until this summer. I came to like it. Even if I am behind on the over arching Armageddon plotline. As of last nights season finally Armageddon had been reversed and then re-reversed again at the end. I like shows that tell smaller stories within a larger overall storyline.

That is why I like The 4400. It has the big story of where are they from and what are they really doing here. Within that story they tell individual stories of the returnees and how their lives have been affected. They can make a lot of great shows with this type of structure. Although as of the season finale last night, with 23 of the 4400 dead and others before that, they have to be down to around the low 4300’s by now. But that still leaves plenty of stories to tell.

They left you with plenty of cliffhangers on The 4400 last night. Isabelle is all grown up. The Father of the 4400 technology is shooting up with promicin, the chemical that gives the 4400 their abilities. Richard’s ability has developed. Tom’s son is on his way to turn himself in for the murder of Jordan Collier. The future seeing little girl lets you know that the looming war is not over. And last but surely not least Mr. Collier reappeared in tattered clothes and a long castaway type beard at the same place the 4400 originally showed up. What is a TVaholic to do until The 4400 returns? I am sure that they’ll be something to watch until then.

Speaking of which, Prison Break starts tonight. This is one of the shows of the new season that I have wanted to watch. Hope it is as good as it looks. Never judge a show by its commercial. So, I will be watching tonight and be recording The Closer until it is over in two weeks. If you miss Prison Break tonight you can catch it again on Thursday when it repeats. Next Monday’s episode will be repeated on Tuesday as well. Fox is definitely trying for the early audience with this show. Get them interested before anything else new premiers. As with most things this will only work if the show is actually good.

The other show I watched last night was Wanted. This show has something. Interesting and troubled characters tracking down and dealing with the worst criminals society has to offer. It is on at the same time as The Dead Zone but USA repeats The Dead Zone at 1:00 a.m. here on the west coast. I think more shows should be repeated at different times. Cable Networks do this to fill up their schedules and build audience for their shows. I say, anything that helps a TVaholic be able to watch more quality television is a good thing.

The summer TV season is winding down. There were some pretty good shows on. At least enough to get a TVaholic through the long reality and rerun infested TV-scape that is summer. With shows like The 4400, The Inside, The Closer, Wanted, Monk and The Dead Zone we had a fine mix of new and returning shows to keep us glued to the tube. Although some like The Inside disappeared rather quickly. I guess Peter Coyote just couldn’t be on two shows at the same time. He reappeared on The 4400 last week.

The new TV season is about to begin. I can’t believe that the first new show of the season starts tomorrow. Prison Break looks good and I will certainly be watching. I am sure once again though that the good, the bad, and the ugly will once again make an appearance. I still can’t believe some of the shows that make it into the fall lineup. Equally disappointing are the shows that leave us at the end of a TV season. The ones that shouldn’t have, never to reappear except on DVD, like Joan of Arcadia last season.

Nothing bothers me more than when a show leaves you with a big build up and then the network takes it away. Maybe its replacement, Ghost Whisperer, will be good. It is getting some buzz as they say. But, I am equally sure that something else that CBS will put on the air will be unwatchable and cancelled quickly. Leaving one to wonder why they just didn’t keep a show like Joan on the air. This bizarre behavior by network execs will continue again this year.

I am already wondering which show this year am I going to really like, only for it to be pulled from my TV forever. To be put in the TV scrap heap of excellent shows like Joan, John Doe, Firefly and many others that have been prematurely taken from us.

This is my first official post at my new site TVaholic.com. I have been watching TV for as long as I can remember. As I type this, the TV is on in the background. I am presently learning about the Secret Life Of … Sugar. For more on what you will find posted here read the About TVaholic page. I hope this will be a place where all us TVaholics can discuss what it is we like most, namely TV. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I like writing it.