LET CRIT-O-MATIC BE YOUR TV GUIDE.Byline: David Kronke Television Writer Last season, the Daily News' crack research and development team created the Crit-O-Matic, a handy and time-efficient way for readers to keep current with the more pedestrian new shows being introduced by the networks. With its patent pending - and, frankly, with so many new shows deserving its unique treatment - we bring it back. For the record, of the 14 series handled Crit-O-Matic-ally last year, eight were canceled, and four were renewed despite dubious ratings and moved to iffier time slots this season. JAKE 2.O - Two and one half stars Logline: A computer-geek James Bond meets the new-technology Six Million Dollar Man. National Security Agency dweeb A very technical person. Dweebs sometimes call sales people "slime," anybody interested in technology for profit rather than the art of it. See nerd and geek. dweeb - An even lower form of life than the spod, found in much the same habitat as the former. hireling hire·ling n. One who works solely for compensation, especially a person willing to perform for a fee tasks considered menial or offensive. hireling Noun Disparaging Jake Foley (Christopher Gorham), after an unfortunate encounter with nanotechnology, accrues such great powers and the ability to interface with computers that the NSA NSA abbr. National Security Agency Noun 1. NSA - the United States cryptologic organization that coordinates and directs highly specialized activities to protect United States information systems and to produce foreign makes him an agent. The bad news: The nanites coursing through his system may kill him. The good news: He'll never again have to wait for a crosswalk sign. And, like Clark Kent This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. Please help Wikipedia by adding references. See the for details. This article has been tagged since September 2007. of the WB's ``Smallville,'' he can't seem to exploit his super powers to win girls. (So, really, what good are they?) Noteworthy performances: Gorham convinces as both a nerd and hero. Originality: It borrows liberally (and, even, artfully) from a number of disparate sources but remains derivative nonetheless. Two stars Credibility: As noted, its theft from other sources is fairly artful art·ful adj. 1. Exhibiting art or skill: "The furniture is an artful blend of antiques and reproductions" Michael W. Robbins. 2. . Three stars Effectively dramatic moments/inadvertent laughs: Pretty much cancel each other out. Jake and his pal's dysfunction around women and the show's rote use of Jake's unrequited infatuation as the woman imperiled are counterbalanced coun·ter·bal·ance n. 1. A force or influence equally counteracting another. 2. A weight that acts to balance another; a counterpoise or counterweight. tr.v. by decent enough suspense sequences. Who should get a raise: The show's computer graphics department, which will seem to have a lot to do each week on a limited budget. Where: UPN UPN User Principal Name (Microsoft Windows 2000) UPN United Paramount Network UPN Unión del Pueblo Navarro (Navarrese People Union) UPN Umgekehrte Polnische Notation (Channel 13). When: 9 tonight. In a nutshell: Not bad, but not nearly enough to survive both UPN's difficulties at developing a non-``Star Trek'' sci-fi franchise and its perpetual woes in this time slot; the potentially lethal nanites are the least of Jake's worries. Or, as tonight's villain observes: ``Millions of dollars in research and development and the best they can come up with is you?'' CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Christopher Gorham |
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