There are just so many reasons to dislike UPN's new series "The Strip," it's difficult to know where to begin.
Which is worse, the fact that the show rips off any number of other TV series and movies or the fact that it's just so darn dumb? The fact that it's tremendously violent or the fact that it revels in its violence?Or, perhaps, the fact that it demonstrates such an utter contempt for the intelligence level of television viewers?
The premise for "The Strip" is about as simple as the writing. A white cop with an attitude and a black cop with an attitude manage to get themselves thrown off the police force in the opening moments of the series (which debuts tonight at 8 on Ch. 14). They then become private investigators.
What's supposed to be original about this show is that it's set and shot in Las Vegas. But that was done -- and done better -- in the 1978-81 series "Vega$."
"The Strip" rips off everything from "Miami Vice" to "Rush Hour" to the "Lethal Weapon" series of movies. (Of course, maybe you can't plagiarize yourself and this series comes to us from from executive producer Joel Silver, the man behind movies like "Lethal Weapon," "Die Hard" and "The Matrix.")
Sean Patrick Flanery ("Young Indiana Jones") stars as bad-boy Elvis Ford, whose best friend/partner Jesse Weir (Guy Torry) is the wise-cracking sidekick. In the opening moments of the pilot they get involved in running gun battles loaded with explosions and so on -- sort of a live-action cartoon. The two actors are basically required to look cool and drive around in a cool car -- but they're not quite up to the task.
Their characters also manage to run afoul of the FBI and get dropped by the LVPD in an utterly unoriginal and unsurprising set of circumstances, but within hours they're back at work, this time employed by millionaire Cameron Greene (Joe Viterelli), who owns Caesar's Palace.
This is product placement of the most blatant kind -- the show sometimes seems like little more than one big advertisement for the hotel/casino. Of course, you've got to wonder how effective the advertising is going to be given that Las Vegas isn't exactly portrayed as the family friendly vacation spot it's trying to sell to Americans these days.
Tonight's premiere involves a convoluted-yet-predictable kidnapping plot. But the plot isn't what's important here -- it's the "action" sequences that count.
"Action," of course, is a code word for "violence." People are beaten up and shot and murdered. There are car chases and explosions galore.
And it's easy to make the case that "The Strip" is reprehensibly irresponsible. If ever violence was glorified, it's here. Viewers are force-fed the message that violence is cool, hip and desirable.
"The Strip" is part of UPN's strategy to attract young, male viewers. Exactly the group you want watching a show that glorifies violence, right? The really scary thing is that there's at least a chance that it will work -- the pseudo-network has found some success with its "WWF Smackdown," and "The Strip" is similarly brainless and violent.
I'm all in favor of giving viewers as many viewing choices as possible. So, in theory, I'd like to see UPN succeed.
But the way things are going -- what with "The Strip," "Smackdown" and alleged comedies like "Shasta McNasty" -- I'm starting to root for UPN to just fold up its tent and go away when the merger between Viacom (which owns 50 percent of UPN) and CBS is completed.
And doesn't the image of the "Tiffany network" -- CBS -- being associated with shows like those mentioned above just boggle the mind?
The soon-to-be-merged Viacom/CBS has applied for a Federal Communications Commission waiver to be able to operate both networks. One wonders whether the programming on UPN will have an influence on the FCC's ultimate decision.
NOW THAT'S FUNNY: "The Strip" will be the second TV series movie producer Joel Silver has on the air this fall. And it can hardly do much worse in the ratings than his other show, the alleged Fox comedy "Action."
In a triumph for good taste, both "Action" and the show that precedes it on Fox's Thursday-night schedule, the dreadful animated series "Family Guy," are bombing in the ratings. Nuclear bombing, pretty much.
In recent weeks, the "Family Guy"/"Action" hour has been finishing sixth in its time slot in household ratings, behind NBC, CBS, ABC, UPN and the WB. That's not only hugely embarrassing, but it's a big blow to Fox's bottom line.
The two shows have also been finishing a weak fourth in the time slot among the advertiser-friendly 18-49 demographic, which hits Fox right where it lives.
Gee, it couldn't happen to a couple of more deserving shows.