'The Forgotten' review: Utterly forgettable
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In August, when FOX's President of Entertainment Kevin Reilly was asked about NBC's decision to program Jay Leno at 10 o'clock five nights a week -- an hour that FOX has never programmed -- Reilly graciously said that the peacock network would have some success with the move. Partially due to Leno's fan base and partially because "on certain nights he's not up against very tough competition."Tuesday is one of those nights. CBS' new drama "The Good Wife" is getting good reviews, but ABC's "the forgotten" is utterly forgettable.
Straight from the Jerry Bruckheimer crime drama blender, Christian Slater stars as the leader of a group of "civilian volunteers" who step in when police are unable to identify bodies. Because there's nothing more noble -- and easy -- to do in one's spare time than to solve cases that have trained law enforcement officials stumped.
Full of slogans like "Without 'who is it?' there's no 'whodunit?" and a cast of characters that ranges from a bored paper pusher to a could-cause-more-harm-than-good telephone repairman to a "Hey, we could really use someone with your skills" med-student-turned-sculptor-turned-200-hours-of-community-service-fulfiller, viewers will find themselves knowing exactly what's going to come next ... over and over and over again.
"the forgotten" premieres Tuesday, Sept. 23 on ABC.
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i agree. it's not a bad show, it's just not good enough
In conversation, I've already made comments like the ones in this review. The premise is silly, the characters are bland, and the plot of the pilot kept feeding us boring, expected cliches and uninventive plot development. Also, having a former cop in amongst the amateuers kind of kills that whole gimmick. Not to mention that every week's big payoff will be identifying an innocent murder victim and letting the family know that they can stop hoping now. (I LOVE a happy ending!) Slater's 'My Own Worst Enemy' was the entertainment flipside of 'The Forgotten'. The fact that, in one year, he can go from a Bondian thriller with a unique multi-personality storyline to this formulaic cookie-cutter dreck says a lot of bad about the current state of television.
Actually, I liked forgotten. Although I think the "team" has to warm up to each other to produce some chemistry, I believe the "point of view" of the victim works well. Many people commented on the "point of view of victim" in Murder in Greenwich. I think with some tweaking this could be a good one.
This show was so bad, I simply can't it made it to broadcast.
The bit at the end where the guilty girl is about to run away, and suddenly the police are right there... oh dear that was painfully cliched and predictable.
A terribly wasted hour of my life that I will never get back
i could not even watch after 15 min. Christian slater desperatley needs some acting lessons and his corny editing through out is laughable and ridiculous....Wow, I just can't believe how horrible this show and its characters were! I see it off air before next month.
Wow... that seems like a lot of emotion tied up into a television show that has yet to have you as a member of its audience. I have yet to know what is 'going to happen' in the first two episodes so I must not be a 'viewer'. Though, I do agree that the writers could use a great deal of help I think the actors, and actresses, have kept me waiting for the third episode at least.
I've watched all (3) of the episodes so far and I DO like the cases..
But I just can't warm up to the 'Team.'
I'm happier when they proceed to solve their case and keep their own lives out of it! I find them boring and 1 dimensional.
I'm completely under interested in Slater's character's trauma- finding or just knowing what happened to his missing daughter. BORING.
The show is soo male dominated! The 3 main female characters don't have any real personality. All are over made-up ala "Ghost Whisperer." And, if you watch the first episode EVERYONE of those women 'perk' up for Slater's character- disgusting! Just because he's the main character doesn't mean every woman in the show should so obviously lust after a balding, ex cop with issues!
Shows (so far) have centered around the men. The 'cool' artist kid, the traumatic and 'cool' ex-cop, and now with the third episode the big bumbling dork!
I just can't stand them. It's a better show when they ignore their own loves and investiagte the murder of the week's live.
Which actually has one big draw back.. If it's soo easy for these people to solve the murders why didn't the cops do it? The show's theory is that the cops are too busy with "other" cases to do their job with these.
Doesn't that make you feel safe?
I like the show, however it is flawed.
Although I know such a group exists that helps trace the John and Jane Do, no matter what time of day it is, these working people can find time to go wherever or whenever to solve the mystery.
One of the fundemental parts of this show is that they are volunteers solving mystery people and their murders. If the hours worked versus the hours taken in reality to solve such a crime is taken as real in this show, god created a 50 hour day and their bosses have a massive crush on them.
Speaking as a Director Of Media, I would have had the volunteers as self employed individuals, own their company, home maker and have a larger group of people overall to solve each mystery.
Consulting the forgotten website every now and again by the team doesn't hide the fact that ultimately it is a group of a few people that are solving a major crime around what should be a full time job in a short space of time.
Sherlock Holmes they are not. As he once said 'when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth?'
The truth is this implausable show will not result in a second season.