I left work at 12:15 last night, but I impulsively stayed up late and watched the pilot of The Middleman, which was ridiculously fun. It has early cancellation written all over it, but I plan to enjoy the heck out of it as long as it lasts! It's a deliciously quirky, self-aware show about an art school graduate who is recruited by a secret agency to fight against evil forces. Her square-jawed employer is best summarized as Captain Carrot working for the Men in Black. In one scene, he beats up a mob boss between taking long drinks of milk.

I'm not quite sure what age group it's intended for, which is one of the reasons I'm so convinced it's doomed to be prematurely canceled. With its light tone and goofy comic book stylings (not to mention its slot on ABC Family), one might think it was intended for young teens, but some of the content surprised me. There are comments about the heroine, Wendy, being a "beard" for her film student boyfriend, a running joke about cursing (which is bleeped out with a little black rectangle over the person's mouth), and pop-culture references I wouldn't expect tweens to get, such as Wendy's cry of "Get your filthy paws off of me you damn dirty ape" when being dragged away as a hostage by a genetically engineered, super intelligent gorilla.

I don't know. Maybe it's intended specifically for me!

So check it out. This show is pure, unadulterated fun! If you don't believe me, check out this glowing review from the New York Times. If you have ABC Family, it's on Mondays at 8/7c. If you don't, it's on BitTorrent iTunes.


In other news: Wave 4 of the Doctor Who action figures includes a 6" Doctor with five Adipose, due to hit stores late July. If the Beeb can't cough up a plushie Adipose, this would make an absolutely delightful addition to my desk diorama!

Labels: doctor who, tv