Inside Television with Alan Sepinwall

So, did anyone actually watch 'Scoundrels' or 'The Gates'?

Checking in on two lousy summer series.

By Alan Sepinwall Monday, Jun 21, 2010 10:14 AM

Rhona Mitra in a scene from "The Gates."

Credit: ABC

I'm curious if anyone bothered to watch last night's debuts of "Scoundrels" and "The Gates" on ABC. I wasn't a fan of either one, while Fienberg hated "Scoundrels" but was at least lukewarm on "The Gates."

Anybody making room in their summer schedules for either one?

Alan Sepinwall
Sr. Editor, What's Alan Watching

Alan Sepinwall has been reviewing television since the mid-'90s, first for Tony Soprano's hometown paper, The Star-Ledger, and now for HitFix. His new book, "The Revolution Was Televised," about the last 15 years of TV drama, is for sale at Amazon. He can be reached at sepinwall@hitfix.com

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Next 38 Comments

Wife watched gates. Not impressed.
June 21, 2010 at 10:32AM EST Reply to Comment
Scoundrels was just awful. I have not seen the original show it is based on, but judging from the Pilot I will not be tuning in to later episodes. I'm interested in seeing the ratings for it.

As for The Gates, I also watched it and didn't like it that much, though not to the same extent as my opinion on Scoundrels. I thought the characters were not interesting and the genre of the show has been done to death and doesn't appeal to me.

Suffice to say, I will not be watching them again, unless I am in a state of utter boredom.
June 21, 2010 at 10:38AM EST Reply to Comment
Devin McC

I did watch "The Gates", and I'll keep watching for awhile, mostly because I have nothing much to do on Sunday nights. It seems mildly interesting - and heck, I'm still watching "Desperate Housewives", or at least parts of it, so my Sunday night standards are fairly low.
June 21, 2010 at 10:38AM EST Reply to Comment
Dan

The Gates was okay, didn't watch the other one. Nothing else on last night for those of us w/o HBO or Showtime.
June 21, 2010 at 11:01AM EST Reply to Comment
M

I watched The Gates. It was okay. It's certainly no worse than Eastwick was. I'll probably give it a second look since it's summer and very little is on.

I haven't watched Scoundrels yet, but I did watch the pilot of the original series last week. I'm curious to see how the two compare. It sounds like a lot of things that people complained about in Scoundrels came directly from the original show. So maybe it's not that Scoundrels is a botched remake so much as just a case of the humor not translating.
June 21, 2010 at 11:02AM EST Reply to Comment
- M Okay, I finally watched and it's almost identical to the pilot of the original. The only major difference is that instead of Heather and the photographer the original had a storyline in which the lawyer son gets a job at a big firm by pretending to be part Pacific Islander. All in all it would be hard for me to say the original was much better if at all. I'd really like to know what US critics would have thought of it.
  
  Meanwhile, I heard Scoundrels originally went after Demi Moore and Julianne Moore before landing Virginia Madsen. Since Julianne Moore isn't doing Prime Suspect, maybe Virginia Madsen can transition to that show when this one inevitably gets canceled.
  June 21, 2010 at 8:26PM EST
bgporter

Too busy watching the Leverage fun train starting up for the summer....
June 21, 2010 at 11:07AM EST Reply to Comment
- UnHoly Diver Same here.
  Besides, in the case of "The Gates", I just can't take another vampire show. I don't watch the other ones(part of that is I no longer have HBO, so "True Blood" isn't even on my radar anymore), so why would I subject myself to this tripe?
  June 21, 2010 at 12:39PM EST
specialj67

I only watched Scoundrels, which was decidedly "meh" in my opinion, and since I didn't know it was an American remake of a New Zeland show, I didn't have and preconceived notions going in. I may tune in for the next few episodes to see if it gets any better.
June 21, 2010 at 11:10AM EST Reply to Comment
Nick

Watched The Gates and although I hated the teen love triangle portion of it, the rest was at least watchable. I quite like the concept and think it could go to some interesting places so, being that there isn't much on at that time anyway, I'll probably stick with it.
June 21, 2010 at 11:52AM EST Reply to Comment
Liz

Neither show sounded particularly interesting to me, but the fact that they're up against Leverage (if I'm right?) seals the deal. I won't be watching.

The season premiere of Leverage was great, by the way. I liked season two, but this was a step above.
June 21, 2010 at 12:00PM EST Reply to Comment
No room for any more Sunday Night shows. HBO is back and once Mad Men starts next month, that'll be that.
June 21, 2010 at 12:00PM EST Reply to Comment
S.L.

I zipped through Scoundrels. I have a friend in the show (the skinny detective that was looking at the daughter's sexy pictures), so I zipped through to find scenes with him. Unfortunately, in this episode he was only in the opening scene.
June 21, 2010 at 12:06PM EST Reply to Comment
katie71483

I watched the first 15 minutes of both before turning them off.
June 21, 2010 at 12:23PM EST Reply to Comment
Will

i saw the gates. it was a lil poor. could had been more fun and exciting.
June 21, 2010 at 12:23PM EST Reply to Comment
Maeve

Thought about it, but turned out the DVR was already booked up with "Leverage" and (don't laugh) "Drop Dead Diva."
June 21, 2010 at 12:31PM EST Reply to Comment
Hobart

Is my memory failing me or wasn't Rob Thomas originally supposed to be in charge of Scoundrels? I remember some conversation about that and Kristen Bell possibly being attached.
June 21, 2010 at 12:59PM EST Reply to Comment
- SD Rob Thomas wrote a pilot called GOOD BEHAVIOR, which I think was shot last year. It was the exact same premise, and some of the people involved in that show are involved in SCOUNDRELS as well.
  June 21, 2010 at 1:08PM EST
Dblue204

Watched both. Turn Scoundrels off when I met the twin and Gates off when the werewolf bikers showed up. Both are terrible.
June 21, 2010 at 1:12PM EST Reply to Comment
Lisa M

I did watch The Gates but was confused as to who was whom this first episode. Just not sure what the plot will be since nothing made sense. May or may not give it another try. I prefer The Vampire Diaries.
June 21, 2010 at 2:09PM EST Reply to Comment
Stavros

I started watched Scoundrels. I won't make that mistake again.
June 21, 2010 at 2:30PM EST Reply to Comment
"Scoundrels" was, in the end, the summer trifle I figured it would be, with snappy-enough writing that I'll give it a few more tries before I let the rest of my summer take over. Wasn't planning to watch "The Gates" last night at all - not with the "Treme" finale on - and doubt I'll run to it anytime soon...
June 21, 2010 at 4:42PM EST Reply to Comment
studioplant

I skipped both in favor of catching up on sons of anarchy which I have never seen.
June 21, 2010 at 4:48PM EST Reply to Comment
Ovid

Watched The Gates and am intrigued enough to keep watching for a bit, even if only to see what different kinds of creatures they manage to fit in. We've had vampires, werewolves and witches so far. I'm holding out for the girl in the love triangle being a fairy or changeling and the police chief turning out to be something too.
June 21, 2010 at 6:22PM EST Reply to Comment
abbey normal

Nope, not going to watch these junky shows.
June 21, 2010 at 7:02PM EST Reply to Comment
chi

I DVR'd The Gates and started watching it a bit late. Got to the opening credits and realized I didn't care and deleted it. I love vampire stories, but I've been irritated for a whole that I'm still hooked on Desperate Housewives, and didn't want a vampire version.
June 21, 2010 at 9:48PM EST Reply to Comment
- chi ahem, that's "irritated for a while"
  June 21, 2010 at 9:48PM EST
Dave

As a sometimes fan of Outrageous Fortune, I think "Scoundrels" fails in the same ways as the UK adaptation, "Honest":
1. Cultural backdrop: OF has the "westies", a brash white (and brown) trash culture, to poke endless good-natured fun at. This version has dumped the characters somewhere anonymous.
2. Not trashy enough: their houses, cars and clothes are all far too nice.
3. Not raunchy enough: a fully-clothed sex scene? C'mon!
4. Everyone is far too nice: almost everyone in OF has terrible character flaws, and not in a cutesy way.
June 21, 2010 at 10:50PM EST Reply to Comment
diemunkiesdie

Watched Scoundrels, mostly because of the actresses who are in it (I'm a fan of all three of the females). It was as good as can be expected for summer fare. My bar is decidedly lower and there isn't much else on so I have too much room in my schedule! I will probably stick with it through the end.
June 22, 2010 at 3:14AM EST Reply to Comment
BigTed

I can understand why Virginia Madsen wanted to do "Scoundrels"... it was a huge showcase for her character. Unfortunately, I thought she was just okay in it. (And I don't really get the concept of a crime family living in Palm Springs.)

"The Gates" might have seemed original if we hadn't already seen the "Twilight" movies, and "The Vampire Diaries," and "Buffy," and "Eastwick," and "Desperate Housewives".... (Actually, the creepiest thing about it is the town itself, a gated community in which everything from the schools to the downtown shopping district are confined within the gates. That would be a scary enough place without all the monsters.)
June 22, 2010 at 3:47AM EST Reply to Comment
- Robert And it wasn't even Palm Springs! Aside from the opening shot of the police cars speeding down the street, the rest of the episode (and the series) was shot in Albuquerque, N.M.
  
  Why not just set the show in Albuquerque?
  
  Ugh. I switched away after about 20-minutes.
  June 22, 2010 at 4:00PM EST
Tracey

Watched The Gates. Hmn... It feels very scattershot, like the writers don't quite know what they're doing or where they're going with this. I try to avoid shows like that.
June 22, 2010 at 5:55AM EST Reply to Comment
Zach

Watched Scoundrels, was tickled to see Luke's daughter getting some screen time.. tuned in becos I always like to see Madsen working, though they really had her swinging hard for the fences every line this time. Hope the director can get it together before many more eps go by.

_Tragic_ overcommittment to botox on both of the leading characters.. can we talk about "Wolf"'s dead, dead eyes? You can keep your 'Desperate Vampires' -- *that* is what scary looks like.
June 22, 2010 at 12:03PM EST Reply to Comment
jen

The Gates was okay... If it stays on, it'll be "i'm bored and there's nothing on, what's on the DVR?" viewing for me. Like, I'll probably get to it at some point in the week after it airs, but maybe not if it's a full week.
June 22, 2010 at 4:26PM EST Reply to Comment
kris_b

On Scoundrels - I'm a fan of the original, and grew up in the area it's set in. I think the main reason for its popularity in the home country is because how well it reflects the community it's set in, and how those of us who grew up in the area can instantly relate to the original characters - we all know someone who is actually like all of them. That part of the show *really* didn't translate well, and likely wont.

Also amusing with the original was how many of the locations they use used to be weed dealers houses.
June 22, 2010 at 7:45PM EST Reply to Comment

Next 38 Comments

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Inside Television with Alan Sepinwall

So, did anyone actually watch 'Scoundrels' or 'The Gates'?

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Option 3

Wife watched gates. Not impressed.

Devin McC I did watch "The Gates", and I'll keep watching for awhile, mostly because I have nothing much to do on Sunday nights. It seems mildly interesting - and heck, I'm still watching "Desperate Housewives", or at least parts of it, so my Sunday night standards are fairly low.

Dan The Gates was okay, didn't watch the other one. Nothing else on last night for those of us w/o HBO or Showtime.

bgporter Too busy watching the Leverage fun train starting up for the summer....

UnHoly Diver Same here. Besides, in the case of "The Gates", I just can't take another vampire show. I don't watch the other ones(part of that is I no longer have HBO, so "True Blood" isn't even on my radar anymore), so why would I subject myself to this tripe?

specialj67 I only watched Scoundrels, which was decidedly "meh" in my opinion, and since I didn't know it was an American remake of a New Zeland show, I didn't have and preconceived notions going in. I may tune in for the next few episodes to see if it gets any better.

Nick Watched The Gates and although I hated the teen love triangle portion of it, the rest was at least watchable. I quite like the concept and think it could go to some interesting places so, being that there isn't much on at that time anyway, I'll probably stick with it.

Liz Neither show sounded particularly interesting to me, but the fact that they're up against Leverage (if I'm right?) seals the deal. I won't be watching.The season premiere of Leverage was great, by the way. I liked season two, but this was a step above.

No room for any more Sunday Night shows. HBO is back and once Mad Men starts next month, that'll be that.

S.L. I zipped through Scoundrels. I have a friend in the show (the skinny detective that was looking at the daughter's sexy pictures), so I zipped through to find scenes with him. Unfortunately, in this episode he was only in the opening scene.

katie71483 I watched the first 15 minutes of both before turning them off.

Will i saw the gates. it was a lil poor. could had been more fun and exciting.

Maeve Thought about it, but turned out the DVR was already booked up with "Leverage" and (don't laugh) "Drop Dead Diva."

Hobart Is my memory failing me or wasn't Rob Thomas originally supposed to be in charge of Scoundrels? I remember some conversation about that and Kristen Bell possibly being attached.

SD Rob Thomas wrote a pilot called GOOD BEHAVIOR, which I think was shot last year. It was the exact same premise, and some of the people involved in that show are involved in SCOUNDRELS as well.

Dblue204 Watched both. Turn Scoundrels off when I met the twin and Gates off when the werewolf bikers showed up. Both are terrible.

Lisa M I did watch The Gates but was confused as to who was whom this first episode. Just not sure what the plot will be since nothing made sense. May or may not give it another try. I prefer The Vampire Diaries.

Stavros I started watched Scoundrels. I won't make that mistake again.

studioplant I skipped both in favor of catching up on sons of anarchy which I have never seen.

abbey normal Nope, not going to watch these junky shows.

chi I DVR'd The Gates and started watching it a bit late. Got to the opening credits and realized I didn't care and deleted it. I love vampire stories, but I've been irritated for a whole that I'm still hooked on Desperate Housewives, and didn't want a vampire version.

chi ahem, that's "irritated for a while"

Robert And it wasn't even Palm Springs! Aside from the opening shot of the police cars speeding down the street, the rest of the episode (and the series) was shot in Albuquerque, N.M.Why not just set the show in Albuquerque? Ugh. I switched away after about 20-minutes.

Tracey Watched The Gates. Hmn... It feels very scattershot, like the writers don't quite know what they're doing or where they're going with this. I try to avoid shows like that.

jen The Gates was okay... If it stays on, it'll be "i'm bored and there's nothing on, what's on the DVR?" viewing for me. Like, I'll probably get to it at some point in the week after it airs, but maybe not if it's a full week.

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Devin McC

I did watch "The Gates", and I'll keep watching for awhile, mostly because I have nothing much to do on Sunday nights. It seems mildly interesting - and heck, I'm still watching "Desperate Housewives", or at least parts of it, so my Sunday night standards are fairly low.

Dan

The Gates was okay, didn't watch the other one. Nothing else on last night for those of us w/o HBO or Showtime.

bgporter

Too busy watching the Leverage fun train starting up for the summer....

UnHoly Diver Same here.
Besides, in the case of "The Gates", I just can't take another vampire show. I don't watch the other ones(part of that is I no longer have HBO, so "True Blood" isn't even on my radar anymore), so why would I subject myself to this tripe?

specialj67

I only watched Scoundrels, which was decidedly "meh" in my opinion, and since I didn't know it was an American remake of a New Zeland show, I didn't have and preconceived notions going in. I may tune in for the next few episodes to see if it gets any better.

Nick

Watched The Gates and although I hated the teen love triangle portion of it, the rest was at least watchable. I quite like the concept and think it could go to some interesting places so, being that there isn't much on at that time anyway, I'll probably stick with it.

Liz

Neither show sounded particularly interesting to me, but the fact that they're up against Leverage (if I'm right?) seals the deal. I won't be watching.

The season premiere of Leverage was great, by the way. I liked season two, but this was a step above.

S.L.

I zipped through Scoundrels. I have a friend in the show (the skinny detective that was looking at the daughter's sexy pictures), so I zipped through to find scenes with him. Unfortunately, in this episode he was only in the opening scene.

katie71483

I watched the first 15 minutes of both before turning them off.

Will

i saw the gates. it was a lil poor. could had been more fun and exciting.

Maeve

Thought about it, but turned out the DVR was already booked up with "Leverage" and (don't laugh) "Drop Dead Diva."

Hobart

Is my memory failing me or wasn't Rob Thomas originally supposed to be in charge of Scoundrels? I remember some conversation about that and Kristen Bell possibly being attached.

Dblue204

Watched both. Turn Scoundrels off when I met the twin and Gates off when the werewolf bikers showed up. Both are terrible.

Lisa M

I did watch The Gates but was confused as to who was whom this first episode. Just not sure what the plot will be since nothing made sense. May or may not give it another try. I prefer The Vampire Diaries.

Stavros

I started watched Scoundrels. I won't make that mistake again.

studioplant

I skipped both in favor of catching up on sons of anarchy which I have never seen.

abbey normal

Nope, not going to watch these junky shows.

chi

I DVR'd The Gates and started watching it a bit late. Got to the opening credits and realized I didn't care and deleted it. I love vampire stories, but I've been irritated for a whole that I'm still hooked on Desperate Housewives, and didn't want a vampire version.

Robert And it wasn't even Palm Springs! Aside from the opening shot of the police cars speeding down the street, the rest of the episode (and the series) was shot in Albuquerque, N.M.

Why not just set the show in Albuquerque?

Ugh. I switched away after about 20-minutes.

Tracey

Watched The Gates. Hmn... It feels very scattershot, like the writers don't quite know what they're doing or where they're going with this. I try to avoid shows like that.

jen

The Gates was okay... If it stays on, it'll be "i'm bored and there's nothing on, what's on the DVR?" viewing for me. Like, I'll probably get to it at some point in the week after it airs, but maybe not if it's a full week.

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