Apr 18, 2011

Tradecraft: R.I.P. CHAOS

I meant to review CHAOS after its pilot, but didn't have the opportunity, then missed the second episode.  I watched the third one this weekend and hoped to write about those three, but unfortunately fate interjected and the first piece I'm writing about CBS's latest spy comedy since it started airing is a news item... and a bad one for the show's fans, I'm afraid.  Deadline reports that the network has pulled CHAOS from its Friday night schedule because its low ratings were dragging the whole night down.  The show's removal from the current schedule doesn't spell an out and out cancellation just yet... but it certainly doesn't bode well.  Presumably CBS will at least burn off the remaining episodes that were already filmed during the summer or something.  In the meantime, it seems pretty likely that if I ever do get around to writing a full review of CHAOS, it will be a post-mortem.  Overall, I kind of liked what little we got to see of it.  Some outlets have referred to it as a dramady, but that's inaccurate.  CHAOS was a flat-out spy comedy (which just happened to run an hour, evidently confusing some people), as signified by its Get Smart-derived title.  Unfortunately, it was a pretty toothless comedy, not in the league of Maxwell Smart or Sterling Archer.  Still, there were a good amount of laughs in the pilot, and the cast was likable.  It's too bad it probably won't have a chance to grow.  (Especially given the lengths to which CBS went to initially acquire it.)

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