Since this is one of my favorite shows, I guess it's finally time I wrote a review for it.
Throughout the mid-2000's, the Sci-Fi (not Syfy) Channel wasn't really known for popular programming. Most shows were hard-edged, downbeat, and very serious in tone. Many original shows, like The Chronicle, Black Scorpion and Code Name: Eternity, and several reruns, like Night Visions, Special Unit 2 and Jake 2.0 aired briefly, and then, were quickly forgotten. Then, in 2006, a show came out that seemed to renew interest in the Sci Fi Channel. A series that combined a detective show with science fiction and comedy elements. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you... Eureka.
One night, while transporting his delinquent daughter, Zoe, back to LA, US Marshall Jack Carter stumbles on to the small town of Eureka, a town where an organization known as Global Dynamics conducts all of the US Government's top-secret experiments, and where everybody is a scientific genius, even the kids. When Jack proves to have brilliant detective skills, he's appointed as Eureka's new sheriff. Now, Sheriff Carter is our best line of defense in making sure dangerous experiments don't threaten the town, and for that matter, the world.
What's not to love about this one. The show is well-written, it's family friendly, it doesn't get grim, (dramatic, emotional, yes, but not drastically grim) and it makes you think. But I think the show's two main strengths are it's characters and it's humor.
Humor- Since Eureka deals with advanced and theoretical science, the audience could easily get confused and lose interest. So, everything is told from the point of view of an average guy (Sheriff Carter) who always has to make a joke of some kind to understand the situation. Also, every character has a wisecrack or a clumsy moment here and there.
Characters- I have never seen a show so jam-packed with so many unique and interesting characters. There's the average guy (Sheriff Carter), the government liaison (Allison), the jack-of-all-trades (Henry), the arrogant genius (Stark), the former army ranger (Jo), the teenage rebel (Zoe), the Australian survivalist (Taggart), the lovable idiot (Fargo), and the not-so-lovable idiot (Larry), just to name a few. With so many likable characters, Eureka is hardly ever boring, and the town starts to feel like Mayberry, a weird Mayberry, but the feeling is there.
To sum up, this is a great show. After all of it's experimental and serious sci-fi dramas, Sci Fi finally scored big with a family comedy. I highly recommend this show. If you haven't seen it, I say get yourself to Eureka as soon as possible.
And honestly, when will Syfy go back to being Sci Fi? That just looks dumb.
Throughout the mid-2000's, the Sci-Fi (not Syfy) Channel wasn't really known for popular programming. Most shows were hard-edged, downbeat, and very serious in tone. Many original shows, like The Chronicle, Black Scorpion and Code Name: Eternity, and several reruns, like Night Visions, Special Unit 2 and Jake 2.0 aired briefly, and then, were quickly forgotten. Then, in 2006, a show came out that seemed to renew interest in the Sci Fi Channel. A series that combined a detective show with science fiction and comedy elements. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you... Eureka.
One night, while transporting his delinquent daughter, Zoe, back to LA, US Marshall Jack Carter stumbles on to the small town of Eureka, a town where an organization known as Global Dynamics conducts all of the US Government's top-secret experiments, and where everybody is a scientific genius, even the kids. When Jack proves to have brilliant detective skills, he's appointed as Eureka's new sheriff. Now, Sheriff Carter is our best line of defense in making sure dangerous experiments don't threaten the town, and for that matter, the world.
What's not to love about this one. The show is well-written, it's family friendly, it doesn't get grim, (dramatic, emotional, yes, but not drastically grim) and it makes you think. But I think the show's two main strengths are it's characters and it's humor.
Humor- Since Eureka deals with advanced and theoretical science, the audience could easily get confused and lose interest. So, everything is told from the point of view of an average guy (Sheriff Carter) who always has to make a joke of some kind to understand the situation. Also, every character has a wisecrack or a clumsy moment here and there.
Characters- I have never seen a show so jam-packed with so many unique and interesting characters. There's the average guy (Sheriff Carter), the government liaison (Allison), the jack-of-all-trades (Henry), the arrogant genius (Stark), the former army ranger (Jo), the teenage rebel (Zoe), the Australian survivalist (Taggart), the lovable idiot (Fargo), and the not-so-lovable idiot (Larry), just to name a few. With so many likable characters, Eureka is hardly ever boring, and the town starts to feel like Mayberry, a weird Mayberry, but the feeling is there.
To sum up, this is a great show. After all of it's experimental and serious sci-fi dramas, Sci Fi finally scored big with a family comedy. I highly recommend this show. If you haven't seen it, I say get yourself to Eureka as soon as possible.
And honestly, when will Syfy go back to being Sci Fi? That just looks dumb.