Midseason Rookies

In the winter it seems that each day is drearier than the next. We long to abandon our mittens and earmuffs and store away our puffy coats for the winter. Here at Inside Beat, we know just the thing to keep you indoors until springtime. So pack up your winter clothes early, pop on a pair of shorts, crank up the heat and veg on your sofa — you won't need to leave your TV after checking out these awesome new shows. 

The Cape

Jan 9, NBC, 9 p.m.

NBC, Mondays at 9 p.m. | B

Having finished Heroes' final season, NBC is heading back to a cartoonish world of injustice. In the fictional Californian metropolis of Palm City, only one man can put villains to rest. And The Cape looks cool doing it.

Palm City Police Detective Vince Faraday (David Lyons, ER) is a good cop-turned-crime fighter after being framed for a murder. His city folds to corruption and evil under the clutches of foe Chess (James Frain, The Tudors). As the CEO of a private law enforcement company, ARK, Peter Fleming (Chess's alter ego) has both the authority and threat to leave the citizens of the city kneeling in fear.

The Cape is one superhero series that seems to have been plucked from its comic book onto primetime television, but the comic book doesn't really exist. Vince must fall to the wayside after being set up, leaving his family to believe that he is dead. He adapts an alias, The Cape, from a comic book he read with his son Trip. He hopes that one day Trip will discover the cloaked figure around town is his father.

With a flick of the hem on his cape, Vince can snag people, objects or anything in his path. He makes a formidable opponent when he disappears beneath his wrap, leaving only puffs of smoke in his wake. Along with his chief ally Orwell (Summer Glau, Firefly) and cast of unusual friends, The Cape is sure to be unstoppable.

Steeped in comic book lore, the melodrama and campiness of the script is practically buried beneath its sincerity, action and plot line. The Cape has a lot of promise — it will prevail with cultish charm. Soon, kids everywhere will be begging for ultra-elastic capes.

Episodes

Jan 9, Showtime, 9:30 p.m.

Showtime, Sundays at 9:30 p.m. | B

TV veterans David Crane and Jeffrey Klarik never tire of taking jabs at the industry, humor we've all but exhausted. However, three good lead performances and sharp writing give Episodes a comedic bite that makes up for the stuff you've seen before.

The series follows married writing team Sean and Beverly Lincoln (Stephen Mangan and Tamsin Greig, Green Wing). After winning a BAFTA award for their successful British television series, the duo is approached by American television executive Merc Lapidus (Mad About You). He gushes about the show, then baits the couple, dangling in front of them the prospect of overseas success with his vision of an unchanged American adaptation "done right." Beverly is content with her life in London, but Sean falls for the pitch. Starry-eyed and naïve, they pack their belongings and head for Los Angeles

Sean and Beverly are deflated to learn that in show business, nothing is truly as it seems. They soon realize that Merc told them simply what they wanted to hear. Not only has he never seen their show, (a comedy called "Lymen's Boys" about a headmaster of a boarding school), but he also intends to strip it of everything that makes it "good." The production team is comprised of unfunny idiots who are only interested in American-izing the series. The production team then drops a bomb on Sean and Beverly. After nixing the British lead, Merc and his flunkies suggest that Matt LeBlanc (Friends) play the star of the show. Mouths agape and speechless, Sean and Beverly exchange looks of horror and disgust. Greig's expression practically cries, "Isn't he that washed-up actor from Friends?"

Though the show stereotypically depicts the Brits as stiff and the Americans as very Hollywood, the different cultures provide two brands of humor. Sean and Beverly never crack a joke, but their actions can invoke a smile. Conversely, LeBlanc plays an over-the-top version of himself, a man with delusions of entitlement, acting as a symbol of Hollywood bigwigs. The repartee is sure to be engaging and will give the show a Curb Your Enthusiasm feel.

With some tuning and more focus on what works, Episodes could make for some funny entertainment. Episodes airs on Showtime, Sundays at 9:30.

Skins

Jan. 17, MTV, 10 p.m.

MTV,Mondays at 10PM | C

Skins, is a brilliantly twisted show about the cheeky lives of a group of teenagers. But that's the original English version. MTV's remake of the British original is paltry at best. What was supposed to be a racy and thought-provoking commentary on the sex, drugs, alcohol and the who-gives-a-crap attitude of today's teens has turned out to be just another show about teens in America.

The show centers on Tony (James Newman) the smart aleck ringleader of a group of slightly dysfunctional kids. Tony is quintessentially bored with his own existence so he decides to meddle in the life of his best friend Stanley (Daniel Flaherty) and is trying to get a girl to take his virginity. We soon learn that Stanley is in love with Tony's girlfriend Michelle (Rachel Thevenard), who joins in on Tony's twisted quest.

The rest of the cast is equally interesting, like Abbud (Ron Mustafaa), a highly atypical Muslim boy who would rather be drinking than reading his prayers, or Cadie (Britne Oldford) who enjoys popping pills and has a history of being hospitalized — plus she's super creepy. Each character has a sorrowful center, but they are not driven by their sorrow, instead they are driven by their insistence on enjoying their youth.