WE'LL ALWAYS HAVE SPYDADDY: Though I expect it'll get at least its initial order of 13 episodes on the air, it's pretty clear that Undercovers is probably the big disappointment commercially among the new shows (yes, Lone Star and My Generation tanked harder, but the hopes/expectations for them were considerably lower). There are many reasons for this--a cast filled largely with unknowns, the strange choice of an ad campaign focused on the two leads drinking coffee, and the silly "some couples live to love dangerously" tagline they used. But I want to focus on something else that I think is leading to folks flipping over to Survivor, particularly for this week's episode--subtitles. To make clear the "realism" of the show, when action is taking place "overseas," characters are often speaking foreign languages. I can almost hear the channels changing, particularly when the show uses an opening subtitled sequence to set up the "mission of the week" (as they did this week)--especially at 8 PM, folks want to plot on the couch and turn off their brains. It's a minor tweak, but I bet one that would catch a few more casual viewers.
That said, I actually am liking the show a fair amount, even as I recognize pretty much every part of it is an inferior copy of a better show (dweeby spy handler and former boyfriend are all-too-blatant Marshall J. Flinkman and Michael Vaughn surrogates, and "oblivious sister" is done better over on Covert Affairs)--given that I'm not interested in the reality shows they offer in that slot (including Fox sensation Yelly Chef) and can't stand Patricia Heaton, it's still a good option.
