Movie actors think they can escape to television and avoid the scrutiny of film critics, but never fear: Movieline found five border-hoppers planning to debut on the small screen this fall (or during midseason), and we're evaluating their work.
Anjelica Huston, NBC's Smash
There's something curious about Anjelica Huston's role in the trailer for the upcoming Broadway drama Smash: She does not speak. She is Oscar-winner Anjelica Huston, and she does not speak. She's supposed to be an imposing Broadway figure, which I suspect is an important role in the show, and we don't hear her speak. Am I annoyed? Intrigued? Worried? Studying her taut smirk too much? I can only assign a fearful average grade to her work here and applaud the slightly grim Morticia throwback.
Grade: C- / N/A
Christina Ricci, ABC's Pan Am
The flight attendant drama hopes to conjure the glamor of early '60s international travel (as exhibited by Bad Movie We Love The V.I.P.s), but so far it just captures the prickliness of your average headmistress. Ricci says roughly three lines in the trailer, but she looks great in the sky-blue stewardess regalia! Hooray.
Grade: B
Kerry Washington, ABC's Scandal
The "unconventional legal drama" is pretty overplayed at this point. Outlaw, anyone? Harry's Law? The Deep End? But Ray alum Kerry Washington is hoping to make the genre relevant using... unsmiling authority. It's just about the most cliched act of all.
Grade: D+
Jonah Hill, Fox's Allen Gregory
Jonah Hill's voice is suited for the animated world, as it combines Family Guy's quick wit with, eh, Life with Louie cynicism? Just about? As the titular prodigy on the new Fox cartoon, he seems right -- if a little obvious, actually -- as a casually brilliant elementary school student.
Grade: B+
Zooey Deschanel, Fox's The New Girl
Yes, Zooey Deschanel is giving us her typically ho-hum comic delivery, but I like how unusual she is as a TV protagonist. She's not ostentatious or even very kinetic the way most TV topliners are; she draws you in and makes this otherwise typical comedy refreshingly subtle. I'm in.
Grade: A-