Threat Matrix

Here's the deal: If you don't have any expectations it's worth watching.

Quote from the intro-sequence: "Every morning the President receives a report that updates the most active terrorist threats against the United States. This report is called "The Threat Matrix". The department of Homeland Security handpicked teams of agents from the CIA, FBI and the NSA, to analyze and respond to the Threat Matrix report, now their job is to keep us safe." We follow Special Agent John Kilmer (James Denton) and his team who makes a living out of stopping terrorist in reaching their objectives.

And that is mostly what this show is about. Now I know 24 comes to your mind when you see this but this is not 24 and don't think about 24 when you watch it. You'll be disappointed. This is not a bad show, but it's not a masterpiece. It is, however, entertaining and worth watching if you don't take it all too seriously and think too much about it. The cast is good and the stories are OK. The effects could have been done better, but you buy it. Over all it's well made.

I admit I haven't managed to sit through the pilot in its entirety. But my taste and decency wouldn't allow me to make that mistake. Every cliché in the book is trotted out for this sorry excuse of a drama. Playing "call to prayer" sounding music whilst showing clips of suspected terrorists. Hardly anyone in this so-called "elite squad" is anything other than nice middle class and white. From what I saw, it even made Independence Day look like it possessed a modicum of savvy.

My boyfriend at least seemed to enjoy watching it, so he could mock it in the extreme.

What worries me more is that there are people out there, believing the extremely prejudiced ideas spouted by such ridiculous programming. Oh well, there's no accounting for taste. Or intelligence for that matter.

In Germany we have this saying that goes 'it's better to do a good copy then to make a bad invention'. I guess this about sums it up for "Threat Matrix", ABC's new '24' like drama, which borrows a lot of the Fox's hit, minus the real-time dramatic. And this is where the good part comes in: You can watch it WITH the occasional chance of missing an episode. As for acting and stories, the episodes I've seen so far are fast-paced, well- acted and well written for a TV show. Come to think that there is a real Threat Matrix report out there, which would give material for endless seasons, one wonders why ABC put this against NBC's MUST SEE TV THURSDAY. I mean, HELLO?!

This show is just what we needed. The cast is great although they are mostly unknowns and the action scenes are awesome. The stories told are about what we are facing in the world today. Enough of these reality shows, they are getting old. This show deserves a chance and I hope ABC will give it one. This is the last season of Friends which should help it out in the ratings next season should it be renewed and kept in that time slot.

This show is so far away from reality, it can see the top of reality as it starts to dip below the horizon and sail far, far away. Don't watch it unless you want to experience the odd sensation of your brain running a white flag up a pole and trying to escape out of your ear lest it have to watch another episode.

Reading comments that suggest that this is based on real-life makes me realise just how much people's perception of reality has been warped by TV and movies.

Having said that, if you have an iron constitution, you might find it amusing in a precognitive kind of way: people in years to come might look on it the same way we look at King of the Rocket Men and the Batman serials of the 40s for their "realistic" interpretations of science, technology and the then-current affairs. Experience that feeling today with Threat Matrix!