“Tarzan,” WB, Sundays at 9 p.m.

Telltale quote: “I hunt. I hunted for you.”

Overview: In this modern-day remake of the classic story, “Tarzan” is the tale of a young man brought into the urban jungle of New York after living for years on the fringes of society. As a young boy, John (a.k.a. Tarzan, played by newcomer Travis Fimmel) was left to raise himself in the wild after his parents’ plane crashed in a remote location. Fortunately, his evil uncle discovers him by shooting him out of a tree and apologizes by holding him hostage in the headquarters of his oppressive organization (Uncle Richard Clayton is played by Mitch Peleggi, better known as the FBI’s assistant director in Fox’s hit series “The X-Files”).
  Aussie Fimmel says his upbringing on a farm primed him for the part in WB’s new drama. It could have been his rural background, but maybe it was his stint as a Calvin Klein underwear model that landed him the title role. Whatever the case, Fimmel spends the majority of the first episode mute and shirtless, a move that is likely to do little to alter any stereotypes about underwear models.
  “Tarzan” doesn’t take any risks with Fimmel’s lack of acting experience, whittling down his limited dialogue to mostly monosyllabic words and fragmented sentences. Instead of speaking, Fimmel demonstrates miraculous feats of strength and cunning. In a scene from the pilot, he escapes from a holding cell, cuffs the officers and strips them of their uniforms in one quick camera cut.
  Anyone familiar with the original story will remember the important presence of Jane. In the television series, Jane (Sarah Wayne Callies) is a police detective in a committed relationship with an insensitive and incredibly jealous colleague. When they’re not arguing over Tarzan, Jane and her boyfriend are presumably solving crime, including an uninspired storyline about a man who sets the homeless on fire.
  The show was originally titled “Tarzan and Jane” but was changed so audiences wouldn’t think the pair was romantically linked, at least not immediately. WB has also re-edited the pilot into a special 70-minute episode to create more tension between the couple and introduce additional plot twists. “Xena’s” Lucy Lawless recently signed on to the series as Tarzan/John’s aunt and a high-profile newspaper publisher who is more sympathetic to his plight than his uncle.

Verdict: Possibly the worst drama of the new season, “Tarzan” is WB’s last and weakest entry in the new fall season. The show does little to explain the business of Richard Clayton’s empire or his scientific interest in his nephew. The supposed romantic tension between Tarzan and Jane is rigid and unconvincing. In the meantime, the plot is muddied with a simultaneous criminal investigation, as though the writers were afraid viewers might not be interested otherwise. The truth is, viewers won’t be interested regardless.

By John Rash

“Tarzan,” WB, Sundays at 9 p.m.

    More hunk than heart (only on the WB can Tarzan be prettier than Jane), “Tarzan” slips from the vine in trying to ape the WB's “Smallville.” That Clark Kent drama is a big success not because of the Superman effects, but because of the super portrayals of human emotions between the characters -- characteristics lost in “Tarzan.”
    Instead “Tarzan” focuses on the star's smoldering good looks instead of him molding human relationships. And in the rare instances when Tarzan does communicate, it is not of the "Me Tarzan, you Jane" variety but rather modern, sensitive speak, which strains credibility even further than Tarzan's physical prowess in the urban jungle of Manhattan.
    Evidently the WB agrees, as it changed the title from the more relationship-inclusive “Tarzan and Jane” to simply “Tarzan” -- appropriate for this oversimplified effort.

For past Media Life reviews of the new fall shows, click below.

ABC's "Karen Sisco"

NBC's "Miss Match"

CBS's "Joan of Arcadia"

ABC's "Hope & Faith"

CBS's "The Handler"

NBC's "Coupling"

CBS's "Brotherhood of Poland, N.H."

CBS's "Navy NCIS"

ABC's "I'm With Her"

WB's "One Tree Hill"

NBC's "Las Vegas"

CBS's "Two and a Half Men"

WB's "Like Family"

Fox's "Luis"

ABC's "Threat Matrix"

UPN's "All of Us," "Rock Me Baby"

UPN's "Eve"

WB's "All About the Andersons"

WB's "Steve Harvey's Big Time"
WB's "Run of the House"
UPN's "The Mullets"

UPN's "Jake 2.0"

NBC's "Whoopi"
NBC's "Happy Family"

A.J. Livsey's fall season overview