Alan Sepinwall weighs in on Drive:

[link]

It's a mixed review, mostly because he wonders how the show can sustain an extended arc. He also spends quite a bit of time on Tim's bad track record with shows on Fox.

Fox's new drama "Drive," about the contestants in an illegal, high-stakes road race across America, seems to have less long-term potential than all the other serialized rookies, but that doesn't matter, because it's a Tim Minear show and will probably be canceled in four to five weeks.

Minear's a talented writer and producer, don't get me wrong, and he's been a key backstage figure for some good-to-great TV shows over the last few years: the better seasons of the "Buffy" spin-off "Angel"; the cult classic outer space western "Firefly"; the eccentric do-gooder dramedy "Wonderfalls," and the FBI criminal profiling drama "The Inside."

It's just that he kills shows dead -- or, rather, that Fox does.

For the last few years, Minear has been involved in a financially lucrative but sado-masochistic relationship with Fox, producing these shows, then handing them off to the network, where they'll suffer a quick, ignoble death in an out-of-the-way timeslot.

Yeah, there's a load of new reviews in the newspapers today. I've seen about 15 this morning. They're pretty mixed. A few hated it. Most of the critics are spending a majority of their reviews talking about Tim and FOX, and how they cancel all his shows, rather than Drive. Which is just going to put people off. Seriously, there's a few who really like it, but spend their time saying it'll get cancelled. And then those newspapers with user comments enabled have loads of people saying it's pointless watching because it'll get cancelled.

Which annoys me greatly. I can absolutely see why everybody is cautious with a new Tim series on FOX which has already been preempted with a reality show, but seriously, reviewers -- review the show, not the network.

In my official capacity as Lurkerer of the Drive Offices, we spent a bit of yesterday hunting down the reviews in newsstands and supermarkets and mostly they're all positive. Variety was problematical, but mostly all the other big publications really like the show.

Also, the opening credits: really good.

Also, the opening credits: really good.

Original music or a selected song (or ominous noise a la LOST)? If that can't/shouldn't be posted here, that's cool.

My track of the Drive reviews is about 75% positive, which is a lot better than The Inside. I didn't see Firefly stuff back then, but I'd imagine it's doin' better than that, too. The common complaints are the longetivity of the series, and the premise. Only two of the reviews I've seen actually mention the writing, but both are complimentary, and there's almost no belittling of acting performance. Fillion, Dylan Baker, Charles Martin Smith and Emma Stone got praise in multiple reviews.

Original music or a selected song (or ominous noise a la LOST)? If that can't/shouldn't be posted here, that's cool.

It's written especially for the show and is un-Lost-like. Probably can't say anything more, so I won't, but, yeah, 'twas good.

jengod -- You're correct; the guy you're talking about isn't Richard. But that's not who I was talking about.

Theme song is Gavin Rossdale.

Theme song is Gavin Rossdale.

Hmm.

So I had a dream about TV's Hit DRIVE last night. I figure the actual thing has got to be a lot better (and more coherent). Details are just a hazy blur at this point (much like the scenery from a fast-moving car).

I suspect it was the RESTLESS version of DRIVE.

It gets better. I remember it gets better.

Hi Tim! Best of luck with the big premiere!