Damages Returns

Turn your TV sets to FX on January 7th (9pm EST/8pm CST) for the return of a great drama - Damages. This legal thriller starring Glenn Close was a wild success in its first season and we should expect more of the same, though it may be hard to top the first season. In fact, the number of deaths in the first season doesn't leave many characters left to play with, though I expect Glenn and Tate Donovan will keep things interesting. Here is how FX defines the first season: 

DAMAGES is a legal thriller set in the world of New York City high-stakes litigation. The series follows the turbulent lives of Patty Hewes (Glenn Close) the nation’s most revered and reviled high-stakes litigator and her bright, ambitious protégé Ellen Parsons (Rose Byrne) as they become embroiled in a class action lawsuit targeting the allegedly corrupt Arthur Frobisher (Ted Danson), one of the country’s wealthiest CEOs. As Patty battles with Frobisher and his attorney Ray Fiske (Željko Ivanek) Ellen Parsons will be front and center witnessing just what it takes to win at all costs, as it quickly becomes clear that lives, as well as fortunes, may be at stake. 

For a teaser on season two, visit this link. And here is one bit of news - Ted Danson will be back. As the blog Zap2it notes: 

Arthur Frobisher Ain't Dead Yet: Lest you think we've seen the last of Ted Danson, think again. Season one's crooked, rich dude returns -- alive, but not necessarily well. Word is he'll be laid up in a hospital bed, having undergone several surgeries to save his life. Even sadder, his wife and kids will not be at his side. 

It should be a fun start to the New Year.

A Bit of TV History

Have you ever watched a celebrity endorsed product and asked "Do he really use that product?" In this vein, I found a few celebrity endorsements from the past that are fun to watch, all of them cataloged on a site called Television Obscurities. If you want to see Mark Hamill pitch a Kodak camera, Jay Leno sell Doritos, or Sandy Duncan getting excited about Wheat Thins, then visit this page. Overall, the site is a fun trip down Memory Lane (or a painful trip, depending on your perspective). Enjoy.

Quarterlife

Not all of the goods shows are found on television - or at least not originally. If you have a chance, you should check out the show Quarterlife. The program follows about 7 twenty-somethings as they learn about love, betrayal and life in general. Rolling out over 36 episodes, each 8 minutes apiece, the acting is better than average and the story line remains interesting. The only actor I recognized from a prior show was Scott Michael Foster, who also stars in ABC Family's Greek. While the show started online, it was later broadcast on NBC where it did not do so well (only one episode was shown). It is now moving to Bravo. The show does grow on you, so I recommend you give it a try.

Nielsen Ratings for 2008

I cannot say I am fascinated with the top 10 programs. The only one I follow is Fringe, a terrific new series on Fox. Heroes became too strange with the time shifts and one being unable to determine who was good versus bad (or mad). And Lost was too cult-like with its numbering system, and when it moved into torture it was about as interesting as warmed-over 24. I have heard good things about The Mentalist, but I have yet to go there. So 1 out of 10 is not great.

Mad Men

Well, season two of Mad Men is over and I am eager for season three. The TV program, set in the early 1960s, could be classified as a history lesson if it wasn't so much fun. Whether you focus on the treatment of women, the role of alcohol, or the lack of parenting, each episode is an eye-opener where one asks "Was the country really this way at one time?" While we might want to go back to that period (regardless of the cool furniture, suave styles and warm undertones), it is great to get this one hour view of the past each week.

Fortunately, AMC has signed on for a third season. And while it appears the cast has signed on as well, there is still a question about whether or not the creator, Matthew Weiner, will be back. Given the success of the program, and the fact that the show has put AMC in the big leagues, it would be unfortunate for this team to be broken up. Let's hope to see everyone back, including Mr. Weiner, in the near future.

Leverage

If you have not caught the new TNT program Leverage then you are missing a terrific show. Timothy Hutton and the rest of the cast keep the one hour show hopping between the fast-paced action to the snappy dialog. Just when you thought you were tiring of the car chases and fancy electronic devices, this show comes along and demonstrates that a great script can make it all seem fun again. This is how the TNT site defines the show:

The series follows a team of thieves, hackers and grifters who act as modern-day Robin Hoods, taking revenge against those who use power and wealth to victimize others. TNT has ordered 13 episodes of LEVERAGE, which comes to the network from Devlin’s Electric Entertainment. Devlin makes his directorial debut on the pilot, which was written by Rogers (Transformers) and Chris Downey (The King of Queens).

I like the way the Molly Willow in the Columbus Dispatch describes the show - "The crisp caper series recalls, in the best way, Ocean's Eleven and The A-Team as its characters take on wealthy criminals and high-tech crooks to help ordinary people."

Take a look. It is on at 10pm EST/9pm CST. You can also see the show online at the TNT site.