More June Shows - Charity and Space Travel

The number of shows rolling out of the summer is picking up speed. It was not so long ago that all these shows would shoot onto our TV screens (or computer screens) in September. I like the way they are spread out nowadays. We have some time to truly digest the various programs. Two to watch are noted below.

The Philanthropist started earlier this week (Wednesday) on NBC and is supposedly related to a true story. NBC bills it as a program that "...follows the heroic adventures of Teddy Rist, billionaire playboy-turned-vigilante philanthropist, taking him across the globe from Haiti to Myanmar, Kashmir to Paris, Kosovo to San Diego. But the story starts off in Nigeria." All I know is that I accidentally switched into it the other night and the main character was supposedly in Nigeria but the background music was Australia's Men at Work. I am not kidding. However, I plan to watch the whole show to give it a real chance. I will let you know. If you want to watch it for yourself and see an online episode then check out the NBC link above.

Note: I finally watched The Philanthropist. It's off to a good start, but not as interesting as I expected. Any program that wants to show American audiences that there is a world outside of NYC and Los Angeles is fine with me. And I don't count Lost or Survivor as international eye-openers, though some do consider Hawaii to be "foreign and exotic." Maybe I will find time for this new show at some point in the future, but I cannot recommend it all that highly right now with all the new shows rolling out.

Virtuality is a 2-hour sci fi drama on Fox that begins tonight at 8pm EST. Here is how Fox is selling it:

From Ron Moore and Michael Taylor, the minds behind "Battlestar Galactica," comes the World Broadcast Premiere of the new science-fiction thriller VIRTUALITY. As the crew of the Phaeton approaches the go/no-go point of their epic 10-year journey through outer space, the fate of Earth rests in their hands. The pressure is intense, and the best bet for helping the crew members maintain their sanity is the cutting-edge virtual reality technology installed on the ship. It's the perfect stress-reliever until a glitch in the system unleashes a virus onto the ship. Tensions mount as the crew decides how to contain the virus and complete their mission. Meanwhile, every step of the journey and every minute of the crew members' lives are being taped for a reality show back on Earth.

As someone who followed BSG for years, I am willing to give this show a chance. Unfortunately, I am hearing that Fox has not signed on for a first season, so we may see this teaser and no more. Maybe America is ready for another sci fi series and the ratings will show it. I hope so. With Terminator now canceled, we don't have a lot of such shows on TV right now.

If you want to learn a little more about the show, check out this interview with Ronaold D. Moore.

The End of The Beast

Unfortunately, the news out of Hollywood indicates we will never see a second season of The Beast (see my earlier blog on this program). According to Entertainment Weekly, the program show starring Patrick Swayze and Travis Fimmel did not do as well as the A&E premiere of The Cleaner (a show that has a second season starting this week).

I think it was a great run and we can only hope to see more of both Swayze and Fimmel in the future, both of whom did some terrific acting in this series. While the news has been up and down over the past years concerning Swayze's health as he battles pancreatic cancer, we can only wish him well.

As far as Fimmel, he starred in a 2008 film Restraint and just completed work on a new film called Ivory. A film review at FilmSchoolRejects defines Restraint as "...an excellent thriller, with strong characters, subtle touches, and suspenseful scenes of tension and discovery"

Merlin Appears on NBC

The BBC television program Merlin has finally crossed the Atlantic Ocean and landed on NBC (see my earlier comments). This much anticipated event was somewhat marred by an earlier golf game that pushed the start of the program off by more than 10 minutes. Leave it to NBC to pay millions for a show and then mess it up for new viewers because of some dumb "sport" watched by a total of 12 people. With hundreds of channels on the cable box let's move sports to their own channels so we can have plenty of space of extra long games and regular programming for the rest of us. What it this, the 1970s? Luckily, NBC also posted the premiere on Fancast. Good save.

Note: Good news! Merlin has been renewed for a second season.

More Online TV

Its worth checking out Fancast to see both new and old TV shows on your computer. Its great that more content is being made available. For instance, on Fancast you can watch: Fringe, Nurse Jackie, Bones, CSI, South Park, The Simpsons, 60 Minutes, and The Tonight Show.

Fancast is a division of Comcast Interactive Media, the Internet division of Comcast Corporation. One might wonder why a cable company is giving away free content. I do, but I am not complaining.

May and June Shows - Dancing, Singing and Nursing

If you missed the premiere of Fox's Glee on May 19, a strange and energetic program that may just make it in the Fall line-up, then you missed a real treat. Showing the pilot a few months early may have been a smart move to generate interest, but I am not sure.

We seem to have a lack of musical comedies on TV for some reason, though I would welcome more shows like Dr. Horrible. The characters on Glee are certainly likable, from the deranged diva to the singing jock. I hope it can keep this same level of fun and quality throughout the rest of the season, which may be hard to do. I am certainly hopeful since its a nice addition to the TV schedule. You can catch the pilot here at Fox.

And I just checked out the first show of Showtime's Nurse Jackie (premiering June 8). It was a good show, sort of a mix between Scrubs and ER. I like the light attitude of the characters, such as the banter while an older woman is choking in a restaurant. I have always liked Edie Falco, and the role of a tired, sarcastic nurse certainly suits her. And you can find the pilot for free on Fancast, a nifty little site for those who like to watch TV online. I recommend you check it out and see for yourself. By the way, E!Online reports Showtime has ordered a 12-episode second season. Not bad getting a second season commitment after just one show.