Vote for Knope

In this political season, you may be looking for a candidate that represents your view of the world.  Well, I have a candidate for you.  Here are just a few planks from a platform that stretches far and wide:

-- Regulate heights of trampolines;
-- Memorial for those lost in the trampoline "incident";
-- Shutting down underground shooting range;
-- Free cookies at every street corner;
-- One school for every student; and
-- Require flattering mirrors in public restrooms.

Yes, Leslie Knope speaks to all of those concerns that others may think are daffy.  And while she is only running for a position on Pawnee, Indiana's city council, she may have higher aspirations down the road.  Given who we already see running for president, I would say she is pretty "electable."  For more on this fascinating campaign, visit Knope2012.  And for a terrific program that will keep you laughing from start to finish, try out an episode of NBC's Parks and Recreation.  (I bet you thought I was going to say the Republican debates.)

A Full Night of Law Men (and Women): Southland and Justified

Prepare yourself for a full night of great TV starting tomorrow night (Jan. 17) at 10 pm EST.  Of course, you will need to start up that DVR because FX's Justified and TNT's Southland will be dueling for your attention.  

Justified starts its third season of the adventures of Raylan (Timothy Olyphant), a Kentucky lawman who cannot get a break.  Whether taking on the local drug dealers or the distant mob, he tends to leave a few bodies where ever he goes.  And last season he even had to take out a mother (Margo Martindale) who guarded her nest of viper children.  Ms. Martindale won an Emmy for this role and deserved even more praise for her amazing performance.  Topping such a performance will not be easy in season three, but I am confident we will be provided with more dark characters who stay with us long after the episode is over.  And should you want to learn a little more about Elmore Leonard, the writer who created Raylan and all his adventures, then you can check out this WSJ interview, "Why He Writes, at 86:  'I Might as Well.'"

Southland starts its fourth season after quite a few bruised egos and bodies in the last season, as well as a very troubling death of a detective.  Los Angeles is about as far as you can get from the Kentucky hills, yet the crime and related violence is much the same.  And, as with Justified, you get tied up with the characters who seem to be more real than the mechanic, pretty officers you see on so many other shows.  This is more Hill Streets Blues than NCIS Los Angeles, and that works perfectly for me.  Whether its officer Ben Sherman (Ben McKenzie) helping his partner deal with drug addition or detective Lydia Adams (Regina King) dating her partner's son, you have a lot to deal with before the first sign of a wide-eyed, coke-head or  wild car chase.  It makes for great TV and we are lucky that TNT saw the value of this program when no one else did.  The big networks have left a lot of scraps at the table over the years and the eager, smaller networks are all the better for it. 

Alcatraz Starts Tonight

I could have sworn that Fox's premiere of Alcatraz was scheduled for January 23rd, but it appears it starts tonight.  Starring Sam Neill and a variety of others, it has been compared to ABC's Lost, which may be a bad omen.  I remember when another TV program, The Event, was compared to Lost.  And where is that now (cancelled after one season, in case you were less than certain)?  And just in case you miss the connection, Jorge Garcia (Hugo) from Lost is part of the action.  Oh yeah, the first episode includes Jeffrey Pierce from an earlier show The Nines, which I believe was also compared to Lost before it was cancelled after one season.

So what is this new show about?  Well, I have included Fox's spin at the end of this piece.  However, what I find interesting is that the website lists the program's description twice, as if no one cared to edit the publicity for awhile.  Not a good sign (and hopefully cleaned up soon).  So shifting dates, seeing double, and bits of Lost.  I am already dizzy and the program has yet to start.

The only redeeming quality about the program from the outset is the involvement of J.J. Abrams, though I think he is involved with one of every five shows on TV at this point (including Fringe, which is to his credit).  Given all the time travel in Lost, his movie version of Star Trek, and Fringe, maybe I am caught in a time loop and it is really January 23rd though my body says January 16th.  Maybe.

Fox's description of Alcatraz: 

From executive producer J.J. Abrams (FRINGE, "Lost," "Star Trek" and the upcoming "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" and "Super 8") and writer and executive producer Elizabeth Sarnoff ("Lost," "Deadwood") comes ALCATRAZ, the chilling new thriller centered on America's most infamous prison and one-time home to the nation's most notorious murderers, rapists, kidnappers and thieves. 

When San Francisco Police Department DET. REBECCA MADSEN (Sarah Jones, "Sons of Anarchy") is assigned to a grisly homicide case, a fingerprint leads her to a shocking suspect: JACK SYLVANE (guest star Jeffrey Pierce, "The Nine"), a former Alcatraz inmate who died decades ago. Given her family history - both her grandfather and surrogate uncle, RAY ARCHER (Robert Forster, "Jackie Brown"), were guards at the prison - Madsen's interest is immediately piqued, and once the enigmatic, knows-everything-but-tells-nothing government agent EMERSON HAUSER (Sam Neill, "Jurassic Park") tries to impede her investigation, she's doggedly committed. Madsen turns to Alcatraz expert and comic book enthusiast, DR. DIEGO "DOC" SOTO (Jorge Garcia, "Lost"), to piece together the inexplicable sequence of events. The twosome discovers that Sylvane is not only alive, but he's loose on the streets of San Francisco, leaving bodies in his wake. And strangely, he hasn't aged a day since he was in Alcatraz, when the prison was ruled by the iron-fisted WARDEN EDWIN JAMES (Jonny Coyne, "Undercovers") and the merciless ASSOCIATE WARDEN E.B. TILLER (Jason Butler Harner, "The Changeling").

Madsen and Soto reluctantly team with Agent Hauser and his technician, LUCY BANERJEE (Parminder Nagra, "ER"), to stop Sylvane's vengeful killing spree. By delving into Alcatraz history, government cover-ups and Rebecca's own heritage, the team will ultimately discover that Sylvane is only a small part of a much larger, more sinister present-day threat. For while he may be the first, it quickly becomes clear that Sylvane won't be the last prisoner to reappear from Alcatraz.

Through the course of the investigation, Madsen and Soto will learn that Agent Hauser has known about the prison's secret history and has been awaiting the prisoners' return. Soto will witness his life's work - the history of Alcatraz - come alive. Madsen will be forced to keep her supportive San Francisco cop fiancé, JIMMY DICKENS (Santiago Cabrera, "Heroes"), at arm's length from the highly classified assignment as she sees everything she thought she knew about her family's past shattered, all while fighting to keep the country safe from history's most dangerous criminals.

ALCATRAZ is produced by Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Bad Robot Productions and Warner Bros. Television. The series is executive-produced by J.J. Abrams, Bryan Burk (FRINGE) and Elizabeth Sarnoff. Steven Lilien ("Kyle XY") & Bryan Wynbrandt ("Kyle XY") and Sarnoff wrote the pilot, and Danny Cannon ("CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," "CSI: Miami") directed and executive-produced the pilot.

Update:   We will not see a second season for Alcatraz, according to Entertainment Weekly's Inside TV. 

Sci Fi Weekend: The Fades

I look forward to tonight's return of Fox's Fringe, a fantastic mix of time travel, espionage, world-destroying weapons, and simple family relationships.  Yet I keep my eyes on the horizon for more new science fiction programs since it is such an interesting and diverse genre.  Tomorrow, January 14th, at 9 PM EST will be an opportunity to see if BBC America has a winner on its hands with The Fades.  The trailer makes it look like a cross between I am Number Four and Walking Dead, but trailers can mess you up that way.

This six-part series follows the day-to-day struggles a teenage who has to deal with bad dreams, new powers, and dark forces out to destroy him.  And besides these typical trials of your everyday teenager, he also has to deal with The Fades, or spirits of the dead.  Now it is getting interesting.

As with most the content on BBC America, The Fades already had its run on British television.  And what did the Brits think of this show?  The Guardian says,

...The Fades deserves more prominence. Its premise that the dead walk with us unseen and that it falls to a nerdy bedwetter with special powers to fight them comes over like a screenwriting evening class exercise, but Thorne's writing is sharper than it was on Skins and the performances (especially Daniel Kaluuya as Nerdy Boy's wisecracking, Star Wars-quoting foil) are lovely. That said, I refuse to contemplate life in the aftermath of Thorne's looming apocalypse. If we're going to have to skin rabbits like Ray Mears and fist fight zombies for berries, kill me now.

I have some hopes for the series since the show writer Jack Thorne has done well with Skins and Shameless (the British versions of Skins and Shameless, that is, and not the MTV and Showtime versions). So sit back, kick up your feet, and give it a try.

Update:  Don't forget to watch The Nerdist following the premiere of The Fades so you can learn more about Lily Loveless, who plays the sister of Paul, the main character.

Second Update:  On April 5th, Den of Geek reported that The Fades will not be renewed for a second season.  This was sad to hear since I thought the show was well acted and had a lot of promise.  It was basically the BBC version of America's Walking Dead. 

A Busy Weekend of Programs: Merlin, Shameless, and The Firm

In addition to the return of Portlandia and Downton Abbey, it is worth relating a few more good shows that are making their reappearance as well as a new pilot.  I have a number of additional shows to discuss for the rest of the month, but this will get us started.

-- Merlin on SyFy (Jan. 6):  The show, in its fourth season, is sure to get darker as Morgana leaves Camelot to pursue her magic and revenge against Merlin, Arthur, and especially Uther.  Here is a quick summary of the first episode, titled "The Darkest Hour": 

Merlin faces his toughest challenge yet when Morgana's blinkered determination threatens not only Arthur's future, but the very balance of the world. With her magic stronger than ever, the sorceress summons the mighty Callieach to tear open the veil between the worlds.  Hellish creatures pour forth, killing any who succumb to their touch. With Uther a shadow of his former self, it falls to Arthur and his loyal knights, including Lancelot, to protect the kingdom. But it will take more than just swords to vanquish their enemy and Merlin is shocked to the core when he discovers the only way to restore the equilibrium requires a sacrifice of unimaginable proportions.

-- Shameless on Showtime (Jan. 8):  Now in its second season, this remake of the popular British series has certainly taken on a life of its own in its little corner of Chicago.  Here is Showtime's take on the first episode of the new season: 

In the Season 2 premiere, despite her breakup with Steve, Fiona tends bar at a local hotspot with Veronica, hangs out with a successful young business executive, and enjoys her youth; Debbie runs a daycare with Carl; Ian takes over at the Kash and Grab when Kash leaves town; Lip runs a Little League book and helps Kev out with their annual ice cream/pot truck; despite Eddie's disappearance, Sheila takes small steps to finally leave the house; Frank loses a bet and surrenders Liam as collateral.

-- The Firm on NBC (Jan. 8):  This new show is a continuation of story from the 1991 novel of the same name.  Taking place 10 years later, Mitch McDeere and his family (see photo above) have tried to reestablish their lives after he turned on the mafia.  Of course, nothing is that easy, and we shall see what happens when you piss of the mob.  Sunday's program is two hours long and will be followed by a one hour show on Thursdays.  The good part is that John Grisham has not only given his blessing for this program, but he is helping to produce it.  And NBC has already committed to 22 episodes, which is either confidence or a brash gamble.  We shall see after the premiere.

Here is NBC's summary of the new show: 

As a young associate, McDeere brought down the prestigious Memphis law firm of Bendini, Lambert & Locke, which operated as a front for the Chicago mob -- and his life was never the same. After a difficult decade, which included a stay in the Federal Witness Protection program, Mitch and his family now emerge from isolation to reclaim their lives and their future -- only to find that past dangers are still lurking and new threats are everywhere. The executive producers are Grisham, Lukas Reiter ("Law & Order," "Boston Legal"), John Morayniss ("Haven," "Hung"), Michael Rosenberg ("Hung," "Skins") and Noreen Halpern ("Rookie Blue," "Hung").

January is off to a great start.


Update:  The Firm was not renewed for a second season, according to The Futon Critic.  I could not even get through the pilot, so I am not surprised.  As usual, a good idea was bright wrapping for an old detective/lawyer show. 

Season Two of Downton Abbey

January is shaping up to be a very busy month and even more interesting than the start of the 2011 fall season (at least in my opinion).  This Sunday (Jan. 8) sees the return of Masterpiece's Downton Abbey.  I have been looking forward to season two of this rich story of the Earl of Grantham, his family, and the family's servants during a period of great world change.

The first season covered the period from the sinking of the Titanic to the start of World War I.  And just as the Titanic threatened the son-less Earl's future, I expect season two will continue to threaten the family's standing.  Prepare for battles, betrayals, boisterous politicking, and better angels appearing where you least expect them.

The acting and setting of this period piece is a work of art that shows the continuing strength of public television, even if this is a British-produced series that could have been shown on a variety of networks.  The cross-Atlantic sharing of our cultures - we give them CSI and they give us Downton Abbey - may not seem to be a fair exchange, but it works.  Of course, as I noted earlier, we are trying to share much more with the Brits as part of PBS UK, which appears to be going well enough to date.  To be fair, we are also sharing true American treasures, such as American Experience.

Anyway, back to the show.  Not everyone is a mesmerized by the show and it new season, as is made clear by NYT's TV critic Alessandra Stanley, who noted in a recent piece,  

A little like the movie “War Horse,” which is more about the horse than about the war, this series isn’t interested in using its main characters to explore the war’s devastation and tectonic social shifts; combat serves as a plot point and palate cleanser in between voyeuristic looks at high society. So battle scenes and hospital emergencies are clichéd or perfunctory, secondary to exquisite tableaus of swirling chiffon skirts, crystal decanters and lavish country landscapes. Even the most devastating wounds are bound up and set aside in time to dress for dinner. 

My suggestion is you see the show for yourself.  Plan to settle back for an evening of solid acting, occasional humor, educational clips about the period, and darn good storytelling. 

Update:  The January 16, 2012, edition of Time magazine had a good write-up on the program titled "Quiet on the Set!"  You can learn about the owners of the Highclere Castle, the setting of Downton Abbey, as well as what it cost to maintain this lavish home and 6,000 acres of grounds.

The Return of a True Gem: Portlandia

Tomorrow, IFC's Portandia returns with more humorous portraits of America's grunge capital, Portland, Oregon.  Each show is a series of skits portraying another odd side to life in this great city, with just a little bit of exaggeration.  The show has the ability to take a simple local (or national) trend and quickly make every look slightly crazy.  And while the grunge bits are funny, the parodies on yuppies are my favorite.  One of my favorite episodes from season one is Put a Bird on It! 

For a quick view of a new episode, click here for the season's second show with its parade of allergies, Battlestar Galactica marathon, and more (two BGS actors play a part in the skit as well).  And while some may think this show is pretty mean to the natives, the co-creator and actor Fred Armisen noted in an Entertainment Weekly article "What's So Funny About Portland?" that much of it is true and his own film crew is sometimes the extra to demonstrate a real slice of life. Fred noted that his work in Portland continues to generate new ideas for the show, such as bike valets and a fried eggs on everything.  I look forward to more of this truth-telling (and warping) in the second season.

ABC's New Show: Work It

How is this for a plot?

Henry and Kip are two advertising designers who had a real problem with finding a place to live. At the beginning, the sole place they could afford was condemned, but they only found out when the wrecking ball was smashing up the place while they were sleeping. A female friend suggested they stay at her building, but the snag is that the place is for women only. In desperation, they assume the identities of the women Hildegard and Buffy in order to rent a room. Now as they pursue their dream of success in the ad business, they also struggle to keep their deception at the apartment building so they won't be evicted, but the beautiful neighbours they have are a constant temptation. 

Now how about this? 

Lee Standish is a quick-witted and likable family man. His best friend, Angel Ortiz, is a hotheaded ladies’ man with no filter. The two of them worked at Pontiac -- Lee as a top salesman and Angel as head mechanic -- until the company went out of business. Out of work for a year, their job prospects don’t look too bright. They’ve learned the hard way that the current recession is more of a "man-cession" and their skills aren’t in high demand. Then the almost-broke Lee finds out that Coreco Pharmaceuticals is looking to hire sales reps -- female sales reps. He takes a chance and goes into the interview dressed in heels, a skirt and make-up. The transformed Lee gets hired -- as a woman.

Okay, one set needs an apartment (Bosom Buddies) and another needs a job (Work It), but I have certainly seen this tale before - about 30 years ago.  I guess Hollywood doesn't need to copy Great Britain's shows if they can mine our own old shows.  ABC's premiere this evening (7:30 pm ET) of Work It will tell us whether or not the public is ready for old wine in new skins.  Take a look at the trailer and you will see all you need to know.  They make Mrs. Doubtfire look like a hottie.   

Update:   The pilot was not as horrible as I expected, though that may be because my expectations were so low.  I would not put the program on my "must watch list" or even my "watch it at all" list.  If the first episode is any guide, the cross-dressing office workers will gain greater "sensitivity" towards female issues (and fashion) by at the end of each show.  However, the writing is not very endearing toward women and seems to buy into the idea that capable men are the victims.  Will it last a season or two?  Probably not, yet Two and a Half Men is still in existence, which tells you that talent and good writing have nothing to do with success.

Of course, I am being nice in my review.  Here are a few comments from the Hollywood Reporter, which saw no merit to the pilot: 

And you know that "Work It" is heading in the "To become a better man, he had to become a woman" thematic direction. And what does Lee learn in the pilot? Women love purses and being asked about their feelings! "Work It" is all about men stealing back their jobs and placating the women around them, who are too blind, superficial or easily coddled to be worthy adversaries. See? Men won't have to become sex slaves after all! ...Yes, "Work It" is an icky show and I felt uncomfortable with nearly every line of dialogue out of the mouthes of nearly every character, but I return again to the point that having bad ideas is one thing, but having bad execution is worse.

And here is the New York Press:

If Work It had any sort of gleeful political incorrectness to its rote script, there’d be a glimmer of possibility. But this is a throwback to an era when men dressing as women was guaranteed comedy—we’re talking Milton Berle era, with the mustiness of these jokes. But we live during a time when Chaz Bono can compete on Dancing with the Stars, when women are headlining some of the best TV and films of the year. Work It feels like a last gasp of some misogynistic writers, who still think the world of women’s makeup and clothes is a comedy gold mine. You know what is actually a comedy gold mine? Cougar Town, neglected by ABC while Work It gets a promotional push. Maybe Courtney Cox and company should investigate cross-dressing to get back on the air.

 Television Blend seems to be one of the few reviews that does not tear apart the show too much: 

I could address the offensiveness of the jokes, but I’d be misrepresenting myself there. I’m really not easily offended and the nature of this series isn’t mean-spirited or hateful. Are their sexist jokes in the pilot? Yes, and there’s at least one ethnic joke, which might rub people the wrong way. I can also understand if Work It were to offend people among the transgendered community, as the topic of cross-dressing is probably not a laughing matter to them. However the pilot doesn’t really dig that deeply into the subject. Much of the focus is on Lee and Angel’s need to get jobs, apparently at all costs, even if it means putting on women’s clothing. And after that, it’s a series of jokes about them trying to pretend to be women. If anything from the series were to offend me, it’s the obvious stereotyping of men and women, which is more offensive to my sense of humor than it is to me as a woman, but I could probably make the same argument about Last Man Standing.

Second Update:   It seems ABC has had a change of heart and Work It did not work after all.  TV Guide reports that after only two showings ABC has decided to pull it from its schedule.  I suppose we should expect that with a few of the new shows, but I don't really understand how this show is more offensive than most of the sit-com line up that draw laughs from the lowest common denominators.  I guess the protest was a little more organized this time, especially from groups such as GLAAD.  Oh well, ladies, time to hang up those stockings.