Tonight on ABC you can see the return of two long anticipated series where the female character is hoping to learn more about her past. In Once Upon a Time, the citizens of Storybrooke are starting to remember their previous lives, which is bound to cause problems. Henry's fairytale book, the slow recovery of everyone's memory, and the backhanded actions of the town's mayor have kept up at the edge of our seat long enough. Now it is all out in the open and the consequences, both positive and negative, will keep us all engaged in the new season.
In the case of Revenge, Emily Thorne was knocked off balance at the end of season one when she learned that her mother was still alive. It appears the Hamptons-based twists and turns of season one to avenge the wrongful death of her father are nowhere near an end, and we are all the more lucky because we get another season. Of course, it is not for everyone. For example, one Slate review recently called the show "ludicrous":
ABC’s Revenge, which returns Sunday night, is an enigma. It is
not particularly well-written or plotted. The actors gather themselves
up with a solemnity befitting the Royal Shakespeare Company, then spend
it on lines like “Trust is the one luxury I cannot afford.” It is also
the kind of show that divides character names into two groups: the
vaguely aristocratic (Victoria Grayson) and the working-class Irish
(Declan Porter). It’s the kind of show that cautions the exceedingly
wealthy to think twice before stepping onto an airplane, or into an
empty Manhattan loft: You never know where someone might have left an
errant bomb or hitman. But don’t worry too much: Death has a malleable,
impermanent quality in this context; the Reaper, like the accountant, is
a connoisseur of loopholes. Revenge is a show, in short, where the aesthetic credo is: Make it ludicrous.
These points may be true, but everyone is entitled to an occasional guilty pleasure. Enjoy.
This Friday will be the beginning of the end; Fox's Fringe is in its last season. We get one last chance to see all of our favorite characters, this time in 2036.
Fox did a pretty good job summarizing where the show is going as well as where it started, which is pretty important with a series that can be in a different universe at any point in time:
Picking up from the events depicted in last season's flash-forward
episode "Letters of Transit," the seemingly peaceful "Observers" seized
control of the universe in 2015. Now in 2036, they have become ruthless
rulers who will reign supreme. What awaits in the future is the Fringe
team's final stand, which will bring together all that they have
witnessed in preparation to battle and protect the world.
Set in Boston, the FBI's Fringe Division started when Special Agent
OLIVIA DUNHAM (Anna Torv) enlisted institutionalized "fringe" scientist
WALTER BISHOP (John Noble) and his globe-trotting, jack-of-all-trades
son, PETER (Joshua Jackson), to help in an investigation of an airline
disaster that defied human logic. After the defining case was solved and
furthermore revealed to be one of a series of unusual incidents linked
together, the unlikely trio - supervised by Special Agent PHILLIP
BROYLES (Lance Reddick) and assisted by ASTRID FARNSWORTH (Jasika
Nicole) - was formed.
As unimaginable events continued to unfold, the Fringe Division's
investigations often led them to science and technological corporation
Massive Dynamic and its enigmatic chief executive, NINA SHARP (Blair
Brown). It was revealed that Walter and Massive Dynamic's elusive
founder and chairman WILLIAM BELL (guest star Leonard Nimoy) once were
scientific partners, and had used Olivia as a test subject when she was a
child.
Through the Fringe team's investigations, Olivia learned that the
root cause of these strange occurrences was due to the existence of a
parallel universe. Even more shocking was the discovery that Walter had
kidnapped Peter as a child from "over there" after his Peter had died,
thus creating an imbalance between the two universes that threatened to
tear both worlds apart.
Complications in these two separate, yet interconnected, worlds
quickly began to ripple throughout each universe. Ultimately, Peter
realized his kidnapping was the cause for the alternate world's
impending doom. So he chose to sacrifice himself by activating a device
that saved the universe, bridged the two worlds together but erased him
from existence.
Season Four found the Fringe Divisions working together to rebuild
the alternate universe. Despite Peter's seemingly permanent sacrifice,
he returned very much alive and helped stop William Bell's mad plans to
collapse the two worlds together. Then, after Olivia learned she was
pregnant with Peter's child and all seemed right with the world(s),
Walter received an ominous warning that "they" were coming.
I am not sure if all of this detail will simply scare you away, and trying to understand the show via the last season will not work, but for the loyal fans from day one this should be quite a season. And for the novices, I recommend starting with season one and enjoying each step of the way. You will not be sorry.
Note: Check out my earlier link if you want to see the cast at this year's Comic Con.
Update: Here is a season five trailer that gives you more of an idea about what you are in for this Friday.
The new shows continue to roll out in September. I have listed a few below:
-- Partners (CBS, September 24):
A comedy based on the lives of creators David Kohan and Max
Mutchnick, about two life-long best friends and business partners whose
"bromance" is tested when one of them is engaged to be married. Joe is
an accomplished architect who leads with his head and not his heart,
especially in his love life. That's in stark contrast to his gay
co-worker, Louis, who is spontaneous, emotional and prone to
exaggeration. Both have found joy in their love lives: Joe is newly
engaged to Ali, a beautiful and sophisticated jewelry designer, and
Louis' companion is Wyatt, a vegan nurse who Louis insists is just a
promotion away from becoming a doctor. As news of Joe's engagement
settles, time will tell if their business and personal bond can adapt to
the addition of two other important relationships.
-- Vegas (CBS, September 25):
Dennis Quaid and Michael Chiklis star in Vegas, a drama inspired by the
true story of former Las Vegas Sheriff Ralph Lamb, a fourth-generation
rancher tasked with bringing order to Las Vegas in the 1960s, a gambling
and entertainment mecca emerging from the tumbleweeds. Ralph Lamb
wants to be left in peace to run his ranch, but Las Vegas is now
swelling with outsiders and corruption which are intruding on his simple
life. Recalling Lamb's command as a military police officer during
World War II, the Mayor appeals to his sense of duty to look into a
murder of a casino worker - and so begins Lamb's clash with Vincent
Savino, a ruthless Chicago gangster who plans to make Vegas his own.
Assisting Lamb in keeping law and order are his two deputies: his
diplomatic, even-keeled brother, Jack, and his charming but impulsive
son, Dixon. Ambitious Assistant District Attorney Katherine O'Connell,
who grew up on the ranch next to the Lambs, also lends a hand in
preserving justice. In Vegas, two powerful men - Lamb and Savino - are
engaged in a fierce battle for control of the budding oasis, and for
both of them, folding is not an option.
-- The Mindy Project (Fox, September 25):
The Mindy Project is a biting new single-camera comedy from Emmy
Award-nominated writer/producer and New York Times best-selling author
Mindy Kaling ("The Office") that follows a woman who, despite having a
successful career, is unlucky in love and desperately needs to get her
personal life back on track before her friends and colleagues are forced
to stage an intervention.
Funny, impatient and politically incorrect, Mindy Lahiri (Kaling) can
quote every romantic comedy starring Meg Ryan that exists. She loves
the good ones and the bad ones, because the girl always gets the guy.
Mindy is determined to be more punctual, spend less money, lose weight
and read more books - all in pursuit of becoming a well-rounded perfect
woman...who can meet and date the perfect guy.
-- Animal Practice (NBC, September 26):
Animal Practice is a new comedy centering on Dr. George Coleman
(Justin Kirk, "Weeds," "Angels in America"), a top veterinarian with an
impressive list of famous animal patients at the Crane Animal Hospital -
a bustling New York City veterinary practice where it often seems as if
the patients are running the place. Despite his unorthodox style,
George has an undeniable gift with animals of all kinds - except the
human kind. Much to his chagrin, George recently learned that his
ex-girlfriend, Dorothy Crane (JoAnna Garcia Swisher, "Better with You"),
has inherited the family business and is now George's boss. Whip-smart
and ambitious, Dorothy shakes up the hospital as she brings order to the
chaos and butts heads with George's animal-friendly administration.
-- Guys with Kids (NBC, September 26):
Guys with Kids is a new comedy from Emmy Award-winning executive
producer Jimmy Fallon about three 30-something dads who try to hold on
to their youth as they face the responsibilities of having kids.
Thankfully, Gary (Anthony Anderson, "Law & Order"), Chris (Jesse
Bradford, "The West Wing") and Nick (Zach Cregger, "Friends with
Benefits") have each other to help navigate the highs and lows of
fatherhood - while still trying desperately to remain dudes.
Balancing work or staying at home, happily married or happily
divorced, taking care of the "littles" while maintaining a social life
is a daily challenge. Whether it's hosing down their babies in the
kitchen sink or hitting the bar strapped with "babybjorns," these guys
are taking on fatherhood in ways no one has ever seen before. Nick and
Gary's wives - Emily (Jamie-Lynn Sigler, "The Sopranos") and Marny
(Tempestt Bledsoe, "The Cosby Show") also offer their own parenting
advice.
-- The Neighbors (ABC, September 26): See my earlier summary.
-- Elementary (CBS, September 27):
Elementary stars Jonny Lee Miller as detective Sherlock Holmes and Lucy
Liu as Dr. Joan Watson in a modern-day drama about a crime-solving duo
that cracks the NYPD's most impossible cases. Following his fall from
grace in London and a stint in rehab, eccentric Sherlock escapes to
Manhattan where his wealthy father forces him to live with his worst
nightmare - a sober companion, Dr. Watson. A successful surgeon until
she lost a patient and her license three years ago, Watson views her
current job as another opportunity to help people, as well as paying a
penance. However, the restless Sherlock is nothing like her previous
clients. He informs her that none of her expertise as an addiction
specialist applies to him and he's devised his own post-rehab regimen -
resuming his work as a police consultant in New York City. Watson has no
choice but to accompany her irascible new charge on his jobs. But
Sherlock finds her medical background helpful, and Watson realizes she
has a knack for playing investigator. Sherlock's police contact, Capt.
Tobias "Toby" Gregson, knows from previous experience working with
Scotland Yard that Sherlock is brilliant at closing cases, and welcomes
him as part of the team. With the mischievous Sherlock Holmes now
running free in New York solving crime, it's simple deduction that he's
going to need someone to keep him grounded, and it's elementary that
it's a job for Watson.
-- Last Resort (ABC, September 27): See my earlier summary.
-- 666 Park Avenue (ABC, September 28): See my earlier summary.
That should keep everyone busy for awhile.
The party is over and the dust has now settled on another year of Emmys. So who took home the statue? Here is a quick rundown on some key categories:
Outstanding Comedy Series - Modern Family
Lead Actress in a Comedy Series - Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Selina Meyer in Veep
Lead Actor in a Comedy Series - Jon Cryer as Alan Harper in Two And A Half Men
Outstanding Drama Series - Homeland
Lead Actress in a Drama Series - Claire Danes as Carrie Mathison in Homeland
Lead Actor in a Drama Series - Damian Lewis as Nicholas Brody in Homeland
Outstanding Miniseries or a Movie - Game Change
Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie - Julianne Moore as Sarah Palin in Game Change
Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie - Kevin Costner as 'Devil' Anse Hatfield in Hatfields & McCoys
I already talked about my disappointment with the comedy category, so I will not go into it again. In terms of drama, I am glad to see that the Hatfields & McCoys won an award. The History Channel should be proud of its first foray into a drama mini-series. I have watched a few episodes of Homeland and I never understood the praise for the show. I would have preferred to see Game of Thrones come out on top since it not only is a great drama but it also represents a return of fantasy to television, something that is often slighted. I guess I should be happy it was nominated. The fact that Fringe and other science fiction/fantasy shows never make the list still irks me. And many other drama were forgotten in the drama and acting categories, including FX's Justified and Showtime's Borgias. I know, only a few great shows can make the list. I guess my definition of great (or "outstanding") is a little different.
If you are a fan of supernatural stories with a little bit of humor, you may want to check out the third season of SyFy's Haven, which starts tonight. Yes, SyFy has some pretty strange shows with barely enough acting to hold them together, but this show holds up pretty well under such scrutiny. Each week someone in the town with special powers will cause a problem and only FBI Agent turned town cop Audrey Parker (Emily Rose) and fellow cop Nathan Wuornos (Lucas Bryant) can seem to make sense of it all. You also have petty criminal Duke Crocker (Eric Balfour) having problems taking sides in the middle of all the mayhem.
The series is based on Stephen King's The Colorado Kid. I never read the book, but here is a quick summary from Amazon:
On an island off the coast of Maine, a man is found dead. There's no
identification on the body. Only the dogged work of a pair of local
newspapermen and a graduate student in forensics turns up any clues.
But that's just the beginning of the mystery. Because the more they
learn about the man and the baffling circumstances of his death, the
less they understand. Was it an impossible crime? Or something stranger
still...?
No one but Stephen King could tell this story about
the darkness at the heart of the unknown and our compulsion to
investigate the unexplained. With echoes of Dashiell Hammett's The
Maltese Falcon and the work of Graham Greene, one of the world's great
storytellers presents a surprising tale that explores the nature of
mystery itself...
I do not really see the connection based on this short summary, particularly since the television show revolves around the law enforcement team rather than the reporters, though two elderly reporters are part of the weekly episodes. Maybe I will pick up the book someday. But, in the meantime, I will enjoy the television version.
Tonight is the return of NBC's Parks and Recreation, its fifth season showing small town politics at its best. This Emmy ignored show, which is a mark against that TV award, is a nice break from the truly crazy politics in Washington. Tonight's show,“Ms. Knope Goes to Washington,” includes cameos from real politicians - Senators
Barbara Boxer, John McCain and Olympia Snowe. Hence, you will not really get a break from national politics completely, but maybe this version will be more bearable. We will see if the senators still have a funny bone.
And if you are simply looking for good music, try out the Duke Silver Trio. Here is Duke's bio:
When Duke Silver picked up his first saxophone, a love-bond formed
between man and instrument, and he hasn't stopped blowing since. "Jazz
sax," Duke says, "is a connection to the heavens. Human breath enters,
and Angel breath leaves." Inspired by the great musicians – Coltrane,
Getz, Foreigner – Duke set out to establish a new standard of jazz.
This wave has taken the entire world by storm.
Duke has taken residence at Cozy's Bar in Eagleton,
Indiana, playing monthly performances for packed, mature crowds.
As Duke always says, "Come love with me… and maybe we can walk through fire together."
Finally, if office politics is your thing, then you should check out tonight's new season episode of NBC's The Office. This will be the last season for the show, though I expect office politics will continue. I have also heard that Dwight will get his own spin-off called The Farm. An interesting idea.
Tonight is the premiere of PBS' fall season of American Experience. The highly acclaimed public television series should keep us engaged this season with a number of fine shows. Tonight you can watch Death and the Civil War:
With the coming of the Civil War, and the staggering casualties it
ushered in, death entered the experience of the American people as it
never had before -- permanently altering the character of the republic
and the psyche of the American people. Contending with death on an
unprecedented scale posed challenges for which there were no ready
answers when the war began. Americans worked to improvise new solutions,
new institutions, and new ways of coping with death on an unimaginable
scale.
This latest episode, as with earlier episodes, is available online as well (such as the story of the Amish, Jesse Owens, and the Hoover Dam). And more great American Experience programs are on the way:
-- The Day Carl Sandburg Died (Monday, September 24, 2012, 10:00-11:30 p.m. ET):
A panoramic story of the Pulitzer Prize-winning author, his work and
his legacy, including contributions to poetry, history, music and
children’s literature.
-- Inventing David Geffen (Tuesday, November 20, 2012, 8:00-10:00 p.m. ET):
An exclusive and candid look at the legendary Geffen and his
far-reaching influence on American popular culture. He launched the
early successes of Joni Mitchell, Crosby, Stills and Nash, and Jackson
Browne; co-founded DreamWorks; produced Cats and Dreamgirls;
and has become an important political and philanthropic voice. Geffen’s
life is illuminated through powerhouse friends such as Cher, David
Crosby, Barry Diller, Rahm Emanuel, Elton John, Frank Rich, Stephen
Spielberg, Neil Young and more.
PBS has announced a full schedule of fascinating programs for the fall, including:
-- POV (Thursdays, September 20 to October 25, 2012, 10:00 p.m. ET):
The award-winning POV series, which features America’s best independent
filmmakers, premieres five films on Thursdays this fall. September 20: “I’m Carolyn Parker: The Good, the Mad, and the Beautiful”
is Academy Award-winning director Jonathan Demme’s intimate account of a
woman’s five-year crusade to rebuild her beloved neon-green house, her
church and her New Orleans community after Hurricane Katrina. September 27: “El Velador (The Night Watchman)”
documents the life of a mausoleum guard in Mexico — a reminder that
peaceful existence persists amid the turmoil of Mexico’s deadly drug
war. October 4: “Give Up Tomorrow” exposes shocking corruption within the Philippines judicial system and one of the country’s most sensational trials. October 18: “Sun Kissed”
shows a Navajo couple’s tragic realization that they continue to face
consequences of the Navajos’ Long Walk — their forced relocation by the
U.S. military in 1864. October 25: “Nostalgia for Light” presents a remarkable meditation on memory, history and eternity in Chile’s remote Atacama Desert.
-- Call the Midwife (Sundays, September 30 to November 4, 2012, 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET):
Based
on a best-selling trilogy by the late Jennifer Worth, CALL THE MIDWIFE
is a fascinating portrayal of birth, life and death in a world
drastically different from ours. This six-part series offers an
unconventional twist to Sunday-night British dramas and brings
mid-20th-century London to life, focusing on the joys and hardships of a
group of midwives working in London’s East End.
-- NOVA (Wednesdays, beginning October 10, 2012, 9:00-10:00 p.m. ET):
From cutting-edge police science and space exploration to ancient
structures and evidence of ancient technology, NOVA brings viewers
stories of intriguing mysteries from this planet and beyond. Go back in
time on “Secrets of the Viking Super Sword” (10/10), “Mystery of Easter Island” (11/7) and “Ancient Computer” (w.t.)
(11/21) to discover some of science’s best-kept secrets from ancient
cultures. See the gritty reality of the forensic crime lab and why
forensics in the U.S. is in a state of crisis on “Forensics on Trial” (10/17) and experience exhilarating moments with the team of scientists and engineers responsible for the new Mars rover on “Mars Curiosity” (w.t.) (11/14).
-- The Dust Bowl (Sunday, November 18 and Monday, November 19, 2012, 8:00-10:00 p.m. ET):
Ken Burns’s new two-part, four-hour documentary THE DUST BOWL
chronicles the environmental catastrophe that destroyed the farmlands of
the Great Plains, turned prairies into deserts and unleashed a pattern
of massive, deadly dust storms in 1930s America. Personal survival
stories and rare archival footage tell the story of the country’s worst
manmade ecological disaster.
I can always count on PBS to ensure we have a meaningful television season. Even if all the new shows tank, we still have something great to watch on public television.
I remember all the hype last year surrounding a new show by a well-known director about a Chicago-based family about ready to be tossed into a new world where they would be at the mercy of the elements and roving bands of armed gangs. That time it was Fox's Terra Nova involving Stephen Spielberg, whereas this time it is NBC's Revolution involving J.J. Abrams.
Here is the set up to the new show:
What would you do without it all? In this epic adventure from J.J.
Abrams' Bad Robot Productions and "Supernatural's" Eric Kripke, a family
struggles to reunite in an American landscape where every single piece
of technology - computers, planes, cars, phones, even lights - has
mysteriously blacked out forever. A drama with sweeping scope and
intimate focus, "Revolution" is also about family - both the family
you're born into and the family you choose. This is a swashbuckling
journey of hope and rebirth seen through the eyes of one strong-willed
young woman, Charlie Matheson (Tracy Spiridakos, "Being Human"), and her
brother Danny (Graham Rogers, "Memphis Beat"). When Danny is kidnapped
by militia leaders for a darker purpose, Charlie must reconnect with her
estranged uncle Miles (Billy Burke, "The Twilight Saga"), a former U.S.
Marine living a reclusive life. Together, with a rogue band of
survivors, they set out to rescue Danny, overthrow the militia and
ultimately re-establish the United States of America. All the while,
they explore the enduring mystery of why the power failed, and if - or
how - it will ever return.
I watched the first episode last night and my primary question I had throughout the show was "Where have I seen this before?" In addition to Terra Nova without the dinosaurs, the idea of the instant end of electricity and planes falling out of skies reminded me of S.M. Stirling's novel Dies the Fire:
It all started when an electrical storm over the island of Nantucket
produced a blinding white flash, causing all electronic devices to cease
to function-computers, telephones, engines, radio, television, even
firearms-and plunged the world into a darkness humanity was unprepared
to face. But even as some people band together to help one another,
others are building armies for conquest...
Of course, ABC's Flash Forward a few years back also did a great job with crashing planes, destroyed cities, and shattered families. And I cannot believe NBC is already recycling The Hunger Games with the crossbow girl falling for the crossbow guy (okay, switching from a regular bow to a crossbow was very inventive) in a post-America wasteland.
Need I continue? No, but I will. (Spoiler Alert - but you have already seen this elsewhere anyway). I also saw plenty of references to CBS' Jericho, including the idea that a destroyed America still has a secret group of laptop-connected elites who type cryptic messages to one another using antiquated green text on black screens (what happened to Facebook?). And both Jericho and FX's Falling Skies include characters battling the new militias attempting to recreate the United States in a slightly twisted way.
Okay, I will stop, though another half dozen shows are dancing around in my head. The point is that the show did not meet the hype, as is all too often the case these days. Had it premiered on Starz it may have slowly gained a following, but it only disappoints in the Big Network media frenzy. And on top of it, with the exception of Giancarlo Esposito, who plays Captain Tom Neville, the acting is pretty thin (along with the storylines).
I will give the show another try, but I am underwhelmed. Luckily, we are at the start of the fall television season and I can only hope something truly original and interesting comes out of all the new season noise.
Before we start a new television season, it is worth highlighting two great performance by Jared Harris, one as Lane Pryce on AMC's Mad Men and another as David Robert Jones on Fox's Fringe. Spoiler alert - I discuss key points on both show from last season.
In each show he played a key character who came to an untimely death by season's end. I write this now that both programs have been off the air for a little while so as not to spoil too much.
His role on Mad Men was that of a shy Englishman who became partner at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce advertising agency after the overthrow of his former employer. Throughout the series he was always a little bit on the outside not really understanding American ways nor successfully straddling family needs in two countries. Nonetheless, he was one of the few adults at the firm. Jared Harris' performance was brilliant all the way to the bitter end when it all became too much and he hung himself in his office. His fisticuffs with Pete Campbell over a lost account gives is a good example where his English style did not match up with the carefree American ways.
Fortunately, Mr. Harris has been recognized for his work with a recent Emmy nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama (Mad Men has been nominated for 17 Emmys). When asked by Entertainment Weekly about the end of Lane Pryce and whether the nomination makes it easier, Mr. Harris stated:
Yeah, it is. It takes a little bit out of the sting of being let go. But
only a little bit, I do have to say. It’s an incredible place to work.
It’s one of those Catch-22 things, the fact that [Weiner] decided to let
Lane go meant that I got two seasons worth of storylines this year. But
on the other hand, it really has been the best place to go and work,
and I won’t be working there anymore. I’m going to miss them all.
Mr. Harris' character on Fringe, David Robert Jones, was equally compelling and balancing role, but this time more as a futuristic Moriarty or a diabolical Joker with a time machine From the very outset of the show, the main characters were awaiting Mr. Jone's destruction of the universe as we know it and each performance was always a treat even as he was the worse for wear after traveling through another portal (or only his partial self). His sacrifice at the end of season four by none other than Dr. William Bell (Leonard Nimoy) was a fitting twist to a forever twisting show. In this clip, various Fringe actors discuss the role of Mr. Harris' character in season four.
While Mr. Harris will not be recognized at the Emmys for his work on Fringe, nor for that matter will the show be recognized in any category, his performance was equally award worthy. Sadly, Fringe has not been treated well by the Powers That Be even though it has a loyal following and fortunately the support of Fox for one last season (Fringe returns for its fifth and last season on September 28th - here is a quick peak to show you what to expect.)
I am not a big fan of late night talk shows with their teenage antics, but I often enjoy the evening guests who may give us some insight into their craft. Of course, whereas years ago The Tonight Show was the only game in town, now you have quite a few:
-- ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live!,
-- CBS's Late Show with David Letterman,
-- CBS's Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson,
-- NBC's Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,
-- NBC's Last Call with Carson Daly,
-- MTV's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and
-- TBS's Conan.
I am sure I am missing a few, but you get the point. Late night television has more options before you even consider the Internet and DVR, so I would expect the profits may also be thinning. This seems to be the case when you look at Jay Leno, who recently took a 50 percent pay cut. The Wall Street Journal reports that NBC cut Leno's salary from $30 million to $15 million, while also reducing the shows staff from 220 to about 200. As a result, the $100 Million budget for the show will be reduced by about 20 percent. What I find amazing is that $100 million dollars produced such a thin show, and anyone thought Leno was worth $30 million. To Jay's credit, he is said to have asked for a reduction in his pay rather than more layoffs.
I am not sure how much the other talk show hosts make, but you may get an idea from Forbes' The World's Most Powerful Celebrities list. As of earlier this year, David Letterman was listed with $45 million in pay (#41 among all celebrities). I could not even find the other late night hosts one the list. Of course, Donald Trump was #14, so it is clear that social value of the product is not a deciding factor in salary rankings.
I get a little tired of television shows being discussed and threatened with cancellation before the rest of us even have a chance to see the first episode. The last frustrating example I can recall was HBO's The Newsroom, where the show was destroyed by critics before the first episode ever aired, and then the show that finally appeared was damn good and renewed for a second season.
The latest example is NBC's The New Normal, a show that centers on a gay couple with a child that premieres on September 11 (you can watch the pilot here). Created by Ryan Murphy and Ali Adler ("Glee," "Chuck"), the basic storyline goes like this:
These days, families come in all forms - single dads, double moms, sperm
donors, egg donors, one-night-stand donors... It's 2012 and anything
goes. Bryan (Andrew Rannells, "Girls," "The Book of Mormon") and David
(Justin Bartha, "The Hangover") are a Los Angeles couple, and they have
it all. Well, almost. With successful careers and a committed, loving
partnership, there is one thing that this couple is missing: a baby. And
just when they think the stars will never align, enter Goldie (Georgia
King, "One Day"), an extraordinary young woman with a checkered past. A
Midwestern waitress and single mother looking to escape her dead-end
life and small-minded grandmother (Emmy and Tony Award-winner Ellen
Barkin), Goldie decides to change everything and move to L.A. with her
precocious eight-year-old daughter. Desperate and broke - but also
fertile - Goldie quickly becomes the guys' surrogate and quite possibly
the girl of their dreams. Surrogate mother, surrogate family.
In July, the organization One Million Moms threatened to go after any sponsor associated with the show (the organization's latest target is Urban Outfitters):
NBC is using public airwaves to continue to subject families to
the decay of morals and values, and the sanctity of marriage in
attempting to redefine marriage. These things are harmful to our
society, and this program is damaging to our culture. OMM is prepared to contact any and all sponsors of this program
if it is aired. It is proven this strategy works! It was
not too long ago that NBC announced "The Playboy Club" was canceled
after only three episodes because of lack of
advertisers! Millions of Americans strongly believe that marriage should be
between one man and one woman. NBC's "The New Normal" is
attempting to desensitize America and our children. It is
the opposite of how families are designed and created. You cannot
recreate the biological wheel.
And now Entertainment Weekly reports that some stations will not carry the show, noting "The same Mormon-owned Utah station that refused to carry NBC’s The Playboy Club last season is now giving a thumbs down to the net’s new comedy The New Normal."
So much of this sounds like the problems on the right last year with MTV's Skins and the left earlier this year with ABC's Work It. Let's just admit that now everyone will like every new show. Heck, I find MTV's Jersey Shore insulting to everyone living in New Jersey, every young person, and Italian-Americans, but I did not call for it to be removed from the airwaves. No, I simply recommended against watching such dumb shows. Can't we all just get along?
Update: So far I am not impressed with the The New Normal. The first few episodes were not all that original, the stories were loaded with stereotypes, and Ellen Barkin's character, the mom, was offensive every time she opened her mouth. Crude and wounding statements maybe worked years ago with hits such as All in the Family, but today's writers do not seem to understand how to use these characters against themselves. Political Animals had the same problem. What is it about these older actresses named Ellen?
