When wealthy socialite and notorious party girl Vivian Bowers is found dead of an overdose, no one is really surprised. The heiress to the Bowers pharmaceutical empire has been tabloid fodder for years: wild, pretty, privileged... and now dead at the age of 32. But for FBI agent Will Moreno (Laz Alonso, "Avatar"), things don't add up with this suspicious dynasty. Convinced the troubled girl's death was a homicide, he has a clever plan to get to the truth. Her name is Detective Joanna Locasto (Meagan Good, "Think Like a Man"). Twenty years ago she was Vivian's best friend and practically grew up inside the Bowers' home. And when she appears at Vivian's funeral, the family re-embraces her and no one is the wiser. Joanna quickly begins to uncover dark secrets and clues about why Vivian's life was very much in danger. At the same time, she rekindles an old romantic relationship and rediscovers the allure of the luxurious lifestyle she once knew. She's about to see once again just how the other half lives... and dies.
I enjoyed the pilot episode but I am not sure if I will stay with this one. As with Revenge, we are supposed to support the wronged woman and dislike the prominent family. I am not sure how many of these shows we can support each season. My money, and not that much of it mind you, is on Revenge for now. You can watch the first episode of Deception here.
Another show premiering this past week (January 11th) was Banshee from Cinemax. Lucas Hood (played by Antony Starr shown below) is an ex-con taking on the role of fake sheriff in the small town of Banshee, PA. The show is from the creator of True Blood and, as expected, it is violent and bloody in order to attract a new audience. Within the first five minutes you have Hood released from prison, having sex behind a bar, stealing a car, starting a car chase, and contacting his transvestite friend. I don't think I forgot anything. And it gets crazier. Watch at your own risk.
Entertainment Weekly has a good profile on the show and Starr as well, with Greg Yaitanes, the executive producer of the show, stating:
Starr is from New Zealand and “one of great miracles of the show.” “We were looking for a guy who has life on him as well as feeling compelling and warm while still being a guy. When we got the tape from New Zealand, we started pumping our fist. He just nailed it. He had all that rakish charm that we wanted, yet deeply pained and conflicted. I joked if Alec Baldwin and Russell Crowe had a kid, it would be Antony Starr.”
You can watch the first episode on Cinemax for free.
One more show officially starting last week (January 10th) was NBC's 1600 Penn, which I discussed in an earlier piece. Go here for the first episode.
Update: According to The Chicago Tribune, Banshee has been renewed for a second season.
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