More New Year Weekend Shows

If you are looking for more shows this weekend, assuming you are caught up on everything else, you can start on the second season of Amazon's Mozart in the Jungle (available since yesterday, January 30th).  

And if you want a head start on other shows starting later in January, on New Year's Day you can see the first episode of season six of Showtime's Shameless, which does not officially premiere until January 10th.

And if that is not enough, Showtime will also show the first episode of its new series Billions, starring Paul Giamatti and Damian Lewis, on New Year's Day as well. Again, Billions does officially premiere until January 17th. 

Is that enough? Stay tuned, because I will have more holiday weekend shows to share shortly.

Update:  If you want a little more information about Billions, Showtime provides this helpful trailer and notes:

Shrewd, savvy U.S. Attorney Chuck Rhoades (Giamatti) and the brilliant, ambitious hedge fund king Bobby "Axe" Axelrod (Lewis) are on an explosive collision course, with each using all of his considerable smarts, power and influence to outmaneuver the other. The stakes are in the billions in this timely, provocative series. 

It looks good, as if Oliver Stone's Wall Street was updated and made into a television series.

Second Update: Only two days after the official premiere of Shameless on January 10th the show was approved for a seventh season.  Good news for fans of the show. 

Third Update:  Billions was renewed for a second season after only two episodes. I guess Showtime feels it has a winner, and I have to agree.

Sherlock Returns in Holiday Special

On New Year's Day, while recovering from a wild night, you can sit back and watch the new Sherlock special on PBS's Masterpiece.  Titled The Abominable Bride, the new adventure can also be seen at movie houses later next week - an interesting rollout.  

This new episode has Sherlock and Watson back in Victorian London, which is quite a change for a show that prides itself on its new modern setting. Asked about the change, Benedict Cumberbatch stated:

I thought it was madness. I thought they'd finally lost the plot, jumped the shark, all the other clichés of television gone mad with itself. Then they expanded the idea and pitched it to me properly and I think it's fantastic. Absolutely brilliant.

We shall see. Sherlock has had three successful (yet short) seasons and a fourth is on its way. So sit back and enjoy the holiday special knowing this is just the beginning of Sherlock in 2016.

New Year's Programs

ABC has you covered tonight if you are looking for some New Year's cheer.  Here is the line-up:

--Happy New Year, Charlie Brown

--She’s a Good Skate, Charlie Brown

--Rudolph’s Shiny New Year 

Don't miss it.

Second Seasons on Amazon

Amazon has approved second seasons for The Man in the High Castle and Red Oaks.  Both the 1960s and 1980s pop in these series, yet in very different ways.  While not everyone is a fan of the fashions of the 80s as portrayed in Red Oaks, I think we can all agree that the 1960s went much better, fashion and otherwise, that Philip K. Dick's much darker version in The Man in the High Tower.

Don't Miss the Slate TV Club

If you are looking for good commentary on the best television shows of 2015, you should catch up with the Slate TV Club.  TV critics Margaret Lyons, Willa Paskin, Alan Sepinwall, and June Thomas provide their top 10 list of shows and take you through the year again to highlight some corners that you may have missed.  

Here is June Thomas singing the praise of Netflix's Sense8:

Sense8’s sloggy bits were minorly irritating, whereas the transcendent sections were maximally mind-blowing. The discovery period in which the eight people in the cluster figured out their interconnections went on for slightly too long, but it was still magical. (If you aren’t familiar with the Sense8 mythology, David Levesley summarized it as follows: “An evolutionary quirk has bred an ubermensch species known as ‘sensates,’ who are born on the same day and ‘cluster’ together, a connection that links their senses and emotions telepathically and allows them to speak the languages and perform the skills of their cluster-mates.” You can also see this in action in the clip below.) Directors Andy and Lana Wachowski, Tom Tykwer, and James McTeigue brought a grand, if slightly goofy, cinematic vision, and even if I have some cavils about the writing by the Wachowskis and J. Michael Straczynski, their creative ambition was breathtaking.

And here is Alan Sepinwall highlighting the much forgotten Manhattan on WGN America:

So here you’ve got another period drama about Complicated but Great White Men—specifically, the scientists who worked on the Manhattan Project—from a writer who already worked on one of those (Sam Shaw, formerly of Masters of Sex). And while it’s not perfect—it suffers from the Nucky Thompson Problem, where the most important character (rebellious scientist Frank Winter) is played by a fine actor (John Benjamin Hickey) doing good work, yet most of the time I’m more interested in every other person on the show—it looks amazing. Thomas Schlamme of West Wing fame is the lead director, and it’s become a whole lot more complicated and interesting as we’ve gotten to know all of the supporting characters (a more diverse lot all around) and their many conflicting agendas.

Just reading through the banter back and forth tells me I have a lot more viewing to do just to give 2015 justice.  And now we are about to embark on a new year.  I am not ready, but I am eager to see what else is in store for the new year.

Vatican Review Pans Star Wars

I remember hearing that years ago the Catholic Church would rate movies for its flock to ensure they did not see anything too distant from church teachings.  Well, the Catholic Church is back to its rating duties, and this time the Vatican daily L’Osservatore Romano has voiced its opinion about the new Star Wars film.  According to the UK's Daily Mail, the Vatican daily called the movie "twisted to suit today's tastes and a public more accustomed to sitting in front of a computer than in a cinema."  

I found a more supportive Catholic review and rating at AmericanCatholic.org primarily concerned about the aging cast than the souls of viewers:

If there are moments you suspect you might be watching the cast-reunion special of an old TV show -- John Williams' majestic music counters that feeling to a degree -- it's largely attributable to how stiff and weather-beaten Ford and Fisher appear...The film contains much stylized fantasy violence. The Catholic News Service classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. 

I will let you know if I find any good television ratings.

Going for a Third Season and More

If you are worried about the future of some of your favorite shows then I have some good news. For instance, HBO's Leftovers has been approved for a third and final season. Yes, even the end of the world needs proper closure.

And if you prefer a good comedy, you will be happy to hear Netflix's Grace and Frankie have already been approved for a third season before the second season has even aired (it is scheduled for early 2016).  This terrific story stars Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Martin Sheen and Sam Waterston as married couples going through a huge transition.

And a fourth season of ABC Family's (or Freeform now) The Fosters will go forward.  The second half of season three starts January 18th as this growing family continues to face the trama of sex-charged teens and troublesome courts. 

Even with all the new shows, you don't want to miss out on some of your favorites.

Amazon Piles on New Shows

Just as earlier Amazon shows Mozart in the Jungle and Transparent were nominated for Golden Globes, we learn five pilots were approved for full seasons.  I provided a summary of all these pilots in an earlier post. 

Overall, I am happy to read Amazon is moving forward with some great new shows, including One Mississippi, a dark comedy about one woman as she deals with death in the family as well as her own declining health; Patriot, that follows a one-family spy machine were the unstable son puts classified information into folk songs at the end of each mission; and Good Girls Revolt, a historic tale that seems more like a cross between Mad Men and The Newsroom. Of the three, Patriot probably surprised me the most for its originality. I think we are looking at the next Transparent in terms of a popular series. 

I am somewhat confused that the odd comedy Highston made the cut. And while Z is a beautiful period piece, it was more an extract from a  longer piece than a stand-alone piece. As far as Edge, which did not get a green light, it was little more than a gore-fest too pleased with flying body parts. Good riddance. 

In at least three of these approved pilots, Amazon is keeping pace with Netflix when it comes to quality programming, and the awards indicate others agree.

Plenty of New Awards

Earlier this week the American Film Institute (AFI) announced the 10 most culturally and artistically significant TV programs in 2015.  Here is the list:

--The Americans

--Better Call Saul

--Black-ish

--Empire

--Fargo

--Game of Thrones

--Homeland

--Master of None

--Mr. Robot

--Unreal

The AFI also gave a special award to Mad Men. 

I was surprised Aziz Ansari's Master of None, a series just released by Netfilx, made the list.  That said, I would put it up there with Louie, though Ansari has his own unique perspective on America.  And Mr. Robot certainly broke from the pack this year with a thrilling attack on capitalistic complacency.

Last week the Golden Globe nominations were also released and they included some similar shows, yet some nice additions as well.  For instance, best television drama nominations included:

--Empire

--Game of Thrones

--Mr. Robot

--Narcos

--Outlander

Best television comedy/musical included:

--Casual

--Mozart in the Jungle

--Orange is the New Black

--Silicon Valley

--Transparent

--Veep

And the best limited series/television movie included:

--American Crime

--American Horror Story: Hotel

--Fargo

--Flesh & Bone

--Wolf Hall

Outlander certainly deserves the attention and Wolf Hall was a gem.  I would have added Poldark to the series list as well, and Humans deserved a nod under drama, but the lists are fair. That said, as True Detective fell apart in season two, I feel Fargo is not worthy of an award.

I need to put together my own list shortly.

Post-Netflix Binge Depression?

Last weekend Matthew Schneier wrote a piece titled The Post-Binge-Watching Blues: A Malady of Our Times in the New York Times, highlighting the new trend of television binge-watching as a result of services such as Netflix and Amazon.  Discussing his own recent viewing habits, he noted:

I felt anxious, wistful, bereft in advance; I’d eaten up nine episodes in only a few days, liking them more than I’d expected to. Once finished, there’d be no more until the next season — if there was a next season, which has still not been officially announced.

He goes on to quote others and concedes that excess watching has been around for awhile.  I think his piece was mostly tongue-in-cheek, but it does discuss the state of affairs for some where television becomes their view on the world, for good and bad.  And one cannot say excess is new.  People have been much the same with books and other things.  For example, ask George R.R. Martin about the continual requests he gets about his next book in his Game of Thrones series.  

With everything else going on in the world, I think this issue as well as too many programs on television is something we will survive.  This is entertainment, folks, and not a death march.  Relax and enjoy the show.  And maybe check out the news from time to time to see what you should really be worried about.

SyFy Monday: The Expanse and Childhood's End

Get ready for an impressive night of adventure on Monday (December 14) as SyFy premieres both The Expanse and Childhood's End. I already discussed Childhood's End in an earlier posting, and this trailer gives you a good idea of what is to come in the three-night miniseries, so I will focus my remarks here on The Expanse. Here is the basic story: 

Hundreds of years in the future, humans have colonized the solar system. The U.N. controls Earth. Mars is an independent military power. The planets rely on the resources of the Asteroid Belt, where air and water are more precious than gold. For decades, tensions have been rising between these three places. Earth, Mars and the Belt are now on the brink of war. And all it will take is a single spark. 

It is within this future that The Expanse begins. The series follows the case of a missing young woman that brings a hardened detective and a rogue ship’s captain together in a race across the solar system that will expose the greatest conspiracy in human history.

Sounds pretty dramatic, doesn't it? I watched the pilot episode and had to rewatch it to ground myself in both the dialogue and underlying story. You are dropped into the middle of an expansive plot (sorry) and you need to catch up fast, unlike other shows like Dark Matter where you start knowing as much as the characters.

This is not Star Trek. The spacecraft are slow, the environment is gritty, and the story is grounded on Ceres in the asteroid belt. Is this why we want to stretch our wings and expand throughout the solar system - slave colonies on asteroids, close-quarters insanity, and sub-premium limb replacements? Space travel seems as slow and hazardous as submarine travel. And corporate shirking of its duty to the greater good seems rampant. 

Even given these point, I like it because it has an authentic feel and compelling storyline. And the pilot episode ends with a bang. I recommend you take a look for yourselves.

Michael Buble's Christmas in Hollywood

If you missed the last four annual specials, this may be your last chance to capture a Michael Buble Christmas singalong.  NBC is broadcasting Michael Buble's Christmas in Hollywood tonight.  Each year the show has been a little schmaltzy yet still filled with plenty of holiday songs to get you into the right mood.  Mr. Buble has indicated that this show may be his last. 

This year's special includes special performances by Celine Dion, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, and Tori Kelly.  Other appearances will be made by Gigi Hadid, Kylie Jenner, Jay Leno, Eva Longoria, William Shatner, and Blake Shelton.  I hope Mr. Shatner has no plans to sing. 

Telenovela on NBC

It is not a new idea, but the spread of Telenovelas on American TV sets is a welcome phenomenon. ABC had Ugly Betty and The CW has Jane the Virgin. So now it is NBC's turn with the premiere of Telenovela tonight. This is what you can expect: 

Eva Longoria ("Desperate Housewives") stars on this big, fun and flashy half-hour comedy as Ana Sofia, the star of a popular Spanish language soap opera. One problem, she doesn't speak any Spanish. Other problems? Ana must manage a new boss, jealous castmates and high-maintenance best friends - and that's all before her ex-husband is hired as her new on-screen love interest. Just like a real telenovela, this comedy is full of all kinds of drama, including love, hate, life and even death! Despite all the chaos, this telenovela's cast and crew is a family... or, at least, they try to be.

We can thank the Telenovelas for at least on great star that went a little more mainstream (yet maintains the drama).  As noted by ABC News in 2012:

 ...increasingly the slap-happy, sometimes sappy, and always dramatic world of Telenovelas is becoming a proving ground of sorts for Latin stars eager to make the jump into English language TV. Before Colombian-born Sofia Vergara played for laughs as Gloria on "Modern Family," she was the sultry Leonora on "Burning for Revenge." And before William Levy's mainstream breakthrough on "Dancing With the Stars," the Cuban native glowered as Alejandro on "Love Spell."

Yes, thank goodness for Gloria and the telenovelas.

Update:  While you can see the first 3 episodes in December, the 13-part series will officially start on January 4th.

Comic Werewolf Deaths on Adult Swim

Can you have a grisly comedy?  Yes, and I have witnessed one.  Adult Swim is already showing the pilot episode of its new mini-series Neon Joe: Werewolf Hunter.  This is not Teen Wolf or anything like it, but I would not expect such from Adult Swim.  Instead you have the sudden death of B&B hopping Paul Rudd and the craziness that ensues in a small Vermont town.  Luckily, Neon Joe, played by Jon Glaser from Parks and Recreation, can save this small town. 

The fun officially starts tomorrow night (December 7), so tune in for all five episodes.  It is odd yet memorable (and did I mention "grisly"?). 

Amazon's Transparent Returns

Tonight you can begin streaming the second season of Amazon's hit series Transparent (I think it may have been unofficially available even earlier).  In the trailer for this season, one of the character states "It's a mess...everything is blowing up."  That appears to be the theme of this season, and we know they will all do it so well.  

For those not familiar with Transparent, the series follows the family drama surrounding a father's transformation to a woman.  It was one of those break-out hits no one expected and yet one that now seems so natural in a fast-changing society.  Very often the father, played by Jeffrey Tambor, can be the most normal one of the bunch. He projects a certain calmness that is pretty amazing while everything else is falling apart. The children are a mess, while the suffering Jewish mom has her moments yet can also be a sane presence at times. 

Here is Willa Paskin's take on the family in Slate magazine:

Chatty charismatics, as bright and blunt as they are self-obsessed, the Pfeffermans are like amnesiac spiders—drawing interesting and substantial people into their web and then leaving them stuck in Pfefferman gossamer, abandoned for shinier prey. It is spellbinding to watch them in action, and it makes you feel lucky to be doing so through the safety glass of a TV screen.

I plan to be watching them through the safety glass this weekend.  I expect many more will be joining me. 

Update: In case you are wondering, Transparent has already been renewed for a third season. 

Second Update: If you are not an Amazon Prime member you will need to wait until December 11th to view the second season.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

You cannot do better than start the Christmas season with the classic 1964 Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.  You can catch it tonight on CBS. Turn it on and let the holidays begin.  Don't be a Scrooge!

Netflix: Real Rob

If you like Rob Schneider you will like this eight-episode series from Netflix called Real Rob. It not only follows the Hollywood business world as fictionalized by Mr. Schneider, but also stars his real life wife Patricia Schneider.  We already have Larry David in Curb Your Enthusiasm, Louie, and now Aziz Ansari in Netflix's new Master of None.  Do we have room for one more?

I think I will skip this series. Here is the trailer if you are thinking of checking it out.

Black Friday Returns as a Television Show

Maybe you are purchasing your holiday gifts on Cyber Monday rather than Black Friday.  That is fine, but if you want to see what you are missing you can check out NBC's Superstore, starring America Ferrera, Ben Feldman, Mark McKinney, Lauren Ash, Colton Dunn, Nichole Bloom and Nico Santos.  Here is the trailer and summary: 

America Ferrera ("Ugly Betty") and Ben Feldman ("Mad Men," "A to Z") star in a hilarious workplace comedy (from the producer of "The Office") about a unique family of employees at a supersized megastore. From the bright-eyed newbies and the seen-it-all veterans to the clueless summer hires and the in-it-for-life managers, together they hilariously tackle the day-to-day grind of rabid bargain hunters, riot-causing sales and nap-worthy training sessions.

It's a pretty good cast, yet I was not shopping around for a new comedy series.  So is it worth tuning in?  Maybe.  The story is written by former The Office writer-producer Justin Spitzer, so it has the right ingredients.  This is Ben Feldman's second try at an NBC comedy following his role on AMC's Mad Men.   His last comedy, A to Z, was a romantic office-based comedy that was pretty good but never made it past its first season.  Maybe this one will last a little longer.  I cannot think of too many store-based stories, so this could be a unique series that can stand apart from the others.

Update:  I watched the first three episodes and can say I enjoyed each one. It's more an extension of the one-hour comedy Reaper (without demons) than another Office, but it will do. Sometimes you need a simple comedy at the end of a long day. 

Second Update: The networks are making the schedule for these new shows more difficult than necessary. The "official" premiere of Superstore is January 4th even though I have already seen three episodes. Nice way to shake viewer loyalty. I don't need to binge in this show, but a predictable rollout would be nice.

More Peanuts: 50th Anniversary

Yes, it has been 50 years since A Charlie Brown Christmas first appeared during the holidays.  ABC is commemorating the event with a special program involving a variety of talent.  Here is the summary of the event to be broadcast on Monday, November 30:

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the beloved PEANUTS animated tale, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Kristen Bell will host a special holiday retrospective, It's Your 50th Christmas, Charlie Brown. The anniversary special will celebrate 50 years of the iconic classic that has brought joy and a television watching tradition at the holidays for generations of fans. The unforgettable night will feature spectacular live performances, from the memorable music of Vince Guaraldi, to Kristen Chenoweth singing "Happiness" from the "Peanuts" Broadway hit, and a performance from Matthew Morrison of an original song, "Just Like Me." Other amazing musical guests set to perform classic songs are Sarah McLachlan, Boyz II Men, Pentatonix, David Benoit and The All-American Boys Chorus. December 2015 marks the 50th anniversary of the Emmy-winning special, A Charlie Brown Christmas. 

High Castle: Not Everyone Gets It

Amazon may have gone a little too far in its efforts to advertise its new series The Man in the High Castle.  New Yorkers were shocked to see Nazi-related imaged all of the subways.  Both the Governor of New York and NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio ordered Amazon to remove the advertising.  The mayor noted:

While these ads technically may be within MTA guidelines, they're irresponsible and offensive to World War II and Holocaust survivors, their families, and countless other New Yorkers.

 

The Anti-Defamation League also entered the battle, with Evan Bernstein, the New York regional director stating:

 

On the television program, which explains this is the notion of an America controlled by Hitler, you get that context...On the train, seeing the American flag paired with a Nazi symbol is viscerally offensive, because there is no context as to what it means.

You would think New Yorkers would be used to seeing odd things on their trip to the office in the morning.  I guess Amazon struck a nerve, and received additional advertising as a result of the all the controversy.  I wonder who serves as Minister of Propaganda at Amazon these days.  Good job.

Thanksgiving Tales, Part III

A few more holiday items for your list - the classic A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving as well as This Is America, Charlie Brown: The Mayflower Voyages. You can see both tonight on ABC.

Thanksgiving Tales, Part II

Tonight on PBS you can learn even more about the first pilgrim's in American Experience:  The Pilgrims. Here is what PBS has in store for you:

In the early 17th century, a small group of religious radicals embarked from England to establish a separatist religious community across the Atlantic Ocean in the New World. William Bradford, the governor of Plymouth Plantation for more than 30 years, wrote the definitive history of the early colony, from the early formation of a separatist Protestant sect in England to a colony in the New World whose hard-fought success after a decade would trigger a massive influx of colonists throughout New England.

In the months after their arrival in the New World in 1620, the Pilgrims would face rampant starvation, disease, and death; their relationship with the indigenous population was complex. Living in a former Wampanoag village, whose inhabitants had been killed years earlier when European settlers brought disease to the region, the Pilgrims' first months were marked by a skirmish with the native Wampanoag people. But in their first spring, out of mutual desperation, the Pilgrims and the Wampanoags agreed to support each other. Tisquantum, the sole survivor of the former Wampanoag village the Pilgrims now inhabited, lived with them to act as an interpreter and help them plant their crops.

In the fall of 1621, under Tisquantum’s supervision, the Pilgrims’ crops yielded a considerable harvest. To celebrate the bounty and an end to the hardships that had nearly killed them off, they held a three-day celebration of games and food. Wampanoag leader Massasoit and 90 of his men joined the Pilgrims, contributing five deer they had killed. Although they didn't call it such at the time, this event would later inspire the national holiday of Thanksgiving.

Despite their peace pact with the Wampanoags, the Pilgrims’ relationship with other native tribes remained tense. Nonetheless, after years of struggle, the Pilgrims eventually found a way to turn a profit in the new world, sending valuables such as beaver pelts back to Europe, and thus encouraging more and more colonists to venture to New England. By the early 1670s, approximately 70,000 English settlers had arrived in New England, overwhelming the Native population of fewer than 20,000.

In 1675, Metacom, the son of Wampanoag chief Massasoit, led an armed effort to drive out the colonists from Wampanoag land. In the end, more than 600 colonists and approximately 3,000 Native Americans, including Metacom, were killed.

This is a story about a thankful dinner followed by local war. I think we will be in a better place this year, though we are part of a distant war. And as far as those exiles looking for a new world, we have plenty of refugees from distant religious battles looking again to America. Sadly, some things may never change.

GOT: Now We Know

If you had any questions about the fate of Jon Snow in Game of Thrones, and I know you did, maybe the poster above for season six will answer your primary question. Maybe.

Netflix: Jessica Jones

Don't look now, but Netflix has another Marvel super hero to accompany its Daredevil series. Okay, you can look.  It is Jessica Jones. 

Netflix provides a helpful trailer and this summary:

After a tragic ending to her short-lived Super Hero stint, Jessica Jones is rebuilding her personal life and career as a private detective in Hell's Kitchen. It's time the world knew her name...

So Daredevil is a defense lawyer in Hell's Kitchen and Jessica is a detective? Small world. 

The series became available for streaming last Friday (November 20), so you can check it out for yourself - all 13 episodes. 

Thanksgiving Tales, Part I

Before you start stuffing yourself on Thanksgiving Day you may want to ponder the origin of the holiday.  If you are not sure where to start, the National Geographic Channel's two-part miniseries Saints and Sinners, starting Sunday (November 22), will give you plenty to ponder.  

The series and accompanying facts on the website should help you to understand more about the period and related myths. For example, was Plymouth named after the place the Mayflower came from—Plymouth, England?  Oddly enough, no.  We learn:

Actually, the name “Plymouth” was already associated with the area before the Pilgrims ever set foot there. The New England coast had been mapped in 1614  by John Smith (of Pocahontas fame), and Prince Charles took it upon himself to give English names to various spots on Smith’s map. 

The fact that Plymouth, England, was the last town the Mayflower departed from is merely a coincidence. The ship had already been on its way to America when it was forced to stop at Plymouth after its companion ship, the Speedwell, started leaking irreparably and was ultimately left behind.

This series could make the holiday more meaningful and maybe even cause you to be thankful for a few additional things, such as your fortune to have missed settlement of New England. 

Amazon: The Man in the High Castle

I would say "set your DVR," but this is Amazon we are talking about. On Friday (November 20th) you can watch the complete first season of Amazon's new series The Man in the High Castle. And it should be impressive if the pilot is any guide.

Here is a summary of the plot from Philip K. Dick's book via Amazon:

It's America in 1962. Slavery is legal once again. The few Jews who still survive hide under assumed names. In San Francisco the I Ching is as common as the Yellow Pages. All because some 20 years earlier the United States lost a war--and is now occupied jointly by Nazi Germany and Japan. This harrowing, Hugo Award-winning novel is the work that established Philip K. Dick as an innovator in science fiction while breaking the barrier between science fiction and the serious novel of ideas. In it Dick offers a haunting vision of history as a nightmare from which it may just be possible to awake. 

The pilot was fascinating in many ways, but in part because you were seeing the 1960s through a new lens. For while Dick wrote a present-day book in 1962, seen today it comes across as much more interesting because we are looking back at a well understood era with a horrible twist. Maybe it's easier to understand the devastating nature of what is being proposed when you know what was lost. The future is unwritten and so change is anticipated and unknown loss cannot be mourned.

I have viewed the pilot a few times and may need to do so again to ensure I am up to speed on the events and characters. But it is easy homework because the show is so watchable. I cannot say this about all past attempts to bring Dick's stories to the screen. Maybe Amazon got it right. Give the story time to unfold and carry us away.

Crackle: The Art of More

Crackle continues to add homemade programs to its entertainment line up and The Art of More may be its most ambitious to date. Starring Dennis Quaid, Christian Cooke, Cary Elwes, and Kate Bosworth, the series covers the drama surrounding an auction house.

I cannot remember a series like this in the past, and I'm glad Crackle is taking us somewhere new with an excellent cast. Is the story excellent as well? The jury is still out. 

Starting today, you can watch all 10 episodes and decide for yourself. The series is a big leap for a little "network," but it has Sony's backing so it has staying power. 

Apocalyptic Kung Fu

Tired of apocalyptic stories with zombies (The Walking Dead), power outages (Revolution), dying cities (Terra Nova), other scenarios? Well, how about walled cities, child soldiers, and kung fu?

AMC's Into The Badlands has these elements and more (premiering tonight).  Take a look at the trailer and read a little more:

Centuries from now, a feudal society has emerged in the wake of civilization's destruction. This area is now called the Badlands and is uneasily divided among seven rival Barons. Each Baron enforces their iron rule with the aid of loyal armies of trained assassins known as Clippers.

The most lethal of the Badlands’ Clippers is Sunny (Daniel Wu) -- the Regent (Head Clipper) and most trusted advisor of Baron Quinn (Marton Csokas). For decades, Quinn has been unchallenged as the Badlands’ most powerful Baron; however, the territory’s newest Baron, The Widow (Emily Beecham), has begun testing his appetite for a fight.

One day, Sunny rescues M.K. (Aramis Knight), a teenage boy who has survived a deadly ambush. Sunny soon comes to understand that the teen harbors a dark secret and has a hefty bounty on his head. Together, they will embark on an odyssey that could mean the difference between chaos and enlightenment for everyone in the Badlands.

I have not followed most of the genre, though I have found a few worth following, such as The 100. So I may give it a try. Even the end of the world can have its positive moments. 

We Are All Parisians

Esquire's Spotless

If you are okay with some brutality and a lot of blood, tonight's premiere of the Esquire Channel's new series Spotless may be your cup of tea. It's British you see and revolves around two brothers from France, one a drug runner and the other the clean-up man following bloody deaths.

Here is the full monty from Esquire:

A sexy and bold one-hour drama laced with dark humor and set in London, SPOTLESS is the story of a troubled man, Jean Bastiere (Marc-André Grondin) whose life is turned upside down when his outlaw brother, Martin (Denis Ménochet), crash lands into his world. Played out against the backdrop of Jean’s Crime Scene Cleaning business, the brothers must confront dark sins of the past and very real dangers in the present. Ensnared by mob boss Nelson Clay (Brendan Coyle), corruption, drugs and death pose a constant hazard. With Jean’s wife Julie (Miranda Raison), the entire family struggles to gain control over their lives and future.

I watched the pilot dreading too much blood yet it was not over the top. What captivated me was the excellent acting and well-paced plot. And Mr. Coyle, our friend from Downton Abbey, did not make an appearance in the pilot though his name was brought up. Given his mysterious association with dead bodies as a butler on his last series, Mr. Coyle may be ready for a more direct role in murder and mayhem. Stay tuned.

Coming Show: His Dark Materials

If you are a fan of Philip Pullman's fantasy series, and I am, you will be happy to hear that BBC One has committed to bringing the story to television.  You may remember the so-so film The Golden Compass, which covered the first book in the series.  I think BBC can do better by sharing the story of Lyra and Will over multiple episodes rather than a two-hour film.  Mr. Pullman's rich material needed more time than Hollywood could provide.  

I also do not know why the US market needs different names, such as The Golden Compass rather than the original Northern Lights.  The same thing happened with the first Harry Potter book, going from the British title Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone to the American title Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.  What do we have against philosophers?  Did it sound too intellectual?  To British? And I read the third book in Pullman's trilogy, The Amber Spyglass, was censored for the US market because it dared to show Lyra experiencing puberty.  I expect the BBC to be more faithful to Mr. Pullman's vision since it will be made for a British audience that has no fear of sexuality (nor philosophers).

Speaking about the new series in an interview, Mr. Pullman noted:

In recent years we’ve seen the way that long stories on television, whether adaptations (‘Game of Thrones’) or original (‘The Sopranos, The Wire), can reach depths of characterisation and heights of suspense by taking the time for events to make their proper impact and for consequences to unravel.

I agree.  Mr. Pullman's trilogy deserves the full treatment, and I am confident BBC One can do it right.  Let's just hope US viewers do not get a censored version of the original again.

Netflix: W/ Bob & David

Looking for entertainment on a Friday night? Tonight on Netflix you can try out a new series W/ Bob & David. 

What is it?  It's a sketch show starring Bob Odenkirk and David Cross.  I was not a watcher of their earlier Mr. Show on HBO, buy I am willing to try out their latest project. Four episodes are available tonight.

In a Toronto Star interview, Odenkirk stated:

...we were talking about a live tour for the 20th anniversary of Mr. Show. We’d actually done a tour a few years ago and it was really fun, but you realize how hard it is to tour and how much work goes into it. So David and I started thinking that if we’re going to work that hard, instead of performing for a few people in a few cities, why not just make a show? Then we pitched around to a couple of places and started working. So by the time that Netflix was in, we had already been writing for a few months and probably had six or seven sketches that we were happy with.

Again, Netflix to the rescue. I am glad the streaming service is battling Amazon and Hulu to be a true competitor to the older networks.  We get more programming and the networks cannot stand still. The viewers are the winners. We just need more hours in a day.

Update: I enjoyed the first episode. The linked stories and ending made the whole greater than its parts. The main skit, Better Roots, seemed like a long-planned piece released at the wrong time given the state of race relations, but American comics (particularly away from the big networks) cannot avoid controversy if they want to remain relevant. 

Coming Show: New Star Trek Series

With all the attention on Star Wars, could look like CBS is late to the party announcing a new Star Trek television series, but if anyone knows how to milk a series it is the owners of the Star Trek franchise. The 1960s series has already spawned multiple television shows as well as movies. 

Information on the new series is thin, but since the creators come from the latest movies that rebooted the whole story,  it would seem the old timeline is dead. This provides ample room to expand the story while still throwing in some favorites from other parts of the galaxy (aka Klingons and the Borg).

Does CBS care about Star Trek or its new online service All Access, which will sell the new show for a fee when it is released in 2017? That is like asking if George Lucas believed in his Star Wars story or simply wanted to sell toys. If the end result is a good show, then the motives are less important. 

I mean how far can this idea go? It's not like the franchises are building theme parks. Oh wait...

Lower Photos: Disney's Star Trek Experience (top) and Spain's Paramount Park Murcia (bottom).

Sunday Night: Ballerinas and Secret Agents

Tonight you can capture a ballet drama on Starz called Flesh and Bone.  It portrays the dark side of the arts in New York City, which is not much of a surprise.  I cannot think of any sunny portrayals of the sausage-making arts world.  Annie this is not, or maybe it is but a very adult version.  Of course, since this is a television show competing against every other show, you need to throw in incest, Russian mobsters, and more.  Ballerinas seem to be a small part of this tale.  

Design and Trend notes:

"Flesh And Bone" isn't for the fainthearted. It not only shows ballerinas seemingly floating on the dance floor with their graceful moves, cherubic expressions and body-bending techniques but there's ample dark drama and sex to shock and awe viewers.
 
And if you need something other than dark dancing, you can watch the two-hour premiere of Agent X on TNT tonight.  Here is the trailer and pitch:

In times of extreme crisis, when traditional law and government aren't in a position to help, there is an unseen hand that works to protect this country and its citizens from all manner of threats by any means necessary. Hidden from the view of the public -- and even from the President -- there is a top secret agent who is trained and ready to serve, deployed only at the careful discretion of the Vice President. This is Agent X. 

That's right, the vice presidency finally has some powers.  Wouldn't it be great if Joe Biden could secretly solve the crisis in the Middle East while President Obama stays home to handle the domestic issues?  Who said being Vice Presidency was "not worth a bucket of warm piss"?  Actually, it was Vice President John Nance Garner, but that is not the point.

Aziz Ansari in Master of None

Aziz Ansari is contemplating fatherhood in the pilot episode of Netflix's new series Master of None.  The episodes were posted yesterday (November 6), and after watching the first half hour episode, called "Plan B," I am already hooked.  Ansari plays a single man in New York watching others grow up around him.  The pilot included googling during sex, a birthday party for a one year old, babysitting, divorce, and plenty of contemplation.  It was a full half hour with him roaming around New York in a Louis sort of way but without all the zaniness.  This trailer shows you some of the highlights of what is to come.  

The show was created by Ansari and even stars his own parents playing his character's parents. And this character is very different from the one he played in Parks and Recreation where contemplation was not really one of his strengths.  His new character is someone more of us should be able to relate to.

Critic Hank Stuever in the Washington Post sums the show up in this way:

...the overall effect of “Master of None” is one of fullness and fun. It doesn’t amount to any meaningful hill of beans, but, as I understand it, that’s no longer the point. This seems like a long way of invoking the Seinfeldian concept that “Master of None” is another show about nothing, minus all traces of the inherent distrust and disdain of Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David.

The show is worth a look.  You won't be disappointed.

Angel or Just Hell?

Jane Lynch is fun to watch, yet usually in small doses. As a high school coach in Glee she was the perfect foil for the other more-hopeful characters. Now she is the star of CBS's Angel from Hell premiering tonight.  Here is the basic story:  

ANGEL FROM HELL is a single-camera comedy about Amy, a colorful, brassy woman who insinuates herself into the life of an organized and seemingly perfect young woman, Allison, claiming to be her “guardian angel.” Allison is an intense, driven doctor who is sure that Amy is just an inebriated, outspoken nut, until every one of her warnings proves true. Cautioned by Amy not tell anyone about her, Allison can’t discuss this over-the-top oddball with her father and business partner, Marv, a doctor who shares an office with Allison, or her younger brother, Brad, a sales rep who lives in a guest room over her garage. As Allison tries to push Amy away, Amy makes her final pitch: her sole mission is to provide Allison with helpful guidance that nudges her in the right direction in life – and it’s her final chance to prove herself as an angel. With that, Allison agrees to this unlikely relationship because maybe a weird friend is exactly what she needs… and what if Amy really is her “guardian angel”?

So, is she an angel, stalker, or weird friend? You decide. This long trailer gives you a better idea about what you can expect. I think it could be a fun movie, but I am less certain about a television series.

Another Set of Amazon Pilots

It is that time again to view a slate of Amazon Originals pilots and decide which ones you would like to see as a full series.  My favorite from the last batch was The Man in the High Castle, due to be available as a full season on November 20th. 

 
But what about this latest batch?  Well, you can view the pilots starting tomorrow.  Prepare for cowboys, spies, Southern Belles and more from these new stories.  Here is a quick summary of each pilot from Deadline (trying to find this on an Amazon site was impossible). 

Edge:  Based on George G. Gilman’s best-selling book series of the same name, which has been described as “the most violent western in print,” Edge showcases the sly, raw power of the western genre. Set in 1868, Max Martini (Pacific Rim, Captain Phillips) stars as Josiah ‘Edge’ Hedges—a Union officer turned cowboy, who prowls the post-Civil War American West doling out his own peculiar (and savage) brand of justice. When we meet Edge in the pilot, his mission is personal and his vengeance hath no fury. Edge also stars Ryan Kwanten (True Blood) as Merritt Harknett, and Yvonne Strahovski (The Astronaut Wives Club, Chuck) as Beth. Edge was developed by Shane Black (Lethal Weapon, Iron Man 3) and Fred Dekker (Tales from the Crypt, Star Trek: Enterprise), teleplay by Dekker and Black, is directed by Black, and executive produced by Black, Dekker, Barry Josephson (Bones, Turn: Washington Spies), and David Greenblatt (Battle Los Angeles).

Good Girls Revolt:  In 1969, while a cultural revolution with a soundtrack to match swept through the free world, there was still one place that refused to change with the times: newsrooms.Good Girls Revolt follows a group of young female researchers at “News of the Week,” who simply ask to be treated fairly. Their revolutionary request will spark convulsive changes and upend marriages, careers, sex lives, love lives, and friendships. Good Girls Revolt stars Genevieve Angelson (Backstrom) as Patti, Anna Camp (Pitch Perfect) as Jane, Erin Darke (We Need to Talk About Kevin) as Cindy, Chris Diamantopoulos (Silicon Valley) as Finn, Hunter Parrish (Weeds) as Doug, Jim Belushi (Show Me a Hero) as Wick McFadden, Joy Bryant (Parenthood) as Eleanor Holmes Norton, and Grace Gummer as Nora Ephron. A co-production with TriStar Television, Good Girls Revolt is written and created by Dana Calvo (Made in Jersey), directed by Liza Johnson (Return), and executive produced by Calvo, Lynda Obst (Interstellar), Darlene Hunt (The Big C),Don Kurt (Justified) and Jeff Okin (Dark Skies, Stanley Park). The pilot is inspired by the landmark sexual discrimination cases chronicled in Lynn Povich’s book, The Good Girls Revolt.

Highston:  Highston Liggetts (newcomer Lewis Pullman) is a 19-year-old with a wide circle of celebrity friends—that only he can see. His parents, Jean (Mary Lynn Rajskub, 24), and Wilbur (Chris Parnell, Saturday Night Live) force him to get psychiatric help, but his Uncle Billy (Curtis Armstrong, American Dad!) thinks he’s just fine. Highston is a comedy about what it means to be normal in a world that’s anything but. The pilot guest stars Shaquille O’Neal (Thunderstruck) and Flea (The Big Lewbowski), and is written by Oscar-nominee Bob Nelson (Nebraska), directed by Independent Spirit Award winners Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris (Little Miss Sunshine), and executive produced by Sacha Baron Cohen (The Dictator), Todd Hoffman (Love Stinks), Nelson, and Todd Schulman (Bruno).

One Mississippi:  A dark comedy, loosely inspired by Tig Notaro’s (Boyish Girl Interrupted) life, One Mississippi follows Tig as she deals with the complex reentry into her childhood hometown of Bay Saint Lucille, Mississippi, to deal with the unexpected death of her mother, the interminable life of the party, Caroline. Reeling from her own recently declining health, Tig struggles to find her footing with the loss of the one person who actually understood her, with help from her older but not always wiser brother, Remy, played by Noah Harpster (Transparent), and her emotionally distant stepfather, Bill, played by John Rothman (The Devil Wears Prada). A surprise visit from Tig’s girlfriend, Brooke, played by Casey Wilson (Gone Girl) only compounds the reality of how out of place Tig is in a world without her mother.  A co-production with FX Productions, One Mississippi is written and executive produced by Notaro and Diablo Cody (Juno), executive produced by Louis CK (Louie), Blair Breard (Louie), and Dave Becky (Everybody Hates Chris), with pilot directed and executive produced by Nicole Holofcener (Enough Said).

Patriot:  The political thriller Patriot follows the complicated life of intelligence officer John Tavner (Australian newcomer Michael Dorman, Wonderland). His latest assignment is to prevent Iran from going nuclear, requiring him to forgo all safety nets and assume a perilous “non-official cover” — that of a mid-level employee at a Midwestern industrial piping firm. A bout with PTSD, the Federal government’s incompetence, and the intricacies of keeping a day job in the “front” industrial piping company, cause a barrage of ever-escalating fiascos that jeopardize Tavner’s mission. The pilot also stars Terry O’Quinn (Lost) as Tom Tavner, John’s State Department Director of Intelligence father, Michael Chernus (Manhattan Project), as John’s older brother Edward Tavner, a young Texas congressman, Kathleen Munroe (Call Me Fitz), as John’s wife Alice, Aliette Opheim (Sandor slash Ida) as Agathe, a brilliant young homicide detective from Luxembourg hot on John’s trail, and Kurtwood Smith (That 70s Show) as Mr. Claret, John’s stickler of a new “boss” at the piping firm. Patriot is written and directed by Steven Conrad (The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, The Weather Man), and executive produced by Conrad, Gil Bellows (Temple Grandin), Glen Ficarra (Crazy Stupid Love, Focus), Charlie Gogolak (Focus), and John Requa (Crazy Stupid Love, Focus).

Z:  Z is a bio-series pilot based on the life of Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald, the brilliant, beautiful and talented Southern Belle who becomes the original flapper and icon of the wild, flamboyant Jazz Age in the 20s. Starring Christina Ricci (Monster) as Zelda Sayre, Z starts before she meets the unpublished writer F. Scott Fitzgerald (Gavin Stenhouse,Allegiance), and moves through their passionate, turbulent love affair and their marriage—made in heaven, lived out in hell as the celebrity couple of their time. The series travels through the wild parties, the wicked jazz, the dissolute artists of the era, as well as the alcoholism, adultery and struggle with dashed dreams and mental illness that characterizes their later years. Z dives into the fascinating life of a woman ahead of her time, an artist determined to establish her own identity in the tempestuous wake of a world-famous husband. The show pulls back the curtain on her triumphs and dark secrets. It’s a modern take on one of the most notorious love stories of all time, played out in salons and speak-easies from Montgomery, Alabama to the Cote D’Azur. Z is written by Dawn Prestwich (The Killing) and Nicole Yorkin (The Killing), directed by Tim Blake Nelson (Anesthesia), and executive produced by Pamela Koffler (Still Alice) and Christine Vachon (One Hour Photo) of Killer Films, as well as Ricci. The show also guest stars David Strathairn (Good Night and Good Luck) as Judge Anthony Dickerson Sayre, Kristine Nielsen (Savages) as Minnie Sayre, Maya Kazan (The Knick) as Livye Hart, Sarah Schenkkan (30 Rock) as Eleanor Browder, Jamie Anne Allman (The Killing) as Tootsie Sayre, and Holly Curran (Alpha House) as Tilde Sayre.