Did You Miss Portlandia?

I know I missed IFC's Portlandia when it first came out, but fortunately it is available for download and you can see a few clips on Hulu.com. Starring Fred Armisen from Saturday Night Live and Carrie Brownstein, the show is a hilarious series of skits poking fun at the stuck-in-the-1990s version of Portland they have constructed.  Think of it as a Pacific Northwest version of Parks and Recreation.  And as with Amy Poehler, also from Saturday Night Live fame, the exaggerated opinions and incidents make for fun viewing.  One of my favorite skits in episode makes fun of "birds on it" art, going over the top on this simple idea until a real bird enters the scene. You can also watch a couple dissecting a menu to the point that they want to know all about the chicken they are about to eat, eventually traveling to the farm to ensure the bird was happy before ending up on their dinner plate.  Is it corny?  Absolutely.  Will we all think back to parts of the 1990s and cringe.  Absolutely, again.  And will you enjoy this six-part series?  I think you know the answer.

Aside note:  See if you recognize the cast member from Parks and Recreation in one of the episodes.

Update:  By the way, Portlandia was picked up for a second season, according to the Huffington Post.

Monsters on MVT

The Age of Vampires has been followed by the Age of Werewolves, or so it would seem.  MTV will introduce Teen Werewolf on June 5th, a story of gruesome self-discovery (like all teen dramas, of course).

This is at least the fifth such show in the last year covering werewolf angst, all of which I stopped watching for various reasons:

-- BBC's Being Human (too much whining in the third season);
-- ABC's The Gates (canceled after a really bad ending);
-- HBO's True Blood (too many people eating one another - I lost track); and
-- and The CW's Vampire Diaries (too many dances). 

However, what is interesting is that the werewolves were always the side-kicks or late comers compared to the vampires.  Even poor Jacob played second fiddle to Edward in the Twilight sagas.  Teen Wolf is dedicated to the werewolf fan and no vampires can be seen lurking anywhere, at least in the first season. So this is a favorable twist for our furry friends (or fiends).

What is interesting is that one of the high school jocks is played Colton Hayne, who also played a suffering, almost leashed, werewolf in The Gates.  Now he gets to play the human part.  Maybe The Gates simply morphed to a new address.

Update:  And if you prefer cats rather than dogs, ABC Family has a new series about a young girl with cat-like qualities called The Nine Lives of Chloe King.  Pick your pet.

Second Update:  Teen Wolf has been picked up for a second season, according to a July 13th posting on Screen Rant.

CBS Shows Coming This Fall

Now that we have taken a look at some of the new NBC and ABC shows, it makes sense to see what CBS is cooking up.  Two shows in particular interest me because they have that interesting twist that could either save the program or make it lame real quick (even though they are the typical doctor and cop types):

-- A Gifted Man:  First, I am amazed they could get Patrick Wilson, such a gifted actor, to take the lead in a TV series.  Wilson plays a surgeon (no surprise yet) who can see the dead (okay, still no surprises).  This Ghost-like story where the dead spouse communicates with the living spouse is not necessarily new, but I am willing to tune in and see how it goes.  I am also interested in seeing how Margo Martindale does as the surgeon's assistant.  Martindale was fascinating as a backwoods mother protecting her brood in the second season of FX's Justified, so we know what she can do with a new role when given a chance.  Here is the basic storyline per CBS:

A GIFTED MAN is a drama about a brilliant, charismatic surgeon whose life changes forever when his deceased ex-wife begins teaching him the meaning of life from the "hereafter." Michael Holt (Patrick Wilson) is an exceptional doctor who lives a materialistic life of luxury thanks to his work-obsessed career and powerful and wealthy patients; however, Michael's ordered world is rocked when his ex-wife, Anna (Jennifer Ehle), an idealistic free-clinic doctor and the love of his life, mysteriously appears to him. Michael's off-beat sister, Christina (Julie Benz), a single mom to her teenaged son, Milo (Liam Aiken), is thrilled that Anna's back in her brother's life, even as an "illusion," because Michael was always a better person with her. Curious about Michael's sudden change in behavior is his efficient assistant, Rita (Margo Martindale). When Anna asks Michael to go to her clinic to help keep it running, he meets Autumn (Afton Williamson), a volunteer carrying on Anna's work with the underprivileged. Touched by those in need and accepting of Anna's compassionate "presence," Michael's attitude toward serving the rich and poor is turned upside down, and he begins to see that there's room in his life for everyone.

-- Unforgettable:  In this another story partially dwelling on a past death, but in this case its a police consultant trying to solve her sister's death while also serving as a super crime-fighter. The scenes for this series do not give too much away, though the star starts with a Rain Man-like performance involving viagra - do I have your attention yet?  Here again is the hard sell from CBS:

UNFORGETTABLE stars Poppy Montgomery as Carrie Wells, an enigmatic former police detective with a rare condition that makes her memory so flawless that every place, every conversation, every moment of joy and every heartbreak is forever embedded in her mind. It's not just that she doesn't forget anything - she can't; except for one thing: the details that would help solve her sister's long-ago murder. Carrie has tried to put her past behind her, but she's unexpectedly reunited with her ex-boyfriend and partner, NYPD Detective Al Burns (Dylan Walsh), when she consults on a homicide case. His squad includes Det. Mike Costello (Michael Gaston), Al's right-hand man; Detective Roe Saunders (Kevin Rankin), the junior member of the team; and Detective Nina Inara (Daya Vaidya), a sassy, street-smart cop. Being back on the job after a break feels surprisingly right for Carrie. Despite her conflicted feelings for Al, she decides to permanently join his unit as a detective solving homicides - most notably, the unsolved murder of her sister. All she needs to do is remember.

I am placing my bets on Patrick Wilson, but the critics may see things differently. 

Proposed Fall Schedules for NBC and ABC

It's that time of year with spring rains and the watering of a new crop of fall TV programs.  NBC and ABC have already announced their new shows.  While many of these shows are simply rehashing existing programs (aka cops and robbers, sexy doctors, dysfunctional funny families), a few of the more supernatural programs indicate an interesting movement away from the pack.  Here are two I found most interesting:

-- NBC's Grimm:  Brought to you by the producers of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, this new show tells the story of a police detective who is also one of the last remaining members of the Grimm family.  And, of course, members of the Grimm family have a unique ability to see things the rest of us cannot - monsters in every walk of life.  It's an interesting premise and not too far away from the CW's Supernatural, which also brought urban ghost stories back to life.  The tag line of the show is "Remember the fairy tales your parents used to tell you before bedtime? Well, those weren't stories, they were warnings."  Catchy, and maybe a show that you should keep away from the kids for now.

-- ABC's Once Upon a Time:  In this case, the producers from Lost take you on a strange journey that hopefully will make a little more sense than their last show (even though that show had its own fantasies).  Emma Swan connects with her long lost son and visits the New England town of Storybrooke where the entire town is part of a fairy tale.  The scenes remind me of a cross between BBC's Merlin and SyFy's Haven, but I am ready for a good show and hopefully this one has some staying power.  Here is a litte more from the producer posted at blastr.com (and it is not clear if this really helps to sell the new series): 

According to ABC Entertainment president Paul Lee, Once Upon a Time is "completely unlike Lost. But in some ways it's like Lost ... because it's about a group of people who are trapped." While the new series will use flashbacks like Lost, those flashbacks will be of the fairytale world the characters come from, he said.

Let the Three of Them Disappear

Do we really need Two and a Half Men?  With the implosion of Charlie Sheen, this was the perfect opportunity to let a poorly written show disappear from the scene.  CBS can certainly do better in terms of quality, but it appears the network was making a mint on the show and quality has nothing to do with ratings and money.  So the plan is for Ashton Kutcher to join the cast, which makes more sense than Hugh Grant.  In fact, I would not mind seeing Ashton in a new show since he has the likability to make a weekly comedy worth watching (remember That '70s Show?), yet I would prefer CBS found a new vehicle.  And how much will Ashton make as the replacement for "The Demented One"?  One estimate puts his take at about $1 million per episode, compared to Charlie's $2 million.  Ashton has little to lose here with his weak film career, and maybe the writing will actually improve with a new cast, but I still think its the viewers that lose in this arrangement since any network with half a brain could use this $1-2 million to create a better show that improves TV Land rather than simply filling airtime.  Of course, such networks are in short supply.

Update:  If you want to see the premiere of a new season of Two and a Half Men without Charlie, you can see it September 19th.  Also, later that night on Comedy Central you can see the roast of Charlie Sheen.  It will not be pretty.  According to the Daily Beast, here is Seth MacFarlane's (of Family Guy) opening lines:

Tonight on Two and a Half Men, they’re actually having Charlie’s pretend funeral, believe it or not. No need to switch over, though. Just wait a few months, you can probably see the real thing. I mean, we all know there’s a good chance Charlie will be dead soon, so I wrote an obituary. Charlie Sheen, who became a tabloid fixture due to his problems with drugs and alcohol, was found dead in his apartment. Actually, you know what? I kind of just copied Amy Winehouse’s obituary. I only had to change three things: the sex of the deceased, the location of the body, and the part that says a talent that will be missed.

Rating the New Epics

Now that I have had a chance to view a few episodes of the April epics, I would give Camelot at C, The Borgias a B, and Game of Thrones an A. 

In the case of Starz' Camelot, the pining of young Arthur for Guinevere is already a little tiring when he should be building a kingdom. So far the show is more like a Dark Age version of Dawson's Creek.  I will continue to watch in the hopes that loftier goals appear on the horizon.  Merlin really needs to give the kid a good talking to.

Showtime's The Borgias is playing out as an interesting piece of history, though it reminds me a bit too much of The Tudors.  Both The Borgias and The Tudors begin with a murder in the Vatican,  display a tenuous grasp of historical events, and play a high-power actor in the role of a pope (Peter O'Toole as Pope Paul III in the case of The Tudors).  That said, I am enjoying the cast of characters, particularly the restless young Cesare Borgia, played by Francois Arnaud. 

I give the highest rating to HBO's Game of Thrones.  While I was not familiar with the story prior to the start of the series, I find myself immediately caught up in the trials and tribulations of the Stark family (see the New York Times for some good back story on the show).  The general tenor the show is pretty stark, no pun intended, since "Winter is Coming" and things are already pretty bleak within the kingdom in the summertime.  With suspected murder in the capitol city, Lord Stark may be the only one to prop up the king and restore some sense of stability.  I have started reading George R.R. Martin's Songs of Ice and Fire to learn a little more about the history of the kingdom, which has already provided with with insights that make my experience of the HBO program all the more enriching. 

Heather Havrilesky's article in the New York Times sums up the darkness of Games of Thrones: 

And then, of course, there is the looming threat of winter. Apparently seasons can last a decade in these parts, and winter will usher in around-the-clock darkness and invasions by the deadly creatures who live north of that aforementioned gigantic wall of ice. Even commoners in “Game of Thrones” tend to distinguish between people born during the summer and those who are old enough to recall the terrors of the last winter, echoing what was once said of Vietnam and World War II. With the dark season approaching, everyone in Westeros — even decadent King Baratheon — is growing more anxious and depressed about what the future might hold for them. 

All of which is very somber — and a little odd, when you think about it. Even with countless horrors on the way, wouldn’t there be at least one unshakable optimist in the bunch? Isn’t that how we, in the real world, get through life? Irrational optimism in the face of looming bleakness? Yet in this brand of fantasy, grim-faced nihilism isn’t just a default philosophy; it’s a foundational religion. 

The  situation of Lord Stark and his family may be less than hopeful, but I am optimistic that HBO has found itself a winner.  Season two has already been approved.

BBC's Coming Outcast

Later this summer BBC America will be showing a UK series Outcasts.  As the name suggests, the population on this planet occupy one of many locations for fleeing earthlings leaving behind a home planet at war.  The discovered planet's name, Carpathia, harkens back to the steamship that saved passengers on the sinking Titanic. 

 Hiding away in Forthaven, the colonists face plenty of intrigue as well as threats beyond the city walls.  The show is part Lost in Space and part Lost with its mystical story line and the "others."  It also has some of the bleakness and raw politics of the later Battlestar Galactica.

As a matter of fact, the first episode includes Jamie Bamber, from Battlestar Galactic fame, though he is soon replaced by Eric Mabius.  I was disappointed with the quick part played by Bamber, but Mabius quickly fills the lead role and shakes his image as the wimpy boss on Ugly Betty. The program also boasts other well-known actors, from Liam Cunningham to Hermione Norris.  The series was filmed in outside Cape Town, South Africa, creating a spectacular setting for the lonely planet.

Unfortunately, the UK audience did not take to the series early this year.  As a result, Outcasts has been canceled after its first season.  I recommend the show to sci-fi fans, but it seems the program should have been called Carpathia.  If you recall, some years after saving the Titanic passengers the Carpathia was destroyed by a German U-boat.  So much for the wages of good intentions.

Update:  The series starts on BBC America June 18, 2011.