Sherlock: Worth Investigating

While I was late to the program, I have enjoyed the BBC's updated version of the adventures of Sherlock Holmes in Sherlock.  Broadcast late last year on PBS as three 90-minute Masterpiece episodes (and last summer on the BBC in the UK), it offers a fresh, modern day version of our sleuthing hero and his trusty sidekick, Dr. Watson.  I never read through the earlier detective stories, or any detective stories for that matter, so I guess I was looking for basically CSI:London (though Law & Order:UK is already available).  But I could not be more pleased with Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch), an anti-social, obsessive, and brilliant man who I would not want to spend more than two minutes with in real life.  And yet his bickering friendship/relationship with Watson (Martin Freeman) is a perfect balance of effective investigating and continual annoyances.  You can catch episodes on iTunes and a second season is being prepared for later this year.

Jackie and Tara Return

If you haven't had a chance to see Jackie in Showtime's Nurse Jackie, or Tara in Showtime's United States of Tara, then you are missing two leading ladies who are completely messed up but truly love their families.  As you watch Jackie (Edie Falco), you learn about her multiple relationships all balanced with her self-medication.  With Tara (Toni Collette), you have multiple personalities, which seem to reappear even with proper medication.  Both both shows provide you with excellent acting, good story-lines, and a set of characters you worry about.  What could be better?  And both start their third season on March 28th.  So grab the family and watch these multiple shows.  Think of it as excellent medication for what ails the soul after a long hard day.  You will not be sorry you did.

More Epics Coming to TV

I have already noted that I am looking forward to the start of the new Starz series Camelot on April 1, and this is just one of many new epic shows coming to television.

On April 3rd, Showtime will premiere The Borgias, which will tell the tale of Italy's most famous Renaissance family.  And, as with Camelot, the series will not skimp on talent.  The story stars Jeremy Irons as Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia, who is striving for the papacy.  And of course we need to meet the papal family, for what is a pope without a mistress and children?  One of the sons, Juan, is played by David Oakes, who also played the slimy William Hamleigh in the Starz miniseries Pillars Of The Earth. Having enjoyed Showtime's Tudors, I am not expecting the most accurate historical portrayal, but I do expect a good story.

On April 17th the fun continues with HBO's Game of Thrones. Based on the first book in George R. R. Martin's series, A Song of Fire and Ice, it tells the story of a battle for a throne in the darkest of days. And it is only appropriate that the series stars Sean Bean, Boromir from the Lord of the Rings movies.  Here is a quick summary of the book itself from Publisher's week (we shall see how true the series is to the book):

In a world where the approaching winter will last four decades, kings and queens, knights and renegades struggle for control of a throne. Some fight with sword and mace, others with magic and poison. Beyond the Wall to the north, meanwhile, the Others are preparing their army of the dead to march south as the warmth of summer drains from the land...Although the romance of chivalry is central to the culture of the Seven Kingdoms, and tournaments, derring-do and handsome knights abound, these trappings merely give cover to dangerous men and women who will stop at nothing to achieve their goals. When Lord Stark of Winterfell, an honest man, comes south to act as the King's chief councilor, no amount of heroism or good intentions can keep the realm under control. It is fascinating to watch Martin's characters mature and grow, particularly Stark's children, who stand at the center of the book.

If you are looking for a particularly obsessive web-site dedicated to this new HBO production (containing a lot of interesting information and photos), check out winter-is-coming.net.

And to think that I mourned for the future of television at one point in time.  2011 promises to be a year filled with weighty, well-made productions.

Update:  The Borgias has been renewed for a second season, according to an April 26th posting by AOLTV.

Good Riddance, Charlie

I cannot say I am upset about the departure of Charlie Sheen.  His recent firing may have been a loss for the CBS network, but it is not a loss for television in general.  He stands to lose $43 million a year, and he is now counter-suing for $100 million, yet the show Two and a Half Men was never a very good show.  In fact, over its eight seasons it has been eclipsed by much better comedies, such as 30 Rock, Parks and Recreation, Modern Family, and the recent Raising Hope.  All of these new shows dropped the laugh track, used snappy writing, and showed more respect for the thinking public. 

And I am glad that Rob Lowe will be staying with Parks and Recreation rather than trying to fill in for Charlie Sheen (if you have not seen the third season of Parks and Recreation with Rob Lowe and Adam Scott, I recommend you tune in).  Let the show die.  American television has come a long way already, and the death of bad comedies should be cheered.  And don't worry about Charlie; like most American losers, he can turn this into another winning episode of his career.