TV This Week: World War I and New York Cops

Tomorrow night (February 26) will see the premiere of two more shows, both of which look back in time at men at arms.  I used to think the fall was a busy time, but it is pretty amazing to see the number of new shows appearing in January and February, with even more to come next month.

-- Parade's End (HBO):  Based on Ford Maddox Ford's four book series, Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock) plays the role of Christopher Tietjens, an English gentleman, employee of the Imperial Department of Statistics, husband in a dysfunctional marriage, and soldier in the trenches of war.  The original story, very broad and complex, was adapted for the screen by Tom Stoppard and primarily covers the first three books.  The 5-part drama will show over three consecutive nights. You can see a trailer on HBO is you want to see the quality of the production.  This is a much deeper look a the British than the surface dwelling Downton Abbey (and we already know what Cumberbatch thinks of Downton Abbey).  Parade's End was broadcast in Great Britain last summer and was well received.   The Guardian noted:

Parade's End looks beautiful, is wonderfully made and has some fantastically resonant and descriptive language: Tietjen's comparison of the noise on the Western Front to a "wet canvas being shaken out by a giant" just one of many sublime moments of dialogue. I've also enjoyed getting to know a source text that is not, perhaps, as well known as others. 

-- Golden Boy (CBS):  Speaking of Downton Abbey,  you may remember a Turkish visitor in the first season of the show who caused a stir with Lady Mary.  Well, the actor, Theo James, is back as a police officer, Walter Clark, who works his way up the chain to become New York City's youngest police commissioner.  Co-starring Chi McBride as Detective Owen, who is always fun to watch whatever he is in, it covers Clark's difficulties in gaining the respect from fellow officers as he moves up.  I like the initial meeting between Clark and Owen, particularly where Owen holds open the car door for Clark only to slam it when he approaches, noting "Who am I, Morgan Freeman?  Open your own damn door."  And so it starts.  You can watch the pilot episode here if you cannot wait. 

The Americans Get A Second Season

If you have not had the chance to see the new FX show The Americans then you are missing out on a fascinating story about a KGB family undercover in Reagan's Washington.  I discussed the show in an earlier entry before having seen the show and I was was hooked after viewing the pilot.  Keri Russel and Matthew Rhys are superb as the KGB couple with their own internal issues while being watched by their masters and outrunning their American counterparts.  I would put it in the same category as AMC's Rubicon, though the former was more of an indoor show while the latter has plenty of high-energy outside drama.  Unlike Rubicon, The Americans is getting a second season.  This is great news for all of us. 

Bill Maher and the Orangutan

You may have heard that Donald Trump is using HBO Realtime's Bill Maher for a comment he made in one of his monologues. Back on October 26, 2012, Maher has this to say in his "New Rule" segment:

Donald Trump must immediately submit to DNA tests to determine whether he is, in fact, the love child of a human woman and an orangutan from the Brooklyn Zoo.

Look, Donald, I'm not saying that your mother was repeatedly f**king an orangutan back in the 1940s. I don't know if that's true. I hope it's not true. But, given your face, your physique, your intelligence level...and, of course, your hair...the American people deserve some real proof that your mother did not spend most nights in 1945, covering her body in banana oil, sneaking into the monkey cage and compulsively humping an orange-haired ape. Somebody had to say that.

Trump and his legal team recently sued Maher for $5 million because of this comment.  This seems to be one more attempt for Trump to get publicity for himself and Maher is using it to rain down even more insults on the man (you can see his February statements here).  Trump's lawyer thought it was helpful to share a copy of Trump's birth certificate with Maher to prove trump was not born in a zoo.  I wonder how much money was spent preparing that very important letter.  

The other week on the Conan O'Obrien Show, Maher further defended comedy and said Trump was wasting the time of the legal system, noting the legal system is not a "joke" and "...it's not a toy for rich idiots to play with."  Maher also put down Trump's relevance in today's society, pointing out "He's not even a real person...it just like a pop reference from the 80s...it's like having a spat with JR Ewing" (go here for the clip).  

Another sad day for the American legal system while a good day for comedians everywhere.

Maggie Smith on 60 Minutes

If you missed Maggie Smith on last Sunday's 60 Minutes then you missed a rare opportunity to learn more about this actress in her own words.  The star of Downton Abbey discussed how she never watched the show and thought it appropriate that her character should die off, though not to worry since she has already committed to appearing on a fourth season of the show.  

In the interview, she discussed how her parents thought she was too ugly to go into acting and recommended typing instead.  Yes, it sounds like a plot line in Downton Abbey.  We also learn a little bit more about her 53rd film Quartet, which is directed by Dustin Hoffman who joined her for part of the interview.  Overall, it is an interview you will want to check out.  Go here for the full video. 

CW's Cult Starts Tonight

You can see the CW's new show, Cult, tonight (February 19) at 9pm ET/8pm CT.  While the program covers a level of TV addition that might be the dream of most networks, I get the impression this amount of devotion is somewhat dangerous.  Starring Matt Davis (from The Vampire Diaries, another CW cult-classic), as detective Jeff Sefton trying to locate his missing brother, you will be entering into a world where television is the medium for some pretty strange behavior, not that reality TV is any good for us. 

Here is the plot outline from the CW:

The fictitious show, centered on the cat-and-mouse game between a charismatic cult leader and the detective who was once a cult member, has become an obsession for its viewers – and now some of its devotees seem to be taking their fixation to deadly extremes in the real world. 

In the parallel worlds of the show-within-a-show, the cult’s leader, Billy Grimm, is played by actor Roger Reeves (the double role of Billy/Roger is played by Robert Knepper, “Prison Break,” “Shameless”). Roger plays Billy as a compelling but ruthless leader, a man whose primary agenda is winning back his former follower and lover, Kelly Collins, played by actress Marti Gerritsen (the double role of Kelly/Marti is played by Alona Tal, “Supernatural,” “The Killing”). Since escaping from the cult, Kelly has become an LAPD detective. When her sister is kidnapped, Kelly finds herself drawn back into an investigation of the group’s activities, and she struggles to keep Billy at a safe distance, knowing he would stop at nothing to get her back. As the television show grows in popularity, cast members Roger and Marti feel the effects in their “real” lives – Roger isn’t sure who he can trust, and Marti is beginning to realize that being the star of this particular show may have truly dangerous consequences. 

The only person who seems willing to help Jeff with his investigation into this double world is Skye Yarrow (Jessica Lucas, “Melrose Place,” “Cloverfield”), a young research assistant for “Cult” who has also started to grow suspicious of the increasingly dark happenings surrounding the show. Jeff and Skye are both driven by personal reasons to uncover the mysteries surrounding “Cult.” Jeff is focused on finding Nate, the brother he raised following the death of their parents, while Skye is searching for answers about her father, who went missing 10 years ago and is presumed dead. All Skye knows is that her father was investigating Steven Rae, the reclusive executive producer/writer who created “Cult.” In fact, she took the job on the show in order to make contact with Rae and see if he will answer her questions. Jeff and Skye are practically strangers to each other, but they are united by the common goal of finding out what happened to their family members.

Jeff will need all of the investigative skills he honed as a journalist to make sense of the treacherous world he and Skye have entered. It soon becomes clear to Jeff and Skye that the gruesome plot twists on this television show are much more than fantasy for some very unfortunate people. The hardcore fans of “Cult” would kill to see what happens next… 

The show's website already has the pilot available for viewing.  After watching it I can say it's an interesting twist having a show within a show (a CW show, of course), though this is a delicate novelty that may not stand the test of time.  In the right hands and with the right amount of balance, we may have two good shows on our hands.  As the San Francisco Chronicle writes,

"Cult" could work over time, but it could also implode because it's a very high-concept show. In other words, it depends heavily on the gimmick of the show within a show, refracted by social media. Beyond the gimmick, will there be enough to maintain our interest? If not, "Cult" could easily wind up as one TV show in search of an audience.

Will the program find it own band of dedicated fans?  Possibly.  The CW has done well with vampires, super heroes, and demon hunters, so it knows its fan base and should be able to deliver. 

We May See More of AT&T's Beck Bennett

If you enjoy AT&T's "It's Not Complicated" commercials where the kids are let loose to cover any topic, you probably enjoy the straight delivery of actor Beck Bennett.  My favorite ad clip it the kid who suggests taping a cheetah to his grandma's back to make her faster.  Beck seems to have a talent in such forums, and you can see more of his talent with unscripted kids in his YouTube series Fresh Perspectives.  He puts on the show with his partners called the Good Neighbor team.  I particularly like the kids' discussion on the debt ceiling, which I found more coherent than the entire set of Republic debates. And the conversation on Libya is more informative than the recent Senate hearings (with one little girl showing even more passion than Secretary Clinton). 

And now Beck and team may have his own show on Comedy Central called "The Good Neighbor Show." If you want to see what type of comedy this team can do, check out the groups Unbelievable Dinner.  Hopefully, Comedy Central will have the wisdom to give this group a chance.

More of President Lincoln Coming to TV

If you had a chance to see Daniel Day Lewis in the film Lincoln, you may have had your fill of dramatic recreation of history.  If not, you may be disappointed with a Lincoln in the hands of Billy Campbell, a less accomplished actor.  If not, you may be avoiding history books by big mouth Bill O'Reilly.  If not, the National Geographic special on Sunday (February 17) called Killing Lincoln is for you.  

All of that said, I plan to watch it because I enjoy programs that illuminate history, and Billy Campbell is a good actor in his own right (see 4400 and The Killing for some of his more charismatic roles).  However, I am not a fan of Bill O'Reilly, so I will leave that point aside.  

Here is a little background on the special from National Geographic:

April 14, 1865. One gunshot. One assassin hell-bent on killing “a tyrant,” as he charged — the 16th President of the United States. And in one moment, our nation was forever changed. This is the most dramatic and resonant crime in American history: the true story of the killing of Abraham Lincoln. From Executive Producers Ridley Scott and Tony Scott, and narrated by Tom Hanks, National Geographic Channel's first original docudrama, Killing Lincoln, based on the New York Times bestseller, combines re-creations with historical insight in a thrilling chronicle of the final days of President Lincoln and his assassin, John Wilkes Booth.

The two-hour special is a welcome addition to a list of period pieces on television that provide viewers which options beyond reality shows and poorly scripted comedies.  I put the History Channel's drama Hatfields & McCoys into this same category of beneficial period pieces.  I hope to see many more of these programs.  And I recommend visiting the website for the show since it provides a lot of additional information on Lincoln and Booth - something I would expect from National Geographic.

The Premiere of Zero Hour

Tomorrow night (February 14) on ABC you can watch the premiere of Zero Hour, a fast-paced drama that involves Men in Black, in this case Nazis and priests.  Starring Anthony Edwards (ER) as the husband of a kidnapped wife caught up in great secret, the plot is fast-paced throughout the first hour.  

The show starts in 1938 Germany where a mysterious relic is being hidden from the Nazi regime, with the relic's secrets stowed away in a clock, and soon shifts to modern day Brooklyn where the ripples of the past (and the clock) appear in the present.  If you enjoyed The Da Vinci Code and National Treasure, this show is for you.  Whether or not it can keep this pace the entire season is another matter.  But the creator of the show has promised that the story will be solved in the first 13-episode season (since The Killing, everyone knows what to promise).

In discussing his role with the Philadelphia Inquirer, Edwards kept an open mind on the future of his new show:

"And then I read this script [for 'Zero Hour'] that I love and think, 'Really? The network really wants to make this pilot? Well, if they're crazy enough to want to make this pilot, I'll make the pilot. Because, worst-case scenario, we do it, it doesn't work, it'll never go anywhere. But if this does work, this could be really fun.' "

I will be the first to admit the pilot is a lot of fun.  And you will not keep looking at your watch (no pun intended).  I am staying glued for a few more episodes to see what happens. 

Note:  You can download a free copy of the pilot on iTunes.

Update:  Zero Hour is not off to a great start, but hopefully the network will not panic just yet and instead give it a chance to gain traction.  The Hollywood Reporter noted, "Zero Hour got off to an inauspicious start on ABC...It stands as ABC's lowest-rated in-season premiere for a scripted series."

Return of Southland

TNT's Southland returns on Wednesday, February 13th, for its fifth season.  While I will not recommend too many police shows, this is one worth watching.  The adventures of Officers Ben Sherman (Ben McKenzie) and John Cooper (Michael Cudlitz), as well as their partners in LA crime-fighting, will keep you riveted each week.  

I have particularly enjoyed the story arc of the pregnant Lydia Adams (Regina King) who surprises you each week with her grit and heart for police work.  And this season the cast is joined by Chad Michael Murray (One Tree Hill), who plays Officer Dave Mendoza.  I think the current cast is fantastic, so Murray will have quite a chore just keeping up.  

If you want to catch up on the show, you can review the previous episodes here.  

BSG Blood & Chrome on SyFy

If you have not had a chance to go online and watch the new movie Blood & Chrome, the prequel to Battlestar Galactica, you have the chance to see it on the SyFy channel tonight (February 10) at 8pm ET/7pm CT.  

It is worth your effort and will remind you of what we lost when the series went off the air.  Maybe this is the start of new interest in the show and its characters.  I hope so.

If you missed my previous post, here is the plot from SyFy:

Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome (a prequel to the critically acclaimed hit series, Battlestar Galactica) takes place in the midst of the First Cylon war. As the battle between humans and their creation, the sentient robotic Cylons, rages across the 12 colonial worlds, a young, talented fighter pilot, William Adama (Luke Pasqualino), finds himself assigned to one of the most powerful battlestars in the Colonial fleet: the Galactica. Full of ambition and in pursuit of the intense action that the Cylon war promises, Adama quickly finds himself at odds with his co-pilot, the battle-weary officer Coker (Ben Cotton). With only 47 days left in his tour of duty, Coker desires an end to battle just as much as Adama craves the start of it. Though they clash at first, the two men forge an unlikely bond when a routine escort mission with an enigmatic passenger (Lili Bordan) turns dangerous and becomes a pivotal one for the desperate fleet.

Check It Out: H+: The Digital Series

If you enjoy Continuum, particularly the part where the female lead has a microchip placed into her neck allowing her to see greater detail and related input on her surroundings, then you may want to check out H+ and see the rest of the story.  In the web series H+, available for free on YouTube, you can learn what happens when a computer virus infects the microchip and thereby the human wearing it.  It is basically a combination of FlashForward and Revolution.  Here is a quick summary from the Facebook page:

H+: The Digital Series takes viewers on a journey into an apocalyptic future where technology has begun to spiral out of control.... a future where 33% of the world’s population has retired its cell phones and laptops in favor of a stunning new device – an implanted computer system called H+. This tiny tool allows the user's own mind and nervous system to be connected to the Internet 24 hours a day.  

But something else is coming... something dark and vicious... and within seconds, billions of people will be dead... opening the door to radical changes in the political and social landscape of the planet -- prompting survivors to make sense of what went wrong.

The first season of the series, produced by Bryan Singer (X-Men), is told in 48 episodes (255 minutes in all) that jump from the day everything went wrong back in time to when the idea was germinating and the new H+ product was spreading around the world.  The intriguing plot combined with excellent acting for a show using this medium, gives you the impression of a well-executed television program in mini-bites.  

H+ is a good warning about what can go wrong, and may cause you to view Google Glasses in a whole new way. 

TV This Week: Monday Mornings

If Do No Harm did not scare you away from new doctor shows, you can view TNT's new Monday Mornings premiering Monday night (February 4).  Jamie Bamber, who you may remember as Apollo from Battlestar Galactica, stars as neurosurgeon Tyler Wilson in this David E. Kelley (Boston Legal, The Practice and Ally McBeal) produced story based on a book by Dr. Sanjay Gupta (CNN).  That's a lot of fire power for a TNT show.  

The new series sounds like many others.  Here is TNT's description:

Doctors face life-and-death decisions each and every day as they fight against often-impossible odds to save their patients. When things don’t go as they should, it’s up to their medical colleagues to determine what went wrong and learn from those costly mistakes. 

Monday Mornings follows the lives of doctors as they push the limits of their abilities and confront their personal and professional failings. Every Monday, the doctors must gather with their peers for a confidential review of complications and errors in patient care. 

Leading the staff at Chelsea General are Dr. Harding Hooten, the steely-eyed chief of surgery, and Dr. Jorge Villanueva, the hospital’s trauma chief. Their cadre of medical talent includes hotshot neurosurgeons Dr. Tyler Wison and Dr. Tina Ridgeway; the abrasive Dr. Buck Tierney; the socially challenged Dr. Sung Park; the petite-but-formidable Dr. Sydney Napur; and inquisitive resident Dr. Michelle Robidaux.

However, in a recent TV Guide interview, Bamber argues this show will be different from other medical dramas:  

...Bamber argues that perhaps the biggest difference between Monday Mornings and other recent medical dramas is the portrayal of the doctors as humans, not surgical superheroes.  "The normal trope is that these people are flawless at work, but flawed personally," he says. "Our show is fundamentally trying to do a different thing. We're trying to show that these surgeons, yes, they're brilliant, but they are flawed in the professional work as well. They make mistakes. The mistakes are actually the things that are highlighted in the show. ... For the first time with these M&M meetings, you get to see that sort of honesty."

So, if you have space on the DVR, here is another one to check out. 

"Do No Harm" Did Some Harm to NBC

While the new shows Americans and House of Cards did well with their premieres last week, the initial reviews for Do No Harm indicate the show is in trouble.  According to the press reports, it now has the distinction of the lowest-rated, in-season premiere of any scripted series ever on the major networks. Let me just cite a few reviewers' comments:

...a poorly-written show, with dialogue so cheesy you could use it for fondue. The actors do their best with what they're given, but that's not saying much.

-- Zap2it

Do not watch. Do not resuscitate.

-- The Hollywood Reporter

Unfortunately, "Do No Harm" suffers from a split personality of its own. Far more sentimental than thrilling — there are no real monsters under this hospital bed — it plays more like a mash-up of "A Gifted Man" and "The B— in Apartment 23."

-- LA Times

I do not plan to watch anything past the pilot, and I should have known better than to even start the pilot.  The show does not know what it wants to be - a decent doctor/patient show, though we have enough of those, or a monster-of-the-night show, which would need someone with much more of a dark side (and body count) to keep today's viewers interested.  NBC will need to go back to the drawing board with this one.

P.S.  That image above shows Stephen Pasquale throwing the remote control at the TV after viewing the pilot.  I know the feeling. 

Update: Do No Harm has been canceled by NBC after only two episodes.  No surprises here.

Screen Actors Guild Awards for 2013

The Screen Actors Guild had its 19th awards ceremony last week and sung praise to the following television programs (you can see the nominees here):

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ENSEMBLE IN A DRAMA SERIES 

-- Downton Abbey

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ENSEMBLE IN A COMEDY SERIES

-- Modern Family

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

-- Bryan Cranston, Walter White in Breaking Bad

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

-- Claire Danes, Carrie Mathison in Homeland

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

-- Alec Baldwin, Jack Donaghy in 30 Rock

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

 -- Tina Fey, Liz Lemon in 30 Rock

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A TELEVISION MOVIE OR MINISERIES

-- Kevin Costner, "Devil Anse" Hatfield in Hatfields & McCoys

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A TELEVISION MOVIE OR MINISERIES

-- Julianne Moore, as Sarah Palin in Game Change

I am most happy to see Alec Baldwin and Tina Fey recognized for their terrific work on 30 Rock, this year being the end of the series.  I am also pleased to see Kevin Costner on the awardee list for his excellent performance in Hatfields & McCoys.  The remaining awards were not too surprising.

Nashville for Guys: The Wedding Band

If you have not had a chance to view TBS's show The Wedding Band then it may be time to check it out.  I see it as the guy's version to ABC's Nashville, less drama and more comedy.  And while I am a fan of Connie Brittan and do not want to take anything away from her singing, I think you will also be surprised to see that Brian Austin Green (90201, Terminator:  The Sara Connor Chronicles) can carry a tune. 

The basic plot of The Wedding Band is four guys in Seattle joining up on weekends to become a wedding band, and the trials of making money while also having fun (and choosing among the female groupies after the show).  Green plays Tommy, he band leader and playboy, joined by Eddie (Peter Cambor from NCIS: Los Angeles) the dad, Barry (Derek Miller from Secret Girlfriend) who is Eddie's brother an a music store clerk by day, and Stevie (Harold Perrineau from Lost) who is the most recent and more accomplished member of the group.  The four band members are reigned in by event promoter Roxie Rutherford (Melora Hardin from The Office), and her assistant Rachel (Jenny Wade from The Good Guys).

Overall, each episode is a mini-movie with set-ups you would see in any goofy wedding-related movie, which is what makes it fun since you get to see the back story rather than the main story.  And the music is fun as well, with the songs available on iTunes (similar to the Nashville).  Check out their songs, such as Making Love Out of Nothing at All, Party Rock Anthem, and We Are Family.  I only recently learned that Green's father was a country-music singer and he plays the piano, drums and guitar.  In addition, Perrineau studied music and theater at the Shenandoah Conservatory.

Green spoke about the music in an interview with TheTVAddict.com: 

For the most part I knew the melodies, but most of the songs, I’ve got to be honest, when I got the lyric sheets my first thoughts were, “Oh, those are the words.  That’s not what we’ve been singing.” Like when you hear REM’s “End of the World as We Know It” and you go, “What is he talking about?!” I think the only thing anybody ever knew was “it’s the end of the world as we know it” and the rest of the words were completely unknown. So I’ve always had a bad habit of that. Just as I’m a huge music lover, I grew up listening to it.  But I’m one of those just because when I play — I play piano and drums — I connect way more with melodies usually than the lyrics. So the lyrics are usually the last thing that I learn, whereas a lot of other people I know really sit and study the lyrics first and the melody is kind of the last thing. So I didn’t know any of them. I knew pretty much none of the songs.

Sadly, the show was cancelled after only one season and 10 episodes (the last episode aired on January 19), so it will only live on iTunes and in reruns.  With all of the new fall programs, it was hard to get traction. Nonetheless, it is a small gem in the TV universe that deserves your attention.    

Whatever Happened to "The Farm"?

Do you remember all the talk about The Farm, an NBC spin-off from The Office where Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) would show us travails of running the family beet farm?  I thought about it recently now that The Office is winding down.

It appears NBC passed on the new show late last year, even though the pilot was filmed and ready to go.  According to Entertainment Weekly, Wilson tweeted:

NBC has passed on moving forward with The Farm TV show. Had a blast making the pilot — onwards & upwards!

We may still get to see the pilot as part of The Office sometime later this year.  Seeing Dwight and his family together will be fun however it happens.

You can watch Wilson talking about the new show on The Tonight Show last year.  He also talks about his time in Haiti on the clip.  And to learn more about what you will miss now that The Farm series is no more, here is a summary of the plot from We Got This Covered (much of which I hope we can see in the pilot episode on The Office):

 ...the potential new series will revolve around Dwight and his siblings reuniting after they inherit their family’s beet farm, which also doubles as a bed and breakfast.

...the characters joining Dwight on his new business venture include the following.
 
First, is Dwight’s younger sister Fannie. Despite trying to make it on her own in Boston, Fannie is forced to give up her urban ways and has to move back to the Schrute farm after her divorce.

Fannie, who has been described as having an ironic sense of humor, will be bringing her nine-year-old son Cameron with her. Dwight’s nephew, who is known to be slightly weird, feels linked to his family, especially his uncles.

Dwight and Fannie’s brother, Jeb, is seeking redemption on the family farm too as his previous career endeavors haven’t been successful.

Despite the Schrute siblings’ good intentions, their manipulative great uncle Heinrich Manheim joins them on the farm as well. He’s said to make an impression on the family after vowing to kill Dwight by the end of the first episode.

And if you want to see more of Rainn Wilson, check out the reshowing on SoulPancake tomorrow (February 3) at 1pm ET on the OWN cable channel (click here for a clip).  Wilson and Oprah discuss love:

What is love, anyway? Whatever it is, this four-letter word is one of the most fundamental human experiences. In a special hour-long presentation this Sunday, SoulPancake is exploring love through many lenses—meet some precocious kids, see mind-blowing art and hear three very different types of love stories.

You can also learn more about Wilson and see all of his videos at SoulPancake.com.