A Word or Two About New Year's Eve

Just a few final words on the New Year's Eve we are about to experience from John Oliver on HBO's Last Week Tonight.  In this video, he compares New Year's Eve to the death of a pet where "you know it is going to happen, but somehow you're never truly prepared for how awful it really is."  He recommends avoiding the whole evening, and provides a few excuses to use with friends, such as "simply tell them you are doing a cleanse."  So with all of this in mind, whatever your plans, I wish you all a very Happy New Year. 

Season Two of Penny Dreadful

Showtime has released a trailer for the upcoming season two of Penny Dreadful.  While it does not reveal much, it does appear that Vanessa Ives is coming to terms with her "condition."  The series, starring Josh Hartnett, Timothy Dalton and Eva Green, was a nice surprise earlier this year, being a mash up of various London-based or London-created demons.  And this was not your usual love triangle between a werewolf and vampire fighting over the girl, though of course there was some of that as well (as well as Frankenstein, Dorian Gray, and a few more twists).

In discussing season two during an interview with The Huffington Post, creator John Logan (who also wrote the movies Hugo, Skyfall, and Gladiator) had this to way about his acting team:  

They are a brilliant cast and they inspire me on a daily basis. The second season, in a way, was easier to write, in that I knew the actors' voices. Or, I should say, I knew the character's voices. And in a way, it was more challenging to write, because I realized these actors are capable of anything. They are fearless. So the limits I placed on myself in the first season, I took off in the second season. Because I know Eva Green will happily go there, and Josh will go there, and Tim will go there, and go there enthusiastically because they trust me and they trust in the central -- and this is important -- morality of our tale.

Season two will have a total of 10 episodes, compared to the 8 episodes of season one.  I look forward to the start on another great season.  In the meantime, the Penny Dreadful blog can provide some additional information on the series.
 

Black Mirror: See What You are Missing

Netflix did us all of favor by hosting two seasons of Britain's Black Mirror, a collection of self-contained dramas that are certain to leave you a little unsettled.  I wrote about this series years ago when it was hot in Britain yet less well-known here.  Well, now you can easily catch up and see it for yourself during the holiday break.  

Back in 2012 I wrote about the first season's three episodes.  Well, here is a little more on the second season's three episodes:

-- Be Right Back:  This episode involves a couple moving to the countryside, experiencing a tragedy, and trying to overcome it with technology.  As fascinating look at the danger of getting what you asked for.

-- White Bear:  This is a very disturbing look at crime and punishment, and how all of us have become voyeurs to a questionable justice system.  With all the stories in the news about police arrests gone bad, and the role of video cameras, this story could not be more timely. 

-- The Waldo Moment:  This final story says a lot about the electorate falling for the cynical candidate.  Again, a very timely story in a time of low poll ratings for Congress and poor voter turnout at elections.  I just hope we don't go this route.

A special holiday show called White Christmas was also broadcast in the UK recently, though it is not part of the Netflix collection.  The 90-minute series starred Jon Hamm and was showing in multiple parts.  Let's hope Netflix adds this story as well (I also found it was posted to YouTube).  And maybe we will even see a third season of Black Mirror at some point. 

A Great Discussion on 2014 TV Shows

I recommend you take a look at Slate magazine's series called The TV Club.  Seventeen posts are already available discussing some of best shows in 2014.  You can also see each of the critics top 10 favorite shows of the year.  The critics include Maureen Ryan (Huffington Post), Willa Paskin (Slate), June Thomas (Slate), and James Poniewozik (Time).  The critics discuss whether Fargo or True Detective was the better series, the advantages of streaming shows, the death of the sitcom, and much more.

By the way, here is Maureen Ryan's favorite shows of 2014 to start the debate.  I will have my own list later.

1. The Americans
2.  Enlisted  
3. Happy Valley 
4. Jane the Virgin 
5. Orange Is the New Black 
6. Penny Dreadful 
7. Rectify 
8. Review 
9. Transparent 
10. You’re the Worst 

New Years Video: Some Things to Remember in 2014

Jib Jab put together a concise (and funny) video highlighting the craziness of 2014.  The Sony computer hack is only the latest in a long line of events that make you wonder if the world went mad, from ISIS and Putin to Ebola and Cosby.  Let's hope 2015 is a little better.

Christmas Video: David Bowie and Bing Crosby

Here is a clip from 1977 showing David Bowie and Bing Crosby singing The Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth.  The website OpenCulture provides a little bit of background: 

In 1977, just a short month before Bing Crosby died of a heart attack, the 40s crooner hosted David Bowie, the glam rocker, on his Christmas show. The awkwardness of the meeting is palpable. An older, crusty Crosby had no real familiarity with the younger, androgynous Bowie, and Bowie wasn’t crazy about singing The Little Drummer Boy. So, shortly before the show’s taping, a team of writers had to frantically retool the song, blending the traditional Christmas song with a newly-written tune called Peace on Earth...After one hour of rehearsal, the two singers recorded The Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth and made a little classic. The Washington Post has the backstory on the strange Bing-Bowie meeting. 

Merry Christmas!

Another Superhero - This Time on Netflix

Now that Marco Polo is out the door, Netflix can prepare for the 13-episode series Daredevil.  Marvel Comics is testing out new venues for its character, and Ben Affleck has nothing to do with this version.  Instead, Charlies Cox will play the main character, blind lawyer by day, dark crime-fighter by night.

And be prepared for some violent scenes, as Entertainment Weekly noted:

 It’s a more grounded depiction of violence than we’re used to seeing in Marvel movies. But that seems to be the goal. Charlie Cox described Daredevil as “a character [who] suits a slightly older audience,” and Netflix affords the creative team the ability to go darker “without alienating anyone.”

After Daredevil, watch for other superheros to appear, including Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and Luke Cage.  Yes, Netflix is serious about taking Marvel to a whole new level, assuming we do not tire out of these heroes by then.   

More Christmas Specials

With only about a week left until Christmas, here are a few more shows to get you into the holiday spirit.

-- Michael Buble's Christmas in New York (NBC, Dec. 17, 8pm ET)

-- Greatest Holiday Commercials Countdown (CW, Dec. 17, 8pm ET)

-- I Want a Dog For Christmas, Charlie Brown! (ABC, Dec. 20, 8pm ET)

-- Rudolph's Shiny New Year (ABC Family, Dec. 22, 5:30pm ET)

-- The Year Without a Santa Claus (ABC Family, Dec. 22, 7:30pm ET)

-- One Direction:  The TV Special (NBC, Dec. 23, 8pm ET)

TV Award Nominations This Week

The Golden Globes nominees were revealed earlier this week, which included the following television categories and nominees:

-- Best TV Series, Drama:  Downton Abbey, The Affair, Game of Thrones, House of Cards, and The Good Wife

-- Best TV Series, Musical or Comedy:  Orange is the New Black, Girls, Jane the Virgin, Transparent, and Silicon Valley

-- Best TV Movie or Mini-Series:  Olive Kitteridge, Fargo, The Missing, True Detective, and The Normal Heart

I was glad to see The Affair and Fargo on the list, two new shows this year that provided a unique experience for viewers.   I was hoping to see Outlander as well, another terrific new series.  And I expect Netflix (House of Cards and Orange is the New Black) and Amazon (Transparent) will be please to see three of their shows on the nominee list as well, providing further evidence that the non-TV content providers are here to stay. The winners will be announced January 11th.

The Screen Actors Guild also revealed its nominees this week, so you may want to visit this list as well.  HBO had the highest number of nominations, with 14 nominees, followed by 5 nominees each for ABC, Netflix, and Showtime.  The winners will be announced January 25th.  

Ascension: Wagon Train to the Stars

Syfy's three-night mini-series Ascension begins Monday night (Dec. 15), and it looks like the beginning of a full series if all goes well.  The basic story relates to a JFK-era space mission to save the human race by sending a new Noah's ark to a distant planet.  We get involved in the story about 50 years into the mission after a murder takes place.  Is this CGI meets Lost in Space? Maybe, but I am hoping for more.  You can find a trailer here. 

One of the stars in the new series is Tricia Helfer, who you may remember as the beautiful yet treacherous cylon from Battlestar Galactica.  In her former state, she is not a woman you would want on a long space mission.  Hopefully, her character is a little more helpful in this series.  

According to TV Guide, Syfy is thinking about the future as well:
 
"We're already thinking about Ascension becoming a series if [the mini] does well," says Bill McGoldrick, Syfy's executive vice president of original content. "We've made a huge commitment here, creatively and financially. It would be great to get the band back together." The set of the ship alone is a budget-buster: five stories tall with a fully functioning elevator at its center.

However, Variety magazine does not see such a future:

In the broad strokes, it’s hard not to admire Syfy’s bet on something of this magnitude without the sort of built-in following or name recognition that’s normally considered a prerequisite to such a launch. Even “Galactica,” after all, was a reboot of an existing title.

You can decide for yourself next week.

Netfix Brings Us Marco Polo

Netflix continues to offer its own content, this time in the form of the historic tale of Marco Polo. And this history you can absorb over the holidays and come away all the better because of it.  While we all know the story, here is Netflix's short summary: 

"Marco Polo" is an epic adventure that follows the early years of the famous explorer as he travels the exotic Silk Road to the great Kublai Khan’s court. But Marco soon finds that navigating the Khan’s world of greed, betrayal, sexual intrigue and rivalry will be his greatest challenge yet, even as he becomes a trusted companion to the Khan in his violent quest to become the Emperor of the World. 

Here is the trailer if you want to see for yourself. 

You may remember another version of this story back in 2007 with Ian Somerhalder in the role of Marco and Brian Dennehy playing Kubliai Khan (don't ask). It was not a great retelling, but had its moments. In this latest version it appears Netflix had more funding and better casting. 

And we can expect even more original shows from Netflix in the future. Earlier this week Netflix stated it had plans to roll out as many as 20 original series or seasons of original series each year. That is a lot of new shows at a time other content providers, including the networks, cable companies, and streaming services (from Amazon to Crackle) are doing the same.  Good news for viewers, but we will have to be much more discerning if we want to find time to eat and sleep.

What is the Red Tent?

Tomorrow night and Monday night Lifetime will broadcast a new miniseries called The Red Tent, based on the the novel of the same name by Anita Diamant. Here is how Lifetime describes the new show:

“The Red Tent” is a sweeping tale that takes place during the times of the Old Testament, told through the eyes of Dinah, the daughter of Leah and Jacob. Airing over two nights, the all-star cast includes Academy Award, Golden Globe and Emmy nominee Minnie Driver (“Return to Zero,” “About a Boy”), Emmy nominee Morena Baccarin (“Homeland”), Golden Globe nominee Rebecca Ferguson (“The White Queen”), Iain Glen (“Game of Thrones”), Will Tudor (“Game of Thrones”) and Academy Award, Golden Globe and Emmy nominee Debra Winger (“Terms of Endearment”).

The miniseries begins with Dinah’s (Ferguson) happy childhood spent inside the red tent where the women of her tribe gather and share the traditions and turmoil of ancient womanhood. The film recounts the story of Dinah’s mothers Leah (Driver), Rachel (Baccarin), Zilpah and Bilhah, the four wives of Jacob (Glen). Dinah matures and experiences an intense love that subsequently leads to a devastating loss, and the fate of her family is forever changed. Winger portrays Rebecca, Jacob’s mother while Tudor stars as Joseph, Dinah’s brother.

With the movie Exodus: Gods and Kings also coming to theaters next week, it may be a good time pull out the Bible and read along.  And with so many Game of Thrones actors coming over to The Red Tent, you might just think the series will have its own share of violence, and you are not wrong.  Take a look at the trailer and you will see what I mean.  

Profile: Donal Logue

You have seen him in Gotham, Terriers, and Vikings, just to name of few of the television series where he plays a key role.  Donal Logue is the ever-present and likable actor that everyone sees yet no one seems to talk about, until now.  Rolling Stone magazine had a good article on the actor titled "The Ultimate 'That Guy' Guy." 

I recommend the article if you want to learn a few more facts about this talented actor, including how he started his career with the Boston punk band roadie and nowadays, with off and on work, how he maintains his own trucking company on the side.

I am not overly impressed with the script in Gotham, but that is not Donal Logue's fault.  However, I recommend viewing his work in Vikings and particularly Terriers if you want to see some terrific acting (Donal even spoke about a Terrier movie in this Collider interview).  His laid back style works whether he plays a warlord or a drunken detective.  He deserves more recognition than he gets, but he seems to be happy with whatever comes his way. 

TV Quote: The End of Television?

"It's kind of like the horse, you know, the horse was good until we had the car,...The age of broadcast TV will probably last until 2030."

-- Netflix CEO Reed Hastings' comment on the future of television as reported in The Hollywood Reporter.

Mark Your Calendar for Christmas Specials

Christmas is coming and you don't want to miss these upcoming holiday specials.  Each can bring back a piece of your childhood and/or prepare your children for the season.  Here are some programs and dates to remember:

-- Frosty the Snowman (CBS, Nov. 28, 9 ET/PT)

-- A Charlie Brown Christmas (ABC, Dec. 2, 8:30 ET/PT) 

-- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (CBS, Dec. 9, 8 ET/PT)

-- Santa Claus is Comin' to Town (ABC, Dec. 9, 8 ET/PT)

-- Frosty Returns (CBS, Dec. 13, 9:30 ET/PT)

-- Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas (ABC, Dec. 25, 8:30 ET/PT): 

Fourth Set of Pilots Coming to Amazon

Watch out for seven new Amazon Original pilots coming in 2015, continuing evidence that Amazon is serious about competing with Netflix to become the non-television network.  With new shows still rolling out from its previous three pilot sessions, where viewers get to rate each pilot and help to decide which will become a full series, the process continues with seven newly announced program ideas.  

The number of well-known TV stars participating in these new series is impressive, while the show ideas range from Virginia-based country stories (Cocked and Point of Honor) to variety shows (The New Yorker Presents) and science fiction (The Man in the High Castle).  It is shaping up to be the broadest and hopefully best pilot offering yet. 

-- Cocked:  Created by Sam Baum (Lie to Me) and Sam Shaw (Manhattan – TV series), Cocked stars Sam Trammell (True Blood) as Richard Paxson, a family man and corporate lap dog who left his family in rural Virginia twenty years before and vowed never to go back. After some unfortunate circumstances, he is forced to leave the big city and return home to help his family’s gun business—one of the oldest in the country. But no good deed goes unpunished. Older brother Grady Paxson, played by Jason Lee (My Name is Earl), who’s a bachelor, playboy and gun aficionado, isn’t so happy to have him back, and Richard’s liberal wife and two opinionated teenage children are horrified by the world they have been thrown into. Hilarity, epic fights and emotional breakdowns ensue. Cocked also stars Brian Dennehy (The Good Wife) as Wade Paxson, Laura Fraser (Breaking Bad) as Hannah Paxson, and Dreama Walker (The Good Wife) as Tabby Paxson. The hour-long dark comedy pilot is directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts (Skull Island), and Erwin Stoff (Unbroken), Shaw, and Baum are Executive Producers. 

-- Down Dog:  Blessed with good looks, a winning smile, hippie parents and a Southern California upbringing, life has been relatively easy thus far for Logan Wood (played by Josh Casaubon, I Just Want My Pants Back). In his late 30's, having coasted through romances with countless women and various random jobs, he now teaches yoga to the trophy wives, hot moms and aspiring celebrities of Santa Monica and Venice Beach. And he's damn good at it. But when Logan and his current girlfriend, a successful and attractive older woman named Amanda (played by Paget Brewster, Criminal Minds) who happens to be the owner of the yoga studio, break up, life starts to get more complicated. Down Dog also stars Lyndsy Fonseca (How I Met Your Mother), Will Greenberg (Halt and Catch Fire), Andrea Savage (The Life and Times of Tim), Amir Talai (American Dad), Kris Kristofferson (Lone Star), and Alysia Reiner (Orange is the New Black). The pilot is written by Robin Schiff (Are You There, Chelsea?), produced by Bob Cooper (RFK) and Michael Fuchs (Death in the Modern Age), and directed by Bradley Silberling (Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events). 

-- Mad Dogs:  Mad Dogs is an hour-long dark comedy created by Cris Cole (The Bill), and Executive Produced by Cole, Shawn Ryan (The Shield) and Marney Hochman (Last Resort), Andy Harries (DCI Banks), Suzanne Mackie (All in Good Time), and Charles McDougall (The Mindy Project). Based on the hit UK series, Mad Dogs follows the twisted reunion of a group of underachieving forty-something friends—a mixture of single, married and recently divorced—who are all at different crossroads in their lives. Celebrating the early retirement of an old friend at his gorgeous Belize villa, grudges begin to emerge and secrets explode as their trip becomes a labyrinthine nightmare of lies, deception and murder. Mad Dogs is a twisted tale of friendship put to the ultimate test. As an inconceivable chain of events unfolds, cracks within the group widen before the friends realize that the only people they can trust are each other, the last people they want to be relying on. The pilot stars Steve Zahn (Dallas Buyers Club) as Cobi, Billy Zane (Twin Peaks) as Milo, Romany Malco (Weeds) as Gus, Michael Imperioli (The Sopranos) as Lex, and Ben Chaplin (World without End) as Joel. Mad Dogs is directed by McDougall and is being co-produced with Sony Pictures Television. 

The Man in the High Castle:  Based on Philip K. Dick's Hugo Award-winning 1962 alternative history, The Man in the High Castle considers the question of what would have happened if the Allied Powers had lost World War II. Some 20 years after that loss, the United States and much of the world has now been split between Japan and Germany, the major hegemonic states. But the tension between these two powers is mounting, and this stress is playing out in the western U.S. Through a collection of characters in various states of posing (spies, sellers of falsified goods, others with secret identities), The Man in the High Castle provides an intriguing tale about life and history as it relates to authentic and manufactured reality. The hour-long dramatic pilot stars Alexa Davalos (Mob City) as Juliana Crain, Luke Kleintank (Pretty Little Liars) as Joe Blake, Rupert Evans (The Village) as Frank Frink, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (Mortal Kombat Legacy) as Tagomi, Joel De La Fuente (Hemlock Grove) as Inspector Kido, Rufus Sewell (Eleventh Hour) as John Smith and DJ Qualls (Z Nation) as Ed McCarthy. The pilot is directed by David Semel (Madam Secretary, Heroes) and written by Frank Spotnitz (The X-Files), both serving as Executive Producers. Also executive producing are Ridley Scott and David W. Zucker, with co-executive producer Jordan Sheehan of Scott Free Productions (The Good Wife, The Andromeda Strain), and Executive Producers Stewart Mackinnon and Christian Baute of Headline Pictures (The Invisible Woman). In addition, Isa Dick Hackett will executive produce and Kalen Egan will co-executive produce on behalf of Electric Shepherd (The Adjustment Bureau). Christopher Tricarico (May in the Summer) is also Executive Producer. 

The New Yorker Presents:  America’s most award-winning magazine comes to life in this half hour docu-series pilot. The New Yorker Presents is a completely unique viewing experience that features Tony-Award winner Alan Cumming (The Good Wife) and actor Brett Gelman (Go On) in a short film based on a story by Simon Rich (Saturday Night Live) and directed by Emmy Award-winning director Troy Miller (Arrested Development); a poem by Matthew Dickman; a documentary by Academy Award-winning director Jonathan Demme (The Silence of the Lambs) about biologist Tyrone Hayes based on a Rachel Aviv article; and an interview with famous performance artist, Marina Abramović, conducted by The New Yorker writer Ariel Levy. Academy Award-winning documentarian Alex Gibney (Taxi to the Dark Side) is Executive Producer, joined by Dave Snyder (Death Row Stories) and Dawn Ostroff (The Fashion Fund). The pilot is co-produced by Condé Nast Entertainment and Jigsaw Productions. 

Point of Honor:  At the start of the Civil War, a Virginia family, led by their West Point bred son, John Rhodes (played by Nathan Parsons, True Blood), makes the controversial decision to defend the South while freeing all of their slaves. At battle against his northern brethren and his best friend and brother-in-law Robert Sumner (played by Christopher O’Shea, Baby Daddy), John leaves his three strong-willed sisters at home to run the plantation that is now without a free labor source. The choice to protect the life they have always known and defend the moral high ground will pit the family against one another and test their strength, courage and love. An hour-long drama shot entirely on-location in historic Virginia, Point of Honor also stars Annabelle Stephenson (Revenge) as Kate Rhodes, Riley Voelkel (The Newsroom) as Lorelei Rhodes, Hanna Mangan Lawrence (Old School) as Estella Rhodes, Patrick Heusinger (Revolution) as Colonel Palmer Kane, Luke Benward (Ravenswood) as Garland Rhodes, Adrienne Warren (Black Box) as Abby, Lucien Laviscount (Waterloo Road) as Elijah, and James Harvey Ward (Low Winter Sun) as Cutler. The pilot is directed by Randall Wallace (Braveheart), written by Carlton Cuse (Lost) and Wallace, and Executive Produced by Cuse, Wallace and Barry Jossen (Sex and the City). Point of Honor is being co-produced with ABC Signature Studios. 

Salem Rogers:  In this half-hour comedy, Leslie Bibb (About a Boy) plays Salem Rogers, an overly confident, outrageously blunt, and hard-partying former supermodel who is forced to face her past and re-enter the real world after ten years in a posh rehab center. Intent on recreating her glamorous lifestyle and modeling success, she tracks down Agatha (played by Rachel Dratch, Saturday Night Live), her former assistant who has since built a career as an author of self-help books to help her win back the spotlight. Salem Rogers also stars Jane Kaczmarek (Malcolm in the Middle), Brad Morris (Playing House), Harry Hamlin (Mad Men), Toks Olagundoye (The Neighbors), Brad Morris (Cougar Town) and Scott Adsit (30 Rock). The pilot is written by newcomer Lindsey Stoddart, Executive Produced by Will Graham (The Onion News Network) and directed by Mark Waters (Mean Girls). Salem Rogers was submitted as part of the studio’s online screenplay submission process. 

Update:  Starting January 15th, the pilots will be available on Amazon.

Even More Reasons to Watch Parks and Recreation

If you miss the Parks and Recreation characters played by Rashida Jones and Rob Lowe since they moved away to Michigan to start a family, do not worry. You shall see them again in the last season of the show, according to TV Guide.  And an extra surprise will be the return of Jon Hamm from Mad Men for one episode.  More reasons to tune into this great show about zany local politics in Indiana.

Mozart in the Jungle Returns to Amazon Next Month

Think of it as an early Christmas gift.  On December 23rd, Amazon will make all 10 episodes of its new series Mozart in the Jungle available for streaming.  The show, starring Gael Garcia Bernal, Saffron Burrows and Hannah Dunne, was part of the second slate of pilots premiered by Amazon earlier this year.  It was one of four proposed pilot that I enjoyed, the others including Transparent which is already streaming and was renewed for a second season (you can view my earlier comments here). You can still view the pilot for free at Amazon.  

Not everyone was impressed with the pilot.  Here is what New York magazine's Vulture page had to say:   

The idea of a show about the secretly debauched world of classical music is fantastic, and the dramatic potential within any rigidly stratified power structure (like a symphony) is tremendous. But Mozart’s going for comedy, and it doesn’t quite get there; the tone of the show just doesn’t make sense. A sequence about how different kinds of instrumentalists make for different kinds of sexual partners (percussionists have great rhythm, jazz musicians like “ensembles,” etc.) feels more like a bumper sticker come to life than an actual conversation anyone would ever have, and exchanges like, “Do your lips hurt after playing like that?” “They used to … but now they’re used to being abused” might as well be from an oboe-themed porno (The Big O-boe?). At one point, Hailey heads back to her massive warehouse apartment, where she discovers her roommate is mid-party. Of course everyone is a musician, and of course this devolves into a drinking game/spin the bottle/instrument-playing contest, and if there’s anything dumber-looking than fake oboe-playing, it’s fake flute-playing. Sorry, Mozart.

I am willing to see a few more episodes before I make a final decision on its merits.

Season Five Preview: Portlandia

Go here to view the season five trailer of IFC's Portlandia and prepare yourself for the insanity when the program returns on January 8th.  Season five promises arson, marriage proposals, milk, female writers, whales, and more.  Intrigued?  Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein put their hearts into every episode and find a new way to poke at current culture, from Portland to elsewhere.  For more fun, go here to see Carrie Brownstein explain the show's perspective with John Hodgman at a comedy forum.  And go here to see Fred and Carrie as their bookstore characters at another public forum.

TV Guide Criticizes Supernatural for Teasing Gay Audience

A recent article in TV Guide by Sadie Gennis, "Supernatural Has a Queerbaiting Problem That Needs to Stop," was a pretty strong article for a magazine that usually has nothing but nice things to say about the industry, including the Supernatural franchise (which her parent company produces).  

Her basic premise was that the writers of the series are not strong enough to have a bisexual lead, so they will only take Dean's teasing comments so far before pulling back.  She also states that Jensen Ackles and the whole production will crush any attempts to discuss his characters sexuality in the fan forums.  For instance:

But alas, all questions about sexuality are allegedly banned at conventions, a move which doesn't exactly incur the good faith of the LGBTQ community.  The most famous incident of the ban being put into action occurred at a New Jersey convention in 2013. A teenage girl was given the opportunity to ask the actors a question, but she got as far as mentioning the words "bisexual" (in relation to herself) and "subtext" (in relation to Dean) before getting cut off and booed, and Ackles eventually warned her not "ruin it for everybody."

I think Ms. Gennis is taking the horsing around on Supernatural too seriously.  The Winchester boys let a lot of comments fly about sexuality and pop culture all the time, and they do it with a wink.  That is what makes the show so much fun.   Homoerotic banter is pretty common in the everyday culture and Supernatural is putting it out there.  Whether some of the fan base runs with it is a separate affair.  And the very fact that the brothers acknowledge a fan base in the show and discuss the related slash they have generated is another big wink to the audience where they are almost telling us to behave because they are watching us watching them. 

Again, it is all in fun, and after 200 episodes I believe many would agree.  As Jensen would say, Ms. Gennis, don't ruin it for everybody.

The Return of Longmire?

Netflix is considering picking up the fourth season of Longmire, which is great news for fans of the show who did not like the way A&E dropped it after three seasons with no closure.  As I noted earlier, I think this was a dumb decision for A&E and hopefully Netflix will see an opportunity to revive a great program, as it did with the fourth season of The Killing (though a fifth season of The Killing is not in the works). 

The Wall Street Journal earlier reported that Longmire was dropped because of its audience:

A&E said it pulled the plug on "Longmire" because it appeals primarily to older viewers—the median age of the show's viewers is 60 versus 48 for the network as a whole.

That's just great.  A show that appeals to older viewers, and even pokes fun at a sheriff who doesn't own a cell phone, is dropped because not enough teenagers have time to watch quality television.  What a brilliant strategy, A&E.  The WSJ article later noted this short-sightedness:

Advertisers acknowledge they place a premium on younger viewers but some think it is shortsighted to ignore aging baby boomers and cling to those old clichés that people over the age 50 are less likely to change brands.

Let's hope Netflix is a little smarter.  

Update:  Netflix has renewed Longmire for a fourth season.   Ten new episodes should appear in 2015.  Who knows, but this may be the start of a whole new life for the show with more seasons.  Of course, even one solid season with closure is welcome.  

Don't Miss "The Missing"

Tonight on Starz you can catch the premiere of The Missing, the story of a father seeking his 5-year old son who disappeared while the family was vacationing in France.  And this is not one of those supernatural shows where the child reappears years later at the same age unable to explain what happened.  Instead, this is about a suffering parent and the criminal justice system.  I am not expecting any happy endings here, but from what I have seen I will be happy with the work of the excellent actors in this 8-part series.  

In describing the show, The Washington Post reviewer states:

As the story continually yet seamlessly toggles between the sun-dappled summer of 2006 and the bleak, late winter of 2014, viewers gradually learn the intricacy of the circumstances leading to Ollie’s vanishing — and why and how the case went cold. Ollie was never found, but Tony has come back because he thinks he has spotted a clue in a recent photograph; his efforts to rekindle his ex-wife’s interest in the case seem mostly for naught, though she also remains deeply wounded by the loss of her son.

You can view a trailer for the show here.  

Update:  Starz has renewed The Missing for a second season.   The new season will follow a new storyline with different characters. 

More Fun with Season Two of Atlantis

BBC America's Atlantis returns tomorrow night (November 15th) for its second season, and you may want to add it to your TV list if you are looking for a light dramedy at the end of a long day.  Think of it as the Greek version of Once Upon a Time, where the myths and tales come not from Disney but a much older source.  You can watch Jason, Pythagoras, and Hercules play the part of an upgraded three stooges, with Medusa as a side-kick, as they stumble from one ancient myth to another.  After the seriousness of all our demon and superhero programs, the light touch of this series is welcome. 

This storyline from BBC America will bring you up to speed for season two, but don't read it just yet if you want to start from the beginning:

Season one introduced Jason, a young man who went in search of his missing father and ended up on the shores of the ancient fabled city of Atlantis – a magical place filled with secrets and deceit to which Jason seems inexplicably bound. Befriended by Hercules and Pythagoras, Jason embarked on an epic adventure, battling against some of the most famous names of Greek legend, often in unexpected guises. Before long Jason caught the eye and heart of the beautiful Ariadne, the princess of Atlantis whose family and royal standing restricts who she may love. As a result, Jason discovered the treachery of Atlantis’ rulers, particularly Queen Pasiphae. But Jason found guidance and protection with the revered Oracle (Juliet Stevenson, The Hour). He learned from the soothsayer that it’s no mistake he happened upon the shores of the famed city – it was fate.

The season one finale shockingly revealed that Pasiphae is in fact Jason’s mother. But as season two begins it’s clear that Pasiphae’s desire to reign has not abated and rivalry with step daughter Ariadne has taken her to new depths. Jason’s personal involvement with Ariadne is surely a complication for Pasiphae, but will the knowledge that Jason is her flesh and blood weaken her resolve? As the battle for the throne intensifies loyalties are tested to the limit and the responsibilities of duty become increasingly unforgiving. These difficult times require hard choices for all as secrets and lies become the currency of choice and no one is immune to betrayal. As the kingdom is threatened with destruction, the time has come for Jason to fulfill his destiny – or Atlantis will be lost beneath the waves forever.

Try it out.  The show grows on you. 

Sing Along with Supernatural

Tonight is the 200th episode of Supernatural, and the brothers have a fun show in store for fans.  It seems Sam and Dean stumbled upon a school musical portraying their lives as hunters.  Will the brothers sing a song?  Well, we already heard Dean's voice earlier this season on karaoke night, and that may be enough for a few years.  But Sam may want to give it a try.  It's good to know that the boys can take a break from heaven and hell to support the arts.  For a preview you can click here. 

The Last Season of The Newsroom

Tonight HBO begins its broadcast of the third and last season of The Newsroom.  This controversial program, which started by retelling news story from the past with better informed reporters, by the second season morphed into a drama about one fictional news story that when awry.  I am not sure if Aaron Sorkin was tired of the bad press, or wanted to try his hand at a new story altogether.  Luckily, whatever approach he used, we were still able to watch Jeff Daniels as the dedicated and over-the-top Will McAvoy.  Whether his politics are left or right, he is worth watching in his role as the lonely newsman.  Of course, he is surrounded by an excellent cast that shine to the point of brilliance when a topic starts to spin around the newsroom.

You have to watch the opening scene in the 2012 pilot episode to understand how this show enraged parts of America by taking a soft question about "Why is America the Greatest Country in the World?" and turning it on its head.  It is riveting television with something for both political parties, though I doubt they were paying attention. Here it is again:

And yeah you, sorority girl, just in case you accidentally wander into a voting booth one day, there are some things you should know. And one of them is there is absolutely no evidence to support the statement that we’re the greatest country in the world. We’re 7th in literacy, 27th in math, 22nd in science, 49th in life expectancy, 178th in infant mortality, third in median household income, number four in labor force and number four in exports. 

We lead the world in only three categories. Number of incarcerated citizens per capita, number of adults who believe angels are real and defense spending where we spend more than the next 26 countries combined 25 of whom are allies. Now none of this is the fault of a 20 year-old college student but you nonetheless are without a doubt a member of the worst period generation period ever period. So when you ask what makes us the greatest country in the world, I don’t know what the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) you’re talking about. Yosemite?

It sure used to be. We stood up for what was right. We fought for moral reasons. We passed laws, struck down laws for moral reasons. We waged wars on poverty, not poor people. We sacrificed, we cared about our neighbors, we put our money where our mouths were and we never beat our chests. We built great big things, made ungodly technological advances, explored the universe, cured diseases, and cultivated the world’s greatest artists and the world’s greatest economy. We reached for the stars, acted like men, we aspired to intelligence, we didn’t belittle it, it didn’t make us feel inferior.

We didn’t identify ourselves by who we voted for in the last election and we didn’t scare so easy. We were able to be all these things and do all these things because we were informed, by great men, men who were revered. First step in solving any problem is recognizing there is one. America is not the greatest country in the world anymore. Enough?

As with other loud and proud Sorkin productions, such as The West Wing, I will miss The Newsroom.  It may be a soapbox with opinions that rattle the masses, but we need the soapboxes on the street corner.  It is too easy to say "good enough," ignore complex issues, and not work to push the country to a better place for everyone.  Will a television show make a difference?  Well, it is not clear that even an election will make a difference, but we have to try.

Update:  The first episode got off with a bang - literally - with the Boston Marathon bombing.  Will and team are back to their old tricks of re-spinning old news, but it is fun to watch.   And it seems our Bigfoot-hunting friend Neal Sampat (Dev Patel) may have a larger role this year as a new investigation unfolds, while Maggie (Alison Pill) steps up and starts to shine.  

Nick Offerman at Home Depot

You might enjoy this clip of Nick Offerman from Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.  Nick is instrumental in saving a marriage at Home Depot as the video highlights the advantages of human intervention versus robotic helpers. 

I am not sure if robots are truly coming to Lowe's, but my vote is for more of Offerman and a little less technology.  And if you have watched Nick in Parks and Recreation, you know that he will probably come over to your house and build a table and chairs in an afternoon.  He is that kind of guy.