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The computer industry and all its developmental quirks appears to be the new hot topic. In addition to Amazon's Betas and HBO's Silicon Valley showing the state of the present day industry, the latest season of AMC's Mad Men had a storyline that included the installation of an IBM 360 computer system in the heart of the advertising agency during the late 1960s. And now AMC has Halt and Catch Fire, premiering June 1, covering the personal computer industry battles from the 1980s. You can watch the pilot episode on Tumblr if you cannot wait until Sunday.
Here is the basic story from AMC:
Halt and Catch Fire is set
roughly one year after IBM all but corners the market with the release
of its first major product – the IBM PC. In this fictional drama, a
former IBM executive, Joe MacMillan (Lee Pace) plans to reverse engineer
the flagship product of his former employer and forces his current
company, Cardiff Electric, into the personal computer race. MacMillan
enlists the help of Gordon Clark (Scoot McNairy), a great engineer whose
unrealized dreams of creating a revolutionary product have created
tension in his marriage to Donna (Kerry Bishé), and Cameron Howe
(Mackenzie Davis), a volatile prodigy who puts her future in jeopardy to
join MacMillan's rogue PC project. Halt and Catch Fire thrives on the
spirit of innovation and explores what it's like to stand at the
forefront of something world-changing and work towards it, no matter the
risk.
I watched the first episode and look forward to seeing more. In some ways I wish this was a real tale since I expect the PC battles were pretty fierce, with the nasty match up between IBM and Apple taking front and center. However, this fictional approach may allow AMC to bring together the best stories into one show. Also, I expect most of the industry players do not want their dirty laundry exposed. As we see in the last few minutes of the pilot, the computer industry can be pretty litigious.
Note: "Halt and Catch Fire" is a computer term and not a rip off from the Hunger Games.
If you were not thrilled with Starz's Black Sails, and I was not, then you may be reluctant to commit to another pirate series. But then I saw the new NBC series Crossbones, starting May 30th, stars John Malkovich, and that makes all the difference.
Here is the basic story (and the trailer shows even more of the story):
It's 1729. On the secret island of Santa Compana, Edward Teach,
better known as the barbarous pirate Blackbeard (Emmy winner John
Malkovich, "Death of a Salesman," "Red"), reigns over a rogue nation of
thieves, outlaws and miscreants. Part shantytown, part utopia, part
marauder's paradise, this is a place like no other.
Blackbeard has designs on the longitude chronometer, an invention
that will change the world. During a massive attack on an English
vessel, his most trusted pirates attempt to steal the device. But on
board is Tom Lowe (Richard Coyle, "Covert Affairs"), an English spy
working undercover as ship's surgeon. Lowe's mission is to prevent the
chronometer from falling into the hands of pirates - and to assassinate
Blackbeard, should the opportunity arise.
Taken as prisoner to Santa Compana, Lowe must find a way to
reassemble the precious chronometer, all while trying to uncover
Blackbeard's master plan - a plan that includes a greater threat to the
English throne than merely pirates...
So far, the story looks a little too familiar to Black Sails. In Black Sails you had a pretend cook stealing a secret map and then memorizing the details to save his life. In Crossbones you have a pretend cook stealing secrets related to a chronometer and then memorizing the details to save his life. Black Sails became tiresome with the battle over the map and the rest of the story seemed to disappear into nothingness. Maybe NBC can do better. One thing NBC cannot do is turn the show into soft porn since it is a major network, which may work to its advantage since they will have to do some work to keep viewers interested.
Ten episodes were ordered and it should be a fun show for the summer. Buried treasure? We shall see.
If you missed the May 22nd premiere of Fox's new show Gang Related, don't get too upset. I saw it and was upset with the bad acting and boring plot. The only redeeming quality was the acting by Terry O'Quinn, which is always on the mark. What set my off was the death of the main character's partner and friend at the start of the first episode (I would say SPOILER ALERT, but who really cares?). This plot device has been overdone. If you want to do something unique, save this scene for the end of the season or even the end of the series as was done in Southland. Then you have something different for the audience (and mind-blowing in the case of Southland).
And this week we have a new medical show on NBC called The Night Shift, premiering May 27, and another dating show on NBC called Undateable, premiering May 29.
Here is the quick set up for The Night Shift (it goes on and on, but this is the highlight on the main characters):
At San Antonio Memorial, the men and women who work the night shift
are an irreverent and special breed, particularly adrenaline junkie TC
Callahan (Eoin Macken, "Merlin"). After three grueling tours of duty in
Afghanistan, TC is about to learn that his toughest battles will be
fought right here at home.
He and his irreverent team of late-night docs, including his best
friend Topher (Ken Leung, "Lost") and protégé Drew (Brendan Fehr,
"Roswell"), know how to let off steam with the casual prank or two, but
when lives are at stake, they are all business.
The New York Times did not have much praise for the new show, stating:
In short, don’t look for the depth of “House,” “Grey’s Anatomy”
or other top-flight medical dramas here. But if preposterous,
pulse-pounding pileups of bizarre accidents and obscure medical
conditions appeal to you, sure, put the trashy beach novel aside and
help yourself.
As far as Undateable, it is still debatable if this is worth getting off the couch or even reaching for the remote (getting it online is even more work, so just forget about it). Here is how NBC tries to sell the new show: "Whether it's due to a lack of style, the wrong job or even just a bad
haircut, everyone goes through a time in their lives when they're
undateable." Really? All I can add is: Whether it's due to a lack of good writing, the wrong actors or even a bad camera angle, every show goes through a time in its life when its unwatchable. Enough said.
If you are a fan of Star Trek: The Next Generation, then the wide-eyed wonder of Ensign Crusher is fixed in your mind. As much as Jean Luc Picard will forever represent the most capable captain of the USS Enterprise (sorry Kirk), Wesley Crusher stood in for all of us with his wonder and respect for the ship and the crew. Geeky? Yes. But it should ring true to any good Trekkie and will most likely generate an eager audience for Ensign Crusher, aka Wil Wheaton, and his new SyFy show The Wil Wheaton Project.
The new series premieres tomorrow night (May 27) as a 30-minute review of popular culture with an emphasis on science fiction. Here is the network's spin:
The Wil Wheaton Project is a weekly topical comedy show hosted
by actor, blogger and champion of geek culture Wil Wheaton. The
30-minute show is a fast-paced, lighthearted exploration and
celebration of all things within the realm of science fiction and genre
entertainment. Each week, Wil provides his insider point-of-view,
sense of humor and genre expertise as he dissects the week’s most
popular and trending topics across science fiction film, television and
pop culture, video games, viral videos and news. Wil is on his feet
for the rapid-fire half hour, delivering witty commentary on the things
he knows and loves in this golden age of sci-pop culture. The result
is a fun appreciation and celebration of fandom and all things science
fiction.
I have watched Wil Wheaton over the years as he has talked about science fiction in a number of interviews, taken on the geeks in The Big Bang Theory, and expanded upon his views in his writing, including his own science fiction stories. I do not expect he will have any trouble filling 30 minutes with smart observations and warped humor.
Here are Wil Wheaton's own words on his new venture as posted on his blog:
I have the same feeling I have before I publish a book, or after I wrap a
TV show: I’ve done the best I can to make something I’m proud of, that I
think other people will like, but it’s pretty much out of my hands the
second we push the beautiful, shiny button … the jolly, candy-like
button. Like everything I do as an artist, the best I can hope for is
that I don’t get hit by lightning on my way out of the studio. Oh, and
that the stuff I think is entertaining and informative lands on the
audience the same way.
And now, let the show begin!
Earlier this week the Fox network announced that the last four episodes of Enlisted will be broadcast starting June 1st. This is a nice gift for all of us with Memorial Day arriving. As I noted earlier, I do not think cancelling this series was a very smart move on the part of Fox.
An Army Times editorial recently called for the return of Enlisted, noting:
The Fox network’s new military comedy, “Enlisted,” appears to have
hit its stride, but stagnant ratings after the show’s disappointing
pilot episode threaten to torpedo its chances of being picked up for a
second season.
That would be unfortunate. The show’s creators have
demonstrated a sincere effort to normalize America’s view of its
service members. In doing so, they’re forging a better, broader
understanding of military life and its most challenging aspects,
including difficult topics such as post-traumatic stress.
And Navy Times recently reported on Army veteran Nick Palmisciano who is pushing to get a second season of Enlisted. His video expanding on his TV views is amusing, and I agree with his comments that the network was also too dumb to understand what it had with the Firefly series. For multimillion dollar companies, these networks can be pretty dense.
The History Channel will broadcast a special three-part series this holiday weekend (starting Monday night) to commemorate those who served in the two World Wars. The series, The World Wars, shares the stories of the leaders of World War II in terms of their stories during World War I. In addition to the typical historians, narrators include John McCain, Colin Powell, John Major, and others.
Here is the History Channel's summary:
An assassination in Sarajevo sparks a global war. For the next 30
years, deadly fighting rages across Europe, Africa, China and the
Pacific.
Hitler. Churchill. De Gaulle. MacArthur. Patton. Stalin. Mussolini.
We know them as legends. But they first learn what it will take to rise
to greatness as young soldiers, fighting for their lives on the
frontlines.
This is the story of a generation of men who come of age in the
trenches of World War I, only to become the leaders of World War II. The
lessons they learn on the frontlines shape them as they rise to
power—and haunt them as the deadly fighting breaks out again. Some
become heroes, forged in courage under fire. Others emerge as the most
infamous villains the world has ever seen.
Theirs is one story—the story of a 30-year global struggle. A fight that will either save the world—or destroy it.
This is an interesting twist to an otherwise well-known story. And given the horrible destruction at the start of last century and the trouble brewing in the Russian and Chinese neighborhoods, it should be told again to a new generation. Someday someone will tell the story of the young Putin of the Cold War in East Germany and the later Kremlin bully annexing parts of Ukraine. I just hope that is the full extent of his sad and destructive deeds.
How about this as a reality show storyline: 12 women travel to England to meet Prince Harry and potentially become his wife. Can you find 12 women in America who believe the Royal Family would allow this? Apparently so. Fox will be broadcasting I Wanna Marry "Harry" starting this Tuesday, May 20th.
Will anyone watch this car wreck? Of course, they will. Let's just hope everyone learns a little bit about British history as part of this. We are not talking Downton Abbey here, but at least it is not another set of loud-mouths based in New Jersey.
Update: The May 23rd edition of British magazine New Statesman had a good article by Laurie Penny titled "Who Needs Fox's Fake Royal Reality Show 'I wannan Marry Harry'? The Windsors are the Real Thing," where she writes:
The real Harry is terrible marriage material – but a perfect supporting cast member in the longest-running and most successful reality television series on the planet. The British royal family is reality TV incarnate. I mean that literally: the coronation of the current monarch coincided with the emergence of TV culture as postwar austerity drew to an end and was the occasion for which many British families purchased their first television set...The royal family
remains, despite setbacks, Britain’s biggest celebrity brand, as useful
for distracting the native population from the economic turbulence at
home as it is in persuading the rest of the world that British class
hierarchy is not only benign but adorable.
I guess we hit a nerve.
This was not a good month for a number of science fiction shows, but The CW seems to take the brunt of the hit with the loss of The Tomorrow People and Star-Crossed.
The Tomorrow People followed a group of young adults with the powers of telekinesis, teleportation and telepathic communication. The series started with all of them hiding in the city subway system since they were being hunted to extinction by those who feared these powers. It was a somewhat predictable scenario with enough action to keep one mildly interested. The series had 22 episodes in its first and only season.
Star-Crossed involved aliens who landed on our planet and found the struggles of high school were about as dangerous as anything in the universe. While it may have been a partial remake of Roswell, at least Roswell had three seasons. Star-Crossed had one season and only 13 episodes in all. Not everyone will be sad to see it depart. USA Today's critic Robert Bianco will not shed a tear:
As vapid as it is unoriginal, Star-Crossed is sadly typical of a
network that continually underestimates its audience. Teenagers may not
be smarter than they were when the WB was at its peak, but it's unlikely
they're dumber. So why does CW treat them as if they are?
The Sci Fi survivor in all of this is The 100, which has remained a good story on two fronts - the orbiting space station with the adults and the planet's surface with the kids trying to form a new society. Of the three it has the most interesting plot, which is probably why it was renewed for a second season. And unlike many of the shows, it has so many characters that you can lose a few and not interrupt the story. In that way it reminds me of NBC's Revolution where characters were dropping like flies. Of course, Revolution was also cancelled recently, so the future is pretty uncertain for shows on a number of networks.
I guess everyone is in the television series game these days. Microsoft's Xbox Entertainment Studios has snagged Steven Spielberg to produce a series based on the Halo video game. Not too long ago I watched the web-series Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn and was surprised by the quality of the program. Hence, a new television series similar to this type of series could be very promising. Showtime is interested in hosting the new program, while Microsoft will still make it available to customers via the Xbox.
Microsoft plans to create other shows as well, including a new drama Humans, to be created with the United Kingdom's Channel Four. Xbox Entertainment Studios defines the new show in this way:
"Humans" is set in a parallel present where the latest must-have gadget for
any busy family is a 'Synth' - a highly-developed robotic servant
eerily similar to its live counterpart. In the hope of transforming the
way they live, one strained suburban family purchases a refurbished
synth only to discover that sharing life with a machine has far-reaching and chilling consequences.
Another show in development is Winterworld, described as a limited live-action series in which a new ice age covers the world and those humans remaining "have formed tribes that war, enslave
and trade with one another in an effort to survive the infinite winter." Yes, another potential outcome of climate change. Al Gore, are you listening?
Some of these new shows seem to be natural products of a game maker, while others such as Winterworld are more of a stretch. Potential content is everywhere. The secret is to tell a new story that interests the viewers, or at least an old story in new clothing that still holds up in the present day.
Prepare yourself for some new and returning "monsters" this weekend. First, we have the second season of BBC America's In the Flesh returning for its second season tonight (May 10). You may remember this England-based tale of the cured zombies that are now being reintegrated into society. But as we soon find out, not everyone is willing to accept the suffers of Partially Deceased Syndrome, or PDS, back as their neighbors or family members again. The second season picks up the story nine months later. The main character, Kieren, is played by actor Luke Newberry who walks you through the new season in this clip. Although the first season had only three one-hour episodes, the second season will be covered in six episodes.
NBC will be showing a two-part remake of Rosemary's Baby beginning on Sunday night (May 11) and finishing on Thursday night (May 15). If you have seen the 1968 film then you may be pleased or disappointed with the variations in this story, but you have to admit it is a good story overall. If you have not seen the earlier film, then sit back and enjoy the television show. Then go back and watch the film to see what you missed the first time around.
Finally, Showtime is premiering the 8-part new series Penny Dreadful on Sunday night (May 11). This monster mash-up takes place in Victorian England (yes, two this week set in England) and involves characters from popular past horror tales, including Frankenstein, Dracula, and Dorian Gray. While this is not exactly three monsters in an apartment, like Britain's Being Human, or America's superhero S.H.I.E.L.D, it tries to bring together well-known characters in a new way. Starring Timothy Dalton and Josh Hartnett among others, it should be a good story if you can stand the gore. However, Variety magazine gave the show weak praise, noting:
If there’s a drawback here, it’s the slightly uneven production values.
The monsters feel a trifle generic — more “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”
than anything else — which doesn’t blunt the brooding atmosphere or the
grisliness of their handiwork.
Plenty of shows to try out and add to an already full slate of TV viewing.
While I am pleased Fox is moving forward with new shows like Gotham, I am disappointed that this may come at the cost of other good shows. The recent decision to cancel Enlisted and Surviving Jack, both of which premiered earlier this year, removes two solid and unique shows from America's living rooms.
Enlisted tells the story of three brothers serving together at a Florida U.S. Army post. It is Bad New Bears meets Private Benjamin, though it addressed in a fun way some of the issues faced by millions of Americans who have served in the military in both combat and support roles. Nowadays the military characters we see are usually officers as part of some serious drama, but we learn very little about the day-to-day life of these characters. With all the cops, FBI agents, and spies running around on television, you would think we could fine some space for the everyday soldier. Fox broadcast only eight episodes before deciding to fill the time slot with a cooking show. I am hoping Fox does the right thing and at least finishes out the 13-episode season.
Surviving Jack was another quality show that needed more time to develop. Unlike so many of the family comedies these day, the father played by Christopher Meloni was not an absolute idiot. Whether one watches The Simpsons or the recently canceled Raising Hope, you would assume the children need to teach the parents about life. In this show Meloni's character is more of a super-dad with his son, played by Connor Buckley, actually needing advice from his father as he navigates life. It broke the mold, or at least gave us some variety on television, but it appears it has come to an end. Only eight episodes were produced, so this excellent show will disappear after the final episode next week.
Americans likes their superheroes, which is apparent if you take a look at the list of current movies. Spider-Man 2 and Captain America 2 are playing at theaters today, while Thor, Iron Man, Superman, Batman, and many others have been part of our summer movie viewing for years. And the same goes for television, with Arrow, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, Smallville, and other shows focusing on heroes on a weekly basis (not to mention the flops, such as The Cape).
So do we need more our of television viewing dedicated to superheroes? The television executives think we do, so prepare yourself for The CW's The Flash, NBC's Constantine, and Fox's Gotham. All three will premiere later this year. And I have to admit Gotham looks like something I may add to my list of must-see TV. Take a look at this trailer for the new series.
Gotham is a Batman prequel starring Benjamin McKenzie, who recently finishing his role as a police officer in Southland, as Detective Gordon, and Donal Francis Logue, who just completed his role of King Horik in season two of Vikings, playing his partner. The cast, storyline, and visuals are promising, with this new series showing the well-known story of young Bruce Wayne but also bringing us the origin stories for other key figures, including the Penguin, the Riddler, Catwoman, Two-Face, the Joker and Poison Ivy. Yes, Batman has been done to death in the theaters and television, but I am willing to give this story one more look.
Starting this week (May 5) you can catch new episodes on FX of Louis C.K.'s Louie. After a wait of about 19 months, I am eager to see what he has put together for the fourth season. Given it is basically a one-man show with him directing, writing, editing, and acting in each episode, we need to give him a little bit of time to get it right.
Louie appeared on David Letterman last Thursday in a black suit and tie, something very unusual for the man of black t-shirts. Letterman was impressed after encouraging a better dress code when Louie last appeared. Most of the conversation that ensued discussed the new show and the trials of raising kids. Clearly Louie will have plenty of family situations to keep his writing lively for years to come. Louie also used some colorful language that seemed to overwhelm Letterman. Letterman made it clear he had never heard "sucks balls" in a previous broadcast.
And you can catch more Louis CK on a recent broadcast of ABC News with Diane Sawyer. She labeled Louis CK the "Person of the Week" and met with him to discuss his show and his background, including his Mexican economist father and being raised by his single mom. And as with Letterman, he makes it clear that he just wants people to be happy with what they have and not expect all dreams to come through. Is that hopeful? Not especially. But do we need more people on TV to say this? Certainly.
Update: The first two episodes this week were a lot of fun, with Sarah Silverman in the first episode and a very angry Jerry Seinfeld in the second episode. And yes, there was plenty sex talk at the card table as well as strange story lines. Both episodes had dream sequences or what appeared to be dream sequences, which really played with Louie's mind as well as that of the viewers. Good fun for all. Check it out.
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