A Look at a President from Long Ago

With all of the attention on this year's presidential debates, it may be worth taking a few minutes thinking beyond the current candidates and recent past, and go back a little further to the time of President James Garfield.  On Tuesday (February 2nd) PBS will broadcast its special The Murder of a President.  This two-hour program tells about a President shot only four months into his presidency and how he died slow death as a result of questionable medical advice.  

As you read some introduction material, you learn that the presidential contests were somewhat different years ago.  For instance, we read:

As was the standard for the time, Garfield did very little campaigning for the presidency. Instead, he conducted what came to be known as "front porch talks" on the veranda of his farm in Mentor, Ohio where citizens came to see and speak to him. 

With all the grand-standing and animosity in the current campaign season, I think a front porch talk would be a nice change. 

Join Rob Lowe for the End of the World

Rob Lowe has been busy these days with The Grinder and Moonbeam City, but he still found time for the end of the world.  You, Me and the Apocalypse premieres on NBC tonight, and it looks like a pretty crazy comedy set in a time where the world faces destruction as a comet barrels towards us. Rob Lowe plays a priest. I'm not sure which scenario is less likely - our destruction or Father Rob - or more scary.

With only 34 days to go before Earth as we know it disappears, the characters act on some of their worst impulses.  This might be an interesting premise if I had not seen it before. You may remember Three Moons Over Milford (still available on iTunes) where the Moon is hit by an asteroid that breaks it into dangerous pieces soon that will soon fall to Earth. The series lasted one season and I have a feeling this new show will have the same fate. Besides, you can only stretch 34 days for so long. What is sad is that we may welcome the destruction. 

Outsiders on WGN America

I prefer Justified over Duck Dynasty when it comes to hillbillies. Scripted stories are always better than rambling thoughts, particularly some of these thoughts.

So now we learn WGN America's Outsiders, starting tonight, follows the Farrell family in Kentucky's bit of Appalachia. And it is scripted. So I am intrigued. 

Some critics already have nice things to say. The Washington Post noted:

...if you stick with it, “Outsiders” becomes another pleasant surprise in a winter season that’s so far been full of shows that turned out better than I expected. The pace and writing are meaningful and sometimes verge on elegant, as “Outsiders” patiently explores the power dynamics in the town and the strange world on the mountaintop above.

I plan to see if I can stick with it. 

Another Set of Troubled Teens

If The Fosters does not provide enough evidence that teens today face some tough issues, maybe you should check out Recovery Road tonight, also on Freeform.

You can learn more via this trailer and summary below:

Based on the popular young adult novel by Blake Nelson, “Recovery Road” focuses on Maddie, a teenage girl dealing with addiction. Maddie has a reputation as a party girl who doesn’t think she has a problem, until she’s confronted one day by her school guidance counselor and is forced to choose between expulsion and rehab. Maddie makes the difficult decision to live with other recovering addicts at a sober living facility while facing the daily pressures of her teenage life.

It looks like teen hospital series that crosses The Fosters and The Red Band Society. Freeform may have another winning family show on its hands. 

The Prince of Darkness in LA

If you prefer dark magic of a celestial sort, you should check out Lucifer on Fox. Here is the long summary:

The Devil has come to Los Angeles...LUCIFER is the story of the original fallen angel. Bored and unhappy as the Lord of Hell, LUCIFER MORNINGSTAR (Tom Ellis, “Merlin”) has abandoned his throne and retired to L.A., where he owns Lux, an upscale nightclub.

Charming, charismatic and devilishly handsome, Lucifer is enjoying his retirement, indulging in a few of his favorite things – wine, women and song – when a beautiful pop star is brutally murdered outside of Lux. For the first time in roughly 10 billion years, he feels something awaken deep within him as a result of this murder. Compassion? Sympathy? The very thought disturbs him – as well as his best friend and confidante, MAZIKEEN aka MAZE (Lesley-Ann Brandt, “The Librarians”), a fierce demon in the form of a beautiful young woman.

The murder attracts the attention of LAPD homicide detective CHLOE DECKER (Lauren German, “Chicago Fire”), who initially is dismissive of Lucifer. But she becomes intrigued by his talent for drawing out people’s secrets and his desire to dispense justice, doling out punishment to those who deserve it. As they work together to solve the pop star’s murder, Lucifer is struck by Chloe’s inherent goodness. Accustomed to dealing with the absolute worst of humanity, Lucifer is intrigued by Chloe’s apparent purity and begins to wonder if there’s hope for his own soul yet.

At the same time, God’s emissary, the angel AMENADIEL (DB Woodside, “Suits,” “24”), has been sent to Los Angeles to convince Lucifer to return to the underworld…can the Devil incarnate be tempted toward the side of Good, or will his original calling pull him back toward Evil?

Clearly, the devil is cover for another police serial, so I will probably skip it. I have seen too many monster/cop partner shows to be duped into one more.

The Magicians on SyFy

If you are a fan of Harry Potter, you may be interested in tonight's two hour premiere of The Magicians on SyFy.  Based on the popular book by Lev Grossman, the more mature tale involves "adults" you are whisked away to a secretive Brakebills University where their magical powers are tested in many ways. 

This trailer shows how Quentin Coldwater, the main character, is introduced to this new society.

I watched the first episode and liked what I saw. Unlike other new shows, such as Shadowhunters, the characters are better defined, the special effects more believable, and the story better told as you move slowly into the plot. 

Update: After three episodes SyFy believes it has a winner on its hands and has renewed the series for a second season of 13 episodes. Three cheers for the Harry Potter generation looking for adult heroes. 

Part Two of the Fosters

If you have been following the Foster family you know the kids have a few brewing problems, including custody battles, drugs, firearms, pregnancy scares, and even sibling relationships (this is not the Brady Bunch). All this in a home headed by lesbian moms who do not always see eye to eye (Mrs. Brady's mind would explode).

You can see what happens when the second half of season three of The Fosters returns tomorrow (January 25). Trying to update you on all the characters' storylines will take forever, so I will remain silent. 

And if you like the series, you will be happy to hear a fourth season has been approved. I think it's the best show on Freeform right now. Check it out if you have yet to see it.

X-Files: Is the Truth Still Out There?

I am not certain people are still looking for the same truths that Mulder and Scully are seeking in Fox's X-Files.  After nine seasons and multiple movies about UFOs and alien abductions, if they haven't found what they are looking for do we really thing six more episodes starting tonight will wrap it up?  And is anyone still looking with them? 

Why Fox is bringing back this old show is anyone's guess.  Okay, one guess - lack of new ideas?

The Hollywood Report has this to say:

The problem with reopening The X-Files is two fold. First, the actors, not their characters, don't seem to have their hearts in it. (That probably wasn't the intention, but it's the perceived result.) And, second, Carter's dialogue is prone to exposition (again, partly the result of only having six episodes to work with) and overheated soliloquies. How that combination sucks the life out of this whole enterprise can't be underscored enough.

Maybe we know the truth already. Some stories are well enough left alone. 

Beowulf on Esquire

The classic story Beowulf returns tonight on Esquire, though in a new form designed more to partially imitate than fully recreate the original tale. I was not impressed with the 3D animated movie version years back, but I am open to another attempt even with new twists. 

The ancient story itself should be sufficient to please any audience - warriors, friendship, monsters, passion, and battles. With Vikings, Game of Thrones, and The Last Kingdom preceding it, viewers should be primed. I image real actors without the 3D should also be easier to watch.

Amazon's Mad Dogs

Another Amazon Original pilot is seeing the light of day - Mad Dogs. This one involves four friends who head to a friend's in Belize only to get caught up in murderous adventure. 

I liked the pilot, introduced about this time last year (with the already released The Man in the High Castle), but may need to re-watch it again to refresh my memory. What I do remember was an active hour of odd situations and at least one murder. I hope the other nine episodes can maintain similar energy.

Update:  The second episode was not up to par with the pilot - more of the same with little advancement of the story.  It reminded me more of Weekend at Bernie's than a fresh story.  I will stay tuned, but so far I am not overwhelmed. 

Second Update:  Mad Dogs will not be renewed for a second season. I cannot say I'm surprised.

Dark Stories Premiere Tonight

If the comedies and fantasy/sci-fi adventures premiering tonight do not appeal to you, how about some present dangers - spies and electronic snooping.

On BBC America you can watch the premiere London Spy,  a five-part spy mystery.  Here is the summary:

London Spy begins with a chance romance between two people from two very different walks of life — one from the high-powered ranks of investment banking and the other from a world of clubbing and youthful excess. But their love story quickly unravels when the reclusive banker disappears under suspicious circumstances, exposing his real identity as a spy and forcing his lover down a dark path to reveal the truth.

No one can do spies like the Brits, so I will be in attendance for this one. 

Should you need something more, Showtime premieres it new series Dark Net, sold as:

A documentary series that explores the furthest reaches of the internet and the people who frequent it, Dark Net provides a revealing and cautionary look inside a vast cyber netherworld rarely witnessed by most of us.

It all makes for a scary world with no super heroes to save the day. I think viewers gravitate towards Gotham because the villains are well defined. The real world is seldom that convenient.

The 100 Versus DC's Legends

You have a choice tonight on The CW - watch season three of The 100 or the premiere of DC's Legends of Tomorrow.  Okay, you can do both, but if your time is like limited you might want to choose one over the other. Trust me, many more shows will arrive shortly and you need some sleep.

My choice is to continue with The 100 and the plucky survivors of the unified space stations. While men (and women) in tights can save the odd human here and there, the crew from the space station faced all types of dangerous humans when they returned to the surface and they had little more than their bare hands and raw wits to stay intact as a struggling community. None of the characters experienced a freak transformation allowing him or her to fly, throw flames, or read minds. 

Besides, DC's Legends are multiplying like rabbits with Arrow and Flash offering new seeds each episode. Hence, the comic books will be with us for a long time (probably long after their welcome has worn out), while The 100 is a uniquely told tale set in a very strange future. 

It is no contest for me - I will follow the survivors.

Real Clowns and Oregon's Clowns Coming

I remember Zach Galifianakis wanting to pursue his super hero dreams in HBO's under-appreciated Bored to Death.  He was terrific as an oversized child.  Can he bring back this childlike fun as Chip the clown in FXX's Baskets, premiering tomorrow night (Jan. 20)?  I hope so.  

Here is a quick summary of the show:

Chip Baskets (Zach Galifianakis) wants to follow his dream of being a French clown—however, reality keeps interfering. Saddled with financial difficulties and facing an impenetrable language barrier, he moves back home to Bakersfield with high hopes. There, he is forced to confront his past while working as a rodeo clown and competing with his siblings for his mother's approval and affection.

The show is produced by Louis CK, so I have even higher hopes. 

I think Zach is a natural clown with no need for a uniform, as with the super hero before entering the phone booth (what is that, you say?). So the extra wrapping could either enhance the fun or kill the creation. I'll be watching.

And if you want more traditional American clowns, you cannot go wrong with the sixth season of IFC's Portlandia. As Trump travels the country (another clown show) attacking political correctness wherever it appears, we can enjoy this last bastion of insufferable clarity for the select few on the West Coast.

Update:  Portlandia's first episode was as good as ever.  I am not sure about Baskets.  The humor was dry and the plot pretty dreary, but I did like insurance adjuster Martha, played by Martha Kelly. The whole thing reminded me more of a sketch than a full comedy series. 

Keeping Up on Politics with Bill Maher

Last week saw the return of Bill Maher's Real Time on HBO after a short hiatus for the holidays.  He immediately jumped on the latest republican presidential debate with this comparison of Trump to Cruz:

It is impossible to know who to root for.  It's like a car salesman versus a car thief.  It's Putin bombing ISIS.  It's like Sharknado if the shark fought the tornado. 

No one can do political zingers like Maher. He will not suffer idiots, nor will he stand for weak jabs at neighboring New York City as shown in this video of his discussion with his guests.

Maher ended the show by asking his audience to encourage President Obama to be a guest on Real Time before he leaves office. He sees this as his 60th birthday gift and the right thing to do since the president has appeared on many other talk shows. 

Here is the text of the White House petition:  

Herewith, on the occasion of Bill Maher’s 60th birthday, we the people, especially viewers of Real Time with Bill Maher, respectfully request that President Obama appear on Real Time and thereby honor that particular audience (and their support for him), as he has so honored the viewers of so many other TV shows and media outlets; or if not, to please, respectfully, tell us why.

You can find his petition here.  While he only needs 100,000 signatures, as of this morning he already has more than 250,000. 

War and Peace Comes to Television

Do you have Tolstoy's War and Peace on your bookshelf gathering dust?  It is quite a story, yet quite an investment of time.   

The Lifetime, A&E, and History networks (in conjunction with the BBC and the Weinstein Company) would like to help you along, for the four-night television version of War and Peace starts tonight.  Now you can experience the Napoleonic wars in Russia and learn more about the families caught up in this struggle - the Bezukhovs, Bolkonskys, Drubetskoys, Kuragins and Rostovas.  

Filmed in Russia, Latvia, and Lithuania to make the setting (and cold weather) as authentic as possible, Paul Dano, Lily James, and James Norton supply the talent for the main characters to great effect.  Here is a quick look if you want to see for yourself. 

The series has already premiered in Great Britain to much praise.  The Guardian was basically swooning:

This is proper, proper costume drama at its most lavish and its most dreamily, romantically Russian. This is how you do it, people. This is how you do it. Stop all period dramas being made now because nothing is going to match up to this. 

It is time to get into the act, turn on the television, and enjoy a warm couch on a cold winter's evening.  This should be one spectacular show.

TV Quote: Too Many Shows?

"Is there too much TV? We don’t think there is too much, and if there is, someone else will have to slow down."

-- Comment by Netflix's "original content" chief Ted Sarandos in USAToday on his company's plans to add 600 hours of original series this year.

TBS Tries Angie Tribeca

Angie Tribeca premieres tonight on TBS with Rashida Jones in the starring role. Yes, she had to find something to do since her pals from Parks and Recreation have already moved on, with Amy Poehler producing comedies, Aziz Ansari starring in own comedy on Netflix (aka Master of None), Rob Lowe busy with another new series The Grinder, and Chris Pratt as both a super hero and dinosaur trainer.  

Produced by Steve and Nancy Carell, Angie Tribeca is a spoof of the cop shows still out there trying to catch our attention.  This is the simple summary of the show from TBS:

Lone-wolf detective Angie Tribeca and a squad of committed LAPD detectives investigate the most serious cases, from the murder of a ventriloquist to a rash of baker suicides.

Dead bakers?  Donuts?  We definitely need a cop on this case and fast.  And I see Jere Burns is part of the cast.  He was always great at the bad guy in Justified, so I look forward to seeing what he is doing these days. 

Critic Terry Terrones in The Gazette in Colorado Springs had this to say:

"Angie Tribeca” is one heck of a silly show. Full of sight gags, word play, goofy characters, celebrity guest stars and ridiculous scenarios, I found myself laughing out loud during every episode I watched (I had access to all 10). The series takes jabs at traditional cop show story lines and pokes fun at their usual tropes. If you’re familiar with the three “Naked Gun” films starring Leslie Nielsen you’ll understand exactly the type of humor you’ll experience in “Angie Tribeca.”

By the way, all 10 episodes are available for everyone (not just critics) over the next three days on the TBS website if you are so inclined.  So what do you have to lose?  

Update: After watching the first few episodes, I think I prefer Brooklyn Nine-Nine as a police procedural with a high dose of comedy. While Angie Tribeca can work in small does, I could not get hooked long term on the repetitive plot nor have any feeling for characters who have less depth than one of those human body cutouts  used for target practice. CSI and the other ridiculous cop shows deserve a good spoof, so three cheers for Angie, but I have other shows to watch.

Mercy Street on PBS

PBS is trying something new - an American drama. No shirtless Brits, as was the case with Poldark, or thoughtless detectives, as with Sherlock. No, on Sunday (January 17) you can see PBS's Mercy Street, set in a military hospital in Alexandria, Virginia, during the Civil War. 

But some still need a British spin.  The Washington Post calls it PBS's Downton Abbey "replacement," stating:

If “Downton Abbey” drew its drama from the spectacle of highly traditional characters confronting the inexorable changes advancing across England, “Mercy Street” focuses on a set of characters who are already in transition.

Through not everyone agrees. The Oregonian sees ER:

...as the stories unfold, "Mercy Street" also feels a bit familiar. Co-creator David Zabel, who's also one of the executive producers,  is a veteran of "ER." Which may be why, at times, the medical crises and fiery personalities of "Mercy Street" come across like an "ER" episode in hoop skirts and suspenders.  

The series may not have an upstairs versus downstairs storyline, but the blue versus gray battle tales, as well as the black versus white daily struggles, should keep us interested.

It appears the six-part series has a new setting with real promise, so I will tune in with an open mind.  Maybe you will as well.  

Alan Rickman, RIP

The entertainment industry is a less entertaining with the death of Alan Rickman earlier today at the age of 69. The actor was well known for his surly voice in a variety of films, be it Die Hard, Harry Potter, or The Lion King. 

A very unique voice has been silenced, but it will live on in our memory for many years to come.

More Alien Invasions on the USA Network

Vampires, zombies, and aliens are still the rage, and it continues tonight on the USA network with Colony starring our friend Josh Holloway from long-gone Lost.

Here's what you can expect:

Set in the very near future, Colony centers on one family’s struggle to survive and bring liberty back to the people of an occupied Los Angeles.  SAG winner Josh Holloway (“Lost”) stars as former FBI agent Will Bowman and Satellite Award winner Sarah Wayne Callies (“The Walking Dead”) stars as his wife, Katie, in the series which takes place in a dangerous world of divided ideologies.  While some choose to collaborate with the occupation and benefit from the new order, others rebel and suffer the consequences.  After being separated from their son during the invasion, Will and Katie are willing to do whatever is necessary to be reunited with him.  Thus, when the powerful Proxy Snyder (Peter Jacobson, “House”) offers Will a chance to get his son back if he will collaborate with the occupational government, Will and Katie find themselves faced with the toughest decision of their lives.  They will have to go beyond whatever they thought possible, risking their lives and their relationship to protect their family. 

I have no questions after such a full synopsis. Now we simply need to watch the premiere to see if it all holds together. 

Update:  The first episode did not pull me in, but the set-up was intriguing. I am wondering if we are supposed to see this family like so many Iraqi families caught in the US occupation of their country. As with real occupation victims in Iraq, who lived with random "official" violence and arrests, as well as collaborators, the show Colony seems to be putting us under the same microscope. I think Battlestar Galactica did this brilliantly. I wonder if Colony can pull it off as well.

Too Many Chances and More

Have you heard of the new Fox series The Frankenstein Code? Or how about Lookinglass? No? Well, they are the earlier names of this new series, starting tonight, now called Second Chance.

I think I liked the earlier titles more. This name sounds like a sitcom at a sorority, yet it is really about a corrupt sheriff who dies and is returned to life in a new body.

As expected, it is a modern remake of the Frankenstein story, hence the earlier names. I am skeptical about a remake, and prefer this monster in a more appropriate period, as done so well in Showtime's Penny Dreadful. 

Not interested? Well, the second season of Younger returns tonight on  TVLand followed by a new series Teachers.  TVLand defines the new show as:

Six elementary school teachers try to mold young minds, even though their own lives aren’t really together.

I am not looking for a new monster drama or comedy, so these shows will stay on my "maybe someday" list.  I also have a "never" list that looks very similar.

The Expanse Continues Tonight

If the State of the Union speech does not occupy you this evening, you may want to catch the sixth episode SyFy's The Expanse. This new series, fortunately green-lighted for a second season, is a fascinating look at humans sprawled across the solar system with all the attendant problems - terrorism, war, slavery, and more. 

Of course, I expect some great science also occurs somewhere in this future, but the focus seems to be government secrets and powerful industry more than anything else. And now the series has tossed in a Mormon-based subplot. 

The series has no boundaries, like its characters.  The Expanse is sci-fi television at its best.

MADtv Returns for One Night

If SNL is the long-standing King of Comedy, I propose MADtv was the Mad Prince. The comedy series started October 1995 and lasted for 14 seasons. And unlike SNL, it did not cater to celebrities nor bring on musical groups. No, it was an hour of pure entertainment with skits that generally surpassed those of SNL.

You can relive it tonight in The CW's MADtv's 20th Anniversary Reunion. So be sure to catch the show. If we are lucky, some of our favorite characters will return for a bow. 

Update:  Okay, the reunion has a LOT of guest stars.  I guess some things do change.