Will it Prove Entertaining?

Are you ready for another show where the dead are not really dead, or at least willing to communicate with us? Yes, another spin on the ancient ghost story, though in this case a doctor rather than a priest is the medium. Tomorrow night (June 16) on TNT you can see it all on the new series Proof.  

Here is the story (and here is a trailer):

Jennifer Beals plays Dr. Carolyn Tyler, who has suffered the recent, devastating loss of her teenage son, the breakup of her marriage and a growing estrangement from her daughter. Carolyn is persuaded by Ivan Turing (Modine), a cancer-stricken tech inventor and billionaire to investigate cases of reincarnation, near-death experiences, hauntings and other phenomena, all of it in the search for evidence that death is not the end.

The 10 episodes were filmed in Vancouver, Canada, indicating the filming costs are cheaper or the ghosts are more plentiful. I usually find myself bored with medical shows (though I make an exception for Nurse Jackie) and ghosts are plentiful these days, so I may skip it, but go ahead if you need more shows to watch this summer.

Too Much TV?

How many television shows are you currently watching? In a recent article in the Wall Street Journal titled "How Many TV Shows Can Your Brain Handle?", the author notes: 

Scientists say there’s no limit to the number of narratives, televised or otherwise, that the human mind can keep straight, and that our predilection for stories probably evolved as a way to adapt to real-life situations and anticipate similar events. 

The same article noted that last year television and other platforms hosted 371 original scripted series.  Sometimes I feel I am trying to keep up with all of them to write this blog, but in fact I know I am hitting very few of them.  As a result, I have a long backlist of television series I hope to see someday. 

I am no more bothered by too many television series than I am by libraries (including my own) filled with too many books for me to read in a lifetime.  Life is about picking and choosing.  I try to watch the best of the bunch, but the media will always outpace me. 

But do not worry, I will share what I learn with the readers of this blog even if I am not a committed fan to each and every one of them.  And with that in mind, stay tuned this week because we again have a pile of new television series to ponder. 

Strange Programming on BBC America

Tonight BBC America's premieres Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell for America audiences. Are  you ready for a program about magic during the Napoleanic Wars?  With all the recent new stories about the anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo (June 18th), this timely seven-part mini-series may be a fun diversion.  Here is the basic story:

1806. England is beleaguered by the long war with Napoleon and centuries have passed since practical magicians faded into the nation’s past. However, scholars of this glorious history discover that one remains — the reclusive and skillful Mr Norrell (Eddie Marsan). His displays of magic soon thrill the nation. In London, he raises the beautiful Lady Pole (Alice Englert) from the dead and summons an army of ghostly ships to terrify the French.

Soon the cautious and fussy Norrell is challenged by the emergence of another magician: the brilliant novice Jonathan Strange (Bertie Carvel). While trying to secure his beloved Arabella’s (Charlotte Riley) hand in marriage, he meets a vagabond, the magician of Threadneedle Street, Vinculus (Paul Kaye, Game of Thrones, Stella), who tells him he is destined to be a great magician. Young, handsome and daring, Strange is the very antithesis of Norrell. A dangerous battle ensues between the two great men. Their obsessions and secret dabbling’s with the dark arts will cause more trouble than they can imagine. 

 

In an NPR interview, Eddie Marsan describes the show and his character in this way: 

 

Well it is a funny show, that's the thing ... Because Jonathan Strange is sexy and cool and does really admirable and exciting magic. And Mr. Norrell doesn't. Mr. Norrell is like a librarian trying to do magic ... That's the story of my career, really. I stand next to good looking men and make them look better!

You can see the trailer here as well as the first episode here.  The dark previews remind me a little of Showtime's Penny Dreadful (remember, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein was first published in 1818).  And while I have never read the 2004 novel of the same name, this may encourage me to do so. 

It seems to summer will be just as full as the rest of the year.  No time for catching up on the old shows.  

Dark Matter and the Return of Defiance on SyFy

SyFy has new space-based show, Dark Matter, that premieres on Friday June 12th.  It has some aspects that remind me of Firefly, which cannot hurt the show.  It is the tale of a six member crew awakening on a spaceship with no idea about themselves or the mission.  Over time they begin to gain some understanding of their past skills (ship-flying, sword-fighting, etc.) as well as the dangers of their new situation.  They almost look like pirates being chased by some strange government authority.  Sound familiar?  Check out this clip for a better understanding of the story and see if you agree with the overlap with Firefly.   

Update: Dark Matter has been renewed for a second season. I have enjoyed this show as it slowly unfolds and we learn more about the past of each character. And it continues to remind me of Firefly as this close-knit crew spends most of their time on the ship, though this ship seems endlessly large compared to the cramped quarters on Mal's ship. I am still not sure about the Seven of Seven ship droid who is eerily similar to Seven of Nine on Star Trek. She is a good character, but why this parallel (or maybe it is homage)?  All in all, it's been a solid and fun series that I look forward to following into its next season.
 
I know, I would rather Mr. Whedon return with a continuation of his series, but that is not being offered.  He seems to be spending all of his time with super heroes these days, so we need to take what is offered. Of course, this new show may be more like Stargate since it comes from the same creators of that series, yet it should be a unique story given it is based on the graphic novel of the same name. 

And if you are torn, maybe you should stick to Defiance, a SyFy classic, now in its third season and premiering on the same evening.  This Earth-based program has plenty of adventure (and alien races) to keep you interested.  You may think there is little story to tell after the considerable damage to the primary city of the Earth Republic government, but don't forget that last season ended with a kidnapping of Alak and a pregnant Christie as well as the unresolved fates of Nolan and Irisa.  Plenty more tales to tell, it would seem.  And if you need to catch up on the episodes, you can do that here.  

Different Families on ABC Family

I was not surprised when Amazon took a chance on the series Transparent since this was a controversial yet evolving issue for American television audiences.  Amazon brought television to the edge of reality and was rewarded for its efforts by the public and critics.  But I did not expect Disney's ABC Family network to be quite as bold. 

First, a few years back it premiered The Fosters, a show about two lesbian moms raising a mixed family involving the son of one of the moms as well as a number of adopted children.  The Fosters returns this Monday (June 8) with its third season, which indicates ABC Family has found an audience even with the initial controversy surrounding the program.  Not only is it a good show on its own, but it's been a great way to expand the definition of family to all viewers.

Now the network is tackling a new type of family also premiering on Monday in Becoming Us - an unscripted drama where the dad is going through his own transformation.  Here are the basics:

Ben is an ordinary Midwestern teenager, going through a unique situation. After his parents’ recent divorce, Ben learned that his dad is transitioning into a woman, Carly. In the series’ opener, “#WelcomeToMyWorld,” Ben is struggling in school, and his parents, Suzy and Carly, are not happy about it. Ben’s girlfriend, Danielle, would like to introduce Carly to her father, who is also transgender, leading to an awkward shopping trip for the four of them. And Ben’s sister, Sutton, returns home to Evanston to plan her upcoming wedding.

With the recent attention regarding Bruce/Caitly Jenner, this is another timely show, though I did not expect it would come from Disney.  Maybe I should start to expect it since the network has done well tackling tough issues and trying to integrate it into family viewing.  This is not your grandfather's Disney anymore.

Bloomberg discussed the new show with Tom Ascheim, president of ABC Family, who noted the advertisers have not bailed on the show:

The potential viewer response to “Becoming Us,” as judged by online polling, is positive, he said. And while there are some advertisers who take a wait-and-see approach to edgier programming, the network’s June commercial inventory is sold out, he said.
 
You can also learn more about Ben and his father from this ABC Nightline story. 

Hearing Even More Voices?: Sense8

Do you ever hear voices in your head? If so, this Nexflix show is for you. Premiering tonight (June 5), Sense8 by the Wachowski Siblings (formerly Brothers) highlights eight people around the world sharing the same thoughts. You might be sharing my thoughts as well - Aren't these the same siblings that just crashed and burned with the awful film Jupiter Ascending? Yes, but maybe this will be different.  Besides, the siblings did create The Matrix at one time (eons ago).

Here is the set-up from Netflix:

One gunshot, one death, one moment out of time that irrevocably links eight minds in disparate parts of the world, putting them in each other's lives, each other's secrets, and in terrible danger. Ordinary people suddenly reborn as "Sensates."

The 12 episodes were filmed in 9 locations (Berlin, Chicago, London, Mexico City, Mumbai, Nairobi, Reykjavik,  San Francisco, and Seoul) over a 100 day period.  That is quite an achievement.  And the main characters are a butcher, a baker, and a candlestick maker.  Okay, that is not true.  Instead, they are a cop, a banker, and a safecracker, as well as others.  See, not much better.  

Now we just need to see what Neflix put together.  Is this good programming ascending?  We shall see. 

Update:  While I have only watched a few episodes of Sense8, the characters have been varied and interesting so far.  It seems others agree leading to the approval of a second season on Netflix.  

GOT: Wow!

If you missed last Sunday's episode of Game of Thrones you missed an amazing episode (and I recommend you do not continue here until you see it). 

We finally saw up close why the approaching winter is such a threat to everyone in the south. In Lord of Rings fashion, we watched a horrendous battle between the Wildlings and dead army of the White Walkers. And while the Wildlings cut through the dead like Orcs, they kept coming  (including dead children, which eerily reminded me of scenes in The Walking Dead).

It was hard not to feel despondent as the live humans were eventually added to the army of the dead. And while Jon Snow killed one White Walker, it was clear there is a slew of them and they are happy to watch the dirty work from afar.

One knows the return of dragons and dragon -related weapons will help, and many Wildlings escaped to fight another day, but you wonder how many will never live to see the final battle.  Besides, the southerners have done well decimating their armies and killing off their best commanders. The Daenerys/Tyrion detente in that sense was the only hopeful story Sunday night.

With all of this it was hard to cheer the demise of Cersi, but that story was sufficient by itself to carry the show alone.  One cannot mourn those who play with fire and ignore the warnings. With two jailed queens and a child king, the south slowly collapses while Jon Snow attempts to hold back hell. 

Yes, the wandering are over and the story is taking shape. Winter is coming, and we now know most of the living will not survive to see the spring.

Update:  This YouTube clip provides some interesting background on filming the White Walker attack.