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.