Bright Spots in the New Season

I have to say that some of the new shows this season are weak or started strong only to disappoint. I quickly dropped Eastwick due to bad writing (come on - the first episode has a woman talking about vomit on her face) and its attempt to mimic a much better movie. And if you only have half an hour for a family situation comedy, go with Modern Family, an interesting multi-generational comedy, rather than The Middle, which is too much like Malcolm in the Middle (and not only reuses characters such as the youngest son but also the name of the show).

However, the returning Fringe is a treat. The show, brought to you by J.J.Abrams, remains lively and interesting with just enough twists and laughs to keep you coming back. While it has its darker moments, it also has the best qualities that the X-Files also provided by tossing in subtle comedy at a particularly dangerous intersection of events. Rolling Stone's Rob Sheffield had it right when he said

It's the most exciting drama around right now, too strange to fit into any stylistic box - too trippy for a cop show, too tough for sci-fi, with an unfailingly amazing cast and dialogue that dances from flippant bitchery to dazed-and-confused profundity. You don't have to follow the wide-scale conspiracy narrative to enjoy the individual episodes, but the deeper you dig into it, the more connections you find.

I wholeheartedly agree. It's more evidence that great TV is possible. I hope Fox knows what it has here.

What You Missed...

I am glad to read I am not the only person who will miss NBC's Kings. David Plotz in Slate magazine has a nice article titled The Death of Kings on why we will miss the program and why it is worth checking out the just released DVD. Here is a sampling of his story:

At times during its short run, Kings was essentially a high-concept soap opera. Yet it was always a soap opera with genuine intellectual ambition, and at its best, it was a provocative thought experiment: How would a religious monarchy work in a modern, pluralistic society? Could the values that Americans cherish survive in such a system? And would the actual presence of God solve or compound the problems of governing a nation? (When God gets angry at Silas, for example, Gilboa's windmill farms break down.)

I plan to pick up the DVD and rewatch the series. Maybe the interest in the DVD will wake up the studios and let them know that this brilliant show was something special that never really had a chance to win the hearts of America, but is worthy of another season. Stranger things have happened.

Catching Up on the New Season

Variety magazine reports that more than 43 new and returning shows will be broadcast between September 21 and 27. Thank the gods for the DVR, but is this really necessary? This is a bit like a buffet - you eat a bit of everything and basically remember nothing. And on top of all this, Ken Burn's finds it necessary to broadcast a 12-hour series on National Parks starting this Sunday and running each night thereafter. I am starting to get the impression that PBS really doesn't care if we find time to watch the program when it is broadcast. Just buy the DVD. P.S. PBS makes more money this way.

In addition to the DVR, we now have Fancast and Hulu. This allows you to catch up on what you missed and really put it all into context. For example, Hulu is currently showing this week's premiere of ABC's Flashforward (Thursdays 8pm ET/7pm CT), ABC's Modern Family (Wednesdays 9pm ET/8pm CT), the returning Fringe on Fox (Thursdays 9pm ET/8pm CT), and ABC's Eastwick (Wednesdays 10pm ET/9pm CT). Also, many of the network webpages offer free clips. So cheer up. You don't have to be glued to you couch all week. Instead, you can be glued to your computer for the next few weeks. Good luck.

Good News for Glee

The Hollywood Reporter noted the new Fox drama Glee has been picked up for the entire season. The article quotes Fox entertainment president (who, surprise, surprise, likes the show)

"The response we've received to 'Glee' has been remarkable," said Fox entertainment president Kevin Reilly. "It's already got the makings of a cultural phenomenon. I've seen all 13 episodes, and Ryan Murphy, his team and the talented 'Glee' cast have knocked our socks off with their incredible work. We're happy to pick up this gem of a show, and can't wait to see what they'll do with the rest of the season."

I think I prefer the New York Times take on the pilot

The success of a high school comedy doesn’t lie in its originality, but in how cleverly it contorts the classic formula. “Glee,” a new series on Fox, is blissfully unoriginal in a witty, imaginative way.

I for one think this is good news. One could even say I am gleeful.

Not Bored to Death

You may watch to check out HBO's new series Bored to Death. Starring Jason Schwartzman and Ted Danson, its a fun take on an unemployed writer (Schwartzman) trying to find something new, such as playing the part of a private investigator. Danson plays a drugged-up playboy, whereas Zach Galifianakis (from "The Hangover") plays the goofy, artistic friend trying to maintain a relationship with his girlfriend even though he has a 13-year-olds view of the world. The first show worked, and there is no reason why it cannot be one of the better new shows this fall. Check out Fancast for online episodes.

Patrick Swayze: 1952 - 2009

Patrick Swayze passed away last week after a fight with pancreatic cancer. The star of many films, including Dirty Dancing and Ghost, he also brought a great character to television this past year in the series The Beast (reviewed here earlier on this site). Until recently I did not know he had a job with the Joffrey Ballet's second company and moved to Broadway after an old football injury ended his dancing career. He was always a dancer at heart, from childhood all the way to one of his last films One Last Dance, where he starred with his wife, Lisa Niemi. Patrick Swayze is survived by his wife and mother.

The Return of Mad Men

Don't miss the third season of Mad Men, starting tonight on AMC at 10pm EST/9pm CST.

Yes, it's a guilty pleasure watching this show. First you say to youself, "How can they treat women and minorities like this?" And it is truly amazing and scary when you realize how our society was ordered not so long ago. But then you also notice the warm tones, old songs and innocent simplicity of a society that does not self-censure when it comes to smoking, drinking or even child rearing, and you say to yourself, "The past was truly another country." And it was.

If only we could save some of the past and throw out other aspects. So enjoy it for what it is; days gone by, beautifully recreated, with warts and all.