More Shows to Watch in June: Louie and Wilfred

Tonight on FX you can see two odd shows that probably could not appear on the major networks.  Louie, now in its second season, should continue to be fun ride.  Last season was at times insightful, other times disturbing, and always surprising.  In a recent interview with Slate magazine, the single dad of two daughters spoke a little bit about bringing his family stories to the program:

Slate: Are the bits you do about your daughters generally true? Did your daughter actually get bitten by a pony?


Louis C.K.: My daughter really did get bit by a pony, and so that was true, and I felt like a piece of shit, and she really was very positive about it. I do feel a lot of times like I'm out of my league with my kids in terms of what my responsibility is. Those parts are true. As far as when I make them behave badly on stage and in my show, that's all fiction. My kids are really easy. I often worry that they're too easy to deal with. They're really nice people. But that just wouldn't be as entertaining, so I just leave that part out.

The entire series is basically a one-man operation, from writing to filming.  And what he produces on his own is so much better than what a troop of writers can put together.  It's raw yet impressive, and worth tuning in.

As far as Wilfred, this is Elijah Wood's first attempt to cross over into TV from film using this Australian hit as his vehicle.  The idea of Wood's suicide-prone character Ryan dealing with a man in a dog suit, who everyone else sees as an actual dog, is admittedly a fresh idea for a television series. However, talking animals (and puppets) have not always made for good TV.  As I noted earlier, it this is Alf again it is toast.  But should it become a fresh look at a struggling man coming to terms with his inner turmoil, it could be both a funny and edgy program.

Update:  Having watched the first four episodes of each program, I recommend both to viewers.  Louis C.K. maintains its strange freshness, from the very dark episode of a homeless man's bizarre death to his sister's odd stomach pains to his one night stand with Jone Rivers.  Trying to predict the direction of this show is an impossible task.  Wilfred is a odd yet endearing show.  It is a perfect role for Elijah Wood, who plays the geeky lovelorn neighbor.  And his canine friend Wilfred is a conniving, drug-addled "best friend" who can quickly slip into the most lovable and familiar behavior, from chasing his tail to pursuing a laser light.  The content and language is not family safe by any stretch of the imagination, but it makes for fun nighttime viewing. 

The Sky is Falling

Sci-fi shows continue to take a beating, unless of course you have vampires, werewolves, or witches (discussed earlier).  The tube is also doing better with period pieces (or make-believe periods) with men in tights, or at least fur coats.  And the networks are now creating doctors and detectives with special powers, so that should offer a new twist to some.

However, I am thinking futuristic rather than remnants from the grave or tales from yore. We have already lost V (not really a great loss) and Caprica (a terrific show), while Outcast became just that soon after being released by BBC.  And the trash heap has grown over the years after valiant starts - think of Defying Gravity and Virtuality.

So, where are we today?  Well, on June 19th we will get a new show on TNT called Falling Skies. The 10-part series stars Noah Wyle as a former Boston history professor and tells the story of a country six months after its brutal defeat under extraterrestrials.  Previews show alien creatures that remind me a lot of the ones from Battle: Los Angeles, which is now adverting in tandem with the new series.  The story itself brings to mind War of the Worlds combined with the scrappy resistance of townsfolk seen in TV's Jericho. 

So what can we expect?  During a recent interview, Noah Wyle described the role of science fiction: 

Science fiction, in its purest form, for me, it works the best when it’s being used as metaphor to look at something from a one step removed process, to give a little objectivity and insight into something that, if you were applying it on the face of it, we’d all be too close to. That’s what Gene Roddenberry did, better than anybody, with the original Star Trek shows. In ‘66, you could show a show about race relations, by making it Kligons and Vulcans, and not have to talk about black and white. You were talking black and white, but somehow it was a lot more palatable to be soon through another culture. I think this operates on that level. It’s got historical precedent. We draw a lot of allegory to the American Revolution, but it also has a lot of contemporary resonance too. There are many places in the world where you can find large occupying army that aren’t wanted on indigenous soil.

It will be interesting to see the American Revolution with real "lobster backs," or at least what seem to be crustaceans. The series can also boast that Stephen Spielberg was involved as executive producer.  His involvement should improve the quality of the series, though I hope it is not a sign that this will become another vehicle for his "return to mother" theme.  I also distinctly remember a ridiculous scene at the end of Spielberg's War of the Worlds where Tom Cruise returns to Boston only to find everyone wearing crisp, pretty sweaters in the midst of what was to be the end of the world.  I am hoping Wyle will not be a Benetton model in this new program.

Some additional sci-fi shows are in the works as well.  I will cover them in later stories. Stay tuned.

Update:  I have watch the first two episodes (three hours) of Falling Sky and the show has already grown on me.  And yes, it bring to mind a few other programs from the past.  For instance, the alien invasion reminds me of District 9 with the insect/crustacean visitors and the huge, lumbering ship sitting above the human city.  And the bugs have their own robots to do their bidding, which remind me of the Cylons from Battlestar Galactica picking of the few remaining human after the genocide.  But what surprised me was the acting - it works.  Wyle plays an awkward, yet convincing, dad to his two sons as he spouts off historical analogies that his kids barely tolerate.  Dads can be that way.  And while most the other characters are what you would expect - the potential mom/girlfriend, the crusty military commander - you have a few interesting souls thrown into the mix, such as the thug with culinary skills.  The program certainly shows promise.

Second Update:  Falling Skies has been picked up for a second season, noted  TV Series Finale in a July 8th posting.

Did You Miss Portlandia?

I know I missed IFC's Portlandia when it first came out, but fortunately it is available for download and you can see a few clips on Hulu.com. Starring Fred Armisen from Saturday Night Live and Carrie Brownstein, the show is a hilarious series of skits poking fun at the stuck-in-the-1990s version of Portland they have constructed.  Think of it as a Pacific Northwest version of Parks and Recreation.  And as with Amy Poehler, also from Saturday Night Live fame, the exaggerated opinions and incidents make for fun viewing.  One of my favorite skits in episode makes fun of "birds on it" art, going over the top on this simple idea until a real bird enters the scene. You can also watch a couple dissecting a menu to the point that they want to know all about the chicken they are about to eat, eventually traveling to the farm to ensure the bird was happy before ending up on their dinner plate.  Is it corny?  Absolutely.  Will we all think back to parts of the 1990s and cringe.  Absolutely, again.  And will you enjoy this six-part series?  I think you know the answer.

Aside note:  See if you recognize the cast member from Parks and Recreation in one of the episodes.

Update:  By the way, Portlandia was picked up for a second season, according to the Huffington Post.

Monsters on MVT

The Age of Vampires has been followed by the Age of Werewolves, or so it would seem.  MTV will introduce Teen Werewolf on June 5th, a story of gruesome self-discovery (like all teen dramas, of course).

This is at least the fifth such show in the last year covering werewolf angst, all of which I stopped watching for various reasons:

-- BBC's Being Human (too much whining in the third season);
-- ABC's The Gates (canceled after a really bad ending);
-- HBO's True Blood (too many people eating one another - I lost track); and
-- and The CW's Vampire Diaries (too many dances). 

However, what is interesting is that the werewolves were always the side-kicks or late comers compared to the vampires.  Even poor Jacob played second fiddle to Edward in the Twilight sagas.  Teen Wolf is dedicated to the werewolf fan and no vampires can be seen lurking anywhere, at least in the first season. So this is a favorable twist for our furry friends (or fiends).

What is interesting is that one of the high school jocks is played Colton Hayne, who also played a suffering, almost leashed, werewolf in The Gates.  Now he gets to play the human part.  Maybe The Gates simply morphed to a new address.

Update:  And if you prefer cats rather than dogs, ABC Family has a new series about a young girl with cat-like qualities called The Nine Lives of Chloe King.  Pick your pet.

Second Update:  Teen Wolf has been picked up for a second season, according to a July 13th posting on Screen Rant.

CBS Shows Coming This Fall

Now that we have taken a look at some of the new NBC and ABC shows, it makes sense to see what CBS is cooking up.  Two shows in particular interest me because they have that interesting twist that could either save the program or make it lame real quick (even though they are the typical doctor and cop types):

-- A Gifted Man:  First, I am amazed they could get Patrick Wilson, such a gifted actor, to take the lead in a TV series.  Wilson plays a surgeon (no surprise yet) who can see the dead (okay, still no surprises).  This Ghost-like story where the dead spouse communicates with the living spouse is not necessarily new, but I am willing to tune in and see how it goes.  I am also interested in seeing how Margo Martindale does as the surgeon's assistant.  Martindale was fascinating as a backwoods mother protecting her brood in the second season of FX's Justified, so we know what she can do with a new role when given a chance.  Here is the basic storyline per CBS:

A GIFTED MAN is a drama about a brilliant, charismatic surgeon whose life changes forever when his deceased ex-wife begins teaching him the meaning of life from the "hereafter." Michael Holt (Patrick Wilson) is an exceptional doctor who lives a materialistic life of luxury thanks to his work-obsessed career and powerful and wealthy patients; however, Michael's ordered world is rocked when his ex-wife, Anna (Jennifer Ehle), an idealistic free-clinic doctor and the love of his life, mysteriously appears to him. Michael's off-beat sister, Christina (Julie Benz), a single mom to her teenaged son, Milo (Liam Aiken), is thrilled that Anna's back in her brother's life, even as an "illusion," because Michael was always a better person with her. Curious about Michael's sudden change in behavior is his efficient assistant, Rita (Margo Martindale). When Anna asks Michael to go to her clinic to help keep it running, he meets Autumn (Afton Williamson), a volunteer carrying on Anna's work with the underprivileged. Touched by those in need and accepting of Anna's compassionate "presence," Michael's attitude toward serving the rich and poor is turned upside down, and he begins to see that there's room in his life for everyone.

-- Unforgettable:  In this another story partially dwelling on a past death, but in this case its a police consultant trying to solve her sister's death while also serving as a super crime-fighter. The scenes for this series do not give too much away, though the star starts with a Rain Man-like performance involving viagra - do I have your attention yet?  Here again is the hard sell from CBS:

UNFORGETTABLE stars Poppy Montgomery as Carrie Wells, an enigmatic former police detective with a rare condition that makes her memory so flawless that every place, every conversation, every moment of joy and every heartbreak is forever embedded in her mind. It's not just that she doesn't forget anything - she can't; except for one thing: the details that would help solve her sister's long-ago murder. Carrie has tried to put her past behind her, but she's unexpectedly reunited with her ex-boyfriend and partner, NYPD Detective Al Burns (Dylan Walsh), when she consults on a homicide case. His squad includes Det. Mike Costello (Michael Gaston), Al's right-hand man; Detective Roe Saunders (Kevin Rankin), the junior member of the team; and Detective Nina Inara (Daya Vaidya), a sassy, street-smart cop. Being back on the job after a break feels surprisingly right for Carrie. Despite her conflicted feelings for Al, she decides to permanently join his unit as a detective solving homicides - most notably, the unsolved murder of her sister. All she needs to do is remember.

I am placing my bets on Patrick Wilson, but the critics may see things differently. 

Proposed Fall Schedules for NBC and ABC

It's that time of year with spring rains and the watering of a new crop of fall TV programs.  NBC and ABC have already announced their new shows.  While many of these shows are simply rehashing existing programs (aka cops and robbers, sexy doctors, dysfunctional funny families), a few of the more supernatural programs indicate an interesting movement away from the pack.  Here are two I found most interesting:

-- NBC's Grimm:  Brought to you by the producers of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, this new show tells the story of a police detective who is also one of the last remaining members of the Grimm family.  And, of course, members of the Grimm family have a unique ability to see things the rest of us cannot - monsters in every walk of life.  It's an interesting premise and not too far away from the CW's Supernatural, which also brought urban ghost stories back to life.  The tag line of the show is "Remember the fairy tales your parents used to tell you before bedtime? Well, those weren't stories, they were warnings."  Catchy, and maybe a show that you should keep away from the kids for now.

-- ABC's Once Upon a Time:  In this case, the producers from Lost take you on a strange journey that hopefully will make a little more sense than their last show (even though that show had its own fantasies).  Emma Swan connects with her long lost son and visits the New England town of Storybrooke where the entire town is part of a fairy tale.  The scenes remind me of a cross between BBC's Merlin and SyFy's Haven, but I am ready for a good show and hopefully this one has some staying power.  Here is a litte more from the producer posted at blastr.com (and it is not clear if this really helps to sell the new series): 

According to ABC Entertainment president Paul Lee, Once Upon a Time is "completely unlike Lost. But in some ways it's like Lost ... because it's about a group of people who are trapped." While the new series will use flashbacks like Lost, those flashbacks will be of the fairytale world the characters come from, he said.

Let the Three of Them Disappear

Do we really need Two and a Half Men?  With the implosion of Charlie Sheen, this was the perfect opportunity to let a poorly written show disappear from the scene.  CBS can certainly do better in terms of quality, but it appears the network was making a mint on the show and quality has nothing to do with ratings and money.  So the plan is for Ashton Kutcher to join the cast, which makes more sense than Hugh Grant.  In fact, I would not mind seeing Ashton in a new show since he has the likability to make a weekly comedy worth watching (remember That '70s Show?), yet I would prefer CBS found a new vehicle.  And how much will Ashton make as the replacement for "The Demented One"?  One estimate puts his take at about $1 million per episode, compared to Charlie's $2 million.  Ashton has little to lose here with his weak film career, and maybe the writing will actually improve with a new cast, but I still think its the viewers that lose in this arrangement since any network with half a brain could use this $1-2 million to create a better show that improves TV Land rather than simply filling airtime.  Of course, such networks are in short supply.

Update:  If you want to see the premiere of a new season of Two and a Half Men without Charlie, you can see it September 19th.  Also, later that night on Comedy Central you can see the roast of Charlie Sheen.  It will not be pretty.  According to the Daily Beast, here is Seth MacFarlane's (of Family Guy) opening lines:

Tonight on Two and a Half Men, they’re actually having Charlie’s pretend funeral, believe it or not. No need to switch over, though. Just wait a few months, you can probably see the real thing. I mean, we all know there’s a good chance Charlie will be dead soon, so I wrote an obituary. Charlie Sheen, who became a tabloid fixture due to his problems with drugs and alcohol, was found dead in his apartment. Actually, you know what? I kind of just copied Amy Winehouse’s obituary. I only had to change three things: the sex of the deceased, the location of the body, and the part that says a talent that will be missed.