Luke Cage on Netflix

It is finally here - the new Luke Cage series on Netflix.  Starting tonight, you can see one of the few black superheroes to grace television.  You may remember him from the first season of Jennifer Jones, but now he continues on with his own show (as Jessica Jones and Daredevil are somewhere in the background).  

At a time of turbulence in the real world, this bullet-proof black man is a novelty with a hopeful story.  A review by Decider says it is the story we need today:

Luke Cage is full of characters who say enough is enough. They decide to walk tall in the shadows and to stand up to the specters of the past. Luke Cage isn’t just a show about a black superhero — it’s a show about the superhero hidden in all of us. We can all be Luke Cage if we all just stand up for what’s right.

Amen.

SyFy: Aftermath and Channel Zero

As if the debate this week was not scary enough, don't forget to watch SyFy's new show this week called Aftermath about the end of the world.  I am not sure it offers anything new in a time of stories about world-destroying power failures (Revolution), zombies (Walking Dead), vampires (The Strain), aliens (Colony), and demons (Dominion), but I suppose another version cannot hurt.

Here is the story:

When the world as they know it starts coming to an end, the Copeland family must face terrifying supernatural creatures and unprecedented disasters, including massive storms, earthquakes, meteor impacts, plague and the rapid decline of civilization. Will they be able to make it through - and figure out how to stop it?

And that's not all. SyFy's Channel Zero will also keep you awake.  Here is the summary of this new show starting October 11th:

Candle Cove centers on one man’s obsessive recollections of a mysterious children’s television program from the 1980s, and his ever-growing suspicions about the role it might have played in a series of nightmarish and deadly events from his childhood.

Maybe things could be worse than another debate. 

The Choice on PBS

I plan to watch tonight's debate on PBS and then tune into the Tuesday night's (Sept. 27) two-hour special on PBS's Frontline called The Choice.  I hope to learn even more about the two candidates.  Here is the rundown from PBS:

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are two of the most polarizing presidential candidates in modern history.

What has shaped them? How would they lead, if elected president? And why do they want to take on one of the most difficult jobs imaginable?

On Sept. 27, FRONTLINE’s acclaimed election-year series The Choice returns with a two-hour, dual biography that goes beyond the headlines Trump and Clinton have generated to tell the inside story of who they really are.

Drawing on dozens of interviews with those who know the candidates best — friends and family, advisors and adversaries — as well as authors, journalists, and political insiders, The Choice 2016 will offer trustworthy journalism, big-picture context, and powerful new insights at a moment when voters are being bombarded with conflicting partisan stories about each candidate.

It’s one of the most anticipated programs of the election season — and starting today, you can take a sneak peek in FRONTLINE’s just-released, four-minute trailer.

As the trailer indicates, The Choice 2016 will investigate formative moments in the lives of Clinton and Trump, from their childhoods, to their school experiences, to their tumultuous careers in the public eye. It’s the latest project from veteran FRONTLINE filmmaker Michael Kirk and his team, and it comes at a critical moment in American politics.

The bitter divide in this country makes it incredibly hard for people to understand how others could support the candidate on the opposite side,” says Kirk. “After watching The Choice 2016, no matter where your allegiance lies, you’ll come away with a new and richer understanding of who the opposing candidates are, and how and why he or she has reached this point.”

Given the stakes in the election before us, with growing foreign menaces and internal discord, we all need to take a breath and learn more about the candidates.

Update: And I am not remaining neutral here. This recent ad for the Clinton campaign clearly shows us what we are dealing with. 

Poldark on PBS

Don't forget that PBS's second season of Poldark premieres this evening.  Even with all the other premieres, this is one you will not want miss given the way the series ended last season. It seems18th century Cornwall was a pretty harsh place to live, particularly if you are an outspoken "gentleman" who has little need for traditional roles.

Tonight's episode will be two hours long tonight to get things kicked off.  This is how PBS describes the tonight's episode: "As Ross prepares to go to trial, his rival George Warleggan plans to ruin him once and for all. Can Ross’ friends and family save him, or is this his final run-in with the law?"  That damn banker George Warleggan!  Have bankers ever been heroes?

By the way, next Sunday, October 2nd, you can also watch Poldark Revealed, which goes behind-the-scenes in Cornwall, England. 

Super News for Superstore

Last Thursday you had a chance to watch the second season premiere of NBC's Superstore, one of the better workplace shows since The Office ended, and now you get to watch an even longer second season. That's right, NBC has approved a total of 22 episodes this season. That is certainly a boost for this light-hearted series about the everyday turmoil of selling light bulbs and lawn furniture

Jennifer Salke, President, NBC Entertainment, seemed quite happy in this quote from Variety:

We’re very proud of ‘Superstore’ and we were so happy to see fantastic viewing levels with the preview during the Olympics (last month) as well as last night’s ratings in its new Thursday anchor time period.

If you missed last month's episode during the Olympic Games you should really check it out.

New Shows: Vampires, Devils, and Lawyers (Same Thing, Really)

First let me start with the shows returning tomorrow night (Sept. 23). Our favorite sheriff from Longmire returns for fifth season on Netflix. The third season of Transparent is also available on Amazon, though the second season almost wore me out. 

So how about new shows, you ask? I have three new ones - two related to horror and one that's a do-over from years ago.  

--Van Helsing, SyFy: Yes, more vampires for you as Teen Wolf and Vampire Diaries finish up their last season.  This is what you can expect:

Van Helsing is set in the near future, where vampires have risen and taken control.  Vanessa Van Helsing is humanity's last hope, as her unique blood composition gives her the ability to turn vampires human. With this secret weapon, Vanessa becomes a prime target for the vampires. Van Helsing comes from the producers of Fargo and Hell on Wheels. 

--The Exorcist, Fox: We already had The Omen television series, so why not try this one as well?  Read on if you are interested:

Directed by Rupert Wyatt (“Rise of the Planet of the Apes”), THE EXORCIST is a propulsive psychological thriller following two very different priests tackling one family’s case of horrifying demonic possession. FATHER TOMAS ORTEGA (Alfonso Herrera, “Sense8,” “The Chosen”) is the new face of the Catholic Church: progressive, ambitious and compassionate. He runs a small, but loyal, parish in the suburbs of Chicago. He has no idea that his quiet life is about to change forever. Deep in the slums of Mexico City, another priest has found himself locked in a life-and-death struggle with evil. FATHER MARCUS KEANE (Ben Daniels, “Flesh and Bone,” “House of Cards”) is a modern-day Templar Knight, an orphan raised since childhood by the Vatican to wage war against its enemies. Father Marcus is everything Father Tomas is not: relentless, abrasive and utterly consumed by his mission – and he constantly butts heads with his adversary within the church, FATHER BENNETT (Kurt Egyiawan, “Beasts of No Nation”).

Caught in the middle of the two priests is the RANCE family, who are members of Tomas’ parish. On the surface, they’re a normal, American family, but all is not as it seems in this household. The patriarch, HENRY RANCE (Alan Ruck, “Spin City,” “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”), is recovering from a traumatic injury. Eldest daughter KATHERINE (Brianne Howey, SCREAM QUEENS) has become a recluse who refuses to leave her room. Her younger sister, CASEY (Hannah Kasulka, “The Fosters”), thinks she’s hearing strange noises coming from inside the walls. And mother ANGELA (Academy Award and Golden Globe winner Geena Davis, “Commander in Chief,” “Thelma & Louise”) believes there is something in the house, a demonic presence, growing stronger by the day. Desperate, she begs Father Tomas for help, unwittingly setting the naïve young priest on a collision course with Father Marcus. Separately, each faces an insurmountable task, but together they become the Rances’ only hope against an evil force that has been mobilizing for centuries.

--MacGyver, CBS:  I was never a great fan of the earlier series, but this remake looks fun.  I may try it out.  Here is more:

MacGyver, a reimagining of the classic series, is an action-adventure drama about 20-something Angus “Mac” MacGyver, who creates a clandestine organization within the U.S. government where he uses his extraordinary talent for unconventional problem solving and vast scientific knowledge to save lives. Joining his team on high-risk missions around the globe is maverick former CIA agent Jack Dalton and Patricia Thornton, ex-field agent turned director of operations and Riley Davis, an unpredictable computer hacker with a chip on her shoulder. At home, MacGyver is entertained by his ambitious roommate, Wilt Bozer. Under the aegis of the Department of External Services, MacGyver takes on the responsibility of saving the world, armed to the teeth with resourcefulness and little more than bubble gum and a paper clip.

It's Easy on Netflix

Today Netflix premieres its new series Easy, which it calls an

...eclectic, star-studded anthology follows diverse Chicagoans fumbling through the modern maze of love, sex, technology and culture.

The new series includes Orlando Bloom, Marc Maron, and other stars, indicating Netflix continues to find the funds and friends it needs to produce whatever it wants. 

Not that stars by themselves can save a story. For instance, The Guardian was not impressed with Bloom's performance, stating

Easy is a small series about small stories told quietly, and having Legolas acting smug front and centre feels unnecessarily distracting. That said, though, every single episode contains moments of undeniable charm, even one where you have to watch Orlando Bloom crawl over naked bodies for what feels like an eternity.

Luckily, Easy has eight episodes and eight different stories, so you are sure to find something you like.