TV TEE HEES
TV TEE HEES
Tonight the new TV season begins, so I wanted to just make a brief comment, all its probably worth, actually, of what I can remember about the summer season. That probably sounds more down than I want it, too, because for the most part I actually prefer the summer fare than most normal shows.
First and foremost my favorite show is only on during the summers, and that’s History Detectives on PBS. I’ve mentioned it every year for God knows how long, and each season continues to get better. History Detectives is about 5 auctioneers, historians, appraisers, what have you, who try to find out the historical meaning behind something that is brought to them. Was that cloth part of the Hindenburg? Was this animation cell some lost treasure? Did John Wilkes Booth really plot against Lincoln in this Greenwich Village House? This is the kind of questions that are asked, and the way our team goes about finding the truth is fascinating. Also, they discover parts of American history I’ve never even heard about. It’s wonderfully done and Noel and I both wait for one of the Detectives to utter those fateful words, “What I learned next helped me answer so-and-do’s question.”
USA gives us a slew of original series, and frankly I like them all, and for different reasons but also the same reason. PSYCH is hilarious and stupid at the same time. Sometimes (usually) the plots make little or no sense, but like with all USA shows, the characters matter. I like those two; they’d drive me insane in real life, but one hour a week, nobody can beat them. Although not technically a summer show, IN PLAIN SIGHT is a really solid show. I care about the plots of the week as well as the lead characters. I feel the same about BURN NOTICE and ROYAL PAINS, too. This season they introduced COVERT ACTIONS. This show is a lot darker than the other USA shows but done just as well, and somehow the character side of each mission is kept up front.
On TNT I’m a huge fan of LEVERAGE and this season was particularly strong. Great caper stories and they are not the easiest stuff to write. AMC gives us two great shows: MAD MEN might be the best single drama on TV right now. Every week is beautifully written and acted. I can’t possibly say enough good about it. As for RUBICON, it’s also excellent. Beautifully acted as well as wonderfully written. However I do have several problems with the show. It’s 8 or 9 weeks in and I still have no clue to what’s going on, and since they hardly ever recap anything, I can’t always remember all the small details. You know how in the Bourne movies or in James Bond, someone exists to supply information in a scene that lasts 3 seconds before the hero goes back to shooting folk. well, this series is about those guys who give the hero his intel. As such it’s more cerebral than action, but because it’s about the gathering of information the plot side of things moves very, very slow. I fear it won’t keep its audience because whenever I talk to someone about it we’re always wondering when something is going to happen. But it’s magnificently acted and produced and the writing is actually excellent, if not paced glacially.
Last night the first episode of BOARDWALK EMPIRE premiered. I really wanted to give it a 10, but instead I’m rating it 7.5. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more lavishly produced TV pilot, and the acting was all uniformly good, but the actual dialog all felt like old gangster movie talk. I feel like I laughed at some of the speeches more than I was frightened by them. Rumor has it the writing picks up over the next few weeks. I hope so as I love the time period and the story possibilities. That era is rife for great story material. But so far HBO has not found a Sopranos replacement. But my fingers are crossed.
I used to like LAST COMIC STANDING but this year it became just standup. Each comedian came out and did their act. There were no amateurs; everyone was a professional in the business for 5-10 years. I don’t mind the show but they’ve taken the “reality” stunting out of the show. They’ve also removed all reality from it. When someone is booted off the show, which is supposed to be live and their reactions surprised, they go to a clip where the comedian says something about being booted off. In other words they knew before they stood up there and were told for the first time. Their surprise was pure sham. I also like AMERICA’S GOT TALENT, but beyond thinking this year’s winner should not have been (then again American Idol’s gotten it wrong for the last few years, too), I simply cannot stand Piers Morgan. Also, I would like to see at least one, if not all the judges to be American. I’m not being xenophobic here, but every culture looks at entertainment differently. Even England and the U.S., which share much more than a common language, have very different approaches to what is entertaining. Piers and Sharon are British and Howie is Canadian. Surely an American judging American talent wouldn’t be that controversial.
I’m sure there were other summer shows I’ve forgotten to mention. When I think of them I will. And remember, the opinions stated here are the opinions of the management and as such they won’t change.
Anyway, it’s now 7:20 PM and the fall TV season will be starting in 40 minutes. Be back soon.
Monday, September 20, 2010