Wednesday, September 9, 2009

What To Watch: Tuesdays

For an introduction to "What to Watch" (and a look at Mondays), check here.

Now, on to Tuesday!

Show Net Day Time Priority
NCIS CBS TUE 800 Sleepytime
V ABC TUE 800 Watch
Warehouse 13
SYFY TUE 900 Watch
Sons of Anarchy FX TUE 1000 Watch

Tuesday is a lite night for my TV viewing, especially compared to Thursday. Really, the primary highlights are the new V reimagining and the returning Sons of Anarchy (along with soon to conclude Warehouse 13).

NCIS: Like a lot of folks, I caught up on this show via the endless repeats on USA. It's kind of like a country fried steak. Sure, it's not filet mignon, but it's warm, filling and tasty going down. It's a typical procedural, with plenty of great "character work" to go around. And not necessarily character work in the same sense that an HBO, Mad Men or Whedon show would do, but in that we have some broad archetypes here that are winningly and appealingly played, within the constraints of a typical "wrap it up in 44 minutes."

V: For those of us in my age demo, we have fond childhood memories of the original V miniseries. Fascist, red leather wearing, rodent eating alien invaders take over the world? Awesome! Like a lot of network sci-fi from that era, it really doesn't hold up too well under modern viewing standards, but much like Battlestar Galactica, the underlying premise is interesting enough to give it the reboot treatment. And I, for one, will be watching. Even better is the talent behind and in front of the camera, including producers Scott Peters (of the underrated The 4400) and Jeffrey Bell (Angel, Alias and X-Files) and actors Elizabeth Mitchell (the wondrous Juliet from Lost), Joel Gretsch (The 4400) and Morena Baccarin (the impossibly gorgeous space hooker from Firefly).

Warehouse 13: Not sure whether to count this or not, since we only have a couple more eppys to finish in this charming new show's initial run. For more on W13, check out my "Summer TV Report Card." The good news? It's Syfy's biggest scripted hit ever, and has already been renewed for a second season.

Sons of Anarchy: I missed this riveting show during its initial airing, but caught up via reruns and it's definitely a keeper. Part outlaw drama, part Shakespearean meditation (think Hamlet), SOA is like The Sopranos on Harleys. Extraordinarily well cast and well written, SOA wandered a bit during the first season (as most shows tend to do) before really hitting stride during the back half. Last night's premiere kicked off the second season with a vengeance.

2 comments:

  1. YES!!!! Can not WAIT until V. The previews looked fantastic.

    No to NCIS (as I stated earlier...I just say no to procedurals). You can replace that one with SYTYCD...as established before, I'm still a theater geek at heart.

    Warehouse 13 was by FAR my favorite new show of the summer. The plots may be shaky sometimes, but I love the dialogue and I love the characters, and that's enough for me.

    Mo Ryan said you can pick up on Sons of Anarchy with season 2 without missing too much...I'm taking her word for it. I have the season premiere on my DVR right now, as an impulse recording.

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  2. I just watched the latest W13, and it continues to get better and better each eppy. Really just nice, fun, summer stuff.

    I was late the SOA game, but it's fucking intense. You don't need to watch the first season necessarily, and can just jump right in with a "previously on." Maybe read a few recaps to get the gist, but the S2 premiere gets everything moving again in a fairly orderly (and fairly disturbing) way. It's really good and highly recommended. (if you darker material such as The Sopranos, The Shield, and such).

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