Summer TV Report Card

Thanks to cable, summer is no longer the desolate television wasteland, comprised of repeats, intelligence and dignity sapping reality shows and dumped pilots. (Network television, however, still continues this time honored taking out of the trash).

So how did summer viewing stack up, quality-wise? Let's take a look. Here are my grades for various summer season shows (some of which are still in progress):

Burn Notice: A-
Very solid season, filled with everything we like (how-to voiceovers, CGI-free action, colorful cover identities, lots of Sam Axe) and only a little of what we don't (meandering master plot and too many scenarios where the bad guys tidily take each other out). The only serious misstep was with the character (and casting) of Detective Paxson.

Royal Pains: C-
This freshman show seems to have caught on in the ratings and performed well even after losing the superior Burn Notice as a lead in. I stuck with it through to the finale, but I'm not sure that I'll keep it on the season pass list when it returns next summer. Other than Campbell Scott's mysterious Boris, all the characters are black holes of charisma or downright annoying (I'm looking at you, Evan). The nifty "solutions" to medical problems lack the brilliance of House and aren't as fun as similar improvisations on Burn Notice. And I don't give a damn about any of the relationships here.

In Plain Sight: B-
Credit where credit is due for successfully centering a show on a prickly, borderline unlikable character. Mary McCormack's Marshal Mary Shannon is competent and caustic, and her interplay with the show's best character, Fred Weller's bone-dry Marshal Marshall Mann, is the reason to keep coming back. The show also made some effort to adjust the supporting cast, making Stan more passionate and less buffoonish, and pushing Mary's aggravating family to the background. The creator and showrunner has left the series, so we'll see how things shake out next year.

Law & Order: Criminal Intent: B+
This warhorse keeps chugging along, offering "ripped from the headlines" crimes to be solved by two of TV's quirkiest and most watchable performers, Vincent D'Onfrio and Jeff Goldblum. The supporting cast is also sublime. I really like the work done by Eric Bogosian, Kathryn Erbe and Julianne Nicholson.

Saving Grace: D
On the surface, I should love this show. It features characters from "flyover country" that are taken seriously, blends procedural crime-solving with a dollop of the supernatural and has talented actors giving real and naturalistic performances across the board. There's no question that Holly Hunter's bravura scenery chewing is a thing to behold. Yet every single episode I watch feels like there are three or four scenes cut out that would help it hang together more coherently. And the overall arc shambles aimlessly along, confusing "divine mystery" with "exasperatingly nonsensical." A nice effort, but definitely far less than the sum of its parts.

The Closer: B
I've long stopped pulling my hair out over Kyra's dinner theatre Georgia accent (now that Saving Grace is shutting down, perhaps Holly Hunter can give her some dialect coaching?) and just enjoyed this show for what it is. It features a great supporting cast (any reason for more JK Simmons on my TV is a reason to cheer) and a bluesy score (the opening scenes / credits roll out sequences are among the best on TV). Though the "revelation in Brenda's personal life triggers an 'a-ha moment' about the case" device can be a little trite, the show just works.

Leverage: B
More fun than it ought to be, this lightweight summer diversion is eminently watchable, thanks mainly to the performances. Timothy Hutton grounds the team with his actorly chops, and the rest of the Leverage group orbits around him giving us everything from geektastic riffing (Aldis Hodge's Hardison) to inexplicably adorable face-scrunching (Beth Riesgraf's Parker). The con mechanics don't always hold up under close scrutiny, but this show is as refreshing as a lemonade on a summer day.

Weeds: D
I gave up on this show for a while, but came back this season to see what's going on and can't believe I made it through the entire thing (one more episode, the season finale, airs Monday). Mary Louise Parker is sexy as hell and gives her all to a role that just doesn't do anything for me. Nancy Botwin isn't particularly likable, competent, moral, funny or engaging. (In Plain Sight's central character is similar prickly, but is at least good at what she does). The side plots, whether they feature the kids, Doug and Dean or Celia, feel beamed in from another show and I can't believe anyone gives a shit about Esteban or his career. Really, the only redeeming features this season have been Justin Kirk's nimble gift for comedy and pathos, and Alanis Morrisette's surprisingly winning guest shot. A mess.

Nurse Jackie: B+
A meandering examination of an addicted ER Nurse and her personal and professional travails, this show won me over on the strength of the acting, particularly a ferocious and vanity-free performance from the incomparable Edie Falco and Merritt Wever's lovable, loopy Zoey. With the exception of Anna Deavere Smith's slapsticky administrator (I fault the character and writing more than the actress, who ably tries to work with the tone deaf material she's given) the whole ensemble turns in great work.

Entourage: D+
Another show, like Weeds, than appears on my TiVo more out of habit than any sort of passion. It was never blessed with sharp writing or performances (save early, pre-sushi Piven) in the first place, and it's only gotten shaggier in its later years. This year, the show's least compelling character, Eric, winds up with most of "dramatic" heavy lifting, and he's simply not up to the challenge (and what's with the annoying stick figure neighbor? Ye gods). It takes a special kind of ineptness to waste Gary Cole.

Hung: B
This one seems to be really hit or miss for a lot of folks. Not quite funny enough to be laugh out loud hysterical, yet not as sharply dramatic as something like Nurse Jackie can be, Hung is content to drift along on the charms of its cast and wacky premise. Your mileage may vary, depending on how much you enjoy Thomas Jane and Jane Adams. Personally, I think Jane is an underrated actor who filters some of his character's jockish obliviousness with a hangdog earnestness, and I've long had a crush on the delightful quirky and compelling Adams.

True Blood: A-
While this isn't a deep, thought-provoking meditation on the human condition (such as other HBO efforts like The Sopranos or Deadwood), there's hardly anything on TV now that offers this much outlandish, over the top fun. Though I could do without some of the characters (like Eggs), Michelle Forbes has been a gleefully demented big bad and the relationship between the shy, sweet Hoyt and the vampire virgin Jessica is funny, compelling and fascinating to watch. Almost all the eccentrics in Bon Tomps have something to do this season (welcome back, sassy Lafayette!), and the show has found a nice tone that effectively straddles gut-busting camp and operatic melodrama.

Virtuality: A-
Though this was a failed pilot aired as a burn-off TV movie, it's really a shame Virtuality didn't get more of a shot. It was well cast, well written and had an abundance of ideas to explore.

Being Human: B
What a delightful little surprise this BBCA import has been. It's the story of three flatmates (as they say across the pond) - a vampire, a werewolf and a ghost. Though I frequently watch with the closed-captioning on in order to catch some of the mumbled English slang, and some of the foundational "rules" about how these supernatural creatures operate aren't exactly clear, I admire the winning performances of the three lead actors and appreciate the fact that the plot isn't afraid to go to some very dark places.

Rescue Me: B+
This has been a very successful comeback for a show that seemed to be running out of gas during its last go round. Most all of the central characters have gotten a plotline to wrap their arms around, and you can never go wrong when you give the crew of the 62 Truck more scenes to hang around and shoot the shit about women, pop culture, politics or life in general. Sometimes, the focus on Tommy's magical love life can be wearying, but it helps when you have an actress as good as Callie Thorne to play balls-out crazy, or one as talented and sexy as Maura Tierney to play a mysterious new interloper. Few shows can vacillate between pathos and comedy as well as Rescue Me, and one of the things I've admired this season has been a concerted effort to feature longer, unbroken set pieces that mine the depths of both.

Eureka: B-
Though I'm a little pissed that Friday's episode was a glorified clip show masquerading as a new episode, Eureka does what it always does: provide an amiable, well-acted and engaging summer diversion that coasts effectively on its high concept trappings and likable cast. Jamie Ray Newman has added some life, too, as a flame-haired, lispy romantic foil for the comically gifted Colin Ferguson.

Warehouse 13: A-
This freshman series, a delightful melange of The X-Files and TNT's Librarian series, with a dash of Bones thrown in, charmed from the start, though it isn't without a few growing pains. It is winningly cast, with leads Eddie McClintock and Joanne Kelly as "Secret Service" agents tasked with procuring magical and sci-fi "artifacts" for the mysterious Warehouse, which is overseen by reliable veteran actor Saul Rubinek. Recently, Allison Scagliotti joined the cast as a young hacker genius to add some depth (and winsome attitude) to the team. McClintock and Kelly have chemistry to burn, and the whole concept is fun and breezy, and a great way to spend an hour. The artifacts themselves have been inconsistent in nature, ranging from historically clever to poorly conceived, and some of the episode wrap ups have been a wee bit trite. It's all but impossible for new shows to find their tone and footing right out of the box, but with the addition of more backstory and a recurring nemesis (Roger Rees), Warehouse 13 is quickly getting into an addictive groove.

Psych and Monk: (Incomplete)
We're too early into their summer runs to offer a complete evaluation for these returing USA favorites, but I will say that Monk seems to have stepped up a bit in its swan song from a lackluster prior season. The ratings show that Psych suffers some viewer drop off from its lead in, and I can't understand why, as this show continues to make me giggle with its endless pop culture riffs and the easy chemistry between leads James Roday and Dule Hill.

All in all, if, like me, you find reality drivel one of the horsemen of the apocalypse and needed some scripted viewing this summer it really was a pretty good time to be plopped on the couch in front of the tube.

TV Quickies

USA's In Plain Sight is a mildly entertaining diversion, but the best reason to watch that show continues to be the droll wit of Fred Weller's Marshall Mann sidekick. Oh, and the show's creator is leaving after this season, and doesn't sound exactly happy about it. At least he's taking Jinx with him.

Speaking of mildly entertaining summer diversions, I like the cast of Leverage, but can't for the life of me figure out Beth Riesgraf. She's either one of the worst actors on television who can't facially convey normal human emotions in any scene she's in, particularly when she's not the center of focus, OR she's absolutely brilliant, giving her somewhat mysterious and off kilter character perplexing line readings and throwing exaggeratedly muggy (and adorable) expressions from her visage.

The Dollhouse DVD is fantastic. "Epitaph One" is truly the mind-blowing revelation you've heard about, and pulls brilliant, heartbreaking performances out of everyone involved (especially Topher!). And the original pilot is much, much better than the aired pilot, with 100% less head-scratching hostage negotiation. The special features are entertaining, and similar to what you've seen on other Whedon discs. (I hope to catch the commentaries later this week).

I had a coupon for a free movie on DirecTV on demand, and used it on the third Underworld movie. If you're going to watch a silly, blue tinted movie about the emancipation of werewolves, it certainly helps to have thespians Michael Sheen and Bill Nighy around to chew scenery and class up the place a bit. (Pouty Rhona Mitra as an undead kickass princess doesn't hurt, either).

The Burn Notice finale was great, though I did think they wasted too much time this season with the woefully miscast Moon Bloodgood as Det. Paxson. Some online reaction was surprising, in that people complained (SPOILER) that Michael shot Strickler "in cold blood." First, Strickler had a gun on him, so it wasn't exactly "cold blood," and second, I was glad that Michael took direct action against a rather unsavory character. Too often on Burn Notice, the bad guys wind up arrested or humiliated or driven out of town. I think that someone with Michael's background wouldn't hesitate to put someone down if they needed putting down, unless the act itself interfered with completion of the mission or hampered his long term plans. And while he was killing things that needed killing, he could have shot all the Irish accents that came out of a community theatre production of Darby O'Gill and the Little People.

Similarly, I've been catching up on Bruce Campbell's one season cult classic Brisco County Jr., which is a trippy Wild Wild West like show combining frontier adventure with dollops of sci-fi (it was co-created by Lost EP Carlton Cuse, if that tells you something). It's a fun show, particularly for fans of The Chin, but I think at the time it might have played things for the kids too much, since hardly anyone ever gets shot - on a show full of bounty hunters and quick-drawing gunslingers.

I also decided to pick up some reruns of Sons of Anarchy on FX, and after the first two eps, I have to say it's quite intriguing. Don't know why I missed this first time around, but it shows quite a bit of promise.

Speaking of FX, I think I've mentioned this before, but I blazed through the entire series run of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and it's got to be one of subversively funniest things I've ever seen. It's absolutely, gloriously politically incorrect, and for that, I love its shriveled, dark heart.

Warehouse 13, SyFy's new (Bones + X-Files / The Librarian x Friday the 13th: The Series) show, gets better each and every week. It's really well cast and a lot of fun, though the writing (and plot machinations) could use some tightening.

So, Paula Abdul is off American Idol. To which I say, thank Zeus. Look, the other two chair fillers to Simon's right are just as inept. Randy is a self-absorbed ("Did you know I worked with Mariah, dawg? And I toured with Journey?") fountain of idiotic catch phrases ("for me, for you" "molten hot" "work it out" "aiight" "dawg") that doesn't do a think to elevate the contestant critiques. Given her background in the industry and CV, I had hopes for Kara. But whether it was her role as the "fourth wheel" on a panel that tended to drone on already (when it wasn't interrupted by witless audience reaction, wasting even more time in already overstuffed shows), the criminally incompetent directing and production that actually reduced the meaningful content of the shows (the singing) while allowing it to consistently bloat beyond all reason and fuck with DVRs all across America, or her own cosmic gift for malaprops (Studio 57, for example) and incoherence ("early" Aerosmith and "artistry"), she didn't exactly make a great first impression. Still, given a choice of whom to boot among Kara, Randy and Paula, I would have given Paula the pink slip. The former have more "credibility" on their actual resumes than Paula, a performer never known for her "vocals" (or production or songwriting) anyway. And I prefer my entertainment scripted if I want to watch someone strung out on pills (Greg House), verbally incomprehensible (Tracy Jordan) or endearingly supportive (Hurley). Personally, I would have wiped out all the judges sans Simon and started over, but hopefully, given the contract situations, that can be taken care of after next season. (Kara had a one year option picked up, and Randy is signed through next year). Almost anyone would be better. What about Elton John? Jody Watley? Susanna Hoffs? Or my personal choice, Harry Connick Jr. (mentioned back in a 2008 "how to fix Idol" post, along with some other fixes for common Idol problems). Initially the silver lining (inside of the gold lining of 86ing the less intellectually gifted half of the duo who sang "Opposites Attract") in all this was that we'd be back to a somewhat more streamlined panel of three, instead of the performance eradicating blight and bloat of four that submarined much of this last season. However, the producers have stated that they plan to press on with four judges in a yet to be determined fashion, whether it be with a permanent replacement or rotating guest judges (such as they're doing early on with Posh Spice and Katy Perry). Sigh.

Passing out grades for the summer TV season

The fall television season is upon us, so it's time to take a quick look back at the boys of summer, television-style.

First and foremost, I'm sure you're probably sick of reading about my undying love affair with The Middleman. Unless, of course, you're a fellow fan of the Middledude and Dub-Dub. I watch a LOT of TV, and this was by far the most inventive, original and entertaining show I've seen in ages. Though not a clone of a Whedon program, it still has the same sensibility, in that it wholly creates its own universe, style and patter, and completely immerses you. It wasn't a perfect fit for ABC Family, and didn't pull the ratings it could (and should) have, so who knows if we'll be treated to another season of one of the most brilliant concoctions to grace the boob tube. If you've ever trusted my recommendations, please treat yourself to a viewing of The Middleman. A+

In Plain Sight was okay. In a summer without much going on, it made for a passable procedural with an intriguing concept, a solid lead performance and a star character in the making (Marshall!). I was bored with the family drama, though the whole "box of letters" bit at the end was a bit heartwarming. And for some bizarre reason, I was mesmerized by Mary's dimwitted, skank of a sister. (Evidently, I just have a soft spot for that type). On a related note, said sister will soon be showing up on Bones as a love interest for Angela. B-

Despite the interesting premise and setting, I still have all the eppies of Swingtown TiVod. Unwatched. Incomplete.

Secret Diary of a Call Girl coasted by entirely on the charms of star Billie Piper. If you're a fan of her Rose Tyler, it made for a mildly diverting 20 minutes. It wasn't sexy enough to be erotic, funny enough to make you laugh or dramatic enough to move you. But if you like saucy chicks with an overbite who once rode in the Tardis, it'll do. C

I'm still halfway through the latest season of Weeds. I enjoy this show when I watch it, yet I don't rush home to fire up the TiVo to make sure I catch the latest ep. Maybe my TiVo is telling me something. Incomplete.

At this stage of the game, I really don't expect that much from Monk. I smile at the fully realized central character, and enjoy his "here's what happened" as much as Columbo's "one more question." However, I think the summer season showed an uptick in the quality of the show, despite the mysteries being even easier to figure out. I was dreading the "Monk is hypnotized into thinking he's a child" finale, which actually surprised me by making me laugh out loud. And the 100th episode, where they revisited his 100 cases solved via a tabloid TV show conceit was particularly inspired. B

Psych strayed from the formula a bit this season, offering more insight into Shawn's background and childhood, and actually became a richer show while still offering the requisite silliness and pop culture riffs. Juliet is an underrated hottie and my only complaint was the lack of screen time for Lassiter. B+

I haven't yet watched the season finale of Burn Notice, so I'm not sure exactly how they wrapped up the season long arc with Six, er Carla, and her machinations of Michael. But the second season built on everything that we liked about the show in the first place (action, droll voice-overs, spycraft 101, deadpan humor, plenty of Bruce Campbell's Sam Axe) and delivered an even better showing. A

Law & Order: CI had an uneven summer. Some of the plot twists were patently ridiculous and it was clear that the departing Chris Noth was phoning it in. D'onfrio is always interesting, however, and I welcomed the return of the eminently adorable Megan Wheeler as Logan's partner. Next season, she'll be paired with Jeff Goldblum (of the underwatched and underappreciated Raines) who should bring an extra level of quirk to the show. I like the acerbic Eric Bogosian as the captain, and the season finale, featuring the return of Bobby's brilliant mentor and his longtime nemesis Nicole Wallace, was spectacular. B

Eureka, thus far, has been hit and miss. Many have objected to the blatant product placement from Degree, but working in the marketing field, I certainly understand the advantages of having some extra cabbage to support the show, and it doesn't bother me. I adore Ever Carradine, but don't really see what she adds to the show and I've found the whole "corporate conspiracy" with Eva a bit tedious. They also said goodbye to one of my favorite Eureka characters (and his dry, withering wit) Nathan Stark. Still, Colin Ferguson's anchoring performance keeps me tuned in, but I was hoping for more. C+

I gave up on Saving Grace. I appreciate the skill, fearlessness and ferocity of Holly Hunter's performance, but the whole show just kind of loses me. A bunch of rednecks getting drunk and solving crimes, infused with a bit of the supernatural? Damn, it sounds good, but it just doesn't work for me. D

We're still in the middle of Mad Men's run, but Holy Shit! is this show good. Easily among the top five shows on television, Mad Men continues to be a hallmark of stellar and subtle acting, writing, storytelling, directing and production values. A trenchant commentary on social mores, gender relations and commerce, Mad Men is a classic for the ages and absolutely must watch television every single week. A+

The Closer was all over the map this season, and in a good way. (Yes, as a southerner, I'm still bugged by Brenda Leigh's accent). We've had harrowing, heart-wrenching episodes and frothy, funny episodes (like the one with Provenza being hired as an undercover hit man) and they all pretty much delivered a solid, well-crafted hour of procedural entertainment. The ensemble is among TV's best, and I can never get enough JK Simmons on my tube. A

I've always watched the Stargate shows, though I've never been as passionate about them as I am with other genre fare, like Firefly, Trek, BSG, Farscape and the like. Still, it saddened me a little when Stargate Atlantis got cancelled, even though I understand the economics behind it. For an hour of sci-fi escape, you could do worse (Painkiller Jane, anyone? Or Flash Gordon? Arrrrggh). McKay (especially), Keller, Zelenka, Beckett, Ronin and the newly added Woolsey are all entertaining characters, even if Sheppard's hair bugs me (could Footloose's Ren have been in the military? Don't think so. Get thee to an interstellar Flowbee). But the replicator-redux storylines, along with the totally boring villains (how could you make "space-vampires" less interesting?) made this less than appointment viewing. C+

Who wants some leftovers?

A few things I didn't get to in Saturday's potpourri post:

Has anyone taken a gander at Boston.com's list of the "Top 50 Sci-Fi" shows of all time? Boston may have a stranglehold on professional sports championships, but they obviously don't know quality geek TV worth a damn. When you compile a list like that, you should probably have a good working definition of what "sci-fi" really is. Do you include "supernatural" shows? They did, but inexplicably had Buffy ranked at 27 (you mean there are 26 better "sci-fi" shows? You've got to be fucking kidding me!) and Angel not ranked at all. And Firefly at 17? Lost is ranked 11, which seems low, all things considered. But then you click the "next" button and see that they have Sliders at 10? Sliders? Ahead of Lost? And ahead of Buffy, Angel and Firefly? Holy shit. At least their top 4 is respectable and somewhat defensible: X-Files at 4, Star Trek: The Next Generation at 3, (new) BSG at 2 and Star Trek (Original Recipe) at 1. Feel free to peruse the list and gnash your teeth.

Nice article on crime shows, from someone who is not particularly a fan of the genre, singling out The Closer, Burn Notice and In Plain Sight. Last Monday's Closer was the best of the season, and one of the best of the series. Burn Notice also gave Sam a chance to participate in some gleeful interrogation, and against my better judgment, I'm actually starting to like Mary's trampy sister on IPS (though I could still watch an entire hour of Marshal Marshall's droll line readings).

Video interview with Rebecca Mader, Lost's Charlotte. No real spoilers, of course. I didn't find her particularly alluring on that lawyer show with Spy Daddy, but when she uses her true English accent, she's all kinds of adorable. (I wonder if focusing so hard on maintaining the "American" accent drains all the charisma? For example, Michelle Ryan was dreadful on Bionic Woman, except for the one ep where she played an English exchange student, and got to speak in her own voice).

Another day, another trip down toy memory lane. Yep, my family built models of all kinds (cars, planes, tanks...you name it) and we did have a NCC-1701.

Anyone else looking forward to Chuck returning? Here's some kinda crappy video of the extended 6 minute preview shown at Comic-Con.

I'll take potpourri for $1,900, Alex

Where the hell was this 20 or so years ago? Aren't the most brilliant ideas the ones that are so obvious, yet never thought of before?

Or, thinking beyond the keg, isn't this quite the tailgating set up?

Good interview with Matt Keeslar, The Middleman.

Speaking of my summer TV recommendations, here's where I stand a month later:

• The Middleman: definite must watch. Funny, quirky and engaging. The most DPM (Dialogue Per Minute) since Gilmore Girls, and cheeky, geeky fun.
• In Plain Sight: staying in the season pass list. Continues the USA tradition of character-driven procedurals, and Marshall is deadpan hysterical. Give him more time and ditch the family, though (or at the very least, the mom). Good guest stars like Sherry Stringfield and Dave Foley help, too.
  
• Secret Diary of a Call Girl: still on the fence about this one. I watch it mainly for the breezy charms of Billie Piper, and if each ep was more than 20 minutes, I don't know that I'd stick around.
• Swingtown: accumulating on the TiVo, untouched. Not sure why I haven't watched.

Here's another take on Secret Diary, along with thoughts on Denise Richards' "reality" show. Plus, use of the term "whoring sea donkey," which is always fun.

The "hospitality rider" from Barack and Hillary's "unity" appearance.

Good news and bad news for that BSG movie. Bad news? Bradley Thompson and David Weddle are leaving the script to join CSI: Original Recipe full time. Good news? The awesome Jane Espenson picks up the job. Actually, that's just lots of good news. I guess one of the reasons I like CSI so much is the quality of the writing, and they have a staff full of writers with geek cred over there, including scribes who have worked on all the Treks, BSG, Buffy, Angel and Farscape.

The BBC has done a spectacular promo for an upcoming Kubrick special. Follow the link over on AICN to see the brilliant tracking shot.

I'm sure all my fellow whedonites have seen this. But just in case you haven't, here's the trailer for Dr. Horrible's Sing-along Blog:



I found a link to this on Pop Candy, and it's a video of David Tennant as The Doctor blabbing to a video screen when he knew that the dialogue wasn't going to be used (Martha was just fast forwarding through it). Cute.

Why does Obama hate Tiger Woods? Yep, the lesson here from the messiah? Don't be successful.

I enjoyed Primary Colors, but Joe Klein? FUCK YOU and keep your tree-hugging and bleeding heart hands off my goddamned air conditioner. 65 or nothing, douchenozzle.

Are you kidding me? I think this would cause the homicide rate to increase dramatically.

Right on, brother. Big ups for "intellectual consistency."

Birds peck out Barbie's eyes, and other entertainment musings

HBO's addictive nightly-airing psychology drama In Treatment has been renewed for a second season. That's fantastic. This is a great show, with outstanding performances. You wouldn't think that people sitting around a room talking for half an hour every night of the week would be that compelling, but it is. Both Gabriel Byrne, and the revelatory Mia Wasikowska, should be remembered at Emmy time (and everyone else was good, too, mind you). I didn't realize this, but apparently Paul's practice is in the DC 'burbs. I think I'll give him a call and see if he takes my insurance. Based on season 1, he'll "fix" me, fuck me or I'll kill myself. He's not my type, so the odds aren't bad.

I get a blog from the Eureka team in my RSS feed, but their posts are all fucked up. Headlines, body copy and pix all come across as separate posts. Weird. Nonetheless, the show is returning soon (w00t!) and they've cast one of my favorite "under the radar" actresses as Carter's sister, Ever Carrdine. (See the separate elements of the post here). I originally noticed her in one of FX's first attempts at original programming, Lucky. Hell, I'm a huge fan of the whole Carrdine clan. John was one of the first Draculas I recall. David was Kwai Chang Caine, and of course, Bill. His brother Keith was most recently on Dexter's superb second season as an FBI agent romancing Deb and looking for the Bay Harbor Butcher. Another brother, Robert, was in Revenge of the Nerds, and is Ever's father. (Interesting trivia I just found on Ever's imdb page: her babysitter as a child was Anne Lockhart, who geeks will remember as the sexy Viper pilot "Sheba" on the original Battlestar Galactica. And Anne's mom June was the Robinson matriarch on Lost in Space).
If you've never watched Lucky, you should check it out, if you can find it online or on DVD. It was a 30 minute dramedy about a gambler in Vegas, and featured John Corbett, Billy Gardell and Craig Washington. Good stuff.

An early look at JJ Abrams new FOX show, Fringe. Yep, I'll be setting the season pass for this one.

The international trailer for the must-see Coen Brothers movie, Burn After Reading.

Birds peck a Barbie that looks like Tippi Hedren. Buy it for the girls!

Smidge has good taste in male roles to play. Dexter Morgan? JR Ewing? Thomas Magnum? Eric Cartman? Alex P. Keaton and Hank Moody? Awesome.

With Burn Notice returning next month, here's an interview with Bruce Campbell. And a bit more about Burn Notice can be found here.

Tyler Durden, and uh, the narrator, sing about Penis, the goddess of love.

The Spider-Man cartoon theme song. Yeah, if you read this blog, you probably know it by heart. But did you know The Ramones covered it, too?

In Plain Sight is growing on me. I enjoyed the pilot, but the second one, about a kid, left me flat (that almost always happens when urchins are on my TV). Last week's, featuring Missy Pyle as a con artist bride who scams her husbands out of their money (wait - is there another kind?) was funny, well acted and well constructed. Mary's partner, Marshall, is a master of the deadpan. Where has this guy been? He's great. The only thing that continues to annoy is Leslie Ann Warren as Mary's mom. Does she play anything other than "Leslie Ann Warren?" She's always the same ditzy, trashy, sexpot character (most recently on Desperate Housewives). Hey, good work if you can get it, but the exact same bug-eyed, breathy and over the top performance time after time grates.

A list of the 10 best sci-fi television shows. I read this because in a previous post, the author named the 10 best sitcoms of all time, and put Arrested Development at #1, so that earns some DAP in my book. I could quibble about the ranking and order (and is Buffy really "sci-fi?" And if so, where's Angel on this list?), but I totally <3 the top choice, and it also includes several of my favorites. Check it out. Whatcha think?

Summer Lovin' Part Deux

Previously, in my guide to good summer TV, I looked at the returning shows.

Now here's an overview of new shows that have potential.

New Shows

First out of the gate has been another quirky law-enforcement officer on USA, In Plain Sight. About halfway down this post, I offered a reason to watch that really won't apply to many, or any, of y'all. Having just watched the pilot this weekend, I can say IPS is an entertaining addition to the USA line up, and an enjoyable way to spend an hour. When you're taking on another cop show, they key is to build the show around a character (or characters) you want to come back for, even if the familiar elements and trappings of the genre are completely recognizable or tired. In Mary Shannon, IPS has an interesting and saucy character and I'm more than willing to give the show a chance. Here you can find two more takes on the pilot.

Swingtown debuted on Thursday, but I was having satellite issues, so I don't know if it recorded properly. (Hellacious storms knocked out my splitter. However, the good folks at DirecTV were kind enough to come fix that on Friday. If this had happened last Thursday, when the Lost finale was scheduled, I would have been suicidal). The set up sounds intriguing: couple moves into suburban neighborhood and gets involved in the sex and swinging of the 70s. Kind of The Ice Storm meets Desperate Housewives. What's not to love (other than the fashions, and liberal doses of brown, harvest gold and avocado in the set design)? Great music, organized by Liz Phair. The sexy Molly Parker, last seen on the late, modern classic Deadwood (and doing interesting things with a lollipop in The Center of the World), and the Pirates' movies underappreciated Norrington, Jack Davenport. If the show recorded properly, I'll check it out today, or try to find it online. I don't hold out hope that it will catch fire on CBS, so you should probably enjoy this while you can.

Secret Diary of a Call Girl. Yeah, I "read" this diary for about year in real life, but the television version offers much more promise. The show, imported from the UK, will air on Showtime and be paired with Weeds. Sounds like a good matchup. It stars Billy Piper, best known here as Doctor Who's Rose Tyler, as a high priced call girl, and is based on the real blogs of a London hooker known only as "Belle de Jour." You can check out the official Showtime site here, and it debuts on June 16.

Over on ABC Family, we have The Middleman. Javier Grillo-Marxuach, a writer for Lost, had the idea for a television show about the adventures of a chain of heroes known as the "Middleman," who "fight evil, so you don't have to." When the idea didn't immediately turn into a pilot, he executed the concept in comic books before ABC Family later decided to put it to film. From the descriptions, it appears to be good, tongue-in-cheek fun, and sort of an X-Files meets 50's serials. See more at the official site, here. It also premieres June 16.

Did I miss anything you're excited about?