*** Television, Summer 2009 ***

[Cindy B]

I personally can't wait for Mad Men...

 

[bicker]

In Dark Blue, Dylan McDermott stars as Carter Shaw, the head of a crack undercover team of police officers who are so covert, many of their own colleagues don’t even know they are involved. Shaw is a deeply wounded character, having lost his wife and much of his former life as he struggles to bring down bad guys through complex undercover assignments. His team includes a recently married cop (Hardwick) who struggles with personal relationships he has developed while undercover; a shoot-from-the-hip officer (Marshall-Green) whose activities make fellow team members wonder if he has gone over to the bad side; and a green patrol cop brought in because of her excellent skill in lying and a shady past (Aycox).

Premieres June 15 at 10/9c
TV-14

10 episodes
​

From:
· Jerry Bruckheimer Television
· Warner Horizon Television
​

 

[bicker]

I'm not sure why this show appeals to me so much. It seems, at least to some extent, like just another procedural. There are a couple of things, though, that strike me:

First, Dylan McDermott. I watched the Practice in reruns, on TNT (I think), and even then only the last season's episodes (with James Spader), and then, only after the series finale, caught the pilot. So, for me, the Practice was really just a prequel to Boston Legal. However, even in those few short little scenes McDermott did in the last season, and then in the pilot episode, I kind of got the impression that this is an actor who could play some interesting characters very well.

Second, I like the idea that one of the members of the team's strongest contributions is her ability to lie. I like that mix of the good and bad in one character (which is probably why I liked Alan Shore so much, though I think it is way too much to expect Aycox to hold a candle to Spader).

As I mentioned earlier, this show is not on my scanner, right now. However, I think I'm going to record and try to find a time to watch the first episode, just to see if we're missing something good.

How does this show sound to you? Any McDermott fans out there?

 

[LoraJ]

Is Glee scheduled for the Fall and they are just teasing us on May 19th? I am really looking forward to that show.

And I can't wait for Mad Men!!!

 

[bicker]

It does seem like we're only getting a "preview" on May 19: "Fox will sell the episode on iTunes all summer and a different version of the pilot will air as the series premiere in the fall." link

From Ryan Murphy, the creator of "Nip/Tuck" and "Popular," comes GLEE, a one-hour musical comedy that follows an optimistic high school teacher as he tries to transform the school's Glee Club and inspire a group of ragtag performers to make it to the biggest competition of them all: Nationals.

McKinley High School's Glee Club used to be at the top of the show choir world, but years later, a series of scandals have turned it into a haven for misfits and social outcasts. WILL SCHUESTER (Matthew Morrison, Broadway's "Hairspray"), a young optimistic teacher, has offered to take on the Herculean task of restoring McKinley's Glee Club to its former glory with the help of fellow teacher EMMA PILLSBURY (Jayma Mays, "Ugly Betty"). It's a tall order when the brightest stars of the pitch-imperfect club include KURT (Chris Colfer), a nerdy soprano with a flair for the dramatic; MERCEDES (Amber Riley), a dynamic diva-in-training who refuses to sing back-up; ARTY (Kevin McHale, "Zoey 101"), a geeky guitarist who spends more time avoiding bullies than chasing girls; and TINA (Jenna Ushkowitz, "Spring Awakening"), an awkward girl who needs to suppress her stutter before she can take center stage.

Will's only hope lies with two true talents: RACHEL BERRY (Lea Michele, "Spring Awakening"), a perfectionist firecracker who is convinced that show choir is her ticket to stardom; and FINN HUDSON (Cory Monteith, "Kyle XY"), the popular high school quarterback with movie star looks and a Motown voice who must protect his reputation with his holier-than-thou girlfriend, QUINN (Dianna Agron), and his arrogant teammate, PUCK (Mark Salling).

Driven by his secret past, Will is determined to do whatever it takes to make Glee great again, even though everyone around him thinks he's nuts. He's out to prove them all wrong - from his tough-as-nails wife TERRI SCHUESTER (Jessalyn Gilsig, "Nip/Tuck") to McKinley's cheerleading coach SUE SYLVESTER (guest star Jane Lynch, "Best In Show," "Role Models") to an ?ber-hip world that thinks jazz hands and sequined tuxedos litter the road to infamy rather than pave the way to Hollywood dreams.

Featuring a soundtrack of hit songs from past and present, GLEE is produced by Ryan Murphy Television in association with 20th Century Fox Television. Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Dante Di Loreto serve as executive producers, while Ian Brennan and John Kousakis serve as co-executive producers. Murphy directed the pilot.

​

 

[bicker]

"The Listener" centers on Toby Logan (Craig Olejnik, "The Timekeeper"), a 25-year-old paramedic who has a big secret -- he's a telepath. Until now, Toby kept his ability hidden, exploring its possibilities only with his longtime mentor and confidant, Dr. Ray Mercer (Colm Feore, "24: Redemption"). As he makes the rounds with his energetic paramedic partner "Oz" Bey, "The Listener" follows Toby as he tries to help people in crisis, and in the process unravel the truth about his past. While his professional life is in check, Toby's personal life could use its own rescue. And with the help of Detective Charlie Marks (Lisa Marcos, "Diary of a Mad Black Woman") and his E.R. doctor/ex-girlfriend Olivia Fawcett (Mylène Dinh-Robic, "Da Vinci's City Hall"), Toby realizes his gift can help others.

 

[bicker]

The Listener is the second drama series produced for Canadian television to be picked up and shown on American television (the first being Flashpoint). They're doing this since such series are generally substantially less expensive than series produced primarily for the United States (even when produced in Canada). Since the American presentation is considered simply international distribution of the domestic (Canadian) programming, Canadian rules apply, and from that the cost savings are derived. There are more arrangements like this coming.

Mental, also premiering this summer, is another example of this cost-saving approach to television. It is being produced in Columbia (SA), intended specifically for an international (though specifically English-speaking) audience.

The Philanthropist, also premiering this summer, is a bit different: The Philanthropist is being produced in the UK, but the United States is its country-of-origin, and so it only benefits from the production-related cost savings. There have American series produced abroad for cost reasons for many years, though The Philanthropist is among the first few presented on one of the Big 4 television networks.

Anyway...

I'm a sucker for a paranormal drama. So I'll probably check this one out. I do see this possibly devolving into the sob-story-of-the-week (like Touched by an Angel, eh?) and if it does, I probably will get bored of it after a few episodes.

I'm not judge of male beauty, but I can affirm that the two female leads on the show are very attractive, and it seems to me that the two male leads are in the same league. That might give the show a bit of a Gossip Girl vibe to me, where everyone it too pretty. They are already asking people to suspend disbelief, due to the paranormal context of the show; I think it is asking too much to believe that everyone is so shockingly attractive.

 

[bicker]

TNT released their summer schedule yesterday:

The Closer - Mondays, 9PM, 6/8 through 8/10
Raising the Bar - Mondays, 10PM, 6/8 through 8/10
Wedding Day - Tuesdays, 8PM, 6/16 through 7/21
Hawthorne - Tuesdays, 9PM, 6/16 through 8/18
Saving Grace - Tuesdays, 10PM, 6/16 through 8/18
Leverage - Wednesdays, 9PM, 7/15 through 9/16
Dark Blue - Wednesdays, 10PM, 7/15 through 9/16

 

[LuvCuteBoys]

Next Food Network Star begins June 7th. There's an article about it in the new Food Network magazine.

Going out of my tree waiting for a date for Mad Med!

 

[bicker]

HawthoRNe takes place at Richmond Trinity Hospital in Richmond, Va., where the strong-but-caring director of nursing, Christina Hawthorne (Pinkett Smith), continuously fights battles she often knows she won't win. Whether treating the homeless woman in front of the hospital like a human being or trying to talk a suicidal cancer patient off the ledge, Christina must challenge hospital administrators, heartless doctors, apathetic colleagues and a system that sometimes forgets it's there to serve the sick. Recently widowed and the mother of a smart, willful teenager, Christina juggles her career with her equally important role as a single parent. Between the two, she barely has time for herself and has difficulty keeping things together. But she knows she has to and can't give up on anyone. That's what her passion requires; it's what it takes to be a hero.

​

 

[bicker]

HawthoRNe (previous page) one doesn't excite me. I know some folks like Smith, but me notsomuch. And the single mother thing and the nurse thing -- already done elsewhere recently and aren't really my cups of tea anyway.

I'm surprised to see this on TNT rather than Lifetime.

Make It Or Break It (below) also doesn't excite me, though at least it seems to be on the correct channel.

 

[bicker]

Set in the world of competitive gymnastics, "Make It or Break It" follows a group of teen Olympic hopefuls as they train and prepare for their day in the spotlight. The cast includes Chelsea Hobbs ("Lords of Dogtown") as gymnastic newcomer 'Emily Kmetko'; Ayla Kell ("CSI: Miami") as top gymnast 'Payson Keeler'; Josie Loren ("17 Again") as the beautiful gymnast 'Kaylie Cruz'; and Zachary Burr Abel ("The Secret Life of the American Teenager") as the gym's resident hottie, 'Carter Anderson.' Peri Gilpin ("Frasier") and Candace Cameron Bure ("Full House") both make a return to series television in starring roles.

​

 

[bicker]

Gosh, the most interesting thing about this show is that most of the promotional materials for it are in Spanish! The program itself is an English-language program, produced for the American market, but also for the Spanish-subtitle-accepting Latino market in Central and South America -- produced in Columbia (SA), actually, to save money.

Estás por llegar a lo profundo de la mente!!!! En junio Fox estrena está superproducción "Mental", la primera serie rodada en inglés en Fox Telecolombia. Protagonizada por Chris Vance ("Prison Break") y Annabella Sciorra ("The Sopranos"), ambientada en un hospital de Los Angeles, tiene como personaje principal a un psiquiatra poco convencional, que llega como nuevo director del servicio de salud mental del centro.

You are to reach the depths of the mind! In June Fox blockbuster premieres is "Mental," the first series filmed in English at Fox Telecolombia [studios]. Starring Chris Vance ( "Prison Break") and Annabella Sciorra ( "The Sopranos"), set in a Los Angeles hospital, its main character is an unconventional psychiatrist, who arrives as the new director of mental health service center.

​

 

[bicker]

"The Philanthropist" chronicles the heroic adventures of a billionaire playboy turned vigilante philanthropist. James Purefoy ("Rome") stars as Teddy Rist, a successful tycoon whose life is forever changed after rescuing a young boy during a hurricane in the Nigerian town he was visiting. Rist is spontaneous and impulsive and quickly decides to channel his passion, power and money into helping those in need. Rist's actions are not just about helping others - he is purging his soul to help exorcise the inner demons which have been festering ever since his young son died and he lost everything he truly loved. Since the death of his son, the danger and risk to his life is the only way he can feel genuinely alive and he'll do anything in order to achieve his goals. A man who has everything but can feel nothing, Rist keeps his adrenaline pumping by putting his business head and money-making skills to good use through bargaining with the self-righteous, making deals with drug barons and trading with the nefarious. "The Philanthropist" boasts a heady cast of established and up-and-coming talent.

​

 

[bicker]

Some folks are speculating that Mental will be like House, but focusing on mental disease instead of physical disease. However, Chris Vance is no Hugh Laurie. I think I'll skip it, TYVM.

The Philanthropist is one of the shows I've been looking forward to since it was announced last summer. As time has gone on, the buzz about the show has taken it down a few notches, but I'll tune in to see how it works out.

 

[LuvCuteBoys]

Oooh, that Philanthropist show sounds really interesting!!!

 

[bicker]

ROYAL PAINS centers on young doctor Hank Lawson (Feuerstein) who seems to have it all ... thriving career, beautiful girlfriend, and swank NYC apartment. With one fateful and principled decision in the ER, Hank loses it all. Months later, single and blackballed from the medical community, Hank goes for a weekend in the Hamptons with his brother (Costanzo). Crashing a party at a mega-mansion on the beach, Hank jumps into action when a guest requires medical attention that only he is able to diagnose. The next morning, Hank is summoned to another mansion and then another. Hank's career is revived, but in a way he's not exactly happy about, as he becomes the on-call doctor for the rich, famous and infamous. Anyone who's anyone in the Hamptons has a lawyer on retainer. Now meet the newest accessory the concierge doctor.

​

 

[bicker]

After saving the life of the President, two Secret Service agents find themselves abruptly transferred to Warehouse 13 — a massive, top-secret storage facility in windswept South Dakota that houses every strange artifact, mysterious relic, fantastical object and supernatural souvenir ever collected by the U.S. government.

The Warehouse's caretaker Artie (Saul Rubinek) assigns Pete (Eddie McClintock) and Myka (Joanne Kelly) the challenge of chasing down reports of supernatural and paranormal activity in search of new objects to store at the Warehouse. The two agents are also commissioned to help Artie control the Warehouse itself, which proves to be a task beyond what either of them could have ever imagined.

Warehouse 13 is an action-packed exploration where the unlikely, becomes what's possible and reality is a limitless phenomenon filled with wonder.

​

 

[bicker]

Royal Pains just doesn't sound that interesting to me.... especially the hanger-on younger brother routine, which has never been successful, IMHO.

Warehouse 13 was something I was planning on skipping. However, the more I read about it (the writer of the pilot was a writer for Farscape, for example), and the video trailer, convinced me that this is perhaps the next X-Files.

 

[LuvCuteBoys]

I'm happy to see Mark Feuerstein back on TV!