Dramatic serial “The Bridge,” based on the Danish series of the same name, debuted last month on FX to record breaking ratings and positive reviews. The show tells the story of two detectives who are forced to work side-by-side in a murder case that involves two severed bodies separated by the division of country lines. The serial killer taunts the detectives by posing the question “Why does America care so much about one murder when hundreds go unsolved in Mexico?” Diane Kruger stars as El Paso Detective Sonya Cross, a single woman with Asperger’s who finds herself working with Chihuahua Detective Marco Ruis played by Demian Bichir. The politically motivated serial killer continues to abduct women in Mexico, which is depicted as a country with a corrupt government.
“Pretty Little Liars” star Annabeth Gish plays Charlotte Millwright, the wealthy widow of a rancher who kept a lot of secrets, including an underground tunnel to Mexico supplying illegal aliens an escape. Additionally, “Scream” star Mathew Lillard plays a disgruntled journalist covering the serial killer story who becomes personally involved in the investigation when a bomb winds up in the back seat of his car. Both of these characters intertwine with the detectives, expressing conflicting themes of right and wrong and corrupt and trustworthy. “The Bridge” builds such a realistic, detailed world around a concept that has been used so many times before yet still making it feel fresh. In true FX fashion, the network will air 13 episodes of the drama, which will resolve the serial killer storyline and set up one of several new mysteries for season two.
One of the most buzzed about new shows “Orange is the New Black” is Netflix’s latest effort into original programming, which was given a second season renewal two weeks before its premiere. The dramedy based on an autobiography of the same name stars Taylor Schilling as Piper Chapman, an upper middle class white woman who finds herself serving a 15 month prison sentence for carrying drug money for her ex-girlfriend ten years prior. Things continue to get worse for Piper as she’s forced to use a bathroom without a door, starved by the Russian queen b chef, and stalked by a woman known as “Crazy Eyes” who believes that Piper is her wife. Her current fiancé, Larry Bloom, is an aspiring writer played by Jason Biggs who is very supportive of Piper, at least in the beginning.
Piper is constantly being tested, whether it’s from her fight to get back the track or her search for an invisible chicken, you can’t help but root for her and the rest of the inmates who are just people in different walks of life. Indie film star Natasha Lyonne plays Nicky Nichols, a foul-mouthed lesbian inmate who befriends Piper while “That 70’s Show” star Laura Prepon plays the brunette-haired Alex Vause, Piper’s former lover and current co-inmate. “Orange” has many villains, including an embezzling prison supervisor, a Jesus-loving meth head, and a corrupt security guard who trades drugs for sexual favors. But perhaps the best part of the show is the budding romance between a young Spanish inmate and a quiet prison guard.
Viewers are treated to character centric episodes with flashbacks from many inmates showcasing their previous lives before entering the slammer and how it is they came to be here. It becomes clear that prison is much like high school; the cafeteria scene in which each clique is depicted could have easily been taken from “Mean Girls.” But with all of its dark moments, the show does have a lot of heart with many surprises of generosity, hard words of wisdom, and simple acts of acceptance. “Orange” succeeds in delivering an uplifting depiction of life and forces viewers out of their comfort zones and into the corrupt world of the Department of Corrections, but leaves us cheering for each character’s triumphant return to form.
Crime drama “The Killing” concludes its third season on AMC in just two weeks and viewers have seemed to welcome the show’s second coming on the network with consistent yet modest ratings. The introduction of new characters and storylines has breathed new life into the series, which was briefly cancelled last year after wrapping up a two season story arc of the murder investigation of a teenage girl. Season three saw a much-needed overhaul in characters and storylines; in fact, none of the original stars of the show returned for the new season besides the series’ two leads: Detectives Sarah Linden and Stephen Holder played by Mireille Enos and Joel Kinnaman. And while the first two seasons might have overused the term red herring, it kept viewers on the edge of their seats until the gut wrenching reveal of “who killed Rosie Larson.”
A year after the Larsen case, Detective Linden returns to Seattle to help her old partner, Detective Holder, search for a serial killer who preys on Seattle’s runaways and whom Linden also believes is responsible for killing a woman whose husband she had wrongfully convicted. This season’s main story is very reminiscent of the Green River Killer, who was infamously convicted of raping and strangling 48 prostitutes in the Seattle area. The prison, street kids, and central murder investigation of this season interweaves more appropriately than the previous two seasons of the campaign, the Larson family, and the central murder investigation. Not only that, but it was difficult to see what stories were left to tell once “The Killing” was cancelled; however, what was created feels almost like a continuation of the last story arc considering it was mentioned before.
Perhaps the best episode to date was the season two finale in which we are finally introduced to Rosie Larson, the murdered teenager, and slowly find out how she spent her final hours. The best parts of “The Killing” are the scenes involving monologues from characters who are dealing with either a child’s death or disappearance and seeing how certain characters deal with these situations proves most compelling. After cancelling the Emmy nominated series last year, AMC decided to renew the show for a third season by partnering costs with Netflix and allowing them to have the show available online. This season has been averaging 1.5 million viewers, which is slightly down from the previous season, but critics have applauded the show’s continued slow pace and ominous tone.
When CBS premiered drama “Under the Dome” in June, a record breaking 13 million viewers tuned into the show about a dome that mysteriously appears over a small town. Three episodes in and not too much has happened since the dome first appeared other than a fire being put out and coincidentally so has some of the viewers’ excitement for the once hopeful series. The drama based on the Stephen King novel of the same name has everything going for it: a large ensemble cast, an interesting set up, yet it feels as though the writers have already ran out of things to write about or have just decided to settle with degradingly cheesy storylines and terrible teen acting. From the moment of its inception, CBS claims that it was always thought to be a summer show and wasn’t simply something that was picked up only to be burned off during the off season. The number one network put a lot of faith into the series with great promotion, big budget, and a sometimes engaging cast.
The show revolves around Barbie played by “Bates Motel” alum Mike Vogul who is an outsider staying with a no nonsense journalist played by Rachelle Lefevre who is searching for her husband whom he killed. Elsewhere, Deputy Linda played by Natalie Martinez is in a power struggle for first in command with the town’s politician Big Jim played by Dean Norris after the sheriff is killed. There’s also a useless storyline involving “The Secret Circle” star Britt Robertson’s Angie being held captive in a bomb shelter by her suddenly insane boyfriend. After the dust has settled from the plane crashes, car smashes, and cow splitting following the dome’s arrival, the single intriguing storyline to surface is when two of the inhabitants have seizures that result in them repeating the line “The pink stars are falling,” leading some viewers to suspect something supernatural is occurring. Either way, something interesting needs to happen fast before this strong start quickly becomes yet another silly, cancelled let down.
5) “Dallas:” The reboot of the 1978 CBS series “Dallas,” which ran for thirteen seasons will finally make its premiere after seeing the preview over a year ago. The new show will focus on the now adult sons of J.R. and Bobby who will also be featured in the drama. The show centers on a rich Texan family who made their money in the oil and farming business, but the new series sees some family members venturing off into alternative energy, which “naturally” causes conflict. Several original cast members return to the show, which premieres June 13, 2012, including Lucy Eqing and Ray Krbbs with new faces added to the cast including “Desperate Housewives” narrator Brenda Armstrong and “Fast and Furious” star Jordana Brewster.
4) “True Blood:” After a wicked fourth season of “True Blood,” the HBO series returns June 10, 2012 and it doesn’t seem to have a new supernatural entity to center on like the show has done in past seasons, but instead has chosen to focus on the return of villain Russell Edgington. There has been some buzz about a fairy storyline reboot after it was awkwardly portrayed in the first ten minutes of season four, but the real question is will Tara survive the blow to the head from last season’s finale? The vampire craze began in 2008 when Bill Compton walked into Merlotte’s where he met waitress Sookie Stackhouse and the rest is love novel history. Christopher Meloni and Scott Foley join the cast in its fifth season, which is sure to entertain all summer long.
3) “Awkward.:” The lone comedy that made the list is MTV’s “Awkward.,” which stole our hearts last summer and returns for a second season on June 28, 2012. The series centers on high school outcast Jenna Hamilton who blogs about her life as a teenager and how she went from invisible to having a secret relationship with Matty McKibben, the coolest guy at her school. “Awkward.” delivers an awesome ensemble cast to choose favorites from including Guidance Counselor Valerie whose interesting advice often borderlines unprofessional. This show works because it’s quirky, relatable and not about bronzered degenerates getting wasted in New Jersey. Plus, Jenna was caught in a love triangle in the season finale between Matty and his best friend Jake.
2) “Damages:” Although many viewers lost interest in the legal drama after its amazing first season, the trailer for the upcoming fifth and final season of “Damages” may get people back on board. With each year focusing on the death of a character by slowly showing viewers how this happened with the beginning and ending of each episode, it is revealed that the show’s main star, Rose Byrne, will meet her demise in the series’ last act. How this happened might be unknown as for now but something tells me Glen Close’s conniving Patty Hewes might have had something to do with it. Ryan Phillippe and “Dharma and Greg” star Jenna Ellfman have also been added to the cast for its final run which begins on July 11, 2012.
1) “Political Animals”/”The Newsroom:” From the creators of “Dirty Sexy Money” comes the USA miniseries “Political Animals,” which stars Sigourney Weaver as the divorced Secretary of State and former first lady; that sounds familiar. Although there has yet to be a trailer for the drama that premieres July 15, 2012, the plot sounds interesting enough to catch our eyes. There has also been a lot of buzz surrounding the new Aaron Sorkin drama titled “The Newsroom” for the past year and after an underwhelming first look at the series, the show seems to have found its footing in the trailer’s second go around. Airing after “True Blood” on HBO on June 24, 2012, this drama sees Jeff Daniels playing a news anchor who, with his staff, set out to put on a news show in the face of corporate and commercial obstacles and their own personal entanglements.
Critically acclaimed dramedy “Girls” captivates the lives of four young women struggling to find jobs and love in New York City. In the most realistic rendition offered in a series so far, the Judd Apatow produced show accomplishes the hard task of developing relatable stories without losing its authenticity with the help of great writing. The comedy revolves around Hannah, played by Lena Dunham, who was just cut off from her parents at the age of twenty-four and forced to give up on her dream of becoming a writer by quitting her unpaid internship and getting an administrative position in order to pay her bills. The self proclaimed “voice of her generation” has, like so many recent college graduates, fallen victim to the current economic crisis.
Hannah is sarcastic, self-depreciating and absolutely ridiculous; but you can’t help but root for the show’s protagonist who can’t seem to get it together and stop allowing people to walk all over her including her semi-boyfriend Adam, played by Adam Driver. Hannah’s roommate and best friend Marnie, played by Allison Williams, may seem to have it all figured out as a serious and responsible art gallery assistant, but her main issues derive from her long-term boyfriend who she can’t stand to be with anymore. Zosia Mamet stars as Shoshanna, Hannah’s fast-talking, neurotic friend whose biggest fault is that she is still a virgin. There is also Jessa, played by Jemima Kirke, Shoshanna’s beautiful, British cousin and roommate who recently moved back to New York City and has taken a job as a babysitter.
What was once touted as “a younger ‘Sex and the City'” has blossomed into something that cannot even be remotely related to unless all you have to compare are both shows on paper. The raw and honest tone of the show is refreshing and original and unlike anything ever accomplished in television. It directly displays the true lives of twenty-somethings trying desperately to make it in an overpopulated and underpaid world. The new normal has young people accepting horrible positions with the hopes of gaining a decent salary. Its unattractiveness is its appeal and HBO seems to agree by extending a second season renewal to the quirky series even though it has only posted modest ratings of a little over a million viewers per episode. With an increasing popularity surrounding the show and good word-of-mouth reviews, “Girls” has certainly made quite the impression and has left us with wanting more.
Finally making its debut at the tail end of the television season, raunchy comedy “Don’t Trust the B—– in Apartment 23” offers a new kind of humor with an “odd” premise. Taking over the coveted post-“Modern Family” spot after “Happy Endings” ended its second season early last week, the new ABC comedy has a great platform to use for its seven episode run. On the heels of past success with pre-online viewing, ABC has made the show’s first two episodes available for the last two weeks and from what’s been shown, critics and audiences seem to agree that this show is hilarious. With interesting characters, great writing and an amazing cast, this comedy offers a glimpse into the chaotic lives of two New York City roommates who don’t always “trust” each other.
“B—-” tells the story of June, played by the adorable Dreama Walker, who just found out that the great new job she landed with a huge loft turned out to be a scam and she is forced to move into an apartment with a roommate: enter Chloe, played by the talented Krysten Ritter. After finding work at a local coffee shop and expecting a visit from her fiancé for her twenty-fifth birthday, it seems that June’s life is starting to get back on the right track until she catches Chloe having sex with her fiancé on top of her birthday cake. But instead of packing up her belongings and excepting defeat, June comes to the realization that Chloe saved her from wasting the best years of her life with the wrong guy and forms an unlikely friendship with her slightly unstable roommate.
James Van Der Beek makes his triumphant return to television playing a fictionalized version of himself who is charming, self-obsessed and best friend’s with Ritter’s Chloe. Also added to the cast is Chloe’s stalker from across the hall and a perverted neighbor who spies on the girls. The show uses a similar premise recently seen in CBS’ “2 Broke Girls” without the racist jokes or irritable laugh track. “B—-” takes more pages from “The Odd Couple” than it does the CBS sitcom and continues a trend of fast-talking, narcissistic characters as seen from the timeslot’s last occupant “Happy Endings.” After going through a few name changes and waiting months for a premiere date, ABC is finally ready to unveil this show Wednesday night at 9:30 after an all new “Modern Family:” let the games begin.
Little known midseason comedy “Bent” premiered last night on NBC and although the first two episodes which aired back-to-back were hilarious, the show became the least watched series premiere for the network of all time, bringing in less than three million viewers. Even in this day and age of DVR, Hulu and iTunes that number is severely low. NBC didn’t put much faith into the series which stars Amanda Peet as a no-nonsense lawyer who hires a stoner contractor, played by David Walton, to remodel the house she shares with her daughter. Peet’s character is newly divorced and just when you think she’ll end up with the contractor with whom she loathes but secretly pines over; her boyfriend is introduced at the end of the pilot.
This comedy actually earned great reviews with Daily Variety calling it “the kind of charming romantic comedy TV frequently aspires to but seldom delivers.” The supporting cast, which includes a trio of workers and Jeffery Tambor as the contractor’s aspiring actor father, also proved to be laugh-worthy. With great writing and impeccable chemistry between the two main stars, this comedy seemed like a critical darling if it not for the lack of marketing, late spring premiere and back-to-back episode burn off. Something tells me that whatever viewers didn’t see in “Bent” isn’t worth fixing as it will most likely not make it past week two, so here’s to seeing this fantastic cast and great writers in other projects to come.
The most buzzed about midseason show “Smash” premiered last month on NBC and it seems that the musical dramedy held up its end of the bargain by delivering an amazing cast, great drama and solid ratings for the network. The show earns credit for originality as there is nothing quite like it on television unless you count “Glee,” which also has cast members singing popular tunes. NBC is in dire need of a hit as the struggling network has been stuck in last place for the past few years following the infamous “Jay Leno” experiment. Will “Smash” be as much of a hit as the show it’s creating?
The drama revolves around the production of a Broadway show based on Marilyn Monroe and gives viewers a behind the scenes look at what it takes to put on a show in the Big Apple. The pilot dealt with the thought process behind the idea, introducing the main characters and finding who would play the lead role of Marilyn. After seeing five episodes, it has become clear that this show is one to watch from its fantastic cast to its interesting story arcs including funding and writing issues as well as adultery and backstabbing. What was once a show written off as a “Glee” copycat has grown into its own act that isn’t afraid to break out into song in the middle of Times Square.
In a similar fashion to the show’s plot, a nobody was cast as the lead in the form of “American Idol” reject Katherine McPhee who is absolutely perfect as simple Midwest girl Karen Cartwright. Debra Messing looks amazing as Julia Houston, one of the head writers who has plenty on her plate including a bored husband, an ongoing adoption and an old love affair. Jack Davenport plays the womanizing Derek Wills and director that is having an affair with Megan Hilty’s Ivy Lynn, who just happens to be playing the lead role in his play. Angelica Houston steals the show as the sassy Eileen Rand, the producer who is going through a nasty divorce while also trying to find a way to fund her latest project.
The show premiered to over eleven million viewers thanks in good part to airing directly after “The Voice,” NBC’s blind singing competition which has gained viewers compared to last season after getting the coveted post-superbowl spot. Although viewership for “Smash” fumbled in its second outing, the show continues to gain better ratings as it progresses and critics have fallen in love with it. If you thought that the drama ended with the decision of who will be cast as Marilyn, you are sorely mistaken. The real question is can “Smash” save NBC? Viewers and critics seem to agree on one thing; they are putting on one hell of a show.
Now that the Super Bowl has passed, let’s take a look back at some of the shows that the networks have offered viewers as mid season replacements. While some shows have already been cancelled, others have not even been given a premiere date leading some to question if their pilots will ever see the light of day.
FOX’s “Alcatraz” may have a similar setup of flashbacks, use of background music and even one of the stars of ABC’s cult favorite “Lost,” but its development of characters hasn’t come close to anything remotely similar than that of the mystery island adventure. Although the series has performed well for the network, it is pretty much breaking even with the dinosaur themed drama “Terra Nova,” which left the schedule back in December for a shortened thirteen episode run. “Alcatraz” will see a similar fate when it concludes its first season in March in order to make room for Kiefer Sutherland’s “Touch.” Also premiering last month was “The Finder,” which is a quirky spinoff of “Bones” and airs directly after it.
When ABC chose to leave new comedy “Don’t Trust the B**** in Apartment 23” and returning favorite “Cougar Town” off of their midseason schedule, viewers were not pleased. However, due to new comedy “Work It” being what it was, a terrible show, the ladder has been welcomed back to ABC and will premiere next Tuesday following “Last Man Standing.” The Alphabet network has also given an April premiere date to “Don’t Trust the B**** in Apartment 23” and political drama “Scandal,” while the highly anticipated Ashley Judd series “Missing” will debut sometime in March. Horror series “The River,” a show about a group of people who are searching for a lost adventurer in the Amazon, debuted soft last night with a two hour episode.
After debuting to mediocre ratings, NBC’s critically acclaimed serial drama “The Firm,” a reboot based off of the 1993 film of the same name, has been banished to Saturdays where it will be cancelled. The same will most likely ring true for the Chelsea Handler comedy “Are You There, Chelsea?” which has not been able to hold onto as many viewers as “Whitney” and suffers from flat jokes and odd characters. But something interesting happened to NBC this week starting with the premiere of “The Voice” after the Super Bowl, which gave the singing competition nearly 40 million viewers. The following night the show premiered in its regular timeslot with new Broadway drama “Smash” preceding it and NBC won the night for the first time in years.
Will “Alcatraz” make it to season two? Will“Don’t Trust the B**** in Apartment 23” ever premiere? Can “Smash” save NBC? It’s too soon to tell, but one thing is certain: things are finally looking up for the Peacock.
What Jason Watches 