I am a mid-west guy. Oh, I admire other parts of the country. The west coast with every kind of terrain imaginable, and every kind of person. The romance of the south with magnolia blossoms, mint julips, and the moon low over Alabama. The east coast with its oily frenzy, and Springsteen songs blasting out of beat up Chevrolets. Fly fishing in Montana. The skiing in Colorado. The glamor of Las Vegas. The Cuban nightlife in Miami. But in spite of all of that, I am a midwest guy.
I am from Michigan. Home of Motown records, Gibson guitars, Dominoes Pizza, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, and Stroh's beer. Proudly the boyhood homes of Gerald R. Ford and Al Green. Proudly the starting spot for Grand Funk Railroad, Bob Seger, The MC5, Iggy and the Stooges, ? and the Mysterians, Meijer, and Steelcase Office Furniture. Ashamedly the home of Ted Nugent and Amway.
I am hot summer nights. I am 7-11 Big Gulps. I am seeing Charlie Huhn play with Vic Amato and Co. at Danny J's, and Ronnie Frey at the Bavarian Inn. I am "Think Twice" by the Pedestrians on the Fenton Label, and I am with Robbie Kirkwood buying a pound of weed. I am with Bill Baker and Jerry Ford walking down the C&O Railroad tracks with a bottle of Boone's Farm looking for Kerouac's ghost, I am with Tom Sutton as he stumbles and trips into a college class, way too high and in a fringe jacket. Mary Booth, and Mary Lindsay, where are you? I am with Bill, and Louie, and Bob at Cook's Bridge.
I am with Jerry in his parent's garage late at night trying to find obscure radio stations - and our delight at finding WLAC out of Nashville. I am with Bobby Jackson working midnights at a Holiday Inn and embarrassing him by trying to cheat off him in biology lab at GRJC. I am in Buck Creek and then burning off blood suckers. I am hearing Fergie sing and Doc Donovan on the radio. I am Great Lakes, and Petosky, Charlevoix, and the Cherry County Playhouse. I am the Mackinaw Bridge. I am an island with nothing to offer but the smell of horse manure and fudge.
I am with John Goss in his camp in the rafters of his parents garage where we stashed our Playboy magazines, I am listening to The Fredric at a fundraiser for a cancer ridden Randy Covert, I am Joe Miklusiac, Robin Chilvere, Gordie Gipner, and Kelly Hage away in Viet Nam, I am Genese and Troy and Valkerie. I am with Tommy Hillson when he was on a motorcycle and an old lady pulled out in front of him. I am there. I swear I am there.
I was there with WGRD's Wayne Thomas, and WLAV's Jay Collins, not to mention, Hoover Gideon. I was there with Bruce Grant on WOOD because he's the only one who gave school closings on snow days, I was there with Buck Barry and Fireman Freddie, I loved that while I was in 5th Grade ABC began an affiliate in my town, but bummed because we couldn't tune it in on our black and white set. My 5th Grade teacher Mr. Acey, can I only say that I wish you were alive today so that you could die again, you worthless prick?
Why is it that when I think of my shop class in high school all I can remember about it is that I just bought a copy of "Between The Buttons" by The Rolling Stones? I love that.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Friday, November 23, 2012
Moments
The other night I was walking on the main street in the small town where I live. The city had just recently decorated it with Christmas lights. It has just turned dark, and as I walked along the street merchants and people in the stores waved at me and I waved back. It was warm out and although it was the night before Thanksgiving, I had elected not to wear a coat. I mention this only because since it was so Capraesque it was truly a "moment" for me.
Another happened the evening of Thanksgiving. We were all at my sister's lovely home. My son Jake and his partner Domingo had just arrived. They immediately joined in a game of "Apples to Apples". I sat out in the sun room with my Dad. I watched as they all sat around the table and laughed and joked and talked. It was a thing of beauty and wonder to watch. I said to my Dad, "you can't buy wonderful moments like this." He agreed.
If when I die if I am allowed to go back and revisit a time in my life, like the girl in "Our Town", I would go back to a time like Thanksgiving 2012. When we were mostly all together, and we were mostly healthy, and we were happy, and we were most definitely all in love with each other. This is life my friend. That elusive, sudden, and wonderful gift. Drink it in while you can.
Having what I refer to as "moments" is when you suddenly appreciate how wonderful that moment is.
I have had more than my share.
Another happened the evening of Thanksgiving. We were all at my sister's lovely home. My son Jake and his partner Domingo had just arrived. They immediately joined in a game of "Apples to Apples". I sat out in the sun room with my Dad. I watched as they all sat around the table and laughed and joked and talked. It was a thing of beauty and wonder to watch. I said to my Dad, "you can't buy wonderful moments like this." He agreed.
If when I die if I am allowed to go back and revisit a time in my life, like the girl in "Our Town", I would go back to a time like Thanksgiving 2012. When we were mostly all together, and we were mostly healthy, and we were happy, and we were most definitely all in love with each other. This is life my friend. That elusive, sudden, and wonderful gift. Drink it in while you can.
Having what I refer to as "moments" is when you suddenly appreciate how wonderful that moment is.
I have had more than my share.
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Art Prize of Grand Rapids.
I am so grateful that I was able to be part of the world's greatest art exhibition and prize exhibition. I was able to compete against artists from all over the world. And it was a fabulous experience. I learned so much. Next year will be different.
One complaint I heard vicariously from a fellow artist was that if you are "just" a conventional artist i.e. painter, sculptor, line artist you get no notoriety. It seems like the lady that recreates "Starry Night" out of dryer lint, or the woman who recreates Marilyn Monroe's face out of broken combs gets all the publicity. Yes, that is a valid point. It does seem that way. But I was so gratified today to learn that the "City Band" and the "Elephants" both made the top ten. They are both wonderful. I was also gratified to see that the luminere exhibit Friday night made the top ten also. That was truly a moment. I will tell my great grandchildren about that.
I will not live long enough to have great-grandchildren, but if I did, I would tell them about Friday night.
One complaint I heard vicariously from a fellow artist was that if you are "just" a conventional artist i.e. painter, sculptor, line artist you get no notoriety. It seems like the lady that recreates "Starry Night" out of dryer lint, or the woman who recreates Marilyn Monroe's face out of broken combs gets all the publicity. Yes, that is a valid point. It does seem that way. But I was so gratified today to learn that the "City Band" and the "Elephants" both made the top ten. They are both wonderful. I was also gratified to see that the luminere exhibit Friday night made the top ten also. That was truly a moment. I will tell my great grandchildren about that.
I will not live long enough to have great-grandchildren, but if I did, I would tell them about Friday night.
Friday, September 28, 2012
Little Moments
Life is but sorrow interspersed with a few moments of joy. Tonight I witnessed the luminere exhibit at ART PRIZE. It was a moment.
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Gone
When young people die I always think
"That doesn't seem fair."
But then I think of how life hangs by
such a delicate thread
and it's all over so very soon anyway.
Nobody is guaranteed the next few minutes
and so there is really no such thing
as a 'premature death.'
Soon we will all be dead longer than the
pyramids were ago.
We all only taste life on the tip of our tongue
and then it's gone,
gone like the sun falling in a purple sky,
gone like a campfire in the rain,
gone like the feeling of joy at your graduation,
gone like that look in her eyes as she held your hand,
gone like your unborn children,
gone like the bait on your grandson's line,
gone like the daylight as you close your eyes
and fall into a long pleasant slumber.
"That doesn't seem fair."
But then I think of how life hangs by
such a delicate thread
and it's all over so very soon anyway.
Nobody is guaranteed the next few minutes
and so there is really no such thing
as a 'premature death.'
Soon we will all be dead longer than the
pyramids were ago.
We all only taste life on the tip of our tongue
and then it's gone,
gone like the sun falling in a purple sky,
gone like a campfire in the rain,
gone like the feeling of joy at your graduation,
gone like that look in her eyes as she held your hand,
gone like your unborn children,
gone like the bait on your grandson's line,
gone like the daylight as you close your eyes
and fall into a long pleasant slumber.
So
So there you have it. The following is my dozen picks for the best TV shows in the last 10 years. My apologies to "Dexter", "Nip/Tuck", "Six Feet Under", and a myriad of other shows that were excellent and didn't get mentioned.
But omitting garbage like "The Sopranos", "Sex In The City", and "Desperate Housewives" was no accident.
But then again, there are new gems and new garbage coming out everyday. Stay tuned.....
But omitting garbage like "The Sopranos", "Sex In The City", and "Desperate Housewives" was no accident.
But then again, there are new gems and new garbage coming out everyday. Stay tuned.....
Thursday, September 6, 2012
The Best TV in the Past 10 Years: #1: Breaking Bad
AMC
Well, here we are. At number 1. And if you have bothered to watch any TV at all in the last 10 years, you must have known this was coming. "Breaking Bad" is one of the greatest things I have been privileged to witness......ever.
Albuquerque High School Chemistry teacher Walter White has a problem. He has stage 3 lung cancer. He hasn't told his family. But he is most troubled by the fact that he has not been able to adequately put aside enough money to take care of his family or send his son Walter Jr. to college after he's gone.
Walter has a brother-in-law who is a DEA agent and occasionally he lets Walter ride along on routine busts - provided Walter stays in the car. On one of these excursions, Walter witnesses one of his flunkie burn-out students narrowly escaping from the bust. Walter has an epiphany and devises a scheme to supply the needed money for his family.
Walter decides to seek out the drug-dealing flunk-out student - Jesse Pinkman - and make him a proposition. Jesse will use his street level connections to move the product, and Mr. White will cook the best and purest meth-antphetimine on the planet.
Thus begins a saga of epic proportions. And it is a tale that I believe is the best TV in the past 10 years. Maybe ever.
Creator Vince Gilligan has taken a good premise - not the greatest premise ever - but a good one, and made it a masterpiece. There are lots of reasons.
Beyond Gilligan's vision and writing the casting was fantastic. Brian Cranston as Mr. White is truly a mystical thing of beauty. Known to millions only as the Dad on "Malcolm In The Middle", Cranston definitely gets to sit at the big people's table this Thanksgiving. Could Tom Hanks have played Mr. White? Nope. DeNiro? Maybe, but not as well. And who the heck decided to give totally unknown Aaron Paul a shot at playing Jesse Pinkman? I don't know whose decision that was but give them a raise! This kid is brilliant and for my money makes the show. Jesse was originally going to be a temporary character, but sometime in the first season it was realized that Mr. White and Jesse Pinkman were one of the best TV partnerships since Ralph Kramden and Ed Norton.
Oh but it doesn't stop there. Playing Mr. White's wife Skyler is the lovely and "Murder One" alum Anna Gunn. After a couple seasons and Walter deciding to finally confess what he's been up to, Skyler leaves him in a righteous huff, only a season later to also reach a line that she reluctantly decides to cross. Therefore she too is 'breaking bad." Next there is Walter's brother-in-law Drug Enforcement Agent Hank Schrader played by brilliant (and also a "Murder One" alum) Dean Morris. This guy knows his stuff. He brings a reality to this character in a way that is not usual. He falls totally in the moment and becomes this guy. What an actor.
Somehow Walter and Jesse hook up with the slimiest of slimey lawyers in form of Saul Goodman. Another of the cast members delivering brilliance. Bob Odenkirk plays Saul. Saul sets Walter and Jesse up with a big-time-run-the-whole-west-coast Drug Kingpin played as a mild mannered businessman by Giancarlo Esposito. RJ Mitte as Walter White Jr. deserves mention too. All excellent.
Morality questions pop up more in this show than the little gophers at Chuckie Cheese. "Breaking Bad" offers a look at these questions, and as I have wondered many times in my 26 years working with criminals... where is that line? And what exactly made the point in time when it was crossed, the right time? When, why, and under what circumstances, would any of us decide to "break bad?"
I'll admit I haven't seen the entire series, but I very much look forward to seeing it all. I will always be intrigued and wonder how it will inevitably arrive at the only logical conclusion this madness can bring.
Well, here we are. At number 1. And if you have bothered to watch any TV at all in the last 10 years, you must have known this was coming. "Breaking Bad" is one of the greatest things I have been privileged to witness......ever.
Albuquerque High School Chemistry teacher Walter White has a problem. He has stage 3 lung cancer. He hasn't told his family. But he is most troubled by the fact that he has not been able to adequately put aside enough money to take care of his family or send his son Walter Jr. to college after he's gone.
Walter has a brother-in-law who is a DEA agent and occasionally he lets Walter ride along on routine busts - provided Walter stays in the car. On one of these excursions, Walter witnesses one of his flunkie burn-out students narrowly escaping from the bust. Walter has an epiphany and devises a scheme to supply the needed money for his family.
Walter decides to seek out the drug-dealing flunk-out student - Jesse Pinkman - and make him a proposition. Jesse will use his street level connections to move the product, and Mr. White will cook the best and purest meth-antphetimine on the planet.
Thus begins a saga of epic proportions. And it is a tale that I believe is the best TV in the past 10 years. Maybe ever.
Creator Vince Gilligan has taken a good premise - not the greatest premise ever - but a good one, and made it a masterpiece. There are lots of reasons.
Beyond Gilligan's vision and writing the casting was fantastic. Brian Cranston as Mr. White is truly a mystical thing of beauty. Known to millions only as the Dad on "Malcolm In The Middle", Cranston definitely gets to sit at the big people's table this Thanksgiving. Could Tom Hanks have played Mr. White? Nope. DeNiro? Maybe, but not as well. And who the heck decided to give totally unknown Aaron Paul a shot at playing Jesse Pinkman? I don't know whose decision that was but give them a raise! This kid is brilliant and for my money makes the show. Jesse was originally going to be a temporary character, but sometime in the first season it was realized that Mr. White and Jesse Pinkman were one of the best TV partnerships since Ralph Kramden and Ed Norton.
Oh but it doesn't stop there. Playing Mr. White's wife Skyler is the lovely and "Murder One" alum Anna Gunn. After a couple seasons and Walter deciding to finally confess what he's been up to, Skyler leaves him in a righteous huff, only a season later to also reach a line that she reluctantly decides to cross. Therefore she too is 'breaking bad." Next there is Walter's brother-in-law Drug Enforcement Agent Hank Schrader played by brilliant (and also a "Murder One" alum) Dean Morris. This guy knows his stuff. He brings a reality to this character in a way that is not usual. He falls totally in the moment and becomes this guy. What an actor.
Somehow Walter and Jesse hook up with the slimiest of slimey lawyers in form of Saul Goodman. Another of the cast members delivering brilliance. Bob Odenkirk plays Saul. Saul sets Walter and Jesse up with a big-time-run-the-whole-west-coast Drug Kingpin played as a mild mannered businessman by Giancarlo Esposito. RJ Mitte as Walter White Jr. deserves mention too. All excellent.
Morality questions pop up more in this show than the little gophers at Chuckie Cheese. "Breaking Bad" offers a look at these questions, and as I have wondered many times in my 26 years working with criminals... where is that line? And what exactly made the point in time when it was crossed, the right time? When, why, and under what circumstances, would any of us decide to "break bad?"
I'll admit I haven't seen the entire series, but I very much look forward to seeing it all. I will always be intrigued and wonder how it will inevitably arrive at the only logical conclusion this madness can bring.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
The Best TV in the Last 10 Years - #2: Rescue Me
FX
NYFD fire-fighter Tommy Gavin is a complicated guy, in a complicated city, doing a complicated job. Tommy deals with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder stemming from 9/11 manifested in the form of an on-going relationship with his dead cousin Jimmy Keefe. Jimmy died at Ground Zero on 9/11. Tommy is a raging alcoholic whose lost his wife and family because of the booze and the job. But he still loves his ex-wife Janet and can't stand to see her with anyone else - even though he himself cannot seem to stay out of the pants of his dead cousin's widow Sheila. Tommy also worries about his kids who he believes need his guidance even though he's an out of control juice addict.
Tommy by himself takes the term "self-destructive" to a whole new level, but he is surrounded by a team of like-lunatics who seem to ground him in some strange way. They've been there, they are there, and they get it. The other fire-fighters include the hapless and often clueless Mike Silletti played by Michael Lombardi. This character is often the butt of the others' jokes, but he remains naive and almost innocent. His closest buddy is Sean Garrity, who is also fairly brain-dead most of the time. He often comes up with the most bizarre schemes with Mike, and the others look on in disbelief. Sean also gets mixed up with and marries Tommy's crazy sister Maggie (Tatum O'Neal). Hoo-Boy. Then there's Bart Johnston, a fire-fighter who relates with Sean "Puffy" Combs and wants to be called "Sean". So now we have two Seans. (What show has two primary characters with the same name?) So they are called "white Sean" and "black Sean". The suave, charming, handsome ladies man is Franco Rivera played remarkably by Daniel Sunjata. This is a great performance forming a character that can both be deep and shallow at the same time. And rounding out the inner core is Kenneth "Lou" Shea played by for my money the series stealing John Scurti. John Scurti is one of the greatest actors that ever graced the TV screen, making Lou an everyman - we all know this guy. And Mr. Scurti plays this effortlessly creating a character that we laugh and cry with. It's no wonder Lou is Tommy's best friend.
That's the inner core, but there are so many outstanding characters and performances here that they could never all be adequately be given credit due. There's the beautiful and talented Andrea Roth, as Tommy's ex-wife Janet, breathing angst and disgust, confusion and love into this crazy mixed up life they have. Wonderful. Callie Thorne as Sheila is perfect. James McCaffrey as the ghost of Jimmy Keefe, sure brought this dead guy to life for me. And I have to mention the hilarious Lenny Clark and Charles Durning as Uncle Teddy and Tommy's dad Michael respectively. These guys were spot on.
I was only in NYC once when I was an early teenager, and I've never hung around with fire-fighters, but I know these guys and I know this city. Maybe I've spent too many years with Corrections Officers, but I know how Tommy, Lou, white Sean, black Sean, Mike and Franco think. I know what makes them tick. And that's because the writers, the crew, and the cast are just that good. These fire-fighters wouldn't know how to act in a job that wasn't dangerous, and they don't understand why that should take a toll on anyone else.
Tommy is on this self-destructive collision course and it is apparent in the amount of booze he puts away. It's how he almost gets Janet to come back but then goes to spend the night with Sheila. But it's also in the subtle way he always has to be the first one in a fire and the last one out. He insists on being the guy that takes all the chances. He wants to connect all the dots again, but he just can't remember how. But please understand: amid all this pathos, this show can be one of the funniest shows I've ever seen. There is a lot of hysterical stuff going on here. Laugh out loud stuff.
Like I said, Tommy is a complicated guy, in a complicated city, doing a complicated job. And can I take a moment and say that Denis Leary is brilliant in this. He has become a truly wonderful actor who somehow brings his famous ranting nightclub act and his character's confusion, anxiety, PTSD, and all the rest and puts it into his pathological blender and pours it out for us to enjoy. And it becomes vintage wine before our eyes. And without ever saying it, his character Tommy Gavin begs the show's title: Rescue Me. His inner being cries out "Please, somebody, rescue me." And who knows? It may be possible.
NYFD fire-fighter Tommy Gavin is a complicated guy, in a complicated city, doing a complicated job. Tommy deals with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder stemming from 9/11 manifested in the form of an on-going relationship with his dead cousin Jimmy Keefe. Jimmy died at Ground Zero on 9/11. Tommy is a raging alcoholic whose lost his wife and family because of the booze and the job. But he still loves his ex-wife Janet and can't stand to see her with anyone else - even though he himself cannot seem to stay out of the pants of his dead cousin's widow Sheila. Tommy also worries about his kids who he believes need his guidance even though he's an out of control juice addict.
Tommy by himself takes the term "self-destructive" to a whole new level, but he is surrounded by a team of like-lunatics who seem to ground him in some strange way. They've been there, they are there, and they get it. The other fire-fighters include the hapless and often clueless Mike Silletti played by Michael Lombardi. This character is often the butt of the others' jokes, but he remains naive and almost innocent. His closest buddy is Sean Garrity, who is also fairly brain-dead most of the time. He often comes up with the most bizarre schemes with Mike, and the others look on in disbelief. Sean also gets mixed up with and marries Tommy's crazy sister Maggie (Tatum O'Neal). Hoo-Boy. Then there's Bart Johnston, a fire-fighter who relates with Sean "Puffy" Combs and wants to be called "Sean". So now we have two Seans. (What show has two primary characters with the same name?) So they are called "white Sean" and "black Sean". The suave, charming, handsome ladies man is Franco Rivera played remarkably by Daniel Sunjata. This is a great performance forming a character that can both be deep and shallow at the same time. And rounding out the inner core is Kenneth "Lou" Shea played by for my money the series stealing John Scurti. John Scurti is one of the greatest actors that ever graced the TV screen, making Lou an everyman - we all know this guy. And Mr. Scurti plays this effortlessly creating a character that we laugh and cry with. It's no wonder Lou is Tommy's best friend.
That's the inner core, but there are so many outstanding characters and performances here that they could never all be adequately be given credit due. There's the beautiful and talented Andrea Roth, as Tommy's ex-wife Janet, breathing angst and disgust, confusion and love into this crazy mixed up life they have. Wonderful. Callie Thorne as Sheila is perfect. James McCaffrey as the ghost of Jimmy Keefe, sure brought this dead guy to life for me. And I have to mention the hilarious Lenny Clark and Charles Durning as Uncle Teddy and Tommy's dad Michael respectively. These guys were spot on.
I was only in NYC once when I was an early teenager, and I've never hung around with fire-fighters, but I know these guys and I know this city. Maybe I've spent too many years with Corrections Officers, but I know how Tommy, Lou, white Sean, black Sean, Mike and Franco think. I know what makes them tick. And that's because the writers, the crew, and the cast are just that good. These fire-fighters wouldn't know how to act in a job that wasn't dangerous, and they don't understand why that should take a toll on anyone else.
Tommy is on this self-destructive collision course and it is apparent in the amount of booze he puts away. It's how he almost gets Janet to come back but then goes to spend the night with Sheila. But it's also in the subtle way he always has to be the first one in a fire and the last one out. He insists on being the guy that takes all the chances. He wants to connect all the dots again, but he just can't remember how. But please understand: amid all this pathos, this show can be one of the funniest shows I've ever seen. There is a lot of hysterical stuff going on here. Laugh out loud stuff.
Like I said, Tommy is a complicated guy, in a complicated city, doing a complicated job. And can I take a moment and say that Denis Leary is brilliant in this. He has become a truly wonderful actor who somehow brings his famous ranting nightclub act and his character's confusion, anxiety, PTSD, and all the rest and puts it into his pathological blender and pours it out for us to enjoy. And it becomes vintage wine before our eyes. And without ever saying it, his character Tommy Gavin begs the show's title: Rescue Me. His inner being cries out "Please, somebody, rescue me." And who knows? It may be possible.
The Best TV of the Last 10 Years: # 3: The Shield
FX
This was a cop show like no other. It centered around a team of cops in the mythical town of Farmington, California. They are called a "strike team" and they are called in on much of the gang and drug violence in the city. The team is headed up by Detective Vic Mackey who is played by Michael Chiklis. This team is a bunch of dirty low-down scoundrels - a gang in their own right. And that is what separates it from other cop shows. Nothing like a bunch of money grubbing, stealing, crooked cops to shake up a genre.
The seasons do blend in, one to another, but one can never forget that in the very first episode, Vic Mackey shot one of his own strike team members. So our "hero" or rather 'anti-hero" is a cop-killer from the beginning. And no matter how much good he does from then on, I, as a fan, could never get that out of my mind.
The seasons took many twists and turns, but it always seemed to center around the corruption from the strike team and the lengths they would go to making the sick seem reasonable.
Let me introduce the strike team members besides the aforementioned Vic Mackey: Det. Shane Vendrell played by Walton Goggins (the only guy who could ever do the "Jack Nicholson Story" and the reason I started watching "Justified"). Then there is Kenneth Johnson as Det. Curtis Lemansky more commonly known as "Lemonhead" or mostly just "Lem". Lem was one of the boys but he at times displayed something the others never did: a conscience. The remaining Det. was Ronnie Gardocki (David Rees Snell). Oh, occasionally others were sent in to attempt to spy on the team, but they never lasted long.
The strike team is truly a brotherhood of corruption, but none more passionate in his loyalty to it and its members than Vic Mackey. He would kill for these guys and in fact does. The fact that these guys love living way over the line is apparent to the rest of the department, and there was more than one Captain sent in to try and catch the strike team wrong. But the team thrives on management's hair-splitting last second near misses. Glenn Close was a Captain for a season. Forrest Whittaker was very memorable as a cop sent from Internal Affairs to get them. He nearly does but then is outsmarted in how to play on the field of lies, cheating, and corruption. The most notable Captain was David Aceveda played impeccably by Benito Martinez. Captain Aceveda gets caught up in a twisted storyline of his own.
And there are other great cast members and other interesting storylines too. CCW Pounder as Det. Claudette Wynns and her partner Det. Holland "Dutch" Wagenbach. Catherine Dent and Michael Jace as Officers Danni Sofer and Julian Lowe respectively are wonderful. These were the good cops. And there were a slew of bad guys, even worse than the cop bad guys.
This show won a Golden Globe in 2002 for Best TV Series Drama, and Chiklis won a Golden Globe that year for Best Lead Actor in a Drama. So it was getting it's share of respect. And I think that the show just got better from that point. Some might say the writer Kurt Sutter was a part of that. He went on to create "Sons of Anarchy."
Occasionally there were references to Chiklis and Vic Mackey in the TV show "Weeds" (see my #11). There was a problem and Silas suggested to his younger brother "WWVMD?" Mother Nancy asks, "WWVMD?" and young Shane answers "What would Vic Mackey do?"
Whatever he would do, take it from me, it would be corrupt, underhanded, but oh so interesting.
This was a cop show like no other. It centered around a team of cops in the mythical town of Farmington, California. They are called a "strike team" and they are called in on much of the gang and drug violence in the city. The team is headed up by Detective Vic Mackey who is played by Michael Chiklis. This team is a bunch of dirty low-down scoundrels - a gang in their own right. And that is what separates it from other cop shows. Nothing like a bunch of money grubbing, stealing, crooked cops to shake up a genre.
The seasons do blend in, one to another, but one can never forget that in the very first episode, Vic Mackey shot one of his own strike team members. So our "hero" or rather 'anti-hero" is a cop-killer from the beginning. And no matter how much good he does from then on, I, as a fan, could never get that out of my mind.
The seasons took many twists and turns, but it always seemed to center around the corruption from the strike team and the lengths they would go to making the sick seem reasonable.
Let me introduce the strike team members besides the aforementioned Vic Mackey: Det. Shane Vendrell played by Walton Goggins (the only guy who could ever do the "Jack Nicholson Story" and the reason I started watching "Justified"). Then there is Kenneth Johnson as Det. Curtis Lemansky more commonly known as "Lemonhead" or mostly just "Lem". Lem was one of the boys but he at times displayed something the others never did: a conscience. The remaining Det. was Ronnie Gardocki (David Rees Snell). Oh, occasionally others were sent in to attempt to spy on the team, but they never lasted long.
The strike team is truly a brotherhood of corruption, but none more passionate in his loyalty to it and its members than Vic Mackey. He would kill for these guys and in fact does. The fact that these guys love living way over the line is apparent to the rest of the department, and there was more than one Captain sent in to try and catch the strike team wrong. But the team thrives on management's hair-splitting last second near misses. Glenn Close was a Captain for a season. Forrest Whittaker was very memorable as a cop sent from Internal Affairs to get them. He nearly does but then is outsmarted in how to play on the field of lies, cheating, and corruption. The most notable Captain was David Aceveda played impeccably by Benito Martinez. Captain Aceveda gets caught up in a twisted storyline of his own.
And there are other great cast members and other interesting storylines too. CCW Pounder as Det. Claudette Wynns and her partner Det. Holland "Dutch" Wagenbach. Catherine Dent and Michael Jace as Officers Danni Sofer and Julian Lowe respectively are wonderful. These were the good cops. And there were a slew of bad guys, even worse than the cop bad guys.
This show won a Golden Globe in 2002 for Best TV Series Drama, and Chiklis won a Golden Globe that year for Best Lead Actor in a Drama. So it was getting it's share of respect. And I think that the show just got better from that point. Some might say the writer Kurt Sutter was a part of that. He went on to create "Sons of Anarchy."
Occasionally there were references to Chiklis and Vic Mackey in the TV show "Weeds" (see my #11). There was a problem and Silas suggested to his younger brother "WWVMD?" Mother Nancy asks, "WWVMD?" and young Shane answers "What would Vic Mackey do?"
Whatever he would do, take it from me, it would be corrupt, underhanded, but oh so interesting.
Monday, August 13, 2012
The Best TV in the Last 10 Years: #4: Arrested Development
FOX
This one sneaked up on me. I watched this show on DVD on the recommendation of a nephew, and I didn't know what to expect. But I found it to be pure joy.
First off, for an Andy Griffith Show fan like me, just having Ron Howard as the narrator had me ready to like this show from the opening frame. But oh, how much better it became.
Justin Bateman plays the level-headed Michael Bluth, who seems to be confused about the family he's been born into. Not unlike the aforementioned Andy Griffith, he finds himself the only sane one in the midst of a slew of lunatics. Michael is called to take over the family business once his father is indicted and ends up in prison over shady business practices. Once Michael begins to dig into the family dealings the more complicated it becomes.
Michael has a son, George-Michael Bluth played by Michael Cera. They live together in the attic of one of the model homes constructed by the father who is now in prison. Michael often visits his father in prison, and dear old dad is played by none other than Jeffrey Tambor. Mom is Lucille Bluth brought to life perfectly in a twisted, money grubbing kind of way by Jessica Walters. Michael's siblings are: brother George "Gob" Bluth and wannabe magician, "Buster" Bluth (Tony Hale) a mama's boy, maturity stunted whatever, and a sister Lindsay Bluth-Funke, another of the spendomaniacs blessed with a company credit card. Lindsay is married to the hilarious David Cross who plays Tobias Funke. Tobias goes from being a "never-nude" ( a person who can't bear to be naked and showers in cut-offs) to being a nudist, to finally joining Blue Man Group, because he thought it was a self-help group for depressed guys.
This show is chuck full of sight-gags, and wonderful writing. But it is the subtle performance of this cast that pulls it off. George-Michael working at the frozen chocolate banana stand with such wonderful confused native makes it work for me.
There are just too many wonderful story lines and goofy happenings about this show to go into. But just know, like all great shows, this is character driven. Not just Hawkeye-Pierce quipping. That is so dull. This is so good.
Arrested Development is this high on my list for a reason. (A little bit because Freaks and Geeks was longer than 10 years ago, but still...) In fact, there was such a buzz about this show, that even though it ended a few years ago, there is talk that there is going to be a new season and even a movie.
This is wonderful, twisted, funny stuff and I have no problem having it this high on my list.
This one sneaked up on me. I watched this show on DVD on the recommendation of a nephew, and I didn't know what to expect. But I found it to be pure joy.
First off, for an Andy Griffith Show fan like me, just having Ron Howard as the narrator had me ready to like this show from the opening frame. But oh, how much better it became.
Justin Bateman plays the level-headed Michael Bluth, who seems to be confused about the family he's been born into. Not unlike the aforementioned Andy Griffith, he finds himself the only sane one in the midst of a slew of lunatics. Michael is called to take over the family business once his father is indicted and ends up in prison over shady business practices. Once Michael begins to dig into the family dealings the more complicated it becomes.
Michael has a son, George-Michael Bluth played by Michael Cera. They live together in the attic of one of the model homes constructed by the father who is now in prison. Michael often visits his father in prison, and dear old dad is played by none other than Jeffrey Tambor. Mom is Lucille Bluth brought to life perfectly in a twisted, money grubbing kind of way by Jessica Walters. Michael's siblings are: brother George "Gob" Bluth and wannabe magician, "Buster" Bluth (Tony Hale) a mama's boy, maturity stunted whatever, and a sister Lindsay Bluth-Funke, another of the spendomaniacs blessed with a company credit card. Lindsay is married to the hilarious David Cross who plays Tobias Funke. Tobias goes from being a "never-nude" ( a person who can't bear to be naked and showers in cut-offs) to being a nudist, to finally joining Blue Man Group, because he thought it was a self-help group for depressed guys.
This show is chuck full of sight-gags, and wonderful writing. But it is the subtle performance of this cast that pulls it off. George-Michael working at the frozen chocolate banana stand with such wonderful confused native makes it work for me.
There are just too many wonderful story lines and goofy happenings about this show to go into. But just know, like all great shows, this is character driven. Not just Hawkeye-Pierce quipping. That is so dull. This is so good.
Arrested Development is this high on my list for a reason. (A little bit because Freaks and Geeks was longer than 10 years ago, but still...) In fact, there was such a buzz about this show, that even though it ended a few years ago, there is talk that there is going to be a new season and even a movie.
This is wonderful, twisted, funny stuff and I have no problem having it this high on my list.
Saturday, August 11, 2012
The Best TV in the Past 10 Years: #5: Band of Brothers
HBO
Okay, I must confess something. When I first decided I wanted to do a series on my blog about the best TV in the last ten years, it was 2011. And as I have begun to write the series time has marched on, as they say. So I am telling on myself right up front that Band of Brothers originally aired on HBO in 2001, just missing my 10 year parameter. But I'm keeping it. Because it was still legal when I made the list.
Band of Brothers is an amazing recount of several men that were part of "Easy Company" (of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division in the United States Army). This is World War II. These were real guys - kids, really. Who needs "super-hero" movies? Just watch this and be amazed.
The executive producers were none other than Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks who had collaborated together to produce Saving Private Ryan in 1998. Easy Company began to intrigue them during the making of that film and the book Band of Brothers by Steven Ambrose, was the basis of this mini-series.
This wonderful mini-series followed these guys from Jump Training School at Camp Toccoa Georgia, on to their parachute drop in Normandy, Operation Market Garden, the Siege of Bastogne, all the way to Hitler's Eagle's Nest. Yes, there was a lot of artistic license taken in embellishing the facts here, but the gist is there.
One thing I loved is that during the course of the episodes, they would often stop and get the comments of the real life men who were there. These were the real life heroes in the series. I would choke up hearing them speak. I remember one man commenting that now, on very cold nights, climbing into bed, he will often comment to his wife, "I'd still rather be here, than in Bastogne." Bastogne - commonly referred by us as the Battle of the Bulge, had these guys trapped in a small area for three of the coldest months on record in France without winter clothing. WITHOUT winter clothing. How they survived at all is a miracle. And a tribute to the character of these men.
This mini-series consisted of 10 episodes, 11 if you count a special feature at the end. At the time it was the most expensive mini-series ever produced, costing a whopping 12.5 million an episode to make. Luckily the BBC bought in, and they were able to show it too.
Episode 11 was the special feature. We got to see the real-life men we'd just seen depicted in 10 episodes. And they were regular, unassuming guys. I wanted to shout "Don't you know how great you are?", but they were fighting for a real cause, under a real leader, and were really doing something. Just like our best and brightest are doing in Afghanistan right now - but I digress. Listening to the Band of Brothers talk was so moving to me, that I began sobbing like a baby. At that minute, my girlfriend called. I was blubbering. She asked, "What is wrong?" I told her that if she hadn't seen the 10 episodes, I'd witnessed, she just wouldn't understand.
But maybe the greatest tribute to the Band of Brothers is my friend Jennifer Beardslee. Jennifer was diagnosed with cancer during this time frame, and it was serious. She had lost all her hair, the whole bit. She was pretty much figuring that this was it. And then she saw Band of Brothers. And she told me, "you know, if they can go through that, I can beat this." Jennifer is alive today, and she totally credits Band of Brothers for that.
I always wanted to write to Dick Winters and tell him that. But I never did. He died in 2011. And another of the Band, Shifty Powers, died the same day as Michael Jackson. A real hero like Shifty dies, nothing. A pedophile with a hit record? All the ink for a month. What is wrong with this picture?
And to you surviving Band of Brothers my hat is off to you. I am on my feet. And that is why Band of Brothers stays on this list.
Okay, I must confess something. When I first decided I wanted to do a series on my blog about the best TV in the last ten years, it was 2011. And as I have begun to write the series time has marched on, as they say. So I am telling on myself right up front that Band of Brothers originally aired on HBO in 2001, just missing my 10 year parameter. But I'm keeping it. Because it was still legal when I made the list.
Band of Brothers is an amazing recount of several men that were part of "Easy Company" (of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division in the United States Army). This is World War II. These were real guys - kids, really. Who needs "super-hero" movies? Just watch this and be amazed.
The executive producers were none other than Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks who had collaborated together to produce Saving Private Ryan in 1998. Easy Company began to intrigue them during the making of that film and the book Band of Brothers by Steven Ambrose, was the basis of this mini-series.
This wonderful mini-series followed these guys from Jump Training School at Camp Toccoa Georgia, on to their parachute drop in Normandy, Operation Market Garden, the Siege of Bastogne, all the way to Hitler's Eagle's Nest. Yes, there was a lot of artistic license taken in embellishing the facts here, but the gist is there.
One thing I loved is that during the course of the episodes, they would often stop and get the comments of the real life men who were there. These were the real life heroes in the series. I would choke up hearing them speak. I remember one man commenting that now, on very cold nights, climbing into bed, he will often comment to his wife, "I'd still rather be here, than in Bastogne." Bastogne - commonly referred by us as the Battle of the Bulge, had these guys trapped in a small area for three of the coldest months on record in France without winter clothing. WITHOUT winter clothing. How they survived at all is a miracle. And a tribute to the character of these men.
This mini-series consisted of 10 episodes, 11 if you count a special feature at the end. At the time it was the most expensive mini-series ever produced, costing a whopping 12.5 million an episode to make. Luckily the BBC bought in, and they were able to show it too.
Episode 11 was the special feature. We got to see the real-life men we'd just seen depicted in 10 episodes. And they were regular, unassuming guys. I wanted to shout "Don't you know how great you are?", but they were fighting for a real cause, under a real leader, and were really doing something. Just like our best and brightest are doing in Afghanistan right now - but I digress. Listening to the Band of Brothers talk was so moving to me, that I began sobbing like a baby. At that minute, my girlfriend called. I was blubbering. She asked, "What is wrong?" I told her that if she hadn't seen the 10 episodes, I'd witnessed, she just wouldn't understand.
But maybe the greatest tribute to the Band of Brothers is my friend Jennifer Beardslee. Jennifer was diagnosed with cancer during this time frame, and it was serious. She had lost all her hair, the whole bit. She was pretty much figuring that this was it. And then she saw Band of Brothers. And she told me, "you know, if they can go through that, I can beat this." Jennifer is alive today, and she totally credits Band of Brothers for that.
I always wanted to write to Dick Winters and tell him that. But I never did. He died in 2011. And another of the Band, Shifty Powers, died the same day as Michael Jackson. A real hero like Shifty dies, nothing. A pedophile with a hit record? All the ink for a month. What is wrong with this picture?
And to you surviving Band of Brothers my hat is off to you. I am on my feet. And that is why Band of Brothers stays on this list.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
The Best TV in the Last 10 Years: # 6: Modern Family / The Simpsons
Okay, I admit, ties are quite a crummy cop-out. But honestly, I couldn't decide. 20 plus years of proven hilarity against 3 great seasons of laugh out loud fun. And so, dear readers, there is a tie. But it is the only one.
Modern Family
ABC
This wonderful sitcom is about a family; three families, but one family in reality. This family is headed by Jay Pritchett (Ed O'Neill) and his second (and some would say trophy) wife Gloria. Jay is a very successful (with a capital S) businessman and he and his first wife grew apart (the first wife played with total hilarity by Shellie Long in a few episodes). He now has married the incredibly beautiful and much younger Gloria ( Sofia Vergara). She brings to this family a son, Manny (Rico Rodriguez) who believes he is Don Juan reincarnated. Manny is about 11.
From this previous marriage Jay had two children. First there was Claire. Claire is brought to life by Julie Bowen. Claire is one of those characters that doesn't jump to the front of the minds of fans, but she is one of the nuts and bolts that holds this show together. Her husband and children wouldn't be nearly as great if it weren't for her. Julie plays Claire flawlessly. Claire is married to Phil Dunphey. Phil is a realtor and the guy that thinks he is "the cool Dad." He gets why his daughter wants to spend a weekend away to see a concert. Hey when he was 18, he was a "Hall-raiser"...he spent the whole summer following Hall and Oates around the country. By the way, Phil and Claire have 3 children: Haley (Sarah Hyland), Alex (Ariel Winter), and Luke (Nolan Gould). These three are all nuggets of gold in their own right. I could go on and on about what each brings to this wonderful, goofy family.
Finally, Jay also had a son. Mitchell (played incredibly by Jesse Tyler Ferguson), and his partner Camron (played remarkably by Eric Stonestreet). And my hats go off to the producers and creators for casting Eric - a heavy set guy playing a gay. But of course, the creators of this show are the one and only sit-com icons Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd. They seem to know what they're doing. They've only created hit after hit.....
By the way Mitchell and Cameron have adopted a baby girl in the first season and have named her Lily. Naturally since she's Vietnamese, Phil wonders if she'll even be able to pronounce Lily. But then, you have to know Phil...
So let me just say, that although there is great writing in this show, it really wouldn't work without this cast. I can't believe any other group of people could make this work. Okay, Manny is sometimes weak, but he'll get there. I had forgotten how really good Ed O'Neill is. And the others! I often sit and try and decide who my favorite character is, and I just can't. They are all so perfect and wonderful. (Okay, put a gun to my head and I'd say Phil).
Modern Family is a show that is guaranteed to have you throw your head back and laugh out loud at least three times and episode. But then so does...
The Simpsons FOX
There is a reason this show has been on the air longer than any prime time show in history. It is just plain funny. Maybe the funniest half hour on TV and it has been for well over 20 years. Besides just the Simpson family there have been so many great characters added in this show over the years that are wonderful. Some have even become as well known as the Simpsons themselves. Ned Flanders the religious neighbor, Crusty the Clown, Sideshow Bob, Moe, Mr. Burns, the Comic Book Guy (who just wanders around exclaiming "this is the worst episode ever"), the Reverend, and on and on and on. And we love each and every one.
Homer will always be my favorite. He is simple. He is motivated by simple things. Mostly food. Once there was a reference to the Burger Supreme Court, and he couldn't get past drooling about the word 'Burger'. Some of my favorite quotes were uttered by Homer. Such as "Rock Stars - is there anything they don't know?"
When watching the Simpsons one must always keep an eye on what is going on in the background. There are always hilarious signs, or names of places that shouldn't be missed. The DVDs should be had for that reason alone.
Another thing I love so much about the Simpsons is that if they need to suddenly fly to England, no big deal. The writers can dream up anything they want. It's "only" animation after all. The sky's the limit.
The Simpsons will be a part of American Culture from now until the end of American Culture. And what I have discovered over the years is that the only people who don't love and adore the Simpsons are the folks who've never watched them.
Modern Family
ABC
This wonderful sitcom is about a family; three families, but one family in reality. This family is headed by Jay Pritchett (Ed O'Neill) and his second (and some would say trophy) wife Gloria. Jay is a very successful (with a capital S) businessman and he and his first wife grew apart (the first wife played with total hilarity by Shellie Long in a few episodes). He now has married the incredibly beautiful and much younger Gloria ( Sofia Vergara). She brings to this family a son, Manny (Rico Rodriguez) who believes he is Don Juan reincarnated. Manny is about 11.
From this previous marriage Jay had two children. First there was Claire. Claire is brought to life by Julie Bowen. Claire is one of those characters that doesn't jump to the front of the minds of fans, but she is one of the nuts and bolts that holds this show together. Her husband and children wouldn't be nearly as great if it weren't for her. Julie plays Claire flawlessly. Claire is married to Phil Dunphey. Phil is a realtor and the guy that thinks he is "the cool Dad." He gets why his daughter wants to spend a weekend away to see a concert. Hey when he was 18, he was a "Hall-raiser"...he spent the whole summer following Hall and Oates around the country. By the way, Phil and Claire have 3 children: Haley (Sarah Hyland), Alex (Ariel Winter), and Luke (Nolan Gould). These three are all nuggets of gold in their own right. I could go on and on about what each brings to this wonderful, goofy family.
Finally, Jay also had a son. Mitchell (played incredibly by Jesse Tyler Ferguson), and his partner Camron (played remarkably by Eric Stonestreet). And my hats go off to the producers and creators for casting Eric - a heavy set guy playing a gay. But of course, the creators of this show are the one and only sit-com icons Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd. They seem to know what they're doing. They've only created hit after hit.....
By the way Mitchell and Cameron have adopted a baby girl in the first season and have named her Lily. Naturally since she's Vietnamese, Phil wonders if she'll even be able to pronounce Lily. But then, you have to know Phil...
So let me just say, that although there is great writing in this show, it really wouldn't work without this cast. I can't believe any other group of people could make this work. Okay, Manny is sometimes weak, but he'll get there. I had forgotten how really good Ed O'Neill is. And the others! I often sit and try and decide who my favorite character is, and I just can't. They are all so perfect and wonderful. (Okay, put a gun to my head and I'd say Phil).
Modern Family is a show that is guaranteed to have you throw your head back and laugh out loud at least three times and episode. But then so does...
The Simpsons FOX
There is a reason this show has been on the air longer than any prime time show in history. It is just plain funny. Maybe the funniest half hour on TV and it has been for well over 20 years. Besides just the Simpson family there have been so many great characters added in this show over the years that are wonderful. Some have even become as well known as the Simpsons themselves. Ned Flanders the religious neighbor, Crusty the Clown, Sideshow Bob, Moe, Mr. Burns, the Comic Book Guy (who just wanders around exclaiming "this is the worst episode ever"), the Reverend, and on and on and on. And we love each and every one.
Homer will always be my favorite. He is simple. He is motivated by simple things. Mostly food. Once there was a reference to the Burger Supreme Court, and he couldn't get past drooling about the word 'Burger'. Some of my favorite quotes were uttered by Homer. Such as "Rock Stars - is there anything they don't know?"
When watching the Simpsons one must always keep an eye on what is going on in the background. There are always hilarious signs, or names of places that shouldn't be missed. The DVDs should be had for that reason alone.
Another thing I love so much about the Simpsons is that if they need to suddenly fly to England, no big deal. The writers can dream up anything they want. It's "only" animation after all. The sky's the limit.
The Simpsons will be a part of American Culture from now until the end of American Culture. And what I have discovered over the years is that the only people who don't love and adore the Simpsons are the folks who've never watched them.
Friday, August 3, 2012
The Best TV of the Last 10 Years: # 7: Sons of Anarchy
FX
Everything The Sopranos wished it could have been is realized in Sons of Anarchy. Whatever interesting elements The Sopranos might have had were never explored; the show was lost in being full of itself and spending way too much time with it's protagonist in his shrink's office. That is not an issue with Sons of Anarchy.
Sons of Anarchy combines a lot of similar elements but instead of wallowing in self-inflicted grandeur, Sons keeps finding ways to keep the story moving by using a wild assemblage of great characters in interesting ways.
First and foremost I credit Kurt Sutter, the creator and writer for this show. I recognized his name early on because he had been instrumental in another show I enjoyed; but more about that show in an upcoming installment. Mr. Sutter enjoyed so much success with that show that he was able to establish his own production company - Sutter Ink - thereby making SOA possible.
The Sons of Anarchy are a motorcycle gang...er.....I mean "club." (They're a little touchy about the word "gang") Or as Club President Clay Morrow once told an ATF agent, "We are automotive mechanics and motorcycle enthusiasts." The Sons operate out of the Teller-Morrow Auto Garage in the lovely community of Charming, California. John Teller and Clay Morrow not only opened the garage together, they along with seven others, formed the original club which since has spread worldwide (ala The Hells Angels). They must have been in a place called Redwood when the club was born, because they are often as not referred to as "SAMCRO" - Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Original.
Although they do operate a garage, their main business is running guns - receiving guns via the IRA and selling them up and down the west coast in exchange for a big piece of the action. And that is why the ATF are involved - although the agent they have sent - Special Agent June Stahl (played Ally Walker) - brings the word corruption to a whole new level.
John Teller has died but he left behind three things. His son Jackson "Jax" (Charlie Hunnan) who is the Vice President of the club, a memoir - a written chronicle of the club describing where John hoped it was headed and his disillusionment when it started to become just a criminal operation. Jax has found the manuscript and is now confused about the future of the organization. John also left behind his widow who was quickly snatched up by Clay who is now her husband. Gemma Morrow is played brilliantly by Katie Segal (forget that she is Kurt Sutter's wife - she is wonderful in this). Watching her walk around in slutty clothes and handle a handgun effortlessly helps you to easily forget that she was once the wife Peg on "Married With Children".
The show is very much about being torn between two worlds. The love interest of Jax is his old high school girlfriend Tara Knowles (Maggie Siff) who has returned to Charming after becoming a Doctor. She is torn between her professional life and the motorcycle club. Police Chief Wayne Unser (Dayton Callie) has cancer and is torn between being a police officer and being a friend to the club that he secretly wishes he was a member of. The list of colorful and wonderful characters goes on and on.
There have been some unforgettable moments on the show. One was when a former member had been a snitch and was tossed out of the club. It was discovered that he still had his club tattoo on his back. He was lured into the garage, hung up and given the option to have it removed: "Fire or knife?" He chose fire and club sicko Tig Trager (Kim Coates) lit up the blow torch. Another was a moment at the end of season three when I literally jumped out of my chair in disbelief whooping it up. But that's all I can say about that.
Sons of Anarchy is a show for anyone who likes an out of the ordinary story with characters that are totally unpredictable. I personally can't wait to see where the gang...er....club... is headed next.
Everything The Sopranos wished it could have been is realized in Sons of Anarchy. Whatever interesting elements The Sopranos might have had were never explored; the show was lost in being full of itself and spending way too much time with it's protagonist in his shrink's office. That is not an issue with Sons of Anarchy.
Sons of Anarchy combines a lot of similar elements but instead of wallowing in self-inflicted grandeur, Sons keeps finding ways to keep the story moving by using a wild assemblage of great characters in interesting ways.
First and foremost I credit Kurt Sutter, the creator and writer for this show. I recognized his name early on because he had been instrumental in another show I enjoyed; but more about that show in an upcoming installment. Mr. Sutter enjoyed so much success with that show that he was able to establish his own production company - Sutter Ink - thereby making SOA possible.
The Sons of Anarchy are a motorcycle gang...er.....I mean "club." (They're a little touchy about the word "gang") Or as Club President Clay Morrow once told an ATF agent, "We are automotive mechanics and motorcycle enthusiasts." The Sons operate out of the Teller-Morrow Auto Garage in the lovely community of Charming, California. John Teller and Clay Morrow not only opened the garage together, they along with seven others, formed the original club which since has spread worldwide (ala The Hells Angels). They must have been in a place called Redwood when the club was born, because they are often as not referred to as "SAMCRO" - Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Original.
Although they do operate a garage, their main business is running guns - receiving guns via the IRA and selling them up and down the west coast in exchange for a big piece of the action. And that is why the ATF are involved - although the agent they have sent - Special Agent June Stahl (played Ally Walker) - brings the word corruption to a whole new level.
John Teller has died but he left behind three things. His son Jackson "Jax" (Charlie Hunnan) who is the Vice President of the club, a memoir - a written chronicle of the club describing where John hoped it was headed and his disillusionment when it started to become just a criminal operation. Jax has found the manuscript and is now confused about the future of the organization. John also left behind his widow who was quickly snatched up by Clay who is now her husband. Gemma Morrow is played brilliantly by Katie Segal (forget that she is Kurt Sutter's wife - she is wonderful in this). Watching her walk around in slutty clothes and handle a handgun effortlessly helps you to easily forget that she was once the wife Peg on "Married With Children".
The show is very much about being torn between two worlds. The love interest of Jax is his old high school girlfriend Tara Knowles (Maggie Siff) who has returned to Charming after becoming a Doctor. She is torn between her professional life and the motorcycle club. Police Chief Wayne Unser (Dayton Callie) has cancer and is torn between being a police officer and being a friend to the club that he secretly wishes he was a member of. The list of colorful and wonderful characters goes on and on.
There have been some unforgettable moments on the show. One was when a former member had been a snitch and was tossed out of the club. It was discovered that he still had his club tattoo on his back. He was lured into the garage, hung up and given the option to have it removed: "Fire or knife?" He chose fire and club sicko Tig Trager (Kim Coates) lit up the blow torch. Another was a moment at the end of season three when I literally jumped out of my chair in disbelief whooping it up. But that's all I can say about that.
Sons of Anarchy is a show for anyone who likes an out of the ordinary story with characters that are totally unpredictable. I personally can't wait to see where the gang...er....club... is headed next.
Monday, July 23, 2012
The Best TV in the Last 10 Years - # 8: The Wire
HBO
This Drama was aired 2002 through 2008 and sported a incredible cast through all 5 seasons. The show centered around the drug trafficking business in the city of Baltimore, Maryland. All those in the cast that deserve special recognition number nearly 40, and I am quite serious. And although most of these actors had never been seen much before this, The Wire was one of the most remarkable acting ensembles I have ever seen. Every single character was a jewel that was brought to life flawlessly.
Even though it's more complicated than just "the good guys" and the "bad guys" that is the easiest way to explain the situation. The cops are made up of Detective James "Jimmy" McNulty (played by Dominic West), the primary protagonist. His partner is Detective William "Bunk" Moreland played by Wendell Pierce (and I must say having spent 26 years of my life in law enforcement, this is the most believable how-it-really-is performances I've ever seen on TV). They have a half-dozen other detectives working around them, all a dysfunctional mess. Finally McNulty pulls a stunt blabbing to a judge about a bunch of unsolved drug murders. The Judge raises a stink leading to several of the detectives being exiled to a special surveillance unit to track a couple of drug kingpins.
On the bad guy side the big drug kingpin is Avon Barksdale (Wood Harris), and his close second-in-command is Stringer Bell (Idris Elba). Avon also has a nephew D'Angelo who is running the low rise projects for Avon. And it takes many others to make this operation tick. Not to mention all the rival crews.
Season One is called "Listen Carefully" and it is all about setting up the surveillance team, and the action that that entails. The new team gets stationed into the basement of a crummy, broken down building, probably due to McNulty running his mouth. Although every season has drugs and drug trafficking running through it, each season takes on it's own focus: Season 1: Setting Up Surveillance 2. Drugs, Unions and Dock Workers 3. Drugs and Politics. 4. Drugs and the Education System 5. Drugs and the Media i.e. Newspapers.
Even though HBO was in a love-fest with that piece of crap television "The Sopranos" during this time, following that on Sunday nights was this TV masterpiece. I cannot say enough about what great TV this was. But I must bring attention to 4 characters that heretofore have not been mentioned. They are, in no particular order: Omar Little. What an interesting character. A truly bad guy, secure in his homosexuality and in the knowledge that he will not live very long. I was totally shocked at how he went out. One of my favorite characters. Omar was played masterfully by Michael Kenneth Williams. 2. Marlo Stanfield. What a truly creepy guy this character was. Ice water in the veins kind of guy. Jamie Hector, you may never play a role this intriguing again. 3. Chris Partlow, played by Gbenga Akinnagbe. Marlo's hired assassin. Very creepy in the way that he assures the one's he's about to kill that "it won't hurt." 4. "Bubbles" Cos. Andre Royo brought this junkie snitch to life. So convincing that if I ever met him, I'd wonder if he's high. 5. Felicia "Snoop" Pearson. I went two seasons still not knowing the gender of this person. Idris Elba apparently met her in a club in Baltimore and was intrigued by a. He could not discern her gender, and b. she didn't ask for a part on the show. He recommended her to the producers and there she was. She did a couple of very memorable scenes...notably one in a Home Depot buying a nail gun.
The only reason that The Wire is not higher on my list is because although Season 1 and Season 2 were very strong, in Season 3 it started to fade and Seasons 4 and 5 became very weak in comparison to the standard set by the first two seasons. But still in all a show that deserves recognition and should be watched all the way through by anyone interested in great televison drama.
This Drama was aired 2002 through 2008 and sported a incredible cast through all 5 seasons. The show centered around the drug trafficking business in the city of Baltimore, Maryland. All those in the cast that deserve special recognition number nearly 40, and I am quite serious. And although most of these actors had never been seen much before this, The Wire was one of the most remarkable acting ensembles I have ever seen. Every single character was a jewel that was brought to life flawlessly.
Even though it's more complicated than just "the good guys" and the "bad guys" that is the easiest way to explain the situation. The cops are made up of Detective James "Jimmy" McNulty (played by Dominic West), the primary protagonist. His partner is Detective William "Bunk" Moreland played by Wendell Pierce (and I must say having spent 26 years of my life in law enforcement, this is the most believable how-it-really-is performances I've ever seen on TV). They have a half-dozen other detectives working around them, all a dysfunctional mess. Finally McNulty pulls a stunt blabbing to a judge about a bunch of unsolved drug murders. The Judge raises a stink leading to several of the detectives being exiled to a special surveillance unit to track a couple of drug kingpins.
On the bad guy side the big drug kingpin is Avon Barksdale (Wood Harris), and his close second-in-command is Stringer Bell (Idris Elba). Avon also has a nephew D'Angelo who is running the low rise projects for Avon. And it takes many others to make this operation tick. Not to mention all the rival crews.
Season One is called "Listen Carefully" and it is all about setting up the surveillance team, and the action that that entails. The new team gets stationed into the basement of a crummy, broken down building, probably due to McNulty running his mouth. Although every season has drugs and drug trafficking running through it, each season takes on it's own focus: Season 1: Setting Up Surveillance 2. Drugs, Unions and Dock Workers 3. Drugs and Politics. 4. Drugs and the Education System 5. Drugs and the Media i.e. Newspapers.
Even though HBO was in a love-fest with that piece of crap television "The Sopranos" during this time, following that on Sunday nights was this TV masterpiece. I cannot say enough about what great TV this was. But I must bring attention to 4 characters that heretofore have not been mentioned. They are, in no particular order: Omar Little. What an interesting character. A truly bad guy, secure in his homosexuality and in the knowledge that he will not live very long. I was totally shocked at how he went out. One of my favorite characters. Omar was played masterfully by Michael Kenneth Williams. 2. Marlo Stanfield. What a truly creepy guy this character was. Ice water in the veins kind of guy. Jamie Hector, you may never play a role this intriguing again. 3. Chris Partlow, played by Gbenga Akinnagbe. Marlo's hired assassin. Very creepy in the way that he assures the one's he's about to kill that "it won't hurt." 4. "Bubbles" Cos. Andre Royo brought this junkie snitch to life. So convincing that if I ever met him, I'd wonder if he's high. 5. Felicia "Snoop" Pearson. I went two seasons still not knowing the gender of this person. Idris Elba apparently met her in a club in Baltimore and was intrigued by a. He could not discern her gender, and b. she didn't ask for a part on the show. He recommended her to the producers and there she was. She did a couple of very memorable scenes...notably one in a Home Depot buying a nail gun.
The only reason that The Wire is not higher on my list is because although Season 1 and Season 2 were very strong, in Season 3 it started to fade and Seasons 4 and 5 became very weak in comparison to the standard set by the first two seasons. But still in all a show that deserves recognition and should be watched all the way through by anyone interested in great televison drama.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
The Best TV of the Last 10 Years - # 9 : Californication
SHOWTIME
Poor Hank Moody. He is a writer, probably gifted, who has had one successful novel. And now he's experiencing severe writer's block. On top of that he is definitely a New York kind of guy, and for the sake of his girlfriend's career they have moved to Los Angeles, a city Hank quite distinctly hates. Hank and his long time girlfriend and soul-mate Karen have a daughter together, Becca. At the beginning of the series Becca is just beginning to enter her teens and is filled with the angst that comes with that; coupled with being very intelligent and very perceptive. Hank and Karen's best friends are Hank's agent Charlie Runkel and his wife Marcie.
Hank is played by David Duchovny of X-Files fame. I never really got into that show, but I will say that Duchovny was born to play Hank Moody. He has the troubled, philandering, shiftless, unfocused, self-loathing artist down pat. I can't imagine any other actor being able to pull this role off at all, let alone with such finesse.
The other characters are equally amazing. Natasha McElhone who plays Karen is one of the most beautiful women ever, and can totally captivate anyone with just a glance. Madeline Martin is a wonderful Becca, pulling off some very quirky and funny lines with total believability. The hapless Charlie Runkel (Evan Handler) and Marcie (Pamela Adlon) are excellent in a disastrous relationship that could easily have been a show of it's own. Finally, Madeline Zima as Mia Lewis rounds out this fabulous cast.
In the first season, Karen has left Hank, and is in fact going to marry another. Hank is lost without her, left to moan about her to his agent and to be adrift in a sea of cigarettes, drinking and debauchery. In one of his escapades he meets a woman in a bookstore and ends up sleeping with her, only to discover later that she is the 15 or 16 year old daughter (Mia Lewis) of the man Karen is going to marry. He writes a memoir about it which later is stolen by Mia, and it ends up catapulting her to fame. Hank never goes public, because he then opens himself up for statutory rape charges.
And it goes from there. Hank is a lost bad boy child without Karen, but when he finally gets her back he can't help himself in continuing to screw it up. She truly is the best thing in his life and he knows it but Hank stays on a difunctional tailspin. Even with all his glibness - and he's a funny guy - one can still always feel the sad, underbelly of despair. So Karen comes in and out of his life. The most solid thing he has is his daughter Becca, who at her early teen age ends up raising her Dad; and she resents it. Hank can't fix his life as symbolized by a headlight he smashed out of his never washed Porshe in season 1. Season after season it's still broken.
Though Californication is definitely not family fair - plenty of profanity and nudity - the story lines are gritty and compelling. Hank has to wade through all the things he hates the most; the fake and plastic people of L.A., his own weakness amid an army of people who thrive on the weaknesses of others, and the shallowness of other people. But I want to know what happens to Hank. I want to know if he ever gets it together. I want to know if he ever gets Karen back for good. I want to know if he ever writes another successful novel. At the end of Season 4 there is also a Klingeresque moment (see the final episode of M.A.S.H.). And Hank is off again looking for something he may never find.
Poor Hank Moody. He is a writer, probably gifted, who has had one successful novel. And now he's experiencing severe writer's block. On top of that he is definitely a New York kind of guy, and for the sake of his girlfriend's career they have moved to Los Angeles, a city Hank quite distinctly hates. Hank and his long time girlfriend and soul-mate Karen have a daughter together, Becca. At the beginning of the series Becca is just beginning to enter her teens and is filled with the angst that comes with that; coupled with being very intelligent and very perceptive. Hank and Karen's best friends are Hank's agent Charlie Runkel and his wife Marcie.
Hank is played by David Duchovny of X-Files fame. I never really got into that show, but I will say that Duchovny was born to play Hank Moody. He has the troubled, philandering, shiftless, unfocused, self-loathing artist down pat. I can't imagine any other actor being able to pull this role off at all, let alone with such finesse.
The other characters are equally amazing. Natasha McElhone who plays Karen is one of the most beautiful women ever, and can totally captivate anyone with just a glance. Madeline Martin is a wonderful Becca, pulling off some very quirky and funny lines with total believability. The hapless Charlie Runkel (Evan Handler) and Marcie (Pamela Adlon) are excellent in a disastrous relationship that could easily have been a show of it's own. Finally, Madeline Zima as Mia Lewis rounds out this fabulous cast.
In the first season, Karen has left Hank, and is in fact going to marry another. Hank is lost without her, left to moan about her to his agent and to be adrift in a sea of cigarettes, drinking and debauchery. In one of his escapades he meets a woman in a bookstore and ends up sleeping with her, only to discover later that she is the 15 or 16 year old daughter (Mia Lewis) of the man Karen is going to marry. He writes a memoir about it which later is stolen by Mia, and it ends up catapulting her to fame. Hank never goes public, because he then opens himself up for statutory rape charges.
And it goes from there. Hank is a lost bad boy child without Karen, but when he finally gets her back he can't help himself in continuing to screw it up. She truly is the best thing in his life and he knows it but Hank stays on a difunctional tailspin. Even with all his glibness - and he's a funny guy - one can still always feel the sad, underbelly of despair. So Karen comes in and out of his life. The most solid thing he has is his daughter Becca, who at her early teen age ends up raising her Dad; and she resents it. Hank can't fix his life as symbolized by a headlight he smashed out of his never washed Porshe in season 1. Season after season it's still broken.
Though Californication is definitely not family fair - plenty of profanity and nudity - the story lines are gritty and compelling. Hank has to wade through all the things he hates the most; the fake and plastic people of L.A., his own weakness amid an army of people who thrive on the weaknesses of others, and the shallowness of other people. But I want to know what happens to Hank. I want to know if he ever gets it together. I want to know if he ever gets Karen back for good. I want to know if he ever writes another successful novel. At the end of Season 4 there is also a Klingeresque moment (see the final episode of M.A.S.H.). And Hank is off again looking for something he may never find.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
The Best TV of The Last 10 Years - #10 The Walking Dead
AMC
I have never been a zombie fan. Even though the concept of zombies began when I was a teenager in the '60's. This should have been a natural. But I have never been much of a horror movies fan. Zombies were never featured in my friend's Monsters of Filmland magazines, and so I never paid much attention to them. So what the heck is this show doing on my list?
Because zombies are wonderful and scary in this series based on the graphic novel of the same name.
The premise is that a deputy sheriff is shot in the line of duty, and goes into a coma. When he finally comes out of it there is no one around. He stumbles through the hospital hallways looking for people. But there are none and there has been obvious chaos. He stumbles outside where there are rows of dead bodies in the parking lot. He is confused and thinks it's all just the effects of the medicinal drugs he's been on. He meets up with a man and his son who explain what is going on. Apparently a strange disease has come about and all those infected die, but then rise again as zombies feeding on anything alive. The deputy decides to head to the CDC in Atlanta for some answers, but that turns out to be zombie central. He ends up in the company of other living people and their adventures start from there.
This is a story line that produces many interesting plot lines and story ideas. In fact there are people I work with that sit around and come up with scenarios of what they might do, and they combine ideas to come up with alternate plans of survival.
The first season and much of the second were directed by Frank Darabont, the director who brought us The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, and The Majestic. He also created this show from the aforementioned graphic novel. Who knew he was also a horror fan? He handles this superbly. Episode after episode remain as compelling as the last. One really gets close to the well played characters.
The central character is Officer Rick Grimes played by Andrew Lincoln. His Officer partner is Shane Walsh played by Jon Bernthal. Through a weird turn of events, Rick Grimes ends up reuniting with his wife and son who had fled their hometown when the zombies -or "walkers" as they are referred to in this show - began their menacing ways. A group of people that have survived have all come together and are looking for a cure and a way to survive.
Gradually, one realizes who the Walking Dead are. It's not the zombies. It's the poor souls who have managed to survive thus far. It's these characters we care about. They are the walking dead. This thing is global. They have no real hope of survival. But they press on. They keep trying to survive.
I have never been a zombie fan. Even though the concept of zombies began when I was a teenager in the '60's. This should have been a natural. But I have never been much of a horror movies fan. Zombies were never featured in my friend's Monsters of Filmland magazines, and so I never paid much attention to them. So what the heck is this show doing on my list?
Because zombies are wonderful and scary in this series based on the graphic novel of the same name.
The premise is that a deputy sheriff is shot in the line of duty, and goes into a coma. When he finally comes out of it there is no one around. He stumbles through the hospital hallways looking for people. But there are none and there has been obvious chaos. He stumbles outside where there are rows of dead bodies in the parking lot. He is confused and thinks it's all just the effects of the medicinal drugs he's been on. He meets up with a man and his son who explain what is going on. Apparently a strange disease has come about and all those infected die, but then rise again as zombies feeding on anything alive. The deputy decides to head to the CDC in Atlanta for some answers, but that turns out to be zombie central. He ends up in the company of other living people and their adventures start from there.
This is a story line that produces many interesting plot lines and story ideas. In fact there are people I work with that sit around and come up with scenarios of what they might do, and they combine ideas to come up with alternate plans of survival.
The first season and much of the second were directed by Frank Darabont, the director who brought us The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, and The Majestic. He also created this show from the aforementioned graphic novel. Who knew he was also a horror fan? He handles this superbly. Episode after episode remain as compelling as the last. One really gets close to the well played characters.
The central character is Officer Rick Grimes played by Andrew Lincoln. His Officer partner is Shane Walsh played by Jon Bernthal. Through a weird turn of events, Rick Grimes ends up reuniting with his wife and son who had fled their hometown when the zombies -or "walkers" as they are referred to in this show - began their menacing ways. A group of people that have survived have all come together and are looking for a cure and a way to survive.
Gradually, one realizes who the Walking Dead are. It's not the zombies. It's the poor souls who have managed to survive thus far. It's these characters we care about. They are the walking dead. This thing is global. They have no real hope of survival. But they press on. They keep trying to survive.
The plot line possibilities here seem endless and this is a show that will keep you in your chair and wondering what will come next. In a disagreement with producers early in the second season Darabont left and the show suffered for it. But near the end of Season II it began to get back on track. So Season III will be well worth the wait.
Sunday, July 1, 2012
The Best TV in The Past 10 years - #11: Weeds
SHOWTIME
Okay, right up front I am going to acknowledge that Mary Louise Parker is my very favorite actress. I myself have been an actor for well over 40 years and I know just enough to spot a great one. And for quite sometime she's been my favorite. Nobody can deliver with such honesty. But this is about the show Weeds. And coincidently Mary Louise Parker is what makes this show happen.
Ms. Parker plays Nancy Botwin, a vulnerable suburbanite who is widowed by a loving husband who left her in financial straits. In order to maintain her current standard of living, she becomes the upper class suburban marijuana dealer. Business is okay, and then the no-good brother of her dead husband shows up, to keep things in a constant state of turmoil. Andy (played by the excellent Justin Kirk (of Angels in America and more recently Modern Family and soon a sitcom called Animal Practice which has all the promise of Me and the Chimp and is way beneath his talent) decides Nancy and a new hybrid form of pot she and one of her dope connections, Conrad Shepard have worked up should go big time. Since Nancy is the mother of two boys, the self-centered piece of crap Silas, and the younger too precocious for his own good Shane, the new pot becomes known as "Milf-weed". So toss in do-gooder neighbors, corrupt suburb politicians, the main weed suppliers (some who are just a little too stereotypical), and you have interesting plot lines. In fact the end of Season 2 was the single greatest cliff-hanger I have ever seen.
The pluses are so many, I know not where to begin. Elizabeth Perkins as Neighborhood Watch City Council neighbor Celia Hodes is interesting, quirky, and very daring. She is a joy, and adds that un-nerving element that helps make this show work. Kevin Nealon (SNL), and corrupt city councilman Doug Wilson is great, and the aforementioned Romany Falco as Conrad the dope man that believes in Nancy is superb. This guy has a big future. I hope.
Another plus is the opening theme song which is "Little Boxes" performed by a different and varied group of artists each episode.
The minuses? I only have one really. It's Silas. The oldest son. I hate him. He's well written, I just hate the character. He is self absorbed, whiney, narcissistic little punk and this miserable character hasn't added much. He helps add a few more problems for Nancy, but she doesn't need many more; she doing quite well at creating her own. Silas is the only weak link in the chain of wonderful characters.
Weeds like most of the shows on my list, requires regular watching or it won't make much sense. This is not a "catch it when I can" type of show. Get it season by season and watch every episode. Mary Louise and I would appreciate it.
Okay, right up front I am going to acknowledge that Mary Louise Parker is my very favorite actress. I myself have been an actor for well over 40 years and I know just enough to spot a great one. And for quite sometime she's been my favorite. Nobody can deliver with such honesty. But this is about the show Weeds. And coincidently Mary Louise Parker is what makes this show happen.
Ms. Parker plays Nancy Botwin, a vulnerable suburbanite who is widowed by a loving husband who left her in financial straits. In order to maintain her current standard of living, she becomes the upper class suburban marijuana dealer. Business is okay, and then the no-good brother of her dead husband shows up, to keep things in a constant state of turmoil. Andy (played by the excellent Justin Kirk (of Angels in America and more recently Modern Family and soon a sitcom called Animal Practice which has all the promise of Me and the Chimp and is way beneath his talent) decides Nancy and a new hybrid form of pot she and one of her dope connections, Conrad Shepard have worked up should go big time. Since Nancy is the mother of two boys, the self-centered piece of crap Silas, and the younger too precocious for his own good Shane, the new pot becomes known as "Milf-weed". So toss in do-gooder neighbors, corrupt suburb politicians, the main weed suppliers (some who are just a little too stereotypical), and you have interesting plot lines. In fact the end of Season 2 was the single greatest cliff-hanger I have ever seen.
The pluses are so many, I know not where to begin. Elizabeth Perkins as Neighborhood Watch City Council neighbor Celia Hodes is interesting, quirky, and very daring. She is a joy, and adds that un-nerving element that helps make this show work. Kevin Nealon (SNL), and corrupt city councilman Doug Wilson is great, and the aforementioned Romany Falco as Conrad the dope man that believes in Nancy is superb. This guy has a big future. I hope.
Another plus is the opening theme song which is "Little Boxes" performed by a different and varied group of artists each episode.
The minuses? I only have one really. It's Silas. The oldest son. I hate him. He's well written, I just hate the character. He is self absorbed, whiney, narcissistic little punk and this miserable character hasn't added much. He helps add a few more problems for Nancy, but she doesn't need many more; she doing quite well at creating her own. Silas is the only weak link in the chain of wonderful characters.
Weeds like most of the shows on my list, requires regular watching or it won't make much sense. This is not a "catch it when I can" type of show. Get it season by season and watch every episode. Mary Louise and I would appreciate it.
Monday, June 25, 2012
The Best TV in the Last 10 Years - # 12: Damages
FX
In the comic book world Superman resided in Metropolis, a bright sunshine city filled with happy, smiling people. There were kids in the park with balloons. Batman however lived in Gotham City, a dark sinister place full of shadows and scared people scurrying to get home safely.
Dramas about lawyers can be that way too. If The Practice and the earlier LA Law were Metropolis then Damages is Gotham City. Very Gotham City.
Damages is dark, gritty, un-nerving, and did I say dark? The show takes place in New York in the present, and a young superstar attorney, Ellen Parsons (played by Rose Byrne) is beginning her law career and was "lucky" enough to become an associate in the very prestigious law firm of "Hewes and Associates". The head of this firm is the venerable and iron-fisted Patty Hewes played by Glenn Close. Also at the firm is an ambitious up-and-comer Tom Shayes played by Tate Donovan. This is the backdrop for many fascinating and dark personalities - all who seem to have a horrible secret, or at the very least a disturbing dark side.
Among the players who come swirling through this murky pond of Gotham soup are Ted Danson, William Hurt, Marcia Gay Harden, Timothy Olyphant, John Goodman, Martin Short, and Lily Tomlin. Not a clinker in the bunch. All caught up in webs of mystery and intrigue.
This is a show that requires that you start at the beginning of a season and see it all in order or it will likely not make sense an episode here and there. But these are great casts and compelling story-lines and are well worth the effort. So I suggest renting season 1 and watching on through. You won't be sorry for the effort.
In the comic book world Superman resided in Metropolis, a bright sunshine city filled with happy, smiling people. There were kids in the park with balloons. Batman however lived in Gotham City, a dark sinister place full of shadows and scared people scurrying to get home safely.
Dramas about lawyers can be that way too. If The Practice and the earlier LA Law were Metropolis then Damages is Gotham City. Very Gotham City.
Damages is dark, gritty, un-nerving, and did I say dark? The show takes place in New York in the present, and a young superstar attorney, Ellen Parsons (played by Rose Byrne) is beginning her law career and was "lucky" enough to become an associate in the very prestigious law firm of "Hewes and Associates". The head of this firm is the venerable and iron-fisted Patty Hewes played by Glenn Close. Also at the firm is an ambitious up-and-comer Tom Shayes played by Tate Donovan. This is the backdrop for many fascinating and dark personalities - all who seem to have a horrible secret, or at the very least a disturbing dark side.
Among the players who come swirling through this murky pond of Gotham soup are Ted Danson, William Hurt, Marcia Gay Harden, Timothy Olyphant, John Goodman, Martin Short, and Lily Tomlin. Not a clinker in the bunch. All caught up in webs of mystery and intrigue.
This is a show that requires that you start at the beginning of a season and see it all in order or it will likely not make sense an episode here and there. But these are great casts and compelling story-lines and are well worth the effort. So I suggest renting season 1 and watching on through. You won't be sorry for the effort.
Monday, June 18, 2012
The Best TV of the Last 10 Years - Honorable Mentions
The Best TV of the Last 10 Years - Honorable Mentions:
A. Mad Men - Say what? How can this possibly be? This look at the advertising back rooms of the advertising business in the early 60's is the darling of the critics and has made a ton of money for AMC, so how could it not top everyone's "Best of the Last 10 Years" List? Well, first let's talk about the show's positives. It's not a cop show. Fully 50 percent of TV and Movies revolve around cops and robbers. So anything different will usually be seen as a breath of fresh air in my book....okay, except for anything in reality TV. More positives? John Hamm has nailed his character Don Draper, he is truly excellent; he brings a subtle depth to the table that makes his character dark and intriguing. Follow that with an excellent cast. A superb gathering of greats swirling around to bring this show home. Also, I love the art director and producer's eye for detail. Everything in this show is authentic to the era (early 60's). And I mean everything. The drinking glasses, the thin ties, the ink pens you name it, they have it covered. And authenticity brings me to Mad Men's final big plus: it is a great look back, almost like a time capsule, to a time gone by, and buddy, it ain't all pretty. This show should be shown in any class on Women's Studies. The way women were treated in this era will make most people cringe. Not just how they are treated as second class citizens in the workplace, but how they can also be 8 months pregnant and smoke two packs a day, and wash them down with 4 martinis after dinner.
So, then with all these pluses, why isn't Mad Men higher on my list? Well, because the story lines are only vaguely compelling and seem to be just a notch above The Edge of Night or As The World Turns. I know, a lot of shows have continuing story lines and really I don't have a problem with that. What I have a problem with is story lines that seem to drone on monotonously....I keep wanting to shout at the TV "C'mon, get on with it already! I'm gonna miss a car payment waiting for this to get interesting!!!" So as much as I like John Hamm, and the cast, and the eye for detail, and the fact that this made so much money for AMC that they were able to produce The Walking Dead, I can only make this show an honorable mention.
B. 24 - I like Keiffer Sutherland a lot. For his performances in A Few Good Men, Stand By Me, and The Lost Boys, and I guess for his performances here too. But Keiffer, when did usual dialogue for you switch to whisper? Keiffer as Jack Bauer, either whispers or shouts. Where is the normal talking voice? This show has a cool concept: 24 hours of one day in real time. I love it. Although getting all the way across LA in 8 minutes leaves me scratching my head, and how they can tap into the security system of a random LA warehouse in 2 seconds is a little too written in, I like the action in this series. But there is too little of it. This is another show that leans on soap opera filler to get through the entire hour. But there are times when this series is butt-cheek-tightening intriguing, and you don't know what turns the story line will take that makes me keep coming back. I am into the 8th and final season and will finish it eventually (I'm pacing myself). So Keiffer, now that the series has ended, go ahead and go back to the normal speaking voice thing. It works for you.
C. Dinner For Five - Jon Favreau is the host. Before he was JON FAVREAU the big shot director. This was easily the fastest half hour of TV I have ever seen. It flew by. I instantly got caught up in this and loved every second of it. The concept was simple: Jon and 4 random guests met at a LA or NY eatery, and they had dinner. Under the guise that they were going to talk about Independent Films...this was IFC, after all. But it rarely led to that. It was 5 people of way different ilks just talking about stuff that happened to them. And they were definitely varied people. one show featured Daryl Hannah and Andy Dick with Marilyn Manson, or Rod Stieger with Kevin Pollack and Sarah Silverman....and many others to this varied mix. And it worked! I loved this and it needed to be mentioned. And for icing on the cake? Producer? Peter Billingsley of "A Christmas Story."
B. 24 - I like Keiffer Sutherland a lot. For his performances in A Few Good Men, Stand By Me, and The Lost Boys, and I guess for his performances here too. But Keiffer, when did usual dialogue for you switch to whisper? Keiffer as Jack Bauer, either whispers or shouts. Where is the normal talking voice? This show has a cool concept: 24 hours of one day in real time. I love it. Although getting all the way across LA in 8 minutes leaves me scratching my head, and how they can tap into the security system of a random LA warehouse in 2 seconds is a little too written in, I like the action in this series. But there is too little of it. This is another show that leans on soap opera filler to get through the entire hour. But there are times when this series is butt-cheek-tightening intriguing, and you don't know what turns the story line will take that makes me keep coming back. I am into the 8th and final season and will finish it eventually (I'm pacing myself). So Keiffer, now that the series has ended, go ahead and go back to the normal speaking voice thing. It works for you.
C. Dinner For Five - Jon Favreau is the host. Before he was JON FAVREAU the big shot director. This was easily the fastest half hour of TV I have ever seen. It flew by. I instantly got caught up in this and loved every second of it. The concept was simple: Jon and 4 random guests met at a LA or NY eatery, and they had dinner. Under the guise that they were going to talk about Independent Films...this was IFC, after all. But it rarely led to that. It was 5 people of way different ilks just talking about stuff that happened to them. And they were definitely varied people. one show featured Daryl Hannah and Andy Dick with Marilyn Manson, or Rod Stieger with Kevin Pollack and Sarah Silverman....and many others to this varied mix. And it worked! I loved this and it needed to be mentioned. And for icing on the cake? Producer? Peter Billingsley of "A Christmas Story."
Thursday, June 14, 2012
TV or Not TV? That is the Question.
Okay TV buffs - which is the politically correct way of saying TV nerds - I have decided to write a series on "The Best TV in the Last 10 Years". I know, I know, nobody cares, except for maybe David Bianculli, but it's my blog and I can do what I want. And besides, David Bianculli and I are somehow weird kindred spirits, so that's okay with me.
So, watch for it to come soon. I will start in reverse order and work my way to my Number 1 pick. I will probably go with a top dozen or baker's dozen, but I will start off with the Honorable Mentions before going to the actual list. Why? Because there's been a lot of notable TV in the last 10 years. And let's talk about that soon, shall we?.......
So, watch for it to come soon. I will start in reverse order and work my way to my Number 1 pick. I will probably go with a top dozen or baker's dozen, but I will start off with the Honorable Mentions before going to the actual list. Why? Because there's been a lot of notable TV in the last 10 years. And let's talk about that soon, shall we?.......
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