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.
Monday, July 23, 2012
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.
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