I know it’s September already, but just to add a few surprisingly good dramas and one good but could be better comedy onto the summer show list (and are still on air):-
Mad Men (AMC, Thurs?)
Beautiful, beautiful show on the golden era of the 1960s-70s. That is, if you’re a Caucasian Male who’s not Jewish. Not so much for anyone else. There are loads and loads of inner conflict and confusion in each character as they sail through the social and sexual inequities and the small rumble of the change in the seventies. Entertaining and sometimes painful (but in a delicious way) to watch, but a surprisingly good show from an otherwise off the radar channel. For Angel fans out there, Angel’s son Connor does a mighty fine job here!
Damages (F/X, Tues?)
Another daring attempt by F/X, known for its other daring crazy dramas like Nip/Tuck and Rescue Me. Not your average Law and Order, it follows (in its flashbacks) a young brainy woman (The actress whose name I’ve forgotten – she looks a bit like Robin Tunney in Prison Break, but a better actress in a way better role)newly hired by a well-reputated law firm, headed by one very ruthless lawyer (Glenn Close). It’s all down to this one rather nasty case concerning a rich tycoon of sorts (Ted Danson), who was believed to have swindled the retirement fund out of thousands of his employees. Back in the present, the protégé is accused of murdering her fiancé, and each week we get a little more of how that’s all tied in with the tycoon case. It’s a very engaging show, and my only request is that they end this season with all the answers. Of course, I have no idea how they would have a second season given the structure, but I would be pissed if they don’t resolve the storyline by the end of this season. Oh, and Tate Donovan (yay!) is in it as well, as Glenn Close’s shady right hand man.
Californication (Showtime, Sun?)
David Duchovny on TV again is always a good thing. But I do have my reservations on this show. While it can be pretty funny at times, I’m not sure if some parts of the show are purely there for a ‘shock’ value with a kind of a ‘nudge nudge, we’re so edgy, sexy and cool’ sentiment to it. But hey, you’ve got Mulder, and that is enough for me (for now) to watch – at least for the summer. Mulder is Hank Moody, a one hit wonder in the world of literature, whose life has gone out of whack ever since his book was being made into a (crappy) movie. His ex (Natascha McElhone) is getting married to some other guy , and I guess the series follows him trying to either get the love of his life back, or at least rebuild a new relationship with her and their daughter. Basically, Hank is a good guy who does a lot of damaging and terrible things while he tries to get a footing on his life. If you like Duchovny’s sense of humor, you’ll probably enjoy his self deprecating type humor enormously. But as far as the storytelling is concerned, it’s a bit choppy at times and in some episodes, a bit aimless. Evan Handler (i.e. Charlotte’s hubby in Sex and the City) plays Duchovny’s agent as well in this uneven comedy.
For those of you who like watching mini-series, I would suggest The Kill Point and The Company. I have not watched either of them yet (because though I watch a lot of TV, I do need a break during the summer), I cannot say if they’re good or not, but they are getting more or less positive reviews, and they’re at most a 6 hour commitment anyway!
