Month: July 2006 (Page 15 of 17)

“Saved” built on successful template

July 7, 2006 /

TNT’s new drama, “Saved,” stars Tom Everett Scott (best known as the drummer in “That Thing You Do!”) as Wyatt Cole, a troubled paramedic with daddy issues. The character is not dissimilar to Meredith Grey of “Grey’s Anatomy.” Both have parents that are/were successful surgeons and both are coming to grips with the legacy they’ll leave in the medical world. Wyatt went to medical school for two years and his father insists that he return to finish, while it seems that Wyatt has decided the last thing he wants to do is please his father. Much like Meredith, Wyatt has a complicated history with a doctor, Alice Alden (played by Elizabeth Reaser), who is on the verge of committing to a relationship with another ER doc, but her attraction to Wyatt is holding things up.

Unlike “Grey’s,” “Saved” doesn’t have the tedious voice-overs and the “what lesson did we learn this week?” moments. Wyatt is a compulsive gambler, and while his dealings with the gay mafia are a bit odd, the show is grittier than its counterpart. Scott has good chemistry with Omari Hardwick, who plays his partner, John Hallon. Hallon has his own problems – he’s a recovering alcoholic who is just starting to become a father to his 8 year-old son, after being absent for most of his life.

Wyatt’s whimsical nature carries the show, and the rest of the characters play off of it well. It’s clear that the attraction between he and Alice is going to continue for the duration of the season, while he and his father continue to battle over Wyatt’s future. “Saved” isn’t must-see TV, but it’s solid viewing, especially for the summer. Along with “The Closer,” TNT has found a niche and is filling it well.

External Entertainment, External TV, TV, TV Dramas

President I.M. Weasel and First Lady of Crazy get their due

July 6, 2006 /

itzin

In recognition for one of its tightest seasons yet, Fox drama “24” was honored with 12 Emmy nominations today — the most for any broadcast network series. In addition to the obligatory noms for best drama and best actor, the show recognized strong supporting performances from Gregory Itzin as President Buck Buck Brawwk and Jean Smart as the mildly unstable First Lady.

Other nomination highlights:

– In contrast to last year’s near-sweep of the Best Actress in a Comedy category, the “Desperate Housewives” gang was nearly shut out, with only token African-American resident Alfre Woodard picking up a nod for her supporting role as Betty Applewhite.

– Despite winning Best Drama last year, “Lost” was not even nominated in the category this go-round…and neither were any of its regular cast members. Only guest actor Henry Ian Cusick was nominated, for his work as redemption-seeking, six-degrees-of-separation hatch-minder Desmond.

– “House” is one of the five best dramas on television…but that apparently has nothing to do with its Golden Globe winning star Hugh Laurie, who was overlooked in the Emmy nods.

– Cancelled shows are all the rage this year. Nominated shows that are no longer in production include “Arrested Development,” “Huff,” “The West Wing,” “The Comeback,” ” Will & Grace,” and “Six Feet Under.”

– Denis Leary earned a nod for his work in “Rescue Me,” presumably as a result of new nomination rules intended to broaden the field. Leary will likely be whacked by snubbed actor James Gandolfini from “The Sopranos.”

– “Grey’s Anatomy” also received an encouraging number of nods this year, with 11, including Best Drama. Sandra Oh and Chandra Wilson will battle it out within the Supporting Actress category for their roles as intern Cristina Yang and resident Miranda Bailey; my money’s on the feisty Bailey for that one.

The awards ceremony will air on NBC the evening of August 27, with Conan O’Brien to host. Click here for access to a complete list of nominees.

24, Actors, Actresses, Desperate Housewives, External TV, Lost, News, Rescue Me, The Sopranos, TV

“PSYCH” – Friday, 10 PM, on USA Network

July 6, 2006 /

You can’t very well begrudge the USA Network for attempting to find a perfect companion show to run along with their well-established hit, “Monk.” You can, however, waggle your finger at them for maybe trying a little too hard to reproduce the comedy / drama feel.

James Roday, who looks like Sam Rockwell’s little brother, plays Shawn Spencer; he’s most decidedly a slacker – the number of jobs he’s held since getting out of high school is decidedly into the double digits – but from a very young age, he was trained by his policeman father (Corbin Bernsen) to be very, very, very observant. Yes, it’s worth three very‘s. Though he’s easily bored (hence the tendency to leave a job once he’s felt he’s learned all he can), Shawn’s skills of observation remain honed; he regularly watches the local news and calls in tips to solve crimes, based on what he’s witnessed in the reports. These calls, however, lead him to be picked up by the cops and questioned in one of the crimes; in an attempt to weasel out of arrest, he claims to be a psychic…and that’s when the fun begins.

Unfortunately, Shawn’s having too much fun. That’s not a plot development, however; that’s a critical opinion based on the fact that his dialogue is a bit too wacky. He’s always ready with a quip or a joke, to the point where it becomes obvious that the scripts are trying desperately to paint him as a real cut-up. We get it; he’s funny. Now how about a bit of subtlety…?

Shawn’s crimefighting buddy, Gus (Dulé Hill, who played Charlie Young on “The West Wing”), is appropriately cynical of his friend’s motives, but he’s painted with a broad brush here, basically serving just to give Shawn someone to bounce his one-liners off of. Bernsen’s gruff performance as Shawn’s dad, Henry, is great; one hopes he ends up getting more screen time as the series progresses.

But will the series progress? Let’s hope so. USA has ordered 11 episodes, and, despite the heavy-handed humor at times, there’s a great concept at work here. Particularly impressive is the camerawork used when Shawn is using his gift for observation; the feel is rather like you’re looking through Sherlock Holmes’s eyes while he’s putting together the pieces to solve a mystery. Just stop trying so hard to be a laugh riot. When you’ve got a good premise, use it; don’t try to shoehorn it into matching precisely with the show preceding it.

In this case, a little less comedy will go a long, long way.

External Entertainment, External TV, Reviews, TV, TV Comedies, TV Dramas

Is “Brotherhood” the next “Sopranos”?

July 6, 2006 /

It’s hard to say, actually, since the series is a lot more like HBO’s “The Wire” (or the short-lived “Boomtown”) than the popular mobster drama, namely because it focuses on several different parties including the politicians, the gangsters, and law enforcement. What I can tell you, though, is that this is Showtime’s best new series in years. It’s just a shame that a lot of people won’t get a chance to see it, since, when deciding which premium channel to fork over extra money for, almost everyone sides with HBO.

Jason Isaacs - Brotherhood

Starring Jason Isaacs and Jason Clarke as two Irish brothers from different walks of life, “Brotherhood” takes place in Providence, Rhode Island where politics and crime practically go hand-in-hand. After a seven-year departure from “The Hill,” the block of Providence assigned to brother and state representative Tommy Caffe (Clarke), small-time gangster Michael (Isaacs) – or three-part Mike to his friends – has finally returned. A virtual Boondock Saint in his own right (minus the whole religious mumbo jumbo), Michael’s nickname is derived from his habit of acting as “judge, jury and execution” in matters he really has no business sticking his nose into. Of course, that doesn’t stop him from going all “Reservoir Dogs” on one of gangland boss Freddie Cork’s (Kevin Chapman) guys after seeing the punk beat up a couple on the street.

This role might finally bring Jason Isaacs the credit he deserves, and while we’ve seen plenty of hard-boiled gangster types win awards in the past (i.e. James Gandolfini, Michael Chiklis and Ian McShane), that shouldn’t detract from the obvious: this character is Emmy gold, should the writers point him in the right direction. The rest of the series is littered with familiar faces, from Ethan Embry as a police detective hot on Freddie Cork’s tracks, Annabeth Gish as Tommy’s seemingly loyal wife, and the amazing Fionula Flanagan as the Irish mother of the two boys.

Showtime certainly isn’t reinventing the wheel here with their latest series, but it’s got me excited for the possibilities. Does that mean that I’m going to rush out and order Showtime before the season premiere on July 9th? Probably not, but it’s definitely worth keeping an eye on.

External Entertainment, External TV, Reviews, The Sopranos, TV, TV Dramas

A close shave

July 5, 2006 /

hasselhoff
Couldn’t they have gotten him to shave his chest, too?

In London to film an ad for a British internet company, “America’s Got Talent” judge and former “Baywatch” star David Hasselhoff reportedly hit his head on a chandelier while shaving in the bathroom of a hotel gym, showering himself with glass and severing a tendon in his right arm. The injury required an overnight hospital stay, but the actor and international singing sensation is recovering nicely.

We would make a joke here, but we’re having a tough time deciding which is funniest:
a) a gym with a chandelier in its bathroom;
b) a person severing a tendon while shaving; or
c) David Hasselhoff appearing on a show called “America’s Got Talent.”

You make the call. Or, if you prefer, just insert your own “they love him in Germany, though” joke here.

Actors, News

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