Andy Barker, P.I.

Richter stars as the titular character, a nerdy accountant who has always succeeded in life. When he opens a private practice in an L.A. strip mall, Andy expects business to take off. It doesn’t. Instead, he waits patiently for the hours to pass before returning home to his loving, perky wife, Jenny (Ellen’s Clea Lewis). At the strip mall, Andy quickly befriends Simon, the manager of a video store (played by the hilarious Tony Hale, late of Arrested Development) and Wally (Marshall Manesh) an Afghani restaurant owner.  In the pilot, a woman mistakes Andy for Lew Staziak, a retired private investigator that used to occupy the storefront where Andy now runs his office. Although he tries to convince the woman he’s no private dick, the money she slaps down in front of him — and the intrigue of being a gumshoe — is too thrilling to pas up. Simon, a walking encyclopedia of old movies, comes along as Andy’s sidekick. Eventually Andy runs into Lew Staziak (Fargo’s Harve Presnell), and the retired tough as nails P.I. becomes Andy’s mentor.

Richter seems to have two types of characters: the lovable oaf right out of Mayberry and the snarky jerk who’s only out for himself. Fortunately in Andy Barker he plays the former. His “aw shucks” charm goes a long way and the naiveté he brings to the character helps him in all of the ridiculous situations Andy Barker gets into. If Richter is the straight man, Hale is the wild card and the perfect compliment to Richter. Together the two comics seem to be having a great time and possess the kind of on screen chemistry that makes a great comedy duo. The same goes for Lewis, who plays the dutiful wife at home. She and Richter are believable and funny as a married couple. I love Presnell in the role of Staziak, too. He approaches the role like he was in one of the detective classics Andy Barker is sending up. If at times Staziak seems out of touch, or even out of time with the modern world, it adds to the comedy. Ed Asner and Amy Sedaris guest star in the final episode, making it one of the strongest of the series and an indication that the show had potential to carry on.

With its likable, goofy and sweet cast, intelligent scripts and a quick pace full of verbal and visual gags, Andy Barker had all the hallmarks to be a classic series. If memory serves me correctly, NBC promoted the hell out of the premiere, offering the pilot free on iTunes and having it available on their website. For whatever reason the show did not catch on, a great disappointment for those of us who watched it when it aired and rewound our DVRs to catch new jokes during repeated viewings. The sting of that disappointment is finally alleviated thanks to this collection by Shout! Factory.

Included in Adult Swim in a Box are: Space Ghost Coast to Coast, one of Adult Swim’s original hits. In it, the Saturday Morning super hero Space Ghost was re-imagined as a talk show host and the end result was often hilarious. Volume Three, the collection included here, contains 24 extended episodes including appearances by Beck, Rob Zombie and the always unpredictable Andy Dick. The success of Space Ghost in the late ’90s led to several spinoffs, one of which was Aqua Teen Hunger Force. I like Aqua Teen Hunger Force a lot. Despite its limited animation and strange setup (its heroes are an angry milkshake, a box of french fries and a mass of ground meat), I find the writing and performances biting and funny. Volume 2 contains 13 episodes, commentary, deleted scenes and a feature on the creation of the series.

Another one of the “classic” Adult Swim series included in the box set is Sealab 2021. Like Space Ghost Coast to Coast, Sealab 2021 incorporates stock animation footage (from a series called Sealab 2020) and new dialogue written for the old footage. The season 2 set has 13 episodes and several bonus features including commentary on all 13 episodes and a tribute to the late actor Harry Goz, voice of the show’s deranged “Captain Murphy.”

As I said, Adult Swim in a Box also contains several of the new voices in Adult Swim, including Morel Orel, a clever sendup of those stop-motion Christian shows I knew as a kid. Orel is a gullible do-gooder who gets into predicaments like raising the dead. I like the series’ stop-motion animation a great deal, yet I wasn’t always laughing. Mostly I sat watching with a smile of admiration. Metalocalypse is nicely drawn, but it’s not my taste at all. The show follows the misadventures of extreme death metal band Dethklock. I liked the character design and the artwork, but the gratuitous violence felt pointless and the show in general rather unfunny. On the other hand, this box set includes the uncensored Season 2 of the sketch series Robot Chicken. Loose and rapid fire, Robot Chicken throws so many jokes at you that even when one fails completely, there are 20 more right behind it. Robot Chicken is critically loved and has won many awards. This show is a winner and holds up the tradition of Adult Swim.

The bonus of the box is the disc full of Adult Swim pilots. There are six pilots total on this special DVD. The two I thought stood out were Korgoth of Barbaria and Welcome to Eltingville. Adult Swim in a Box contains a great deal of entertainment. The nice thing about this collection is that it’s priced under $70, whereas you could pay over $160 if you were to buy all of these collections individually. For fans of Adult Swim, it is a treasure trove of goodies. For the casual fan, like me, it’s hit and miss.

Adult Swim has also released seasons 1 and 2 of their popular series Xavier Renegade Angel on a separate DVD collection. This series, which uses motion-capture CG animation, is one of the most surreal mindfucks I’ve seen in some time. In it, Xavier, a bird-beaked, blond-haired freak who walks around in a loin cloth and tennis shoes and has a snake for a hand, attempts to be a philosopher out to help people. Instead, he’s more of a bumbling egotist who only makes matters worse in any situation. I hated this show; not once did I even crack a smile. The combination of new agey b.s. and pointless violence (with a dash of bestiality thrown in) really turned me off. But what do I know? The show is a hit, placing in the top 10 of key demographics for late night programming. For the life of me, I don’t know why. Perhaps one of you out there reading can explain the appeal. Mind you, I understand the talent that goes in to making this show and obviously they’re doing something right to garner such popularity, but I am definitely not the intended audience. For those of you who are fans of Xavier, the 20-episode collection is available now.

Cleese created the show with his then-wife, actress Connie Booth (who also co-stars). The show follows the exploits of Basil, one of the most cantankerous, put-upon, non-people persons you’d ever meet. If ever there was a man who shouldn’t be interacting with hotel guests, it’s Basil Fawlty. The character was based on a real hotel owner named Donald Sinclair. As the story goes, while the Pythons were on a film shoot in the early ’70s, they stayed at Sinclair’s hotel, only to check out after just one night’s stay. Sinclair was so rude that the actors couldn’t stand him. However, Cleese opted to stay behind and study the man, fascinated by his behavior. When the time came to pitch a series to the BBC, Booth suggested to her husband “What about that hotel owner?” The rest is history.

Rounding out the cast of Fawlty Towers are Prunella Scales, who plays Basil’s wife, Sybil. Sybil is a modern woman, which irks the hell out of Basil, whose values seem rooted in the ’50s. Although he bitches about his wife, Sybil is the boss of this duo. I imagine Cleese could be an intimidating actor to work with because of his height and comedic stature, but Scales is the perfect foil. Booth portrays Polly, the cute waitress of the hotel, although she is often asked to do more than be a waitress. She gets sucked into the shenanigans of Basil and the hotel guests. The remaining main character is Manuel, a waiter played by Andrew Sachs. Manuel is from Barcelona and speaks little to no English. He is generally confused and often bears the brunt of Basil’s frustrations. Not an episode goes by in which Basil isn’t smacking Manuel in the head or about to club him with a heavy object. Guests come and go throughout each episode and there are recurring characters who act as the permanent residents at the Fawlty Towers.

Watching the first season, I was a little disappointed. It felt very rigid and much more like a theater production than a television show. I didn’t laugh nearly as much as I’d anticipated. I found Basil so damn rude and Cleese so immersed in the character that the charm and wit I’ve come to associate with the actor was missing. Not until the first season finale, “The Germans,” in which Basil suffers a blow to the head and deliriously leaves his hospital bed to return to the hotel did I find myself laughing out loud. Going into season two, I expected much of the same. I’m pleased to say that the second season is looser and more fun. I don’t know if it was the years between seasons or just that the actors felt more comfortable in the skins of their characters, but season 2 is much more enjoyable and the actors appear to be having a good time.  At least Cleese is, that’s for sure. By the end of season 2, I was left wanting more and disappointed that after just 12 episodes, Fawlty Towers was no more.

Technically speaking, these remastered episodes look marvelous. The ’70s video is clean and crisp and the film stock used for exterior shots not too grainy. In addition to the vibrant picture quality, every single episode contains commentary by the revered Cleese, who speaks quite fondly of his old show and each of his co-stars. It’s a joy to hear him laughing at jokes that are 30 years old, and to listen to him point out some of the wonderful comic timing of Sachs and Scales. His reflections alone make it worth checking out the show.  Additionally, the third DVD in this collection contains a new interview with Cleese and an exclusive interview with Booth, as well as profiles of the cast and outtakes. There is also a short documentary about the original hotel and the people who knew Donald Sinclair. Fans of the show should be ecstatic about this new collection.

Blood Ties stars Christina Cox as Vicki Nelson, a former cop turned private investigator. Her partner is a hunky, ageless vampire named Henry Fitzroy (Kyle Schmid). The two of them are hired to solve crimes that are out of the ordinary (demons, cat people, etc) and sometimes get brought in by Vicki’s old police partner and lover, Mike Celluci (Dylan Neal). Although all three are “friends,” there are lingering feelings between Mike and Vicki, feelings that make Henry a bit jealous. Likewise, Mike isn’t too sure how he feels about his ex hanging out with a bloodsucking bo-hunk. This strange romantic triangle makes for some light moments in between the X-Files-esque cases that form the basis for the plots of Blood Ties.

Nelson is a no-nonsense, hard nosed detective; she’s not afraid of anything. It’s this quality in her that makes her attractive to both men. Of the two, she seems more drawn to Henry and seems open to the idea of living forever. However, Henry knows that should he give her the gift of eternal life, their love will evaporate; he will have cursed Vicki into watching her friends and family die. This makes Henry one of the most sensitive vampires I’ve seen since Brat Pitt bared his fangs in Interview with a Vampire (this show did come out long before Twilight and The Vampire Diaries). Henry is no pushover and is quite protective of Vicki, as is Mike. The tough guy detective draws many stares and places his career in jeopardy by constantly going to Vicki for help. Some begin to question his sanity as he lets slip his belief in the supernatural.

Considering the limitations of working on a basic cable budget, Blood Ties is able to create plenty of atmosphere and just enough spookiness to make it worth watching on, say, a Sunday afternoon when you’re curled on the couch with a bag of chips and a Coke. Cox and Neal have nice chemistry and a playfulness that makes them a pleasure to watch. And Schmid holds back on the vampire angst and gives Henry a friendliness that you don’t often associate with vampire stories. The writing is slick and the production is pretty smooth while the direction and editing is seamless. While the music can get a little clunky, this is a minor distraction in an otherwise decent series.

Unlike so many productions that shoot in Canada an try to pass it off as some locale in the U.S., Blood Ties embraces its setting and puts the landscape to good use. Sure, the plots can be a little predictable, pulling ideas from previous supernatural shows and the horror classics of yesteryear, but the key to this show’s success is in the characters and the actors portraying them. All three leads are likable enough that Blood Ties deserves at least a rental consideration the next time you’re looking for something to watch on a weekend afternoon.

The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle comes from the mind of the talented Jennifer Saunders, one half of the hilarious Absolutely Fabulous. Saunders plays a talk show host whose show would fit perfectly between airings of Jerry Springer and Ricki Lake. In the first of the three episodes on the DVD, Vivienne is crushed under an overweight crew member when a segment on her show goes wrong. Vivienne experiences an epiphany and decides that she wants to veer into Oprah territory and move away from the kind of trash television she helps perpetuate. Problem is, none of her people, who include her longtime/gay companion, Jared (Conleth Hill) and her drug-addicted producer, Helena (Miranda Richardson), want her to change. They all know her show is a cash cow and don’t see any reason to disrupt the status quo. But Vivienne persists and changes are made.

Saunders is dedicated as the diva Vyle and her supporting cast is top notch (the cast also includes Jason Watkins as Dr. Fowler, a psychologist roped into working on the show). Direction of the show is fine and all technical aspects are held to a high standard. The problem with The Live and Times of Vivienne Vyle is that the writing tries to be biting and dark, but I found the show tedious.

This series was billed as a hilarious new show from Ab Fab’s Saunders, but I found it anything but funny. In fact, I found it nothing but dull. While the acting is impeccable and the idea of a trash TV show host having an existential crisis is an interesting idea, I never really connected with any of the characters, in particular Vivienne.

With only three episodes, I kept hoping for more: more comedy, more empathy and more interest. But none of that materialized.

People Like Us, on the other hand, is witty and smart. If you enjoy the Christopher Guest films of faux cinema verite improvised comedy mockumentaries, this is a series you should look into. Written and directed by John Morton and starring Chris Langham as inept interviewer Roy Mallard, each episode focuses on the day in the life of a professional. In each case, Mallard comes off overly earnest and not terribly bright. Always offscreen, although you do catch glimpses of him, Mallard asks inane questions and gets caught up in the mini-dramas that skew each episode. For example, in the episode, “The Managing Director,” Mallard inadvertently fires an employee from a small company. In “The Photographer,” Mallard follows the life of a photographer (a very dry Bill Nighy) who isn’t very good and who probably shouldn’t have quit his high-paying corporate job to pick up the camera.

Throughout the 12 episodes in this complete series, there are plenty of uncomfortable moments and good laughs. The easy pacing has all of the hallmarks of a real documentary series. In fact, from what I’ve read, some viewers were fooled by the show (because of its lack of a laugh track) into thinking that they were watching the lives of real people. Credit must be given to the fine actors in each episode. Besides Nighy, other notable thespians that appear in People Like Us include Davis Tennant, Jessica Hynes and Sarah Alexander.

I had never heard of People Like Us before I had the opportunity to review it. In the promo materials the BBC states “before The Office, there was People Like Us.” Indeed, this series shares many of the same qualities of Ricky Gervasis’ classic sitcom (which, ironically, was picked up for a full series run, preventing People Like Us from getting a third season). However, there is a gentler spirit in People Like Us that reminds me of the Guest films, a spirit that makes you laugh at the subjects and interviewer Mallard, but also makes you see a little bit of yourself in the lives of these characters. Maybe I’m getting old, but it’s that spirit that made People Like Us more enjoyable than The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle.

New Tricks: Season One (2009, BBC)

Call it Cold Case for the retired crowd. The BBC’s mystery series New Tricks doesn’t break any new ground as far as procedural dramas go and the whodunit aspect may not have you on the end of your seat, but the series has an interesting premise and a charming cast of eccentrics that really clicks.

Amanda Redman (so great in Sexy Beast) plays Superintendent Sandra Pullman, an excessively competitive Scotland Yard detective whose career was on the upswing until an unfortunate dog-shooting incident during a hostage rescue. It wasn’t the dog that derailed her career, it was that the hostage leaped from a window and wound up in a body cast. The embarrassment to the police leads to a demotion, of sorts. Pullman is assigned to lead the Unsolved Crime and Open Case Squad, a new division made up of retired detectives.

The first person she approaches for her new team is Jack Halford (James Bolam) her old boss and mentor. A well respected member of the force before stepping down off, Jack is a widower still grieving over the death his beloved wife, Mary. He lives a lonely life in a big house where Mary is buried in the back yard. After long days Jack can be seen conversing with his dead wife, seeking her advice, needing her comfort. These scenes are touching, but Bolam doesn’t milk them for tears. In fact, some scenes are often humorous as he details the shenanigans of his new crime-fighting endeavor.

After a comical interviewing montage, Pullman and Halford recruit two other members: The first is Gerry Standing (Dennis Waterman) a womanizing old-school detective who initially clashes with Pullman. Gerry is thrice divorced with three daughters. He’s a man whose personal life has always been ruled by women and now that he’s rejoined the police force, his boss is a woman, too. Standing has a contentious relationship with his former bosses, one of whom he punched out.  But with three alimony payments, three daughters and a grandchild on the way, the man needs to be making more money. Standing has my favorite quote from season one. When Pullman commends him for maintaining good relations with his three ex-wives, he replies, “I’m a naughty boy, but I’m not a bastard.” He and Pullman gradually form a mutual respect for one another.

The remaining member of the team is Brian Lane (Alun Armstrong). A once respected detective, Lance’s career ended under a cloud when a prisoner died on his watch. Brian had a nervous breakdown. His wife, Ester, is against him going back into police work, but Brian needs his brain to be solving crimes in order to feel alive. As he digs deeper into cases, Brian becomes more neurotic. He’s convinced that his downfall was the result of skullduggery, and the three other members of the UCOCS must deal with his OCD tendencies and conspiracy theories.

The three new “recruits” have an antiquated way of doing things; their methods are so 20^th century. Computers and new technology frustrate them. Luckily they’ve been assigned a young assistant, PC Clark (Chike Okonkwo), to guide them into 21^st Century crime fighting. Meanwhile, the team goes about business the old fashioned way: investigating their mysteries through legwork and instinct. Because of their years on the force, they know so many people and have so many contacts that they can usually get any information they need. Furthermore, because they aren’t officially police (they’re civilians working for the police), the guys tend to play outside the rules. Of course, Pullman constantly has to put out fires because of them. But they get results, which makes the bosses happy.

As I said, the mysteries aren’t going to keep you on your toes. New Tricks uses many of the same storytelling techniques you’d see on any American crime show. What makes the show worthwhile is the four leads. Redman is strong and confident as Pullman, but capable of showing the character’s soft side, such as when Pullman goes to a therapist to confront her self-destructive tendencies. Halford carries himself like a proper Englishman, but there are flashes of rage that come out during stressful moments. Bolam handles Halford with a light touch, especially those moments when conversing with his deceased wife. We’ve seen this story device many times in film and television, but it’s very effective in New Tricks. Armstrong is riveting at Brian Lane. As Lane teeters between paranoid delusions and manic sanity, Armstrong keeps him interesting but never has him come off as a parody of a mentally disabled person. My favorite performer is Waterman. He has charm, just the right touch of snarkiness and the bit of devilishness in his eyes that are the hallmarks of a great character.

The Season One DVD of New Tricks is a three-disc set that contains the 90 minute pilot and all six episodes from season one. While there are no bonus features, there is enough entertainment in the show itself to keep you satisfied.

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is the twisted spawn of Seinfeld. Much like NBC’s beloved sitcom, the show centers around four friends (three males and a female). In this case, they run a bar in Philly while carrying on their egocentric lives. Although the set up is similar to Jerry and company, the tone is more like Larry David’s Curb Your Enthusiasm: The people are primarily out for themselves. The characters, Dennis (Glenn Howerton), Dee (Kaitlin Olson), Charlie (Charlie Day) and Mac (Rob McElhenney) are all close friends, but that doesn’t mean they’re above abusing each other and double crossing one another to get what they want. I used to watch the show regularly in its first two seasons but my viewing habits changed and I got tired of the conniving and abuse that the four characters threw at each other. Moreover, when Danny DeVito joined the cast as Frank, I didn’t feel like it clicked.

Watching the few episodes provided for me from the It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Season 4 DVD box set, I wish I had stuck with it. The show had me doubled over in laughter and I couldn’t get the damn songs from “The Nightman Cometh” episode out of my head. In that particular episode, Charlie writes a musical and casts the gang in his play. “The Nightman Cometh” was so popular among the It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia fanbase that when a live production of the play within the show was performed live at the Troubadour in Los Angeles, the two performances sold out in 10 minutes. Not bad for a cult show that airs on FX.

If you happen to love this show and are kicking yourself for missing those live performances, fear not; video cameras were on hand, and one of the performances is available on the season 4 box set as a bonus feature. To watch the cast in front of an adoring, and I do believe drunk, audience is a little touching. I don’t think they were quite ready for the response they got.  Still the show went on, with the fans singing along and cheering in all the right places. Made me want to have a beer and join in the fun.

I’m happy to find out that It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is still going strong and that the five castmates gel so seamlessly. Next time a new episode airs, or the next time I’m on Hulu, I’ll probably catch up on the new season. Until then, I have some good, indecent fun to throw into my DVD player whenever I want a side-splitting laugh.

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Season 4 is available for a retail price of 39.98 (pretty much the standard price for any seasons worth of episodes these days) and can be purchased at any of your finer entertainment stores, or online at Amazon.

Life on Mars: The Complete Series (2009, ABC Studios/Buena Vista)

Being a fan of the original BBC version of Life on Mars, I was leery of the ABC version when it premiered last fall. I loved the original show, an intriguing amalgam of science fiction and ’70s era cop shows. With great stories and a fantastic cast, I was worried — very, very worried — that once ABC got their hands on it they would fuck it up.

However, show producers Josh Appelbaum, Andre Nemec and Scott Rosenberg were big fans of the BBC show, as well, and set out to maintain the mystery, tragedy and fun of the original. Looking back on the entire series contained in this box set, I’m happy to say that they met the challenge.

Jason O’Mara stars as Sam Tyler, a New York detective in 2008 who gets hit by a car and knocked unconscious. When he comes to, Tyler is blown away to discover that he’s awoken in the year 1973. Has he been shot back in time? Is he in a coma? The only way he can get to the bottom of his predicament is to explore his surroundings and look for clues on how he can get back to 2008, where he belongs. Tyler finds his way to the 125 precinct and is immediately met by Lt. Gene Hunt (Harvey Keitel), a ball-busting, whiskey-drinking commander who plays by his own rules. Tyler is amazed that he’s been expected as the new detective arriving to work in the 125. His presence causes a stir in the squad room. Detective Ray Carling (a long-haired, mustached Michael Imperioli) hates him; junior detective Chris Skelton (Jonathan Murphy) looks up to him, and uniformed policewoman Annie Norris (Gretchen Moll) is attracted to him. Tyler could give a shit about any of their feelings because he just wants to get home. Yet as the series progresses and he gets to know these people, figments of his mind or not, he begins to care for them.

Tyler gradually realizes that he has to play the part of a ’70s cop or he might end up locked away in a padded room and never get home. He reluctantly becomes an active member of the 125 and watches in shock as decades old prejudices and practices are used to solve crimes and put the bad guys behind bars. Hunt is not above slugging a witness to get to what he wants, and most of the detectives regularly discriminate against Annie and subject her to the nickname “no nuts.” At the same time, Tyler receives cryptic messages from his television and over the phone, leading him toward his fate. Tyler must also confront his past by running into his mother, his deadbeat father, and even himself as a child.

Everything about the ABC version of Life on Mars stays true to the BBC series. From the name of Sam’s hometown to several of the plots throughout these 17 episodes, from the use of ’70s-style funky TV music, to the consistent use of a cinematic style reminiscent of a bygone era, this Life on Mars succeeds as well as the BBC version. Initially I had reservations about O’Mara taking over as Tyler as I found John Simms (the British Tyler) so pitch perfect, I wasn’t sure O’Mara could replace him. However, as I progressed through the entire series, I started to like O’Mara almost as much as his British counterpart. Of the supporting cast, Imperioli was the most impressive as Ray. He made the character into an enjoyable asshole; that’s tough to do. Mol is lovely as Annie, with a calming quality about her that made me pay attention whenever she was on the screen. My biggest disappointment with this Life on Mars was Keitel. Hard to believe, but the bad lieutenant himself didn’t have the same presence as the brilliant Philip Glenister, who played Hunt overseas. I wonder how people who never saw the BBC version felt about his performance. But it wasn’t just his acting; O’Mara is just a bigger person physically. I never felt Tyler was intimidated by Hunt the way he could — or should — have been.

Is it fair to compare the two shows? Probably not. But it’s impossible not to do. I know that fans of the original The Office couldn’t help but compare the two. Luckily that show was allowed to grow and become something different than the original altogether. Life on Mars didn’t have that same fate; it was cancelled in the spring. All that we have are these 17 episodes. Life on Mars is solid entertainment, save for the most ridiculous ending to a television series I’ve ever seen. I’m not going to give it away here because I hope there are some of you who will check this show out. But I practically laughed when the big “reveal” occurred. According to executive producer Appelbaum, “It’s one of those endings (he believes) will make you watch the series again.” The only thing I wanted to watch again after watching Appelbaum’s ending was the BBC ending all over again.

Besides the episodes, Life on Mars: The Complete Series has three decent behind the scenes featurettes, the best of which is “To Mars and Back,” which looks at the genesis of the show and contains insightful interviews with the cast and crew. There are also audio commentaries, deleted scenes and bloopers.

Castle: The Complete First Season (2009, ABC Studios/Buena Vista)

Castle, the ABC mystery series, proves one thing: Nathan Fillion is a star. He has charm, comic timing, and enough charisma to make him a wonderful leading man. The first season on the show is out on DVD (13 episodes in all) and the second season has just begun airing on the network. I hope Castle manages to hold its own against CSI: Miami and Jay Leno, because it’s a slick, fun show that deserves to be a big hit.

Fillion stars as Rick Castle, a best selling novelist in the vein of James Patterson (who makes an appearance as himself in the pilot episode). Castle’s latest novel kills off his long-running character, Derek Storm, leading his fans to ask “what next?’ Fate drops that answer in his lap when a killer begins mimicking the murders from Castle’s books. The confident author is brought in by the NYPD as a consultant on the case. Immediately he butts heads with the stunning Detective Bennett (Stana Katic) and bonds with the other homicide detectives in the squad room, Esposito and Ryan (Jon Huertas and Seamus Dever, respectively). As soon as the case is solved, Bennett believes she’s seen the last of him. Not so, say the TV gods. Castle is so well connected that he convinces the police commissioner to let him tag along with Beckett on all of her cases as research for a new novel he’s writing featuring a female detective (in truth he loves the thrill of it all). How long she’s assigned to have him shadow her depends on how soon he completes his book. In other words, indefinitely, which is fine as it allows Castle and Beckett to build enough sexual tension to remind you of the glory days of Moonlighting.

While Castle and Beckett flirt their way around good old murders of the week in a style that’s a throw back to The Rockford Files and the cheeky days of Magnum, P.I., the author-turned-detective also must contend with a home life as a single dad raising a 15-year-old daughter who is wise beyond her years. This TV cliché would be sickening if it weren’t for the sparkling performance Molly Quinn as Alexis Castle. While the role could have been played with plenty of eye-rolling at her father’s shenanigans and the numerous women he beds, Quinn plays Alexis as a teenage girl who looks up to, loves and respects her dad, no matter how hard he tries to be her friend more than her parent. Castle also has his boozy mother, Martha (Susan Sullivan) that he must deal with. Martha, a former actress, lives off of her son’s wealth and likes to put him in his place any chance she gets.

Castle offers plenty of mystery and good humor, with great music and solid technical aspects across the board. What come to mind when I watched Castle are series like the aforementioned The Rockford Files and other shows from the legendary Stephen J. Cannell’s canon of crime-solving shows. In fact, Cannell makes an appearance as himself in the pilot episode. The TV mogul-turned-crime novelist has a good time poking fun at himself while also serving as a peer for Castle.

In the end, though, the series rests upon Fillion’s broad shoulders as the titular character that jumps back and forth from the fictional crimes of his novels and the reality of the squad room. Fillion is so good in everything his does, from Firefly to the horror film Slithers to Desperate Housewives to Joss Whedon’s web series, Dr. Horrible’s Singalong Blog, that it’s a shame he isn’t a more recognizable face to the average television viewer. He has the kind of smooth acting ability that makes watching an hour of make-believe murder go down easily. I hope the show can find a wider audience. This DVD box of the first season is a great way to start, but set your DVRs to record new episodes and give this good show a chance.

Grey’s Anatomy: The Complete Fifth Season (2009, ABC Studios/Buena Vista)

Instead of lamenting on the things that were wrong with the fifth season of Grey’s Anatomy, such as the sudden dismissal of Brooke Smith and her character Erica Hahn, the complete misuse of the talented Melissa George and the brilliant Mary McConnell, the ongoing storyline with Denny (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), the dead fiancé of Katherine Heigl’s Izzie, who showed up as a ghost/hallucination, and the complete lack of any storyline involving T.R. Knight, one of the original cast members and at one time the heart of the series, I’d like to point out three high points of season five.

The first is the addition of Kevin McKidd playing Dr. Owen Hunt, a former Army trauma surgeon who joined the staff at the fictional Seattle Grace Hospital and quickly became one of the most compelling characters on Grey’s Anatomy. To be blunt: Owen is fucked up. He suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and has recurring nightmares from his service in the war in Iraq. Owen is a wreck of a man whose only means of survival is immersing himself in the job. When he finally begins to connect with someone, Dr. Christina Yang (Sandra Oh), he screws that up by choking her in the middle of the night while suffering from a particularly horrible night terror. McKidd is so remarkable in his role that it’s a crime that he was not nominated for an Emmy this year. Sandra Oh deservedly received a nomination this year, yet a majority of the quality work she gave us in this season was with McKidd. I sometimes question why I stick with Grey’s Anatomy and McKidd is one reason I’ll keep it on my DVR. Owen is, flat out, the most authentic character on this show and it is solely because of McKidd’s work.

Next up is the producer’s solution to the whole Broke Smith fiasco. It was obvious that her character’s lesbian relationship with Callie (Sara Ramirez) wasn’t working. The two characters had zero chemistry and Smith’s Hahn was too unlikable. I am glad that the producers did not suddenly desert Callie’s exploration of her sexuality. To correct their casting mistake, they brought in the bright and wonderful Jessica Capshaw to portray Arizona Robbins, the head of pediatric surgery. Arizona and Callie began a relationship and the kinder, gentler Arizona is a much better match for the sometimes clueless Callie.

But it’s not just the positive image of a gay character on television that makes Arizona so nice. She is a ray of hope in a hospital full of self-centered, career-minded egomaniacs. For years we’ve seen these characters on Grey’s Anatomy scratch and claw their way into the operating room. At times it has seemed that cutting people open was the only reason these characters exist. Through Arizona, and Capshaw’s sunny, yet down to earth performance, we are reminded of the hope that doctors are supposed to give us when we’re faced with the fear of the unknown and having someone placing a blade against your skin and slicing open your body.

Finally, there is the one great episode in the fifth season of Grey’s Anatomy that skillfully reminded me why I once loved the series so much. This episode contained some of the show’s sharpest writing in nearly three years, contained nuanced, heartfelt performances that made you love the characters even m ore, and had a couple of shocks that left my jaw on the floor. Too bad this episode is the very last one of the season. To get to that season finale, you have to wade through much of the same mediocrity Grey’s Anatomy had become since it became one of television’s most watched shows. Hard to believe I’m saying this, but after watching the end of season five, I believe that Grey’s Anatomy has potential. Perhaps by shaking things up as the producers did (leaving the fate of two major characters in limbo), the 6^th season (premiering this week) will regain some of the drama (as opposed to melodrama), the humor (instead of shtick) and the heart that it had years ago.