Because of the stiff competition on Tuesday nights this fall, Fox and the CW premiered their 9:00 PM Tuesday shows in early September hoping to capture the particular audiences these shows would appeal to. On Fox, it’s the new J.J. Abrams (Lost) sci-fi series, Fringe; while over at the CW, it’s the dramedy Privileged, which has the good fortune of being created by Rina Mimoun, one of the guiding forces behind the beloved Everwood. Of the two, Privileged has turned out to be a great surprise and Fringe a bit of a letdown.

Fringe, which was also created by Abrams Alias buddies, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, follows the exploits of a special government task force investigating aspects of “fringe science” (i.e. telepathy, levitation, reanimation, etc.). All around the world, a series of fringe incidents, referred to as “the pattern,” are occurring and this special group is in charge of finding out why. The principle person in this group is FBI Agent Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv), who enlists the help of literal mad scientist, Walter Bishop (John Noble from The Return of the King). Bishop has been locked up in a mental institution for 17 years and the only person who is able to keep a handle on him is his son, Peter (Joshua Jackson of that Dawson’s show). Peter has issues with his dad and is responsible for keeping him locked up. Once he realizes that Walter may not be as evil as he thought, Peter’s guilt leads him to become his father’s care taker and a member of the fringe team.

Overseeing this group is the great Lance Reddick (late of The Wire) as Phillip Broyles, a Homeland Security agent in charge of following the pattern and how it relates to possible terrorist attacks.

Trying to sum up everything that is going on in Fringe is a little pointless because, this being an Abrams vehicle, there are major conspiracies at work here that may not be revealed for years to come, if ever. Fringe seems to be trying to replicate is the mystery and quirkiness of The X-Files. Unlike that once great show, Fringe goes out of its way to take out the mystery of each episode’s mysteries. With every fantastic thing that happens, Walter goes off on some long diatribe about some experiment he performed years ago how that experiment is being manipulated for evil. At these points in the show, Noble seems to be channeling Russell Crowe from A Beautiful Mind, trying too hard to nail the “brilliant/troubled scientist” role. After any of these explanations, Jackson usually throws in some snarky one liner to balance the hooey of Walter’s explanation. Sometimes it works, but most of the time everything feels a little too forced. Watching Reddick recite some of his sci-fi dialogue makes me wonder if he’s not thinking “How the hell did I go from The Wire to this?” (more…)

Each year when a stalwart of the entertainment industry makes his or her final curtain call, I find myself wishing I’d paid closer attention to their work and inevitably fill up my Netflix queue with old movies, or buy several tracks from iTunes I feel I should have owned all along. This happened with Johnny Cash and Ray Charles, as well as Sydney Pollack and Marlon Brando. This was not the case with Paul Newman, who passed away this past Friday at the age of 83. Newman was a mainstay in the Malchus household when I was growing up, and continued to be an artist and human being that I respected and admired for three decades. If I were to compile a list of my favorite films of all time, that list would include at least 10 starring Newman.

We didn’t go to the movie theater often when I was a kid; my first exposure to motion pictures came via the edited versions on the ABC Sunday night movie or whatever was showing on the weekend afternoons on the independent channels. It was through these television airings that I saw Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), The Sting (1973), and the irreverent Slap Shot (1977). In the early ’80s my mother won a VCR, then a newfangled device. A whole world of cinema was available to me every time I entered the video store. My father was very open to letting me rent any gory horror movie I desired — on the condition that I watched one of his selections as well. Thus did I receive a film education, and come to know the likes of Bogart, Hitchcock and many of the brilliant artists who revolutionized Hollywood in the early ’70s. It was also through these shared screenings with my dad that I first saw Absence of Malice (1981), Fort Apache the Bronx (1981) and Alfred Hitchcock’s underappreciated Cold War thriller Torn Curtain (1966).

When I headed to college, I finally saw Cool Hand Luke (1967), and boy, did that film have an effect on me, just as it must have on the generation that first saw it in the ’60s. In it, Newman’s performance as the lost, system-bucking rebel Luke Jackson is so convincing, it becomes painful to watch it upon second and third viewings. Newman is so charismatic, so likable, so… beautiful, that knowing the system will break him and ultimately defeat him is all the more devastating. Newman was able to do that with every role — whether he was playing a rebel, a genius, a down on his luck drunk, or a cantankerous old man, he had a quality about him that made you root for his characters (or at least, as in the case of 2002’s Road to Perdition, in which he was an crime boss who orders a hit on the family of a loyal soldier, understand the logic behind his heinous decision). (more…)

If you’re like me, you checked out the CW’s reboot of 90210 for nostalgia’s sake. I mean — Jennie Garth, come on! Even my wife thinks she looks good. Well, Jennie Garth’s hotness is about the only thing this show has going for it. I’ll admit, I was curious to see how producers Gabe Sachs & Jeff Judah would transform the show from its Aaron Spelling sudsy roots. After all, these two worked on NBC’s exceptional series, Freaks and Geeks. Unfortunately, none of the charm and humor from Freaks and Geeks exists in 90210. In fact, there is nothing to differentiate 90210 from Gossip Girl, except that Gossip Girl is a little better written.

The setup for the new 90210 is similar to the original series, which ran in the 90’s on FOX: Annie Wilson (Shenae Grimes) and her adopted brother, Dixon (Tristan Wilds) are the new kids at West Beverly Hills High School. They’ve just moved to California from Kansas so that their parents (Robe Estes and Lori Loughlin) can keep an eye on grandma Tabitha (Jessica Walter, rehashing what she did on Arrested Development). For Annie and Dixon, the awkwardness of being the new kids is made worse by the fact that their dad has taken a job as the principal. Annie and Dixon have a close sibling relationship, which they’ll need to help them cope with all the new cliques and classmates, including the spoiled, rich, Naomi (Anna Lynne McCord); Ethan (Dustin Milligan), a popular jock who crushes on Annie; Navid (Michael Steger), who heads up the school’s TMZ-type newscast; and Silver (Jessica Stroup), the rebel, who also happens to be the younger sister of one Kelly Taylor, played by Garth, reprising her role from the original series.

You still have a bunch of rich kids moping through life, worried about their lives, and spending shitloads of cash. And we’re supposed to care about them why? What’s worse, every “teenage” girl on this show looks like she has borderline health problems. I haven’t seen this many stick figures since Ally McBeal and Lara Flynn Boyle of The Practice went off the air. When you consider that the camera adds weight, I am saddened and sickened by how malnourished the actresses look. Except, that is, for Jennie Garth, who actually looks like a thirty-something mother. Good for her for not starving herself now that she’s back on prime time television.

Sadly, (and I’ve said this before) American television series about middle-class people struggling to make ends meet do not garner the ratings networks desire, no matter how great the show. Freaks and Geeks was shuffled around in the NBC lineup, and it eventually went out with a whimper. Friday Night Lights, one of the finest shows on television — I would say the best family drama airing — has a loyal audience, but NBC has not been able to get the ratings it wants. This year, FNL will air on Direct TV’s 101 in the fall and return to NBC come wintertime. This arrangement was done to offset the supposed expensive costs of producing the show. Any show that seems to find some success has to have a high concept to succeed. (more…)

Two of the most pleasant surprises of the late summer have been a pair of new comedy series: Z Rock on IFC and Gavin & Stacey on BBC America. They couldn’t be farther apart in terms of themes and structure; however, they’re both quite funny, and worth your time not only now, as we wait out the fall premieres, but for the duration of their season runs.

Z Rock (Sunday nights at 11:00 PM/ET) is described as “(kinda) based on a true story” following the exploits of the real life hard rock band, Z02, a New York based hard rock group that includes brothers Paulie and David Z on guitar and bass, and Joey C on drums (the only monogamous member of the band). From what I’ve heard of their material, they remind me of Extreme, but with charisma. Whether you prefer their type of rock and roll is irrelevant, though, because the joke of Z Rock is that while they’re a hard rock, party band by night, by day they are an in-demand children’s entertainment group. That’s right, to avoid having to get “real” jobs, the three members of Z02 become the “Z Brothers” and perform at kids’ birthday parties.

They don’t put on some act like they’re The Wiggles; Paulie, David and Joey show up dressed in tight jeans and shirts (much to the delight of the MILFs at the parties) and continue to squabble and cause damage in rich homes, as if they’re were performing in some beer-infested dive in Brooklyn. A recent episode featured Paulie and David banging a couple groupies in their van after a gig, and then learning that those same groupies are married mothers of two children invited to a birthday party they’re playing. While this may sound like a high concept sitcom, the three guys in the band are game at poking fun at themselves and the music industry. Their camaraderie is infectious and drives the show.

The single camera series offers a fictionalized version of the three band members’ lives, with interview segments breaking up the scenes as they play out. Among the people interviewed are Dina (Lynne Koplitz), their manager, and Neil (Jay Oakerson), the owner of the club the guys frequent who also makes homosexual advances on Paulie. Z Rock is a direct descendent of both The Office and This is Spinal Tap. Whether the band members had any acting experience before Z Rock is irrelevant, because they have no problem playing heightened versions of themselves. Additionally, they seem naturals when riffing in the improvisational nature of the show. I gave up listening to the type of hard rock Z02 perform a decade ago, but the raunchy, yet endearing nature of Z Rock may actually make me reconsider and buy one of their CDs.

On the other end of the comedy spectrum is Gavin & Stacey, the award-winning BBC romantic comedy which is finally reaching the airwaves in the U.S. after two full seasons in England. Gavin & Stacey begins when two people who have spoken to each other on the phone for months (through work) finally meet up for a date. They are, of course, Gavin (Matthew Horne), a young man from England, and Stacey (the adorable Joanna Page) who lives with her widowed mom in Wales. When they finally meet, each brings along their best friend as a safety precaution. For Gavin, it’s Smithy (James Corden), an obnoxious, fun-loving lush; for Stacey, it’s Nessa (Ruth Jones), a bitter, leather-wearing cynic. That Gavin and Stacey fall in love at first sight is a shock to everyone except the two of them. Their connection is fate bringing them together, and that neither of them questions this love is refreshing and touching.

Gavin & Stacey was created by Corden and Jones, and the world that they’ve conjured is filled with witty, charming characters. What I like most about this series, which airs Tuesday nights at 9:30, is that there isn’t an underlying feeling of cynicism. When Gavin and Stacey proclaim their love for one another, everyone is supportive and jumps in to wish them well, whereas in an American version of this type of show you might see someone try to undermine their love and separate them. In addition to having two very likable and quirky lead characters, the cast also includes a great group of character actors, including Alison Steadman and Larry Lamb as Gavin’s frisky parents and Melanie Walters as Stacey’s mom.

You can’t help watching a series like Gavin & Stacey without a huge smile on your face. Even when the characters are fighting, the resolution is smart and heartwarming. In England, Gavin & Stacey is revving up for a third season. I still don’t understand why we get BBC shows so late after they air overseas. Still, it’s wonderful to finally be receiving this wonderful gift.

Steven Bochco (Hill Street Blues, NYPD Blue) returns to the television landscape tonight at 10 PM EST with another lawyer series on TNT.

Raising the Bar focuses on the justice system through the eyes of the DA’s office and the public defenders office. Although wonderful actresses Jane Kaczmarek (Malcolm in the Middle) and Gloria Reuben (ER) are on hand to add stature to the series, the real stars of the show are the young, good-looking actors playing young, good-looking lawyers. They’re led by Mark-Paul Gosselaar, the former teen star (do I even need to tell you?) who has a real “in” with Bochco, having appeared in Bochco’s NYPD Blue and Commander in Chief.

Gosselaar portrays Jerry Kellerman, a brash, idealistic public defender who is constantly butting heads with the justice system, primarily Kaczmarek’s off-kilter Judge Kessler (it is a bit strange that each case he has is assigned to Kessler). Reuben is Kellerman’s boss, although she only seems to appear when he needs advice. So far she has been wasted in her role.

As with most of Bochco’s series in the past, the draw of this show isn’t the issues, but the characters. Like I said, the cast members are good-looking thirtysomethings with enough charm and sex appeal to entice viewers back each week. In both tone and execution, Raising the Bar feels like a legal version of Grey’s Anatomy, especially in the manner in which all of these same lawyers seem to be good friends and hang out at the same watering hole after a long day at the job. Am I the only person who, when the work day is done, actually goes home to the wife and kids? I don’t know.

Despite the show’s familiarity, it isn’t bad; the acting is excellent, and the production values are top-notch. TNT has really become a destination place for producers to take shows that may not have caught on with the other 4 “big” networks. Additionally, TNT and its cable cousins seem to be more patient with a series, allowing it time to work out the kinks. Case in point: the pilot episode of Raising the Bar was pretty clunky, and almost made me not want to watch any more episodes. However, by the second episode, Kaczmarek’s antics were toned down and Gosselaar’s histrionics were kind of shoved out the window. This was a positive move for the show. (more…)

On A&E’s new dramatic series, The Cleaner, Benjamin Bratt is doing some of his finest acting since leaving Law & Order. After walking off the beat of NBC’s venerable cops and lawyers show, Bratt has tried to find substantive parts to sink his teeth into. The results have been mixed, at best.

So I approached The Cleaner with some trepidation. It appears that the years of searching for the right role have paid off, landing Bratt back on television. On the show, Bratt portrays William Banks, a recovering addict who, upon finally getting clean, took a vow with God to help other people kick their habits by using whatever tactics are necessary. Using a secretive team of rehab operatives, Banks and company literally yank people off the streets, go undercover, and get involved with high-speed car chases to help people get clean (at the request of at wits end loved ones). If that sounds a little preposterous, you should know that the series is based on the experiences of Warren Boyd, a drug counselor who not only beat his own demons, but used tactics similar to those shown in The Cleaner to help friends and complete strangers. Boyd serves as an executive producer on the show.

The Cleaner has the general feel of any procedural show: tracking down the dealers or addicts, doing surveillance, and then going in for the kill (or in this case, injecting the addict with some kind of tranquilizer, rendering them unconscious and carrying that person off in a van). This aspect of the show feels pretty familiar, and were it not for the charm and appeal of the actors in Banks’ team (Grace Park, Esteban Powell and Kevin Michael Richardson), it might not be worth watching each week. However, the other aspect of the show, Banks’s family life, if far more interesting and is what gives the show its soul.

Banks is married with two good kids. His wife, Melissa, is a strong, smart working mother who binds the family together. Their two children, Ben (Brett Delano) and Lula (Liliana Mumy) are smart, eager to please, and coming into their own as individuals. This means plenty of questions about William’s past and rebellion because of it. (more…)

Like watching a second-year veteran going through a hitting slump, three episodes into the Burn Notice sophomore season, the show still hasn’t found the same spark it displayed last summer when it became a breakout hit for the USA Network. For those of you who haven’t seen it, Burn Notice is an action-adventure series centering around ex-spy Michael Westen, played by Jeffrey Donovan. He has been “burned,” stripped of resources, and dumped in his hometown of Miami. With nothing to his name, Westen had to lean on his overbearing mother, Madeline (played by Sharon Glass) and reconnect with an old spy buddy who used to give information about Westen to the Feds. That guy’s name is Sam, and he’s played with womanizing sleazy charm by B-movie god Bruce Campbell. Also in tow is Westen’s on-again, off-again girlfriend, Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar), a hot ex-IRA operative who loves firearms. Season One followed Westen as he tried to track down the people who screwed him out of his life as a spy. At the same time, he took on side jobs helping down-on-their-luck friends of friends who needed muscle, but couldn’t go to the police. You know, like trouble with loan sharks, drug dealers or the mob. Whereas Season One had a Bourne Identity-meets-MacGyver-meets-The Equalizer sense of fun, so far Season Two feels a tad routine, and has me feeling obligated to tune in and see what happens.

The Season One cliffhanger saw Westen driving his car into the back of a semi-truck trailer to await a meeting with a mysterious woman who may or may not have burned him. As the screen went black, fans waited in anticipation to find out who was behind the overall story arc that drove his character throughout the season. One year later, the back of the trailer opened, and nothing really changed. Westen found himself helping some stranger at the bequest of the mysterious woman, Carla, (played by Battlestar Galactica’s Tricia Helfer). Carla refuses to disclose whether she is the one who actually burned Westen, and has nefarious plans to use Michael for her own needs, or his friends will pay the consequences. It all sounds intriguing, but so far, it feels like we’re treading water waiting for the big wave to come in. I suppose we, as viewers, should find the storyline of Westen and Fiona’s doomed love affair heartbreaking, or the storyline of his tortured relationship with his chain-smoking mother funny. But Gabrielle Anwar is better when she’s being sexy and dangerous instead of depressed and bitter. And frankly, as much as I admire Sharon Glass, Madeline is just plain grating. The less we see of her, the better. If the show really wants to delve into Michael’s family history, they should bring back his brother, Nate (Seth Petersen).

Will I keep watching Burn Notice? Sure. It’s on a season pass on my TiVo. However, I don’t rush to watch it when I know there may be other, more interesting things waiting for me. Here’s hoping the show rediscovers its swing before too long and breaks out of its slump.

Elvis Mitchell is one of the preeminent film critics and interviewers of our generation. Since 1996 his NPR radio show, The Treatment, has been a stomping ground for popular culture’s most talented and important individuals, where they can speak freely about their craft without the pressure of feeling like they’re “promoting” their work. Mitchell’s cool and laid-back style seems to place all of his guests at ease, including his listeners. It’s not just his ability to conduct an interview but his vast knowledge of information that makes him such a pleasure to listen to. In addition to The Treatment, Mitchell is also the entertainment critic for NPR’s Weekend Edition With Scott Simon, a job he’s held since the show’s debut in 1985. His extensive list of credits includes hosting Independent Focus for the Independent Film Channel, guest-hosting for Charlie Rose on several occasions, and a four-year stint as film critic for the New York Times, beginning in 2000.

Tonight at 8 PM ET (with a repeat at 10:30), Turner Classic Movies premieres Elvis Mitchell: Under the Influence, the network’s first interview program. In the first installment, taped last year, Mitchell talks with the late Sydney Pollack, and in coming weeks he sits down with Bill Murray, Laurence Fishburne, and Quentin Tarantino, among others, to discuss the art of filmmaking and just to listen to these craftsmen share their stories. More than your typical interview show, Under the Influence has the feel of overhearing a wonderful conversation in a restaurant or at a party, and therefore is a natural extension of Mitchell’s radio show. Whether you’re familiar with Elvis Mitchell or just being introduced to him, Under the Influence is a treat for fans of movies and those of us who simply enjoy an intelligent discussion between two knowledgeable people. I had the opportunity to speak to Mitchell via telephone in early June; throughout our conversation I found myself intently listening to him but at times forgetting that I was the one doing the interview. He has that way with people. Although he professed to being as nervous as the interviewee, it never came across that way.

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I was supposed to write a column about several reality shows airing this summer, and I had good intentions of doing just that. But the only reality I know right now is that I’m an addict … to Lost. I must find out what happens to the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815, which departed Sydney, Australia, for Los Angeles, California, on September 24, 2004, and crashed on an uncharted island.

It began as a curiosity. See, I was over at ABC.com, doing research for my Three Strikes column on Brothers & Sisters. All I wanted was a jpeg, you know? Honest, this was the only reason I was even near the site. Then I saw an option: “Full Episodes.” I mean, what could it hurt to check and see what they were streaming, right? Maybe… maybe they had unaired episodes of Cavemen, I liked that show. I did; really, I’m not making this up! Clicking that link was like finding a private room at some teenage suburban party where all of the “good” kids are drinking smuggled beers in the living room and the “cool” kids are doing something else away from the crowd.

I’d decided long ago that I wasn’t going to get caught up in the Lost hysteria. After I missed most of the first season, I thought there was no way to catch up. Sure, the DVD’s are available to rent, but I wasn’t going to waste one of the entries of my Netflix queue with Lost, not when I had 300 movies to get through. And after two seasons, I stopped caring. I thought, “Come on, can it really be as good as Deadwood, Veronica Mars or Friday Night Lights. Was Lost even close to the caliber of The Sopranos?” I scoffed at the notion. But Abc.com… damn you ABC! It taunted me… “Lost Season 1 in streaming HD.” HD? C’mon, it can’t be that good. I reasoned with myself, “Look, just this one episode. I’ll watch the pilot and be able to claim I’ve seen Lost. Then, back to my life.”

My life. Ha! I have no life! Two hours after watching the pilot, I was hooked. (more…)

TBS begins their summer of comedy this Thursday night (6/12/08) with the second season premieres of The Bill Engvall Show (9:00 PM) and My Boys(9:30 PM).

The Bill Engvall Show is the more traditional of the two sitcoms, and by traditional, I mean there’s nothing new here. In the show, Engvall, the popular stand up famous for his “blue collar,” plays Bill Pearson, a family counselor who can’t always figure out his own family. His typical sitcom nuclear family includes a smart, beautiful wife, played by the underrated Nancy Travis, and three very different children: An older, headstrong teenage girl played by Jennifer Lawrence, a space cadet teenage son played by Graham Patrick Martin, and a brainy, mature tween son played by Skyler Gisondo. In addition, Tim Meadows is on hand as Engvall’s best friend, Paul. Paul is a renowned hair-replacement specialist who is treated like part of the Pearson family. He likes to look good, but he’s unlucky in love.

As an added treat, Brian Doyle Murray shows up on occasion as the Pearson’s cranky neighbor. The plots of the The Bill Engvall Show are something you’ve seen thousands of times. So why watch it? For one, Travis is wonderful, and her scenes opposite Engvall ring true of a real marriage. Engvall may not be the best actor in the world, but he has good comic timing, and his interplay with Travis is fun to watch. Moreover, he and Meadows seem to have a real bond, and play off each other quite well. In general, the best-played scenes take place between the adult characters, whereas the scenes with the children are overly predictable. Still, despite the predictability of The Bill Engvall Show, the creators’ intent from the beginning was to create a “traditional family sitcom,” and they have succeeded in doing just that. In truth, this is the perfect type of show for summer viewing: not much required from you as a viewer and just enough laughs to go down with your beer.

I must admit that I turned off My Boys during its inaugural season. There was a bevy of hype surrounding the show, and it was praised by many critics as one of the best comedies on television; unfortunately, for me, it was originally paired with 10 Items or Less, a series that put me on the floor with laughter. Whenever My Boys came on, I found it nice, but not the greatest comedy since Arrested Development. Thus, when asked to review the upcoming second season, I tried to approach the show with an open mind, even though I feared hating it. (more…)