Television has, as of late, been only offering me jewels of goodness from the primary cable stations. The HBOz, Showtimez, and Bravoz of the world generally give me my fix.
That is changing rapidly.
Perhaps we are now removed enough from the writers’ strike that the good scripts are coming to life, but have you noticed how much new programming there is out there? It’s like a price war of sorts, cable vs. broadcast networks. Thing is, we are all the winners!
This year has been pretty damn good for television. My prediction for Toni Colette nabbing the Emmy rang true, and I was pleased as punch that she took it home for United States of Tara on Showtime, an amazing way to open the year.
The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency on HBO threw me into a world I’d never know before and expanded my music collection. Jill Scott as Mma. Ramotswe is a must-see, and Anika Noni Rose as Grace Makutsi, a frazzled yet dazzling jewel on television was truly amazing. The show is a beautiful slice of Africa brought to us in the form of a comedy/mystery series. I hope there is a season two.
We received a few new Mystery episodes, of the Miss Marple and Poirot fame. David Suchet has never looked better, but the writing seemed a tiny bit off. Geraldine McEwan brought us the spry and wizened busybody detective in the latest incarnation of Miss Marple. Divine, she was. More please.
I will not discuss how disappointed I was with Season Two of True Blood. *sigh* Oh, well, maybe I’ll mention how fabulous Michelle Forbes who played Maryann was. She was my heroine Ro Laren from Star Trek: The Next Generation, and she’s a gem on the screen. Watch anything she does.
Of course, the much anticipated return of Edie Falco in Nurse Jackie on Showtime delivered so much more than promised. The names Merritt Weaver and Eve Best are now a part of my vocabulary. They are both brilliant and the show is AMAZING. So far the best first season of anything I’ve seen since Six Feet Under. Season Two cannot come fast enough.
But that was then, this is now.
Glee kicked off three weeks ago on Fox. Finally! A musical show on television once again! The cast is young and fresh, hyper-talented, and with Jane Lynch anchoring it beautifully as a hard-nosed coach, the comedy is snarky and fun. I have a special place in my heart for Lea Michele after seeing her in the first run of Spring Awakening. The show is a romp through high school madness set to music of the period. The music-theater fans are creaming their pants, and hopefully the rest of the world will wake up and smell the talent in the show. This is one to watch closely this season.
Starting this week:
Modern Family on ABC, a mocumentary comedy created by Christopher Lloyd (Golden Girls, Frasier, Wings and more) and Steven Levitan (The Wonder Years, Just Shoot Me!, The Larry Sanders Show), two guys who know a little bit about what works, with seven Emmy’s between them. The biggest attractions for me are the return of Ed O’Neil (Al Bundy), father of half of a gay male couple that are raising a child. Sofía Vergara, playing O’Neil’s ‘trophy wife’ is also part of the cast, and if you’ve never seen her do comedy, let me tell you she has me in stitches all the time.
Cougartown on ABC, starring Courtney Cox, another sitcom coming to us promises more Cox, Cox, and more Cox. (I HAD to say that!) I have to be honest, I don’t know much about this show, but since her previous show Dirt was canceled, I’ve been missin’ her on tha’ tube. Dirt wasn’t great, but she was fanTASTIC. So we’ll see, this is one of two wild-card shows this season.
The last thing I want to mention, a premise which I L O V E but am a bit worried about, is the show Eastwick on ABC (wow ABC, you are busy!). If you aren’t conjuring a vision of Veronica Cartwright screaming “DILDOS! ANAL INTERCOURSE!” while spitting cherry seeds and red mush, you sir/madam, are an ass. Get to your local vidjo store and rent The Witches of Eastwick. NOW.
If, however, you do know who Sukie, Alex, and Jane are, we can be friends.
I don’t know how I feel about a television adaptation of The Witches of Eastwick. It is listed as a drama, but I’m hoping for black comedy here and there, in a Desperate Housewives fashion. It could be good, it could be shite, but hell, I’ll watch it just ’cause it is new.
Good lard my DeeVee-aRa will be busy.