Yes, I Watch ... Survivor

I confess.  I watch Survivor.  I fact, I've seen all but one season of the series, often cited as the first "reality" program (experts would give that credit to The Real World, which I would agree with), certainly the first big one.


I'm not proud to say I watch "reality" - again, note the quote marks - TV.  I am fully in favor and support of scripted programming (although much of "reality" TV is indeed scripted ...) and always will be.  I guess I defend the shows of the genre I do watch - Face Off, Project Runway, America's Next Top Model, etc.- because of the sub-category they fall into: competition shows.  I do NOT partake NOR support the awful existence of anything Kardashian or Housewife or Shore or ... sorry, just threw up in my mouth a little.

Let's move on.

So, yes, I watch Survivor.  It is still a great experiment in social interaction and behavior.  They always manage to assemble a group of people that bond, plot, scheme, clash and ultimately irritate each other while being necessary evils for each other in the fight for the $1 million prize.  There usually is a key villain and an underdog to root for. 

And you'd think after 26 seasons - yes, there have been that many - the contestants would know that betrayals and back-stabbings are part of the game and therefore not be surprised and angered by them, but damn if they don't bitch and complain about it each and every time!  Really??  Especially the players who claim they're huge fans of the show can't believe when an alliance falls apart or a tribe member lies to them to get ahead.  That's will surely happen again this season - taking place in Caramoan - more so than usual being that this is another rendition of "Fans vs. Favorites." 

They did this "special edition" back in Season 16 and are revisiting the theme again. For the "Favorites," they bringing back a collection of alumni that made an indelible impression (let's just say the crazier or more outspoken, the better).  This season is doing the same, picking players that stood out.  I don't remember all the names but I do remember certain things:  Saggy-Pink-Underwear Guy, Russell Hantz's nephew (Russell is by far one of the best villains in Survivor history, played twice but never won), Nerdy-Manipulator Guy, and the Bitch (sorry, there's usually more than one).

The last time, the so-called "Fans" were disappointing.  I mean, if they truly knew the game as much as they claimed to, they would have faired much better (I don't remember who did win - I never do, really - but I don't remember too many fans making it to the end).  But it made for an interesting mix.

I'm just glad they got rid of that stupid Redemption Island thing.  Did not work.  This is one of those shows that, despite how long it's been on, doesn't need to tweak or deviate from it's original formula.  Let the cast speak and act for themselves.  They'll create the drama and tension all on their own.

I will say Jeff Probst is very good at his job as host.  He knows how to expertly push the gamers' buttons and get them to say things they maybe wouldn't, or tip their hands earlier or more openly than they would ever want or plan to.  Don't think they could do Survivor without him.

Go ahead.  Roll your eyes.  Believe me, I do too.  But I'll still watch - and be annoyed - and shout at the TV - and say "Really??" about a hundred times.  I just gotta see who Outwits, Outplays and Outlasts this time.

That's what guilty pleasures are all about.  Forgive?

Catch Survivor's 26th 2-hour season premiere tonight at 8 p.m. on CBS.  The show then airs every Wednesday at 8.

Review - The Americans

I finally got around to watching the pilot for this new FX spy drama, which maybe tells my excitement for the show.  Don't get me wrong, the premise is interesting: KGB agents living undercover as Americans to spy on the U.S. during the Reagan era to get advantage in the Cold War.  And I like stars Keri Russell (Felicity) and Matthew Rhys (Brothers & Sisters - is he ever going to get to speak in her real voice?  He's British ...) as the lead couple Elizabeth and Phillip Jennings.  But admittedly the premiere has been sitting on my DVR for a couple of weeks now, and today I finally watched it.

Overall, it was a decent pilot.  In the first minutes, it looked a lot like an episode of Alias (still to date one of the best spy TV series EVER) - Russell's Elizabeth, clad in nothing but lingerie and a wig, is seducing a government official, obviously to obtain important intel.  But whereas Sydney Bristow would have knocked the mark out before completing the deed, Elizabeth goes all the way ... and later shows her distaste for it.  But, as is driven throughout the episode, she is 100% committed to her job and Mother Russia and will do what is necessary.  The mission comes first.

Husband Phillip gets his job done, too - gotta say, these attractive, unassuming people are surprisingly convincing as ass-kicking toughies - but is more ambivalent about it.  In fact, he has quite taken to the American way of life and brings up more than once his desire to live his pretend American life - children and all - for real, which would involve the deadly art of defection.  He's even willing to make a deal with another defector, Timoshev (David Vadim, One Life to Live), who they captured on orders in the beginning of the epsiodes, to get enough money to disappear into the wind (little did Phillip know that Timoshev raped Elizabeth decades earlier during her "training" in Moscow.  Don't worry, Timoshev gets his just desserts from both later ... ).

Complicating matters further for the Jennings is their new neighbor Stan (Noah Emmerich, The Truman Show), who happens to be an FBI agent working in counter-intelligence.  Seems Timoshev, prior to his defection and subsequent disappearance, blew the whistle on the Russian-agents-living-among-us operation, provoking the government to step up and take action.  The rub? These agents look like us, they speak better English than we do, and they are set up with huge settlement packages so they can blend in within quiet, upscale neighborhoods.  Stan's coworker Chris (Maximiliano Hernandez, Ringer) doesn't buy it, but the investigation is pushing forward.

One particularly tense moment - which I'm sure will become a pattern throughout the series - happens when Stan comes by to borrow jumper cables from Phillip.  Of course the cables are in the trunk of the car where Timoshev is tied up and gagged.  But Phillip calmly retrieves them and closes the hatch just as Stan walks up to the trunk.  Whew!  Yeah, you knew the outcome and it wasn't particularly that tense, but I'll be nice.

 

Phillip's desire to flee and Elizabeth's unyielding loyalty to her country does create a nice conflict that is dynamic, thanks much to the talent of the leads.  You can see that the affection is very one-sided ... she's just not that into him.  That is until he kills Timoshev in her defense.  Apparently that's a turn on for Elizabeth, and suddenly it's hot sex in the back seat of the Olds post body-dumping.  Ah, romance ...

But because the op has been potentially exposed, Elizabeth and Phillip's job is going to be harder to pull off, which sets up the dramatic drive of the show for the rest of the season.  Their kids (Holly Taylor and Keidrich Sellati) are oblivious to who their parents are, but you can predict at some point one of them is gonna stumble onto something ... they always do.

The show takes place in 1980 and it was cool to see some nice details: the super big sedans, high-waisted Guess jeans, a typewriter (!) and a rotary payphone (!!).  They don't seem to be focusing too much on the fashions of the era (like The Carrie Diaries is doing over on the CW ... that takes place in 1984 and fashion plays into the story big time), but these little touches are cool. And the soundtrack for the show is pretty cool and helps support the action, of which there is much (like I said, Russell and Rhys really kick ass, very believably).

Not sure if I'll commit to this series, but I'll certainly give it another couple of episodes before deciding.  But I do recommend checking it out for yourselves (the pilot should still be available online and FX tends to replay eps a lot).  And with Margo Martindale (Justified) appearing soon and guest stars like Richard Thomas (remember him from The Waltons?), things might get more interesting ...

Bottom Line:  K-G-Be ready to give The Americans a chance.

The Americans airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on FX.

Supernatural is Back!

Okay, I know this happened a few days ago but I don't care.  I've had this time to bask in the glow of knowing my boys are back!

 You regular TV Tourists - and those who know me personally - know that Supernatural is my favorite show of all time, but that this season I have been wrestling with ... not ... loving it.  Believe me, hard to type, harder to say.  After all, this is the show that can ... could ... do no wrong, never crossed any lines, never jumped any sharks and kept me cringing year after year waiting, hoping for renewal, living in fear of cancellation.

Series creator Erik Kripke had a five-year plan for the show, and it played out marvelously.  Then writer/producer Sera Gamble took over for I guess what fans have called two rocky, weaker seasons.  Still, I stayed loyal and defended the show to the hilt.

Relieved to have the show renewed once again for an amazing eighth season - and a move to Wednesdays from the dreaded Friday night where it resided - and actually thrived (for the CW, anyway).  A long summer wait and the premiere was finally here.  We had been left with Dean (Jensen Ackles) in Purgatory, Sam (Jared Padalecki) topside and totally alone.  I knew a reunion was set within the premiere and I waited with baited breath.

It came.

I watched.

And wasn't elated.  I couldn't believe it.  And as the season went on, I found I wasn't aching for each new ep, I began picking apart plot points, not loving the stories taking place.  Most of all, I missed the brotherly relationship.  Oh, they had divided them time and time again, but I never felt the separation more than I did this season.

I realize this may be out of context for many of you, but trust me, the show was not on par with the one I have loved from day one.

But after the winter break, things changed.  The last few episodes - including a hilarious reappearance by guest star Felicia Day (she appeared in season 7) - have been great, the pinnacle being "As Time Goes By" which aired Wednesday.  It was reminiscent of seasons past, featured a glorious recap with flashes all the way back to season one, a welcome return of patriarch John's (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) hunter journal, and a  revived mythology that kind of lost its way but now sits poised to take us all on a thrilling new path (can't say much more because I have friends/fans that haven't caught up yet).

 Trust me, peeps, when I say, Supernatural is back, and I couldn't be happier!!  May I say to new showrunner (and past writer) Jeremy Carver:  keep it up!

"Smell you later, bitches!' - Felicia Day's character Charlie in "LARP and the Real Girl."

Supernatural airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on the CW.

Review - The Carrie Diaires

Let me preface this review by saying I am a HUGE fan of Sex and the City.  I have all the DVDs, I occasionally tune in to it on E! despite have the DVDs, and I quote and reference the show all the time.  So when I heard they were doing this show about Carrie Bradshaw's teen years, I was curious but tentative.  After all, I'm not the best when it comes to re-imaginings/re-inventions, etc. of favorites of mine (see Battlestar Galactica old and new), but I like to give everything at least a chance.

This isn't a home run winner for me but it's not bad.  I think it stands fine on its own as a teen drama (it's an hour-long, as opposed to SATC's half-hour), but when you link it to such a powerhouse series like SATC and such a notable character as Carrie, it's asking a lot.  It's hard not to try and compare TCD star AnnaSophia Robb's (Soul Surfer) 15-year-old-Carrie to Sarah Jessica Parker's SATC Carrie - to look for similarities in reactions, nuances, inflections.  I know that our teen selves are often vastly different from our adult selves, and for that I hold back any nitpicking I'm tempted to harp on.

Robb is a likeable actress and she definitely has the cuteness and great hair going for her.  The younger Carrie is not yet a writer, still a virgin (thanks TCD for having her be so at 15, though her girlfriends alas are not...) and is just becoming a budding  fashionista.  Older Carrie (OC) is all about fashion and so often makes bold, out-of-the-box if not sometimes "what the ...?" statements, but Young Carrie (YC) is more conservative (until the last shot in the pilot episode, anyway, as seen below). 

Bonus:  TCD takes place in 1984, so it's fun to see all the crazy trends that era allotted, albeit somewhat toned down here.  Kinda wish they'd go all the way with it...

TCD has Carrie living with her widowed father (Matt Letscher, Scandal, Eli Stone), with whom she has a good relationship.  Interesting to go with this, being that SATC touched on OC's father issues just once, very briefly, and it made you believe the relationship was anything but good and was likely the cause of many of OC's questionable choices in men.  YC is dealing with the recent death of her mother, and her mom's closet is like her mecca for clothes.  The two had a tradition of going shopping for back-to-school clothes, so YC has to deal with facing the new school year on her own (dad lets her take her mom's sunglasses).   There's also suddenly a sister, Dorrit (Stefania Owen, Running Wilde).  SATC NEVER mentioned a sister, so again, interesting to go with this choice, knowing that SATC is gone and will therefore never address it (unless there is a third movie).

Another huge aspect of Carrie Bradshaw is her friends.  In SATC, we had sassy, sexy Samantha Jones (Kim Catrall), sweet, hopeful Charlotte York (Kristin Davis) and smart, guarded Miranda Hobbs (Cynthia Nixon).  TCD has Jill "The Mouse" Thompson (Ellen Wong, "Knives" from Scott Pilgrim vs. the World), YC's Charlotte equivalent, Maggie Landers (Katie Findlay, The Killing), the Samantha of the group, and Walt Reynolds (Brendan Dooling), who could be the Miranda because of his guardedness but also the Stanford Blatch (SATC's Willie Garson), since Walt is realizing he might be gay (Stanford was OC's gay BFF).  There is also a potential love interest in new kid Sebastian Kydd (Austin Butler, witched at Birth) ... he's no Mr. Big (Chris Noth), but who is, really?

TCD steals a little from the series Jane By Design (a delightful ABC Family show starring Erica Dasher and Andie MacDowell that I was sorry to see cancelled last year) in that, like Jane, a high schooler who passes herself off as an adult to work in the fashion industry, YC is mistaken to be an adult working on Wall St. by Larissa (Freema Agyeman, Doctor Who) a writer for Interview magazine who brings YC into her inner circle of NYC hipsters, therefore setting YC off on an exciting double life.  If you like the idea of this plot, do check out JBD when/if available on DVD or online.

There is, of course, one more very prominent character relevant to both SATC and TCD:  New York City.  Carrie Bradshaw has always been all about this "Man" (Manhattan, get it?) and it's nice to see where and how her love affair with the Big Apple began.  The pilot episode nicely has YC admitting to losing her metaphorical virginity - in essence, her innocence - to the city and not just some guy.  I like this.  And knowing how sexually active OC is, knowing her sexual experiences and things she dealt with (including an abortion at 22), it's interesting to watch YC at such an innocent part of her life just on the cusp of growing up.

The pilot episode did leave us with a very familiar image:  Carrie sitting in front of a window writing (YC with a journal as opposed to OC and a laptop) and reflecting on what's she's learned recently.  All we were missing were the words "I couldn't help but wonder..."  I appreciated the bridge between old and new.  Nice tribute.

Unfortunately Mondays are very crowded for me, so I will not likely be a regular viewer of The Carrie Diaries, but it's likeable enough to recommend, especially to those less familiar with Sex and the City - you have the freedom to enjoy it without the inevitable comparisons.  Obviously I highly recommend watching/re-watching Sex and the City, still one of my all-time favorite series. 

Bottom line:  A decent show to have a whimsical viewing affair with.

The Carrie Diaries airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on the CW.

All Hail ... Community!

Happy New Year, TV Tourists!  It's been a while but I'm back and ready to talk about what's on, what's new and what I think is worth watching.

To kick things off, I am happy to say I have become a true and dedicated fan of (drum roll, please ...):

What a gem of a show this is.  I had heard about it for years.  Fans adamant about how great it is.  Critics who love it.  And the subsequent struggles it has had to find ratings success and ultimately continued life on NBC.  It's been away for a while and, after the shocking departure of creator Dan Harmon and an uncertain future of its fourth season - plus a possible exile to Friday nights - the show is at last returning to Thursdays starting Feb. 7 at 8 p.m. 

The long break has allotted me the chance to borrow a friend's DVDs of all three previous seasons, and though it took a couple of episodes to get into it, I am now a bonafide fan.  It's weird, quirky, out-of-the-box, filled with "what the ...?" moments, and a consistent laugh riot.

That's not to say it's for everyone.  If you love and appreciate TV, it's for you, being that the show often dedicates episodes to specific television staples - the "bottle" episode (one that features only the regular cast, not guest stars), the "flashback" episode, the "alternate timeline" episode, etc.  But Community goes further, often paying tribute to other show formats:  the did a Law & Order episode, a documentary episode, an episode reminiscent of old historical films (including action stills), and more.  Dan Harmon's imagination seems limitless and he clearly is a fan of pop culture, so it will be curious to see what the show is like without their master at the helm.

The lowdown:
Community follows the antics and adventures of a tight-knit study group at fictional Greendale Community College. Unofficial leader of the group is Jeff Winger (Joel McHale, who's snarky brilliance can also be enjoyed on E's The Soup), a fast-talking, narcissistic, self-centered ex-lawyer who is forced to return to college after the discovery that he conned his way through college and law school. 

The rest of the study group - formed when all were struggling through Spanish together - includes  Britta Perry (Gillian Jacobs, Seeking a Friend for the End of the World), a 20-something dropout with something to prove; Shirley Bennett (Yvette Nicole Brown, Rules of Engagement), a sassy, middle-aged divorcee; Abed Nadir (Danny Pudi, Greek), a pop-culture junkie and aspiring filmmaker; Annie Edison (Alison Brie, Mad Men), a high-strung perfectionist and recovered addict; Troy Barnes (Donald Glover, 30 Rock), a former high school football star; and Pierce Hawthorne (Chevy Chase, Chuck, Saturday Night Live), an offensive moist towlette empire heir with no edit button.

Also featured are Ken Jeong (The Hangover) as Ben Chang, the group’s former Spanish professor-turned student-turned security guard, and Jim Rash (That '70s Show) as Greendale's Dean Pelton, an ultra-efficient yet slightly neurotic administrator whose penchant for dressing in costume is a regular visual joke on the show.

Series highlights include two elaborate, all-encompassing paintball wars, the construction of a fantastical blanket fort, an ongoing tribute to the popular Doctor Who, the magical travels within Troy and Abed's "Dreamatorium", and the cast of characters themselves.

As I said, not everyone is going to get the comedy and point-of-view of Community, but for those that love the strange and unusual, appreciate storytelling from those that clearly march to their own drummer, love pop culture and television and yearn for a wild, crazy, off-kilter and hilarious ride, then this is a show for you.

Bottom line:  Enroll today to catch this delightfully quirky comedy.

Community seasons 1-3 now available on DVD.  Season 4 returns Thursday, Feb. 7 at 8 p.m. on NBC.

Nostalgia TV - ME TV

Nostalgic for your old-time favorite TV shows?  Welcome to ME-TV!
 
The cable channel ME-TV (Memorable Entertainment Television)  presents a wide variety of  classic, iconic series that so many of us grew up with and have defined pop culture and television for decades.

Shows currently in the channel's ongoing lineup include comedies like M*A*S*H, Cheers, I Love Lucy, The Bob Newhart Show, The Honeymooners, My Three Sons, The Mary Tyler Moore Show and more.  Dramas include the original Hawaii Five-0, Emergency!, Perry Mason, The Big Valley, Star Trek, Columbo, Route 66, The Twilight Zone, The Fugitive, The Rockford Files and The Untouchables, among many others.

Give a watch and let the memories roll in!

To find ME-TV in your area, visit www.metvnetwork.com and enter your zip code in their provider finder to see where you can watch in your area. Follow the link to your local affiliate's website for local broadcast, cable and satellite distribution information.

TNT - Have a Blast With These Fun Shows

TNT is on fire with two shows, one of which I have been with since its premiere, the other I have heard of but only recently watched and liked.

This show was a winner for me from the get-go.

Here's the lowdown:  Based on characters created by best-selling crime novelist Tess Gerritsen, Rizzoli & Isles stars Angie Harmon as Jane Rizzoli, a tough-as-nails Boston police detective, and Sasha Alexander as Maura Isles, a smart, impeccably dressed medical examiner from a privileged background. Despite being complete opposites, the two women share an offbeat chemistry and strong working relationship that has helped them bust some of Boston’s most notorious criminals.

The series co-stars Lorraine Bracco as Jane’s demanding and intrusive mother, Angela, Lee Thompson Young as Detective Barry Frost, Jane’s somewhat green partner, Bruce McGill as Detective Vince Korsak, Jane’s seasoned former partner who resents her being paired with Frost, and Jordan Bridges as Jane’s brother, Frankie Jr., a patrol cop who hopes one day to become a detective.

I love the unlikely, how-on-earth-are-these-two-women-friends? friendship because Harmon and Alexander really pull it off.  Their chemistry is undeniable and I really like the way the show usually bookends each episode with them, the opener just a small vignette in their lives/relationship, the closer wrapping up with a nod to what's happened in the hour and how they've been affected. 

The show does have moments of real drama, from Jane dealing with trauma caused by a criminal from her past (who recurred over several episodes) to Maura dealing with having a mob boss for a biological father to a real falling out between the two friends.  They eventually made up and are back in fine, fun, banter-filled form.

This show has been on for a while but I wasn't really drawn to it.  It did have actors I've seen on other shows I love (Angel, Supernatural) but wouldn't necessarily follow over to this show.  But the other day I had it on in the background and little by little I caught moments that had me laughing out loud.  Plus I love the heist genre, and so I gave another episode a viewing.  Now, me likey.

The lowdown:  The Leverage crew is led by former insurance investigator turned thief, Nate Ford (Timothy Hutton). His cohorts include Sophie Devereaux (Gina Bellman), a brilliant grifter; Eliot Spencer (Christian Kane, Lindsey on Angel), a retrieval specialist; Alec Hardison (Aldis Hodge, Jake on Supernatural), a gadget and technology wizard; and Parker (Beth Riesgraf), a slightly off-center thief adept at rappelling off buildings. The quintet uses their skills to fight corporate and governmental injustices inflicted on ordinary citizens.

Again, great cast chemistry is key and each character fills an important role to the overall team, making it a solid unit.  It's a great balance of action and humor, a combination I love in other shows I watch, including Hawaii Five-0, Castle and Psych.

That's my opinion.  Now give these series a watch and see if you agree.  Way to go, TNT!

Both shows happen to air on Tuesday nights.  Catch new episodes of Rizzoli & Isles at 9 p.m., followed by new episodes of Leverage at 10 p.m.