Category Archives: TV

A moment to mourn ‘The Fades’

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“The Fades” has left us before we really got to know it.

If the name of the BBC supernatural series doesn’t ring a bell with you, that’s probably a good indicator that the show was little-seen. But believe me, it was much admired in some quarters.

Previously in this blog I’ve noted that the show, about a British teenager, Paul, who discovers he’s a “Buffy”-like Chosen One, was one of the best modern-day incarnations of that type of story: A young person, overmatched by regular everyday life,x finds the weight — and fate — of the world on his (her in “Buffy’s” case) slim shoulders.

“The Fades,” which aired around these parts on BBC America, had only about a half-dozen episodes in its first season. The storyline resolved itself to a great degree but really left fans wanting more.

It was not to be. The channel BBC3 announced a few days ago that a second season would not be produced.

I doubt that decision — which has been greeted with some “outrage” by fans, according to news accounts — will be reversed, but I think you’d still enjoy the first (and only) season of the show. It’s been available On Demand and is out on disc.

If you start watching, be aware that after a slightly awkward opening episode, the show moves into creepy good mode.

There’s not much of “The Fades” out there, but what there is is quite enjoyable.

Madchen Amick fans assemble!

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What do actress Madchen Amick, the newspaper comic panel “The Family Circus” and the giant flying snake thing from the previews for “The Avengers” have in common?

They’re pretty much the most popular topics I’ve written about in this blog.

Since early this week, when I followed up on my “Mad Men” review with an entry noting that Andrea, the old fling of Don Draper who showed up on Don’s doorstep — and under his bed, choked to death, in his fever dream — was played by Amick, hundreds of readers have checked out the blog.

So, in the spirit of cheap plays for page views, I wanted to note the popularity of Amick, best-remembered for most of us as diner waitress Shelly in the cult classic TV series “Twin Peaks.”

I also wanted to note that most sources online appear to agree that Amick, born in 1970 according to her IMDb entry, looks pretty amazing.

It doesn’t take much Googling to determine that clips of Amick, particularly in a bikini from the cable TV series “Californication,” are out there.

Go ahead and Google. I’ll wait.

Anyway, Madchen Amick is now forever enshrined in this blog’s hall of fame, along with Billy, Jeffy and the the rest of the Keane comic strip family as well as the Leviathan or whatever flying beastie the Avengers will face.

Now if there was only some way to get Madchen Amick, the ghostly grandparents from “The Family Circus” and the flying snake thing from “The Avengers” all into the same blog item.

Hmm.

Madchen Amick all choked up in ‘Mad Men’s’ ‘Mystery Date’

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Last night’s “Mad Men,” besides giving the characters — and viewers — the creeps over the Richard Speck mass murders, presented me with a real brain-teaser:

Who played Andrea, the old flame of Don Draper who showed up in an elevator and, later, in Don’s flu-induced fever dreams in the episode called “Mystery Date?”

The actress looked undeniably familiar but I missed her name in the credits.

Today I discovered the actress was Madchen Amick, one of the most memorable young actresses on TV two decades ago.

Amick played Shelly Johnson, the high school girl and waitress in “Twin Peaks,” the cult TV mystery series that aired in 1990 and 1991.

Considering the nightmarish stuff of “Twin Peaks,” it’s perfectly appropriate — somehow even fitting — that Amick played Andrea. In last night’s macabre episode, Andrea encountered Don on an elevator and immediately went into purring seductress mode … until Don introduced his wife, Megan, who was standing some distance away.

Later, Andrea showed up and offered herself to Don, whose weakened condition on account of the flu apparently didn’t extend to the bedroom.

When Andrea, getting out of bed, told Don that she expected a return visit, he became enraged and choked her to death, stuffing her body under his and Megan’s bed before passing out again.

When Don woke up, however, Megan was there … and the encounter with Andrea never happened.

Part of the fun of seeing Amick again was that I haven’t seen her on TV a lot in the past two decades. According to her biography, she’s worked pretty steadily, with roles in everything from the “Fantasy Island” reboot to “Dawson’s Creek” to “CSI: NY.”

Who can forget this famous 1990 Rolling Stone magazine cover, with Amick and “Twin Peaks” co-stars Sherilyn Fenn and Lara Flynn Boyle?

That’s a lot of hair. But Amick looks great.

If Andrea indeed isn’t stuffed under the Drapers’ bed, maybe Amick will pay a return visit to “Mad Men” this season. Although some have theorized that Don’s hallucinatory choking of Andrea symbolized his efforts to leave his past behind and be faithful to Megan, I’ll believe Don has become monogamous when I see it.

Classic TV: Nikki and Paulo of the ‘Lost’ episode ‘Expose’

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In the tradition of Cousin Oliver on “The Brady Bunch” — unwanted characters added to a hit TV show — we present Nikki and Paulo, the attempt by the producers of “Lost” to add some fleshed-out background characters during the third season of that series.

According to Internet legend, the producers of the show — about airline crash survivors fighting to survive mysterious happenings on a Pacific island — were asked about the mostly nameless other survivors of the crash, usually seen in the background as the major characters play out the storyline of the week.

So they added, gradually at first, Nikki (Kiele Sanchez) and Paulo (Rodrigo Santoro). Extremely easy on the eyes — even among the good-looking cast of “Lost” — the couple seemed like a good way to add some depth to the cast.

But even though fans had asked for more about the background characters, turns out most people didn’t like the modern-day equivalent of elevating “third red shirt from the left” on classic “Star Trek” to supporting character status.

Backlash on Internet sites was quick and brutal. Santoro in particular had the misfortune of being dubbed “Takes A Shit Guy” on Ain’t It Cool News in reference to a scene in which he comes out of a bathroom, flushing sounds behind him, in one of the secret science stations discovered on the island.

So the producers made a funny and canny move: They explored, through trademark “Lost” flashbacks, the backstory of Nikki and Paulo … in the same episode in which they killed them off.

Written by Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz,” “Expose” — the 14th episode of the third season — revealed that Nikki was an American actress who had been working on a TV show called “Expose” in Australia before boarding the flight. Paulo was the chef of the show’s producer.

The two — led by the ruthless Nikki — poisoned the producer and stole millions of dollars in diamonds before boarding the Oceanic Air flight home.

As the episode revealed, Nikki and Paulo were desperate to find the diamonds, hidden in a suitcase that was dropped somewhere inland when the plane broke up over the island, and had spent much of their weeks and months on the island looking for it.

Since it’s well known there is no honor among thieves, the two ended up meeting a harsh end. In the opening minutes of the episode, Hurley, Sawyer and the others find the two paralyzed — they assume they’re dead — and proceed to bury them. And they do bury them — alive, unknowingly.

How’s that for harsh? If “The Brady Bunch” had Cousin Oliver skateboard in front of a moving van, it still might not have topped this.

I loved “Lost” pretty much right up until the final episode, when it seemed obvious the producers were not going to pay off on many of the nifty teasers and red herrings they had planted through the show.

But I have no complaints about their handling of Nikki and Paulo, and “Expose” is one of the most clever ways of getting rid of unwanted characters I can imagine. Viewed years after the fact, the episode is a time capsule and love letter to the series, bringing back characters who hadn’t been seen since early in the series, “previewing” characters in flashbacks we hadn’t yet met and providing great lines to characters like Sawyer, whose attitude about the two summed up the feelings of many viewers:

“Who the hell are Nikki and Paulo?”

 

Waiting patiently for Sheriff ‘Longmire’

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One of my favorite mystery novel series right now is Craig Johnson’s Walt Longmire series, which follows the sheriff of a sparsely populated Wyoming county as, slowly and sometimes painfully but with dry humor, he recovers from the cancer death of his wife and keeps the peace.

Johnson’s Longmire is a tough guy with a soft heart. He’s no spring chicken — Longmire and his native buddy, Henry Standing Bear, served in Vietnam together — but he’s rough and ready. Longmire is more than capable of dealing with the kooks and criminals that pass through his county.

His vulnerability is his heart. Longmire worries — with good reason — about his smart and independent daughter, Cady, and tries to figure out his relationship with Victoria Moretti, his imported-from-back-east deputy who is as rough-edged as she is tempting.

The books have their fair share of action, often involving the inhospitable Wyoming terrain and a group of surly bad guys. But the Longmire stories won’t be mistaken for “Die Hard.” Longmire can defuse a situation as handily as he can brawl his way out.

In light of the success of cable TV series like “Justified,” A&E announced last year that it would turn Johnson’s Longmire books into a series. “Longmire” debuts June 3.

I hope they get the show right. Robert Taylor seems a little too young to play Longmire, and Lou Diamond Phillips will have to convince me he is Henry Standing Bear. Katee Sackhoff couldn’t be more perfect as Vic Moretti, though. Sackhoff has the perfect mix of sex appeal and hot-headedness to play Vic.

I’ve read all of Johnson’s books and I’m looking forward to the next, “As the Crow Flies.”

And I’m looking forward to — if a little anxious about — the TV version.

‘Mad Men’ exploring the ’60s with ‘Tea Leaves’

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Tonight’s “Mad Men” episode, “Tea Leaves,” pushed the AMC series further along into the shank of the 1960s, with drugs, rock and roll and well, not as much sex as last week’s naughty lingerie cleaning bout.

Surprisingly, the episode put Don’s ex, Betty, in the spotlight as the character, played by an unrecognizable January Jones (who was pregnant for much of the filming of the fifth season), gets a real health scare.

Betty is gaining weight and wonders if it’s due to dissatisfaction over her life with Henry. But a doctor tells her he’s found a lump.

Jones, who has been handed an icy, unlikable character for much of the run of the show, gets to play sympathetic tonight. Even after she learns the tumor is benign, we feel for Betty. Especially when she reaches for daughter Sally’s unfinished ice cream sundae at the end. Don’t try to eat your way out of unhappiness, Betty!

Some other observations:

Pete continues to be a total ass. Admittedly, Roger is a jerk. But Roger’s a funny jerk. Pete’s prima donna complaining about his office space last week and his public pissing match with Roger this week over the renewed Mohawk Airlines account is like Betty’s tumor: It makes Roger sympathetic.

And what about Roger? I’m worried that he’s gonna off himself before the season is over. The silver fox seems increasingly desperate and alienated.

Harry continues to be a comedic highlight of each episode. Last week he was going on and on about his attraction for Don’s new wife Megan … while Megan stood behind him. Tonight Harry and Don go to a Rolling Stones concert to try to talk to the band about singing a TV jingle for Heinz. Harry breathlessly tells Don that he’s just talked to the band. But the Stones are elsewhere in the building. “Who were you talking to?” Don scowls, prompting Harry to eat 20 White Castles. Now Harry knows how Betty feels.

The 60s are here! The 60s are here! Don and Harry get offered a joint by a cute young woman hanging out backstage waiting for the Stones. The new black secretary is on the job. A new young copy writer who’s quick with his wits — and a good match for Peggy — joins Sterling Cooper Draper Price and single-handedly shakes up the Protestant-skewing makeup of the office.

Clients say the darndest things. Last week the bean makers wanted to see their beans carrying picket signs. Tonight the Heinz people asked for the Rolling Stones. Aren’t they cute when they don’t have a grasp of reality?

 

‘Anchorman’ and the ‘uncomfortable’ comedies

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Will Ferrell appeared on “Conan” the other night, flute in hand, to insult the show’s host, play flute with the band and, oh yeah, announce that he’s making a sequel to the 2004 comedy “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.”

Actually, if you buy the schtick, Ferrell himself didn’t appear. It was Burgundy, with his burnt orange blazer and 1970s haircut (really, in what time period did Ferrell’s TV news parody take place?), the pride of San Diego newscasters.

I’ll probably see the “Anchorman” sequel, either in theaters or on disc. I liked the original “Anchorman” pretty well and have more of an appreciation for it each time it plays on cable TV, which is pretty much all the time, alternating with “The Shawshank Redemption” and “Iron Man.”

But there’s no doubt that I squirmed about as often as I laughed while I was watching “Anchorman.”

Ferrell’s movie, directed by Adam McKay, is part of a genre of comedy in movies and TV that I call “uncomfortable” comedies. They’re not outrageous, go-for-the-gut comedies like “The Hangover” or “Bridesmaids,” although there are some uncomfortable moments in those hits. The really, truly uncomfortable comedies have as many awkward moments as funny ones.

When Farrell talks to his dog or spouts off bizarre threats and insults, you can’t help but think, “Are we supposed to laugh here?”

I’m not sure where the awkward comedies began. For much of the past four decades, there have been awkward sketches on “Saturday Night Live,” but I’m not sure all of those were intentional. I’m thinking the origins were a little more foreign than that.

“The Office.” Beginning in 2001, Ricky Gervais masterminded a British workplace comedy shot in realistic, mockumentary style. The U.S. version, starring master of awkward comedy Steve Carrell, began about four years later. Carrell and a handful of other actors, including Jack Black, Seth Rogen and a few more, are as adept at making us squirm and fidget as they are at making us laugh.

The U.K. version of “The Office” was actually predated by a show that, while it had uncomfortable moments, was best known for giving us this new generation of uncomfortable actors. “Freaks and Geeks,” which lasted a single golden season beginning in 1999, featured Rogen, Jason Segel and others. This tale of high-school losers is greatly missed, although I’ve had few more uncomfortable viewing experiences than watching Segel serenade his unrequited crush.

Some of the cast and creators of “Freaks and Geeks,” the latter including Paul Feig and Judd Apatow, have gone on to turn the awkward comedy into box-office gold with movies including, in Apatow’s case, “Anchorman,” “40-Year-Old Virgin” and “Saving Sarah Marshall.” Some of them also teamed on “Undeclared,” another late, lamented comedy series that ran for a single season beginning in 2001. The tale of lovable losers at college — instead of high school, as in “Freaks and Geeks” — felt like a sequel to “Freaks and Geeks” and even featured Rogen, although as a different character.

One of the best and most outrageous awkward comedies of recent years is “Borat,” Sasha Baron Cohen’s 2006 mockumentary — a style that lends itself to awkward comedy, as in “The Office” — about a crude faux-Eastern European journalist touring the United States. Part of what made “Borat” one of a kind was how Cohen seemed to fool the people around him into thinking he was legit.

A latter-day awkward moments comedy is “Portlandia,” an Independent Film Channel series featuring Fred Armisen. The show makes fun of a truly cool but oddball city, Portland, Oregon, with its artistic pretensions and offbeat characters. I tried to like “Portlandia” and might give it another try. But the show was filled with a few too many awkward silences and too few genuine laughs for me.

Maybe I’m just too awkward for it.

New images: ‘Man of Steel,’ ‘Avengers’ on Disney XD, ‘Beware the Batman’

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Images, we got images. Nah, it just doesn’t sing.

But nevertheless, we’ve got lots and lots of images.

In the days, weeks and months leading up to the debut of a new TV show or the release of a new movie, set photos and officially sanctioned photos of the cast turn up online and in magazines. But the geeks among us also enjoy seeing logos and promotional pictures.

So today was a bonanza, with new images released for “Man of Steel,” Disney XD’s “Avengers” series and “Beware the Batman,” the new Cartoon Network show.

First the big-screen movie, “Man of Steel.” It comes out in June 2013, but we’ve already seen set photos like this one of star Henry Cavill:

It is a cryin’ shame how that guy has let himself go.

Anyway, today came the release of the new “Man of Steel” logo, showing the Superman shield.

I think it looks pretty good. And I’m definitely pleased they’ve made the shield bigger on Supe’s chest than it was in “Superman Returns.”

If you haven’t seen “The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes” on Disney XD, you should check the half-hour animated series out on DVD. It’s a good show that feels very close in spirit to the Marvel comic. It also seems to dovetail nicely into the “Avengers” movie coming out in May.

Anyway, here’s a new photo from the Disney XD series showing what would appear to be a greatly expanded cast that includes the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man and Wolverine. Some online comments said the picture reminded them of “Justice League Unlimited,” the Cartoon Network classic of the DC Animated Universe. What do you think?

Can you name all the heroes? I was stumped by only one.

Lastly there’s “Beware the Batman,” the new Cartoon Network series coming in 2013.

The image is pretty cool and hopefully the computer animation is a little more polished than in the new CN “Green Lantern” series.

But can any cartoon depiction of the Dark Knight ever top the classic “Batman: The Animated Series?” I can’t imagine it.

‘Justified’ building to something with ‘Measures’

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More than a few episodes of this third season of “Justified” have felt like slow-burning set-ups for what’s to come. And as I’ve said before, I have no problem with enjoying the build-up considering how enjoyable series creator Graham Yost’s tale of Kentucky cops and criminals is.

Really, I could watch an hour of offbeat Marshal Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant), charismatic lawbreaker Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins) and their supporting players just hanging out.

Last night’s episode, “Measures,” again felt like the series was building to its season finale in two weeks.

This season overall seems to have fewer stand-alone episodes, especially compared to the first season.

Anyway, here’s some highlights:

Art and Raylan. As Raylan’s seen-it-all boss in the Lexington U.S. Marshals office, Nick Searcy makes Art a highlight of every episode. Last night he went out into the field with Raylan because of Detroit mobster Quarles’ threats. Art and Raylan are both smart asses, but Art has a career full of experiences to back up his remarks.

Michael Ironside! The veteran tough-guy actor, whose resume ranged from the cult classic horror film “Scanners” to “Top Gun” to providing the voice of Superman villain Darkseid, turned up as a soldier for a Detroit mob boss. I wish Ironside was a regular.

Neal McDonough as Quarles. Set up to be the smooth, violent mobster who comes in from Detroit to take over the local drug trade, Quarles started the season as a dapper killer with a gun hidden up his sleeve. But as his efforts to set up shop in Kentucky unraveled — thanks in large part to homegrown criminal Boyd Crowder — Quarles has become a lurid oddity, an Oxy-popping, homicidal maniac who, last night, robbed and killed a couple of drug dealers. With a sword.

Boyd Crowder. Nuff said.

 

Have the nerds inherited the earth?

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It wasn’t that long ago that fans of comic books, monster movies, science fiction and other nerdy stuff had to be fairly closeted about their pop culture choices.

I still remember the look on a guy’s face who, when I was a teenager, looked at the paperback book in my hand and read the title: “The Martian Chronicles.” This was Ray Bradbury. The author was — and is — considered a literary lion, for pete’s sake. But the guy glanced from the book cover to me and looked as if I had been perusing the latest issue of “Nuns and Nazis.”

God only knows what would have happened if I had been reading the latest issue of Famous Monsters magazine.

So I still feel a little lightheaded over the rise of geek culture. Not just the number of big-screen, big-budget movies based on comic books. I’m kind of getting accustomed to that.

No, I’m thinking about the TV shows — at least one of them based on a Podcast — that are not only devoted to a celebration of geek culture but even feature honest-to-goodness, real life geeks.

These shows portray the real-world versions of geeks like those in “Big Bang Theory” — without the Hollywood veneer. More about “Big Bang” in a bit.

Here’s a run-down of the geek and nerd equivalents of Johnny Carson:

“The Nerdist:” Back in the day, Chris Hardwick was that snarky guy with the big voice on “Singled Out,” the MTV game show. A couple of years ago, Hardwick began “The Nerdist” podcast, an online audio look at geek and nerd culture featuring not only fans but celebrity guests.

Hardwick and “The Nerdist” — which also features genuinely funny geeks Jonah Ray and Matt Mira as regular panelists — got somewhat wider (or different) exposure when BBC America tapped the three to appear on a “Nerdist” TV series.

Only a handful of episodes have appeared so far, but they feature Hardwick, Ray and Mira chatting with geek culture demigods like Wil Wheaton and Nathan Fillion. The shows — available On Demand and no doubt online — are breezy and silly and don’t have any more substance than your typical talk show. They are, however, about the kind of geeky stuff that your parents used to hate.

“Talking Dead:” Hardwick packed up his geek shtick — but unfortunately not his sidekicks — and hosted this AMC talk show that followed episodes of the channel’s hit “The Walking Dead.”

Although the focus is narrow — it’s all about “The Walking Dead” — the show is entertaining and offers some insight into the series. The episode following the season finale of “The Walking Dead” featured the show’s creators announcing the actress who will play Michonne but also included one of the show’s funniest bits: An “In Memoriam” video montage of zombies killed off during that evening’s episode.

“Comic Book Men:” Somehow AMC has become the channel for nerd talk shows. Airing on Sunday nights along with “The Walking Dead” and “Talking Dead” is “Comic Book Men,” a series set in director Kevin Smith’s New Jersey comic book store.

Smith makes appearances but the series is focused on Walt Flanagan, manager of the store, and three employees/layabouts, Ming Chen, Mike Zapcic and Bryan Johnson.

All four guys are opinionated and entertaining. Chen, the low man on the totem pole, is like the Gilligan of the series.

It is Johnson, sporting a wild mane and wooly beard, who is the show’s highlight, however. Johnson’s online bio indicates that he has acted and directed in projects associated with Smith.

In “Comic Book Men,” Johnson is portrayed as an archetype familiar to anyone who has spent time at a comic book store or convention: The guy — usually older — who always seems to be hanging out, offering up sarcastic comments and withering put-downs. Johnson makes that stereotype immensely likable, however, through his genuine wit.

If “Comic Book Men” has a fault it is that I don’t think it realistically portrays a comic book store in one respect: Nobody ever buys anything! Most of the interaction between the employees and the public comes when people come in hoping to sell old comics or “Catwoman” Barbies. It’s like a nerd version of “Pawn Stars.”

Not even a roundup to non-fiction geek talk shows would be complete without a mention of “Big Bang Theory.” One of the most popular shows on TV, the CBS sitcom is about four geeks who hang out together, playing online games, going to a comic book store and obsessing about sex.

There’s a pretty divisive view of “Big Bang Theory” online. A lot of geeks consider it patronizing and shallow. It is, of course. But it’s no more patronizing or shallow a look at a group of friends than … well, “Friends” was.

And “Big Bang Theory,” like its real-life counterparts, offer a view of geek culture that not even Ross in the depths of his museum-geek persona could reach.