TNT

DVD, TV Review: TNT’s ‘Leverage’ Delivers Entertainment Despite Flaws

BrianTT — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:31:13 -0600

CHICAGO – In a world where corporate bailouts and scumbags like Bernie Madoff dominate the news, it would seem like TNT’s “Leverage” would be a natural choice for a summer diversion. The Timothy Hutton star vehicle is essentially “Robin Hood” for the modern age or “Ocean’s 11” if Danny Ocean were a bit more philanthropic and it may not be groundbreaking television but it is something the broadcast network offerings have not been this season - mostly entertaining.x

TV Rating: 3.0/5.0

Hutton stars as Nate Ford, a former insurance investigator who watched as corruption and corporate neglect led to the death of his son. In the first season, now on DVD (more details on that at the bottom of this review), Ford gathered a team of social and technical experts who assisted him in revenge schemes to try and balance the fight between David and Goliath.

Timothy Hutton.
Photo credit: Erik Heinila/TNT

The rest of “Ford’s Five” include the highly skilled grifter Sophie Devereaux (Gina Bellman), the muscle man Eliot Spencer (Christian Kane), technology wizard Alec Hardison (Aldis Hodge), and the sexy thief Parker (Beth Riesgraf). It’s a well-cast ensemble with each actor and character bringing something else to each crime and the overall show.

Timothy Hutton.
Photo credit: Erik Heinila/TNT

At the end of season one, Ford’s group had gone their separate ways after the destruction of their headquarters. Consequently, a large chunk of the premiere of season two is devoted to reuniting the band.

The episode kicks off with an impressive car accident, which turns out to be the attempted murder of a bank whistleblower and his daughter. Nate witnesses the event, saves the passengers, and becomes involved in an elaborate mystery that will soon require the skills of Eliot, Sophie, Alec, and Parker.

The second season premiere of “Leverage” is consistent with the majority of this good-not-great show. It delivers disposable, popcorn entertainment that sometimes purports to say something greater about the fight of the everyman but is really just trying to keep you one step behind Ford’s complex scheme to keep you from changing the channel.

So why is “Leverage” merely good and not great? What’s holding it back?

The premiere of the sophomore season is a perfect example of everything that works about the show and what still needs a little fixing.

On the positive side of the TV ledger, this is well-paced, brisk, clever TV writing with a stronger supporting ensemble than average and witty dialogue.

Gina Bellman, Christian Kane, Timothy Hutton, Aldis Hodge and Beth Riesgraf.
Photo credit: Richard Foreman/TNT

On the negative, I’m still not buying Hutton nor Bellman. The former is a little too half-asleep to truly sell the charisma this character needs to have and the latter isn’t quite believable as the multi-talented con woman she needs to be. I like the two actors but Hutton needs to show a little more energy and Bellman needs to play a little cooler.

Maybe “Leverage” will never be must-see TV, but there’s a similar basic cable show about a small group of people turning the tables on more powerful ones that really took a giant leap in quality during its sophomore year - USA’s “Burn Notice”. That show always displayed a little more potential, but it’s not hard to see “Leverage” settling into a similarly confident groove. Tune in and find out if it does.

If you want to catch up first, Paramount released the first season of “Leverage” on DVD on July 14th, 2009. All thirteen episodes are presented in widescreen with a Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound track. The episodes look and sound better-than-average for standard but it’s a shame that they weren’t presented on Blu-Ray as well.

The special features on the first season of “Leverage” include commentary tracks on every episode and a series of brief featurettes. Fans should zip through “Leverage: Behind the Scenes,” “Anatomy of a Stunt Fight,” “The Cameras of Leverage,” “Leverage Gets Renewed,” “Beth Riesgraf’s Crazy Actress Spoof,” and Deleted Scenes from nine episodes.

The second season of ‘Leverage’ premieres on TNT on Wednesday, July 15th, 2009 at 8pm CST. It stars Timothy Hutton, Gina Bellman, Christian Kane, Beth Riesgraf, and Aldis Hodge. It was created by John Rogers and Chris Downey.

‘Leverage: The First Season’ was released by Paramount Home Video. The show was released on July 14thth, 2009. It is not rated.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

TV Review: New TNT Cop Drama ‘Dark Blue’ Has Potential For Explosion

Ebeth — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 00:56:59 -0600

CHICAGO – TNT on Tuesday launched executive producer Jerry Bruckheimer’s no-holes-barred cop drama, “Dark Blue”. Like Bruckheimer’s successful predecessors in its genre (“C.S.I: Miami”, “C.S.I. New York”, “Cold Case”, and “Without a Trace”), “Dark Blue” provides captivating crime scenarios, an easy-on-the-eyes cast (including Dylan McDermott of “The Practice”), and just enough suspense to keep engaged.

Television Rating: 3.0/5.0

Unlike “C.S.I.: Miami”, “Dark Blue” achieves both subtle and speedy depth in its characters. McDermott’s “Lt. Carter Shaw”, with his “just-rolled-out-of-a-bed-of-nails” demeanor, creates far more intrigue than one-dimensional David Caruso‘s “stand-firm, wince-in-thought, turn-sideways, wince-in-thought-again,” dance as “Horatio Caine”.

Dylan McDermott stars in TNT’s drama series “Dark Blue”.
Photo credit: Danny Feld

The series opens with a charge as an undercover FBI agent, at the hands of a criminal team and undercover cop Dean Bendis (Logan Marshall-Green of TV’s “The O.C”), is electrocuted within inches of his life. The plot eases only slightly, as the remainder of the pilot is spent with the suspenseful sorting of the soldiers from the sinister.

The second episode is just slightly less engaging, due to predictability, as Officer Ty Curtis (Omari Hardwick of TNT’s “Saved”), struggling with the balance of marriage and loyalty to his work, breaks his ultra-undercover persona. This mistake leads him and his wife to death’s door, and the team – no surprise - must exhaust all options to save them.

“Dark Blue” has all the elements of a typical cop drama - there is nothing all that original, here. But the all-too-complicated characters leave us curious as to what comes next. Scenes are shot creatively – with an almost dark and blue element to many of the frames. And we become part of this secret world through a storyline that is as engaging as the actors who bring it to life.

Nicki Aycox, Logan Marshall-Greene and Dylan McDermott in TNT’s “Dark Blue”.
Photo credit: Richard Foreman

There is certainly some room for improvement. As usual, we’re expected to suspend reality and accept that the good guys can outrun bullets the bad guys can’t. There are several attempts at comic-relief that don’t make it out of the barrel, such as a gun-smuggler’s whiney curiosities about “couples therapy” with his stripper girlfriend.

Pacing of the second episode is horrible. As if blessed with “beam me up” technology, the team seems to transport all-too-fast from one showdown to the next. Curtis crosses town to stop a killer in a seeming one-minute span. These time warps become a bit much when the team shows up on Curtis’ driveway nanoseconds after having made a multiple arrest.

Dylan McDermott, Nicki Aycox, Omari Hardwick and Logan Marshall-Greene in TNT’s “Dark Blue”.
Photo credit: Timothy White

Nicki Aycox (of TV’s “Supernatural”) plays a rather bland and unmemorable (thus far) Jaimie Allen, an officer recruited by Shaw because of her jaded past. The writers need to step up their game. And each of the two episodes introduced a new brand of criminal, rather than establishing a continuing storyline.

The series risks becoming too episodic, focusing each installment on individual crime busts rather than focusing on a bigger picture. However, spots of what-has-been and what’s-to-come: the passing of Shaw’s wife, Bendis’s walking of the fine-line between undercover officer and criminal and Curtis’s balance of his alias’s scorned love with his real-life wife - all hint at mindful and balanced writing.

Overall, “Dark Blue” has great potential for success. This no-one-knows-it-exists-world of undercover crime-stomping is about to be brought into public awareness, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. As TV becomes saturated with some “unwitnessable” crimes of reality television, “Dark Blue” busts through as a worthwhile flip of the dial. “Dark Blue” premieres this Wednesday at 10 PM (ET/PT).

By ELIZABETH OPPRIECHT
HollywoodChicago.com
elizabeth@hollywoodchicago.com

TV Review: TNT’s Overly Earnest ‘HawthoRNe’ Won’t Cure Summer TV Blues

BrianTT — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 06:00:00 -0600

CHICAGO – TNT’s medical drama “HawthoRNe” would have felt overly generic in any month of the year, but debuting in the same one as Showtime’s far darker, subtler and more entertaining “Nurse Jackie” does the show no favors at all. Jada Pinkett Smith executive-produces and stars in a well-intentioned program with a good pedigree (John Masius of “St. Elsewhere” is one of the producers) but one that feels like a relic of a bygone era of more manipulative television.

Television Rating: 2.0/5.0

The premiere of “HawthoRNe” introduces us to the title character, Nurse Christina Hawthorne, on the one-year anniversary of her husband’s death. Hawthorne is the Chief Nursing Officer at Richmond Trinity Hospital, leading a group of nurses against two-dimensional doctors always trying to screw them over and patients who need them to survive.

Jada Pinkett Smith, Michael Vartan.
Photo credit: Erik Heinila/TNT

The first episode of “HawthoRNe” features a homeless woman stuck in a horrible situation, a doctor who ignores a nurse when he corrects her error, and even family drama with the mother (Joanna Cassidy) of Christina’s deceased husband. It also actually features a character saying to Hawthorne, “It’s you against the system.”

It’s dialogue like that sinks all the effort on the part of Smith, Vartan, and the rest of the talented cast. TNT has carved a niche with strong female characters like the ones on “The Closer” and “Saving Grace,” but it’s impossible for Smith to feel genuine and believable with so much generic TV writing around her.

David Julian Hirsh, Christina Moore, Jada Pinkett Smith, Michael Vartan, Suleka Mathew.
Photo credit: Robert Trachtenberg/TNT

Jada Pinkett Smith and co-star Michael Vartan (“Alias”) are undeniably good actors but they’re left stranded by two-dimensional, overly earnest, manipulative writing, at least in the series premiere. There is enough talent in front of the camera and behind it that “Hawthorne” could develop into something more interesting, but I can only judge based on the premiere episode that was sent.

There’s so much going in the first episode of “HawthoRNe” - character introductions mixed with single mother drama, a suicide attempt, social commentary, a grieving wife, and generic medical mysteries - and yet none of it hits home. It’s all straight from the “medical drama” handbook with very few surprises. It all seems far too easy, even for the talented actors involved, and one has to wonder what drew the talented Smith to such safe, dull material.

As bad as the obvious dialogue, I equally couldn’t stand the way the doctors were turned into such obvious villains in the premiere. “Nurse Jackie” distinguishes between nurses and doctors so much more distinctly without turning the latter into the enemy. It’s not always nurse vs. doctor. They do have to work together. To be fair, Vartan plays a “good doctor,” the Chief of Surgery who also treated Christina’s husband.

Ultimately, “HawthoRNe” is simply yet another show about a hero with her own emotional problems trying to save lives. If the characters are given more time to breathe and allowed out from under the generic plotting of the premiere, the show has a chance to work, but the test of a first episode is whether or not you’ll return for the follow-up episode and it will be tough to check into this TV hospital again.

‘Hawthorne’ premieres on TNT on Tuesday, June 16th, 2009 at 8pm CST. It stars Jada Pinkett Smith, Michael Vartan, Suleka Mathew, David Julian Hirsh, Christina Moore, Hannah Hodson, and Joanna Cassidy.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

TV Review: TNT’s ‘Raising the Bar’ Presents Opening Arguments For Season Two

BrianTT — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 12:49:59 -0600

CHICAGO – I’m a huge Stephen Bochco fan and like most of the cast of TNT’s “Raising the Bar,” returning tonight to start season two and recently released on DVD in a first season set. But I can’t handle the tone changes, two-dimensional characters, and complete lack of judicial realism on this show, one that has promise on paper but has never worked in episode form.

Television Rating: 2.0/5.0

I’ve always had a problem with shows that feel like they intentionally set out to “make a difference”. Good television starts with characters first and difference-making messages come from them. You can’t write theme. Write plot and let theme come organically from the plot. “Raising the Bar” is ALL theme and all message.

Melissa Sagemiller and Mark-Paul Gosselaar
Photo credit: Danny Feld

Proof of this is right there on the back of the season one DVD, “From Emmy-winning producer Steven Bochco comes the powerful new legal drama about the fight for truth and honesty…” It’s not about people. It’s about “the fight”. That leads to melodrama.

“NYPD Blue” was about the daily life of cops who also fought for truth and honesty, not the other way around. It may seem like a small difference, but it makes for two-dimensional characters when they are so clearly the product of a message-delivery machine and not believable themselves.

Gloria Reuben, Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Jane Kaczmarek
Photo credit: Art Streiber

“Raising the Bar” is about a group of young public defenders and district attorneys who may drink and sleep together outside of the courtroom but stand on opposite sides when the legal process comes to call. The earnest and driven Jerry Kellerman (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) leads the way against friends (and even lovers) like Michelle Ernhardt (Melissa Sagemiller) and Marcus McGrath (J. August Richards) on the other side. Other cast members include Teddy Sears, Currie Graham, Jonathan Scarfe, and Gloria Reuben of “ER’.

The cast may be good but the legal issues on “Raising the Bar” drive me crazy. I have yet to see an episode where I didn’t cry foul at the over-the-top behavior of Judge Trudy Kessler (Jane Kaczmarek) or one of the rebellious young legal eagles played by Gosselaar, Sagemiller, or Richards.

In the premiere of season two of “Raising the Bar,” Kessler is back being her crazy self (she would have been disbarred years ago in real life) and a divorce attorney tries to use pictures of people hugging at a birthday party as leverage. The number of times I think “that would NEVER happen” during a legal show is directly related to my overall opinion of said show. It happens often in “Raising the Bar”.

So, what does work about “Raising the Bar”? Sagemiller and Richards are interesting actors and Reuben is always good. She brings the idealism of the show in check and makes her case in the first episode, which involves assault with a hot dog, feel believable and genuine. But a talented actress like Reuben shouldn’t have to struggle against over-played themes to feel genuine.

Ultimately, “Raising the Bar” is for hardcore legal drama fans only. There are clearly enough of you out there to bring the show back for season two and if you can get past the idealistic melodrama, I could see law show junkies finding something to like in this TV courtroom. For me, I’ve seen shows like this too many times before and “Raising the Bar” doesn’t do anything interestingly enough for me take the case.

If you see the season two premiere tonight and want to see where it all began, Buena Vista Home Video released the first season on DVD last week. All ten episodes are presented in widescreen with a 1.78:1 aspect ratio and a Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound track.

Special features on “Raising the Bar: The First Season” include audio commentaries, “Sworn Testimony: True Stories of a Public Defender,” “Behind the Bar: An After Hours Roundtable With the Cast,” and “Mistrials: Bloopers From Season One”.

‘Raising the Bar,’ which airs on TNT, stars Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Gloria Reuben, Jane Kaczmarek, Teddy Sears, Natalia Cigliuti, Melissa Sagemiller, Currie Graham, J. August Richards and Jonathan Scarfe. The second season premiere airs on Monday, June 8th, 2009 at 9PM CST.

‘Raising the Bar: The Complete First Season’ was released by Buena Vista Home Video. The 3-disc set was released on June 2nd, 2009.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

TV Review: Kyra Sedgwick Continues to Shine on TNT’s ‘The Closer’

BrianTT — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 11:23:34 -0600

CHICAGO – One of the best shows on basic cable returns this week with the fifth season premiere of “The Closer,” a dark, gut-wrenching episode that hints at a potentially series-altering summer for the beloved mystery series.

Television Rating: 3.5/5.0

Headed by one of the best performances on television from the excellent Kyra Sedgwick, “The Closer” has always been a show that has been unafraid to go below the surface of its darkest stories and the fifth season premiere is a brutal and riveting one. The show has always expertly segued between dark humor and grisly murder, but there’s barely a smile, much less a chuckle, in tonight’s debut.

The Closer
Photo credit: Karen Neal

A woman and her children are gunned down in their own house. After the husband is interviewed and seems innocent, the Major Crimes unit and Brenda are lost for a suspect before stumbling on to something much darker than they ever expected.

Brenda won’t let a case, especially one with dead children, go unsolved. What separates “The Closer” is how expertly Sedgwick brings this character’s drive to life. She doesn’t just want to get the bad guys. She needs to get the bad guys.

The Closer
Photo credit: Andrew Eccles

Sedgwick brings every painful development of the case to life. She continues to give one of the best performances on television and if the season continues at the caliber of the premiere, it may be the BEST female performance all summer long.

And the end of the season premiere of “The Closer” is such a dark, foreboding epilogue to the episode that one has to wonder, especially given the TNT press release that says “it’s going to be a year of change,” if this isn’t the tone that the series will maintain all summer. It could be a dark one for Brenda and the Major Crimes Unit.

I have yet to make “The Closer” appointment television. As I wrote earlier this year, “What holds it back from jumping from a nice diversion when I happen to catch it to appointment programming is the lack of intriguing mysteries. I rarely find the actual crimes and their resolutions as intriguing as, say, “The Mentalist,” “Bones,” or “Life”. The characters on “The Closer” are fantastic, the mysteries are so-so.”

The premiere of season five is strong enough that I will definitely tune into the second episode and “The Closer” may finally become season pass material, as it is for so many other viewers. I’ve long thought that there was room and potential for “The Closer” to go from good to great. I think season five could be when that happens.

If you need to catch up with “The Closer” after tonight’s fifth season premiere, pick up the recently released “The Closer: The Complete Fourth Season” from Warner Brothers. Last year was certainly a season of change for the show as well as a journalist wrote a story about the Priority Homicide Division that brought Brenda’s group to a bitter end.

All fifteen episodes of season four (which aired last summer and returned earlier this year to finish out its run) are presented in widescreen with a Dolby Surround 5.1 track. Special feature include “Police Files: Unaired Scenes,” “To Catch a Lie: Observational Tips From an FBI Interrogator,” “A Day in the Life of a Homicide Detective: Series Star Corey Reynolds Rides Along With Retired LAPS Detective Mike Berchem,” and a gag reel.

‘The Closer,’ which airs on TNT, stars Kyra Sedgwick, Jon Tenney, J.K. Simmons, G.W. Bailey, Robert Gossett, Anthony John Denison, Michael Paul Chan, and Raymond Cruz. The fifth season premiere airs on Monday, June 8th, 2009 at 8PM CST.

‘The Closer: The Complete Fourth Season’ was released by Warner Brothers. The 4-disc set was released on June 2nd, 2009.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 25 Admit-Two Passes to VIP Screening Party For TNT’s ‘Raising the Bar’

HollywoodChicago.com — Wed, 27 May 2009 17:30:31 -0600

CHICAGO – In our latest edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: TV, we have 25 admit-two VIP screening passes up for grabs to the exclusive Chicago screening party for season two of the new TNT drama “Raising the Bar”. The series comes from 10-time Emmy-winning producer Steven Bochco of “L.A. Law” and “NYPD Blue”.

Winners will enjoy complimentary appetizers and an advance screening of the first episode of season two before it airs! Winners will also have the chance to win a season-one DVD of the series!

To win your free pass to the VIP “Raising the Bar” screening party in Chicago courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, all you need to do is be one of the first 25 people to submit a comment in this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup. That’s it!

The party will be held on June 4, 2009 at 6:30 p.m. in downtown Chicago. Directions to enter this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup and immediately win can be found beneath the graphic below.

“Raising the Bar” from 10-time Emmy-winning producer Steven Bochco of “L.A. Law” and “NYPD Blue”.
Image credit: TNT

Here is the “Raising the Bar” plot description:

“Raising the Bar” is the new drama from Steven Bochco: the 10-time Emmy-winning producer of “L.A. Law” and “NYPD Blue”. The series stars Mark Paul Gosselaar (“NYPD Blue”), Gloria Reuben (“ER”) and Jane Kaczmarek (“Malcolm in the Middle”).

It follows the lives of young lawyers who work on opposite sides – the public defender’s office and the district attorney’s office – as well as those who sit in judgment on their cases. “Raising the Bar” will return with all-new episodes beginning on Monday, June 8, 2009 at 9 p.m. CST.

To secure your free pass now, make sure you’re logged into your HollywoodChicago.com account. If you don’t yet have one, you can quickly register here. Having an account with a valid e-mail address is required. Then, simply add a new comment in the form below. In your comment, include an answer to this simple question:

How do you raise the bar in life?

Like all Hookups here, this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: TV is simple: The first 25 people to comment below win! We will be in touch with the winners to distribute your passes.

Season two of “Raising the Bar” from Emmy-winning producer Steven Bochco of “L.A. Law” and “NYPD Blue” stars Mark Paul Gosselaar, Gloria Reuben, Jane Kaczmarek, Stacy Hall, Currie Graham, Melissa Sagemiller, J. August Richards, Jonathan Scarfe, Teddy Sears, Paul Joyner, Natalia Cigliuti, Wayne Lopez, Jon Polito and Angel Oquendo.

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Editor-in-Chief
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com

TV Review: TNT‘s ‘Trust Me’ Still Needs a Little Work, But Deserves Another Look

BrianTT — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 16:31:53 -0600

Television Rating: 3.5/5.0

CHICAGO – Has TNT’s “Trust Me” lived up to the potential of its cast, concept, or even its clever pilot? With the tenth episode of the first season - “Thanks, I Needed That” - about to air and the season finale only two weeks away, it’s time to take another look at this show and see if it’s made good use of one of the most high caliber ensembles on television.

This week’s episode picks up the battle for the Rolling Rock campaign that Sarah (Monica Potter) has arranged. Cochran’s (Greg Ellis) group and Tony’s (Griffin Dunne) group are approaching the client completely differently. Tony is sticking with the client’s reported interest in focusing on “heritage” but Cochran wants a new approach focused on being “green”.

“Thanks, I Needed That” / Ep109.
Photo credit: Karen Neal

Tony also happens to be approaching a birthday and his wife asks Mason (Eric McCormack) to produce a tribute video for a surprise party and the task trickles down to Conner (Thomas Cavanagh), who is still angry about being passed over for the promotion that his partner got weeks ago. Conner discovers something interesting about Tony’s past at the agency.

“Thanks, I Needed That” / Ep109.
Photo credit: Karen Neal

Maybe it’s the impending birthday or his generally competitive nature, but Tony refuses to give up to Cochran’s ideas about the Rolling Rock campaigns, leading to a series of fights and taking the decision on who will spearhead the campaign all the way to Denise (Donna Murphy). Because Sarah brought in the campaign, she’s stuck in the middle of Cochran and Tony, knowing that the latter has a better campaign but feeling somewhat used by both gentlemen.

Like a green-bottled beer in a crowded refrigerator of competitors, “Trust Me” is a tough sell in today’s TV market. There’s no hook. Audiences are more in love with mystery-of-the-week shows than ever and if you don’t have a sci-fi hook like a time-traveling island or a group of normal people turned heroes, it can be tough to stand out. Most shows set in the present day are either mysteries or soap operas. The workplace drama isn’t what it used to be.

Which is why you should take another look at “Trust Me”. Is it perfect? No and we’ll get to a few things that need to be worked out, but I’m awfully forgiving of this show for two reasons.

One, we need more dramatic programming that doesn’t rely on gimmicks. “Trust Me” is that rare program that features grown men and women using adult dialogue in relatable situations. Who can relate to the people on “Grey’s Anatomy” or “Lost”? Writing present-day shows with complex characters who speak like real human beings is a lot harder than it looks and the dialogue on “Trust Me” is crisp, clever, and believable.

“Thanks, I Needed That” / Ep109.
Photo credit: Karen Neal

Two, this ensemble is spectacular. Griffin Dunne is showing more life than he has in years and Eric McCormack is proving that he may be one of the best “straight men” on TV. Watching the characters like Connor, Tony, and Sarah bounce off Mason in this episode, I thought more than once about the chemistry that McCormack has with each of them. He does something very difficult - almost always playing the less “showy” role than his partner - and makes it look easy.

Now, the dialogue may be strong and the cast fantastic, but the scripts and the storytelling in “Trust Me” still needs some work. “Thanks, I Needed That” feels a bit forced in that department. Without giving anything away, a character makes a professional decision for personal reasons that I simply don’t believe would happen with millions of dollars on the line. Then again, with some of the awful commercials on the air nowadays, maybe this explains a few things. (I’m looking at you, Geico).

“Trust Me” will probably never be a smash hit. It doesn’t have the hook needed in today’s market. But this show deserves a wider audience. “Trust Me” still seems to be finding itself story-wise, but with believable characters, entertaining dialogue and excellent performances, there are enough elements in the foundation of this show to build on.

‘Trust Me,’ which airs on TNT, stars Eric McCormack, Tom Cavanagh, Monica Potter, Griffin Dunne, Geoffrey Arend, Mike Damus, and Sarah Clarke. “Thanks, I Needed That” airs on Tuesday, March 31st, 2009 at 8PM CST.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Interview: Kenny Johnson of TNT’s ‘Saving Grace’ on Second Season, Co-Starring With Holly Hunter

PatrickMcD — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 09:40:16 -0700

Television Rating: 3.0/5.0

CHICAGO – “Saving Grace,” which is the unusual and popular police drama on TNT, returns on Monday nights with all-new second-season episodes. Starring the Academy Award-winning actress Holly Hunter, the series focuses on her Oklahoma City detective character Grace Hanadarko.

Grace struggles with so many demons in her life that an angel named Earl (Leon Rippy) has been sent to give her a second chance.

Co-starring with Hunter is Kenny Johnson, who plays Ham Dewey, Grace’s partner and sometimes lover. HollywoodChicago.com recently sat down with Johnson – the veteran character actor who was also in “The Shield” – who spoke about his relationship with Holly Hunter, the ensemble strength of the show and its particular spirituality.

“I fell in love with Holly way back when she was working with the Coen Brothers, and her appearance in the film ‘Always,’ Johnson said.

“What she brings to the table is ultimate professionalism,” he added. “She personally wants to explore as much as she can, otherwise she wouldn’t take on the character. She takes it to a depth and a level that not many actors like to go to.”

Holly Hunter of “Saving Grace” on the TNT Network
Photo credit: TNT

Johnson gave a preview as to what Ham Dewey can expect with his ongoing relationship with Grace in the upcoming episodes.

“Secretly in his heart he loves Grace, and wants to get back with her as a partner, as a human being, he related. “But she is like, ‘whatever, dude, you blew it, you’re gone.’ The fact that Ham wanted another partner, he’s going to have to live with it.”

“There is tension later on, as Grace won’t forgive Ham for not allowing her in his life when he was having all the trouble. It was she who opened up and he pushed her away.”

Kenny Johnson, Ham Dewey on “Saving Grace”, in Chicago on February 25th, 2009.
Photo credit: Patrick McDonald, HollywoodChicago.com

Balancing the gritty police drama in the story with the peculiar spiritual aspect of having angels and parallel redemption intrigues Johnson.

“We’re all trying to find something positive to give back to life,” he said. “This show gives Grace a second chance. It’s never too late and there is something out there that wants to help if you will open up and try.”

“For me, that parallels my own journey and beliefs,” he added. “I don’t have an angel named Earl, but I definitely believe there is a much bigger thing at work that has helped me in my life and that I can’t explain in any other way.”

Saving Grace is a highly female-centric show, reflected in its star and series creator Nancy Miller. Johnson compared his two police show experiences when considering the nature of this series.

“The female perspective brings a subtle, multi-layered dimension to all the work. If I compare working with Holly versus Michael Chiklis on ‘The Shield’, he’s cool testosterone and she is really coming from an angle that is much more challenging for me.”

“I feel most vulnerable when I share Ham’s heart with Holly’s character. To make that genuine and real is more difficult than doing conventional emotions. I’m sharing a part of me that is more naked emotionally.”

Another “character” on the show is its setting in Oklahoma City. Hanging over Grace’s persona is the loss of a sister in the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building there.

“When I went there initially to research the cops, I talked to a couple guys who were first on the scene after the bombing,” Johnson recalled. “I found out what they saw and what they went through and that was an emotional experience.”

Kenny Johnson (left) and Holly Hunter in “Saving Grace” on TNT.
Photo credit: TNT

“It began to mean something to me because one of the guys explained to me the horror of what he saw and the people he had to help,” he added. “If through the show we can sometimes communicate that, it’s nothing but a good thing.”

After playing cops in two major police dramas, Johnson shared some background similarities with his life and career to portraying law enforcement.

“I definitely think playing sports in college, physically gives you a competitive edge. Team play and instincts are characteristics of cops,” he said. “I also got into a bit of trouble when I was younger, so I saw the other side of the cell (laughs). It gave me both perspectives on that life, which also helped me to prepare.”

In conclusion, Kenny Johnson talks about the close professional relationships developed in an ensemble show like Saving Grace, and the overriding influence of Holly Hunter.

“Obviously you build a lot of trust between each other, and Holly is a very open person and extremely supportive and loving,” he said.

“She always wants us to speak up for what we believe in. With that kind of trust, it makes all of our characters that much better.”

“Saving Grace” returns with all-new episodes beginning Monday, March 2, at 10pm/9 Central. Starring Holly Hunter, Kenny Johnson, Laura San Giacomo, Leon Rippy, Lorraine Toussaint and Bokeem Woodbine. Christina Ricci guest stars in three upcoming episodes.

By PATRICK McDONALD
Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

Hookup: 25 Admit-Two Passes to VIP Chicago Screening of TNT Series ‘Saving Grace’ With Holly Hunter

HollywoodChicago.com — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 20:20:51 -0700

CHICAGO – In a special edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: TV, we have 25 admit-two passes up for grabs to the exclusive Chicago VIP screening party of the new TNT drama “Saving Grace” starring Academy Award-winning actress Holly Hunter (“Crash,” “The Firm”) with cast member Kenny Johnson in attendance.

Winners will also be treated to a special advance screening of an all-new episode of “Saving Grace” before it airs. Johnson will be staying after the screening for a Q&A and to sign autographs. Winners will also be treated to complimentary appetizers, beverages and goody bags.

To win your free pass to the “Saving Grace” event in Chicago courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, just be one of the first 25 people to submit a comment in this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup. That’s it! This event will be held on Feb. 24, 2009 at 7 p.m. in downtown Chicago. Directions to enter this Hookup and immediately win can be found beneath the “Saving Grace” graphic below.

“Saving Grace” on TNT stars Academy Award-winning actress Holly Hunter.
Image credit: TNT

Here is the “Saving Grace” plot description:

Living life in the fast lane comes naturally to Oklahoma City major crimes detective Grace Hanadarko who – despite being at the top of her field – takes self-destruction to new heights.

After seeing tremendous tragedy in her life both professionally and personally, Grace embraces living life hard and fast. Though it can be fun, she often drinks too much, sleeps with the wrong men and defies authority.

But Grace does have a tender side that she shares with her 22 nieces and nephews. It’s a side of her that most of the world doesn’t get to see. However, it all catches up with her one night when – as she’s driving too fast after too many drinks – she hits a man who is walking along the road.

In an uncharacteristic moment, Grace asks for help and she gets it in the form of an unconventional angel named Earl. Earl warns Grace that she is in trouble and running out of chances, but he’s here to help. The journey for both of them will not be an easy one.

To secure your free pass now to the “Saving Grace” screening party in Chicago, make sure you’re logged into your HollywoodChicago.com account. If you don’t yet have one, you can quickly register here. Having an account with a valid e-mail address is required. Then, add a new comment in the form below. In your comment, include an answer to this question:

What or who has saved you?

Like all Hookups here, this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: TV is simple: The first 25 people to comment below win! We will be in touch with the 25 winners via e-mail to distribute your passes. “Saving Grace” with Holly Hunter returns to TNT for a second season will all-new episodes on March 2, 2009 at 9 p.m. CST.

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Editor-in-Chief
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com

Kyra Sedgwick, Ensemble Cast Continue to Bring it Home on ‘The Closer’

BrianTT — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 18:25:12 -0700

Television Rating: 3.5/5.0

CHICAGO – TNT’s “The Closer” has an easy-going charm that rarely gets the critical praise it deserves but has turned the show into one of the most highly rated scripted program on basic cable. “The Closer” beats most network programs and is, cable or not, one of the bigger hits on TV. The mid-season premiere, “Good Faith,” airing Monday, January 26th, 2009, makes it easy to see why.

Fritz and Brenda Leigh share a moment
Photo credit: Alan Markfeld

What separates “The Closer” from a lot of similar programming is the ease with which the writers smoothly segue between family humor and grisly murder. The kind of tonal juggling that can make a wedding cake tasting at a precinct while they discuss the latest case both believable and humorous is harder to pull off than it looks.

Brenda Leigh interviews Beth Gibson as Lt. Provenza and Det. Daniels look on
Photo credit: Alan Markfeld

“The Closer” is a program about a woman who can read and predict human behavior, a detective, and it’s a better-than-average crime drama because its creators work to create believable human behavior themselves. And it doesn’t hurt to have one of the best actresses on television in your lead role.

Kyra Sedgwick is simply perfect and her supporting cast, particularly the great J.K. Simmons and G.W. Bailey, never miss a beat. Sedgwick will always be the face of the show. Bailey himself once told me that the series will end when she wants it to. But the value of a supporting ensemble on a show like “The Closer” can sometimes be under-valued. Everyone on the show is good.

Having made my critical respect for the ensemble of “The Closer” and the skilled tone shifts by the writers, the mid-season premiere suffers from the same problem I usually have with the series. What holds it back from jumping from a nice diversion when I happen to catch it to appointment programming is the lack of intriguing mysteries. I rarely find the actual crimes and their resolutions as intriguing as, say, the ones on “The Mentalist,” “Bones,” or “Life”. The characters on “The Closer” are fantastic, the mysteries are so-so.

The mid-season premiere, “Good Faith,” is another episode about Brenda juggling a personal life - this time getting ready for a marriage - with solving a new case, a suicide that doesn’t add up. The Medical Examiner believes it’s a cut-and-dry suicide but Brenda and her team know better. In another case of bad timing, Brenda’s hysterical parents continue to take her away from the case as they try to plan their daughter’s wedding.

The mystery is never that interesting and the ending is abrupt. Far more interesting is a shocking and painful personal twist in Brenda’s life. “The Closer” needs to work to make the cases in Brenda’s life as interesting as the character herself.

Well, to be fair, “The Closer” doesn’t need to do anything. They’re doing everything right for legions of fans. I think there’s still room for the show to go from good to great, but it’s hard to even find series as consistently entertaining as this one. And nothing has changed significantly between last summer and the mid-season premiere. No, the only bad news we have for fans is that there are only six episodes left in the fourth season.

‘The Closer,’ which airs on TNT, stars Kyra Sedgwick, Jon Tenney, J.K. Simmons, G.W. Bailey, Robert Gossett, Anthony John Denison, Michael Paul Chan, and Raymond Cruz. The mid-season premiere airs on Monday, January 26th, 2009 at 8PM CST.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com