Television

TV News: Premiere Date Announced For ABC’s ‘Lost’

BrianTT — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:54:55 -0700

CHICAGO – The sixth and final season of the J.J. Abrams hit television series “Lost” will premiere with a special all-night event on Tuesday, February 2nd, 2009. The recap special will start at 7pm CST followed by the highly anticipated sixth season two-hour premiere at 8pm CST on ABC.

Lost.
Photo credit: ABC

The series will then regularly air in its new Tuesday night timeslot starting February 9 at 8pm CST.

“Lost” stars Naveen Andrews as Sayid, Nestor Carbonell as Richard Alpert, Emilie de Ravin as Claire, Michael Emerson as Ben, Jeff Fahey as Frank Lapidus, Matthew Fox as Jack, Jorge Garcia as Hurley, Josh Holloway as Sawyer, Daniel Dae Kim as Jin, Yunjin Kim as Sun, Ken Leung as Miles, Evangeline Lilly as Kate, Terry O’Quinn as Locke and Zuleikha Robinson as Ilana.

By ANGIE RENTMEESTER
Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com

TV Review: ‘Fringe’ Deserves Attention on Crowded Thursday Nights

BrianTT — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:52:34 -0700

CHICAGO – “Fringe” is one of the best shows that people aren’t watching. The writing is strong, dare I say better than “Lost,” and the cast is even stronger. Like every show, “Fringe” has had some really great and not so great episodes, but overall the series is great, as proven by tonight’s strong installment entitled “August”.

Television Rating: 4.0/5.0

After producing solid ratings since its commercial-free premiere last year on Fox, the network made the choice, not a smart one, to move the series to Thursday night. Everyone knows that Thursday is the toughest night in television. All of the biggest shows are on that night: “CSI”, “Grey’s Anatomy”, “The Mentalist” and “FlashForward”. Ever since the series moved to its new night, it’s been hard to establish an audience, which isn’t too surprising. I can barely make up my mind since all my favorite shows are on Thursday night.

The Fringe team (L-R: Joshua Jackson, Jasika Nicole, John Noble and Anna Torv) uncovers details about the mysterious man known as The Observer in the FRINGE episode “August” airing Thursday, Nov. 19 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.
Photo credit: Michael Courtney/FOX

On tonight’s “Fringe,” titled “August,” the Fringe crew learns that the mysterious observer (guest star Michael Cerveris) is back in Boston and has taken an innocent woman named Christine (Jennifer Missoni) hostage. Peter and Olivia are quick to jump to the conclusion that he’s out to hurt her, but in the end, it’s the exact opposite. In fact, this particular observer in question saved the girl from dying in a plane crash. So why did he save her? Well, you’ll have to tune in to find out.

The Fringe team uncovers details about the mysterious man known as The Observer (guest star Michael Cerveris) in the FRINGE episode “August” airing Thursday, Nov. 19 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.
Photo credit: Michael Courtney/FOX

During tonight’s episode, viewers will get a more inside look at who the observers are and what they’re doing here. Notice how they like to eat Tabasco sauce in their food? This was also used in the WB series “Roswell” when Michael, Isabel and Max wanted to eat, they’d add Tabasco sauce to their food. Does this mean that the observers are aliens? Peter (Joshua Jackson) and Olivia (Anna Torv) learn that there’s more than one observer out there and they’re not here to hurt people.

An overall strength of the season has been the father-and-son banter between Peter and his somewhat crazy-yet-brilliant father Walter and the chemistry between Olivia and Peter is strong. While the events taking place in each episode are rather serious, you can always count on Walter (John Noble) to say or do something crazy to make the mood much lighter. Even though Walter and Peter have their issues from what happened with Peter was a child, they have a strong bond and it’s great seeing them reconnect as father and son.

The observer seeks the help of Walter when he stops an important event that was meant to take place. She was meant to die and the observer knows Walter can help. Bad news for the observer, Walter can’t help and he must not suffer the consequences of his actions; he has to die.

If dealing with the Observer isn’t enough, Walter has a weird craving for milkshakes and the Fringe lab must deal with his need to make so many different flavors of the shakes.

Will “Fringe” live to see another season? Man, I hope so. The writing is at it’s best and I really can’t wait to see where the series is going. Note to Fox, please take the series off the hardest night on television and put it back to Tuesday night. There’s no competition on Tuesday and I don’t have to choose between yet another favorite show of mine to watch.

‘Fringe’ airs on FOX on Thursday nights at 8pm CST. It stars Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson, John Noble, Lance Reddick, Blair Brown, and Kirk Acevedo. The show was created by J.J. Abrams, Roberto Orci, & Alex Kurtzman.

By ANGIE RENTMEESTER
Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com

DVD Review: Spectacular ‘The Shield: The Complete Series Collection’

BrianTT — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:32:19 -0700

CHICAGO – All seven season of the Emmy-winning, groundbreaking “The Shield,” easily one of the best programs of the ’00s, have been collected into one absolutely gorgeous set for “The Shield: The Complete Series Collection”. This time of year usually produces several complete series sets to essentially re-sell already available programs to holiday shoppers. This is one of the best.

DVD Rating: 5.0/5.0

The 88 episodes of “The Shield” have been collection on 28 DVDS, beautifully housed in a 34-page bound anthology book filled with photos, quotes, and a special letter from Shawn Ryan. Purely from a packaging perspective, “The Shield” is one of the most beautiful sets that a TV fan could include on their shelf. Sometimes complete series sets are literally nothing more than the previous releases crammed into one box. That’s not the case here as the entire show has been lovingly bound like a book you want to read again.

The Shield: The Complete Series Collection was released on DVD on November 3rd, 2009.
Photo credit: Sony

It’s interesting to me that “The Shield” has been bound like a novel because the arc of the show played like one. What happened at the end of episode one - corrupt cop Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis) killing a fellow police officer - resonated all the way through to the final scene of episode eighty-eight. The writers of “The Shield” masterfully intertwined plotlines through every season of the show. Unlike so many TV programs, actions had consequences in the world of “The Shield,” and the entire series plays more like an extended film than a episode series.

From season to season, “The Shield” had its ups and downs. Even the greatest shows of all time had some low moments. But now that we can look back at the entirety of Shawn Ryan’s program, it’s the highs - including arguably the best series finale in the history of television - that stand out. If you didn’t watch “The Shield” or if you were a huge fan and want to revisit it, this set should top your holiday wish list.

“The Shield: The Complete Series Collection” also includes over 63 hours of amazing special features from all seven seasons, along with two exclusive never-before-seen featurettes - “Rampart” (a documentary on the police scandal that inspired “The Shield”) and “A Place We Called Home” (a look back at the set of “The Shield”).

The only drawback of this release is that it’s probably the final word on one of the best shows of the ’00s. The show was an underrated, crucial part of the TV landscape of the decade and now it’s gotten the collection that it truly deserves.

‘The Shield: The Complete Series Collection’ was released by Sony Home Video and stars Michael Chiklis, Walton Goggins, David Rees Snell, Jay Karnes, CCH Pounder, Cathy Cahlin Ryan, Laurie Holden, Paula Garces, Glenn Close, Forest Whitaker, and Benito Martinez. It was created by Shawn Ryan. The show was released on November 3rd, 2009. It is not rated.

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

TV News: Cancellation Axe Falls on ‘Dollhouse,’ ‘Eastwick,’ ‘Hank’

BrianTT — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:09:15 -0700

CHICAGO – Blogs everywhere are reporting that FOX has canceled “Dollhouse” and that ABC has canceled “Eastwick” and “Hank”. “Dollhouse” starred Eliza Dushku with “Eastwick” and “Hank” being headlined by Rebecca Romijn-Stamos and Kelsey Grammer, respectively. The series join “Trauma” and “The Beautiful Life” as early fatalities of the new season.

Eliza Dushku in Dollhouse.
Photo credit: FOX

After the surprise second season announcement, FOX officially decided to cancel the Joss Whedon series “Dollhouse”. The series will end once the current 13-episode order is complete. It’s not surprising to hear that “Dollhouse” has been canceled since the show’s ratings have been a big disappoint since the show first premiered.

Thanks to the show’s popular fanbase and decent DVR numbers, the show made it to a second season. The second season ratings, however, have sunk to a new low and the network was forced to end the series.

ABC has decided to cancel two of their Wednesday night shows. First is the Kelsey Grammer comedy series “Hank” and the TV remake drama “Eastwick”. “Eastwick” will continue to air until the already-produced episodes air. As of now, it’s unknown if “Hank” will continue to air episodes since it’s been replaced with specials and other fill-ins for the foreseeable future.

What shows are next? It appears that ABC’s “The Middle”, CBS’s “Three Rivers”, NBC’s “Mercy”, and ABC’s “The Forgotten” are in danger of being canceled next.

By ANGIE RENTMEESTER
Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com

TV Review: Beloved ‘Glee’ Returns With Stellar Episode

BrianTT — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 09:32:24 -0700

CHICAGO – We have written here several times about the genius of “Glee” (in May and again in September), but with the show having been off the air for a few weeks so the Yankees could win another World Series, we thought it was a good time to assess how the show has been progressing by taking an advanced look at tonight’s episode, the wonderful “Wheels”.

Television Rating: 5.0/5.0

Since the stellar debut, “Glee” has mostly been a series of highs but there have been signs of (no pun intended given the name of tonight’s episode) a show that could be accused of spinning its wheels. Some episodes have been a little lighter than others and some of the characters have threatened to become a bit repetitive. “Glee” is at its best when the character-driven humor is unexpected and unpredictable and there were recurring jokes in October “Glee” episodes that started to feel a little stale.

Don’t get me wrong. “Glee” is still the best new show of the year, but I can’t believe that I was the only one wondering how the series would progress not just through this season but the next one. Where does “Glee” go from here and how will they keep it fresh?

Quinn (Dianna Agron, L) and Puck (Mark Salling, R) work at the Glee Club’s bake sale in the “Wheels” episode of GLEE airing Wednesday, Nov. 11 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.
Photo credit: Carin Baer/FOX

Tonight’s episode, “Wheels,” displays how - by diversifying the focus of the show and providing depth to even the most supporting characters. The moments that stand out in the first arc of “Glee” episodes are the unexpected ones - Kurt (Chris Colfer) using “Single Ladies” on the football field, Rachel belting out a moving version of “Take a Bow,” the entirety of Kristen Chenoweth’s amazing guest turn on “The Rhodes Not Taken,” the best episode of the show to date.

Quinn (Dianna Agron) helps the Glee Club at a bake sale in the “Wheels” episode of GLEE airing Wednesday, Nov. 11 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.
Photo credit: Carin Baer/FOX

Tonight, the focus surprisingly shifts to Artie (Kevin McHale), who learns that the school won’t pay for the handicapped bus to take him with the rest of the team to sectionals. His arc, featuring his first solo performance (“Dancing With Myself”) is the thematic backbone of an episode that focuses on what Murphy does best with “Glee,” satirizing the expectations inherent in traditional high school roles. Kurt and Rachel (Lea Michele) have a solo-off to see who will take “Defying Gravity” (from “Wicked”) for the show with Kurt’s dad (the great Mike O’Malley) pushing for equal rights for his son. And even Puck (Mark Salling) and Quinn (Dianna Agron) have character-building plotlines. Most surprisingly, a bit of depth is given to Jane Lynch’s fantastic turn as Sue Sylvester. If she hadn’t locked up an Emmy nod already, she has after this episode.

One of my concerns about “Glee” in October was that a few of the characters were starting to become their archetypes. In particular, Quinn always looked defeated and on the verge of tears. In “Wheels,” not only do we finally get to see her smile during a cleverly devised food fight but we learn that she may not be through with Puck, another character who may not be as heartless as you first expected. Salling does his best work of the series to date tonight.

As for the writing (this ep was written by Ryan Murphy, the show’s creator), “Wheels” is as tightly scripted as anything on TV so far this year. It flies by and still feels like nothing else on television. I’m stunned that a show can weave together musical performances of “Dancing With Myself,” “Defying Gravity,” and “Proud Mary” and still not feel forced.

So, where will “Glee” go from here? What happens AFTER sectionals? “Wheels” is evidence of a show that is willing to allow background singers to come forward and take their time in the spotlight. With that structure in place and with an ensemble as deep and talented as this one, the future of “Glee” looks bright.

‘Glee’ returns on FOX on Wednesday, November 11th, 2009 at 8pm CST. It stars Matthew Morrison, Lea Michele, Jessalyn Gilsig, Jane Lynch, Jayma Mays, Cory Monteith, Amber Riley, Chris Colfer, Jenna Ushkowitz, and Kevin McHale. It was created by Ryan Murphy.

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

DVD Review: Complete Set For ‘Eleventh Hour’ Available Online

BrianTT — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:40:33 -0700

CHICAGO – There simply wasn’t space on television for both “Fringe” and “Eleventh Hour”. As soon as I saw them, I knew one or both of the fall 2008 shows would have to go. With the strong lead performances by the great Rufus Sewell and beautiful Marley Shelton, I thought “Eleventh Hour” had the edge, especially after it did pretty well in its first season.

As many of us know, “Fringe” is currently struggling for ratings on FOX and CBS’ “Eleventh Hour” has been reduced to a cheap, online-only, feature-free complete series set. The show was far from perfect but it deserved better than this fate.

DVD Rating: 2.0/5.0

The problem with “Eleventh Hour” is clear just after disc one of the series set - it wasn’t original enough to distinguish itself from not just “Fringe” but countless other shows. The program often feels like “CSI: The X-Files,” being clearly inspired by the procedural shows that still serve as the backbone of CBS. It’s just another variation on a well-played tune. Only strong performances from its two consistent leads made it an occasionally entertaining diversion.

Eleventh Hour: The Complete Series was released on DVD on October 22nd, 2009.
Photo credit: Warner Brothers Home Video

Sewell plays Jacob Hood, who could easily be called a combination of Adrian Monk and Fox Mulder. The overly eccentric Hood swoops in when mysterious cases involving science gone out of control rear their head. In a world of cloning and chemical warfare, the DNA-collecting teams of “CSI” are not always enough. Sometimes you need someone willing to look at a case from another angle and Hood definitely sees things that other detectives do not.

Hood is overseen by Rachel Young, the consistent but always underused Marley Shelton. With upcoming turns in “(Untitled)” and “Women in Trouble,” Shelton is one of those young actresses that seems perpetually on the verge of stardom without ever quite getting there. She was woefully used as second fiddle on “Eleventh Hour,” always playing back up to the mystery of the week and Sewell’s lead.

“Eleventh Hour” was canceled after not being able to hold its “CSI” lead-in audience, but the move, especially now with NBC giving up on the 10pm timeslot, was surprising, especially when one realizes that the show finished 22nd on the year with an average of 12.11 million viewers a week, above its premiere numbers. CBS made a number of unusual decisions at the end of the 2008-09 season. Canceling “Eleventh Hour” was definitely one of them.

The only eighteen episodes of “Eleventh Hour” ever produced are included in a six-disc set that is exclusively available through the Warner Brothers Shop. Sadly, it includes no special features and the technical presentation is below average with night scenes looking downright embarrassingly dirty.

A decent show with decent ratings was canceled and has now been given a sub-par complete series treatment. It’s a mystery worthy of Jacob Hood.

‘Eleventh Hour: The Complete Series’ is released by Warner Brothers Home Video and stars Rufus Sewell and Marley Shelton. The show was created by Mick Davis. The show was released on DVD on October 22nd, 2009, available only online. It is not rated. It runs roughly 13 hours.

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

TV Review: ABC’s Reboot of ‘V’ Feels Rushed But Promising

BrianTT — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:46:51 -0700

CHICAGO – Reboots of classic TV programs have been a tough sell lately as shows like “Bionic Woman” and “Knight Rider” have failed to connect with critics or audiences. The long-in-the-works reboot of “V” feels like a more appropriate and timely attempt to rekindle a dead franchise, as the depressing state of the world seems downright in need of an alien savior. With only one episode available for critics, it’s too soon to tell whether or not “V” will suffer the same fate as its recent remake brethren or if it will rise above and be another feather in the cap of a network that has been creatively rejunevated with shows like “Modern Family” and “FlashForward”. The premiere is deeply flawed but there’s reason to believe “V” could be a hit.

Television Rating: 3.5/5.0

“V” opens with three title cards that read…

“Where were you when JFK was assassinated?”
“Where were you on 9/11?”
“Where were you this morning?”

Immediately, the sense of self-importance is clear. This is not a cheesy, B-movie take on “V”. The intention to be taken seriously is overly telegraphed, as if there’s a subtitle that clarifies the creator’s intentions to be more like “Battlestar Galactica” than “Knight Rider”.

Morena Baccarin.
Photo credit: David Gray/ABC

The “morning” compared to the assassination of JFK and the tragedy of 9/11 is the one in which the sky over all of the major cities of the world was simultaneously covered by the arrival of the “V,” humanoid alien visitors from another world. They need a resource abundant on our planet and water and are willing to offer incredible healing powers and remarkable technology in exchange. They are all beautiful, charming, and eerily unemotional, but people are drawn to them, especially in a time of need.

Alan Tudyk, Elizabeth Mitchell .
Photo credit: David Gray/ABC.

The lead characters in “V” include FBI Counter Terrorist Agent Erica Evans (Elizabeth Mitchell, “Lost”) who is cautious about the visitors but more concerned with tracking down a sleeper cell that has been more active since their arrival. She is partnered with the great Alan Tudyk and is clearly the lead of the show, a character who learns something about the Vs that will alter the course of the entire series.

Erica has a teenage son named Tyler (Logan Huffman), who has been adrift for a few years but finds himself drawn to the new visitors, especially the cute one who wants to make him an ambassador between the humans and the aliens.

Supporting characters include the eager reporter Chad (Scott Wolf), the cautious Father Jack (Joel Gretsch, “The 4400”), and the secretive Ryan (Morris Chestnut), who seems inspired to action by their arrival but not for the reasons you may first believe. Lourdes Benedicto and Laura Vandervoort co-star and Morena Baccarin could become the face of the series as the leader of the Vs, Anna.

Joel Gretsch, Lourdes Benedicto, Logan Huffman, Elizabeth Mitchell, Morena Baccarin, Scott Wolf, Morris Chestnut .
Photo credit: Bob D’Amico/ABC.

In today’s cluttered TV landscape, it’s essential to grab an audience quickly, but there’s a difference between fast-paced and cluttered and a fine line between riveting and unbelievable. “V” regularly crosses both of those lines with its eagerness to do what a lot of other series would have done in half a season in one episode. It’s not 20 minutes before we’re on-board a V ship and every scene features a new series-rattling twist. The whole episode feels rushed more than it should.

And yet, that rushed pace sets in motion several plot threads that should intrigue viewers enough to come back for week two and beyond, anchored by one of the strongest ensembles of the season. Mitchell can more than carry a show and Baccarin gives a smooth, confident performance that truly delivers. Chestnut and Wolf already have arcs that most shows would have devoted half a season too, but the cluttered tone of the premiere might make audiences more likely to tune into week two to see how it’s uncluttered. With only four weeks of new shows and then a hiatus, it’s clear that ABC and the producers of “V” want to grab an audience quickly. The premiere is constantly trying to grab you.

I wish the action of the premiere of “V” had been extended to at least a two-hour debut or maybe even over the course of a few episodes and if the show’s writers keep up this ridiculous pacing, I think audiences will drift away. It was the characters on “Lost” and “BSG” that drew fans in as much, if not more, than the twists and turns. It’s way too soon to tell if “V” can develop those kind of characters but the potential for greatness is definitely there. Certainly more than “Bionic Woman”.

‘V,’ which airs on ABC, premieres on November 3rd, 2009 at 7PM CST. It stars Juliet Mitchell, Alan Tudyk, Logan Huffman, Scott Wolf, Joel Gretsch, Morris Chestnut, Morena Baccarin, Laura Vandervoort, and Lourdes Benedicto.

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

TV Review: ‘The League’ on FX Has Potential to Be a Winner

BrianTT — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:01:28 -0600

CHICAGO – FX may have finally found a partner for the great “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” in the just-as-raunchy “The League,” a show that’s basically about how guys like to give each other sh*t. On message boards, over a few drinks, at a family picnic - there are groups of guys everywhere who live to bust each other’s balls. If you can’t handle it, don’t suit up for “The League”.

Television Rating: 3.5/5.0

The title of the sitcom is taken from a common obsession this time of year - fantasy football. A group of friends have an annual, highly competitive league that serves as the background for what is basically a relationship comedy between men and women. With raunchy humor that you’d expect to see on HBO or Showtime, “The League” sometimes feels like it’s trying too hard to be edgy, but by the end of the second episode, it has begun to show signs of developing a nice, funny rhythm every week that may not top it’s Thursday night schedule-mate but will make it a good one-two comedy punch.

Mark Duplass. THE LEAGUE premieres on FX.
Photo credit: F. Scott Schafer / FX

The ensemble of “The League” helps elevate some of the more mediocre writing with a very talented collection of recognizable faces.

Nick Kroll, Mark Duplass, Stephen Rannazzisi, Katie Aselto, Jon Lajoie and Paul Scheer.
Photo credit: F. Scott Schafer/ FX.

Pete (Mark Duplass of “Humpday”) consistently wins the fantasy league trophy and is absolutely unafraid to rub it in his friend’s faces but his marriage is falling apart, threatening another run at the crown in the premiere episode.

Stephen Rannazzisi and Katie Aselton play Kevin and Jenny, the funniest couple on the show, as she pretty much runs his team from the sidelines and the fantasy dynamic seems to play into their marriage too. The second episode allows both Rannazzisi and Aselton to shine, indicating that this will be a true ensemble effort, as all great sitcoms are.

Ruxin (Nick Kroll) is the sexually frustrated husband to the very funny Nadine Velazquez (“My Name is Earl”), Andre (Paul Scheer) is the most-abused member of this Midwestern “Entourage,” and Taco (Jon Lajoie) is the player of the group, a dim bulb who is handsome enough that his complete lack of social skills has done nothing to stop him from getting laid.

The theme of “The League” is simple. Men are more competitive with their friends than with anyone else. The writers cleverly work fantasy football into the fabric of the show with player trades actually being bartered for part of a criminal suspect’s plea bargain in the first episode and to basically keep a marriage together in the second.

The first episode of “The League” is just okay. I thought to myself that it was good enough to give it another try but not great enough to be truly memorable. In a very, very good sign, the second episode is actually much funnier. A cast member has been cut and the gang seems more confident in their characters. A hysterical double date, “special sex,” the concept of “Eskimo Brothers,” and a song about “vaginal hubris” make the second ep of “The League” something that will likely get viewers very interested in a third.

Guys never really grow up. They just move from hitting each other with dodgeballs to razzing each other on fantasy football message boards. “The League” sometimes pushes the “need to shock” a bit too far but the cast has more then enough talent to keep viewers once that hook has brought them in. FX continues to impress.

‘The League,’ which airs on FX, premieres on October 29th, 2009 at 9:30PM CST. It stars Mark Duplass, Stephen Rannazzisi, Katie Aselton, Nadine Velazquez, Nick Kroll, Paul Scheer, and Jon Lajoie.

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

DVD Review: Beautiful Series Set For ‘It’s Garry Shandling’s Show’

BrianTT — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 06:00:00 -0600

CHICAGO – A lot of classic TV comedies are often pointed to as being “ahead of their time”. The quirky, weird, and memorable “It’s Garry Shandling Show” wasn’t really ahead of its time because there’s nothing quite like it on the air. The groundbreaking cult classic is now available in a gorgeous 16-disc set from Shout Factory and it’s just what Shandling fans deserve.

DVD Rating: 4.5/5.0

Between his stint as the heir apparent to Johnny Carson (Shandling guest hosted “The Tonight Show” an incredible number of times) and the pioneering television he would do on one of the best sitcoms of all time, “The Larry Sanders Show,” there was “It’s Garry Shandling Show,” which ran for 72 episodes from 1986 to 1990. The program was the first ever broadcast on Showtime and would later be rerun and more widely seen on FOX.

Showtime had given Shandling and his co-writer Alan Zweibel the freedom to do whatever they wanted on the network and they decided to try and tear down the sitcom template. From it’s memorable theme song to Shandling’s constant breaking of the fourth wall, “It’s Garry Shandling’s Show” was more of a theatrical experience than a television one. It was surreal, experimental, and barely got the credit it deserved when it was on the air. Sure, it was also very inconsistent (especially in the early episodes), but it’s fascinating to now watch how the show developed over its four years on the air and how clearly it influenced the great TV that Shandling would make in the ’90s.

It’s Garry Shandling’s Show: The Complete Series was released on DVD on October 20th, 2009.
Photo credit: Shout Factory

Over the years, several major TV writers would come out of “It’s Garry Shandling’s Show” including people who went on to work on “Seinfeld” and “The Simpsons” and the show featured major guest stars, always playing themselves, including Tom Petty, Rob Reiner, Dan Aykroyd, Martin Mull, Gilda Radner, Carl Reiner, Chevy Chase, and more. Come to think of it, the neurotic sitcom star with celebrity guest stars playing themselves almost sounds like “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” one of the few shows that you probably could link back to this unique series in terms of influence.

Shout Factory has been putting together great TV sets for years with arguably the best box in the history of the form for “Freaks and Geeks” and a great recent release for “Thirtysomething”. They spare no expense with “It’s Garry Shandling’s Show,” providing hours of special features, organized as such:

Season 1
Outtakes
“Getting There” - The Road to the Show
“Television Parts” - Sketches - “Garry Dates Miss Maryland,” “Garry’s Car”

Commentaries
1.1: “The Day Garry Moved In” - Garry Shandling & Alan Zweibel
1.5: “The Graduate” - Garry Shandling & Alan Zweibel
1.8: “Grant’s Date” - Garry Shandling & Ed Solomon
1.10: “Fate” - Ed Solomon
1.14: “Dial L For Laundry” - Tom Gammill, Max Pross, Garry Shandling, & Alan Zweibel

Season 2
Outtakes
“Being There” - The Cast Remembers
Original Promos

Commentaries
2.2: “No Baby, No Show” - Shandling & Zweibel
2.4: “The Schumakers Go To Hollywood” - Gammill, Pross, & Solomon
2.10: “Mr. Sparks” - Gammill & Pross
2.17: “Mr. Smith Goes to Nam” - Zweibel

Season 3
Outtakes
“Still There” - The Writers and Crew Remember
“Show & Tell With Tom & Max”
“The Shandlines” - Backstage Newsletters

Commentaries
3.1: “Goin’ Places” - Gammill, Pross, Shandling, & Solomon
3.3: “What’s Happening to Me?” - Gammill, Pross, Shandling, & Zweibel
3.5: “The Natural” - Al Jean, Michael Reiss, & Shandling
3.12: “Garry Acts Like a Moron” - Jean & Reiss
3.17: “Garry Goes Golfing” - Jean, Reiss, & Shandling
3.19: “Worry Wart” - Gammill, Pross, Shandling, & Zweibel

Season 4
Outtakes
“Try to Remember” - A Conversation with Garry and Alan

Commentaries
4.7: “Firehose” - Jean & Reiss
4.15: “Family Man” - Zweibel
4.19: “Driving Miss Garry” - Jean & Reiss

The set also includes a booklet with essays about the show by the great Larry Gelbart and Judd Apatow, who lists the series as a major influence. Each episode looks great in its original full frame presentation and is accompanied by an adequate audio track.

‘It’s Garry Shandling’s Show: The Complete Series’ is released by Shout Factory and stars Garry Shandling. The show was released on DVD on October 20th, 2009. It is not rated. It runs roughly 31 hours.

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

TV Review: USA Connects Again With Entertaining ‘White Collar’

BrianTT — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:39:20 -0600

CHICAGO – The creative roll of the USA Network continues tonight with the debut of another quick, clever, mystery-of-the-week series that should satisfy fans of their hits like “Monk,” “Psych,” “Burn Notice,” and “Royal Pains”. “White Collar” doesn’t break any molds, almost fitting too predictably into the USA dynamic, but it’s an entertaining program for the end of a long week and looks likely to be another slam dunk for one of the most successful cable networks of the ’00s.

Television Rating: 3.5/5.0

“White Collar” practically feels like a hybrid of USA hits from its plot description alone. It features international conspiracies a la “Burn Notice” but does so with a buddy duo like “Psych” and is set in the world of the uber-wealthy like “Royal Pains”. Of course, being derivative means little to viewers of a show like this as long as it’s entertaining and “White Collar” is surprisingly so, held high by one of the best new oil-and-water dynamics of the year.

Willie Garson as Mozzie, Matt Bomer as Neal Caffrey, Tim DeKay as Peter Burke, Tiffani Thiessen as Elizabeth Burke
Photo credit: Nigel Perry/USA

The odd couple at the center of “White Collar” are a con man and a G-man. The former is Neal Caffrey (Matt Bomer of “Chuck”), a handsome, suave, blue-eyed player who can basically talk anyone into anything and has made millions in the world of art fraud and other white collar crimes. The latter is the man who caught him, Agent Peter Burke (Tim DeKay of “Carnivale”). He’s awkward, anxious, and the A-side to Caffrey’s B-side. He clearly wants justice but wouldn’t mind a few dating tips while he’s taking Neal back to jail.

Matthew Bomer as Neal Caffrey, Tim DeKay as Peter Burke
Photo credit: David Giesbrecht/USA

They are paired up when Caffrey inexplicably escapes from prison mere months before his scheduled release. Burke catches up with him (perhaps too easily) and the two forge an unusual arrangement. It turns out that Neal broke out because the love of his life took off, changed her identity, and disappeared. Why did she leave? Did she do so on her own or is something more dangerous going on?

Caffrey wants to do everything he can to find her and works out an arrangement with Burke. He’ll help the feds find the most elusive criminals in the world, as long as he’s on the outside and able to pursue leads about what’s going on with his lost love. The con man gets an ankle bracelet and the G-man gets a partner.

One might expect that a show with this set-up would play off fears of white collar stories like the saga of Bernie Madoff but “White Collar” feels a lot more playful and less concerned with real world issues than that. At its best, it plays more like “The Thomas Crown Affair” than something ripped-from-the-headlines like the “Law & Order” series. And that’s a smart decision. It makes for a breezy, charming show. We don’t need to be reminded of real-life concerns on a Friday night. There are other shows for that kind of drama writing.

Tiffani Thiessen as Elizabeth Burke, Tim DeKay as Peter Burke, Matthew Bomer as Neal Caffrey
Photo credit: David Giesbrecht/USA

The 90-minute premiere features the overall set-up for the characters and a case of art fraud that is surprisingly well-crafted. The dialogue writing on “White Collar” needs some work but the plot writing is quick and clever with enough twists and turns to maintain viewer interest. Let’s hope they keep it up. And with a few tweaks to the dialogue, something that I think will come as the writers and actors become more attuned to these characters, “White Collar” will only improve.

Of course, the writing of the actual mysteries won’t matter if viewers don’t take to the two leads. A show like this wins half the battle on casting alone and Bomer and DeKay are a perfect pair. Bomer’s smooth style is perfectly balanced by DeKay’s more old-fashioned delivery. The supporting cast, including Tiffani Thiessen and Willie Garson (“Sex and the City”) are also interesting.

On the spectrum of USA shows, “White Collar” is probably closest to “Burn Notice,” the best show on the network right now (and it’s no coincidence as the premiere was directed by a vet of “Burn”). Both series have interesting mysteries/capers that are fueled by the characters not just supported by them. It’s hard to say how a show will connect after just one episode but, especially with the recent track record of USA Network, don’t bet against “White Collar”.

‘White Collar,’ which airs on USA, stars Matt Bomer, Tim DeKay, Tiffani Thiessen, and Willie Garson. The show premieres on October 23rd, 2009 at 9PM CST.

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