Roush on Life, Damian Lewis and Vincent D'Onofrio
Question: I've really enjoy reading your column for a long time now. We are about the same age, and I imagine we grew up watching a lot of the same things (although I'm willing to bet you watched
way less
Donny and Marie than I did). I've never been tempted to write before, but I really wanted to comment on the new show
Life. My husband and I rented the NBC preview DVD and we've both thoroughly enjoyed it. I thought it would be totally dark and heavy, but instead it was quirky and fun and humorous. It felt like a USA Network show to me. I think anyone who likes
Monk or
Psych would like this. I know you said it was a show that felt like work to watch, and I just wanted to urge people to give it a try. It's not a nail-biter and it won't keep you up at night trying to "figure it out." In fact, if it were a book I'd probably call it a "beach read." Who doesn't need a little of that? I'd like to see it stick around; maybe others will share my opinion.
— Cindy
Matt Roush: I like your analogy to the quirky/funny crime shows on USA Network, and I agree that
Life'
s lighter tone is refreshing, but so far I can't share your enthusiasm. I can tell you that
Life has polarized people in the office who've seen it. Some liked it, others (including me) pretty much hated it. I've enjoyed the show's star (British actor
Damian Lewis, from
Band of Brothers and
The Forsyte Saga) many times before, but I found the way this character was written and portrayed incredibly annoying and off-putting. Then again, I've never been a fan of the mannerisms
Vincent D'Onofrio has brought to his role on the aforementioned
Criminal Intent, so maybe this sort of willfully quirky, in-your-face character isn't my cup of java. I'm not sure the concept is unique enough, either: Cop wrongly accused and jailed for murder embraces Zen philosophy behind bars and uses it back on the job once he's released. Still, generic sometimes works, although going head-to-head with the equally generic and already established
CSI: NY could make
Life's shelf life a short one. We'll see. (By the way, you're absolutely right about
Donny and Marie. However, first-run
Brady Bunch and
Partridge Family? I was there.)
