Will the Caffee family of Providence ever achieve the mythic status of Jersey's Sopranos clan?
Probably not. Which shouldn't keep you from the darkly compelling world of Brotherhood (Sundays, 10 pm/ET). Showtime's morally ambiguous family saga (substituting thick Irish brogue for Italian swagger) is richly plotted and totally absorbing, one of summer TV's best surprises.
Shot distinctively on location, Brotherhood paints Providence as a cesspool of political chicanery and violent disorganized crime — each subculture embodied by a Caffee brother.
Tommy (Jason Clarke) is the good, responsible son, a family man and ambitious state representa
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Normally I'm a sucker for a good bloodsucker, but I've seen paper cuts go deeper than Blade (Wednesdays at 10 pm/ET on Spike TV), the toothless new TV version of the comic-book-turned-film franchise about a hip-hop, Harley-riding, half-breed vampire who's bad news for his more evil brethren.
Where Buffy the Vampire Slayer took a mediocre film and elevated it to TV art, Blade doesn't even try to improve on the loud, flashily hollow movies. It's just more of the same martial artlessness. I kept expecting to see Batman-style OOF! BAM! graphics on screen.
"Sun's down. Time to make some friends," mutters Blade (Over There's Kirk
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