Question: I wrote you a few years ago about Monk's second season, which was fairly awful, but the show has been incredible ever since. (I'm thinking my complaint made the difference). Now I'm writing because I'm a huge TV fan, and I know a good show when I see it — and Life is it. I DVR everything, and when I have the time, I start with the best shows and go from there. Life has become my first watch. For the other TV fans out there, some of my old faves are NYPD Blue, Boomtown, Third Watch and The Wire. I've been blown away by Damian Lewis and the quality of Life. I cannot handle this show being canceled, so I hope that everyone gives it a chance. We're talking about a lovable hero who was wronged and is trying to set things right while being a Monk-ishly brilliant detective and solving very interesting crimes. And the 12 years he spent in prison gave him a hard yet Zen-like attitude. Add Adam Arkin and Brooke Langton, and we're talking a must-see show.
Answer: As I noted in my Dispatch
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Question: Which new shows do you think have lived up to their hype? Which shows have fizzled, and which are just hitting their stride? Chuck is the first must-see on my list. Life is a close second, reminding me a bit of Boomtown. Pushing Daisies is growing on me. Until Lost and Battlestar Galactica return, I have found few series worth my time. What shows do you look forward to, and which have you given up on?
Answer: Of the new shows, Chuck, Pushing Daisies and to a lesser degree the guilty pleasures of Dirty Sexy Money and Gossip Girl have held up best from my earliest assessments. I'm also glad that Samantha Who? appears to be an instant hit (thanks to the Dancing with the Stars lead-in). That's the best commercial comedy ABC has given us in quite a while. Also enjoying The Big Bang Theory and Aliens in America more often than not. Shows like Private Practice, Life and Moonlight have improved since their pilots, but not enough for me to get behind in any significant way. And I still
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Question: Since Rosie O'Donnell left The View, rumors have run rampant about where she might turn up next. Will she be the next Bob Barker? A contestant on a celebrity version of The Apprentice? And now comes word that Friday Night Lights execs are considering her for a guest stint as a ticked-off (can she play anything else?) soccer coach. I love FNL more than any show I've watched in a long time, but in light of Rosie's hostile outbursts, just seeing her face or hearing her voice stirs unpleasant emotions. No matter how well-written or -acted, I probably won't be able to see a small-town soccer coach — instead I'll just see Rosie, angry as usual. (I'm with Mark, by the way. I won't be watching the otherwise-intriguing Bionic Woman now that Isaiah Washington has joined the cast.) Looks like Ben Silverman's signature tactic for promoting a new or struggling show is to go the tabloid route and stunt-cast someone who's been grabbing headlines for something other than his or her acting ...
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“Does it get better than this? I don’t think it does.” So says Coach Eric Taylor (the marvelously understated Kyle Chandler) as he shepherds his team, the determined Dillon Panthers, into Dallas’ Texas Stadium, where the kids even have assigned lockers. Awesome. Don’t let your babies grow up to be cowboys? Not in this show’s universe.TV really doesn’t get better than Friday Night Lights, which airs its season finale tonight (NBC, 8 pm/ET), a rousing and tremendously satisfying hour of high stakes, high emotion and deeply defined, honestly earned human dignity. As Coach says during a pivotal pep talk: “Pride and character cannot be reflected on a scoreboard.” Almost as good a motto as “Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose.”Watching this final episode, my eyes were full (of tears), and my heart was clear (with unsullied admiration). Ratings aside, and once in a while they really should be, Friday Night Lights is a winner. It s...
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Question: I love your column and respect your opinion greatly. I believe you said a while ago that we are in a golden age of TV drama. A few years ago I wouldn't have believed it was possible, as I lamented the loss of the great Boomtown. But so far, I'm very happy with this TV season. High on my list are Jericho, which I was happy to see seemed to be well-received, and Six Degrees, Kidnapped and Justice. Coming in close behind are Men in Trees, Studio 60 and Vanished. I'm slightly concerned about getting hooked on these shows only to have them canceled, but that would never stop me from enjoying them while I can. In your opinion, can these shows survive? I would hate to see any of them go too soon. Also, I was a bit perplexed and annoyed by the media coverage following the premiere of Studio 60. There was a lot of talk about how the show was not able to retain the audience of its lead-in, Deal or No Deal. Who would possibly think that those two shows are compatible? As a high-school ...
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