TV Times Part One

Detroit 1-8-7

One of the most stellar casts ever assembled tell great stories full of wit and compassion. The series found it's footing early and the veteran cast of actors led by make this one a 'must-see' hour of television for me each week. I like how one of the co-stars is the city of Detroit. This series is also a love letter to that troubled place. For years I got my American network stations from Detroit so I know a lot about it - from Devil's Night to the International Auto Show, I sometimes feel like a lost son of Detroit. Starring Michael Imperioli of 'Sopranos' fame.


The Shield

I have been watching whole season's worth of this cop drama. It has been off the air for a few years now but like 'The Wire', it's the kind of big city crime stories that I love. L.A. instead of Baltimore but the same issues come up. Michael Chiklis is memorable as Vic Makey, a good cop trying to keep the mean streets from running red with the blood of the innocents. He is corrupt but in a good way if that makes any sense. I was happy to discover that Walton Googins (Justified) and C.C. Pounder (Warehouse 13) were also a part of the excellent ensemble cast. I am only in Season 2 right now so no one tell me if Vic's elaborate manipulations lead to his death - I am enjoying the ride too much right now to even think about his inevitable fate.


Spartcus - God's Of The Arena

This series is as violent and bloody as 'Spartacus - Blood and Sand' was. It's only six episodes long but this series is coiled like a tight spring. Each episode builds upon the last. The tension between the characters is so intense that you know, eventually, something is going to explode and the only thing left to do will be to count the bodies. The events take place before 'Spartacus' and we get to witness the rise of the House of Batiatus as a new Coliseum is erected in Capua, sister city to Rome. Gladiators, bloody combat, sex, betrayal, murder, loyalty and sadness is found in all it's richness. Only on cable TV could something so terrible be so great at the same time.


The Middle

This series mines the ordinary for such rich comedy that it has become one of my favorite sitcoms at all times. The characters are wonderfully complex but also the exact opposite of all the sitcom characters you have ever seen before. Patricia Heaton learned from Ray Romano that you give the CO-STARS all the great lines and situations and just play off them. The kids are all terrific with middle child Sue (Eden Sher) being my favorite. She is so unaware of how much of a loser she is and she accepts her failure with a goofy smile and good humor. You root for her each and every second she is on screen. Instead of being hypersexualized and smart like so many sitcom female children are, Sue doesn't ever realize that her 'boyfriend' is so obviously gay.


Modern Family

The second half of my favorite hour of television, this show is only in it's second season but you would think the ensemble cast has been at it for a decade. That is how well written and solid these characters are. No one is underwritten or underperformed at each family is strong enough to anchor their own spin-off show (which I hope never happens). The genius of this program is that you know how each character is going to react to a certain situation and you are pleased as often as you are wrong about that as when you are right. Fiery bombshell Gloria (Sophia Vergara) is my favorite character. She is Jay's (Ed O'Neil) young bride but he is not the one who wears the pants in that family. Her hot Latin blood and the passion that results often leads to some of the funniest blow-ups on the show. You never want to have her pointing a BB Gun at you.