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October 24, 2007

Classy wrap for "Damages"

It was a testament to the vast amount of quality cable programming that aired over the summer that I didn't have a chance to write about every show that aired. For instance, I didn't get to write anything about my favorite summer show, AMC's "Mad Men," which wrapped its stallar first season last week. Nor did I get to write about "Damages," FX classy, twisty legal thriller, which finished its first season last night.

"Damages" stars Glenn Close as ruthless civil attorney Patty Hewes, Rose Byrne as Patty's ambitious underling, and Ted Danson as the corrupt businessman Patty was determined to bring down.
At the beginning of the season we learned that Byrne's character, Ellen, had been attacked, and her fiance had been murdered.
The show went back and forth in time to show us just how Ellen's life had unraveled, and how her hardship was likely due to her decision to work for Patty. Patty is embroiled in a civil suit against an exec named Arthur Frobisher, waged by his former employees. The legal stuff was almost absurdly complicated, involving Ellen's future sister-in-law, Arthur's shady attorney, a woman stalking Ellen's fiance and lots and lots of other twists.
But, unlike other serialized dramas (and yes, I'm talking to you, "24"), "Damages" resolved itself in a way that made sense. It was a nice surprise, for instance, when we learned that the paternal lawyer who had befriended Ellen wasn't secretly evil, but actually had a good reason for trying to protect her. The mystery of who killed Ellen's fiance was also solved in a satisfying way. Sure, no real attorney is quite as all-knowing and all-seeing as Close's Patty. Yet even that character developed in a way that made sense.
That's all due to some terrific acting on parts of Close, Byrne, and especially Danson, who was a revelation as the creepy-yet-not-totally-unsympathetic Frobisher. It was both jarring and exhilirating to see the former sitcom star snorting cocaine with prostitutes, and engaging in a randy tryst with a legal coach.
Sadly, all that quality didn't translate to great ratings, even for a cable show. As of today, FX still hasn't announced whether "Damages" would be picked up for a second season. Hopefully, the show's excellence will win the day, and we'll get to see more of "Damages."

Posted by amanda on 2:21 PM | Comments (0)

October 23, 2007

Toni Collette joins the crowd

A few months ago, I wrote a story about the high number of film actresses who were moving to the small screen. Most of the women I focused on -- Holly Hunter, Glenn Close, Sally Field, Kyra Sedgwick, Elizabeth Perkins -- were 40 or older. But there are certainly many more actresses younger than that who are making the move from film to television, including Minnie Driver , of "The Riches," and Chloe Sevigny, of "Big Love."
Last week, Showtime announced that yet another fine film actress was shifting over to television: Toni Collette.

Collette, a mere 35 years old, is a highly respected actress who has been in everything from blockbusters ("The Sixth Sense") to independent films ("Muriel's Wedding"). She's been nominated for an Oscar for "Sixth," and earned a slew of other nominations. Yet she's never become a huge star. Perhaps that's because of her unconventional looks. Though I find her beautiful in an offbeat way, her regular-gal appearance is out of place in today's glamor-centric Hollywood scene. Also, she might actually be too good an actress to become a conventional star. She's the type of performer who transforms from role to role, which, generally, is a good thing. But, in this world where performers are marketed like brand names ("a Reese Witherspoon romantic comedy," "a Bruce Willis action film"), being a chameleon is something a detriment.
Odds are, Collette's ability to transform will actually be an asset in her new role, as the star of Showtime's "The United States of Tara." On the show, Collette will play a woman with multiple personality disorder. Though it's an odd concept for a television show, the casting of Collette has me intrigued. I've always enjoyed her work, and longed for her to have a higher profile.
Her casting also proves that television is increasingly becoming a more hospitable environment for actresses than films. I anticipate that we'll be seeing more and more distinguished female performers going from the big to small screen in the coming years.
With so many fine actresses from the 1990s having virtually disappeared from view (where have you gone, Linda Fiorentino?), here's hoping this continuing trend will give them a shot at rebirth.

Posted by amanda on 11:58 AM | Comments (0)

That was fast

So, I go away for a few days to enjoy a college football game in Ohio, and when I come back, I find that CBS has already canceled its hideous musical-drama-mystery (drammystical?) "Viva Laughlin."
After only two episodes.
I must say, I have kind of mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, the show was awful. I mean, teeth-gnashingly, gut-wrenchingly awful. It actually hurt to watch it. But I'm always a little wounded when shows get canceled so quickly after they start. Maybe it just needed time to gain its footing. Maybe it was on the cusp of a creative renaissance.
True, I'm pretty sure "Viva" was NEVER going to get better. But now we'll never know for sure.
And this happens all the time. So many shows get axed without a chance to really blossom.
Thus, this is a bit bittersweet.
Sigh.
Ok, I'm over it now.

Posted by amanda on 10:34 AM | Comments (0)

October 15, 2007

Worst...show...ever

A few weeks ago, I gave my best and worst picks for the new TV season. At the top of my "Worst" list was a CBS murder mystery-drama-musical called "Viva Laughlin." Now, at the time, I worried that this review was a bit premature.
After all, all I had seen was a preliminary version of the show's pilot. It was possible that, by the time the show aired, the series would be improved. Maybe, for example, we wouldn't be treated to inane, clumsily choreographed musical numbers in which the likes of series star Lloyd Owen, and recurring guest stars Hugh Jackman and Melanie Griffith sing along to pre-recorded tracks of old hits, including "Viva Las Vegas."
Maybe the dialogue wouldn't be so mind-numbingly awful, the plot threads so painfully predictable.
Thus, when the final copy of the pilot arrived at our offices last week, I vowed to re-watch it. Maybe, I thought, cooler heads had prevailed and someone did something to improve this montrosity.
So, I popped the disc into my DVD player.
Within moments, I had my final verdict: still awful.

In fact, awful doesn't even begin to describe "Viva Laughlin," which debuts this week. It's amazingly, transcendently hideous.
The show focuses on Owen's character, Ripley Holden, who wants to open a casino outside Vegas. His original backer pulls funding. He approaches rival Nicky Fontana (Jackman) to be his new backer. Fontana declines. The first backer ends up dead in Ripley's office. That backer's wife (Griffith) has a tearful breakdown that makes everyone suspect Ripley of the crime. In spite of all this, Ripley is determined to get his casino off the ground.
Meanwhile, the horrible musical numbers punctuate the terrible plot. Fontana arrives at his casino, vamping it up to the Rolling Stones' "Sympathy for the Devil." Griffith character vamps at Ripley while crooning Blondie's "One Way, or Another."
And it all kicks off with Ripley crooning along to Elvis's "Viva Las Vegas."
Ick.
Ick.
Ick.
It was all as bad as I remembered. So bad, in fact, that I couldn't even finish watching it the second time.
The most offensive thing about "Laughlin" (outside of its very existence) is that it wastes the talents of some decent actors, including Jackman (who actually has a producer credit on this thing -- shame on him), Griffith and D.B. Woodside ("24"), who plays Fontana's henchman.
For their sake, I hope the show is quickly canceled so they can move on to bigger and better things.
I certainly plan to.
"Viva Laughlin" debuts 10 p.m. Thursday on CBS.

Posted by amanda on 4:38 PM | Comments (0)

October 9, 2007

OMG! "Gossip Girl" picked up for full season

The CW just announced on Tuesday that it was picking up its glossy guilty pleasure "Gossip Girl" for a full season. The show has drawn both fans, who love its fun, trashy style and detractors who disapprove of its depiction of drinking, drugging, sex-crazed teens. But, love it or hate it, the show has created buzz and that's good enough for the still-struggling Netlet CW.

Though not a ratings hit, the CW claims that the show is building a solid fan base, and that its two most recent episodes ranked among the top 5 iTunes downloads. I'm pleased about the pickup for a much simpler reason -- the show is good. True, it's not as good as the canceled CW show "Veronica Mars." And it's not my favorite new CW show (that would be "Reaper" -- hopefully the pick up for that show is next?). But it's a lot of fun.
Based on the series of books by the same name, "Gossip Girl" comes from "The O.C." creative forces Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, and the new show has the same fun, sleazy energy as first season of "The O.C."
There's beautiful people and clothes and lots and lots of swanky events that devolve into catfights and/or fisticuffs. It's fabulous trash, and it even features some decent acting, particularly by Blake Lively as mysterious rich girl Serena. Plus, it's all narrated by unseen blogger "Gossip Girl" -- voiced by Kristen Bell of "Veronica Mars!"
So how could I not love it?
Glad to see "Gossip Girl" is getting a chance to solidify its fan base and grow creatively.

Posted by amanda on 3:50 PM | Comments (0)