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March 31, 2008

A treat for TV fans

Those still reeling from the loss of HBO's recently concluded drama "The Wire" might want to pick up "Another Thing to Fall," the latest book by the fantastic mystery writer Laura Lippman. Lippman, as some might be aware, is married to "Wire" mastermind David Simon. She's also the author of a successful line of mysteries featuring strong-willed PI Tess Monaghan (as well as several excellent stand alone novels).

"Another Thing to Fall" is the latest Monaghan mystery, and, coincidentally enough, centers on a television show being filmed in Monaghan's (and Lippman's) hometown of Baltimore. Of course, "The Wire" was also filmed in Baltimore, as was the series "Homicide," which was based on a book by Simon. Though Lippman states in an epilogue that her book is purely fictional, and has nothing to do with her husband's experience filming "The Wire," "Another Thing" is great fun and will amuse TV and film geeks.
In the book, Monaghan, an avid rower, accidentally careens into a film crew during an early morning row. The accident results in her getting hired to guard the spoiled young female star of "Mann of Steel," a TV series filming in Baltimore.
The glamour-phobic Monaghan is completely out of her league on the set. When a production assistant asks her if she wants sides (script pages) for a scene she's watching while on the job, the food-loving Tess responds "Sides? You mean like, French fries?"
The book also has a couple of insider-y references for "Wire" devotees (not far into the book, a homeless man utters an epithet made famous by "Wire" character Clay Davis).
Fans of the Monaghan series will enjoy watching the scrappy Tess butt heads with egotistical actors and writers, and thrill to the appearance of the series' best supporting character, Tess's imperious best friend Whitney Talbot.
But even those new to the books could get some enjoyment out of this likable fish out of water story.

Posted by amanda on 12:10 PM | Comments (0)

March 17, 2008

FX serves up more "Riches"

One of the surest signs that 2007 was an exceptional year for television was that I didn't have room for the superb FX drama "The Riches" on my year-end top 10 list.
Any other year, the series -- which stars Eddie Izzard and Minnie Driver as the heads of a con-artist family who steal the identities of a wealthy deceased couple -- would have been near the top of the list.
The show's second season start 10 p.m. Tuesday.

The new season picks up where the first one left off with Wayne and Dahlia Malloy (Izzard and Driver) and their three kids about to be exposed for stealing the identities of the Riches, the wealthy couple who died before they could set up in their new home in Edenfalls, a swany Louisiana residential community.
Last season dealt with the Malloys, Irish travellers on the run from their clan, assuming the identity of the Riches and trying to fit in. Wayne became Doug Rich, and took a job as a lawyer for a sleazy land developer (Gregg Henry, an over-the-top hoot). Meanwhile, Dahlia struggled to get free of her traveller roots and her nasty meth habit.
At the end of last season, it looked like Dahlia's sleazy cousin Dale (Todd Stashwick) had gotten the better of them, figuring out their ruse and preventing them from escaping. Also, the real Doug's best friend unraveled their scheme, too.
At the start of this season, Dahlia and the kids manage to escape, while Wayne goes back to deal with the whole Dale/Pete mess. The plot, as it often does on this show, only gets more complicated from there.
"The Riches" is such an interesting show. Its protagonists are thieves, but, unlike the antiheroes on shows like "Damages," "The Shield," "The Sopranos" and "Dexter," the Malloys are actually semi-decent people. In fact, the joke at the show's core is that they're actually nicer than the Riches were. One plot thread has Dahlia becoming attached toMrs. Rich's dementia-addled mom. Despite her state, mom knows that Dahlia is a fraud -- but doesn't care, because this impostor is so much kinder than her real daughter.
This season, Wayne is starting to bend to the pressures of his new identity, and is allowing himself to get corrupted by it. He gets involved with a shady land deal that could defraud hurricane Katrina victims and, though he vows to a colleague that he won't let the deal happen, we're not sure that's a promise he can keep.
"The Riches" is so smart and twisty (I haven't even discussed the Malloys' disaffected neighbor Nina, or their transvestite son) that it constantly keeps you guessing. It's wonderfully entertaining and, thanks to magnificent performances by Driver and Izzard, the Malloys are devastatingly sympathetic characters.
If you missed the the first season of "The Riches," I highly recommend renting or buying it on DVD. If you saw and loved it, don't miss the new season.

Posted by amanda on 11:53 AM | Comments (0)

March 7, 2008

"Wire" ends on an elegant note

I've spent a lot of time and energy praising HBO's goregeous drama "The Wire," which depicts criminals, cops and various others in the city of Baltimore. And, there's a good chance I'll still be talking about the show long after its last episode airs this Sunday at 9 p.m.

That's because this show is so unique, so special. It's that rare show where the characters feel like people you know. Everyone is so flawed, so relatable. Every storyline (yes, even this season's media-focused plotline that has so many people in my profession shaking their heads) feels like it could happen. The show's creator, ex-Baltimore Sun reporter David Simon, has compared the show to a novel, and the comparison is apt.
Like a good book, "The Wire" gives those who absorb it a lot to chew on. There are all kinds of points made about morality, responsibility and the ways that human beings are betrayed by the institutions that are supposed to protect them.
But, like a good novel, "The Wire" presents that information by filtering it through memorable characters. The series has literally hundreds of characters, ranging from its nominal lead, Detective Jimmy McNulty (Dominic West) to smaller, but still vastly important characters like corrupt Sen. Clay Davis (Isiah Whitlock, Jr., who has turned the four-letter epithet for human excrement into verbal poetry), Major Bill Rawls (John Doman) and the taciturn crime co-op leader "Proposition" Joe Stewart (Robert F. Chew, whose character was tragically killed off this season. RIP, big guy).
It's saying something that nearly every character has been given great material over the show's five-season run. But that means that there are a lot of storylines to wrap up during the course of the show's 90-minute finale.
To their credit, those involved with the show manage to tie up many loose ends without making it feel too neat or pat. We find out what becomes of McNulty and Det. Lester Freamon (Clarke Peters), now that their fake serial killer plot has been revealed. We learn what happens to the sniveling Sun reporter Scott Templeton (Thomas McCarthy), and the erstwhile editor (Clark Johnson) who suspects him of fabricating stories.
We learn the fate of nearly every major character in an elegant epilogue and, though not every story ends the way we'd hope, each ending seems fitting. So does the final shot, which lingers on McNulty's face, full of both dispair and hope.
It's a near-perfect ending to a near-perfect series.

Posted by amanda on 4:33 PM | Comments (0)

March 3, 2008

I've got a secret...

Well, no, not really. But I wanted to let you all know that the CW's trash-tastic freshman series "Gossip Girl" has been renewed for a second season.
Woo. Hoo.

Posted by amanda on 5:08 PM | Comments (0)

Note to SNL: Politician cameos have lost their novelty

There was a time when it was something of a coup to land a big-time politician on a sitcom or sketch comedy show. It was, for example, a milestone when Nixon appeared on "Laugh-In" and it was, at the very least, a kitschy novelty when First Lady Nancy Reagan showed up on "Diff'rent Strokes."
But in these media-savvy times, appearing on television is practically a necessity for anyone running for national office. Presidential candidates in particular pop up on whatever show will have them. Thus a candidate's mere presence on a TV show like "Saturday Night Live" isn't enough to make him or her seem hip. Particularly when said candidate brings nothing to the table, humor-wise.

Case in point: aspiring democratic presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton made a brief appearance on the most recent episode of SNL. Her cameo immediately followed a sketch about the presidential debates featuring Amy Poehler as Hillary. In a woodenly-delivered monologue, Hillary professed her love for Poehler's work. Then Poehler popped in in Hillary garb, and the two engaged in a mutual lovefest before proclaiming "We're Hillary Clinton and we approve this message! Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!"
Oof.
The whole thing was clumsy and unnecessary. It wasn't edgy. It wasn't even funny (save for the brief hint of disapproval on Hil's face when Poehler uncorked her impression of Hillary's infamously robotic laugh). Why bother?
To SNL's credit, last week's appearance by Republican candidate Mike Huckabee WAS actually funny, but that's because he took the opportunity to really make fun of himself (as when he refused to leave the Weekend Update anchor desk). Hillary, on the other hand, seemed to view her SNL appearance as just another opportunity for TV time.
It was kind of depressing.

Posted by amanda on 2:28 PM | Comments (0)