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RSSComing clean on 'The Cleaner'
As the saying goes, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
That cliché is probably best epitomized on TV.
Like Friends? Well that's why we got The Single Guy and Caroline in the City the following year.
A fan of CSI, are you? Well of course you'll like CSI: Miami and CSI:NY.
In the beginning there was 90210 which begat Dawson's Creek which begat The O.C. which begat Gossip Girl which begat the new 90210 coming our way this fall.
The TV medium doesn't exactly breed originality. Soon, as another cliche goes, everything old is new again.
But every once in awhile somebody somewhere green lights a unique concept. And sometimes that unique concept soars. That's why we get gems such as Lost, Mad Men or Arrested Development.
I don't think The Cleaner (premiering Tuesday at 10 p.m. on A & E) will soar but I can tell you there isn't much scripted drama like it on TV right now. And that's why I'm giving a little more leeway that I might normally. I want TV to continue to try new things and stretch boundaries.
Benjamin Bratt stars as William Banks, a drug addict who hit rock bottom and vowed to get sober and help other who suffer from addiction. The result is a mix between what will be an addict of the week case with William's ongoing personal drama.
And boy does William have a lot of it. His children (Brett DelBuono as Ben and Liliana Mumy as Lula) are not only angry about his past, they also resent his present. His best friend Mickey (Gil Bellows) is struggling to stay clean amidst the news that his wife wants to follow through on their separation. He can't stop smoking. Suffice to say, William has got issues.
In the pilot, William and his team including Akani (Grace Park), Arnie (Esteban Powell) and Mickey are called in to help a teen who turned to drugs after the death of his father. The whole idea is that people contact William when all other avenues have been exhausted or the addict's level of denial is insurmountable. It seems like a far-fetched premise but the series was inspired by the life story of Warren Boyd, who is a co-executive producer on the show.
The pilot is dark and everyone is taking themselves a little too seriously. Yes this is a grave subject matter but most of the performances have too much of an undertone of "what we are doing is important!" Del Buono turns in what I think is the series' best performance. I instantly believed him as the world-weary son who was forced to grow up way too fast. And the William's fractured home life is definitely my favorite part of the series.
Unfortunately Park is saddled with a preposterous character. You wouldn't trust her to take your coffee order let alone intervene on a loved one. I'm hoping the show tones her down very soon because right now her character is highly annoying.
I think there could be a good show in here. The premise is intriguing and the talented cast has potential. I'll keep an eye on the show but for now two and a half stars. After you've watched the show, let me know what you think.
Highlights of the Week Ahead
All times listed are Eastern Time for July 14-20
I talked about The Closer and Saving Grace in Friday's column but after you've watched the season premieres beginning Monday at 9 p.m. on TNT definitely let me know what you think.
We know from the Amy Awards that you were not happy with how Bones ended. But I think in general you were happy about John Francis Daley joining the cast this season as psychiatrist Dr. Lance Sweets. Are you still happy with his addition knowing that he was not Gormogon's apprentice? See how Sweets met Bones (Emily Deschanel) and Booth (David Boreanaz) in this repeat from November Monday at 8 p.m. on FOX.
This is the last baseball season at the current Yankee Stadium. So it's rather fitting that the All-Star game will be played at Yankee Stadium Tuesday at 8 p.m. on FOX. I'll be watching for my Red Sox players Kevin Youkilis, Dustin Pedroia and Manny Ramirez.
Project Runway returns for a fifth season Wednesday at 9 p.m. on Bravo. Heidi Klum, Tim Gunn, Nina Garcia and Michael Kors are all back This is the last season the show will be on Bravo. It will move to the Lifetime for the sixth season. Are you worried about the show moving to Lifetime? Will you still watch? Let me know.
Hector Elizondo joins the cast of Monk as Monk's new therapist Dr. Neven Bell in the seventh season premiere Friday at 9 p.m. on USA. Elizondo replaces Stanley Kamel who passed away suddenly in April. The episode is a beautiful tribute to Kamel as Monk struggles to deal with his loss and find a new doctor. Brad Garrett also guest stars as a handyman who Monk hires to fix his new house. If you are a fan of the show, this is a can't miss episode. Four stars.
Psych is also back with new episodes Friday at 10 p.m. on USA. In the third season premiere, Gus (Dule Hill) is trying desperately to keep his job while Shawn (James Roday) is trying desperately to keep Gus working with him. As much as I enjoy Roday's humorous performance, sometimes I think the show takes his tomfoolery too far. He's definitely a character where less can be so much more. That's why I'm delighted with guest star Cybil Shepard as Shawn's mom. I think she is going to keep his character grounded and the final scene of the season premiere is definitely a little heartbreaking.
Did you miss out on one of TV's most critically acclaimed series? Well you're in luck. AMC has a marathon of the first season of Mad Men beginning Sunday at 12 p.m. on AMC. This will get your ready for the second season premiere on July 27.
That's all for today. I'm off to LA for the Television Critics Association Press Tour. So Wednesday I'll be talking to you from the West Coast! Have a question? Seen a familiar face? Want to nominate a quote of the week? Write me at amytvgal@zap2it.com.
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I loved every Monk scene with Dr Kroger and Stanley Kamel will be sorely missed. I'll give Hector Elizondo a chance, but I'm not yet certain that he's up to the challenge.
I agree completely regarding small doses of James Roday going a long way. I l-o-v-e Cybil Shepard. Can't wait!
I am always amused by the copycats that follow every successful new show launch.
One problem I have with them is that they seem to pick the wrong thing to copy. I read an interview with some exec when Earl was still in its heyday, and he seemed to think that only single-camera comedies would be successful from now on. Really? The number of cameras is what the viewers respond to? Not the interesting premise and fun characters? Not even the clever writing?
No, Amy, I'm not happy with Sweets becoming a regular member of the cast of "Bones". He was an interesting diversion for one season, but -- as you pointed out regarding "Psych", and alluded to about "The Cleaner", less is definitely more. Plus adding a profiler diverts the show's focus from the forensic anthropology hook that distinguishes "Bones" from other detective series on TV.
I watched the premiere of "Flashpoint", and wasn't wowed by the show. Enrico Colantoni and Amy Jo Johnson are reliable performers, so I'll keep watching for a while based on their proven merits. But the production values were mediocre, with too many characters displaying obvious Canadian accents for an "American" SWAT TV show. And the tired device of throwing in a "new guy" (David Paetkau) to uncover facets of the characters' backstories just means that the writers couldn't manage exposition dialog. In real life people like to talk about themselves; why is it so difficult for TV writers to make this seem natural? It's not a promising start for the show, even for the reduced competitive landscape of summer dramas.
To Henry,
You do realize that Flashpoint is set in Toronto? Not Toronto standing in for another city as is usually the practice.
Who is the gorgeous silver haired guy that's in Mad Men that was also the guy on SATC that wanted Carrie to pee on him and was also Will's brother Sam on Will & Grace that Grace slept with?
Project Runway + Lifetime = Death
I'm actually very angry about it.
I'm actually happy that Project Runway will move to Lifetime. I live out in the country and have a crummy little cable company that doesn't carry Bravo OR AMC so lots of the shows that get talked about I don't get to see.
I think I would LOVE Madmen.
I'm disappointed - I hadn't realized that Project Runway would be on Bravo for another season.
I don't watch Bones, but as a fan of Freaks and Geeks, it's great to see that Sam Weir is getting work.
I like Sweets on Bones. He fits in nicely with everyone.
I love Psych. Shawn and Gus are a great duo and I love Shawn's relationship with his dad and sometimes think he should tone it down with giving his dad a hard time considering Henry helps him alot and as flashbacks show he was a good,yet strict, hands on dad.
This is for Tara: The silver-haired guy is John Slattery, who is great in just about everything he does -- and he's been in a lot of shows. He was really good in "Ed."