It’s that time of year again… the winter television schedule is here! And as always, the networks have a lineup of many new programs to accompany our returning favorites.
Some of the series have promise, while others may flop—but, regardless, we’ll tune in to check them out!
Today, we’re mixing it up with comedy, drama, and pirates.
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Looking
HBO Summary: Three friends, living in San Francisco, explore the exciting options available to a new generation of gay men in this HBO comedy series.
Balancing between a drama and comedy, Looking follows three gay men as they search for “authentic ways of being in the world” today.
In the lead, we have Patrick (Jonathan Groff, Glee). A successful video game designer, Patrick is currently at a crossroads in his life. He thinks he knows who he is, but he’s noticing he’s changing just a bit.
Next, we have Augustin (Frankie Alvarez). Augustin wants to be an artist, but fears he isn’t good enough. In his personal life, he is in the process of settling down with his boyfriend.
And finally, we have Dom (Murray Bartlett, Guiding Light). Dom is the oldest of the three, and he’s at a point where he is wondering what he has actually done with his life.
We’re a little late with this one… Looking premiered Sunday night, January 19th, but the show is on HBO which means it will replay like crazy and can be found via OnDemand.
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Rake
Fox Summary: A show about a defense lawyer with a remarkably screwed up personal life.
Rake is not the name of the lead character. That’s Keegan Deane, played by the very talented Greg Kinnear (As Good As it Gets, Sabrina, Little Miss Sunshine).
A “rake” is actually a man in 17th century Britain who liked to wine & dine and carouse with women.
And a rake, by that definition, is definitely who Keegan Deane is.
Keegan is a brilliant and amazing defense attorney, who can be his own worst enemy. He’s an opportunistic, erratic, and annoying person with a very good heart. He is in love with a prostitute (Mikki, played by Bojana Novakovic)… and he’s currently seeing a therapist, who also happens to be his ex-wife (Maddy, played by Miranda Otto from The Lord of the Rings trilogy). The new show does take on a more serial format; however, each week Keegan will face a new and very interesting court case.
The new legal dramedy also stars: John Ortiz (Fast & Furious 6), Necar Zadegan (24), and Tara Summers (Boston Legal).
Rake premieres Thursday, January 23rd on Fox.
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Black Sails
Starz Summary: A Michael Bay production that reveals what it was like for the men and women of the 1700s to chart their own destinies.
Set in Nassau, the Bahamas, Black Sails is a dark pirate show—not like our beloved and comedic Pirates of the Caribbean. The series combines actual historical figures and characters from Treasure Island. And in this dark world, piracy is punishable by death…
Now let’s meet the characters:
Captain Flint (Toby Stephens, Die Another Day) – Capt. Flint is the prime captain on Nassau. He is a political creature, both witty and very manipulative.
Mr. Gates (Mark Ryan) – Mr. Gates is the quartermaster and Capt. Flint’s ally. Flint needs Gates to make the crew do what he wants them to do.
Billy Bones (Tom Hopper, Merlin) – Billy Bones is a pirate with actual ethics. He truly wants to trust the people around him.
John Silver (Luke Arnold) – John Silver looks out for himself, but he’s at least honest about it.
Eleanor (Hannah New) – Eleanor is an ambitious woman, who forced her way into becoming one of the most powerful people on the island. Not only that, but she’s a visionary and sees great things for the island’s future.
Captain Vane (Zach McGowan, Shameless) – Capt. Vane is a real pirate, who comes from nothing and decided he wanted more. He believes in living free and on the sea… and he’s very ruthless.
Rackham (Toby Schmitz) – Rackham is as thick as thieves with Capt. Vane. He’s a charmer, gambler, and extremely ruthless.
Anne Bonny (Clara Paget) – Anne Bonny is a strong-minded, ferocious, and bad@$$ woman. She has earned her spot as one of the boys and is considered a stone-cold killer.
Mr. Scott (Hakeem Kae-Kazim, Hotel Rwanda) – Mr. Scott oversees Eleanor’s business.
And Max (Jessica Parker Kennedy, Smallville and The Secret Circle) – Max is a local prostitute, who like everyone else, is in it for herself.
Black Sails premieres Saturday, January 25th on Starz.
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If I had to rank these in order of which one I’m most looking forward to, I’d put Black Sails at number one. Everyone likes pirates, thanks to Captain Jack Sparrow; and since Mike Leach coached at my college, the pirate theme has been a popular one in our house. Dropping quite a ways down the totem pole, Rake probably comes in second with Looking following in last place. Only recently have I seen the Rake previews, and doing this blog research was the first I heard about Looking. No hype = no excitement on my end. Sorry.
What do you think? Will you tune in to watch any of these new shows? Which one most interests you? I’d love to hear from you!
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Tiffany A. White is the author of the YA mystery Football Sweetheart series available on Kindle and Nook. She is available for contact via Twitter, Facebook, Google+, or via email at tiffany {at} tiffanyawhite {dot} com.
Tiffany A White's Ooo Factor 
I think we may have the same order of interest for once! 🙂
The only one that really interests me is Black Sails. This is certainly a different kind of show.
Rake looks good. Wish I had Starz.
Is Look King HBO’s answer to Showtimes Queer as Folk? Only like 10 years later. I will check it out. Rake commercials seem funny.