Tele-Tuesday: New Year, Even More New Drama

The last couple of weeks, we’ve introduced a few of the new programs to hit television screens in 2012.  Many have accused us of adding too much to their already full TV schedules, and for that we apologize.  But that’s not going to stop us from talking about even more!

That’s right, we’re not done yet!  The networks are bringing television viewers a few additional winter premieres, or mid-season replacements as they like to call them, starting in February and some as late as April.  But for the sake of today’s post, we’ll stick to a handful that we can expect to see sooner rather than later.

So what do we have to look forward to?

*****

Smash

Will a show about a Broadway Musical have as much success as the popular musical dramedy Glee?

NBC sure hopes so.

Smash stars two of entertainment’s most dynamic women: Debra Messing (Will & Grace) plays Julia, a co-writer of the musical, and Academy Award winning actress Angelica Huston plays Eileen, the producer.  Keeping with the popular appeal of female success, former American Idol runner-up Katharine McPhee plays Karen, a young and unfamiliar talent who finds herself a favorite for the starring role in the musical.

Perhaps the story behind the musical itself will attract an audience all its own, telling the story of the original blonde-bombshell and 1950’s starlet, Marilyn Monroe.

If the musical is actually biographical, this TV junkie might have more of an interest in checking out Smash.  But we have a feeling the new series will actually focus on the personal lives of those behind the scenes and those vying for a part in the musical, rather than the life of one of our favorite sex symbols.

Smash premieres on NBC Monday, February 6^th.

*****

Missing

What would you do if your child went missing while studying abroad?

This frightening situation is the premise behind ABC’s new drama Missing.  The series stars yet another motion picture favorite, Ashley Judd, as widower and single mother Becca Winstone.  Becca takes it upon herself to travel to Rome to search for any leads and clues into her son Michael’s disappearance, and it doesn’t hurt that she has a background as a former CIA agent.

Sounds like the kidnappers picked the wrong lady to mess with…

Missing also stars Sean Bean (Game of Thrones) as CIA Agent Paul Winstone, Becca’s deceased husband, and Nick Eversman as Michael Winstone.

Missing premieres Thursday, March 15^th on ABC.

*****

Awake

What is quantum immortality?

Physicists explain that quantum immortality is the subjective experience of surviving quantum suicide, or that this highly controversial phenomenon implies that a conscious being cannot cease to be. 

Does this make sense to anyone?  How about an explanation that the rest of us who struggled in Physics can comprehend, please?

Better yet, let’s explain it by introducing the premise of NBC’s new science fiction drama, Awake.

Awake follows Detective Michael Britten (Jason Isaacs, from the Harry Potter films) after he survives a fatal car accident involving his wife and son.  Once he wakes up, he is faced with two realities – one where his wife (Laura Allen, the 4400) did not survive, and another where his son did not survive.  Michael begins moving from one reality to the other, struggling to remember which life he is currently living, all while attempting to keep his family together.

The new series is filled with familiar faces, including: Steve Harris (The Practice) as Michael’s partner in one reality; Wilmer Valderrama (That ‘70s Show) as Michael’s partner in the other reality; B.D. Wong (Law & Order: SVU) as Michael’s therapist in one reality; Cherry Jones (24) as Michael’s therapist in the other reality; and Michaela McManus (also from Law & Order: SVU), Michael’s love interest in the reality where his wife has passed.

How does he keep his life straight?

I’m glad to see that Michael has a therapist in both worlds…his life sounds confusing, doesn’t it?

Awake is scheduled to premiere in March, after it was originally scheduled to begin in Fall 2011 and again in January 2012.  What’s the deal?  Why is NBC all over the place when it comes to the actual premiere date?

According to an online article by NY Mag.com, the writers had to work out a few kinks.  Makes sense, considering the storyline could definitely confuse the audience with all the back and forth (Fringe, anyone?).

*****

What do you think?  Do you plan to watch Smash, Missing, or Awake?  Which show has the most promise and why?  The least?  I’d love to hear from you!

*****

If you’d like to take a stab at  better understanding quantum immortality, quantum suicide, or metaphysics, click here!  Thank you Wikipedia, but even this is out of my league.

Why It’s Worth a Watch Wednesday – Magical Artifacts

This week, Amber West and I return to the science fiction world and review two of our viewers’ favorite SyFy programs.

Warehouse 13

Throughout history, government agencies have built secret warehouses around the world to house and protect magical artifacts.  These warehouses are overseen by the Secret Service and a group known as the Council of Regents. 

Warehouse 13, the current warehouse designed by a team including Thomas Edison, is hidden deep in the mountains outside of the fictional town of Univille, South Dakota, also known as the middle of nowhere.  As a part of their cover, the Secret Service agents claim to work for the IRS, and therefore the townsfolk snub them.  After all, who likes the IRS? 

Dr. Arthur “Artie” Nielsen (played by Saul Rubinek from the TV series Frasier and Nero Wolf) is the agent-in-charge of the warehouse.  Artie has a hard time trusting others with the artifacts, and he is oftentimes frustrated with his two lead agents, Myka and Pete.  Artie isn’t very personal, although he does have an ongoing crush on a visiting doctor played by Lindsay Wagner, who comes once a year to remove his regenerating appendix (it’s a magical show, remember?). 

Viewers learn that Artie’s mysterious past includes his unknowingly trading magical artifacts to the Soviet Union in exchange for the release of his imprisoned family members, an act that was considered treason by the United States.  Once he turned himself in, the US government assigned him to the warehouse where he has been ever since. 

Myka Bering (played by Joanne Kelly from the TV series Vanished and The Dresden Files) is the traditional, play by the rules, Secret Service agent working at the warehouse.  Like most women, Myka pays great attention to detail, and her professional style clashes with her goofy partner, Pete.  On a personal note, Myka has a pet ferret (that she named Pete) and she loves Twizzlers.

What “special power” does Myka bring to the table? She has a photographic memory.

Pete Lattimer (played by Eddie McClintock from the TV series Stark Raving Mad and Crumbs) is the other side of the partnership.  He’s a former Marine and a recovering alcoholic, yet he still has a goofy and fun side.  Pete loves sports, collects comic books, and craves junk food. 

What “special power” does Pete bring to the table? He’s a master at reading lips and he can sense when something bad is about to happen. 

The two partners share a cute relationship – it’s clear that they love each other, but more in a brotherly/sisterly kind of way.  Pete dated the town veterinarian for a little while (until an artifact possessed her and she tried to kill him), while Myka managed to kiss the boy she crushed on in high school at her reunion.  Other than that, the Warehouse 13 agents rarely have time for any romantic interludes. 

The Warehouse also employs Claudia (played by Allison Scagliotti), a young techie-genius who went to work for the team after breaking into the warehouse, and Leena (played by Genelle Williams), the proprietor of the local bed and breakfast where the agents reside. 

Other recurring characters include: Mrs. Frederic (C.C.H. Pounder), the director of the warehouse and liaison between the agents and regents; Helena “H.G.” Wells (Jaime Murray), an agent from the late 1800’s who bounces back and forth between good and evil; and, Steve Jinks (Aaron Ashmore), an agent brought in after Myka temporarily resigns. 

A huge bonus to working at the warehouse is the access to very cool gadgets.  The agents use a “Farnsworth” to communicate with one another visually and telephonically in lieu of cell phones.  Instead of using real guns, the agents use a “Tesla Gun” – a weapon that shoots lightning bolts that stuns the bad guys instead of killing them.  The agents also use caution when in public by capturing the magic of the artifacts by sealing it inside metallic “flash” bags.   

Warehouse 13 has featured many historical artifacts throughout the seasons including Lewis Carroll’s looking glass, Lizzie Borden’s compact, Marilyn Monroe’s hair brush, Harry Houdini’s wallet, Marie Antoinette’s guillotine blade (well, the one that killed her), Ben Franklin’s lightning rod, and Edgar Allan Poe’s quill pen. 

Click here for a complete list of artifacts to date.

Not personally big on most shows featured on SyFy, I find Warehouse 13 very enjoyable.  I read somewhere that W13 has over 50% female viewers, maybe for the very same reasons that I watch – it’s fun, magical, and an escape from reality.    That’s why Warehouse 13 earns a JFTV rating – it’s like the bag of potato chips that we just can’t put down.

Are you a Warehouse 13 fan? Is there an artifact throughout history that you’d like to get your hands on, and if so, what magical power do you think it might possess?   Do you like that the writers keep the relationship between Myka and Pete strictly professional and friendly, or would you prefer see a romantic spark ignite? I’d love to hear from you!

Now click over to Amber’s blog and see what she has to say about SyFy’s Eureka.

Come back next week when Amber and I recommended a few more queue worthy shows for your viewing pleasure as we close out the month of August with another Netflix edition.     

Remember to stop by the #watchwed hashtag in Twitter to discuss any of today’s reviews, or to mention any television programs that you’d like to see on Why It’s Worth a Watch Wednesday in the future.  We’re currently working on our September schedule and would love to chat with you!

A Recap of The WatchWed Review System:

GTV (Gourmet TV): Everything we want and more
MacTV (MacNCheese TV): Guilty pleasure. Not perfect, but is satisfies
JFTV (Junk food TV): It’s not great for us, but we’ll go back for seconds
SSTV (Still Simmering TV): It has potential, but the jury is still out
NIV (Nyquil Induced Viewing): Perfect for that late night television sleep timer
LOTV (Liver&Onions TV): Do we really have to explain? Blech