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March 30, 2007
What to Watch: Coming Up on Cable
Tube Stake: Programming reviews by Seth Arenstein
Mackey's Back: Michael Chiklis returns on The Shield
• Tonight — Friday, March 30
Billy & Mandy’s Big Boogey Adventure, 7pm, Cartoon Network. Well, it’s creative as heck, but we can’t figure out what the devil this cartoon is all about.
• Saturday, March 31
Childhood Obesity: Danger Zone, 9pm, Food Network. Regular viewers of Food Network are accustomed to food and fun, celebrity chefs and the occasional food science piece (with the excellent Alton Brown) or foodie competition show. For the most part, healthy eating is far in the rearview mirror. Imagine their reaction when they see this serious doc hosted by Al Roker about an important issue. Don't miss the discussion about how schools and parents are implementing programs that emphasize nutritionally wise food choices and increased exercise.
• Sunday, April 1
Cat-Minster, 7pm ET, GSN. A broadening of the network for games, but highly entertaining, particularly for those who’ve not been exposed to the feline fanatics whose cats compete at international shows. GSN introduces us to cats who are bathed with seven shampoos and additional oils, and then the next day are bathed yet again. And do these cats eat canned chow? Certainly not, as one owner allows us to visit her cat’s “training table,” where she grinds a mixture of raw buffalo meat and kidneys and livers for tabby. And did you know cats spend 30% of their lives grooming themselves?
Drive, season premiere, 8pm, Fuel TV. You’ll not often see Jerusalem portrayed as a background for skateboarding, but you will here, as the legendary Mike Vallely heads to Israel for some holy rolling. While politics is often implied in this episode, and occasionally directly discussed, Vallely generally steers his skateboard away from the Mid East Conflict and emphasizes the growing skate scene. This is a gentle ode to skating, as V and others are shown skating up and down inclines as gentle music wafts in the background.
Jerry Seinfeld: The Comedian Award, 9pm, HBO. An entertaining 90 minute special (really an excuse by HBO chairman and former comedian Chris Albrecht to pay tribute to Seinfeld) which includes excerpts from HBO's earlier standup special by the night’s guest of honor. The highlight is a panel discussion on the serious business of being funny and Seinfeld particularly that has several good moments. Unfortunately, it's more chuckles than yuks, partly due to moderator Anderson Cooper, who never seems to get his panelists comfortable. Still, it’s a rate chance to see Seinfeld's buddies Garry Shandling, a very funny Chris Rock and elder statesman Robert Klein riff off each other and reminisce while fawning over Jerry.
Gene Simmons Family Jewels, 9:30pm, A&E. The hiatus between seasons has been good to the Simmons’ kids. Nick is even more sarcastically funny and Sophie’s grown into a beautiful young woman. Oh, and then there’s Gene and his companion, former Playboy Bunny Shannon Tweed, who seem to have become more comfortable with cameras following their every move. And Kiss fans haven’t lived until they’ve seen Gene Simmons in a surgical gown, cap and socks as he’s prepped for a facelift.
* The Tudors, 10pm, Showtime. The marketing of The Tudors stresses the racy nature of the series, although the opening two episodes, while containing sexual interludes, aren’t terribly concerned with pleasures of the flesh (but wait for the rest of the series). Believe the hype. The Tudors, Showtime’s priciest piece of work, is beautifully shot, and as interwoven with complicated relationships as The Sopranos. And while Jonathan Rhys-Meyers as King Henry VIII isn’t quite as commanding a royal as we think he should be, he’s darned good, as is Sam Neill as Cardinal Thomas Wolsey. We’re curious to see what comes after these two episodes.
Sons of Hollywood, 10pm, A&E. A real-life version of Entourage, without the funny lines and neuroses of Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven) or the star power of Vince Chase (Adrian Grenier). Here Rod Stewart’s son Sean and the late Aaron Spelling’s kid Randy share a house with their agent/manager David Weintraub, who’s nowhere near as entertaining as Gold or even Eric “E” Murphy (Kevin Connolly).
• Monday, April 2
Opening Day: Devil Rays vs Yankees (1pm ET, ESPN); Cubs vs Red (2pm ET, ESPN2); Red Sox vs Royals (ESPN, 4pm ET); Orioles vs Twins (4pm ET, ESPN2); and Rangers at Angels (10pm ET, ESPN2).
Lincoln Heights, 7pm, ABC Family. The curtain comes down on season one (it's been renewed) of this well-regarded drama about an L.A. policeman and his family living in a transitional neighborhood.
• Tuesday, April 3
The Shield, season 6 premiere, 10pm, FX. While last season of this cop drama was good, it became somewhat routine. Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis) was the Machiavellian detective, hounding the hoods as his own police department sought any excuse to pull him down or push him out. This season, the series’ next to last, feels much fresher as the attention veers between the department’s usual "Get Mackey" hunt and Vic’s relentless pursuit to find the killer of his buddy and fellow officer Curtis “Lemonhead” Lemansky (Kenneth Johnson). Of course Vic doesn’t know that another bud and fellow officer Shane Vendrell (Walter Goggins) is the killer. An added plus this season is the elevation to captain of Claudette Wyms (CCH Pounder). This has released Pounder from a supporting role and she’s responded by changing, for the better, her take on her character. It’s more balanced as she displays a range of emotion as opposed to the nearly permanent dyspepsia of previous seasons.
Deadliest Catch, season 3 premiere, 9pm, Discovery Channel. It’s no fluke that this crab-fishing series from producer Thom Beers is back, although we’ll admit initially while we enjoyed several episodes we thought it wouldn’t hook many viewers as a series. Clearly we floundered.
* Highly Recommended. All times ET/PT unless otherwise noted.
• Click here for more TV reviews by Seth Arenstein >>
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