New Shows Are a Mixed Bag

Tantalized by Telemundo? Admit it, this cable channel sizzles.
From all those scintillating soaps to the unforgettable talk shows,
Telemundo continues to build more than a solid audience in the
television marketplace.
Tantalized by Telemundo? Admit it, this cable channel sizzles. From all those scintillating soaps to the unforgettable talk shows, Telemundo continues to build more than a solid audience in the television marketplace.

So, in case you were wondering if there was anything new on the horizon on this popular if not unique Spanish-language channel, wonder no more. It’s actor-singer-songwriter Carlos Ponce and he’s about to make waves again. This time, in Telemundo’s latest original novella – filmed in sweltering Miami by the way – dubbed “Dame Chocolate.”

“This is one of the most beautiful projects we have undertaken and we are very excited that it lured Carlos Ponce to return to Spanish-language television,” notes Patricio Wills, president of Telemundo Television Studios. “The production team has done a remarkable development job to produce a refreshing novella full of color and, of course, lots of romance.”

That’s always a plus.

The other perk? The actual story of “Dame Chocolate,” which somehow connects love to chocolate to love, and so on. The tale chronicles the ups and downs of Rosita Amado (Genesis Rodríguez), among other things. Rosita is young and she stands out for a number of reasons. For starters, she has a knoc-out figure, but her face fails to capture the attention of potential admirers. Enter into the mix a sexy heir (Ponce) to a chocolate factory – never a bad thing, although this factory is on the verge of financial ruin. Somehow the couple bonds. There’s more, of course, but you’ll have to wait until the New Year before the show premieres. In the meantime, I’m still waiting for a Pedro Almodóvar film fest some time. Food for thought.

Finale Fodder

The curtain falls on a few popular series this week – at least temporarily. Fortunately, these top-notch shows return, but really – do we have to wait until October 2007 for one of them? More on that in a second … At the forefront this week is the season finale of Sci-fi’s brilliantly executed “Battlestar Gallactica” (9pm Friday). The current season has been must-see ever since it launched several months back. The finale, titled “The Eye of Jupiter,” attempts to tie up some loose ends as the Gallactica team continues to regroup and gain strength after last season’s shocker that found the good guys held in captivity for more than a year under cylon rule. Expect the cylon-human baby to play into the mix as the show gears up for a quick turnaround on its next season, which begins in mid-January.

Sunday is the big day for two exceptional series that ignite Showtime’s Sunday night, one of the most competitive nights overall – aside from Thursday – on television.

There’s the second season finale of “Sleeper Cell” (9pm), one of the most thought-provoking and intriguing cable shows to come around of late. The same can be said for the dark and edgy “Dexter,” which certainly proves there’s an afterlife for the “Six Feet Under” alums like Michael C. Hall.

The first season finale airs at 10pm. Hall should garner an Emmy nom for his disturbing role as blood splatter expert who moonlights as a murderer. Don’t fret – he knocks off the really bad eggs. We haven’t embraced an anti-hero this much since Tony Soprano stormed onto the scene.

On a Lighter Note …

You can’t get much lighter than “The Road to Christmas,” which hits Lifetime at 9pm Sunday. What happens when a girl gets her dream wedding? She gets stranded and falls in love with somebody else. It’s the holidays. It’s Lifetime. Let it go.

My Money’s on Eddie

On the eve of the debut of the big-screen dazzler “Dreamgirls,” one of the film’s stars, Eddie Murphy, finally heads to Bravo’s avuncular “Inside the Actors Studio.” Take note of the special time: 7pm Monday.

Still Playing Games

Breathe. We’re in the middle of a new programming trend – game shows. Up this week: the premiere of yet another show, this time on NBC, called “Identity” (9pm Monday). The top prize? Half-a-million bucks.

How to get it: One contestant embraces 12 strangers and a list of 12 traits to identify them. The contestant must pick a trait – hat size, profession, etc. – and try to match it with one of the 12 strangers.

Hmm. Am I the only one who actually misses “Match Game” and “Password?”

Greg Archer is an entertainment writer based on the Central Coast. He writes about television, film and being human. E-mail him at ga*****@**********rs.com or visit www.greg-archer.com.