There’s terrific news over at ABC and NBC. The alphabet network
just signed adoption papers
– as it were – for its new Sunday night hit
”
Brothers and Sisters
”
(10pm). The show’s been picked up for the rest of the
season.
There’s terrific news over at ABC and NBC. The alphabet network just signed adoption papers – as it were – for its new Sunday night hit “Brothers and Sisters” (10pm). The show’s been picked up for the rest of the season. Over at the network that birthed “must-see TV,” things couldn’t look better for “Heroes” (9pm). This suddenly addictive show is drawing more than 13 million viewers a week, and is tied with “Brothers and Sisters” in being the No. 1 new show of the season.
“Heroes” is marvelously executed. A good pilot is one thing, been since the show’s premiere, series creator Tim Kring (“Crossing Jordan”) has woven together an intoxicating blend of suspense and drama in a series that chronicles a small group of humans who’ve realized they have “super powers.”
Brilliantly jumping from one set of individuals to the next, the series works much like a graphic novel. There’s the genetics professor (Sendhil Ramamurthy) from in India who’s reveling in the aftermath of his father’s disappearance – he seems to be the one with the secret theory about the special people out there. They are: an eternal optimist (Milo Ventimiglia), who discovers his politico brother (Adrian Pasdar at his finest) can fly; a high school cheerleader (Hayden Panettiere in a dream role), who is totally indestructible; a single mom (Ali Larter) with an amazing alter ego; and a young Japanese man (an endearing Masi Oka), who discovers he can stop time altogether through the sheer power of his own thoughts. Most curious is the tormented, gifted artist (Santiago Cabrera) with a drug addiction whose vivid paintings showcase dire future events.
The reason we’re watching: Somehow these emotionally flawed souls have the ability to save the world.
It’s hard to not get tugged into the creative gravitational pull of the series. Dreamy, intense and downright thought-provoking at times, the show wins points for delivering drama effectively, without annoying sensationalistic tendencies that have cursed other series. You get the sense that the show’s writers have the bigger picture in mind – saving humanity. You don’t need to be a super-hero to like that.
As for “Brothers and Sisters,” I’m hooked. If anything, Sally Field will certainly give Emmy voters something to savor next year. She’s in top form here. The rest of the cast – Calista Flockhart et al. – seem to have settled into their roles just fine. There’s still this business of all that arguing, but this is a show about family after all. And when was the last time any of us didn’t argue with one of our own? Stay tuned …
VH1 Volumized?
If you must take a break from some of the new shows on television this season, then you may get a certain (sick) thrill in tuning into VH1 this week. Never one to miss a beat on what’s happening in pop culture – good, bad, ugly, uglier still – the network that used to be all about music videos – and whatever happened to all of them? – is unveiling two premieres this week.
The first arrives via attention hog Danny Bonaduce. The reality star’s “Breaking Bonaduce” hits its season two marker on Sunday (9:30pm). Don’t expect to see drastic changes in the Bon. He’s still rough, gruff and apparently causing a stir with his wife Gretchen – again. Immediately following, there’s this anomaly: “Celebrity Paranormal Project.” Here, famous actors, musicians, athletes and a flock of comedians (David Carradine, Gary Busey, Gilbert Gottfried, Rachel Hunter and Traci Bingham) explore real-life “hauntings.” They’ll hunt for ghosts to discover signs of the paranormal.
My suggestion: Find a TV star of yore that’s passed on (Lucy, Johnny, Danny), take them by the hand and really absorb the essence of class, a quality sadly vacant in a large section of today’s television universe. Pull that task off. VH1, and then we can talk.
Don’t Miss
“Veronica Mars” (Tuesday 9pm, The CW) – it’s one of the few shows that managed to build on its viewership after the famed merger between the WB and UPN. This week’s episode finds Veronica (Kristen Bell) assisting Logan (Jason Dohring) with his concerns over his suddenly shrinking inheritance. Bell continues to impress this season in a role beautifully designed for her.
Should the show remain on course, should the writers continue to give Bell such bountiful material, and should the actress submit all the right Emmy tapes … well, let’s let her have at least some consideration for an Emmy nod. She’s one of the most underrated actresses on television. No mystery about that.
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.
