Television Revival

Breaking Good

If you saw the Emmys a couple of weeks ago, I hope you and your cats enjoyed it, because you were the only ones watching. However, you and the cats also bore witness to Bryan Cranston winning for Best Actor in a Dramatic Series for his role in a really cool show, “Breaking Bad.”

Indeed, the dad from “Malcolm in the Middle” beat out Don Draper at the lowest rated ever Emmys, television’s highest honor, wherein television people celebrate themselves for like seven hours. On television. My feelings are torn, since I like both “Mad Men” and “Breaking Bad,” but I figure Jon Hamm will get ‘em next time.

Anyway, AMC has been rerunning the first season of “Breaking Bad” after the “encore” airings of “Mad Men” every Sunday, and you can even pre-order the first season DVD if it turns out you love it, so check it out. The show is about a high school chemistry teacher (Cranston), who turns to cooking meth for extra cash, after he learns he is dying of cancer. He’s got a pregnant wife and a “special needs” son, so I can’t say I blame him. Desperate times, and all that.

Meth lab hijinks and drug dealings provide a nice chaser to the rampant alcoholism and womanizing of “Mad Men,” so kudos to AMC on nailing their first two forays into original programming. I, for one, can’t wait to see more.

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

October 5, 2008   No Comments

Damages & Mad Men get some Emmy love

The folks over at F/X and AMC are probably dancing a jig right now since “Mad Men” and “Damages” got record breaking Emmy nominations today.

cast of "Mad Men"

“Mad Men”

cast of "Damages"

“Damages”

The noms are certainly is well-deserved, and probably will open the door for more basic cable series.

Don’t forget about the “Mad Men” marathon this Sunday on AMC.

Yahoo Entertainment AP

July 17, 2008   2 Comments

The Wire

As many before me have said, “The Wire” is simply one of the best television shows ever made.

The Wire - Season 3

David Simon and Ed Burns set out to depict the underbelly of Baltimore and managed to create a five season masterpiece. Each season is like another level of the city, revealing another layer of the tragic city. I love it for its realistic depiction of Baltimore, which the producers have gone to painstaking lengths to create.

Simon himself has said he doesn’t really care about awards. He just set out to tell a story and that’s what he did. Still, though season five was the bleakest season yet, I really think the Emmy voters should take notice. TV Addict said it’s in the top 10 of the drama category, but will it win? Things don’t look good if it’s nominated against “Lost”.

What I remember most is the acting. It is simply phenomenal, so the least they could do is nominate all or some of this fantastic ensemble.

Rent or buy this show, like now. Seriously, it may start slow, but it’s totally worth it.

The Wire - The Complete Seasons 1-4

July 2, 2008   No Comments