TV
Despite the tragedy of its circumstances, JFK’s assassination did wonders for his reputation. He is frequently listed among America’s best presidents of all time, yet his time in office was relatively short. Some of the most defining American political events – the Bay of Pigs, Cuban Missile Crisis, Vietnam War and the Civil Rights movement – occurred during his brief term, but it’s difficult to get a clear sense of what sort of a leader he really was, and what sort of a legacy he intended to leave behind. His scattered moments of diplomatic and oratorical brilliance are most responsible for his consistently positive reception today.
Programming: Fridays at 10PM, Channel 115
Running Time: 1 Hour
Rating: M
‘Our father who art in heaven.’
There is a football match to be won in Dillon by the lowly East Dillon Lions, the newly cast rival of thenow West Dillon Panthers. The game is lost and, in the rooms, coach Eric Taylor asks that his playerstake a knee. A group of young men kneel and bow their heads. They say a prayer for a young man’slost father.
Programming: Wednesday at 8:30PM, Channel 10
Running Time: 1 Hour
Rating: M
Blue Bloods caught my eye in the midst of its promotional bombardments on Channel Ten. I wanted to see it, I wanted to know its airdate, and I wanted tolove it. I got at least two of my wishes on first viewing; I won’t necessarily get my third.
Programming: Tuesday at 10:45PM, 7TWO
Running Time: 30 minutes
Rating: M
If you are aware of the television and film work of writers/directors/actors Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant - creators of The Office and Extras - then you may be aware than the two Brit wunderkinds parlayed much of the success of the The Office into a very successful podcast called The Ricky Gervais Show.
Given that Sherlock Holmes is the most often portrayed literary character of all time, can any new filmmakers bring an original level of insight to Arthur Conan Doyle’s seminal creation?
In the tradition of great British drama serials like Edge of Darkness and House of Cards (and later programmes such as State of Play and Red Riding), writer Peter Flannery’s fantastic political drama Our Friends in the North is a terrific encapsulation of some of the struggles of the British Labour Party within the later part of the 20th Century.
Three cable programs have been released on DVD this month, including HBO’s The Pacific and In Treatment and Showtime’s Dexter.
