A week in review (TV edition)

A week in review of new or returning shows...

RANTS

"Kath and Kim"
New show starring Molly Shannon (normally funny) and Selma Blair (normally not so much). This Australian adaptation is about a tacky mother-daughter team who have to learn to live together after the daughter leaves her husband. This is supposed to be a comedy. Unfortunately it is instead a whine-fest. Shannon plays an annoying mom-who-doesn't-think-she-is-the-mom-type who looks like she dropped in straight from the 1980's. The opening scene shows her exercising in a (ew) thong leotard and spandex bike-shorts. Gross. Blair whines really well throughout the whole show and squeezes herself into to tight shorts to highlight her muffin top. Seriously, her face never deviates from the look like she eat a lemon and smelled something really bad at the same time. John Michael Higgins of Best in Show and The Breakup plays Shannons boyfriend (wha? he's not playing gay this time?!) I have a feeling if the show continues on he will come out of the closet....

RAVES

Dexter

Michael C Clark reprises his role as a vigilante who works in the Miami forensics unit as a blood spatter expert. The first episode of season 3 has proved that this series is worth the cost of adding Showtime to your Comcast cable bundle (well, that and Weeds. And Secret Diary of a Call Girl. And soft core porn. no, not really...). Dexter is following a new killer, nicknamed "Freebo". There are other major changes in Dexter's life which I won't spoil for you. Hint: rhymes with schmegment schmirlfriend. Jimmy Smits plays an assistant DA who's brother accidentally gets killed by - guess who? - Dexter. Ok that's enough, go get showtime now...

Life on Mars (US Version)

So if you ever watched the UK version of this show, you will know the premise. Cop gets hurt, wakes up 35 years in the past in London chasing the guy who kidnaps his future girlfriend. Now the US version: Cop gets hurt, wakes up 35 years in the past in New York City chasing the guy who kidnaps his future girlfriend. See the difference? The NBC show follows Sam Tyler, a fish out of water cop who wakes up in 1973. There are a few funny little quips (such as "I need my cell" "what the hell are you selling?"). Gretchen Mol plays a chick cop in 1973 who's job entails finding kitty-cats and calming down crying girlfriends. Harvey Keitel is the mean sergeant who belittles Mol and beats up the bad guys when he catches them. So far there's good acting, a good story line, and few 2008 references. So far so good, but it is hard not to compare it to BBC's version.

So it seems like the US is having a hard time thinking up new shows, so we are yoinking them from other countries. the only thing we do decent are reality shows and only a few on Bravo. Trainwreck tv, that's what we do....