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New Shows (2013): August 19 - 25

After a couple of weeks of few new shows, the number is beginning to pick up again. For clarity, I have listed the shows in the order they originally aired. I also list the day and time the show aired in case it is something you would care to watch. The color code: black means I didn’t watch it; red means don’t bother; blue means maybe; green means good; magenta means great.

Delete (Reelz, Monday at 8:00pm)
What if an artificial intelligence could create and replicate itself using the information from the billions of computers logged onto to the internet at any given moment? This is the, frankly, frightening premise behind this otherwise average film. I was intrigued by the idea, but the execution was nothing new.

The Man With The 132 Pound Scrotum (TLC, Monday at 9:00pm)
When I saw the title of this piece, I rolled my eyes. It turns out there is a medical condition called scrotal lymphedema that causes the scrotum to swell to enormous proportions. The poor man depicted in this documentary truly suffered for years until a surgical team in California was able to remove the mass. I am not a man, but even I winced more than once watching this.

Nine for IX (ESPN, Tuesday at 8:00pm)
Women’s sports still has a way to go to be on an equal par (tee hee) with men’s. The 1999 Women’s World Cup was a huge step in the right direction. The first in a series of documentaries about women and sport, this was a simply marvelous account of the team and their road to that amazing victory. Well worth watching just to see these inspirational women interact with each other and laugh as they remember those heady days.

Modern Dads (A&E, Wednesday at 10:30pm)
Four stay-at-home dads share their lives with us in this reality series. Lucky us.

Ghost Shark (Syfy, Thursday at 9:00pm)
Interestingly, Syfy is no longer promoting their movies as such. They are now “Syfy Experiences.” In other words, they want you to watch their truly horrible movies and tweet along with them. It worked for Sharknado, simply because it was the first time and people were amused. The public, bless them, have moved on and ignored this one. As well they should have.

I Survived A Serial Killer (E!, Thursday at 9:00pm)
A series about people who have survived attacks from men who have later been proven to be serial offenders. While it was very similar to other shows of its kind, this one moved me as one of the women interviewed was truly inspirational. Left just this side of dead, she still struggles to speak and to walk, yet she stood up in court and forgave her attacker. We should all be so compassionate.

Co-Ed Nightmares (E!, Thursday at 10:00pm)
Another true life crime show that tells the stories of young women who are murdered. Nothing you haven’t seen before if you have watched any shows of this ilk.

Venus and Serena (Showtime, Friday at 9:00pm)
There are few sporting events more exciting than watching these two women play tennis live. This documentary follows the sisters through the 2011 season, when both were battling physical challenges. An outstanding portrayal of women who are at the top of their game, yet are beginning to realize that they are not as young as they used to be. If you are at all interested in tennis, or even just in athletes, I highly recommend this documentary.

Jim Norton: American Degenerate (Epix, Friday at 10:00pm)
As I’ve said before in this column, today’s comics interest me. So many of them have witty, profound things to say; yet, their insights get lost in the noise of their language and offensiveness. Norton is another example of this trend. Some of the bits were hilarious, yet I found it difficult to get past some of the gross out factor. Too bad.

The Last Huntsman (Discovery, Friday at 10:00pm)
Yet another survival series that is impossible to take seriously. In theory, it is about men who protect workers from dangerous wildlife. In reality, it is scripted to the point of insult. Two men are protecting loggers from grizzlies. One is “suffering” from altitude sickness, yet it takes him all night to realize he needs to get to lower ground. Please. If he had truly been suffering, he would have been dead by morning.

Escape from Polygamy (Lifetime, Saturday at 8:00pm)
A genuinely bizarre movie about a young couple, living in a polygamous community, who fall in love and want to marry. The problem is that the “prophet” is the father of the young man and has chosen the young woman to be his next wife. Badly written, directed, and acted, I struggled with this one as the story just kept getting more and more weird. In a word, yuck.

Swindle (Nickelodeon, Saturday at 8:00pm)
To be fair, I fall well outside the demographic for whom this movie was made. My guess is that if you are under the age of twelve, you would love it. A group of kids joins together to help one of their own recover some stolen property. Filled with jokes that make young kids laugh, it is harmless and fun; however, too young for those of us who have entered high school or beyond.

After All These Years (Hallmark, Saturday at 9:00pm)
A “comedic” retelling of The Fugitive. A woman, falsely accused of her husband’s murder, goes on the run to discover who the true killer is. It was meant to be funny, light and romantic. It was none of those things. It was, in fact, just silly.

Family Dance Off (ABC, Sunday at 8:00pm)
Five families who dance together compete against each other for a prize of $10,000. The studio audience picked the winner and, for once, the right family won. Not something I will continue watching, but the dancing was fun.

Silk (PBS, Sunday at 9:00pm)
A British import, this is the story of a female barrister who is trying to “take silk.” I love legal dramas and this one did not disappoint. I can see it devolving into something a bit soapy, which I hope it won’t, but I really enjoyed the pilot.

1 comment:

  1. Thanks for another great roundup, Chris! From memory, Silk stays pretty gritty all the way through, so fear not.

    ReplyDelete

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