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New Shows: June 7 - 13, 2014

Enjoy the World Cup
THIS WEEK: Power -- Murder in the First -- Robert De Niro, Sr. -- Chasing Life -- David Beckham

The New Shows color code: red means don’t bother; blue means maybe; green means good; magenta means great.

SATURDAY, JUNE 7
Power (Starz)
I have watched so many pilots for this column that I can often tell you from the description of the show what it will be like. Here, we have yet antihero, a drug kingpin, who leads a double-life. Oh yes, we have seen it before.

What saves this show is the acting. Omari Hardwick plays the antihero with such understatement and such grace that I was instantly caught up in his world. The characters surrounding him, especially his BFF and wife, are also compelling and fascinating. These three, plus a mystery that I want to see more of, will bring me back to at least a couple more episodes of this show.

Brazil Gone Wild (Discovery)

SUNDAY, JUNE 8
2014 Miss USA Competition (NBC)
Escape Club (E!)
Frankenford (Spike)
The Hunt (History)
Rev Run’s Sunday Suppers (Cooking Channel)
Tony Awards (CBS)

MONDAY, JUNE 9
Murder in the First (TNT)
The latest trend in procedural drama is to create one mystery that will unfold over the course of a season. This does that, with characters and a case that are only mildly interesting. While I wasn’t bored with the pilot, nor was I particularly engaged. I won’t follow this one through to the end, but if you are looking for a light, summer mystery, you could do worse.

Remembering the Artist Robert De Niro, Sr. (HBO)
A short, but interesting, documentary about the actor’s father. An artist who has largely been forgotten, this piece is his son’s way of remembering his father. You won’t learn anything new about art, but it is a lovely tribute to the man.

Brazil with Michael Palin (PBS)

TUESDAY, JUNE 10
Chasing Life (ABC Family)
The story of a young woman who, just as her professional and personal life seem to be moving forward, is diagnosed with cancer. This might have been an interesting story to tell. When one is very young and may only have a limited time, what choices would that person make? The pilot starts off well, but then tries to do too much, inject too many characters into the story, and end on a twist that made me shake my head. It could have been great. I’m not sticking around to find out.

9 Days and Nights of Ed Sheeran (MTV)

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11
Big Smo (A&E)
Guy’s Choice (Spike)

THURSDAY, JUNE 12
MOCKpocalypse (AXS)

FRIDAY, JUNE 13
David Beckham Into the Unknown (Showtime)
I am not a huge fan of David Beckham’s, but this documentary was an interesting ninety minutes. Beckham, who is struggling with the fact that he no longer plays football, decides to travel to the Amazon with his best friend to have new experiences and discover some things about himself. Very introspective, I was impressed with Beckham’s honesty and his acceptance of the realities of his life.

CMT Crossroads: Katy Perry and Kacey Musgraves
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ChrisB is a freelance writer who spends more time than she ought in front of a television screen or with a book in her hand.

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