Thursday, October 6, 2022

The Issue with Blue Bloods

 

Sometimes the power of the people wins.

Evidence of this is how the entertainment industry changed the way they did business and started to cast more people of color as well as those with different lifestyles. These people didn’t just get cast in roles, many of them were cast as the main character.

It doesn’t matter if it was through non-cable (CBS, NBC, FOX, ABC) channels, cable stations (HBO, Showtime, Starz, Epix, Cinemax) or streaming services (Netflix, Hulu, Amazon). The changes have been huge although some of these results have been mixed as some viewers have struggled with the changes in the way shows or movies have been made either through casting or the topics of these shows.

There are those who believe casting certain people doesn’t add to the story; that they are just cast in order for the studio executives to get more viewers and make more money.

It is important to note that, this is the same reason why studio executives will put certain shows in the best time slots or renew the show for seasons at a time. Viewers and money are the two thing they understand.

Whether Hollywood will keep this trend going or lessen it as time goes on, due to their long history of ignoring minorities and women remains to be seen and although the change is good, they still have a lot of work to do. They are still not giving roles to female actresses over 40, they also are not paying females the same amount the males get, continue to marginalize and sexualize women, and still grossly underrepresenting other minorities such as Asians and Native Americans.

Not all shows have jumped on the bandwagon and the studios don’t seem to mind it which indicates the change may not be as permanent as people may be hoping for.

Such is the case with the TV show Blue Bloods.

Now in its 13 season, it has become more conservative most likely due to the fact that Tom Selleck (a staunch Republican) became an executive producer.

Recently, Selleck stated that the NYPD loves the show and feels it’s a good representation of the department, but it isn’t. It’s a representation of a white NYPD. An NYPD that hasn’t existed for a long time. Today, the NYPD police force is comprised of 53% people of color and 47% Caucasian.

On Blue Bloods, it’s more like 8% of their officers are people of color. They probably want to get credit that Officer Janko had two partners who were women of color, but these partners didn’t stay around for too long.

They do have episodes where a person of color is featured in the storyline, but they usually either get killed on the show or decide to leave the NYPD.

People of color can’t even catch a break by being cast as the criminal since most of the legal ne’er-do-wells are usually white.

In season 12 (episode 16, Guilt), the show runners demonstrated just how offensive they can be towards people of color. Decorated Detective Angela Reddick (Ilfenesh Hadera) decided she wanted to be a part of Commissioner Reagan’s team. The Commissioner tried his best to get her to consider another assignment, but she stood her ground. Frank finally gave in and gave her a spot on his all-white team (Baker, Moore, and Gormley). She was strong and opiniated which is what you may expect from a seasoned police officer with a higher rank. Basically, she refused to bow and know-tow, to take her assigned place at the end of the line which infuriated the team. They went to Frank who agreed to have her reassigned. Once she was reassigned, she ended getting shot which made everyone feel guilty.

For a show that boasts how they tackle difficult subjects and storylines, they missed a teachable moment. Not one of them ever admitted that it was racist and sexist the way that they treated her. The guilt wasn’t necessarily about her getting shot, but their own attitudes towards a woman of color. Not any of them, including the so-called beacon of honesty, Frank Reagan.

The show is also a pro-Catholic TV show. In only 3 episodes over 13 years have viewers seen Commissioner Reagan consulting with commanders of different religions such as Jewish, Buddhist, or Muslim.

The show runners of Blue Bloods would also want credit for casting people of color as members of the cast.

A member of the cast. Apparently, they have a quota of only having one although they are not opposed to have a person of color as a recurring cast member just as long as it doesn’t recur for more than 5 episodes.

One person of color as a member of the main cast isn’t diversity. It’s tokenism.

The current token is actress Marissa Ramirez who plays Danny Reagan’s partner Detective Maria Baez.

Despite the fact that she is equal in rank to Danny Reagan and with the same amount of time on the job, she’s more like an assistant than a detective. The character should really be honored that on occasion she is able to play the part of Reagan’s conscious or babysitter.

Marissa Ramirez is a seasoned actress with six film credits and 29 television credits which total 17 years of experience. She’s obviously proved that she’s cable of handling a larger responsibility when it comes to characters and their roles.

Honestly, Blue Bloods has a lot going for it.

Most of the stories are actually very good. Donnie Wahlberg as Danny Reagan, Robert Clohessy as Sid Gormley, Gregory Jbara as Garrett Moore, and Steven Schirripa as Anthony Abetemarco are exceptional actors who always bring their A-game to every scene they’re in.

It’s just a shame that this show is more about entitlement than it is about equality.

Recently Kevin Wade, the show runner for Blue Bloods stated in an interview with TVLine.com, “So we don’t tell serialized stories, we don’t have cliffhangers, we don’t replace cast members…. Many of the tools that long-running shows have, very much to our credit or to whatever, we don’t have at our disposal, so we try to work with what we have.”

Apparently, they don’t believe in the importance of having any diversity in the casting of characters or equality when it comes to the female characters versus the male characters either.

They also have a family where none of them have any real friends outside their work or family. With a very few exceptions, they never have guests over for the family dinners. This is disturbing in itself. The exclusiveness is unsettling and if this was a family in real life, it would probably bring some unwanted attention to itself as this type of behavior is considered to be unnatural and suspicious.

Blue Bloods is a popular show and is a money-maker for CBS. The studio executives won’t see anything wrong with it until they start to lose viewership and money. Then they’ll use the caliber of the show as a reason why they’ve decided to cancel it without admitting any of it was their own fault.

Let’s just see it for what it is. This a TV show about a white family, living in a nonexistent white city, and working for a white department that’s supposed to be a replicant of a real city department.

Unlike other police procedures such as FBI, Law & Order: SVU, FBI: Most Wanted, and East New York (which depicts New York and its police force exactly the way it is), Blue Bloods is fighting against the very thing that most people want, TV shows that show the world as it is: diverse and equal.

It continues to maintain an invisible sign that says people of color need not apply.

 

 

Friday, September 9, 2022

New TV Shows Premiering in the Fall of 2022


 

With the summer of 2022 coming to an end, the new fall television season is upon us.

Over the summer, the networks announced they had sharpened their axe and took out several shows, many of them comedies.

Some of these shows had already been axed such as Black-ish, Claws, Kevin Can Go F**k Himself, After Life, and Ordinary Joe.

Others followed: B Positive, Better Things, Desus & Mero, Dead to Me, Dollface, Family Reunion, How We Roll, Kenan, Mr. Mayor, Saved By the Bell (revival), and United States of Al.

Popular comedies like Young Sheldon, Abbott Elementary, Bob Hearts Abishola, Young Rock, and Ghosts remained untouched.

The reason for most of these cancellations came down to money as it usually does. Well, money and declining viewership.

Long gone are the days when studios will rework a show in order to keep it on air. They will spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to get a show made but will gladly throw their investment down the drain.

For many viewers, the new television season every year can be frustrating because you’ll watch a show, connect with the characters, enjoy the episodes, and become invested in the show to only find out that the network cancelled it after one season. Some shows don’t even last that long.

This was the case of good shows such as Backward Dog (ABC), The Endgame (NBC), Naomi (CW), The Adventures of Briscoe County Jr. (FOX), and Tommy (CBS).

In previous years, the networks flooded their line-ups with comedies and reality shows. Not this year. Most of the new shows on the fall schedule are dramas with a couple of reality shows.

Although it’s hard to know right now which shows are hits and which shows will be misses, critics are saying that Fire Country and the Quantum Leap reboot are well worth watching, it’s also likely that The Winchesters and Walker: Independence will also be hits due to their large fan base stemming, mostly, from the show, Supernatural.

Here are the new shows premiering on non-cable networks:


ABC:

  •  Alaska Daily

Hilary Swank (Boys Don’t Cry, Million Dollar Baby, Camp Wilder, Beverly Hills 90210) portrays journalist Eileen Fitzgerald who relocates from New York to Alaska in order to find herself.

It also stars Jeff Perry (Nash Bridges, Prison Break and Scandal), Matt Malloy (Stepford Wives -2004, Law & Order, Six Feet Under, Alpha House, and Perry Mason), and Ami Park (This is Us and In the Middle).

Alaska Daily will premiere on Thursday, October 6 at 10:00 p.m.

Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izBts-kxDh0&t=1s 

 

  • The Rookie: Feds

A spin-off of the wildly popular show The Rookie, The Rookie: Feds stars Niecy Nash-Betts (Selma, Reno 911!, Clean House, Claws, Never Have I Never) as Simone Clarke the oldest trainee at the FBI Academy.

The show also stars James Leasure (Blue Bloods, For Your Love, Las Vegas and Good Girls), Frankie Faison (Mississippi Burning, One Life to Live, Grey’s Anatomy, The Good Wife, and Banshee), Charley Koontz (CSI Cyber, Community), Britt Robertson (Under the Dome, For the People, Big Sky), and Felix Solis (The Good Wife, The Following, Ozark, Charmed).

The show premieres on Tuesday, September 27 at 10:00 p.m.

Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaIVeymdlKQ&t=3s

 

CBS:

  • East New York

Elizabeth Rodriguez (Dead Presidents, Miami Vice, New York Undercover, Power, Grimm, Fear the Walking Dead, and Orange is the New Black) stars as a newly promoted police captain who is assigned to the police district located in East New York. An area of New York that has one of the highest crime rates in the state.

Naturally, no one is necessarily going to jump on board  with the first woman commander in the district.

The show also stars Jimmy Smits (Running Scared, My Family, L.A. Law, NYPD Blue, Dexter, The West Wing, Lackawanna Blues, Sons of Anarchy, 24:Legacy, and How to Get Away with Murder), Richard Kind (Mad About You, Spin City, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Red Oaks, and Gotham), Kevin Rankin (Friday Night Lights, Justified, Unforgettable, and Claws), C.S. Lee (Dexter, Grimm, Law & Order, Sneaky Pete, and Chicago Med), and Reuben Santiago-Hudson (Selma, Michael Hayes, Lackawanna Blues, and Castle).

The show premieres on Sunday, October 3 at 9:30 p.m.

Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_JL40XfgSA

 

  • Fire Country

Fire Country stars Max Thieriot (SEAL Team, Bates Motel) stars as Bode Donovan, an inmate who joins a prison release firefighting program in the hopes of getting his sentence cut short among other things.

It’s important to note that Thieriot developed the concept and wrote the script for the series based his experience growing up in North California’s fire country.

The show also stars Kevin Alejandro (Crossing Over, Ugly Betty, Shark, Southland, True Blood, and Lucifer), Billy Burke (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 & 2, 24, Revolution, Zoo, Major Crimes, 9-1-1: Lone Star).

Fire Country premieres on Friday, October 7 at 9:00 p.m.

Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEGFgZgUu8s

 

  • So Help Me Todd

Marcia Gay Harden (Law & Order: SVU, The First Wives Club, The Education of max Bickford, Code Black, and How to Get Away with Murder), Skylar Astin (Pitch Perfect, Ground Floor, Graves, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, and Grey’s Anatomy), and Marc Moses (Platoon, The Doors, Deep Impact, Desperate Housewives, Mad Men, Criminal Minds, The Last Ship, and Berlin Station) star in the one hour drama about a private investigator (Skylar Astin) who goes to work at his mother’s (Marcia Gay Harden) law firm as the in-house investigator.

The show premieres on Thursday, September 29 at 9:00 p.m.

Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgSujXVX9KI

 

  •  The Real Love Boat

A reality show based on the 1970s television show, The Love Boat.

In this version, singles who are searching for love are brought on a Princess Cruise ship to participate in challenges and the couple that makes to the end will get a boat load of money (really not really) and perhaps find the true love they’ve been looking for.

Unlike the original Love Boat who had actors play the staff of the ship, the reality version will be using actual crew members who are employees of the cruise line.

The show premieres on Wednesday, October 5 at 9:00 p.m.

Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slRwuYYTlks

 

CW:

  • All American: Homecoming

A spin-off of the television show, All American (going into its 4 season), it stars Geffri Maya  (Private Practice, East of La Brea, All American), Peyton Alex Smith (Detroit, Legacies, All American), Kelly Jenrette (Frisky Dingo, Grandfathered, Mixed-ish, All American), Cory Hardrict (American Sniper, All Eyez on Me, Lincoln Heights, SWAT, The Chi, All American), and Robert Bailey Jr. (The Night Shift, Emergence, For All Mankind).

On this show, Simone Hicks (Geffri Maya’s character) relocates to Atlanta, Georgia to attend college and become a professional tennis player.

The show premieres on Monday, October 10 at 9 p.m. after the season premiere of All American.

Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVqOodbjyWs


  •  Criss Angel’s Magic with the Stars

A reality show where illusionist and magician Criss Angel heads a team of judges who vote on two celebrities that train with professional magicians to create a series of magic performances in order to decide how well each celebrity mastered the magic tricks.

The show premieres on Saturday, October 22 at 8:00 p.m.

No trailer is available at this time, but that could be just an illusion created by Criss Angel.


  •   Family Law

TV viewing tip: This show appeared in Italy, Australia, and Canada in 2021. Technically, it’s not a new show, but in this country it is.

Family Law stars Jewel Staite ( Flash Forward, Stargate Atlantis, The Killing, DaVinci’s Inquest, and Higher Ground), Victor Garber (Titanic, Godspell, The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd, Alias, Power, The Flash, the Orville, and Deception), Zach Smadu (Cardinal, The Expanse, Shadow Hunters, and The 99), Lauren Holly (Pickett Fences, NCIS, Dumb and Dumber, What Women Want, All My Children, Chicago Hope, and Motive), and Eden Summer Gilmore (Riverdale, The Good Doctor, and Nancy Drew) in this legal drama about an attorney (Jewel Staite), who is a recovering alcoholic.

After she falls off the wagon, shows up drunk in a courtroom and spews all over her client, she is ordered by the court that in order to practice law again, she may only do so if a senior lawyer agrees to mentor her for a year.

She goes to work at her father’s (Victor Garber), law firm which breathes dysfunction.

Hence the senior partner.

The show premieres on Sunday, October 2 at 8:00 p.m.

Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QS2WHYA9J-I


  •  Professionals

The show aired in different markets outside the U.S. and was picked up by The CW to air this fall. Once again, technically, not a new show.

Professionals stars Tom Welling (Judging Amy, Smallville, and Lucifer), Brendan Fraser (Encino Man, School Ties, The Mummy/The Mummy Returns, Scrubs, and The Affair), Elena Anaya, Stevel Marc, Ken Duken, Ken Duken, and Jazzara Jaslyn.

The action-adventure show shadows security operator Vincent Corbo (Welling) who is paid to protect the interests of rich and powerful clients no matter what (picture Ryan Reynolds in The Hitman’s Bodyguard without his self-efficacy style of acting).

When a medical-data satellite explodes as it was launching, the satellite’s designer Peter Swann (Fraser) suspects sabotage (after all he has more than enough enemies) and hires Corbo to find out the person responsible for the explosion.

As if that weren’t enough, Corbo also has to contend with his former girlfriend (Anaya), Swann’s spoiled, bratty daughter (Jaslyn), and a rogue agent (Duken).

The show premieres on Tuesday, October 11, at 9 p.m.

Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCjVs-ZuU7c


  •  The Winchesters\
The Winchesters, narrated by Jensen Ackles (Dean Winchester from Supernatural), stars Meg Donnelly, Jake Rodger, Bianca Kajlich (Boston Public, Dawson’s Creek, Rules of Engagement, Legacies and Undateable), Demetria McKinney (Tyler Perry’s House of Payne, Saints and Sinners, and Motherland: Fort Salem), Nida Khurshid (For the People and Station 19), and Jojo Fleites.

The show is not really a prequel (it’s referred to as a spin-off prequel). It’s actually the story of the shows two main characters, John Winchester and Mary Campbell which were also part of the Supernatural television show which is what it’s based on.

During the show’s run, the history of the Winchester/Campbell relationship was extensively delved into so it might be interesting to see how The Winchesters are going to tell the story and what will be different about it in order to keep viewers occupied.

Is it going to be a new story or expand on the old one?

One thing you can be sure of, however. There will be hunters.

The Winchesters executive producers are: Jensen Ackles, Danneel Ackles, Robbie Thompson, Glen Winter, and David H. Goodman.

Together with CBS StudiosChaos Machine Productions is also one of the production companies and is owned by Jensen Ackles and his wife, Danneel Ackles.

The show premieres on Tuesday, October 11, at 8: p.m.

Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCL_vwl4XUw 

  • Walker: Independence

An origin story based on The CW television show Walker (going into it’s 3 season) that stars Katherine McNamara (Happyland, Shadow Hunters, and Arrow), Matt Barr (One Tree Hill, Hellcats, Sleepy Hollow, Blood and Treasure, and Walker), Greg Hovanessian, Lawrence Kao (Wu Assassins, The Walking Dead, The Originals, and The Purge), and Katie Findlay (The Killing, How to Get Away with Murder, Nancy Drew, and Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist).

This period piece begins in the 1800s focusing on a wealthy woman from Boston, Abby Walker (Katherine McNamara). After her husband is murdered, Abby meets Hoyt Rawlins (Matt Barr). Together they make their way make their way out west and eventually end up in Independence, Texas.

The show premieres on Thursday, October 6 at 9:00 p.m. following Walker.

Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOVevaEv014

 

FOX:

  • Monarch

This show is a musical drama about a country musical family named the Romans. It stars Susan Sarandon (Thelma and Louise; The Client; Bull Durham; The Rocky Horror Picture Show; Stepmom; and Dead man Walking), country singer Trace Adkins, Anna Friel (Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream; Sunset Strip; Pushing Daisies; Land of the Lost; and The Look of Love), and Adam Croasdale (Supernatural, NCIS Los Angeles, NCIS, and Preacher).

All is not perfect in the Roman family as it’s soon learned that their dynasty isn’t all that it seems which puts it in jeopardy.

Monarch premieres on Tuesday, September 20, at 9:00 p.m.

Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxLFH5WSI7k

 

NBC:

  •  Lopez vs. Lopez

Yes, George Lopez is back! Lopez vs. Lopez, in addition to George, also stars his own daughter, Mayan Lopez.

The show also stars a mostly Latino cast and is about a dysfunction working-class family.

The show premieres on Friday, November 4 at 8:00 p.m.

No trailer was available at this time.


  •   Quantum Leap

A reboot of the original Quantum Leap that ran from 1989 – 1993.

Unlike other shows that bring back much (if not all of the original cast), it is a whole new cast: Raymond Lee (Top Gun: Maverick; Mozart in the Jungle, Prodigal Son, and Kevin Can Go F**k Himself), Anastasia Antonia (The Affair, 86 Melrose Avenue, and The Hook-Up), Mason Alexander Park (iCarly and Cowboy Bebop), Jewel Staite (Flash Forward, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show, and The Magicians), and Ernie Hudson (Ghostbusters, Ghostbusters 2, Miss Congeniality,  Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Desperate Housewives, Grace & Frankie, and L.A.’s Finest).

This Quantum Leap and its new cast gather together to study the work of Dr. Samuel Beckett (Scott Bakula) who was last seen stepping into the Quantum Leap Accelerator and to understand the complexities of the machine that Beckett created.

Although Scott Bakula has been invited to return to the show, there has been no word that he will.

The show premieres on Monday, September 19, at 10:00 p.m.

Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3I0SpwjVK8

 


Sunday, September 4, 2022

Remembering the Importance of the Movie, And the Band Played On

 

Over the course of my lifetime, I have literally gone to see thousands of movies but none of them struck a chord in me the way the television movie, And the Band Played On, did.

Recently I sat down with my 22-year-old daughter to watch it mostly so she could get a good sense of how this country's history of hate and homophobia ended up costing the lives of thousands.

Unlike many movies which claim to be based on truth or actual events while inserting situations or characters that are only for creative value, this movie was more like a documentary of the AIDS crisis.

Along with telling of one of the most important failures in American history, the movie cast actors who were at the top of their area of theatrical expertise: Matthew Modine, Alan Alda, Lily Tomlin, Steve Martin, Richard Gere, B.D. Wong, Ian McKellen, Glenne Headly, Phil Collins, Angelica Huston, Swoosie Kurtz, and Richard Masur, among others.

As sad as the movie was, the most gut-wrenching part came at the end during a parade to protest and to raise awareness for AIDS. It showed photographs of some of the more notable people that the disease had claimed such as Freddie Mercury, Arthur Ashe, Brad Davis, Elizabeth Glaser, news anchor Max Robinson, Robert Reed, Rock Hudson, Liberace, Representative Stewart McKinney, Amanda Blake, Anthony Perkins, fashion designers Perry Ellis and Halston, Ryan White, ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev, French philosopher Michel Foucault, Denholm Elliott, entertainer Peter Allen, Studio 54 club owner Steve Rubell, and street artist Keith Haring.

The movie was based on a book by journalist Randy Shilts who passed away from AIDS related causes in 1994.

Elton John’s haunting song, The Last Song, which was played during the parade was written by John and Bernie Taupin, and appeared on his 1992 album, The One. Proceeds from the single were donated to John’s AIDS Foundation.

 

And the Band Played On - YouTube 


Saturday, February 15, 2020

The 25 Best Shows to Binge-Watch – Part 2 of 4




There are some people who think that binge-watching is about people who sit on a couch watching episode after episode until their eyes are bloodshot and they suddenly realize that they haven’t been to work for over a week.


While this may be true to some extent, binge-watching can also be used as a way to get things done that you may otherwise avoid such as doing paperwork; paying bills; sorting dirty clothes to wash; folding clean clothes; ironing your clothes (if you still do that type of thing); organizing items you want to either donate or pack away; delete emails; organize your sock drawer; clean out and organize your junk drawer; clean out your purse, briefcase or wallet; dust; groom your pet; exercise (riding a stationary bike is the best), or color in a coloring book.


It all depends on how well you can multi-task or motivate yourself.

Binge-watching a television show is an excellent way to destress or reorganize your life.




Here are the next group of shows that placed #20-15 on the list:

20. Mission Impossible




Fast facts:


Network: CBS
Seasons: 7
Cast: Steven Hill as Dan Briggs (Law & Order, The Firm, Billy Bathgate); Barbara Bain as Cinnamon Carter; Greg Morris as Barney Collier; Peter Lupus as Willy Armitage (Police Squad!); Peter Graves as Jim Phelps (Airplane, Airplane II: The Sequel, 7 Heaven); Martin Landau as Rollin Hand (Space: 1999, Without a Trace, Ed Wood, Crimes and Misdemeanors, Tucker: The Man and His Dream); Leonard Nimoy as Andrew "The Great" Paris (Star Trek franchise); Leslie Ann Warren as Dana Gilbert (Desperate Housewives, In Plain Sight).





Premise: The show is about the exploits of the Impossible Missions Force (IMF) a small team of elite undercover agents who often go on unsanctioned missions to mostly foreign countries to deal with dictators, evil empires/organizations and other elements of crime such as crime lords.





They get their orders from an unknown (at least to the audience) voice and it is also unclear whether this is a government organization. It is implied that taking down these people/organizations/empires is more about government interests than it is about the protection of the American people.


The opening of the show is the coolest as either Briggs or Phelps go to some location to get their orders and then the tape self-destructs.


The theme song is also one of the most easily recognized in television history.


Each agent that was chosen for the job possessed unique skills that were vital for the mission to be a success.


Briggs was a former lieutenant colonel for the Army and a behavioral analysist. Jim Phelps was a former government operative; someone who did secret work for the government. Cinnamon Carter was a fashion model and actress who used her looks to distract the male combatants, and when that didn’t work, she was proficient in hand-to-hand combat. Barney Collier was a technical wizard who owned his own technology company and had access to many of the gadgets that he used on missions. 



Willy Armitage was the muscle of the group and was used whenever physical strength was required. He was also skilled at unarmed combat. Rollin Hand was an actor, magician, and a master of disguises as well as voices. 



Paris was sometimes used instead of Hand. Like Hand, he was also an actor, magician and master of disguises.


How to watch: You can buy the episodes or seasons on Amazon, CBS: All Access, YouTube, Vudu and iTunes.


To get yourself in the mood for this outstanding show, please watch the video of the original opening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwpXUn2dF5c


 
19. Cagney and Lacey




Fast facts:

Network: CBS

Seasons: 7

Cast: Tyne Daly as Detective Mary Beth Lacey (The Enforcer, Judging Amy, Grey’s Anatomy); Sharon Gless as Detective Sergeant. Christine Cagney (Burn Notice, The Trials of Rosie O'Neill, Queer as Folk, The Gifted); Al Waxman as Lieutenant Bert Samuels (Twice in a Lifetime, Due South); John Karlen as Harvey Lacey (Dark Shadows); Carl Lumbly as Mark Petrie (Escape from Alcatraz, Coming to America, South Central, Justice League, Alias, Zoo, Supergirl); Martin Kove as Victor Isbecki (Karate Kid I and II, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Cobra Kai); Sydney Clute as Paul LaGuardia (And Justice for All, Kojak); Robert Hegyes as Detective Manny Esposito (Welcome Back, Kotter); Harvey Atkin as Sergeant Ronald Coleman (Alf, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit).


Premise: Encouraged by the popularity of the feminist movement, Cagney and Lacey is about two female detectives who work for the NYPD.


Although they are good at what they do, the women have vastly different private lives. Lacey is married with children and Cagney is a single, career woman who has issues with her alcohol consumption.


To appease the viewers, they made sure the women were attractive, dressed well and always were fully made-up. The series also showed the grittiness of New York at that time, delved into their personal lives, and their different approaches to the job.



The plots of every episode were compelling as it tackled issues of that time period (early to mid-1980s).

It also was one of the first shows to include social commentaries weaved into their stories long before there was a Law & Order franchise. This is what made this series unique.

How to watch: Cagney and Lacey is included in Amazon’s Prime membership, CBS: All Access, iTunes.

To get a taste of the show, please watch the following video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrgVpIeD1EU  




18. Burn Notice




Fast facts:


Network: USA

Seasons: 7

Cast: Jeffrey Donovan as Michael Westen (Law & Order, American Bikers, Sleepers, Hitch, Sicario, LBJ); Gabrielle Anwar as Fiona Glenanne (Hideaway, Press Gang, The Tudors, Once Upon a Time); Bruce Campbell as Sam Axe (The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr., Xena: Warrior Princess, Ash vs Evil Dead); Coby Bell as Jesse Porter (Third Watch, The Game, The Gifted); Sharon Gless as Madeline Westen (Marcus Welby M.D., Switch, Cagney & Lacey, The Trials of Rosie O'Neill, The Gifted).




Definition: A burn notice is a tool that intelligence agencies use to discredit or let others know that an agent has been dismissed. Being burned is like getting fired although with a different set of consequences. 


Premise: Michael Westen has been a spy for several years with an unknown government agency. He is in the middle of an operation in Nigeria and in a meeting with the bad guys when he learns that he’s been burned. 


Apparently it is not required to let the spy finish their job or to let them know why they’ve been burned.


Eventually, Michael finds himself beaten and broke back in Miami, Florida which is where he grew up and never wanted to come back to. 




Along the way, it’s discovered that Mr. Westen is kindhearted and begins to help people while trying to figure out who burned him and why.

As tough as he is, Westen's Achilles heel is when someone cries. He's uncomfortable with a release of such emotions and brings out his vulnerability side.


Aside from meeting various bad guys who want to do him in, Michael also finds himself having to deal with the often complicated relationships that usually come with the people you care about such as family and exes.

Along the way, Michael partners himself up with the two people he learned he can trust: Sam Axe and Fiona Glenanne. 

Axe is a retired FBI agent and Glenanne is a former member of the IRA as well as being a gun runner.


With their help, he's able to work cases of people who he wants to help while delving into the dark world of spy bureaucracy.

The characters are endearing and the storylines compelling, but probably the most entertaining thing about Burn Notice is the narration done by Jeffrey Donovan (Michael Westen) explaining things about bad guys, tips on how to rig something to explode or how to make a hasty exit. 


How to watch: You can watch the show on Hulu, as part of your Amazon Prime membership, pay for episodes/seasons on Google Play, Vudu or YouTube.


Here is an example of the show Burn Notice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L53jbil1Ri4


 
17. Covert Affairs




Fast facts:

Network: USA

Seasons: 5

Cast: Piper Perabo as Annie Walker (Coyote Ugly, Go On, Turn Up Charlie); Christopher Gorham as Auggie Anderson (A Life Less Ordinary, Party of Five, Popular, Medical Investigation, Ugly Betty, Insatiable); Kari Matchett as Joan Campbell (Ready or Not, ER, A Nero Wolfe Mystery, Blue Murder, Heartland, Fortunate Son); Anne Dudek as Danielle Brooks (How I Met Your Mother, Mad Men, Big Love, House, The Magicians); Sendhil Ramamurthy as Jai Wilcox (New Amsterdam, Heroes); Oded Fehr as Eyal Lavine (The Blacklist, Sleeper Cell, UC: Undercover, Stitchers, Blood & Treasure); Peter Gallagher as Arthur Campbell (Long Day's Journey into Night, The O.C., Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, The Gifted, Grace & Frankie, Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist).



Premise: Annie Walker is a CIA trainee who is assigned to the DPD unit (Domestic Protection Division) as a field agent due, in part, to her ability to speak several foreign languages fluently. Although it may also have something to do with the way she looks and her ability to be a distraction for male operatives from other countries who they may be targeting.

Auggie Anderson, a former member of the Army’s Special Forces division who lost his sight while serving in Afghanistan and is now a technology operative, is her handler.


Together the two work cases under the supervision of Joan Campbell, a former CIA operative.

Joan, along with her husband Arthur, keep close tabs on Annie as she is the ex-girlfriend of Ben Mercer who was once a spy for the agency, but went rogue and is now wanted by the CIA. They believe that Mercer won’t be able to stay away from Annie which will lead to his capture.


Along the way she befriends Mossad agent, Eyal Lavine, who always shows up in the nick of time to aid her in whatever hot water she got herself into. 


Although there is an attraction between the two, nothing ever comes of it due to her feelings towards Auggie and the fact that Annie isn't Jewish which is a requirement for Eyal.




Notes about the show: Covert Affairs was part of a growing trend in television shows that were considered high tech and glossy; a far cry from grittier shows like the Law & Order franchise, The Wire and Cagney and Lacey.

Annie Walker’s physical appearance was more like that of a model than a CIA spy as she spent every episode in form fitting dresses and running around in stiletto heels, not an easy feat.


If you can get past this sexualization of women, the show has great storylines and is fun to watch.

Where to watch: You can purchase episodes/seasons on Amazon, Vudu, YouTube and Google Play.

To get a good idea as to why you should binge-watch the show, please take a moment to view the show’s official trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLkMN6K0as0


 
16. The Wire



Fast facts:

Network: HBO

Seasons: 5

Cast: Dominic West as Jimmy McNulty (Chicago, The Affair); Michael K. Williams as Omar Little (12 Years a Slave, Ghostbusters, Boardwalk Empire, Hap and Leonard, Bessie, Black Market with Michael K. Williams); Idris Elba as Stringer Bell (Daddy's Little Girls, Star Trek Beyond, Luther); Sonja Sohn as Kima Greggs (Shaft, The Good Wife, Burn notice, The Chi); Wood Harris as Avon Barskdale (Remember the Titans, Creed, Creed II, The New Edition Story, Empire); Lawrence Gilliard Jr. as D’Angelo Barksdale (Gangs of New York, The Walking Dead); Wendell Pierce as Bunk Moreland (Waiting to Exhale, Malcolm X, Bye Bye Love, The Gregory Hines Show, Treme, Suits, Jack Ryan); Lance Reddick as Cedric Daniels (Oz, Fringe, Bosch, Corporate); Andre Royo as Reginald "Bubbles" Cousins (Shaft, Hand of God, Empire); Domenick Lombardozzi as Thomas "Herc" Hauk (Entourage, Breakout Kings, Ray Donovan, Rosewood, Sneaky Pete); Seth Gilliam as Ellis Carver (The Cosby Show, Oz, Teen Wolf, The Walking Dead); Jamie Hector as Marlo Stanfield ( Bosch, All Eyez on Me, Queen of the South, Heroes); Frankie Faison as Ervin Burrell (Mississippi Burning, White Chicks, All My Children, True Colors, The Good Wife, Banshee); Clarke Peters as Lester Freamon (Play for Today, American Masters, Treme, Person of Interest, Chance, Love Is); Jim True-Frost as Roland "Prez" Pryzbylewski (Benjamin Franklin, Treme and Manifest).


Premise: At first glance it appears that The Wire is a series about law enforcement, but it isn’t. It’s a story about the city of Baltimore, Maryland at a time where illicit drug sales ran rapid, addiction was high and the budget to combat the multiple urban woes was almost non-existent; a period of time where the city was broke.

Every season of the show covers a different aspect of various groups (drug gangs, law enforcement, politics, the public education system, the unions, and the media) and how these groups interact with their environment. 

Season one introduces the viewers to the Baltimore Police Department and their action (or their inaction) of combatting with the drug problem especially with drug kingpins Avon Barksdale and Stringer Bell. 

After Detective Jimmy McNulty informs a judge about the Barksdale/Bell gang, the judge confronts the police administration. This forces the administration to assemble a unit (run by Lieutenant Cedric Daniels), but does everything in their power to undermine the unit.


It appears that the higher-ups are more concerned with looking good than doing good.

In season two, viewers get a glimpse of how Avon Barksdale, Wee-Bey Brice and D’Angelo Barksdale are coping in prison.

Although drugs are still a problem, the focus is now on a different type of poor; union workers at the port where work is hard to come by and some workers turn to selling drugs or becoming a part of a smuggling ring that uses the port for the base of its operation.


The head of the smuggling is someone only known as The Greek who has his own henchmen.



Season three is a return to the Barksdale/Bell organization, but this time with the city’s politicians becoming impacted with the drug trade as it comes at a time when there is a hotly contested mayor’s race going on with a white politician trying to unseat the current black mayor who is somewhat slimy.

Certain members of the police department create an area (called Hamsterdam) where drug dealers, addicts and prostitutes are able to conduct their illicit practices without getting arrested as long as they stay in Hamsterdam’s boundaries.


This makes the police department look like they are successful at combating certain drug-related crimes.

In season four, the focus is on the public school system and four boys who have grown up amongst the violent drug trade: Dukie, Randy, Michael, and Namond.


Namond is the son of Wee-Bey Brice and his mother is trying to force him into the drug trade in order to support her in the lifestyle that Wee-Bey made her accustomed to.

His mother, De'Londa Brice, is a totally unsympathetic character who puts her own needs ahead of her son.


It also focus’ on the still ongoing mayor’s race. 

Daniels is now a major, Greggs and Freamon are working in The Major Crimes Unit. Prez is now a mathematics teacher at the same school the four boys attend. McNulty has been demoted to a patrolman.


The drug dealers in this season are Proposition Joe, Marlo Stansfield, and the still-alive (from season one) Omar Little.


The final season, five, focuses on the media. Specifically, the journalists who work for The Baltimore Sun. 

The ongoing drama between Marlo Stansfield, Proposition Joe and Omar Little continues.

In this season, the show tries to demonstrate how the media often manipulates situations by deciding what stories to tell and what stories don’t get told. They also attempt to show why, by these decisions, things don’t change.

McNulty is back as a detective and is up to his old ways of forcing things to happen by manipulating the system.

Due to the new white mayor seriously slashing the budget of the police department, he invents a serial killer which causes the department to get their funding back. 



Notes about the show: The Wire was creating and mostly written by former police reporter David Simon.

It was filmed entirely on location in Baltimore, Maryland.

The show also has an ongoing theme that showed that no matter who you are or what position you hold, eventually you will be compromised, mostly due to the bureaucracy that swirls around you; that you can’t succeed without breaking the rules because the system is built to make you fail.

This is what sets The Wire apart from other crime/law and order shows; these other shows portray the bad guys as those who break the rules to get ahead. On this show, everyone breaks the rules to get what they want even if it costs people their lives.

Many of the actors built their careers based on their time on the show such as: Idris Alba, Michael B. Jordan, Michael K. Williams, Lance Reddick, Seth Gilliam, Domenick Lombardozzi, and Jamie Hector.

Why should you watch it: Due to its storylines, the ability to cast unknowns into a majority of the parts, the character development, and the stark realism of urban life, it is considered to be one of the best television shows of all time.

It just goes to show you that hiring easily recognized actors or winning awards has nothing to do with good content. 

Where to watch: You can watch the show on HBO, as part of your Amazon Prime membership, by purchasing episodes/seasons on Vudu, YouTube or iTunes.


For more on this show, please watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0Ig40uAabM


 
15. Justified



Fast facts: 

Network: FX

Seasons: 6

Cast: Timothy Olyphant as Rayland Givens (The First Wives Club, Live Free or Die Hard, Deadwood, Damages, Santa Clarita Diet); Walton Goggins as Boyd Crowder (The Hateful Eight, The Shield, Sons of Anarchy, Sex, Vice Principals, The Unicorn); Joelle Carter as Ava Crowder (Chicago Justice); Natalie Zea as Winona Hawkins (Passions, Dirty Sexy Money, The Following, The Detour); Nick Searcy as Art Mullen (Fried Green Tomatoes, American Gothis, Seven Days, Rodney, Hot in Cleveland, 11.22.63); Jacob Pitts as Tim Gutterson (21, Sneaky Pete, The Sinner); Erica Tazel as Rachel Brooks (Roots, The Good Fight, Queen Sugar);  Jeremy Davies as Dickie Bennett (Saving Private Ryan, It’s Kind of a Funny Story, Helter Skelter -2004, Sleepy Hollow); Margo Martindale as Mags Bennett (Ghosts of Mississippi, 28 days, 100 Centre Street, Dexter, The Riches, Mercy, A Gifted Man, The Millers, The Americans, The Good Wide, Sneaky Pete); Jere Burns as Wynn Duffy (Dear John, Something So Right, Good Morning Miami, Angie Tribeca);  Raymond J. Barry as Arlo Givens (The Gifted, Cold Case, Gotham, 13 Reasons Why); Neal McDonough as Robert Quarles (Band of Brothers, Desperate Housewives, Suits, DC's Legends of Tomorrow); Michael Rapaport as Darryl Crowe Jr. (Kiss of Death, Copland, Deep Blue Sea, Boston Public, The War at Home, Atypical); Mykelti Williamson as Ellstin Limehouse (Forrest Gump, The White Shadow, Hill Street Blues, 24, Chicago P.D.).



Premise: Raylan Givens is a modern-day U.S. Marshal who kind of sees himself as an Old West type of law man much to the chagrin of his superiors.


During an investigation after a gun duel reminiscent of those in the Old West, with drug dealer Tommy Bucks, Givens’ only comment was that it was justified. He then finds himself transferred to the Eastern District of Kentucky Marshal's Office. Located in Lexington, it’s a place that he grew up in and never wanted to go back to.



The office in Lexington is much smaller than what he’s used to, and Raylan finds himself having to do a little bit of everything that falls under the agency’s purview.

It doesn’t take him long to come face-to-face with local one-man crime wave, Boyd Crowder, whom he used to work in the mines with when he was 18.


Although they appear to be foes, as the series continues it shows a friendship between the two men even when they’re at odds with one another.

He also encounters the fetching Ava who murdered her abusive husband (Boyd’s brother) and admits she always had a crush on Raylan.


The two end up having a sexual relationship which lands Givens in hot water with both his boss and the District Attorney’s Office.

After Raylan ends the relationship with Ava, she takes up with Boyd which causes conflict between the two men.

As hard as he tries to avoid it, Raylan eventually also has to deal with his criminal father Arlo who he disdains and come face-to-face with his family’s grave site which is conveniently located in the front yard and notices that he already has a grave marker there with his name already on it.

He figures that his grave marker was just wishful thinking on the part of Arlo.


Raylan also encountered his ex-wife Winona, whom he still has feelings for, even though she married the man she cheated on her husband with.

Oh. And he turned out to be a crook too.

Justified cast well-known actors to portray devious characters such as Robert Quarles who is a member of the Tonin Crime Family lieutenant from out of Detroit who comes to Kentucky with his henchman Wynn Duffy.


Then there was the deceptively mother-figure Mags Bennett who poisons those who run afoul of her by getting them to drink some of her Apple Pie Moonshine.


Mags and her family have history with Raylan as their families have been at war with one another for years.

Ellstin Limehouse was the self-appointed mayor of the African American community that lived in a remote area outside of Lexington and although he appeared to be a leader who really cared about his people, that wasn’t the case. He was as good of a bad guy as all the others that populated the eastern District.


In season five viewers were introduced to season-regular Dewey Crowe’s criminal family lead by Darryl Crowe Jr.

About the show: Like several shows on this list, Justified had a great theme song, Long Hard Times to Come by Gangstagrass.

Where to watch: You can  purchase seasons/episodes through Amazon, Google Play, YouTube and Vudu.

To view the showdown between Raylan Givens and Tommy Bucks from season one that put the show on its track, please view the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RjVAWL64hk