Big Screen Little Screen

In a survey of 66 national television critics, Aaron Sorkin’s Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (NBC) came out on top as the Best Overall New Program on the broadcast networks, with ABC’s comedy Ugly Betty in second place. Something akin to The Ugly Duckling meets The Devil Wears Prada, Betty features a bespectacled, braces wearing, fashion backwards young woman who starts on the bottom rung of a New York fashion magazine.

Studio 60 marks writer and creator Sorkin’s return to television since leaving The West Wing after four seasons. It chronicles the struggles of a writing staff for a SNL type late night show. Often referred to as NBC’s other “behind the cameras” series - 30 Rock, written by and starring Tina Fey, along with Alec Baldwin, was voted 2nd in Best New Comedy, behind Ugly Betty.

In the Best New Drama category, ABC’s The Nine was handed the top spot. Seemingly looking to dip into the same audience pool as Lost, and making liberal use of flashback sequences, the hour-long series follows the lives of nine people in the aftermath of becoming unwilling participants in a 52-hour hostage situation following a bank robbery.

Full results here, along with a guide of new shows that are already available for preview, one way or another. Plus, Entertainment Weekly’s fall TV preview, for broadcast networks.

Next week I’ll list my picks for most anticipated shows this fall, for both new and returning series. Also next week - film picks for the second half of 2006.

Tags: studio 60, ugly betty, 30 rock

In gearing up for the season four premiere of The Wire - on Sunday the 10th, HBO has already released the first episode of the new season on it’s On Demand service.

After dissecting both sides of the law at work in the projects, port docks, and street corners of Baltimore, the fourth season looks to the public education system - surrounded on all sides by the drug trade and it’s inherent violence, underfunded schools, and teachers forced to teach for test scores, as opposed to practical education, children often opt for the learning to be had on the streets.

Co-creator and writer of The Wire, Ed Burns, who previously spent 20 years in law enforcement dealing with drug-related homicides, followed up by 7 years in teaching, is well versed in the few options that are available. “The kids are going to learn something,” says Burns. “There’s going to be a place for them somewhere and, invariably, you can make the argument that they’re being trained for the corner.”

Working on a slow burn structure of a season long story arch, as opposed to traditional police procedurals that have less than 60 minutes for the pieces to fall into place, The Wire also stands out for it’s depth - where the motivation of dealers, stick-up artists, fiending users, and drug lords is up for equal analysis, and at times, as much empathy as politicians, police commanders, and rank-and-file officers.

For preparations sake, on what Entertainment Weekly is calling the “best-yet season of quite possibly the finest series ever made for television”, the Associated Press has a preview of season four, and The House Next Door blog has lengthy profiles of “rip and run artist” Omar Little, informant ne’er do well Bubbles, and slow-and-low talking entrepreneur Proposition Joe. They’ll have more on The Wire to finish out the week.

Tags: the wire, hbo

While there’s no Darjeeling Limited news worth mentioning, those endeared to Wes Anderson’s tried and true standby - Kumar Pallana, might get a kick out of this trailer for Kumar: My 88 Year Old Best Friend. The former vaudeville performer appeared on such shows as the Mickey Mouse Club, Ed Sullivan and Captain Kangaroo before making his big screen debut in Bottle Rocket, followed by Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums. In fact, his plate spinning routine is featured in the extras on the Tenenbaums DVD.

Over forty years since his professional performing days, the juggling, joking, and infinitely quotable Kumar has ventured out to “rock venues, senior centers, state prisons, dive bars, comedy clubs, wrestling matches, yoga classes and everything in-between” on a tour booked by his much younger pal, Dave Brown. The tour was documented for a feature-length film, produced by multimedia label, Holiday Matinee. The film promises to show more than just the stage and film persona of Pallana, but the real man, his story, and his friendship with touring partner Brown.

The trailer, and more about Kumar: My 88 Year Old Best Friend can be found here.

Tags: kumar pallana, wes anderson

Season 2, Episode 4: A.K.A The Plant

While Celia is out campaigning, with an unsuccessful focus on the stay at home moms, (and fending off modeling reps targeting Isabelle for plus-size fashion ads) husband Dean finds himself the victim of his own suggestion: corporate downsizing. Hurling expletives left and right as he takes the walk of shame out the door, his freak-out on the security escort ends with a sudden tazer jolt to the neck - the corporate hordes as an audience, snapping camera phone pics. He’s able to keep his unemployed status a secret from Celia for all of one afternoon.

Conrad provides Nancy with her street name, Lacy Laplante, complete with fake Canadian identification. With her new alias, (and what criminal is truly legit until they have one?) she’s truly finding her inner Con, easily mentally maneuvering past inquiring electric company staffers. Later, Miss Laplante and Conrad meet the other half of their hapless team (where’s Sanjay?) back at the grow house to continue setting up shop. Conrad and Nancy argue over blown budgets while Andy finds inventive ways to nearly expose their illicit operation to the outside world, and Doug tap dances on bubble wrap. A well-oiled machine they’re not. Dean makes a brief appearance to deliver his delayed punch to Conrad’s jaw, for prior adulterous indiscretions.

Speaking of questionable behavior, Uncle Andy is called upon by Shane once again, since providing the much-appreciated advice on “self-serve” techniques. (Video of that very speech has been added to last week’s recap.) As self-appointed doctor of love, he takes Shane along to an old haunt, the massage parlor, so Shane can catch up to the claims of his middle-school classmates. After heavy complaint and hesitation from the help at the parlor, Shane finally seals the deal on the “happy finish” by turning on the fake water works, and walks out shedding more of his adolescent innocence

More love and lust is in the air in Agrestic and it’s neighboring areas. For starters, Heylia’s been fretting over her warm and fuzzy feelings for Nation of Islam suitor, Joseph, and he shares the sentiment for her. Andy, after getting his own therapy at the massage parlor, finds himself rejected once again by Yeal, (played by Meitel Dohan) over dinner. He’s just not man enough for the Israeli expatriate. But rest assured, he’ll find a way into her heart, or bed at least, in good time. On a much more romantic excursion, Nancy and Peter take to the firing range, in lieu of dinner. Much too comfortable with a firearm in her hand, and seeming to swoon at the sight of cold steel, perhaps she was the better half of Bonnie and Clyde in a past life?

Back at the grow house, Conrad introduces Nancy to the hydroponics installation team hired at their disposal, but the shock and awe of the elaborate set-up is short lived, as an unexpected visitor comes calling. An Armenian competitor in the neighborhood, bearing baklava, is keen to their business plans, being familiar with the installation group’s vehicles. The message: “I know what you are doing, so get out. Or next time I knock on your door, I wont be holding pastries, and neither will my brothers and my cousins.” But Nancy, or Lacy rather, has this new found confidence, whether it be by her empowered alter ego, her gun-toting undercover husband, or both – and can’t be bothered by competitive forces. Fully disregarding Conrad’s concerns of a turf war, she’s in this for the long haul: “There’s always problems. There’s always solutions.”

And seeing as how (since Nancy stumbled into Peter’s bathroom to discover she had put on a DEA jacket) every episode must now end in a cliffhanger of some sort, the latest is a less than minor shocker that you should have seen coming: Nancy arrives back at the Botwin residence to find Silas and girlfriend Megan waiting on the front lawn. Pinpricked condoms lead to children having children.

Check back next week for a new recap.

Notes: “Little Boxes” by Kate and Anna McGarrigle. Check out Meital Dohan’s resume and melodramatic highlight reel at her official site. Word is that she was a rising star on Channels 1, 2, and 3. And who the hell else is chomping at the bit for the October 1st premiere of Michael C. Hall’s Dexter, after the heavy barrage of promos?

Tags: weeds, lacy laplante, happy finish

Filed under website recommendations I’ve meant to write months ago - for those among us who’ve been waiting on P.T. Anderson’s next cinematic foray since Punch Drunk Love (the cardiganed Emily Watson, sigh) please give your utmost attention to Cigarettes and Red Vines - it’s a labor of love, and a comprehensive online guide to all things P.T.A. They’ve been tracking the progress of Anderson’s next project (not including help lent to Robert Altman’s A Prairie Home Companion), There Will Be Blood, since it was a tiny glean in his eye. Based on the Upton Sinclair novel Oil! (also responsible for The Jungle, which turned the meat-packing industry on it’s ear), set during the 1920’s oil boon in Southern California, the film stars Daniel Day Lewis as an oil developer whose greed and corrupted disposition has turned his son, and the town full of disfranchised workers his own flesh and blood has backed, against him.

Cigarettes has a dedicated There Will Be Blood section with script impressions, a production timeline, and all other available details, including an attached actors list - conspicuously devoid of P.T.’s mainstays - the Philip Seymour Hoffman’s, the Luis Guzmán’s, or John C. Reilly’s.

Having just wrapped shooting last week. Anderson will take a month or two off before beginning post-production. In the meantime, enjoy this YouTubed P.T.A. interview on The Henry Rollins Show, wherein the two discuss the upcoming film while still in the pre-production phase.

Tags: there will be blood, paul thomas anderson, henry rollins