first and foremost tv has been a helluva lot better than film these past six months. it has offered better acting, better scripts and certainly more adult fare. is this new? probably not but these past six months have been better for tv than in the past. so in alphabetical order these are the best tv had to offer and they were good and in some cases great.
'army wives' has been consistent. with the death of recurring character jeremey in the afghan theater of war they surpassed themselves. catherine bell as his mother was amazing. she made us feel her loss. it certainly is her best work to date...ever. the rest of the cast as always stepped up to the plate. this remains one of cable's best.
'big love' redeemed itself after last year's dismal season. sadly it is now in the past as it has come to an end. i will miss this show with and family with all it's complexities. it was nice to see amanda seyfried come back for the finale.
'the borgias' had a slow start. how exciting can a conclave be? i think more exciting than the premier show especially in the time period the borgias, the medicis et al existed and ruled the catholic church. bit episodes 2 thru 8 steamrolled on and made for grand spectacle. i can't wait for season 2. francois arnaud all but steals every scene he is in. i think he has a post borgis career to look forward to.
'castle' is one of the best scripted series on the networks. nathan fillion and stana katic shine week after week with great support from it's other cast members. it had the best season finale this year. maybe the best any other year also. if the leads do not get emmy noms this year it will be criminal.
'downton abbey' showed up on pbs. for some odd reason they cut about 70 minutes out of it???? however, it worked. i'd recommend renting it to see it in full. it was great to see elizaeth mcgovern back on screen as she has been spending most of her adult life on the british stage. she has certainly improved on her craft. maggie smith as always was grand. and a hoot.
'fairly legal' was the best piece of froth the cable networks offered. a slight diversion at best but a happy romp. sarah shahi is a charmer. tired of all the reality crap on air? check this out. and have a good time.
'game of thrones' seduced me with episode 1. i thought not having read the books i'd be lost. after the first 2 episodes i was able to just roll along with it and go with the strange names and manner of speech. it is a good old fashioned epic presented anew.
'the killing' on amc is a good old mystery. a murder, suspects galore, twists and turns abound. each episode takes place in a single day. it ravels and unravels at it's own pace. it's adult. it's one more notch on the bed of amc which is shining in original fare. don't let this one get by you.
(to be continued)
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