I adore TNT. For me, they seem to have come out of nowhere when Leverage boomed onto the scene (I know, I’m a late bloomer), but I’ve been keeping a good eye on them since then, and every decision they have made has been a winner.

Before Leverage, TNT was going strong with The Closer and Saving Grace, two unique series driven by strong women. Nothing bad about that angle! Since then they’ve realized their original programming is kind of kick-ass, so they’ve debuted Dark Blue and HawthoRNe. It’s like watching a good game of poker, as Kenny Rogers said: “You’ve got to know when to hold ‘em (Leverage), know when to fold ‘em (Trust Me), know when to walk away (Saving Grace being allowed to finish out), know when to run (*cough*Trust Me*cough*)….”

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A few months back, I took cursor to digital paper and wrote an ode to shows that I’ve lost over the years. With yet another network television season complete, I believe it’s time to revisit that list, and add an addendum cataloging the massacre that accompanies the close of each season.

For all of you still out there fighting the good fight for these shows, this should in no way be seen as final. I’d love to come back and correct myself. So, keep sending those watches, bulletproof vests, lottery tickets, live butterflies, pitchforks, or whatever else you can think of. But, if this is the end, I figure now’s as good a time as any to pay my respects. And, if you’re wondering why the following’s light on the jokes … the fresher the wound, the deeper the hurt.

I’ve already written about the plight of The Unusuals. A lot of people have applied the show’s title to the conceit, and either used it as a pro or a con for what they see as different or ordinary, respectively. The only thing “unusual” about the show was the following: it was great from the get go. Sure, each character had a quirk, and there was an otherwise infrequently seen mix of excitement and comedy to the scripts, but what stood out the most for me was honestly how enjoyable an hour it was to spend in front of my television. I’d absolutely love to see it live to air another day (beyond closing out the episodes already in the can), but if it’s not to be, at least it went out as great from beginning to end. Read the rest of this entry »

Appearing on House can be good for your career, even if you’re just a fellow who got fired during Season 4. Actors don’t get cast on House because they’re lame. Even though obviously people like Dave Matthews have lucrative careers outside of House, what about other minor characters, especially those who have had recurring roles? What happens after House?

This weekend, I was watching House re-runs with some friends when one of them told me that Edi Gathegi (Big Love) also appeared in the movie Twilight. The conservative doc traded in his stethoscope for dreadlocks and a sexy torso to play semi-evil vampire Laurent. As Laurent, he is completely unrecognizable. I usually have a pretty good memory for work actors have done, but I thought my friend was wrong until I looked it up.

Anne Dudek, who played Amber (aka Cutthroat Bitch) has also continued working. She has appeared on both Mad Men as Francine Hanson and Big Love as Alby’s first wife, Laura. Of course, my first love is Amber, but I am always happy to see her working. I think Anne Dudek really deserves her own show. Read the rest of this entry »

For a show with a name like Trust Me, the lead characters, Conner and Mason, were certainly guilty of violating trust this week in “Odd Man Out.” Mason’s 15-year-old daughter is having boy trouble. Mason’s younger son tells his parents that Haley’s long-time friend Steve has broken up with her, leading to a Haley’s broken heart.

Young Steve (Jake Thomas, a fantastic young actor who has appeared on Lie to Me and House already this season) writes a note for Haley, which Mason intercepts. He sits and looks at the letter all day until Conner (OF COURSE!) opens and reads it. At the very moment that Conner grabs the letter, I paused the program and turned to my 15-year-old son who was watching the episode with me. Read the rest of this entry »

I hate to make one of the obvious puns, but unless the end of the show title’s statement is “this show is not very good,” I can’t put much credence in the declaration. And that disappoints me. In fact, much of the garbage that’s been introduced since September has disappointed me, but only Trust Me has left me feeling upset about it.

This offering from TNT had gotten me really excited. I was a big fan of Eric McCormack’s (Mason) on Will & Grace, and I was always curious to see what he could do as a different character, away from the shrill and annoying Grace. And while I don’t claim to have been a Thomas Cavanagh (Conner) cheerleader (his turn on Scrubs was awful), I loved him in his recent role on Eli Stone and so was psyched to see some more of him. All that excitement, and then they decided to air the second episode. Read the rest of this entry »

I didn’t know if I’d have time to watch Trust Me on TNT this year. I am watching a lot of shows already, so one more hour of time was debatable. I was intrigued, though, because I like the stars. After I started reviewing Lie to Me, though, and being disappointed with it, I decided to make time for Trust Me.

Perhaps it was because I had no expectations for Trust Me, but I really liked the pilot. And the second episode, too. Now, I look forward to it every week — and I even watched the first episodes over again because it makes me feel good. That’s not always my criteria for liking a show — I am a big fan of Battlestar Galactica — but it doesn’t hurt sometimes. Read the rest of this entry »

Things are improving on the set of Will & Ed, er, I mean Trust Me. While I won’t say that I’ve completely separated myself yet from the earlier television personas of Eric McCormack and Tom Cavanaugh, I can say that I am finding myself enjoying their foray into the world of advertising. Whereas the pilot left me just kind of disliking Cavanagh’s Conner, I found him acting much more like an adult here.

I know that creative types can be touchy and a bit prone to childish outbursts, but come on man! He was so ridiculously babyish last week and then suddenly this week he’s completely supportive of Mason’s (McCormack) promotion. Still problematic in the character department for me is Sarah Krajicek-Hunter (Monica Potter). So far, she’s done a lot of bitching, and despite being a high profile “get” for the agency, we haven’t seen anyone give her a chance to do much of anything. I at least thought we might get to see her lines for Arc Mobile at the end of this episode, considering how things turned out.

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