Farewell 2011 – The Year in Network Television

Note: As we say farewell to 2011, we had enough television to talk about that we broke it up into network and cable. Rick, Kirk and TD have their fingers on the pulse of some pretty big network shows.

Person of Interest, CBS 9 pm Thursdays – Rick

It’s hard to say exactly what drew me to this series. I’m not big on conspiracy theories, and I lean away from dramas that require a huge suspension of disbelief. But for me Person of Interest works. (I do think it would have been a more successful movie than a television show though.)

One storyline each week that I appreciate is not knowing at first if the ‘person of interest’ is the victim or the assailant. Especially in episodes like Cura Te Ipsum (#4) where the ‘victim’ is really a different kind of criminal. That episode stands out as well because we are left not really knowing what Caviezel’s character decided to do. As the season progresses, and more people are connected to Reese and Finch, it does get harder and harder to believe that the operation can continue. Too many people brought in to a secret can only make it harder for that secret to stay in shadows. Here’s hoping the writers are on top of their game throughout the series.

CSI, CBS 10 pm Wednesdays – Rick

The big change this year was obviously Ted Danson’s arrival and Lawrence Fishburne’s departure. I can’t think of another series that has had this kind of changeover in the lead spot and continued to draw enough viewers to survive. Danson’s character is about as opposite of Fishburne’s as they could write. I like Danson, but he just doesn’t seem to fit the show. Fishburne was a perfect replacement for William Peterson’s Grissom character. His intensity worked.

I’ve been a follower of this show since it’s inception. It’s been a long run. I think I’m ready for it to end. I get the feeling some of the cast members feel the same. As long as they keep making them, I will probably keep watching. I guess that’s the Cleveland sports fan in me huh? At some point the network or the producers need to just pull the plug. Helgenberger’s character seems to be heading toward an exit. If that is the case, I can’t see the show surviving. And that’s ok.

Revenge, ABC 10 PM Wednesdays – @WFNYTD

This one flew under the radar and other than me and my wife, I don’t know anyone else who is watching. Well, you should be joining us. It’s a terrific show. A summer set in the upper crust society of The Hamptons brings us a ton of twists, turns, back-stabbing, and drama. turns, back-stabbing, and unbeknownst to anyone, is back in The Hamptons set to get back at everyone who had a hand in ruining her father’s life, who we have come to know was set up to have been a terrorist who developed a plot to blow up a commercial airliner (of course he had nothing to do with it). He eventually died in jail, but left a box full of keepsakes and clues for his daughter, who was thrown into juvenile detention centers until she was released at the age of 18. Since then, this rough around the edges beauty has made it her life’s work to destroy everyone who was involved with her father’s frame job.

Perhaps the best of a acting job in the show is brought in by Madeline Stowe (still getting it done in her 50’s might I add), who plays the uber-kniving and bitchy Victoria Grayson. Victoria and her husband Conrad are thought to be the ones who set up Emily’s father, but we learned right away Victoria was in love with the man who was set up. Stowe plays the part of a ridiculously rich and cold Hampton’s socialite perfectly.

Emily is playing all of her cards close to the vest, in love with the good-looking Grayson son, but we can’t tell if its real or part of her grand plan. Neither can she. Then there are the key side players, such as Jack, the poor local bar owner who knew Emily as a kid but hasn’t figured out its her yet, or Nolan, the gay loner who has his fortune thanks to Emily’s father. Only he knows Emily’s secrets, but keeps getting himself in the middle of situations he shouldn’t be in.

There are lots of interesting plot twists all going on at the same time and while I really enjoy this show, I’m not sure how much longer this can sustain itself. At some point, Emily is going to found out. By who, and how it will affect everything, is really all that is left to figure out. Either way, it’s a highly entertaining show.

The Good Wife, CBS, 9 PM Sundays – @WFNYTD

I have read many reviews that say the second season of CBS’s award winning drama isn’t nearly as good as the first. I don’t disagree, but its still clearly a must-watch drama. In season two, we find a happily split Alicia Florrick (Julianna Margulies) and her husband Peter (Chris Noth), the new State’s Attorney, living separate lives, but still acting as a married couple when they need to be seen in public. Meanwhile, Alicia is secretly in love with her boss, Will Gardner (Josh Charles) and the two have begun a torrid affair. Its affecting the work at their law firm, Lockhart-Gardner, where Will’s partner Diane Lockhart (Christine Baranski), is on to the whole situation, which is bad for business.

There is lots to like here. A GREAT cast with multiple starts, and solid supporting roles by Cary Agoos (Matt Czuchry), a former LG first year who lost out on a competition to Alicia for the final spot at the firm (he now works for the State’s attorney’s office and seems to be against LG in every single case), and the rock-solid Kalinda Sharma (Archie Panjabi), who won the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress last year. She is the LG lead investigator who knows how to get what she needs.

Also not to be undone is the cameo role played in a couple of episodes by Michael J. Fox. Fox plays Louis Canning, an opposing plaintiff attorney who uses his real life illness to his advantage in the court room. Its riveting stuff.

On the downside this season, my favorite character, Eli Gold (Alan Cumming), has been sort of neutered in his role. In season one he was Peter Florrick’s crisis/campaign manager and was heavily featured doing excellent behind the scenes work to get his candidate into office.  But since that has happened, he took over office space at Lockhart-Gardner as their crisis manager. The storyline hasn’t worked.

All that said, yes, it could be a Sophomore slump, but this is still one of the best shows on Network TV.

How I Met Your Mother – CBS 8PM Mondays – Kirk

How I Met Your Mother is now in its seventh season, and I’m still deeply intrigued by the storyline and the complex characters. A concept that I believed would get stale when I first started watching the show has been anything but. Whether it’s slap bets, doppelgangers, or legen.. wait for it…. dary love triangles, the show has stayed fresh with a combination of celebrity guest stars, several coming of age realizations, and countless detours that add depth and make the show more believable.

I will point out that since main character Ted (Josh Radnor) is from Cleveland, there have been several Cleveland references, including two this season with Ted being the best man at his buddy Punchy’s Browns-themed wedding as well as another LeBron joke. Robin, at the proposition of going to Cleveland for Christmas, says, “I wouldn’t go to Cleveland for $125 million paid out over 6 years.” Now, I get as ticked off as anyone about Cleveland cheap shots, but I couldn’t help but fall out of my seat laughing, partly because Ted fired back about LeBron’s lack of rings.

Between Robin’s pregnancy scare, Lilly’s pregnancy, and Barney’s first serious relationship, it’s been an eventful season. In short, HIMYM is a classic case of a show that was created around a short term hook and destination, but it has evolved into a journey that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed as a viewer