 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
GUEST BLOG #23: Diane Holloway suggests some satisfying summer libations
Bianculli here: One of the most exciting things about having other TV critics share space on this website is opening up whole new arrays of small-screen passion. In fighting off the dog days of TV summer, contributing writer Diane Holloway goes way beyond my usual BEST BETS to recommend enjoyable TV
alternatives on the fringes of the TV dial.
Here she goes...
Try these cures for the summertime blues
By Diane Holloway
Appointment viewing is swell, isn't it? We look forward with anticipation to the new season of Mad Men or the next installment of Dexter.
But there are times when our prime-time hours have no appointments whatsoever. Even the DVR can empty out and leave you lonely. Anyone with extra hours and a splendid high-def TV is faced with a gaping viewing calendar this time of year -- especially on Friday and Saturday nights.
But if you're like me, you probably have a fallback channel or two. Almost any time of the day or night, you can punch in the number and find something worth an hour or two of couch potato (non-)activity.
For me, it's often the History Channel or Discovery or Animal Planet.
I can be perfectly happy with an afternoon marathon of History's Modern Marvels. Everything from bulldozers to the Hoover Dam gets an up-close-and-personal look that's fascinating. I had no idea I was interested in presidential limos until I stumbled upon a recent episode about "presidential movers."
Trust me, the knock on History that it's nothing but wall-to-wall World War II documentaries is totally wrong. Though the channel still boasts lots of historical docs, it's also got Expedition Africa and Extreme Trains.
Unfortunately, like so many formerly high-brow cable channels, History is slapping us in the face with the reality genre. More about that in a sec. But if you suddenly find yourself facing a night of Ice Road Truckers, you can click onto another network.
On Discovery (especially Discovery HD), you can wallow in the beauty of Inside Planet Earth and Out of the Wild. Or you can embrace your inner nerd and watch How It's Made. Think you don't care how aluminum foil or Crayons are made? Think again. How It's Made is fascinating. Even Discovery's sea-going reality show Deadliest Catch is surprisingly compelling.
Critter lovers can always find pleasure on Animal Planet. Installments of Whale Wars and Blue Planet: Seas of Life can perk up any bored summer viewer. On the lighter side, you can watch doggie makeovers on Underdog to Wonderdog and thrill to a touch of graphic animal violence on Untamed and Uncut. (Grrrrr.)
Back to the sorry state of former high-brow cable nets. Remember when A&E really stood for Arts & Entertainment? People in public television actually worried that A&E, with its British plays, classical music concerts and ballets, might cut into PBS's audience.
Well, that didn't happen, did it? Now A&E is famous for such elite cultural experiences as Dog the Bounty Hunter and Gene Simmons Family Jewels.
Similarly Bravo, which started out with grand schemes to elevate basic cable with live performances and classic fare, now toots its horn for The Real Housewives of New Jersey and Kathy Griffin: Life on the D List. Ick and eeew.
National Geographic Channel still has Explorer, The Dog Whisperer and glorious documentaries on Stonehenge and the mysterious Druids. But NGC is fast becoming famous for its fascination with the decidedly freakish. The Girl With Eight Limbs and China's Elephant Man spring to mind as recent examples.
And unless you've been orbiting Mars lately, you know that The Learning Channel is now TLC and home to the ubiquitous Jon & Kate Plus Ei8ht, along with its fair share of freakish fare such as The Woman With Giant Legs, The World's Tallest Children and The World's Strongest Toddler.
If you're asking yourself what the "learning" value is of Jon & Kate, you know just how far the network has drifted from its original promise.
But there are safe harbors. Visit History or Discovery when a hole opens in your viewing schedule. If all else fails, you can catch endless reruns of Law & Order (the classic original) on TNT and CSI (again, the classic original) on Spike. Just surf to the right wave.
------
Diane Holloway was the TV critic for the Austin American Statesman for 30 years, until the downturn in the newspaper business prompted her to take a buyout. She's now sniffing out other possibilities. Before newspapers, she worked in Washington for the Library of Congress, the American Film Institute and the National Endowment for the Arts. Maybe something entirely different is next. Or not.
I LOVE "Deadliest Catch," and, since I'm an animal lover, National Geographic also has a lovely show called "Dogtown" which is where they sent the Michael Vicks dogs for rehab. I also could always watch "Animal Precinct" on Animal Planet, but they don't seem to have any new episodes lately. They have a lot of other cities, but the New York one is the best, so I hope they make some more. But the cable networks are where it's at--USA has "Burn Notice," "Psych," "Monk," and (I think) "In Plain Sight," while TNT has "The Closer" and "Saving Grace." The Big Three aren't what they used to be--that's for sure. Even BBC America has some fun stuff.
Truer words have never been spoken. As Newton Minow said, "It's a vast wasteland."
However, as you note, a little surfing can turn up some real gems.
ION has back-to-back reruns of "Mash", which only gets better with time, i.e., there is nothing close to this when it comes to writing, timing and ensemble casts. Sure to please.
For the true crime devotee, TLC has "48 Hours: Hard Evidence" which is just recycled "48 Hours Mystery", but they are still fascinating to watch on the 2nd (or 3rd) go 'round. Likewise WE's reruns of "20/20" true crime reports.
WE also has back-to-back "Golden Girls", and what a cast of girls they were.
MTV's "I Love the" (insert 70s, 80s, 90s, Millenium) is priceless. The comedian commentators present perfect riffs on all that we thought was so cool, only to find out now it wasn't so much. But it's a fast-paced, highly entertaining stroll down the cultural memory lane.
When all else fails, PBS' "American Masters" is an hour well spent being not only entertained, but informed.
Have a great summer & happy viewing.
TNT or USA are usually my go-to back-up channels, but more and more I spin my dial to the local PBS channel in the evening for some of the great shows I miss when they can't fit in the recording grid during the regular season.
Once again, thanks to the insightful commentators. I'm not sure what to think when the comments are smarter and more entertaining than the blog itself!! Guess I'd better step up the pace, given the high quality of TV Worth Watching's readers!!