And you thought only movie studios were out of fresh ideas …

The upcoming TV season – and beyond - will feature plenty of shows that sound awfully familiar. Expect reboots of old TV favorites like “The Munsters,” “The Flintstones,” “Bewitched” and “The Rifleman.”

Other programs will be “inspired” by existing films, all the better to bank on brand names that are the coin of the realm for modern marketers.

“Source Code,” the smart 2011 sci-fi thriller, will be hitting the small screen, and “Hannibal” brings back everyone’s favorite flesh eater for a few more chills – and Chianti. “Romancing the Stone” will try to replicate the sexual chemistry between Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner from the 1984 film.

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HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire” is a hit. Many people are comparing it to “The Sopranos” in terms of style, substance and effect. And there is no doubt that in many ways, it is similar to “The Sopranos.” But there is one key difference which keeps “Boardwalk Empire” from being truly addictive.

Created by Terrence Winter, who wrote 25 episodes of “The Sopranos,” “Boardwalk Empire” is an hour-long series centered around historical crime kingpin Enoch “Nucky” Johnson (renamed “Thompson” for the series). Nucky (Steve Buscemi) is the boss of Atlantic City when Prohibition becomes the law of the land. He controls the local government. He controls the police. And now he controls the liquor industry in the city.

As of the middle of season two, the story has been primarily about the struggle between Nucky and a group led by “the Commodore” (Dabney Coleman), who are fighting to wrestle control of Atlantic City from Nucky. Meanwhile, Nucky is fending off outside gangsters including a young Al Capone, Lucky Luciano, Arnold Rothstein and more, while dodging Federal Prohibition Agents led by religious-extremist-gone-astray Nelson Van Alden (Michael Shannon).

Where ‘Empire’ Succeeds

Let me say up front that I really enjoy watching this show. The sets and costumes are great. The acting is stellar. The story is solid and unpredictable enough scene-to-scene to keep your interest, and there’s a sense the narrative is building to something much greater with each passing episode. The writing is fantastic, too. The dialog is beautifully written and the show is packed with great lines, yet these lines never feel forced. Also, the characters are all unique and deep. This isn’t simply “Goodfellas” or “The Godfather” or “The Untouchables” reprised. (more…)

Other than “The Sopranos,” scripted television and I parted ways many, many years ago, and it was an ugly break up, as well. When someone has only three reasons to live and one of them is prematurely yanked off the air you have to expect he’ll take it a little personal. (My two remaining reasons are none of your business but rest assure they’re just as shallow and one involves chocolate jimmies.)

“24” lured me back for a few seasons but the epic double standard of watching the same industry that uses three weekly “Law & Order” primetime hours to demonize Christians subsequently air a “Muslims Aren’t Bad Guys” PSA made my stomach hurt to the point to where I’ve been psychologically conditioned to no longer watch.  Everyone tells me television is where the best writing and acting is these days, at least compared to theatrical films (there’s a low bar), and that’s probably true. But God invented my DVD-purchasing addiction and Turner Classic Movies for a reason, right?

Which isn’t to say I never watch television. My “Sanford and Son” DVD collection is on regular rotation. As a matter of fact I’m watching “The Greatest American Hero” right now. On regular DVR rotation, though, is the growing list of documentary true-crime series that air constantly on, among others, the Bio, Tru, and Discovery channels.

My decade-long attraction/addiction to these programs has nothing to do with the grisly details involved in the various violent crimes (and I no longer need tips on how to plot, execute and get away with the perfect murder).  If your goal is to wallow in crime’s ugliness there’s a series called “I Survived” where victims go into great detail about their abuse at the hands of murderers and rapists. There’s also MSNBC’s awful off-hours “Lock Up” series. Both programs make you want to take a shower. Both are unwatchable. (more…)

I became a “Sopranos” fan about three or four years after the show first aired. I thought it was great. I went back to rent the first four seasons to catch up and thought they were great too. I would write reviews of each show for fun and follow certain blogs. One theme of the blogs was how the show “changed” and it was no longer as good. I did not understand what they were talking about. I figured they were over thinking the show.

Welcome to my first reaction to Season 3 of “Mad Men.” I was surprised they skipped seven or eight months in time. The opening flashback scene of Don Draper’s childhood was linked to Betty’s pregnancy, but seemed perfunctory. They have a big firing scene about the head of accounts who had never been on the show before. He must have been hired after “Duck Phillips” was fired. But this made no sense, because it means the Brits would have already approved it and been involved. Pete Campbell’s wife undergoes a personality transplant and is suddenly a power person. The usually sharp eyed Betty misses the meaning of the Stewardess’s pin her daughter finds, as Draper pretends it is a gift. (more…)

The movie business is not generally kind to women when they pass the age of 40, and Julia Roberts (now 41) is learning that lesson the hard way. The former Pretty Woman has returned to the big screen this weekend in Tony Gilroy’s Duplicity (Universal), and one prominent blogger wrote this headline:

Duplicity soft: Julia’s Comeback? Audiences Say Go Back

Julia Roberts and Clive Owen star in the fun, smart DUPLICITY, from writer/director Tony Gilroy

Roberts’ last starring role was in 2003’s Mona Lisa Smile ($63.8M domestic), and since then she has become a full-time Mom. Overall, she has 8 movies on her resume that have reached $100M in the US with her as a lead (I’m not including the Ocean’s Eleven franchise). Her most successful string of movies started in 1997 with My Best Friend’s Wedding ($127.1M cume) and ended with her Oscar winning performance in Erin Brockovich ($125.6M cume). During that span, she starred in 6 movies, generating an average of $115M in domestic box office.

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