Spartacus » Cybermage

This is a more normal week but still few genre shows Chuck, The Big Bang Theory and Caprica since I am not into Lost.

Sons of Tuscon premieres, Castle is back from hiatus. Season finales from Psych, White Collar and Numb3rs (Series finale?).

Sons of Tuscon 1.01 – Pilot (FOX) Series Premiere

This is a new comedy and I will wait until a few episodes to say anything. Unless it totally rocks my world.

Sunday 14

In the tradition of “Malcolm in the Middle” and “The Bernie Mac Show,” SONS OF TUCSON is a family comedy about three brothers who hire a charming, wayward schemer to stand in as their father when their real one goes to prison. What begins as a business relationship evolves into something more complex and compelling: a family unlike any we’ve ever seen.

The three brothers find their dad-for-hire, Ron Snuffkin (Tyler Labine, “Reaper”), at the local sporting good store. Ron will be forced to draw on a wide array of skills and a vast bag of tricks as he steps into the patriarch role to take care of the boys of the Gunderson family.

Robby Gunderson (Davis Cleveland, “How I Met Your Mother”), 8, is a loose cannon who doesn’t respond well to authority;

Gary Gunderson (Frank Dolce, “Doubt”), 11, is a bright and street-savvy leader who is every bit the con man his father is;

Brandon Gunderson (Troy Gentile, “Entourage”), 13, is a gentle free spirit who simply goes along for the ride.

Maggie Morales (Natalie Martinez, “Saints & Sinners”), Robby’s second-grade teacher and the object of Ron’s affection, might just be the only stable figure in the lives of this quirky quartet.

While SONS OF TUCSON is grounded in the day-to-day challenges of a single-parent home, nothing in the Gunderson household is quite what it seems. An ongoing chess match between Ron and the boys will keep both parties on their toes, as neither side can afford to give up too much power or independence.

Pilot: When the Gunderson boys Brandon, Gary and Robby hire Ron Snuffkin to pretend to be their father after their real father goes to prison, they find out that there’s more to their “fake” dad than meets the eye. Ron has to enroll them in school, convince Robby’s teacher to keep him in her class, sweet-talk the principal, locate mint-condition toy soldiers at his grandmother’s house and avoid a thug who wants his money.

House 6.05 – Private Lives (FOX) returns from hiatus

Monday 8th

House (Hugh Laurie) and the team take on the case of an avid blogger (guest star Laura Prepon, “That ‘70s Show”) admitted with sudden bruising and bleeding. From her hospital bed, the patient blogs about her symptoms, doctors and prospective diagnoses to her dedicated band of followers and solicits their advice on a course of treatment. Such openness leads the team to contemplate the value of privacy, especially after House and Wilson uncover secrets from one another’s past.

Gossip Girl 3.13 – The Hurt Locket (The CW) returning from hiatus

Monday 8th

Nate and Serena decide to explore the boundaries of their friendship. Blair suspects that Chuck is having problems forgetting about the woman (guest star Laura Harring) he saw at his father’s grave. Jenny agrees to accompany Damien (guest star Kevin Zegers) to a State Dinner but is unaware that he needs her help with a drug exchange. Vanessa and Dan attempt to move past the awkwardness of Dan’s confession of love. Rufus returns from a ski trip and tries his best to avoid Lily.

Castle 2.06 – The Mistress Always Spank Twice (ABC) returning from hiatus

Monday 8th

This is a show that keeps getting better and better and now its back with another saucy episode.

When a half-naked woman is found covered in caramel sauce and hanging by bondage cuffs in a public park, Castle and Beckett’s investigation takes them into New York’s underground world of sexual domination. Naturally the case serves as sexy fodder for their already charged relationship banter

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Spartacus is an attempt to remake 300 as a TV show with a significantly lower budget. It’s a speculation in sex and violence. All the outdoor scenes are filmed in front of a green screen very close to the actors, and it shows.

But a bit into the second hour it starts to work, mainly because of four people.

John Hannah who plays Batiatus, the owner of the gladiators school.

Lucy Lawless plays a wicked, wicked woman and I mean that in the best of ways. She got that glimmer in her eyes we remember and love from Xena. She plays Lucretia, Batiatus playful wife.

Peter Mensah plays Doctore, the whip-wielding harder-than-nails trainer of the Gladiator school.

I would say Newcomer Andy Whitfield, who plays Spartacus pulls parts of it off, even if I don’t get the real hero vibe. He gets better in the second hour.

Spartacus (Andy Whitfield) is a free man who crosses the wrong Roman army leader, is parted from his wife Sura (Erin Cummings) and condemned to die by the hand of gladiators. When he defeats all four of his foes, however, an ambitious owner of a ludus (gladiatorial school) purchases him in hopes of turning Spartacus into a successful and profitable fighter

One thing that annoyed me was the the blood splatter they overused to switch between scenes. The computer generated graphics is so and so, especially the circus view (from the air) was bad. The lack of budget shows there.

This show has a lot of nudity and sex if you like those things. I don’t know if you can say it’s tasteful, but I doubt the romans where. It fits in to the setting and is pretty explicit. It is refreshing that they portrait sexuality as equal opportunity both for men and women. Same sex relations is seen as totally natural. Guess there will be some that will take very public offence with this series, but I say, let them. Sex is fun even on TV.

The blood spatter is epic and stylized even if it never comes close to Kill Bill’s splatter feast. Fight scenes are fierce and realistic and not with too many slow motions and retakes, even if they overdo that in one or two scenes.

It is randy and violent, and I won’t feel too guilty when I watch it.

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Returning and New TV shows this week.

We will say good bye to Dollhouse on Friday this week. Edit: bumped to Friday 29th

Life UneXpected
(Monday 18th)

I loved Gilmore Girls so this looks promising.

From TV.com:
Nate Bazile is astonished to learn he has a daughter. Lux is shocked to learn her Mother is Cate Cassidy a star on the local radio show. Baze feels bad after he discovers Lux grew up in foster care. He takes Lux to meet her Mother. Then a judge grants temporary joint custody to Baze and Cate and try to give Lux a loving home that she has longed for

Spartacus
(Friday 22nd)

New 300-esque Series that promises plenty of graphic violence, nudity and sex. Already renewed for a 2nd season in 2011.

It will among others star Lucy Lawless, famous from Xena – Warrior princess, nudit is said to have forced Lawless to hit the gym. “I do have to work out,” she said. “Being naked on-screen is no fun.”

Survivors
(Friday 22nd)

New Series built on one with the same name from the 70s. I remember seeing it then. I am afraid I might spoil some fond memories if i watch this.

From TV.com:
Set in the present day, this BBC drama follows the survivors of a devastating virus which has killed most of the world’s population.

Caprica
(Friday 22nd)

From TV.com:
Set 58 years prior to the events of Battlestar Galactica (2003), this prequel will explore the lives of two families: the Graystones – include father Daniel, a computer genius, mother Amanda, a brilliant surgeon and their daughter, Zoe – and the Adamas. The two families are on opposing sides of the decision to create the Cylons: intelligent robots that will one day rebel and nearly annihilate the residents of Caprica.