Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
Spawned from the Emmy Award-winning day-time drama “General Hospital,” “General Hospital: Night Shift” ran for one season in 2007 on the cable network SOAPnet. Taking some of the young, sexy favorites from the original soap opera and adding in a few new characters, the nighttime soap focuses on Robin Scorpio (Kimberly McCullough)–an HIV-positive physician who is impeccable at her job but troubled when it comes to love.
Relying on the tried-but-true odd-couple set up, “Perfect Strangers” focuses on the comical lives of Larry Appleton (Mark Linn-Baker) and Balki Bartokomous (Bronson Pinchot).
Equal parts “ER,” “Rescue Me,” and “Law & Order,” “Third Watch” received critical raves when it premiered in 1999 on NBC. All 22 episodes from that first season are included in this 6-disc box set, and the episodes (many of which reflect political issues of the time) stand up well. The third watch refers to the 3 to 11 p.m. shift of firefighters, police officers and paramedics who risk their lives to keep New Yorkers safe.
There are plenty of actresses who aren’t particularly good thespians, but they have a likable presence that makes them pleasant to watch on the screen. There is none of that here: Neither Nicole Richie or Paris Hilton are good enough actors to make the viewer believe that any of this is real.
Take a pair of bickering brothers, a precocious child, an ex-wife, and a meddling mother and you’ve got “Two and a Half Men.” In the sitcom’s sophomore year, which aired during the 2004-2005 television season, siblings Charlie (Charlie Sheen) and Alan (Jon Cryer) have their living situation somewhat under control.
Less asinine than “Jackass” and more “real” than “The Hills,” MTV’s reality series “Rob & Big” is an entertaining diversion that mixes friendship and a few crazy stunts into each episode.
The seventh season of “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” is as solid as any of the series’ previous years. The stories are strong, the actors share potent chemistry, and the characters are believable because they are flawed human beings. This year, “CSI” delves into the complicated romance between head investigator Gil Grissom (William Petersen) and his underling Sara Sidle (Jorga Fox). The two are reticent to let their colleagues in on their relationship, and the season finale offers a gasp-inducing prospect of their future together.
“I Love New York” is as trashy as the role Pollard plays. Unlike ABC’s “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette,” which at least goes through the motions of picking suitable contenders, VH1 has stacked the deck against New York (and, let’s face it, the men). Their nicknames (Token, Trendz, White Boy) are more interesting than they are.
Despite some outdated clothes and hairdos, “Wings” has a timeless quality that makes repeat viewings of the sitcom worthwhile. A comedy with heart, the show–which originally aired during the 1993-1994 season–is filled with humor, great acting, and a cast that shares genuine chemistry. At its core, “Wings” is about the relationship between the Hackett brothers.
A marriage, a murder, and a mole all play relevant roles in the fourth season of CSI: Miami. Easily the most stylistic show in the CSI franchise, the series stars David Caruso (NYPD Blue) as Horatio Caine, the lead investigator with the Miami Police Department. With his black clothing, Caine stands out in a sea of pastel-clad colleagues that include ballistics expert Calleigh Dusquene (Emily Procter), underwater recovery whiz Eric Delko (Adam Rodriguez), and medical examiner Alexx Woods (Khandi Alexander).