Category: Television

DC Cupcakes are Half-Baked

Since this show is filmed near where I live, and because the bakery’s coconut cupcakes are so heavenly, that not a week goes by that I don’t crave one, I really wanted to like the show DC CUPCAKES on TLC.  Really.  I really did.  But…and here’s the but…as someone who generally views reality shows as robbers of jobs for writers of scripted shows, the show has to be stellar on all fronts to be impressive.  Unfortunately, DC CUPCAKES is not impressive.

The sisters who own a bakery in the trendy Georgetown section of DC LOVE baking, they LOVE each other, they LOVE their mother, they LOVE charities, they basically LOVE everything. Regrettably, the show can’t sustain on love alone primarily because the sisters really have no television presence. The interviews seem incredibly flat, as if they are reading from a cue card, and the “conflicts”, for instance having to fulfill a charity order at the very last minute, seem overly rehearsed and incredibly inauthentic.  Even the staged guy outside asking about the line. Really? That was absolutely necessary? Totally unreal. That’s it. There is little authenticity to this installment and in a reality market saturated with pastry shows  – the best still remains ACE OF CAKES on the Food Network (nobody comes close to the charm and individuality of Geof Manthorne who’s head to head with the show’s host Duff Goldman for most interesting) – the competition is fierce in its demands for a genuine, or at least appearing genuine, television personality.

But I still highly recommend the coconut cupcakes. Delicious.

True Blood – Supernatural Characters for Grownups

It seems if the Twilight vamps and werewolves are for the tweens, than the supernatural characters of TRUE BLOOD are definitely for adults. As a fan of Charlaine Harris’s books, I was interested in seeing her well-built world transition to the small screen. My interest was piqued further with Alan Ball’s (SIX FEET UNDER) immediate decision to change Tara from white to African-American.  I couldn’t wait to see what future seasons would bring.

The result well exceeds expectations.

TRUE BLOOD, now in its third season is off to a HOT start with a new cast of characters playing some furry and some extremely evil entities. These new additions are bringing a new level of conflict – something that is sadly missing from the tomes of Stephanie Meyer and unfortunately have not been addressed in the screen adaptations. This is what makes TRUE BLOOD the show to watch for grownups.    Although last season it hit a bump in pacing with the whole Maryanne arc (wonderfully played by  Michelle Forbes – I remember her well from STAR TREK NEXT GENERATION), the series explored and continues to explore real issues by brilliantly paralleling them to what’s going today – the most prevalent – vampire rights/gay rights.

Conflict in storytelling is what keeps the reader/participant/viewer interested and it is so difficult to achieve. But the writers and producers of TRUE BLOOD have managed to keep the world of Charlaine Harris and add a new layer of conflict that is not only interesting but believable. That is quite the feat when dealing with a supernatural world that was created in a totally different medium. It’s got to be believable for people to tune in again.

To quote LaFayette, “Are you feelin’ me? Are we clear?”

Deadliest Catch Is All Heart

The past few weeks I’ve caught Deadliest Catch fever. Watching the fisherman navigate through ice cold water to yield pots of crab is one thing, but to watch how the show has dealt with the sickness and eventual death of a prominent cast member has been something else.

I have to congratulate the writers, story editors and producers of Deadliest Catch in the delicate and poignant way they’ve portrayed the loss of Phil Harris, Captain of the Cornelia Marie.  It was not only great TV, but it was great storytelling. From the hospital scenes to the receipt of the news by the other ships to Phil’s sons publicly dealing with not only the demise of their father, but their own mortality, Deadliest Catch has been an affirming experience and a brilliant testament to how good television can actually be.