Mad About 'Mad Men'

Welcome to Post No. 500!

It's kind of appropriate that we celebrate this milestone with a milestone of television — the debut of Season 2 of "Mad Men" (AMC, Sun., 10 p.m.) this weekend.

"Mad Men" took the TV world by storm last year as AMC's first original drama series. Created by former "Sopranos" writer Matt Weiner, it was a stylish look at the early 1960s, where sexism, prejudice and other vices reigned supreme. It provided star-making turns for most of its cast, including the likes of Jon Hamm (an Emmy nominee), January Jones, Christina Hendricks, Elisabeth Moss, Vincent Kartheiser and others.

The series follows the exploits of Don Draper (Hamm), a star in the world of advertising with the seemingly perfect home life. But underneath it all, Don's got a lot of problems. For one thing, he isn't really Don Draper; he took the real Draper's dog tags after getting wounded in Korea in order to get away from his miserable family. He also has a series of mistresses, a pig of a boss (Emmy nominee John Slattery, in the performance of his career) and a young rival desperately trying to steal his job (Kartheiser).

But "Mad Men" is more than Don's story. Each character, from the eager young secretary looking to further her career (Moss) to the quietly frustrated, loyal wife (Jones), it's a richly textured group of characters and subplots. "Mad Men" deftly mixes pathos and humor, and hopefully you caught up on Season 1 during AMC's marathon run last Sunday.

If you didn't, you won't be completely lost. Season 2 begins over a year after Season 1 ended, with the action moving up to 1962 and the height of Camelot in America. Considering Don's firm, Sterling Cooper, ran the Nixon campaign in 1960, that may not be a good thing.

"Mad Men" is likely the leading contender in the Emmys for Best Drama, and after its terrifically executed first season, it's easy to see why. Here's looking forward to more of the same in Season 2.

AROUND THE DIAL: Former Oscar nominee Harvey Keitel has been named the replacement for Colm Meaney on the US version of "Life on Mars." I had low expectations for this version of one of my favorite UK series, but Meaney was the one bright light for me. ... Erika Tamura (the princess on "Heroes") and Sean Patrick Thomas ("Save The Last Dance") are joining the cast of "Reaper" this season. ... "Smallville's" producers told TVGuide.com that, in addition to the appearances of Green Arrow, Black Canary and Aquaman this season, familiar DC characters such as Plastique and Maxima will also meet the future Man of Steel.

WEEKEND'S BEST BETS: One of the best-done cliffhangers I've ever seen takes place tonight on "Doctor Who" (Sci Fi, 9 p.m.), the first of the two-part season finale in which Earth disappears and it's up to the Doctor (David Tennant) and pretty much every other guest star the series has ever had to make sure it gets back. After you see the end of the episode, my advice is to avoid the internet for the next week. It's followed by a new "Stargate: Atlantis" at 10 p.m.

"Monk" (USA, 9 p.m.) has guest star David Strathairn as a chessmaster, followed by a new "Psych" at 10 p.m.

Worried that you missed "Swingtown" last night? Don't be - it's been moved to Fridays at 10 p.m.

Gone into "Lost" withdrawal? (Yeah, me too.) Anyway, a behind-the-scenes special about the series is airing tonight at 10 p.m. on G4.

On Saturday, "Robin Hood" (BBC America, 9 p.m.) begins part one of the two-part second season finale as Robin and the gang set off to the Holy Land in search of King Richard.

On Sunday, "Masterpiece: Mystery" (PBS, 9 p.m.) wraps things up with the series finale of "Foyle's War."

Mary (Mary McCormick) has a fling with a protectee on "In Plain Sight" (USA, 10 p.m.)

Finally, a new episode of the HBO miniseries "Generation Kill" (HBO, 9 p.m.) airs.

Emmy Contenders

In a rather unique move, the Emmys have released the list of the final 10 comedy and drama series up for top show honors. Each list will be pared to five in the coming weeks, with the finalists in all of the categories to be announced in July.

For your perousal:

Outstanding Comedy Series Finalists
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Entourage
Family Guy
Flight of the Conchords
The Office
Pushing Daisies
30 Rock (won last year)
Two and a Half Men
Ugly Betty
Weeds

Outstanding Drama Series Finalists
Boston Legal
Damages
Dexter
Friday Night Lights
Grey’s Anatomy
House
Lost
Mad Men
The Tudors
The Wire

First, the comedies. I'm glad to see "Pushing Daisies" made the list and disappointed "How I Met Your Mother" didn't. I suppose "Flight of the Conchords" shows some out-of-the-box thinking by the Academy, but "Two and a Half Men" clearly doesn't. It might be most telling that four of the 10 shows are aired on pay cable, while three of the 10 are hour-long shows and not traditional sitcoms.

I already listed who I wanted to make the finals last month, so check out the May blog posts for that. Of the list, I expect the finals to come down to "Curb," "Conchords," "The Office," "30 Rock" and "Ugly Betty," but with the Emmy voters, who knows what they are thinking?

As for the dramas, that they waste a slot on "Boston Legal" is both bitterly disappointing and not surprising. I fully expected some of my picks - which included "Battlestar Galactica" and "Supernatural" - not to make it, but I was hoping "Breaking Bad" might sneak in.

With "The Wire" airing its final season and seemingly taking the slot usually reserved for last year's winner, "The Sopranos," it will be interesting to see if the voters bring this much-praised but often-overlooked series to the big dance. Another thing to look for is how "Grey's Anatomy" fares after star (and last year's Best Supporting Actress winner) Katherine Heigl pulling out of this year's race, citing the quality of her storylines as a reason why. If "Grey's" doesn't make the cut in what is a pretty tough field, Heigl may get the brunt of the criticism.

As for the finalists, I expect it to go down to "Boston Legal" (unfortunately; God, these voters are idiots), "Damages," "Mad Men," "The Tudors" and "The Wire." That may not be the case, though, because that would mean only one network show would make the cut.

Anyway, keep an eye out in this space for when the finalists are announced.

WEEKEND'S BEST BETS: The second part of the two-part "Doctor Who" adventure, "Forest of the Dead" (Sci Fi, 9 p.m.) airs tonight after Sci Fi reruns the first part, "Silence in the Library" at 8 p.m. As good as the first part was, tonight's episode may be some of the best work ever done in the four seasons since the show was revived.

On Saturday, "Robin Hood" (BBC America, 9 p.m.) is new. Also, a reminder, the first-ever "Saturday Night Live" (NBC, 11:30 p.m.) starring the late George Carlin is being rerun this weekend.

On Sunday, "Masterpiece: Mystery" (PBS, 9 p.m.) continues with "Inspector Lewis." Also, there's a new "In Plain Sight" (USA, 10 p.m.)

Network Report Card '08, V: ABC

Oh, ABC, ABC, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways:

--The most imaginative slate of new shows from any network this year, including "Eli Stone," "Dirty, Sexy Money," and "Pushing Daisies."
--A schedule that satisfied people both critically and in the ratings, such as "Lost," "Desperate Housewives" and "Grey's Anatomy."
--Looking to poach the best of other networks, by grabbing "Scrubs" after NBC discarded it and nearly grabbing CBS' "Old Christine."

WHAT WAS GOOD: Just about everything. There wasn't a network that came up with more innovative stuff than ABC, ranging from the wonderful comedy/drama mix of "Eli Stone" to the perfection that was "Pushing Daisies." "Samantha Who?" was the network's most successful sitcom, both creatively and numbers-wise, in ages.

"Desperate Housewives" had a big rebound year thanks to the addition of Dana Delaney, and "Lost" hit on all cylinders, owning the public eye while everyone else was on strike. "Grey's" just finished out of the Top 10 at No. 11, and "Ugly Betty" turned in a very solid sophomore campaign.

On the reality front, ABC owned the No. 2 reality series with "Dancing With the Stars" and also got strong ratings contributions from "Extreme Makeover," "Oprah's Big Give" and "The Bachelor."

WHAT WAS BAD: ABC didn't hit on every cylinder. It also gave us the worst show of the year by far in "Big Shots." "Carpoolers" and "Cavemen" were duds that were more consistent with ABC's sitcom failures of the past. "Private Practice" failed to live up to the show it was spun off from, "Grey's Anatomy."

"Miss/Guided" had a lot of potential, but ABC buried it on the schedule and won't bring it back.

ABC also announced it has renewed the likes of "Boston Legal" and "According to Jim" for another season.

OVERALL: ABC's hits far exceeded its misses. While it didn't have a break-out-of-the-pack commercial success like it did when "Grey's," "DH" and "Lost" all came out, the best of the new shows used a combination of critical praise and timing from the strike to earn renewals. ABC may be making a mistake by not re-airing some of those series to give new viewers a chance to catch them before the new fall season begins.

GRADE: A-. Had ABC spared us "Big Shots" and "Cavemen," they might have earned an A.

COMING NEXT: Mini-report cards for cable.

WEEKEND'S BEST BETS: Tonight's new "Doctor Who" (Sci Fi, 9 p.m.) is called "The Doctor's Daugter." Yes, we do meet the Doctor's daughter Jenny (Georgia Moffett), and her existence is explained in the first minute as the Doctor, Martha and Donna land in the midst of a massive war. Fun fact No. 1: Moffett is genuinely the Doctor's daughter - her dad is Peter Davison, the Fifth Doctor (and her mother is Sandra Dickinson, Trillian from the BBC's "Hitchhiker's Guide" miniseries from the 1980s.) Fun fact No. 2: Moffett originally auditioned for the role of Rose Tyler, which of course went to Billie Piper. Fun fact No. 3: Moffett is apparently dating series star David Tennant in real life, according to the UK press.

Also new is "Battlestar Galactica" (Sci Fi, 10 p.m.), which finds Vipers flying with Cylons, not against them.

The extremely popular "Meerkat Manor" (Animal Planet, 9 p.m.) kicks off a new season as well.

On Saturday, "Robin Hood" (BBC America, 9 p.m.) finds himself fighting the Black Knights. (Hopefully, they won't try biting his kneecaps off).

CBS presents a remake of "Sybil" (CBS, 8 p.m.), with Jessica Lange playing the shrink who has a patient with multiple personality disorder.

On Sunday, Spike airs the "Deliverance"-style movie, "Backwoods" (Spike, 9 p.m.) "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" (USA, 9 p.m.) kicks off its new season, followed by a new episode of "In Plain Sight" at 10 p.m.

Also kicking off its season is the popular drama "Army Wives" (Lifetime, 10 p.m.)

'Lost' Rocks! (Warning-Spoilers); New Summer Programming

WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS FROM THURSDAY'S "LOST" FINALE


SKIP DOWN TO THE ASTERISKS **** AT THE END FOR THE WEEKEND'S BEST BETS


SERIOUSLY, IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE FINALE, WHY ARE YOU READING THIS?


OK, YOU WERE WARNED!


One thing about those "Lost" finales is that they are never dull. As Michael Emerson alluded to in yesterday's posting, we did get major questions answered and the producers did give us plenty of possible new directions for the show.

HERE COME THE SPOILERS!!!

I had an inkling that Jeremy Bentham would turn out to be Locke. I mean, how many people in life do you meet that are named after famous British philosophers? (Bentham has always been a personal favorite). It's an interesting choice of names on many levels. The real John Locke gave us a philosophy of everyone starting life with a clean slate, which is what happened to the fictional Locke when he arrived on the island. Bentham espoused utilitarianism, when one tries to do the greatest good for the most people. That seems to be the fictional Locke's philosphy as he tries to protect the survivors in his own way.

The real Bentham also came up with the idea of the Panopticon, a prison in it which it would be possible to keep an eye on all the inmates at all times, but without the inmates knowing they were being watched. Sounds a bit like the stations on a certain island, doesn't it?

Of course, it begs the questions why everyone calls him Bentham after all that time of knowing him as Locke.

I give the producers major props for answering a lot of the questions on the minds of viewers. Why didn't anyone else get off the island? Who was the other man Sun blamed for Jin's death? (Actually, that one's a bit ambiguous, since she seems to finger Widmore while Jack thinks she blames him). How does one move an island?

Of course, even more questions have now popped up? How do Sawyer and Locke get back to the mainland in the future? What's the deal with Christian and Claire? What happened to all of the people on the zodiac? What's going to happen between The Others and the remaining survivors? What did Sawyer whisper to Kate?

It was hard not to get a little misty at the Desmond-Penny reunion, but the cloud of Ben Linus still hang over her head. It was also heart-breaking to see Jin's death, though Sun's transformation into a ruthless badass is cool.

Now the most depressing news to contemplate: We have to wait until January or February before it returns. AARRRGGGHHH!!!


******OK, NO MORE LOST TALK - YOU CAN LOOK NOW!*******


OK, don't look above the asterisks.

'SATC' OPENS: I hated, hated, HATED the series "Sex & The City" the few times I had the misfortune to watch it, but I can't deny the cultural phenomenon it gave us. Since I'd rather drink battery acid than pay $7 to go see the new movie in a theatre, I've asked Stephanie Hartley, the Cherry Blogger at macon.com, to post a review this weekend. She's a big fan of the series and knows a lot more than I ever could, so she can tell you if the movie passes muster.

WEEKEND'S BEST BETS: I had planned on devoting this space to a full review of some of the new summer fare, but it looks like I'll have to cut back a bit.

USA debuts the new summer series "In Plain Sight" Sunday night at 10 p.m. It stars Mary McCormick as a US Marshall who works with the Witness Protection Program. I've seen three episodes, and while it's not quite on par with "Burn Notice," it's well worth your time. McCormick manages to mix the right amount of wit and empathy, and it's an interesting look at how joining the program can completely uproot your life.

On Friday, "Doctor Who" (Sci Fi, 9 p.m.) wraps up its two-part episode as the Sontarans try to implement their plan. (Not good planning on the Sci Fi Channel's part to split up a two-parter with last weekend's holiday). It follows the season finale of the "Sarah Jane Adventures" and a new "Battlestar Galactica" at 10 p.m.

Viewers may also want to check out the Scripps-Howard Spelling Bee (ABC, 8 p.m.)

On Saturday, "Robin Hood" (BBC America, 9 p.m.) is brand-new.

On Sunday, "The Tudors" (Showtime, 9 p.m.) wraps up its second season. Not to spoil anything, but things aren't looking good for Anne Boleyn.