Saying Goodbye to The Closer and Hello to Major Crimes

The Closer will always have a place in my heart as the first television show that sent me a present along with its screener when it sent me a package of cookies for my enjoyment. After seven years and over a hundred episodes, The Closer is closing up shop. Because of the nature of a series finale, it is hard to talk much about it without giving too much away, but I can say there is a familiar face that returns tonight and there is a very shocking scene that happens in an elevator. With so many television shows that get their finales wrong, I cannot see too many people complaining with how the show ends.

For those that do not want The Closer to end, you are in luck because airing right afterwards is the spin-off Major Crimes. And really it is a spin-off in name only because is the exact same show as The Closer right down to the same way it presents its credits and about eighty percent of the cast. Of course the biggest change is Mary McDonnell is the defacto lead with the departure of Kyra Sedgwick. The problem with that is the cold Sharon Raydor was a good foil for Brenda Leigh Johnson, but it does not make much for a lead character.

There is a slight philosophy change for Los Angeles Police Department, without its closer around anymore the department is not looking for more deals that keep cases from going to court than right out confessions. There is also some fresh blood in the cast, Kearran Giovanni (One Life to Live) is a recent promotion who butts head with her older, more tenured coworkers. Also joining the cast is Graham Patrick Martin (The Bill Engvall Show) as a whiney kid that Raydor kid takes in who is involved with the finale case on The Closer.

With recent events, it is a little disconcerting that the first images of Major Crimes involves some guys with fully-automatic rifles sneaking into the backdoor of some business which ends with a shootout which the detectives have to investigate. Next week’s episode is a little lighter than (or as light as these types of shows get) with a victim that becomes known as “Hanging Chad”. And even though most of the cast returns for the spin-off, there is one character that utters the phrase, “Then I quit” sometime in the first two episodes. When it comes down to it, anyone who has enjoyed The Closer and is not a Kyra Sedgwick fanatic these past few years, should find some enjoyment in Major Crimes.

Major Crimes premieres tonight at 10:00 after the series finale of The Closer before moving to its regular time slot at 9:00 next week. You will be alble to download Major Crimes on iTunes.

Previewing Perception and The Closer

When I was growing up, cop show featured cops partnered with other cops. From to Sipowicz to John Kelly all the way up to Benson and Stabler (with an assist from Ice-T). But during the middle of last decade, all the cops started getting paired with civilian, some reasonably with scientists and others with the absurd be it psychics, novelist, or my personal favorite, a piemaker who could bring the dead back to life (R.I.P. Pushing Daisies). Even the dude from Awake had an imaginary partner (possibly two). It also seemed like most of these civilians fall somewhere on the Asperger Spectrum.

Eric McCormack (whose previous TNT series Trust Me lasted only one season) is the latest civilian consultant and though he has the very helpful profession of neuroscientist professor, but of all the consultants on the new breed of cop shows, McCormack is probably highest on the Asperger Spectrum, closer to Sheldon Cooper than anyone else, and really his best cast study for his class is his own. The cop in this equation is Rachael Leigh Cook (She's All That), an FBI agent who gets demoted back to Chicago for obsessing too much over cases. Sure recruiting the obsessive compulsive McCormick (she was a former student of his) as a consultant may not have the best idea considering why she got demote, but there would be no show had she not.

Along for the ride is Arjay Smith (The Journey of Allen Strange) as McCormack’s teaching assistant slash live in man servant. Yeah, it is a very weird relationship that I still cannot quite comprehend after watching a couple episodes. There is also Kelly Rowen (Cyberbully) as McCormack’s best friend and possible former girlfriend who have a very complicated relationship that is revealed at the end of the first episode (or earlier if you figured it out like I did when Kelly first appears on screen).

LaVar Burton (Reading Rainbow) also shows up in a recurring role as the Dean at McCormick’s university who hilariously gets involved in one of the cases later this season. Jonathan Scarfe (a name you will not recognize but whose face you will because he has been on almost every television show in the past two decades going all the way back to Robocop the Series; wait, there was a RoboCop television series?) is also recurring as Cook’s FBI partner who routinely butts head with McCormick eccentricities and always has a quick whip about them. Neal McDonough also show up for an episode as an evil executive (you expect him to play a do-gooder?) who ironically gets Marshall Protection.

Aside from McCormick being the most eccentric person ever to help out the fuzz Perception does not add much to the burgeoning genre. What is does have going for it is some really weird affliction like a human lie detector introduced in the premiere (surprisingly even though they have a human lie detector at their disposal they do not use him in the future episodes). Later in the season Sheryl Lee (Twin Peaks - Fire Walk with Me) pops up as a patient who came down as the same syndrome that Drew Barrymore had in 50 First Dates. Unfortunately for her, Adam Sandler is not the one trying to get to her, it is a raping murderer. Also expect a lot of anagrams (which are solved The Da Vinci Code style) and there is a whole episode dedicated to ciphers. Seriously. But hey, it is nice to have Rachael Leigh Cook back in our lives.

Perception airs Mondays at 10:00 on TNT.


Just as Perception gets started, The Closer is, well, coming to a close with its final six episodes. Naturally some familiar faces return like Brenda’s longtime nemesis Philip Stroh who returns tonight as the lawyer of a suspected rapist. Brenda’s parents also return as she gets her father new treatment for cancer in Los Angeles. And with the lawsuit out of the way, at some point in the final episodes we do learn who the leak within the department was. All this leading up to the series finale on August 13 which will be followed by the series premiere of its spin-off Major Crimes.

The Closer airs Mondays at 9:00 on TNT. You can also download The Closer on iTunes.

Previewing the Return of The Closer and Rizzoli and Isles

Next week The Closer reaches its 100’s episode, but before then number ninety-nine airs tonight at the show returns for the second half of its seventh season (before the series concludes next summer) and once again Brenda and Fritz will be going head to head on whose case it is when a principal ends up dead in the same fashion a TSA agent was killed a week earlier. Things get complicated when something interesting gets found while searching the home of the school’s football coach.

The Closer pulls out all the stops for its milestone episode next week. And by all the stops I mean Fred Willard. In a Santa suit. Drunk. And the victim is another Santa that is employed by his workshop who dies in a stunt gone wrong which just so happens to be caught on film by Buzz and his visiting sister Christine Wood (Perfect Couples) who helps solve the case while gaining the attention of all the guys on the force. The holiday theme will carry into episode 101 when Frances Sternhagen and Barry Corbin return as Brenda’s parents who come to town to celebrate the holiday.

The federal civil rights suit against Brenda will come up a few times over the five episodes that will air this winter with Mark Pellegrino and Curtis (Booger!) Armstrong reprising their roles as lawyers in the case. Also showing up in the next couple weeks include Mark Moses (Mad Men) and Elizabeth Perkins (Weeds) as the LAPD’s Police Commissioner and his wife while Jason George (Off the Map) will show up as a businessman. And did I mention a drunken Fred Willard as Santa? Oh yeah, and fighting elves.

The Closer airs Mondays at 9:00 on TNT. You can stream recent episodes on tnt.tv. You can also download The Closer on iTunes.




Following The Closer for the next five weeks as usual is Rizzoli and Isles as it closes out its sophomore season and they also have a special guest to roll out its return: Bill O’Reilly. The talking head is in town to cover the trial of a gangsta much to the chagrin of Rizzoli (and joy of her mother who loves his Irish eyes). Naturally O’Reilly does not have many nice things to say about the Force when the key witness in the case shows up dead (but come short of calling anyone a “pinhead”).

Rizzoli and Isles airs Mondays at 10:00 on TNT. You can stream recent episodes on tnt.tv. You can also download Rizzoli & Isles on iTunes.

Previewing Men of a Certain Age 2.x and The Closer

Men of a Certain Age is a good enough show, but as a man of a somewhat younger age, it can be painful to watch and see what my life could be in thirty years (alright, twenty). You laugh, and they you realize may be happening to me soon. When we left off last season Joe has quit gambling (I wonder if he would take the over or under on that lasting five episodes) and decided to try out for the Senior Tour. Owen quit his father’s dealership only for papa to promote him to manager. While Terry decided to take his professionally charming self to work under Owen.

The show returns tonight with a second season where all the boys are now adjusting to new directions their lives are taking them and their new responsibilities. Owen now has a car dealership to run while still under the shadow of his father. Terry has his first nine to five and it doesn’t help that one of his early commercial pops up on YouTube. And Joe is trying to channel his addition into gambling into training for golf while still juggling his store, his divorce, and his kids.


Preceding Men of a Certain Age is the return of The Closer which closes out its sixth season with five more episodes. Tonight’s installment features an ambush on one Brenda’s own which sends the team to figure out how a man behind bars orchestrated the attack. The remainder of the season will feature a seemingly minor robbery involving medical marijuana dispensaries and a race to find a missing woman who may be in the hands of a violent drug dealer. Then in the two part season finale an immigrant family’s blood feud turns deadly, putting everyone’s holiday plans on hold.


The Closer airs Mondays at 9:00 on TNT. You can stream recent episodes on TNT.tv. You can also download The Closer on iTunes. Men of a Certain Age airs Mondays at 10:00 on TNT. You can stream recent episodes on TNT.tv. You can also download Men of a Certain Age on iTunes.

57 Channels and Only This Is On vol. CXXXVIII

Quote of the Week: We don’t have any money. I’m in the 10th grade. It was my first time. I threw it away, and I don’t want to throw my life away. It’s just really obvious that my mom wants me to have this abortion because I was her mistake and she has just struggled and hurt and everyday she wanted better. And I knew better. I was just thinking forget about what she wants, what do I want? Maybe I could take care of this baby. And maybe I would be good at it and I could love it and be there for it. Then I think about how awful it would be if I had a baby and I spent the rest of my life resenting him or her. (Becky – Friday Night Lights)

Song of the Week: Percussion Gun – White Rabbits (Friday Night Lights)

Big News of the Week: LeBron Is Gone: As someone who has lived in Northeast Ohio all his life, the only sports championship I have witness in my lifetime was by the Cleveland Crunch (bonus points for anyone who can name the sport). So really came as not much as a surprise that LeBron would be “taking his talents to South Beach” (really, is the a more douchebagery way of saying you are leaving) but it still stung a lot coming from a guy who should know very well events like The Drive, The Fumble, The Shot, The Blown Save, and Art Modell. Things are so bad here in Cleveland, the past decade, we were not even good enough in anything to have a gut wrenching loss to name. Instead we get events like watching game one of the World Series where the starters of both teams were a year before, both Indians.

So I am totally with Dan Gilbert’s douchebagry letter and I hope he is right that the Cavs with a title before the Heat and that the Cleveland Curse will follow LeBron down to South Beach. And that highlights what may be the worst byproduct of this trade: if the Heat end up playing the Lakers in the finals next year like many predict, I will have to root for Kobe Bryant for the first time ever, and I even secretly hoped he didn’t win Olympic Gold a couple years back. On the funnier side of the trade, you can now buy a LeBron James Fathead for the deeply discounted price of $17.41 (cut from $99.99), which just happens to be the same year that Benedict Arnold was born. Also keep in mind Fathead is also owned by Dan Gilbert.

Persons Unknown: Another Lost parallel, they killed off the Token Hot Chick way too early (as in ever). Hurmph. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Persons Unknown on iTunes.

Rescue Me: Of course Tommy’s great idea to get his daughter off the sauce was to pour more down her throat until she didn’t want to drink anymore. I may have to try the overindulge approach whenever I need to hold my next intervention. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Rescue Me on iTunes.

Happy Town: The final two episodes popped up online this week (check out the Hulu link below) and all I have to say about it is that I really did not care for the reveal of The Magic Man (though I correctly guessed the gender). You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Happy Town on iTunes.

Friday Night Lights: It must have been heavy discussion with you parents week with Becky, Luke, Vince and Jess (you can also throw in Tim as Billy raised him) all had heart to hearts with their parents. And watching this episode reminds me of how Tami really needs more screen time with the students because those are what got her the much deserved Emmy nomination (congrats to Coach Taylor for finally landing one also). Big laugh of the week, though, goes to the Riggins brothers for their ill conceived plan to bury the car skeletons. And even though Tim asked him to quit, I have a feeling it will not be easy to get out from under Vince’s buddy (and how heartbreaking was him getting into the car was). You can stream recent episodes on Hulu.



Free Download of the Week: Rubicon Sneak Preview - Rubicon, Season 1 (iTunes): I am not as enamored with AMC’s critically adored series as most, so I have not checked out Rubicon yet. But if you want to check it out before it’s August 1 premiere (and didn’t catch the sneak peak after the Breaking Bad finale), you can do so for free.

Deal of the Week: TV Spotlight Deal: Save Up to 58% (The Dark Knight, Planet Earth, Watchmen)

Video of the Week: LeBron may be leaving Cleveland but John Mayer will be playing here soon as he proclaims in this almots funny video.

Announcement


Next Week Pick of the Week: The Closer, Monday at 9:00 on TNT: Click here for my Preview of the new season of The Closer, which will be followed tomorrow by new show Rizzoli and Isles which you can look out for a review tomorrow.

Previewing The Closer 6.x

Despite a major recession, Benda Leigh Johnson and her team are moving into a multi-million dollar headquarters on Monday, July 12 when The Closer returns for its sixth season. Yet no one seems too happy about it as they all have to learn how to use their new gizmos and try to find anything (with the exception of Will who may have very good reason to enjoy his new digs) . And the case of the week for the return episode just also happens to do with some remodeling when a contractor is found dead and the wife of his most recent client found in his bed.

Fans of Mary McDonnell will be happy to know Capt. Raydor show up in the second episode back and accompanies Brenda on a missing nanny case. Also be on the lookout for Lost’s Man in Black in the episode. And before you are quick to suspect the evil incarnate as the perp, another serial baddy, Joe McCoy (Friday Night Lights) also makes an appearance in the episode. But do not look to me to spoil the ending of the July 19 episode because TNT cut off the screener early and teased a “shocking ending” (I will say it doesn’t involve the case of the week because we do get that resolved in a heart stopping fashion).

The Closer airs Mondays at 9:00 on TNT. You can stream recent episodes at TNT.tv. You can also download The Closer on iTunes.

57 Channels and Only This Is On vol. CXI

Quote of the Week: Why didn’t you tell me you were tapping my homegirl? (Leonard’s Mom, The Big Bang Theory)

Song of the Week: Just a Friend – Biz Markie (as sung by Michael Wilbon, Pardon the Interruption)

Big News of the Week: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2010 Class Announced: The Stooges, Genesis, ABBA, Jimmy Cliff and The Hollies are all coming to Cleveland. Alrighty.

The Sing-Off: Let me start off with a little admission, I routinely spend hours at a time scouring YouTube watching acapella groups. So despite my hatred for the national karaoke contest on Fox, The Sing-Off has been thoroughly entertaining. Whereas the other singing show features mediocre singers singing bland karaoke tunes, the contestants of The Sing-Off create unique renditions of familiar songs, something that is serious missing from that other karaoke contest. Bonus points for having Ben Folds and one half of Boyz II Men as judges (but negative bonus points for one of The Pussycat Dolls). Here is my favorite performance to date.



You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download The Sing-Off on iTunes. Head over NBC.com to vote for the final three.

How I Met Your Mother: I pretty much had the same reaction as the kids when learning they all were smoking. That episode was really just uncalled for. At least we didn’t get one of those annoying anti-smoking ads they put with any movie where characters are smoking. You can stream recent episodes over at cbs.com. You can also download How I Met Your Mother on iTunes.

The Big Bang Theory: Sheldon finally gets some. I always thought it would be a drunken Penny that would lay one on him, but Leonard’s mom was definitely a funnier choise. Too bad Leonard wasn’t there to see it. You can download The Big Bang Theory on iTunes.

Survivor: Samoa: As the season keeps going, it gets more depressing that none of these people are smart enough to vote Russell out. And who is this kid that keeping winning the immunity necklace? Has he really been here all season? And I know I have complained about this before on how the woman look hotter without taking a bath for a month then they do on the jury, but Monica was the breaking point and now I am advocating the firing of the makeup lady on the show. She went from looking hot to a hooker, or even worse, a Tiger Woods mistress. This really needs to stop. Don’t go from no make up to caking on all that you can find. You can stream recent episodes over at cbs.com.



Free Download of the Week: Eight Days of Hanukkah - Orrin Hatch (Amazon MP3); yes that is Republican, Mormon Utah Senator Orin Hatch attached to an ode to the Jewish holiday and not some SNL parody. Thankfully Hatch doesn’t actually sing on the track. For all the liberal communist who refuse to download music from a conservative nut job, but still want some holiday cheer, I suggest heading over to iTunes where you can grab Must Be Santa by Bob Dylan for free.

Deal of the Week: I posted these deals last week and they are still going on, so if you were thinking about them then, this may be the last chance to grab these DVD’s at these prices.

Veronica Mars - The Complete Series ($62.49)
Friday Night Lights 1.x ($14.99)
Rome: The Complete Series [Blu-ray] ($83.99)
Chuck 1.x ($17.99)
Rescue Me 1.x ($20.99)
Deadwood: The Complete Series ($97.49)
The Big Bang Theory 1.x ($19.99)
Pushing Daisies 1.x ($19.99)
Dead Like Me: The Complete Collection ($42.99)
Dexter 3.x ($18.99)
How I Met Your Mother 1.x ($14.99)
Everwood 1.x & 2.x ($38.99)
Chuck 1.x [Blu-ray] ($29.99)
Pushing Daisies 1.x [Blu-ray] ($23.99)

Video of the Week: For those that need their holiday cheer in moving pictures, Hulu is currently show a bunch of ABC Family originals including Holiday in Handcuffs, Snow, Snowglobe, and Snow 2 below. For all the Scrooges out there that would rather watch some sci-fi fare, The extended Caprica pilot is also currently on Hulu.



Next Week Pick of the Week: The Closer, Monday at 9:00 on TNT: This week, Brenda is stuck on a case she really doesn’t want that manages plenty of twist and turns you most likely won’t see coming.

Previewing The Closer 5.x

With the wedding out of the way, the fifth season of The Closer starts up with no bells and whistles, just Brenda Leigh trying to figure out a family of four. Naturally the investigation quickly turns to the father who wasn’t around when the bodies of his wife, two kids and mother in law were found. Once tracked down, Brenda tries to worker her magic to solve the case. And an unexpected run in with the FBI complicates the case.

With a ring on her finger, it looks like there will be more change on the horizon for Brenda as Kyra Sedgwick says the theme of this season is change. And that seems to hit home in the first episode with someone close to her becoming gravely sick. Series creator James Duff adds to that change theme, “After four seasons of really getting to know these characters, the fifth season marks a great time to see how they react to major changes both inside and outside the squad room. We’re very excited about where we’re taking Brenda and her squad in the coming year. Check below for a preview clip:



The Closer airs Mondays at 9:00 on TNT and is directly followed by Raising the Bar at 10:00 (see my Preview here). You can stream recent episodes on TNT.tv. You can also download The Closer on iTunes or on Amazon Video on Demand (see below):

Press Release: Tuner Entertainment Networks Upfronts

All the news this week went to the major networks, but Tuner Entertainment Networks (TNT, TBS, TruTV) also held their upfronts earlier this week. Thier big news was that TBS was interested in picking up My Name Is Earl, a show they already syndicate. With their summer schedule set for a while (I will be talking more about those shows closer to their premieres), most of the shows in their pipeline won’t hit the air until 2010 at the earliest aside from the already announced Men of a Certain Age staring Ray Romano and Scott Bacula set to debut in December 2009 and Neighbors From Hell, an animated series coming in 2010. Here are the other programming and development plans in the works for the networks:

TNT

Scripted dramas

 UNTITLED ALIEN INVASION PROJECT – Six months after a worldwide alien invasion, a group of everyday heroes must rise up to fight for their survival – all while maintaining their humanity in the process. This project has been ordered to pilot and comes to TNT from DreamWorks Television and filmmaker Steven Spielberg, who will serve as executive producer along with DreamWorks Television heads Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank and screenwriter Robert Rodat. Rodat, who earned an Oscar® nomination for his screenplay for Saving Private Ryan, is writing the script for the pilot from an idea he co-conceived with Spielberg.

 CLASS ACTION (working title) – Steven Bochco, the mastermind behind many dramas, including TNT’s Raising the Bar, joins with Stephen Godchaux (Spin City) for this project, which follows a down-on-his-luck attorney as he fights for the disenfranchised.

 ZAPATA, TEXAS (working title) – The husband-and-wife team of Kyra Sedgwick (TNT’s The Closer) and Kevin Bacon co-conceived and will executive-produce this project, which is the story of a small Texas border town and its newly elected sheriff, “favorite son” Zeke. ZAPATA, TEXAS will follow Zeke as he navigates the equally treacherous waters of small-town politics and the volatile world of the U.S./Mexico border. Bacon is attached to direct the pilot.

 UNTITLED MATT WILLIAMS FAMILY DRAMA – Matt Williams, creator of Roseanne and co-creator of Home Improvement, takes a personal, passionate and ultimately heroic look at a loving, middle-American family that is keeping it together at a time when everything is trying to pull them apart.

 UNTITLED DANIEL PYNE NOIR DRAMA – Daniel Pyne’s many credits as a writer include The Manchurian Candidate (2004), Any Given Sunday and Pacific Heights. This project from Warner Horizon Television is set in 1954 Los Angeles, where a private detective tries to do the right thing as the ever-changing world makes it more difficult.

 PASTOR JAZZ – This drama focuses on a minister, his music and his passion for people’s hearts and souls, from the neediest to the wealthiest. Charles S. Dutton (The Express, Roc) is Pastor Jazz in this project, which is from Warner Horizon Television, Dutton, Mitchell Burgess (The Sopranos, Northern Exposure) and Robin Green (The Sopranos, Northern Exposure).

 MACALISTER – Henry Shepard is a washed-up-novelist-turned-professor who tries to inspire the boys of The Macalister School. F.J. Pratt (Less Than Perfect) and Dan Cohen (Less Than Perfect) look into the minds and mischief of students at an all-boys school in upstate New York, showing how one man can have an impact on children of wealth and privilege.

 PROOF – Dr. Geoffrey Pierce is an eccentric neuroscientist who uses his unique outlook to help the federal government solve complex cases. With an intimate knowledge of human behavior and a masterful understanding of the mind, this quirky, crime-solving doctor pulls lessons from an odd and imaginative view of the world. This project comes from ABC Studios, Kenneth Biller (Legend of the Seeker, Star Trek: Voyager) and Mike Sussman (Star Trek: Voyager)

unscripted dramas:

 THE MAYO CLINIC – When someone is ill and has been told nothing more can be done, there is one place to go – the renowned Mayo Clinic, where hope springs eternal. This project will chronicle the lives of Mayo doctors and their patients. Bill Guttentag (Nanking) and David Kanter (Rendition) are executive producers.

 TRIP OF A LIFETIME – Everyone has a dream or a wish unfulfilled. TRIP OF A LIFETIME will bring together extended, disconnected and deserving families. It could revolve around a lost family member, an unknown child, a missing brother or simply a returned keepsake. The project will be executive-produced by acclaimed author and travel expert Peter Greenberg and Rich Heller (Dallas: War of the Ewings)


TBS

 THE GAME OF LIFE – This half-hour sitcom follows four Pittsburgh friends as they reunite in their early 30s, only to discover life didn’t turn out quite as planned. THE GAME OF LIFE comes to TBS from Sony Pictures Television, executive-produced by Kevin James (The King of Queens, Paul Blart: Mall Cop), Rock Reuben (The King of Queens) and Jeff Sussman (The King of Queens, Paul Blart: Mall Cop).

 BIG TOW – This animated project from Sony Pictures Television, Tantamount and executive producer Clay Graham (The Drew Carey Show) will follow the life of J.D. Biggs, a small-town Tennessee single dad and local hero who runs a towing company.

 WEE HOURS – From Second City TV and executive producer Lowell Mate, this slice-of-life sketch comedy employs the talents of the legendary Second City comedy troupe to tell stories of Chicagoans during the wee hours of midnight to 6 a.m.


TruTV

 NFL FULL CONTACT (working title) – truTV and NFL Films will provide unprecedented, exclusive access to what really goes on behind the scenes in professional football, from draft day to the Super Bowl.

 CONSPIRACY THEORY WITH JESSE VENTURA – He’s undertaken some of the most dangerous missions in the world as a Navy SEAL. He’s body-slammed giants in the wrestling ring as a WWE superstar. He’s even conquered politics as the governor of Minnesota. Now, Jesse Ventura is about to face his greatest challenge yet: uncovering the most compelling, modern-day conspiracy theories. CONSPIRACY THEORY is produced by A. Smith & Co. Productions (Hell’s Kitchen, I Survived a Japanese Game Show, Kitchen Nightmares).

 U.S. SPECIAL OPS: DECLASSIFIED (working title) – From producer Tom DeSanto (X-Men, Transformers) and 44 Blue Productions comes a thrilling new series that unlocks the case files of America’s elite terrorist hunters. Through a mix of cutting-edge computer animation, action-packed recreations and hair-raising interviews with actual agents, this series will recount the shocking, formerly top-secret details of the people who keep us safe while we sleep.

 FULL THROTTLE – This four-part series, produced by A. Smith & Co. Productions, will provide an inside look at the world’s largest biker bar. Mike Ballard, beautiful bartenders and a full cast of characters race against the clock to serve huge crowds at Ballard’s Full Throttle Saloon in Sturgis, S.D., during the town’s famed, nine-day motorcycle rally. More than 300,000 people visit the Full Throttle Saloon during the annual event, where Ballard and his team feel the pressure to make a year’s salary in a short time window, all while providing patrons an experience they will not forget. The series marks the first time cameras have been allowed to capture every minute.

Previewing The Closer

By law I am not allowed to tell you Detective Sanchez’s fate or Brenda’s response to Fritz’s ultimatum on The Closer, but I am allowed to say (I think) that it won’t take long to find out the answer to either. Without the ability to talk about the personal aspect (aside from that someone besides Sanchez may also be making their way to the emergency room), the case of the week is really all I can speak of.

The fourth season closes with five straight episodes starting tomorrow (followed by the series of Trust Me, also check back tomorrow for more on that) with a whimper. Or at least that is what the crew thinks as they investigate a suicide that turns out to be more than they originally thought. And the fact that the case takes them to a church located in a roller rink which is incidentally considering Fritz’s ultimatum.

Other cases Brenda and the boys tackle over the next couple weeks include a death of an obese man who is left in the trunk of a car, a possible homicide that may have been revealed though text messages, and a murder at an escort agency. And on February 9th Lucky/Tim Foyle pops up as the subject in a murder case but it is his sleazy lawyer played by Billy Burke (Bobby’s brother on My Boys) that is causing all the problems for Brenda.

Also showing up sometime is Amy Sedaris (Strangers with Candy) as Fritz’s sister and resident physic who thinks she can help Brenda with one of her cases. The Closer airs Mondays at 9:00 on TNT. You can also download The Closer on iTunes or through Amazon Video on Demand (see below):

Previewing The Closer

For those that need a refresher to what happened to Brenda Leigh Johnson last season on The Closer get caught up with a rapid recap over at TNT.com. Not that you really need to know all the details of her life to jump into the show. The fourth season of the number one ad supported series in cable history is back tonight at 9:00 as show creator James Duff puts it, “We are going to examine the issue of power, especially how much power we really have over our own lives. We live with the illusion that we are in control of our lives. The season will start with Brenda tracking an arsonist while having a reporter follow her every move.”

The arsonist in question just happens to be pyromaniac Bill Croelick who first appeared back in season one who just so happens to show up in a crowd during a forest fire. That fire starts the epic start of the fourth season giving the opening almost a cinematic feel to it. The reporter on the other hand is not Brenda’s idea instead that was the brainchild of Assistant Police Chief Will Pope who would like to have a better relationship with The L.A. Times.

Since we are dealing with arson in the first episode, people with weak stomachs (i.e. me) may want to watch with the hands free so they can promptly put them in front of their eyes in certain scenes especially with the way they try to get fingerprints from charred remains. Brenda’s home life is still as frantic as work while here and fiancé Fritz Howard are stuck in an apartment with plumbing problems while they still look for a home to share the rest of their lives in.

The Closer airs Mondays at 9:00 on TNT starting tonight. You can download past episodes of The Closer on iTunes or on Amazon Unbox. If you want to see a sneak peak of season four, you can also find that at TNT.com.