Thursday Movie Picks is hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves. The end of every month is dedicated to television, with this week’s theme being about the police on television. I watch generic cop shows (one case per week plus a bit of character drama) so my picks are of the generic cop show kind. Here are my picks this week.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine – It was already two seasons in before I jumped in the Brooklyn Nine-Nine wagon. This show is funny. It has a yearly themed episode (I don’t know the term for it, but an example is if Friends has Thanksgiving, they have Halloween). It boasts three strong female characters, the cast is well rounded, and they seem to have great rapport with each other.
Rizzoli and Isles – This has a detective and a medical examiner work together to solve cases. The characters are based on a series of books (the first episode taps the first book, if I remember correctly). I loved this series when this was on, although the latter seasons didn’t have the same quality it did when it first started out.
Castle – I had quit this show once because Beckett did an entire personality change when she got together with Castle (she was still tough but there were obvious changes to her personality and movements), but my need for continuity had prevailed so I stayed with this show until the end. This has a tough detective team up with a writer who was shadowing her as inspiration for his next book, and the rest was history.
I tried with Brooklyn Nine-Nine. I just can't. Maybe I'll try again, I dunno. Every now and again, Castle just somehow winds up on my TV even though I've never once actually tried to find it. It's awfully contrived, but not too bad overall. I've never heard of your other pick.
ReplyDeleteIt did take me some time to get into Brooklyn Nine-Nine but I'm glad I stuck through it.
DeleteIt was about 2 seasons before I started Brooklyn Nine-Nine too. I think it's not necessarily something one would love on the first episode. I binged it, after a few episodes, I was totally in.
DeleteI've heard a lot of good things about Brooklyn Nine-Nine, I just haven't given it a shot yet. I probably should. Otherwise I haven't seen any of your picks.
ReplyDeleteIt is a great show.
DeleteI miss Castle so much!! It was such a great show.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad it didn't get that last season though. It wouldn't be same without Beckett.
DeleteI'm an avid Brooklyn Nine Nine fan, every week rain or shine. It can be inventive and fun and certainly lets its characters freak fly. Andy Samberg is wise to not demand the spotlight be solely on himself since he's surrounded by such talented people.
ReplyDeleteCastle was hardly inventive but Nathan Fillion carried the show without breaking a sweat, he and Stana Katic shared a fine chemistry and I just loved Susan Sullivan as his colorful mother.
I've heard of Rizzoli and Isles and was often tempted to watch but just never picked up the habit.
This is a wide ranging theme this week so it's fun to see what everyone chose to be a fan or at least an admirer of. I've watched so many over the years I could have probably come up with dozens upon dozens but stuck with three favorites.
Life on Mars (2008)-In present day New York City detective Sam Tyler (Jason O’Mara) is pursuing a suspect when he’s struck by a car. When he awakens he finds himself in the same spot but it’s 1973! Already dressed in 70’s clothing he heads to his precinct where he’s mistaken for a transfer and put to work, now he has to figure out what happened while adjusting to his new surroundings and still chasing criminals alongside cops that have rougher methods than he’s use to. Intriguing series has a great cast, Harvey Keitel, Michael Imperioli and Gretchen Mol among others, terrific period detail and soundtrack but fell victim to poor scheduling which lead to its short duration.
Wiseguy (1987-1990)-Government agent Vinnie Terranova (Ken Wahl) is fresh out of jail where he was placed by the Organized Crime Bureau (OCB) to give him a criminal history to enable him to go deep undercover to break up big syndicates. Guided by his often exasperated but understanding boss Frank McPike (Jonathan Banks) and wheelchair bound remote liaison “Lifeguard” (Jim Byrnes) he sets out to crime bust while trying to keep his secret from his mother (Elsa Raven). Excellent series told its stories in multi episode half season arcs focusing on one set of characters. All were good but the initial season’s two arcs dealing with the empire led by Sonny Steelgrave (a commanding performance by Ray Sharkey) and the draconian deeply twisted Profitt siblings (two showpiece turns by Kevin Spacey and Joan Severance) are by far the best.
Dragnet (1951-1959/1967-1970)-“Dum...da.dum...dum-Ladies and Gentleman the story you are about to see is true, the names have been changed to protect the innocent….This is the city-Los Angeles, California…I work here, I’m a cop…my partner’s Frank Smith, my boss is Captain Glavas my name is Friday.”
So began every episode of this Jack Webb series which he created and in which he starred giving a performance of amazing stolidness handing out his standard catch phrase “Just the facts, mam”. Initially taking a documentary approach before switching to a more standard form of storytelling of solving crimes this is the granddaddy of police procedurals.
I should watch Brooklyn Nine Nine ...I have to just start taping it....it's a popular one this week. I never watched Rizzoli..never wanted to get into it but we match with Castle which is another popular one this week.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen any of these, maybe someday I will binge watch Castle.
ReplyDelete