While watching television has never been high on my to-do list, I have found a couple of new shows I like. The main one is Detroit 1-8-7. It is a gritty cop show that follows the day-to-day activities of a top Detroit Homicide unit. To-date, four of the scheduled twelve episodes have aired. Critical reception has been mixed. I find it compelling enough to record each week.
The main complaint from the critics is that the show brings nothing new to the genre. While I would agree with that assessment somewhat, I don’t think it is entirely accurate. Few shows have managed to capture the reality of the streets of a city like Detroit. Memphis Beat certainly missed the mark. I’ve lived in the Memphis area and worked in Memphis and the show was a big disappointment. The less said about the realism of Miami Vice, the better. NYPD Blue had a similar gritty realism. However, it is difficult, and perhaps unfair, to compare a new show to arguably the best cop show of all time.
The critics may have complained about the lack of innovation on the show, but they haven’t complained about the acting or writing. Those are top-notch. The acting gets better each week as the cast has developed some chemistry. The writers have avoided pushing the lead character, Detective Finch, over the top, which could have easily happened after the first show. The crimes are fairly realistic and could have come straight from the pages of the Detroit newspapers.
The show is on Tuesdays at 10 PM on ABC. Take a look if you like cop shows or want to see a fairly realistic portrayal of the mean streets of Detroit. Just keep in mind that this is Detroit as seen through the eyes of a homicide squad. There are many other sides of Detroit that would make the city seem like a great place. There are some very nice restored neighborhoods and great restaurants and clubs. It’s not all gangbangers and drugs.
The only other new show I’ve seen of interest is Jim Belushi’s new lawyer show, The Defenders. I’ve only seen the first episode so far. I have two more on the DVR. I’ll get around to watching them evenually. The first episode was pretty good, although it will have to get better before I’ll be willing to spend an hour of my time watching it each week.
The one returning show I watch weekly is Modern Family. The show always leaves me in a more upbeat mood after watching it. Of course, that could be because I never tire of looking at the gorgeous Julie Bowen.
So what shows are you watching?
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