Fantomworks, (Discovery, 10PM Monday) Full disclosure, I am a “car guy” and this program is great if you, like me, love cars; the cool thing is if you aren’t much of a car person this show is still pretty good. Fantomworks, unlike many programs of this ilk, is not full of invented drama or pranks or people screaming at each other. What it is full of is some very talented people practicing their craft at the highest level; how can that not be entertaining?

Broadchurch, (BBC America, 10PM Wednesday) This show was critically acclaimed in the U.K. and I think will be well liked here too; it is one of the best cop shows I have ever seen, if you are a fan of AMC’s The Killing then this show with its interesting locations, fascinating and complex characters and general darkness won’t disappoint. Catch up with the first two episodes on demand or streaming on Amazon and iTunes.

Wilfred, (FX, 10PM Thursday) Season three of this dark comedy is drawing to a close, and it seems like some answers are right around the corner. Why does Ryan (Elijah Wood) see Wilfred (Jason Gann) as a man in a dog suit when everyone else simply sees him as a dog? More importantly will Ryan finally get a grip on reality, stand up to his family and become his own man? If he does, will Ryan see Wilfred in a different light? I personally can’t wait to find out! One interesting item to note is Jason Gann has been playing Wilfred since the Australian version debuted in 2006; he owns this character and plays it with a combination of cruelty and comedy I have seldom witnessed on TV. Past episodes of this program are widely available for both streaming and download making it an excellent candidate for a weekend watching marathon.

Breaking Bad, (AMC, 9PM Sunday) We knew it had to end and Sunday brings us one episode closer; this last half season got off to a dramatic start which included Hank confirming that he had, indeed, stumbled across the elusive Heisenberg in the person of his brother-in-law Walter White. The most recent episode was tense with both Walt and Hank scrambling to protect themselves, their families and do what they think is right. Of course, DEA agent Hank has the moral high ground here, but if he turns Walt in he will end his own career. Episode 10 ended with Hank walking in to interview Jesse Pinkman who was arrested while attempting to dispose of his own ill-gotten gains in a most peculiar way. Jesse seems at the breaking point and I am betting he will make a full confession (off the record perhaps) to Hank. Tune in Sunday and find out.

2013 MTV Video Music Awards, (MTV, 9PM Sunday) Lady Gaga and many others are scheduled to perform; tune in to see insane outfits, outlandish behavior and as always, some superb performances by the top names in pop music. I love the unleashed, carnival atmosphere of this program so much I will likely DVR Breaking Bad so I can see this live, and I rarely watch anything live.

Orange Is The New Black, (Netflix, streaming) It’s still summer and we are in the last few weeks of calm before the rush of fall premieres, so if you are feeling like there is nothing on TV, and you have a Netflix streaming account I highly recommend taking a look at this program. This dramedy follows the story of Piper Chapman who smuggles drug money, one time, and winds up in federal prison. The acting is excellent, the character development (for both major and minor characters) is superb and not often accomplished to this degree in the first season of a series. The most important take away? We can, any of us, survive even the toughest circumstances if we apply creativity to problem solving and develop mental toughness.

That’s all for now, but check back later in the week for a look at True Blood Season Six.

– John Morton

 

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