As I mentioned last week, we are at the slow beginning of the fall TV premiere season; the following are my picks for new shows this week.
Sons of Anarchy (FX 10 PM Tuesday) Bikers, drugs, thugs and Charlie Hunnam, what more could we want? I enjoy this program for the excellent writing, and many talented actors. Hunnam in particular is a pleasure to watch, I have thought highly of him from Nicholas Nickleby straight through to Raleigh Becket in Pacific Rim; he is now slated to play Christian Grey in Fifty Shades of Grey, a movie I will never see. Never mind that, Sons of Anarchy is worth watching!
The X Factor (Fox 8 PM Wednesday & Thursday) Generally speaking I’m not a fan of this show, but I enjoy catching it now and then, mostly to see what kind of mean rhetoric will spew from the mouth of Simon Cowell. There are those who consider this to be the world’s current best talent show; watch for Simon, stay for the talent.
Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO Friday Check Listings) I love watching clips of old debate and discussion style talk shows on YouTube; hosts like William F. Buckley, Jr., Dick Cavett and others invited guests of both diverse opinion and talent for honest, intelligent, friendly and sometimes even heated debate. Bill Maher follows, successfully, the same format; though his audience generally seems liberal and unfriendly to conservative thinkers Maher does at least attempt a balance himself. If you, like me, are a fan of witty repartee and have a subscription to HBO, give this one a try.
Sunday Night Football (NBC 5:20 PM Sunday) When I was a little boy living just outside of Seattle my family would frequently drive past the King Dome as it was under construction; I have been a Seahawks fan as long as the team has existed. Jim Zorn, Steve Largent, and Curt Warner, all are heroes of mine. As a transplant to the bay area I have adopted the 49ers as a favorite team, I cheer for them and cheer hard except when they are playing the Seahawks; this week I will do the same, sorry. I am looking forward to some great action, both teams were tested in their season openers, and as division rivals I expect both teams to bring their best effort.
Don’t forget, Dexter and Breaking Bad are in their last couple of episodes and tense as ever, do not miss out! Finally, check back later in the week for a comprehensive list of next week’s premieres.
— John Morton
