“Sons of Anarchy,” “Homeland,” “Tosh.0” and More Non-Broadcast Newsmakers of the 2014-15 TV Season So Far – Ed Martin

As noted in yesterdayamp8217s column it has been years since the opening weeks of a new television season truly amp8220belongedamp8221 to broadcast amp8211 but it seems that this year in particular the amp8220other guysamp8221 have been coming on especially strong with big news bold moves and some of the most exciting new shows of 2014Hereamp8217s a look at a few more broadcast buzzkillersamp8220Sons of Anarchyamp8221 Iamp8217ve lost count of the dead bodies so far this season on FXamp8217s ultraviolent biker soap The carnage is so omnipresent that it has lessened the sickening impact of the savage murder of Tara or so it would appear given the robust ratings amp8220Sonsamp8221 is currently enjoying Viewers are plainly more forgiving than critics on such matters Much of the allencompassing madness has everything to do with the malevolent machinations of motorcycle mama Gemma Teller Katey Sagal easily the most detestable character on television now that King Joffrey is rotting in his grave on HBOamp8217s amp8220Game of Thronesamp8221 Itamp8217s more than a little exasperating to watch every character on the canvas including her son Jax blindly accept everything the ferociously flawed Gemma says as unequivocal truth But there wouldnamp8217t be much of a story at this point if Jax and his buddies werenamp8217t so dangerously and at times laughably dim I canamp8217t imagine amp8220Sonsamp8221 coming to a satisfying conclusion in a few weeks in fact given everything that has happened Iamp8217m not sure that Jax murdering his monstrous mother will be enough of a payoff Still amp8220Sonsamp8221 is nothing if not consistently surprising so Iamp8217m there until the endamp8220Homelandamp8221 One show I donamp8217t think Iamp8217ll be staying with is Showtimeamp8217s amp8220Homelandamp8221 which began what is supposed to be its comeback year with a highly problematic twohour premiere that included a scene in which bipolar CIA operative Carrie Mathison dangerously freaked out if that is the correct term by the prospect of motherhood momentarily attempted to drown her new baby I donamp8217t know what to say except that the writers and producers of this show who are trying to rebuild it after its dreadful third season havenamp8217t done themselves any favors What were they thinking What should we be thinking More importantly why should we care The best thing about amp8220Homelandamp8221 right now is the story of Carrieamp8217s colleague Peter Quinn Rupert Friend and his struggle with PTSD which last Sunday had him beating the crap out of two slobs in a diner who thought it appropriate to make crude remarks about the plussized woman with whom Quinn was enjoying a meal Actually there was something very satisfying about that scene even if it was meant to be alarmingamp8220Kingdomamp8221 Aside from the antics of Justin Bieber I canamp8217t recall the last time a male performer generated so much instant publicity for a passion project as Nick Jonas did last week for the new DirecTV series amp8220Kingdomamp8221 and his upcoming solo album by stripping down and grabbing his junk He did this for a photo spread in the new issue of Flaunt magazine The pics went viral fast enough to reverse time the way Superman used to do by flying around the earth in the wrong direction I havenamp8217t seen amp8220Kingdomamp8221 pictured below but from what I gathered at DirecTVamp8217s presentation of it at the Summer Television Critics Association tour it looks to be quite unlike anything else on television these days Set in the world of MMA fighting this is as much a show about bodies as minds and emotions which makes the Jonas photos an oddly appropriate form of promotionamp8220Tosh0amp8221 Daniel Tosh tried something daringly different on his Comedy Central series this week For the first time ever the clips of viral videos and the original content produced by Tosh and his team were deliberately family friendly Thatamp8217s a laugh in itself given how popular this often very explicit show is with kids and as a family viewing experience amp8220Comedy Central has been forcing me to make this show dirty and gross for yearsamp8221 Tosh acknowledged during the atypical halfhour filmed before an audience of children and their parents rather than the usual crush of college kids It was surprisingly funny even if there was nothing in it that wouldnamp8217t be welcome on ABCamp8217s gentle amp8220Americaamp8217s Funniest Home Videosamp8221 Probably the edgiest thing in it was a sign outside the amp8220Tosh Orphanageamp8221 that offered amp8220Used Kidsamp8221 The young ones in the studio audience seemed to love what their host was doing and he really seemed to enjoy interacting with them Thatamp8217s all well and good but I wouldn39t want to see him do it againamp8220Peaky Blindersamp8221 With even less fanfare than that surrounding the quiet arrival of Starzamp8217 new comedy amp8220Survivoramp8217s Remorseamp8221 which debuted last weekend to much critical acclaim Netflix last week dropped the sixepisode first season of the sizzling British drama amp8220Peaky Blindersamp8221 Iamp8217m halfway through and totally hooked by a show that sounds like something we have seen a hundred times before and yet plays like something entirely new Itamp8217s a handsomely produced drama based on a reallife crime family in postWorld War I England Cillian Murphy is riveting as Tommy Shelby the head of the family but Helen McRory as ironstrong family matriarch Aunt Pol steals the show Youamp8217ll have to tune in to find out what the title refers to Hint It involves razor bladesamp8220Satisfactionamp8221 In a move that upset nobody USA Network last week cancelled its dark medical drama amp8220Rushamp8221 Meanwhile it renewed the wholly unique if somewhat flawed amp8220Satisfactionamp8221 the adult drama about Neil and Grace Truman Matt Passmore and Stephanie Szostak an upscale and rather boring married couple struggling with individual midlife crises that may or may not destroy their marriage amp8220Satisfactionamp8221 wasnamp8217t exactly a hit in its first season but letamp8217s give USA credit for trying and sticking with something so different Some advice for season two Spend less time on Neil and Graceamp8217s jobs and more on their involvement with sex worker Simon Blair Redford and manipulative madam Adriana Katherine LaNasa the power hungry woman who runs his escort service Theyamp8217re the best characters on the showEd Martin is the Editor of MediaBizBloggers He is also the television and video critic for MyersBizNet Follow him on Twitter at PlanetEd Check us out on Facebook at MediaBizBloggerscomFollow our Twitter updates at MediaBizBloggerThe opinions and points of view expressed in this commentary are exclusively the views of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaBizBloggerscom management or associated bloggers MediaBizBloggers is an open thought leadership platform and readers may share their comments and opinions in response to all commentaries

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“Sons of Anarchy,” “Homeland,” “Tosh.0” and More Non-Broadcast Newsmakers of the 2014-15 TV Season So Far – Ed Martin

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