Cable TV Shows: December 2006 Archives

Watched the first three episodes of FX's new show "Dirt" last night and I think it has some serious potential of becoming a guilty pleasure. The show debuts Jan. 2 and stars Courtney Cox as a ruthless tabloid editor who will stop at nothing to get a photo or a story. I loved Cox as wacky and endearing Monica Geller for all those years on "Friends" so it took some getting used to seeing her be such a bitch!
She fires people on the spot and expects everyone to not only work hard, but to get results. She must be having a blast. The relationship between Cox's Lucy Spiller, editor of "Drrt" magazine (that's not a typo!) and a schizo but tenecious photographer (played by Ian Hart) who she orders to do such things as crash a funeral to snap a picture of a dead movie star in her casket.
Lucy has a gay brother played by Will McCormack who kind of serves as her reality check. He is a successful interior designer to the stars and one of the homes he works on is that of handsome movie star Jack Dawson (played by Grant Show). If you want to be surprised about what happens in episode three, QUIT READING NOW. If not, here goes: Remember way back when Show was Jake on "Melrose Place," the show that wouldn't even allow a gay kiss between Jake's neighbor Matt and another guy? Well, times have changed - especially on cable! Show's character is married with kids and talks about them on TV interviews etc. But we learn that he is a big closet case when he not only gives McCormack a very sexy kiss (no dry lip-lock is this), he then sinks to his knees and well, I think you know what happens next!" (Show and McCormack are pictured, right, at the show's recent premiere party)
When I chatted with Show last month at the "Melrose Place" reunion party, he couldn't give me details about what was going to happen other than he was playing a closeted movie star. But he did tell me he would be doing some things on screen that he had never done before!
OK, now I know what he means!

Cox and her super cute husband, David Arquette, are co-exec producers of "Dirt" of which 13 hour-long episodes will air. Show is on for at least three of the episodes. I like having him around, i hope they write him into more.

Just got advance screeners of season four of "The L Word," which begins its new season on Jan. 7. I'm excited about the additions of Marlee Matlin and Cybill Shepherd to a cast that already includes Jennifer Beals and Pam Grier among others. Here is the new cast photo as an appetizer!

This definitely sounds like very exciting news: Premium gay television network here! TV has acquired worldwide rights to the award-winning television series "The DL Chronicles." The network plans to debut the first three episodes this spring and will be producing up to 9 additional episodes in 2007. The second installment of the cutting-edge series, "Robert," just screened at the 2006 Fusion Festival on December 3.  I saw "Robert" and if it was smokin! If the others from creators Quincy Le Near and Deondray Gossett are anything like it, I think you will be quite pleased.

"The DL Chronicles" tells the stories of men of color who by consequence and by choice, live sexually duplicitous and secret lifestyles. Narrated by aspiring journalist, Chadwick Williams, as he pursues research while authoring a book about MSM (Men who Sleep with Men) aka "The Down Low," a slang term sometimes used for African-American men who identify as being straight, but secretly engage in sexual activity with men.

"The stories of men who have sex with men of color are rich and varied and deserve to be explored," Le Near and Gossett said in a joint statement. (I hate joint statements. Think about it, did they actually mouth these words at the same time as someone wrote them down?)
Anyway, here is the rest of what "they" say: "We hope to tell these human stories with integrity and honesty and continue to creatively raise the bar and push the envelope for Queer entertainment. We are excited to have the opportunity to bring our stories to millions of desiring viewers across the US and abroad, and especially proud to be in the company of those who opened the doors before us."

Bring on the DL Chronicles!

I used to catch the CBS Sunday night drama "Cold Case" far more often in previous years and from the very beginning, the show has had the occasional gay storyline and have been recognized with a GLAAD Award for it. But judging from the emails I got this morning, last night's "Forever Blue" episode was a real winner. But I missed it! It seems that CBS treated this episode just like any other without any special promotion. This is a good thing overall. I'm just sorry I missed it.
Lilly Rush (Kathryn Morris) and her team re-open the 1968 murder of a local cop believed to have been killed in a drug bust gone bad. But Lily finds out that the dead cop Sean "Coop" Cooper(Shane Johnson) was romantically involved with his married partner Jimmy Bruno (played as a young man by Brian Hallisay and in the present day by Chad Everett).
One of my friends called this the "Brokeback Mountain" episode and it apparently included a passionate same-sex kiss. I love it! Coop had wanted Jimmy to move away and start a new life but he is murdered by two homophoibic cops who believed Coop was a queer cop disgracing the force.

AfterElton.com's blog Best. Gay. Day. Ever. writes: I think it’s a necessity for people to understand that gays and lesbians did–and do–get beaten and murdered just for being gay. (The show went out of its way to ask if things were really that much better for gay cops today.) Besides the aforementioned kiss, the show not only portrayed the two men as being deeply in love, but in fact being “the lucky ones� because they truly loved each other. The show also showed the horrible damage wrought by living in the closet. And despite Coop’s death it even managed to end on a happy note as Jimmy, now an old man (Chad Everett) went back to where he had last been with Coop and saw themselves walking away together holding hands. It was quite touching and something millions of Americans tuned in to see without knowing they were going to.

When I saw Marlee Matlin at the Ribbon of Hope Celebration last week, I was taken aback at what an absolutely beautiful woman she is! What a stunner! I gabbed with her about her new role on "The L Word" which will have its fourth-season premiere at the end of next month.
"I'm having a blast. I love playing a lesbian! I want to be a good one and I want to do it well and do it right. I don't know if I have a lot more to learn, I'm sure I do," she said through sign language, was quickly relayed to me by an interpreter.
Matlin, winner of the best actress Oscar for "Children of a Lesser God," will play Jodi Lerner, the love interest of Jennifer Beals' character.
"I have to say, I'm a better kisser than Jennifer is but you know what, I let her take the lead," Matlin joked. "But at the same time, I think that has to change. I have to take charge!"

Series creator Illene Chaiken told me "I certainly think it's the best season yet. The characters really do continue to grow and develop. We have some fabulous new characters. Marlee is the headline, Cybill Shepperd is joining us. The show still keeps us happy."