TV shows | pinartarhan.com

The Practice starring Dylan McDermott, Lara Flynn Boyle, Kelli Williams & Steve Harris

Posted on May 10, 2011 Written by ripitup

The Practice starring Dylan McDermott, Lara Flynn Boyle, Kelli Williams & Steve Harris — The Practice Cast from left: Camryn Manheim, Steve Harris, Kelli Williams, Michael Williams, Lisa Gay Hamilton & Michael Badalucco. Image via kritikongkiko.files.wordpress.com

Bobby Donnell (Dylan McDermott) is a very sharp and passionate criminal defense lawyer who runs a small firm with other dedicated lawyers, and his old friend/assistant Rebecca (Lisa Gay Hamilton). The lawyers are Ellenor (Camryn Manheim), Eugene (Steve Harris) and Lindsay (Kelli Williams), with Lindsay being the youngest and newest member.
The firm struggles to survive as the gang takes on more and more criminal clients who can hardly pay the fees. But as Bobby puts out, they occasionally get to defend the innocent, or people who don’t deserve to be in jail. Bobby doesn’t always play by the rules, and his tactics aren’t always welcomed by his colleagues, but Bobby almost always wins his cases.
A couple of episodes later, Bobby’s friend Jimmy (Michael Badalucco) gets fired for loaning money he wasn’t supposed to, and he comes to work with the gang, although at first Bobby makes sure he stays in the trenches and help out with the research.
**

The Practice was created by David E. Kelly, the creator of Ally McBeal and Boston Legal. But unlike these two lighter and funnier lawyer shows, The Practice is darker, more intense and intentionally, not very funny. It’s not to say The Practice doesn’t have its highly entertaining moments or one-liners, but the main goal is never to make the audience laugh. It is meant to drive you in, care for the characters and their cases, wonder about how each trial will result and go over the mental dilemmas the characters currently face.

After all The Practice lawyers aren’t that happy about defending murderers, drug-dealers, hookers or other criminals, but it is how they pay the bills. But after a while, more high-profiled cases start coming in, and things get even more complicated.

The Practice is not perfect, but it is pretty solid. But of course you should know that I am big on courtroom dramas/thrillers. I love John Grisham books, and not only I watched the Practice, I also watched almost all the episodes of Ally McBeal and Boston Legal.

If you are big on the romantic aspects, don’t worry- even though Bobby Donnell isn’t a player who sleeps with a different girl every night, he gets his share of his complicated relationships. Especially since both the beautiful D.A. Helen (played by Lara Flynn Boyle, who joins the cast in the second season), and Bobby’s associate Lindsay have a thing for Bobby. To make matters worse, Helen and Lindsey are friends from law school and Lindsay isn’t that open about her feelings.

The Practice went on for 8 (1997-2004) seasons and is currently rated at 7.7 on IMDB.com. The show won 3 Golden Globes in 1999: Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series – Drama for Dylan McDermott, Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture for Camryn Manheim & for Best TV Series (Drama).

Fun notes:

– Ally McBeal’s Ally McBeal (Calista Flockhart) makes a guest appearance in this sister show of David E. Kelley’s, and Dylan McDermott’s Bobby makes a guest appearance on Ally McBeal.
– Boston Legal’s main character Alan Shore (James Spader) appears on this show Alan Shore, and his character leads to having a show called Boston Legal.

– Dylan McDermott’s then wife Shiva Rose guest-stars in an episode as the plaintiff on one of Jimmy’s cases.

Also on Dylan McDermott

Dark Blue TV Series

Dylan McDermott Trivia

Grounded for Life starring Donal Logue, Megyn Price, Kevin Corrigan & Lynsey Bartilson

Posted on May 5, 2011 Written by ripitup

Grounded for Life starring Donal Logue, Megyn Price, Kevin Corrigan & Bret Harrison. Image via divxm.com

Sean (Donal Logue) and Claudia (Megyn Price) Finnerty have been happily married for 14 years and they have 3 kids. The problem? They both need to deal with their not 2 young kids Jimmy (Griffin Frazen) and Henry (Jake Burbage), and their 14-year-old daughter Lilly (Lynsey Bartilson) who doesn’t always get along with them. They also have to handle Sean’s old-fashioned dad Walt (Richard Riehle) who thinks he knows best about everything, and Sean’s aimless brother Eddie (Kevin Corrigan) who hangs out at their place all the time.

The beauty of Grounded for Life is that Sean and Claudia are a really fun-loving, middle-class couple who are still pretty much in love. But because Claudia got pregnant at 18, they pretty much need to raise themselves as they raise their children, and they try to be as responsible as their rock n roll spirit lets them.

Examples of what makes Grounded for Life worth watching:

– When Lilly asks to go on a $500 school trip, they have to say no because they just don’t have the money. But when they suddenly inherit $1800, Sean spends it all on a great guitar, with Claudia’s full blessing.

– Uncle Eddie has to persuade Lilly that men don’t like sluts. Eddie loves sluts.

– Sean is OK with Claudia throwing a bachelorette party for her friend at their house- and he is even OK with them having invited a male stripper over.

– Claudia is abandoned by Lilly at a motel room broke, and Claudia needs to drive home in the hotel robe, and has to flash to “pay” for the tolls. Sean finds this hilarious.

– Going to a hundredth Ramones farewell concert is more important than Jimmy’s school projects…

The beauty of this show is that Sean and Claudia are very easy to identify with. They love their kids, but they hate growing up. They need to make sure Lilly doesn’t follow in Claudia’s footsteps, but it is really hard to convince her daughter that being a virgin is not bad.

Sean loves that his wife is still great looking, but Lilly hates that her mother is sexier than she is…Oh, then there are the little boys who love playing around in the house with their dad. And let’s not forget the nightmare nun/headmaster at the school the kids go to, as Sean hates the woman and he just wants to tell her to shove it…

Give it a try. They are the most fun, loving family around.

Fun notes:

– Both Donal Logue and Richard Riehle, who plays Donal’s father Walt, have appeared in the legal series The Practice starring Dylan McDermott.

Donal plays an annoying DA who doesn’t always play by the rules, and Richard Riehle guest-stars in one episode as a newspaper owner who likes to fire people because of their appearances.

Donal Logue’s The Practice appearances:

Season 2, Episode 2

Season 2, Episode 7

Season 2, Episode 25

Season 2, Episode 27

Season 3, Episode 16

Richard Riehle’s The Practice appearance: Season 2, Episode 6

– Bret Harrison, who plays the geeky boy next door neighbor Brad, plays in a couple of the sci-fi series V (2009).

– Kevin Corrigan, the whacky uncle, plays the wise Sam Weiss on the popular sci-fi/thriller/drama series Fringe in 7 episodes.

Dark Blue starring Dylan McDermott, Logan Marshall-Green, Nicki Aycox & Omari Hardwick

Posted on April 27, 2011 Written by ripitup

Dark Blue Cast - Nicki Aycox, Dylan McDermott, Logan Marshall-Green & Omari Hardwick — Dark Blue Cast (from left): Nicki Aycox, Dylan McDermott, Logan Marshall-Green & Omari Hardwick. Image via justpic.info.

Lt. Carter Shaw (Dylan McDermott) is running a team of cops that specialize in undercover missions. This team is made of the newly married Ty (Omari Hardwick)- who is often the voice of reason and the one with most doubts, the adrenalin-loving Dean (Logan Marshall-Green), and the rookie cop Jaimie (Nicki Aycox), who has a dark past, and has managed to fake a whole new resume- and her ability to lie so well is what made Carter hire her in the first place.

Dark Blue is a solid crime show where our cops always need to make the most dangerous, risky and often greyest choices, such as choosing not to interrupt a shooting because their cover might be blown, exposing decorated yet dirty cops, or trying to make a white gang the news drug lords of a neighborhood (because the current lord is much smarter and more dangerous).

They are sort of friends, but they are mostly people on a mission.

Jamie and Dean have a complicated relationship as they go from colleagues to bed buddies to colleagues again. Jaimie tries to have a normal relationship with her boyfriend, and Ty tries not to screw up his marriage. Dean had the most normal childhood, yet his teammates are often afraid that he might lose it and go dark side on them.

Carter once valued normalcy- he had a wife he loved, but we are assuming she was killed. Now he spends most of his time in the office, sleeps few hours and focuses on getting the job done. As Ty once puts it to Jamie, there is nothing Carter wouldn’t to watch their backs, and there’s nothing he wouldn’t do to get results. The problem is you can’t always tell which comes first.

But Carter is not exactly safe and sound in the office, as he provides back-up and surveillance to his undercover cop(s), and he himself often gets to pose as a criminal or victim.

Dark Blue is intriguing and fun. It’s exciting to watch a show where things aren’t black and white, where cops rob criminals or use them in their cases. If you like your show intense, this is the one for you.

8/10 from me. Currently 7.7. on IMDB.com.

Dark Blue only lasted 2 seasons (and has a total of 20 Episodes). But it is worth every minute invested in it.

Fun notes:

* Nicki Aycox guest-starred in the show Supernatural as Meg Masters for 5 episodes, and Sam and Dean Winchester quite a hard time.

*Dylan McDermott is used to playing intense, job-focused characters. He is best known for his role as Bobby Donnell in the crime series The Practice.

*In one episode, Ty’s wife refers to Carter as the Prince of Darkness.

*Carter reads F.B.I. as Federal Bureau of Intimidation. He is not a big fan.

Episodes Comedy Series starring Matt LeBlanc, Stephen Mangan & Tamsin Greig

Posted on March 24, 2011 Written by ripitup

Episodes TV Series poster: Stephen Mangan, Matt LeBlanc & Tamsin Greig — From left: Stephen Mangan, Matt LeBlanc & Tamsin Greig. Image via icelebz.com

Beverly (Tamsin Greig) and Sean Lincoln (Stephen Mangan) are a married couple who have co-written an award-wining British comedy. When they’re approached by Merc Lapidus (John Pankow), a famous American network producer, they are both surprised and flattered, though Sean is a lot more excited than Beverly.

The producer has made a very simple and alluring offer: they will come to Los Angeles, and write their show, in their own way, for the American audience. Beverly is reluctant to leave their home and country, but she can’t resist Sean and they fly to L.A. They are indeed staying at a luxurious house and welcomed by the producer’s assistant Carol (Kathleen Rose Perkins).

Unfortunately, Merc just might have exaggerated his excitement for their show, as well as his knowledge of it. They get more disappointed when their leading British actor can’t get the part. And they’re more than caught off-guard when the actor offered for the leading part of the older, fat and sophisticated headmaster is none other than Matt LeBlanc (played by Matt LeBlanc), a.k.a. Joey from Friends himself.

Beverly is more than ready to pack up and go, but Sean loves L.A. way too much to just give up. Much to Beverly’s annoyance, Matt ends up getting part and he starts changing the character and the show’s core.

Now their pleasantly plump headmaster is a hockey couch in Matt’s size, and the lesbian librarian might not be a lesbian anymore. Moreover, Sean ends up being good friends with Matt and their librarian is a very hot actress Morning (Mircea Monroe) who seems to be getting along too well with Sean. Will Beverly be able to take this? And more importantly, will the show’s pilot be picked up?

Episodes is a very amusing and hilarious comedy, co-created by David Crane, who co- created Friends. Episodes is a wonderful hybrid of American and British cultures, especially the stereotypes. Beverly and Sean are very typically British, but Sean is more open to new opportunities and friendships, despite the differences. Matt Le Blanc is truly funny as this over-sexed, self-centered version of himself who has good intentions but not necessarily the moral values.

I really hate Merc, but it is because precisely he is there for us to hate him. He is not to be trusted as a friend, as a producer, as a boss, as a husband or a lover. He cheats on his blind wife with his assistant Carol and doesn’t really give a damn about what other people’s careers.

Matt LeBlanc’s character is a really fun character, but his flaws are just too big to ignore. But his apparent lack of shame makes for wonderful dialogue.

There are only 7 episodes in the first season, which won’t come as a surprise for the viewers of British TV. Strongly recommended. Although beware, the show is not politically correct. And it doesn’t watch the language at all. Just so you know what to expect 😉

It may not make you laugh out loud every second, but there will be a lot of laughing, grinning, snorting and chuckling. Be warned.

Fun notes:

Matt LeBlanc doesn’t appear in the first episode at all.
It is fun to guess how much of Matt is fictional. In real life, he is also a divorced dad like his character. But instead of two boys on the show, he has one daughter. And we sure as hell hope the reason he got divorced isn’t because he slept with his wife’s best friend (as his character Matt did).
Kathleen Rose Perkins guest-stars on a couple of episodes of NCIS: Los Angeles.

Favorite Scenes:

Almost all the interactions between Matt and Sean.

Some Favorite Episodes Quotes: (quotes via seriesandtv.com)

Episode 4

– On Morning’s fake boobs – Sean is trying to make Beverly believe he prefers Beverly over Morning.

Sean: She´s so plastic. Those boobs… Yack
Beverly: Mmhhmm
Sean: I´m telling you. I like the real thing. Give me a woman who looks her age… five years younger than her… seven years younger…ten… you are a fetus
Beverly: Walk away Sean, just walk away

Episode 6

On dating people from the workplace

Morning: You don´t shit where you eat
Sean: How about toilets in restaurant

There will be more Episodes quotes on the way.

Another Sitcom to Love:

Coupling (UK)