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VIEWERS VOICE TV SHOW

I said this numerous of times in my column, some of the best TV is on the cable networks.  I know many of my elder readers don’t have cable and they claim they’re not interested because of all the violence and sex that appears on cable. My answer to that is: you have a choice and a remote; you watch only what you want to watch. For many the reason also is a matter of money and that I can understand, it’s not cheap and that pretty much leaves them at the mercy of free TV.   

My favorite cable network is the Lifetime network which is considered the leader in women’s television and has been the number one cable television network in primetime for the last two years. On Sundays “The Division” (8:00-9:00 p.m., CST) starring Nancy McKean and “Strong Medicine” starring Patricia Richardson (9:00-10:00 p.m., CST) are two of my favorite drama series. Starting Saturday, August 2, 2003, Lifetime will add two more original drama series; “Wild Card” (8:00-9:00 p.m., CST) and “1-800-MISSING” (9:00-10:00 p.m., CST). Lifetime sent me the two press tapes to view and I thoroughly enjoyed both of them.

“Wild Card” is a high-spirited drama about a flamboyant young woman’s new life as a fraud investigator and guardian to her sister’s children. Joely Fisher from “Baby Bob” and “Ellen” stars as Zoe Busiek, a free-wheeling, larger-than-life personality whose sister’s sudden death in a car accident forces her to return home and take on the responsibilities of guardian to her nieces and nephew. Basically they are good kids but their father abandoned them a long time ago, and their mother’s tragic death hits the two older ones especially hard

Taylor played by Vikki Krinsky is the oldest of Zoë’s new family, a 16-year-old gal who truly believes teenagers know more about sex than adults. She uses being sneaky and a very defiant attitude to try and get her way which always manages to get her in trouble. On the other hand is 12-year-old Clifford played by Devin Drewitz who is just on the brink of puberty. His mother’s death has made him afraid of the future. He tries to hide his fear and has become emotionally withdrawn, making it hard for Zoe to connect with him. He is only confident when playing in sports and is very protective of his younger sister. Hannah played by Aislinn Paul, is an 8-year old has a trusting disposition and with the resilience of childhood, is the only one who has already accepted Zoe as her mother.

Zoe is someone who all too well remembers her own feelings as a misfit growing up and has a big streak of sympathy for teenage anxiety and resentment. She had never been a fan of commitment and left home and headed for Hollywood stardom. She was sidetracked in Las Vegas to join a chorus line. An injury ended her dancing career, and since then she held a succession of lackluster jobs. By a stroke of fate, she now has all the responsibilities she thought she never wanted. Becoming a parent represents a huge adjustment in her life. But whether or not she is mother material, she knows she is staying for keeps.

With a family to support, Zoe needs a job. She also questions the police accident report, which her sister, normally the most careful driver in the world, was at fault. She keeps on asking questions and digs into facts of what really happened. Eventually she convinces members of the special investigations unit, that the other driver involved in the accident has made a fraudulent claim. Zoe’s ingenuity and persistence payoff, so successfully that she lands a job on the SIU team.

This is a TV series I am strongly suggesting to watch; it’s a drama combined with humor, to make an evening of enjoyment and excellent viewing, even for men. Joely Fisher is a delight to watch. Bronson Picket is also in the show and you might remember him from “Any Day Now.” He played Joe Lozano, a lawyer of Cuban descent. Previously he was a cast member on the daytime serials “Another World” and “As the World Turns.”

Another series on Lifetime I have fallen in love with is “1-800-MISSING”; a compelling drama centering on an FBI agent who is reluctantly aided by her partner’s psychic abilities. Based on author Meg Cabot’s (“Princess Diaries”) novels, “1-800-WHERE-R-YOU.” This new one-hour original drama premieres Saturday, August 2 at 9:00-10:00 p.m. (CST) following “Wildcard,” making Saturday night a must night to watch.

“1-800-MISSING” is about two strong-willed women; who become a forceful investigation team. Gloria Rueben (“The Agency,” “ER”) returns to television as Brooke Haslett, an FBI agent who does whatever it takes to find the thousands of people who disappear every year, even if her methods prove unpopular with her superiors. Caterina Scorsone (“Once a Thief”) as Jess Martriani a recent college graduate who finds that her dreams reveal the locations of missing people. Brooke believes that hard work and perseverance are what solves cases, not visions. When she is forced to team up with Jess, their partnership is less than perfect. Despite their differences, both women share a passion for reuniting families as well as a fierce sense of what’s right.

Ensuing cases will soon test the limits of both Brooke and Jess’ skills. They will investigate such cases as a woman who boards a transatlantic flight and vanishes during the flight; a teenager who goes missing when her family stops at a gas station; the disappearance of a bride as she begins her walk down the aisle and the mysterious disappearance of a man under the government’s witness protection program.

These are two of the best new shows I’ve seen in awhile, but of course this is just my opinion. Yes I suppose these would be considered a women’s type of programming, only because they star women. If they starred men, I’m sure you would get men tuning in and loving the shows too. I have a male Viewers Voice board member who won’t watch Lifetime because it is considered a woman’s channel and that’s too bad because he’s missing some good television.     

My next few columns will focus on the movie “Mr. 3000” starring Bernie Mac, which is being filmed at Miller Park. Until then let your voice be hear.