HOT POTATOES!
Redcap (Thurs June 28, ABC – 12:25am)
Even in repeat this excellent hybrid of forensic murder series and military drama gets full military honours. It deals with the elite British taskforce known as the Special Investigation Squad, which basically solves serious crimes occurring within the ranks of the armed forces. Sergeant Jo McDonough (Tamzin Outhwaite) must battle not only illicit infantrymen and criminal corporals, but the innate sexism of the army’s ‘boy’s club’. Plus there’s at least one good man in this parade ground whenever McDonough’s partner, Sergeant Phillip Roper (James Thornton) comes onscreen – a hottie in a uniform never fails to get me standing to attention.
Jake in Progress (Fri June 29, Seven -11:30pm)
Those of you who can recall the infamous late eighties’ sitcom FULL HOUSE without a sudden volley of facial tics and a recurring desire to hunt down and practise taxidermy on the Olsen twins might recall the series’ breakout hunk, John Stamos, who played Uncle Jesse. Stamos married Mystique from the X-MEN movies and then seemed to vanish into the phantom zone. Well, he’s back now as titular publicist to the stars in this comedy/drama. nfortunately, his character’s idea of publicity is to offer personal sex-scandals to his more attractive clients. Billed as a gender-reversed, SEX AND THE CITY sausage-fest, the series is quite good. Beefcake fanciers will enjoy Stamos’ seeming contractual obligation to get shirtless every minute with a number in it.
TASTY TATIES!
Joan of Arcadia (Sun June 17, Nine – 1pm)
Interesting rip-off of the superior Canadian series WONDERFALLS (in which the lead character is assigned humanitarian tasks by talking inanimate objects), this series has the lead character assigned humanitarian tasks by God, whom appears each week in a different guise – a child, a homeless woman, a Televangelist (just kidding – they work for the team downstairs!)
Brothers and Sisters (Mon June 18, Seven – 9:30pm)
The year’s breakout gay hit gets better (and queerer), as each episode ups both the gay content via Kevin (Matthew Rhys), who finds the road to love with his closeted actor boyfriend (Jason Lewis) is paved with potholes; and the camp humour content, primarily via Sally Field as the mad-as-a-mongoose Norah. I like her – I really like her!
Prison Break: on the Run (Wed June 20, Seven – 9:30pm)
Like most other fans of the show, I am curious whether hunky star Wentworth Miller is planning on escaping from the closet in real life like he did prison on this show. But an even greater question is: why is Aussie ex-pat co-star Dominic Purcell’s neck twice the size of his head?!!
Lost (Thur June 21, Seven – 8:30pm)
It’s not just the 48 survivors of Flight Bizarro to the Evil Unknown Island of Mysterious Doom (no, not Tasmania) that are LOST anymore – season three has been steadily going down in quality with each passing episode, focusing less on the strange island and fate of the survivors and more on the bland love triangle between Jack, Kate and Sawyer. Although at least we found out that Ian Somerhalder’s character Boone, who was killed in Season 1, was gay after all. I love my dead gay Boone!
Moonlighting (Fri June 22, Seven – 11pm)
Ahh, repeat screenings of the hit comedy/romance from 1985, when Cybill Shepherd was more sane and less post-surgery scary than in recent L WORD appearances, and Bruce Willis was known for comedy movies and a fair amount of sex appeal, instead of dodgy action films and losing his wife to that kid from DUDE WHERE’S MY CAR?!
SOGGY CHIPS!
The Western Front (Sat June 23, Ten – 3:30pm)
I try to cut this ‘lighter look at the week in Footie’ some slack because it’s made right here in Perth and features lots of hot, muscular guys in tight shorts, but honestly, it’s so light on production design it’s really only one step up from an amateur dramatics society presentation of PETER PAN.
Great Comedy Classics (Sat June 23, Seven – 7:30pm)
Two hours of ‘classic comedy’ composed of ancient episodes of ARE YOU BEING SERVED? SOME MOTHER’S DO ‘AVE ‘EM and THE BENNY HILL SHOW. Okay, so they’re amusing, but this feels less like a ‘Comedy Classic Lineup’ and more of ‘The rights to these expired in the late Elizabethan age – let’s buy a whole barrowful for one shiny penny!’ Plus, memo to host Russell Gilbert: try watching the shows you present – you might pick up some tips on how to be funny.
SPUDS IN SPACE!
The Sideshow with Paul McDermott (Sat June 30, ABC -7:30pm)
Never has a show been as aptly named (except perhaps for Cliff Richard’s cameo in the vampire series THE ANCIENT), as this bizarre hybrid of game-show, amusement park and Barnum and Bailey freak-show. THE SIDESHOW does for dinner-time vaudeville-style entertainment what IRON CHEF does for cooking shows (i.e. makes you scratch your head and say ‘Hunh?!’). Basically a rejigged version of the 1980’s THE BIG GIG run through a gene splicer with GOOD NEWS WEEK, the old SUPERFRIENDS cartoon and a Cirque Du Soleil (if all the performers had rabies), this weird but fun romp is hosted by diminutive dreamboat Paul McDermott. McDermott is still as sexually ambidextrous as ever and still blessed with an amazing singing voice.
