BuzzSugar

TV Preview: "The Tudors"

BuzzSugar — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 11:51:22 PDT

Showtime may be giving HBO a run for its money when it comes to cutting-edge programming. The premium cable channel has already proven itself with "The L Word" and "Weeds," and as HBO wonders what comes after "The Sopranos," Showtime is getting critical acclaim for its groundbreaking radio-to-TV series "This American Life."

Its next big buzz-maker could be "The Tudors," which premieres Sunday, April 1, at 10 P.M. EDT. If you can't wait, or if you don't have Showtime, you can watch episodes one and two online now. For more on the show and to see a trailer,

read more Tackling one of the most sordid and fascinating historical sagas in, well, history, "The Tudors" stars Jonathan Rhys Meyers as a young King Henry VIII, right around the time of that whole schism with the Catholic Church thing. I'm not sure how I feel about Meyers, but from what I can tell so far, he plays Henry with an appropriate mix of gravitas and lust. The show also features a great supporting cast, with the always satisfying Jeremy Northam and some talents who haven't surfaced much lately, including Gabrielle Anwar as Princess Margaret and Sam Neill, who plays Cardinal Wolsey. Though I'm normally a sucker for historical entertainment, I just watched the first episode, and it seems a little flat, with the dialog alternating between listless and totally over the top. However, it's also chock full of ego and sex, and the real-life story certainly isn't lacking drama, so I can see myself getting into it. Watch the trailer below and tell me what you think. Source

J.J. Abrams Talks About Going to a New TV Island With Alcatraz

Shannon Vestal — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 16:40:26 PST

Lost alums J.J. Abrams and Jorge Garcia found themselves at TCA together again to promote the show they're collaborating on now: Alcatraz. Garcia stars with Sam Neill and Sarah Jones as a team of people trying to track down prisoners who disappeared from the famed prison over 50 years prior. Abrams and the actors talked about the genesis of the series, and the whole slate of mysterious characters.

Abrams talked about how he had been surprised to discover there had never been a TV series about Alcatraz when the show started taking shape. He also revealed that Garcia was the first person cast, and coincidentally, Garcia's girlfriend was writing a book about Alcatraz when Abrams brought it up to him. Abrams joked that Garcia simply said "Yeah, it's cool," when Abrams asked him if he wanted to be a part of the show. Garcia added, "If J.J. asks me to do anything, I say yes, and read second."
Neill lauded the creepy atmosphere of the island prison, saying that "just the name puts a shiver down my spine." It's the perfect place for a mystery series because "the charisma of that strange place has permeated the show." As for his character, an enigmatic government agent, Neill says "he does bad sh*t, but he does what's necessary."
Producers want to employ the rich mythology of The Rock, but Abrams lamented that the island's most famous prisoners, Al Capone and Machine Gun Kelly, were transferred far before the '60s, the time frame the series flashes back to. It's "definitely a bummer they weren't there to time travel" like the other inmates we'll meet, but Abrams noted that since they're already doing flashbacks, "who's to say we can't flash back further?"
Though it's a procedural, showrunner Jennifer Johnson said Alcatraz is a unique crime show because the team has to think outside of the box to catch the returned prisoners, who are from a different time and haven't aged. "These guys are ghosts," she said, with "no credit cards, friends, or family members." Additionally, they have all committed "tremendous, heinous crimes," and they "have the same venom and urgency that they did before."

Pilot Scoop: Alcatraz

Shannon Vestal — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 03:05:23 PST

We're at the onset of midseason's brand-new shows, and if you're feeling like you need some fresh TV to shake things up, there's probably a series for you in the new lineup. On the mystery side, Fox and executive producer J.J. Abrams (a showrunner with quite the sci-fi pedigree) are bringing Alcatraz to primetime. The drama, which kicks off Jan. 16, follows a team of people investigating the mysterious reappearance of prisoners from The Rock.

What it's about: Sarah Jones plays San Francisco homicide detective Rebecca Madsen as she tracks a murder suspect who was imprisoned on Alcatraz over 50 years ago. As she tries to determine how he has returned (and hasn't aged a day), she uncovers a shocking secret: Alcatraz never closed and transferred its prisoners, everyone just disappeared one night without a trace. Soon, she and a local expert on Alcatraz's history (Jorge Garcia) are recruited by a strange government agent (Sam Neill) to solve the mystery and capture each prisoner.

Where it works: The procedural-style show follows one prisoner from the past as he gets captured in the future, and the pilot's inaugural tale of an inmate out for revenge is enthralling. If every story is as interesting as his, Alcatraz will be must-see TV.

Where it doesn't: I found myself feeling more sympathy for the escaped prisoner in the pilot than I did toward most of the team tracking down the old inmates (except for Garcia, whom I have a soft spot for due to his Lost past). Jones and Neill come off a bit wooden in the premiere, so I hope their characters both become more compelling.

You might like this show if: You want a new mystery series with a bit of fascinating historical flair.

When it's on: Mondays at 8 p.m. on Fox.

See a preview and some pictures from Alcatraz after the jump.