Monday, March 21, 2011

US Television: Breakout Kings, Episode 1.3, "The Bag Man"

Breakout Kings
Season One, Episode Three, The Bag Man
Original Air Date:  March 20, 2011


Lloyd, Shea and Erica are called in when exceptionally dangerous prisoner Theodore 'T-Bag' Bagwell escapes from the Fox River State Penitentiary in Joliet, Illinois.  Using the theory he has escaped to see a woman, the team follow him and the trail of bodies he leaves through Illinois, Indiana and Ohio fearing Bagwell is headed to Canada.  However, in Ohio they make a shocking discovery about Bagwell's purpose for escaping prison and where he is truly headed.  Will they catch Bagwell before he can hurt anyone else and will Lloyd get the opportunity he has long-desired:  to be able to have a face-to-face conversation with Bagwell and analyze him or will Bagwell make his escape for good?

At Fox River State Penitentiary in Joliet, Illinois, a prisoner is forced to brush the teeth of Theodore 'T-Bag' Bagwell (Robert Knepper).  When the one doing the brushing spills water on Bagwell while giving him water to rinse his mouth, the man is ordered to draw the curtain to the cell then get the "hurt stick".  Before he can retrieve the stick, a guard opens the curtain and informs Bagwell his transfer has been approved.  Bagwell pulls the inside of his pants pocket out, looks to his young cellmate and tells him "let's take a walk, boy".  The young man grabs the pocket and leaves the cell with Bagwell and the guard.  Bagwell is frisked by the guards then moved through the gates for his transport.  He turns back to the young man and tells him to keep a candle burning for him with a wink.

Friday, March 18, 2011

AUS Television: City Homicide, No Greater Honour, Part Four "Tangled Web"

City Homicide
No Greater Honour, Part Four, Tangled Web
Original Air Date:  March 16, 2011


Dane Majors is released from prison with his fans and the media waiting on him at the gates.  Graham Proctor warns him as he's leaving that he won't get away with murdering his daughter.  Homicide officially re-opens the Tahnee Majors murder investigation.  Moments before Tim Padgett is killed by a car bomb in Alan Sullivans car, Sullivan gives Bernice information that was sent to the Tribune by Deep Throat, information which takes the case in a completely different direction.  Nick Buchanan becomes the next target in the case.

Both Dane Majors and Nick Buchanan awaken from their sleep with nightmares of the murder of Tahnee Majors (Saskaia Hampele).

Dane Majors walks out of prison a free man after his conviction was overturned.  He is met at the gates by the press, his supporters and even Nick Buchanan is standing with the crowd.  He challenges the authorities to bring on a re-trial because he will be found innocent because he is innocent.  Tahnee's father, Graham Proctor (Graeme Blundell) is there and calls Majors a liar, stating again that Dane killed his daughter.  Proctor warns Majors he won't get away with it.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

UK Television: CBBC's Young Dracula Returns for Third Series

The ScreenTerrier blog has posted a news story that the CBBC kids drama Young Dracula will be returning soon to UK televisions.  The series already has two very successful (and award winning, I might add) series under it's belt and will be returning for a third.  This news should make the adoring fan base of Young Dracula quite happy!

The first series ran in 2006 and consisted of fourteen episodes.  Series two aired in 2007-2008 and consisted of thirteen episodes.  It focused on the Dracula family.  Having been run out of Transylvania by a torch-wielding mob, the Dracula's have arrived in the fictional town of Stokely.  The vampiric family consists of Count Dracula and his two children, Ingrid and Vlad, and the Counts servant, Renfield.  Vlad wants nothing more than to be a normal boy.  He meets Robin Branaugh, who just happens to be fascinated with vampires, and the two quickly become best mates.  Young Dracula dealt with real issues facing children in a fantastical, yet down-to-earth and humorous manner.  The second series ended with a cliffhanger, something which annoyed fans of the show as they felt they would never find out what happened next.

Filming will begin in May on series three and, to date, the only confirmed returning actor from the original two series is Clare Thomas who played Vlad's older sister, Ingrid Dracula.  However, Craig Roberts (Robin Branaugh) has confirmed via his Twitter account that he will not be playing Robin when the series returns.  Just who and who doesn't return remains to be seen.  We should be seeing more information closer to May.  As a fan of Young Dracula, I am happy the show will be returning for a third series.  However, I am disappointed the awesome Craig Roberts will not be returning as Robin Branaugh.  I can't see any other actor being as good in that role as Craig.  Without him, Robin just won't be Robin.  Regardless, I'll still be tuning in for series three.

Young Dracula (Original Cast):
Gerran Howell, Vladimir Dracula
Keith Lee-Castle, Count Dracula
Clare Thomas, Ingrid Dracula
Simon Ludders, Renfield
Andy Bradshaw, the voice of Zoltan (Vlad's pet stuffed wolf)
Donna Grant, Magda Westenra
Craig Roberts, Robin Branaugh
Lucy Borja-Edwards, Chloe Branaugh
Terence Maynard, Mr. Van Helsing
Terry Haywood, Jonathan "Jonno" Van Helsing
Aneirin Hughes, Graham Branaugh
Beth Robert, Elizabeth Branaugh
Ben McGregor, Ian Branaugh
Luke Bridgeman, Paul Branaugh
Harry Ferrier, Will Clarke

AUS Television: City Homicide, No Greater Honour, Part Three: "If It Bleeds, It Leads"

City Homicide
No Greater Honour
, Part Three, If It Bleeds, It Leads
Original Air Date:  March 9, 2011


The investigation into Juliette Gardiner's murder begins and Nick is quickly cleared as a suspect.  A new reporter takes her place at the Tribune on the Dean Major's story and it's clear things aren't going to stop with her death.  They only get worse.  Evidence points even more strongly to Nick's old mentor and friend, Bruce Dalton.  Could Dalton have planted the evidence against Dane Majors and, if he did, what will be the fallout of that information becoming known?

The homicide team arrives to the Juliette Gardiner scene.  Matt takes control ordering more officers to search every floor and the entrances be sealed off.  Nick tells Matt he's wasting his time as the shooter took off.  Matt wants them to work with uniforms as there isn't anything they can do until crime scene and pathology arrive.  Rhys leaves to speak with security as Nick is telling Matt the direction from which the shots came.  Jennifer asks Nick if he's alright.  He's been better then offers her his gun saying it hasn't been fired.  She puts the gun in an evidence bag as he offers information about Juliette meeting someone he believed to be a man (he didn't sight him) and there were shots (he says "a bunch"; four) as they started to talk.  The first shot took her down, a car door slammed, he ran down the ramp and he saw no one.  He tells them he wants his hands swabbed for residue.  He informs Matt that Juliette was working on a story that could have implicated him in corruption.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

US Television, White Collar, Episode 2.16 "Under the Radar"

White Collar
Season Two, Episode Sixteen, Under the Radar
Original Air Date:  March 8, 2011


Sarah Ellis brings Neal and Peter the information about what Alder is searching for.  A sunken German U-boat off the New York coast, but no one knows why the boat is so important to Adler.  When Peter and Neal are abducted by Adler while the two men are tracing Alex Hunter's last known steps in New York City, they are given a dangerous task by Neal's nemesis.  What Adler wants Neal to do could lead them either to the greatest treasure in the world or to their deaths.

Peter and Neal are walking and Neal has his arms full of a large box full of evidence (Rolex knock-offs) and is none too happy about it.  When they arrive at the office, Neal finds Sarah Ellis standing next to his desk.  She has found something "big" in the ocean and Peter is going to get the team together in the conference room.  First, Sarah wants to speak to Neal alone.  Neal hands the box of watches off to Peter and Sarah tells him they shouldn't ignore the other night if they are to continue working together.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

US Television: Breakout Kings, Episode 1.1, "Pilot"

Breakout Kings
Season One, Episode One, Pilot
Original Air Date:  March 6, 2011


When August Tillman, an extremely dangerous and callous killer escapes from prison, U.S. Marshals Charlie Duchamp and Ray Zancanelli form an unlikely team to get Tillman back behind bars.  Using four convicted felons hand-chosen by Zancanelli, Charlie and Ray go on the hunt for Tillman before he can hurt anyone else and get away clean.  Will the new team work out or was it a doomed idea from the start?

August Tillman (Jason Cerbone) is counting as he suspends himself from the upper bunk in his prison cell.  When he reaches 230 he falls to the bottom bunk then makes note of the number on a tally sheet he's been keeping.  At his job in the prison shop making license plates, Tillman deliberately bends a plate and calls it as a defect.  He secrets it away with a stash of other purposely defective plates.  One month later, as he's taking out a trolley of garbage, he sees a woman, Amy Flynn, speaking with guards at the end of the prison alley where the dumpsters are located.  He grabs his bundle of license plates and takes off running toward the truck where the woman and guards are standing.  He unfolds the bundle of plates to reveal they are all attached.  As the truck is leaving the prison, a guard runs a mirror beneath it and we see Tillman under the truck supported by the license plates.  The guard doesn't notice him and allows the truck to leave the prison.  A little over four minutes later, the truck stops at a sign and Tillman makes his move, bashing the drivers window and beating the driver as the woman, the same woman talking with the guards at the prison, screams in the passenger seat.

Monday, March 7, 2011

UK Television: Law & Order: UK, Currently Airing New Episodes

New episodes of Law & Order:  UK have started!  As the shows have already aired in Canada, posts for each of the six episodes to finish up series two are already on the blog.

You can find each of the posts at the following links:

Help:  http://wiggspotpourri.blogspot.com/2011/02/uk-television-law-order-uk-episode-45.html

Denial:
http://wiggspotpourri.blogspot.com/2011/01/uk-television-law-order-uk-episode-42.html

I.D.: 
http://wiggspotpourri.blogspot.com/2010/12/uk-television-law-order-uk-episode-41.html

Shaken: 
http://wiggspotpourri.blogspot.com/2011/01/uk-television-law-order-uk-episode-43.html

Duty of Care: 
http://wiggspotpourri.blogspot.com/2011/02/uk-television-law-order-uk-episode-44.html

Skeletons: 
http://wiggspotpourri.blogspot.com/2011/02/uk-television-law-order-uk-episode-46.html

You can find every other post related to Law & Order:  UK either by clicking on the entry for the show in the "Categories" list on the left-hand side of the blog or by visiting the "Television Shows" page in the "Pages of Note" section on the left-hand side.

Friday, March 4, 2011

AUS Television: City Homicide, No Greater Honour, Part 2: Go Down Swinging

City Homicide
No Greater Honour, Part Two, Go Down Swinging
Original Air Date:  March 2, 2011


A man comes into Homicide about his missing wife and the case takes on a surprising twist when he identifies the Jane Doe in the morgue as the woman who was the lover of him and his wife from swingers parties they attended.  His wife is later found dead and the investigation leads the team into the swinger scene.  Were the women murdered because of their lifestyle choices or could there have been another motive and who had motive to kill them?  Meanwhile, Juliette Gardiner's continued digging into the Dane Majors case takes a deadly turn.

A distraught man, Drew Preston, comes into Homicide looking for his missing wife, Rebecca.  Stanley takes him aside to speak with him and is told that the man's wife disappeared three days ago.  He filed a missing persons report but he has a feeling something bad has happened.  Allie and Nick are at the morgue and the description the man gave matches a Jane Doe that was found the night before by the freeway.  Preston is brought into the room with Nick and Allie.  Allie takes him into the room with Ronnie and the body where he identifies the body not as his wife but as Sophie Mayne, a woman who was a lover to Preston and his wife.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Recommendation of the Month: Republic of Doyle

There are tons of things I watch that I don't blog about.  I thought I'd start a new monthly feature where I would recommend some of those things to you.  Some of the shows are currently airing and others aren't.  I won't recommend anything that doesn't currently air on television that isn't available on DVD or Blu-Ray (or both) because if you can't find it, you can't give it a try, right?

So, on or around the first day of each month you can expect one of these chatty (but not too chatty!) little posts about a television show I dearly love.  While keeping things as brief as possible, I'll try to introduce you to the characters and give you a bit of an idea as to what the show is about so you can decide whether or not it might become one of your favorites, too.

So, let's get going!

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

US Television, White Collar, Episode 2.15 "Power Play"

White Collar
Season Two, Episode Fifteen, Power Play
Original Air Date:  March 1, 2011


When Elizabeth learns from the assistant of her picky and powerful new client that he is involved in a scheme to cause blackouts in New York City she naturally tells Peter.  He agrees to meet with the assistant but, when he is held up, Neal impersonates Peter to secure her help.  Peter and Neal must trade places and become each other to take down the men responsible for millions in electric costs and the deaths of three people during the blackouts.  Meanwhile, Sara Ellis is back with news that furthers their investigation of Vincent Adler and who, or what, he is looking for.

Elizabeth is briefing her people on the specifics of an event they are catering when her ultra-picky client Andrew Stanzler (Richard Schiff) walks in to further clarify what he wants for the event.  His assistant, Brooke is clearly troubled.  She asks Elizabeth about her husband working for the FBI and tells her everything isn't alright.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Detroit, Michigan's Economic Woes Extend to the Canine World

The ever-increasing economic woes in the United States have everyone worried.  People are worried about losing their jobs, finding jobs if they already have, losing their homes and how they will pay their bills.  But, there are more victims of the economic downturn than just the people.

In many large cities across the United States, family pets have fallen victim to the financial crisis in the United States.  One of those cities is Detroit, Michigan.  Detroit is suffering through extreme economic hardships and it is thought there are as many as 50,000 to 100,000 stray and homeless dogs in Detroit.  For whatever reason, the animals are now living on the streets and in abandoned houses and buildings fending for themselves.  With just 23 Animal Control officers in Detroit, the dogs far outnumber those who bear the responsibility of catching them and helping them find new homes.

One woman, a producer who has worked with Discovery Channel, Monica Martino, and some of her friends and colleagues have focused on Detroit and have started an organization, Detroit Dog Rescue to help the stray dogs find the loving homes they deserve.  Monica Martino developed a story idea for a program focusing on Detroit's stray dog issues.  She proposed the idea to the city of Detroit but they passed on it, which came as a big surprise to her.  Ms. Martino would like to work with the city of Detroit and even try to extend the rescue efforts nationally to assist other cities such as Cleveland and Los Angeles with the growing problem of dogs displaced by the hard times facing the United States.

Below is video of an interview Ms. Martino gave to NBC's Today Show about the problem facing Detroit and her wishes for Detroit Dog Rescue.  Hopefully, Ms. Martino's efforts will succeed and the canine friends in the United States will get the help they so desperately need.