Off the Map
Executive producers Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers (“Grey’s Anatomy,” “Private Practice”) and creator Jenna Bans (“Grey’s Anatomy”) bring you an uplifting medical drama that explores how far you have to go to truly heal.
Welcome to “la ciudad de las estrellas” (the city of stars), a tiny town in the South American jungle which has one understaffed, under-stocked medical clinic. That’s where idealistic young Dr. Lily Brenner just landed, along with fellow doctors Mina Minard and Manny Diaz. All of these young doctors are running away from personal demons, but they aren’t the only ones with emotional baggage. Take the legendary and enigmatic Ben Keeton, who was the youngest Chief of Surgery at UCLA. He walked away from it all to found the clinic. Together with his right-hand doctor, Otis Cole, he’ll teach these newcomers how to save lives in the most challenging environment they’ve ever worked in.
In this ensemble drama, five doctors who have lost their way will go to the ends of the earth to try to remember the reasons why they wanted to become doctors in the first place.
“Off the Map” stars Martin Henderson as Ben Keeton, Caroline Dhavernas as Lily Brenner, Enrique Murciano as Manny Diaz, Mamie Gummer as Mina Minard, Jason George as Otis Cole, Valerie Cruz as Zita (Zee) and Jose Julian as Charlie.
Wow. Really? I suspect Grey’s Anatomy viewers will be all giddy and so on, but I don’t see it. But, I don’t get Grey’s Anatomy either (and I did at first). Did I mention Desperate Housewives is coming back? Whatever.
The Whole Truth
This unique legal drama chronicles the way a case is built from the perspective of both the defense and prosecution. Showing each side equally keeps the audience guessing, shifting allegiances and opinions on guilt or innocence until the very final scene.
Kathryn Peale, the product of a New England background and a sheriff father, is the Deputy Bureau Chief in the New York State District Attorney’s office. Jimmy Brogan, born and raised in Hell’s Kitchen and a friend of Kathryn’s since their days at Yale Law School, is one of New York’s rising criminal attorney stars. Buoyed by their respective teams, these evenly matched lawyers — each with a strong streak of competitiveness, a fervent belief in their clients and an equally intense passion for the law go about creating two different stories from the same set of facts. As this up-close, behind-the-scenes look at the legal process mirrors the excitement of a championship match, it becomes evident that truth has nothing to do with innocence or guilt — at the end of every trial, the only thing that matters is what the jury believes.
“The Whole Truth” stars Rob Morrow (“Numb3rs”) as Jimmy Brogan, Joely Richardson (“Nip/Tuck”) as Kathryn Peale, Eamonn Walker (“Oz”) as Sr. ADA Terrence “Edge” Edgecomb, Sean Wing as Chad Griffin, Anthony Ruivivar as Alejo Salazar and Christine Adams as Lena Boudreaux.
This one may be hard to guess without a pilot as well, but my guess is, “Meh.” Somewhere in the vicinity of Raising the Bar, the idea of friends (or lovers) on opposite sides of the courtroom didn’t appeal to me much then, and doesn’t especially now either.
There’s something about trying to sell me on friendships that work despite attacking each other all day long that doesn’t sit right.
Better Together
Maddie and Ben have been dating for nine years. They know each other inside and out, a relationship marked by contentment and affection, seeing their commitment to one another as a “valid life choice,” something they proclaim often — and often loudly.
Maddie’s younger sister, Mia, has been dating Casey for seven weeks. With a shared c’est la vie attitude, Mia and Casey are smitten with each other, and thrilled to explore the oh-so-many things they don’t know about each other yet. But when they announce they’re getting married and having a baby, it’s news that throws Maddie for a loop.
Surprisingly, the girls’ parents, Vicky and Joel, couldn’t be more pleased. Married 35 years, they have recently adopted a carpe diem sort of philosophy, rather like Mia’s, maybe because they’re getting older and lost a good portion of their savings when the economy tanked. With three very different relationships tightly intertwined in one family, will it be free thinkers vs. over-thinkers, or will each couple begin to see things a little bit differently?
“Better Together” stars JoAnna Garcia as Mia, Jennifer Finnigan as Maddie, Josh Cooke as Ben, Jake Lacy as Casey, with Kurt Fuller as Joel and Debra Jo Rupp as Vicky.
I’m willing to get behind this one… for now. I like the theory, and I like giving a chance to mostly unknown, younger actors in a situation where that’s especially dangerous. You might have put at least two higher profiles in here, but it would have changed the dynamic. Theoretically, the show could be better for the move. I obviously don’t really know why, but I like the look of this one.
Happy Endings
Forget who gets to keep the ring – when a couple splits, the real question is, who gets to keep the friends? In this modern comedy, a couple’s break-up will complicate all of their friends’ lives and make everyone question their choices.
When life throws you for a curve, hold on tight to the people you love. Every circle of friends has someone who’s the gravitational center. For years, perfect couple Dave and Alex drew their friends in and held them together. Now that they’ve split, does this group have the stuff to stay together?
Or do Max, Brad, Jane and Penny have to choose sides? Suddenly every event is a negotiation… like, who gets to go on the annual ski trip? There are a lot of big questions to be answered, but this group has been together so long, somehow, little by little, they’ll figure out how to hold on, even though their center is split up.
It helps that Dave and Alex have agreed to stay friends. But there will definitely be other complications down the road – like Penny’s long-suppressed feelings for Dave. What is the waiting period for dating a friend’s ex? This show isn’t afraid to ask the embarrassing personal questions that inevitably arise in every long-term, close-knit group of friends.
“Happy Endings” stars Elisha Cuthbert (“24”) as Alex, Eliza Coupe as Jane, Zachary Knighton as Dave, Adam Pally as Max, Damon Wayans, Jr. as Brad and Casey Wilson as Penny.
I’m very scared for this one. While I just mentioned the potential appeal of letting a lot of younger, unknowns into a game to make what they will of it, this one feels more like something that needs a bit more to carry it. Actually, it feels a lot like a webseries that had a budget thrown at it.
I like the premise to a degree, and there may be something, but I don’t have the vague, instant attraction that makes Better Together oddly compelling to me.
(ABC/ADAM LARKEY)
(ABC/ADAM LARKEY)
Mr. Sunshine
Matthew Perry stars as Ben Donovan, the self-involved manager of a second-rate San Diego sports arena who begins to re-evaluate his life on his 40th birthday.
Working alongside him is his boss and arena owner, Crystal — attractive, powerful and highly erratic; Alice — the cute, tomboyish marketing director and Ben’s friend with benefits; Alonzo – a former basketball player, handsome and unbelievably happy; Ben’s assistant, Heather – pretty, sweet, but terrifying because she once lit a boyfriend on fire; Crystal’s son, Roman – sweet-faced, clueless and Ben’s newest employee; and a hapless operations crew whom Ben refers to collectively as the “Steves.”
“Mr. Sunshine” stars Matthew Perry (“Friends”) as Ben, Allison Janney (“The West Wing”) as Crystal, Andrea Anders as Alice, James Lesure as Alonzo, Nate Torrence as Roman and Portia Doubleday as Heather.
Uhh…
Well, the potential for comedy is there, I guess, and I’m a Matthew Perry fan, but this one looks odd.
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What are your thoughts on these?
*There is also a show called Secret Millionaire, but at this time I refuse to acknowledge its existence.
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- (ABC/CRAIG SJODIN)
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- (ABC/CRAIG SJODIN)
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- (ABC/ADAM LARKEY)
RU?
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About Marc Eastman
Marc Eastman is the owner and operator of Are You Screening? and has been writing film reviews for over a decade, and several branches of the internet's film review world have seen his name. His reviews have brought him personal praise from the director of a major motion picture, and have been used as required reading in a course at a major University. These priceless rewards, along with just bags of cash, keep him from straying from freelance writing. He is also a member of The Broadcast Film Critics Association and The Broadcast Television Journalists Association.
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