TV Fall Preview: Basic Cable & Premium

Basic cable and premium channels produce a lot of great shows.  Game of Thrones, anyone?  The Americans?  Better Call Saul?  They often dominate the awards shows. They don't have to produce as many episodes as broadcast TV does, and they have less censorship and can be expressive and explicit,.

One of the shows coming to HBO, a premium channel that often dominates the Emmys, is Camping, a comedy (mostly) starring Jenifer Garner (Alias)  and David Tennant (Doctor Who).  Garner plays a control freak, organizing a big camping trip for her family and friends, and finds that people and nature are not always easy to manage,.  It premieres October 14th and will be on Sundays at 10.

The Purge TV series started September 4th on USA Network, Yeah, I'm watching it.  At first, the idea seemed far-fetched to me.  How could we descend that far?  But after reading Margaret Atwood's book Payback, which focuses on debt and how it dominates us, both our politics and religion and prods us to consider sacrifices to balance things out ( animal sacrifices, Jesus sacrificing for our sins on the cross, doing good to atone for the bad, escape valves for human aggression), the concept seems a bit closer to reality for me.  There are also overtones that suggest the whole thing is a manipulation by the wealthy to keep the poor down and to thin the herd.  There are occasional Trumpian glimpses to it.

Sometimes the themes I am suggesting do not shine through.  The writing isn't always first-rate.  But it's still worth catching.  At least to me.

The Little Drummer Girl is a mini-series coming to  AMC November 19, Mondays at 9 PM.  It's based on the novel by the master of the espionage genre, John Le Carre.  It centers on a young Engish actress (played by Florence Pugh), who finds herself swept into the world of spies while on vacation in Greece.  I've read the book it's based on, and I'm very much looking forward to this adaption.

Jim Carrey is back, and Showtime's got him!  Kidding started on September 9th, Sundays at 10.  Jim Carey is children's TV host, Mr. Pickles, a figure as revered as Mister Rogers.  He, unfortunately, is coming off some bad experiences and finds his life and mental focus deteriorating.  So far, the writing has been great, and Jim Carrey has been both funny and serious, reflecting an intense, complex character.

Another Showtime series, Escape from Dannemora, starts Nov 18th, Sundays at 10 (I guess this is after Kidding is through).  It's based on a real-life escape conducted by two prisoners, aided by a female prison guard.  It's produced and directed by Ben Stiller and features some first-rate actors, including Benicio Del Toro, Paul Dano, and Patricia Arquette.


Yes, there are many more series coming, and a lot of returning favorites.  This list is just the five news I am most interested in.  Please mention in comments, hee or on Facebook/Twitter, any favorites of your own.