INEDIBLE TO INCREDIBLE: 10pm on TLC – this new show features the talented New Orleans-based chef John Besh – if you’re a TOP CHEF fan, you know who Besh is. Here’s the pitch from TLC PR: “Every day, across the country, people sit down for some homemade meals … that are simply horrible. From the over-seasoned to the undercooked, these dishes kill the appetite rather than satisfy it. But hope isn’t lost for the home cook when Chef John Besh arrives to rehab those recipes and transform the INEDIBLE TO INCREDIBLE in an all-new series premieringMonday, June 21 at 10/9C, only on TLC. John Besh is a New Orleans-based chef and owner of six acclaimed restaurants (August, Besh Steak, Luke, La Provence, American Sector, and Domenica), all of which celebrates the bounty and traditions of the region. His first cookbook, My New Orleans, recently won the International Association of Culinary Professional (IACP) award for Best American Cookbook, and the chef has won additional accolades, including a James Beard Award.
“I’m passionate about food and it’s a dream of mine to be able to help these cooks really connect with their favorite recipes and take them to the next level,” said Chef Besh. “The series is all about having fun and being confident in the kitchen, learning how to combine fresh ingredients and simple techniques, and loving the experience of sharing a great meal with friends.” Besh applies his thoughtful approach to cooking when he surprises an unsuspecting individual who has been nominated because their meals where making their friends and family miserable. From breaking the news that their cooking wasn’t cutting it to revealing the new creation, the chef helps guide them in a step-by-step overhaul of their kitchen skills.” Note: two half-hour episodes air back-to-back tonight.
TRUE BLOOD: I’m already nuts about Denis O’Hare as the Vampire King of Mississippi and his divine boyfriend Talbot. O’Hare brings a real elegance to the role and it’s always a pleasure to see him onscreen. I’m intrigued that the Vampire King is holding Bill captive for a specific purpose and he’s willing to use Sookie to get what he wants from Bill. I also love learning more about Eric’s seemingly endless history, this time about the part where he was a Nazi and was confronted by werewolves. What a life this guy has led! This has to be why he opened Fangtasia – he’s got a million bar stories to tell. And then there are the Eric/Sookie scenes that have ratcheted the show up to a new level that is almost impossible to endure because there’s such chemistry between them. I love how Eric is so protective of Sookie and constantly reminds her that she’s in danger and has to be especially careful around the werewolves. I’ll confess here that the Tara storyline doesn’t interest me much and I’ve tired of Lorena stalking Bill as well. I love the Bill/Sookie/Eric triangle although I have to compliment Anna Paquin on playing Sookie as so faithful to Bill that she’d never cheat on him, even with the irresistably sexy Eric. I’ll watch Lafayette do anything because he’s one of the funniest characters ever, and I love that they’ve cast Kevin Alejandro (SOUTHLAND) as the nurse to Lafayette’s crazy mother. The Sam story continues to move along as he discovered his brother Tommy is also a shapeshifter and the two enjoyed an evening run together – as dogs.
TRUE BLOOD continues to transport me for a solid hour every week to the point where I don’t think about anything else – or want to. Very few shows have that power over me. I don’t even use Twitter when I watch TRUE BLOOD and that’s saying something these days. More TRUE BLOOD good news: the show received the Season 4 pickup today but that was a no-brainer as the show is at a fever pitch now and clearly has lots of story fuel to burn.
LEVERAGE: The 2 hour season opener is on my DVR as I wound up being out for part of the evening and I like to give the show my full attention.
TREME SEASON FINALE: I wound up watching all of TREME and while I admired the storytelling, it meandered quite a bit and I felt like I was drifting in and out of consciousness when I watched, and that had to be one of the intended effects. There was a mix of sorrow and sweetness to the finale that was perfectly appropriate given the subject matter. I came away with even more respect for Khandi Alexander after watching the funeral scene with her flashback to Hurricane Katrina and then watching her slowly start to dance in the funeral parade. I was also glad that Steve Zahn’s Davis was toned down a little bit and I loved the entire sequence as he tried to convince his girl Janette to stay in New Orleans and abandon her plans to move to NYC by reminding her of all the wonderful things only New Orleans has to offer: fresh baked beignets, a beautiful ballad sung by a local singer and jazz clubs that are unique unto themselves. I still didn’t quite buy the resolve of Creighton’s demise but the fuel it gave Melissa Leo for her scenes in the finale was worth suspending my disbelief. Leo never fails to have a significant presence and impact in any role she does and she delivers every performance with great honesty and truth. You can never see or feel her acting. TREME has received an order for a second season and I’m curious to see where the story will go next.
SCOUNDRELS: I watched last night but didn’t think much of it. I didn’t bother with THE GATES. If you were watching HAPPY TOWN, you can watch the episodes online, not on the air as ABC has pulled the show off the schedule.
EARLY HEADS UP FOR TOMORROW, TUESDAY JUNE 22: HAWTHORNE returns for its season premiere at 9pm on TNT (look for more romance between Jada Pinkett Smith and Michael Vartan’s characters), followed by the premiere of MEMPHIS BEAT at 10pm: this is the new series starring Jason Lee as a guy who goes after the bad guys by day and sings the blues in Memphis clubs by night. I hope the show is better than that sentence. I have not seen the pilot episode.
Tonight’s rundown:
Note: The series finale for SAVING GRACE airs tonight at 9pm/8pm Central on TNT with a two-hour closer.
ABC: 8:00 p.m. The Bachelorette (two hours) 10:00 p.m. True Beauty
Ali the bonehead Bachelorette travels to Iceland with the remaining Bachelors. I’m definitely rooting for at least a couple of them to fall into some icy waters or off a beautiful green cliff. And I’m betting Ali will realize she needs to take out restraining orders for Wesley the wrestler and Kasey the tattooed stalker.
CBS: 8:00 p.m. How I Met Your Mother (R) 8:30 p.m. Rules of Engagement (R) 9:00 p.m. Two and a Half Men (R) 9:30 p.m. The Big Bang Theory (R) 10:00 p.m. CSI: Miami (R)
NBC: 8:00 p.m. Last Comic Standing (R) 9:00 p.m. Last Comic Standing 10:00 p.m. Persons Unknown
FOX: 8:00 p.m. Lie to Me 9:00 p.m. The Good Guys
On LIE TO ME: Lightman is called to testify in the trial of a beautiful widow accused of murder.
On THE GOOD GUYS: the guys investigate a string of poisonings.
THE CW: 8:00 p.m. One Tree Hill (R) 9:00 p.m. Gossip Girl (R)
ABC FAMILY: 8pm: Secret Life of the American Teenager, 9pm: Pretty Little Liars
TLC: 10pm: Inedible to Incredible (series premiere)
TNT: 9pm: Saving Grace series finale (2 hours)
That’s a wrap for now.
