Yeah, Leo's character was interesting. Note that in the first few eps of Homicide, she wore more makeup. The hair was still wild, but it was less tangled than in later shows. Leo is an attractive woman, but after the first half season or so, it's obvious the makeup is way toned down, and the character is way, way plainer looking. Loved her character. I thought Hoffman--who I remember from the sitcom "Dear John""--was a good character. I liked the way Yaphet Kotto's character was pissed when Hoffman was promoted over him, due to a need to promote women. (that youngish looking commander of his told him so). What a bitter irony: a black man who's had to fight and work hard and deal with racism is passed over for a white woman, and the the powers that be making the decision are in large part other black men! It's another reason I loved Homicide: no other show on TV at the time was so frank with real life problems, not even NYPD Blue. There was a show where Russert tries to set Al up with a date, and it doesn't go well, and he has to explain to her that some black people just don't like people who are as dark skinned as him. Again, real TV I frankly haven't seen before or since on broadcast TV.
As for the other women, I liked Michael Michelle's character, as well as Terry, the lighter-skinned sister who joined later. Good strong women, but at the same time, their addition--and that of a couple of the younger men such as Reed Diamond and the Italian dude--was a bit troubling. NBC started monkeying with the series, and felt there were too many old, out of shape, and unattractive people in the cast. Remember Crosetti, who commited suicide, or Ned Beatty? NBC felt the show lacked enough young hard bodies, and that's why so many of the good characters from early on left, and so many young actors were brought in. It's a testament to the power of the showrunners and the quality of the actors--all good despite their looks--that the show continued to be so incredibly good. But still, the network monkeying didn't help. As for that Asian lady who liked to sleep and make out in coffins? I couldn't get with that in any shape form or fashion. Anything approaching a love for the dead, coffins, graves, etc., is just too weird for this man. You could give me Kenya Moore, Gabrielle Union, Senaa Lathan, or Charisma Carpenter in string bikinis, and I'd avoid 'em all like the plague if they tried to get me to makeout in a coffin! ----- Original Message ----- From: "Kelwyn" <ravena...@yahoo.com> To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Tuesday, January 5, 2010 10:01:29 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: [scifinoir2] Re: Bakula, Braugher on TNT's "Men of a Certain Age" I second the emotion on Leo. Lots of folks, females especially, slept on that performance. Her character is unlike anything I have ever seen on television. I love the way she flaunts (the flowing mane of flaming red hair) and masks her femininity (wearing man-cut suits) at the same time while simultaneously giving the old boy's club as good as she gets. A totally different vibe from say, Isabella Hoffman's nurturing (and, IMHO, "hot") Capt. Russert or Michael Michele's Det. Michael Michele (last season of show). Leo's Det. Howard is good (perfect clearance record) and she knows it (she is not ashamed to own it) but she is still a little skittish and insecure beneath her bravado. I love her tough talk and swagger (real cute when the precinct videographer developed an unrequited crush on her). By the by, have you seen Lauren Tom's arc as Emma Zoole, the necromaniac nymphomaniac? The gorgeous Ms. Zoole (who sleeps and has sex in a coffin/bed) is like something out of a Joseph Wambaugh novel and totally discordant with the usual Homicide vibe. Not that anything is wrong with that! ~rave! --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com , Keith Johnson <keithbjohn...@...> wrote: > > > > I watch "Homicide" as much as possible. When unemployed last year, I turned > to it at noon on WGN to help distract me from my problems. (Odd, huh: a show > about homicides making me feel better?) I catch it on Centric now. Last night > was a good one focused on Melissa Leo's Kay Howard, who went home for some > peace and quiet, only to run into yet another murder. Great actress, she. She > was nominated for an Oscar last year for the indie film "Frozen River". > She's underused and underrated in my opinion. Did you know that years ago, > Leo beat out Julia Robert's for a role on a soap opera? > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Kelwyn" <ravena...@...> > To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com > Sent: Tuesday, January 5, 2010 7:25:27 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern > Subject: [scifinoir2] Re: Bakula, Braugher on TNT's "Men of a Certain Age" > >  > > > > > If you miss Frank Pembleton I recommend "Homicide: Life on the Street" reruns > on BET's CENTRIC channel. They recently broadcast Braugher's "stroke" > episodes. Great work by a great actor. > > ~rave! > > --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com , Augustus Augustus <jazzynupe_007@> wrote: > > > > Keith > > > > I am enjoying it too! I miss Frank Pembleton on TV, it's good 2 see him > > again. Although the brother has picked up some serious weight, ihe is > > still a very great actor. Bakula's character is a riot! > > > > --- On Mon, 1/4/10, Keith Johnson <KeithBJohnson@> wrote: > > > > From: Keith Johnson <KeithBJohnson@> > > Subject: [scifinoir2] Bakula, Braugher on TNT's "Men of a Certain Age" > > To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com > > Date: Monday, January 4, 2010, 10:11 PM > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >  > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Anyone watch the new TNT series "Men of a Certain Age"? It deals with the > > lives of three men dealing with being decidedly middle aged, and then some. > > Scott Bakula is a womanizing playboy who seems to have a different bed > > partner every night and seems to love his weed. Ray Romano's the guy > > separated from his wife, partially due ot his gambling addiction, who can't > > seem to get over here. And Andre Braugher's the family man who works at a > > job he hates--car salesman at his overbearing father's dealership-- in > > order to take care of his family. I've enjoyed the show so far. It's > > got lots of moments of humour, along with some more serious ones. It's not > > too heavy handed on the "i'm fast getting old" angle. I like all the > > actors, though it's really really weird to see Braugher be under anyone's > > thumb. I just can't see Frank Pembleton taking guff even from his old > > man... > >  > > ************ ********* ********* ********* ******** > > http://www.tnt. tv/series/ menofacertainage /about/?contentI d=52922 > >  > > ABOUT MEN OF A CERTAIN AGE > > > > John Lennon once wrote, â€Å"Life is what happens when you’re busy > > making other plans.� For three men entering the second act of their > > lives, those words are starting to hit home in TNT’s newest original > > series, MEN OF A CERTAIN AGE. This wry drama stars Emmy® winner Ray > > Romano (Everybody Loves Raymond), Golden Globe® winner Scott Bakula > > (Quantum Leap, Star Trek: Enterprise) and Emmy winner Andre Braugher > > (Homicide: Life on the Street, TNT’s Salem’s Lot). It marks a > > return to series television for Romano, who created MEN OF A CERTAIN AGE > > with Everybody Loves Raymond Emmy winner Mike Royce. The two serve as > > executive producers, along with Rory Rosegarten and Cary Hoffman. > > > > MEN OF A CERTAIN AGE explores the unique bonds of male friendship among > > three men experiencing the changes and challenges of mid-life. They have > > been best friends since college but now, in their 40s, are navigating > > through the second act of their lives. Joe (Romano) is a friendly, slightly > > neurotic, recently separated father of two who had dreams of being a > > professional golfer. Now he owns and runs a party store. Terry (Bakula) is > > a laid-back, handsome actor who seems to breeze through life (and women). > > Lately, he’s spending more time working as a temp than as an actor. > > And Owen (Braugher) is an overstressed husband and father of three who > > endures constant criticism from his father, for whom he works as a car > > salesman. > > > > These friends face very different challenges. Joe, who currently lives in a > > hotel, tries to connect with his kids and is dipping his toe in the dating > > pool, while also struggling with the gambling problem that may have ended > > his marriage. The unmarried Terry scoffs at domestic issues but sometimes > > wonders if his own single life is all it’s cracked up to be. Owen > > does everything he can to climb the sales board at his father’s car > > dealership and keep his cool over the seemingly endless renovation project > > in the home he can barely afford. Through it all, these men are there for > > each other when it counts. > > >
