LITTLE ROCK — It’s the eternal Circle of Life on the TV - one series dies; another is born.
That sounds sort of poetic, but in this case, it’s hardly a fair trade.
Bidding us adieu on Monday is TNT’s critically acclaimed drama Saving Grace. The high-concept series starring Oscar-winner Holly Hunter (The Piano) departs with a two-episode farewell beginning at 8 p.m.
Saving Grace debuted in the summer of 2007 with Hunter playing Grace Hanadarko, a hard-drinking, chain-smoking, promiscuous Oklahoma City police detective.
Grace was nothing if not passionate - frequently to the point of being self-destructive. She loved her family and was kind and generous, but her soul was headed straight to hell.
One night after heavy drinking, she killed a man with her car and cried out to God. That’s when her lastchance angel, Earl (played by Deadwood’s memorable Leon Rippy), arrived to help guide Grace to accept God’s plan for her life. It had to be of her free will.
That’s how three seasons of exceptional drama began. The series examined the relationship between faith and the harsh realities of life without casting any particular religion as the sole solution.
This final season has seen Grace interact with a young drug addict who also shares a connection with Earl. And in Monday’s final episodes, Grace will face a tough decision about whether to turn her life over to God.
Meanwhile, Earl will finally learn what God’s surprising plan is for Grace’s life.
Saving Grace has been one of TV’s most satisfying dramas in recent years. It was doing fairly well in the cable-ratings universe, but had finally crossed over the bottom line of costing more to produce than it was bringing in. Sadly, it’s always about the bottom line.
If you haven’t followed the series, consider renting the first season to see if you don’t get hooked. Note that it’s rated TV-MA for nudity (Hunter is buff and not shy), adult situations and salty language.
Summer tryouts
. Meanwhile, as Saving Grace exits, ABC rolls out two new shows today for your viewing pleasureover the next eight weeks.
The Gates airs at 9 p.m. If the premise seems familiar, it is. A former Big City (this time it’s Chicago) homicide detective, weary of the mean streets, moves his family to what he believes is the cushy, quiet life in an exclusive planned community where he’s the new police chief.
Frank Grillo plays Chief Nick Monohan. He has a wife, Sarah, and two kids, Charlie and Dana.
The Gates is a private mountain community with perfectly manicured homes and lawns. But “a dark and delicious secret is buried just beneath the surface of this picturesque neighborhood.”
I’m not sure it’s all that delicious, but that’s what ABC claims.
Naturally there are “insatiable housewives struggling with ravenous cravings,” and teenagers “cursed with keeping their beastly instincts incheck.” Think Twilight meets Eastwick meets Desperate Housewives meets 90210. Sounds like a typical gated community to me.
I’ll just say two words: Vampires and werewolves. And teenagers. That’s three words - and I don’t know which is the most frightening.
Before all that, ABC rolls out Scoundrels at 8 p.m. The series follows the struggles of the West family, smalltime crooks trying to go legit when the father gets sent to prison.
Tagline: “One thing keeps this family together - handcuffs.” Did you laugh? Probably not.
Virginia Madsen is Cheryl West, the matriarch of this bad brood. David James Elliott (JAG) is her hubby, Wolfgang “Wolf” West.
Both ABC series are rated TV-14 for blood, guts, lizard people, witches, steamy sex scenes and hormonal teenagers. Keep the younger kids in the back room watching those dreamy Jonas brothers.
Jonas Brothers
. Season 2 of Jonas has been rechristened Jonas L.A. It debuts at 7:30 p.m. today on Disney Channel.
What’s it about? Does it really matter? Kevin, Joe and Nick run around looking cute. Music gets played. Songs sung.
The series will be on location around Los Angeles this season and develops individual story lines in case your kid has a fave Jonas.
If you need to know, the premise is that the brothers are fresh off their world tour and ready to relax for the summer at a rental in the Hollywood Hills. Wacky, wacky stuff happens.
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Style, Pages 50 on 06/20/2010