I must admit, I was surprised after watching the first two episodes of The Slap. Pleasantly surprised.
The Slap is a miniseries (eight episodes and out) that premieres at 7 p.m. Thursday. Why surprised? Because it's on NBC. It's too good for broadcast TV, and that's probably why it's only a limited series.
Don't get me wrong. There are a handful of outstanding, engaging dramas on broadcast television, but the vast majority are watered down (notice I avoided the pejorative phrase "dumbed down") to appeal to the broadest possible audience.
Most broadcast dramas are formulaic, derivative, predictable and the comfort food of TV. Not that there's anything wrong with that if you enjoy it. Viewers come to TV for different reasons, and many thoroughly enjoy their weekly visit with familiar characters as they solve crimes or navigate scandals.
Others become so involved with the characters that they actually weep when the series ends. Example: The Jan. 29 series finale of NBC's Parenthood was a real tearjerker. The Bravermans (especially Zeek) will be missed by millions.
However, for more thoughtful, challenging, nuanced adult drama, one usually has to venture over to the less restricted cable offerings or a streaming service such as Netflix. It has been that way at least since The Sopranos and The Wire.
I'm thinking of such outstanding programs as House of Cards, Shameless, Justified, The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, Mad Men, The Americans, Masters of Sex, The Affair, Suits, Outlander, True Detective, The Bridge and Game of Thrones.
Some of these shows are too adult (even vulgar) for some viewers if nongratuitous profanity and R-rated nudity fall on their deal-breaker list.
Well, The Slap doesn't have those aspects, but it's unusual to find such an intense drama as The Slap on an advertiser-supported broadcast network. I believe NBC simply decided to suck it up and, since it was a limited series anyway, deliver something meatier with an A-list cast.
The Slap (directed by Olive Kitteridge's Lisa Chodolenko) is an emotionally draining drama about a dysfunctional and passionate Greek-American family that falls apart after one member slaps the unruly child of another couple at a backyard Brooklyn 40th birthday party.
Viewers may believe the spoiled, obnoxious little hellion had it coming, but there's never an excuse for an adult to send a small child sprawling. The consequences are dire.
The cast is impressive. The miniseries stars Peter Sarsgaard, Uma Thurman, Thandie Newton, Melissa George, Zachary Quinto and Thomas Sadoski.
Based on the 2008 book of the same name by Australian author Christos Tsiolkas, The Slap requires the viewer to pay attention as the exposition unfolds subtly through the characters.
Each episode is titled after one of the characters. We begin with "Hector." Hector (Sarsgaard) is an under-appreciated public servant about to turn 40. It's his birthday party that provides the catalyst for the drama -- when Hector's quick-tempered cousin Harry (Quinto) slaps another couple's child.
The party quickly ends with a lot of screaming pledges of legal action. What follows is the revelation of "long-buried secrets within this group of friends and family that challenge the core values of everyone involved."
• Valentines. The steamy and, in some circles, controversial Fifty Shades of Grey hits theaters Friday. If that's too hot to handle, there's always a double retro dose of Charlie Brown.
The 1975 classic Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown airs (again) at 7 p.m. Friday on ABC. There's unrequited fondness for a teacher, mistaken chocolate intentions, a beagle's puppet show, broken hearts, sadness, guilt, anger and pity valentines.
A Charlie Brown Valentine (2002) follows at 7:30 with more longing after the Little Red-Haired Girl.
• Super numbers. This is the first opportunity I've had to report the final Super Bowl viewer tally. It was huge. In fact, it was the largest audience in the entire history of American television. Ever.
In total, an average 114.4 million tuned to NBC on Feb. 1 to watch Seattle's chance at a repeat victory slip away in the final seconds. NBC said the nail-biting fourth quarter drew a peak audience of 120.8 million viewers.
The top eight programs by audience size have all been Super Bowl games with one exception -- the 2 1/2-hour finale of MAS*H in 1983 (121.6 million).
Perspective: By comparison, the Dallas-Green Bay NFL playoff game on Jan. 11 drew 44.4 million, and the national college championship game on Jan. 12, in which Ohio State beat Oregon 42-20, drew 33.4 million to ESPN, a cable TV record.
And the best Super Bowl ad? According to USA Today's Ad Meter rankings, it was the Anheuser-Busch "Lost Dog" ad in which the puppy finds its way back to its Clydesdales buddies.
The TV Column appears Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Email:
mstorey@arkansasonline.com
Weekend on 02/12/2015