Did you miss the twice-delayed premiere of USA Network's Shooter Nov. 15? I did, too. I had made a note to myself, then lost it somewhere along the way and only had room in last Tuesday's column for a last-minute programming note.
Fortunately, we've missed only one episode and we can catch up with it On Demand or on the website usanetwork.com. The second episode airs at 9 p.m. today on USA, and here's what you need to know.
Shooter is based on Point of Impact, the best-selling novel by Stephen Hunter, and the 2007 film of the same name starring Mark Wahlberg.
Bob Lee Swagger, our hero in this one, is also the protagonist in eight Hunter novels.
Wahlberg (The Departed, Ted, Lone Survivor) serves as executive producer of the series, along with Stephen Levinson (Ballers, Boardwalk Empire) and Lorenzo di Bonaventura (Transformers, The Real O'Neals).
Ryan Phillippe (Cruel Intentions, Secrets and Lies) stars as Swagger and also serves as a producer.
Why was Shooter, which was set to debut July 19, postponed not once but twice? Blame it on bloody violence in real life.
First of all, there was the June 12 Orlando, Fla., nightclub massacre. Then there was the July 7 sniper slaying of five Dallas police officers, followed by the July 17 ambush killing of three policemen in Baton Rouge.
USA opted to err on the side of sensitivity and delay the show until last week.
Swagger is a highly decorated former Marine sniper living in exile who is persuaded by his former commanding officer, Isaac Johnson (Omar Epps, House), to join a clandestine Secret Service operation designed to thwart a plot to assassinate the president. The operation goes bad and winds up with Swagger being framed for murder.
The cast also includes Shantel Vansanten as Swagger's tough wife Julie, Eddie McClintock as mercenary Jack Payne, and Cynthia Addai-Robinson as FBI Special Agent Nadine Memphis.
The conspiracy thriller is rated TV-14 for language and violence.
Remembering Pearl. We're coming up on Dec. 7, the 75th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, and PBS commemorates the occasion with a couple of new specials.
Pearl Harbor: USS Oklahoma -- The Final Story will air at 7 p.m. Wednesday on AETN, followed at 8 by Pearl Harbor: Into the Arizona.
The Final Story tells the saga of the only battleship to capsize during the attack, taking the lives of 429 men. It includes stories from survivors and families of those who died.
Using the latest in underwater technology, Into the Arizona documents the first expedition to the lower decks of the USS Arizona since it blew up and sank on Dec. 7. Featured is an interview with a survivor who was only 19 on the "day that will live in infamy."
The programs, both rated TV-PG, will be repeated at 8 and 9 p.m., respectively, on Monday.
• Family viewing. Make a note for Thanksgiving evening. PBS is planning something old and something new for the entire family.
A new adaptation of the beloved Anne of Green Gables airs at 7 p.m. on AETN, followed by a reprise of Pollyanna at 8:30.
L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables is based on the first book of the series and stars Martin Sheen (The West Wing) as Matthew Cuthbert and 15-year-old Canadian Ella Ballentine (The Standoff) as redheaded orphan Anne Shirley.
I haven't had time to preview the movie, but some reviews have been unkind. Variety, for example, says, "The TV movie is a dull film and a mediocre adaptation. It's not poorly done as much as it's just off."
Two more Anne TV movies are in production and slated for 2017 and 2018.
Pollyanna is also about an irrepressible red-haired orphan girl. Newcomer Georgina Terry made her film debut in the title role of the 2003 British TV adaptation. Critics seemed to like this one.
Note: Netflix will have an Anne of Green Gables miniseries next year.
• Chicken delight. It's vicious out there in the cutthroat world of competitive show chickens. CMT brings us all the drama in Chicken People. The documentary airs at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
"It's like the Westminster [Dog Show] of chickens," one participant says. She then picks up her chicken, stares into its eyes and says, "Look at you. You're ... a warrior."
The two-hour special follows three competitors at the National Poultry Show. And while there may be drama, it's also hilarious and inspiring at the same time.
And what happens when a chicken's show days are over? Do they end up as dinner?
One fancier snaps, "You got kids? Do you eat them?"
The TV Column appears Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Email:
mstorey@arkansasonline.com
Style on 11/22/2016