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Hello and welcome back to Thursday Movie Picks, the weekly series hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves where you share three movies to fit the theme of the week each Thursday.
It's time for another television episode, and it's police this time. This was supposed to be an easy week for me because basically half of the shows I watch fit the theme, so it was very hard for me to pick three. I eventually went with three shows with cool and brilliant people. So if I were you, I wouldn't commit any crime this week, chances are you'll be caught.
Lie to Me (2009-2011)
Cal Lightman is an expert in facial expressions and involuntary body language who helps public authorities in various investigations. Okay, he's not a cop or a detective, but this show was great. It's just not fair it got cancelled.
Life (2007-2009)
After spending many years wrongly imprisoned, Charlie Crews returns to the police force with one goal, finding out who framed him. Besides from Damien Lewis playing one of the best detectives ever, this was another great and gripping show.
The Mentalist (2008-2015)
Patrick Jane is a famous psychic who starts working as a consultant for the CBI (California Bureau of Investigation) so he can find Red John, the man who killed his wife and daughter. Not a cop, I got it, but he works with the police, and he's probably my favourite TV character. Oh, the show was great too, plenty of twists and suspense.
I haven't seen any of these shows. I think I underestimated just how little I watched of police shows lol.
ReplyDeleteOr it just could be that there are a lot of police shows out here :)
DeleteI loved Lie To Me and felt that the they were close to the truth with many facial impressions one does. I was bummed when they kept moving it around and then cancelled it. I never saw Life but it sounds good. I never watched The Mentalist. Simon Baker(Is that his name??) just seems so smarmy to me.
ReplyDeleteLie to Me made me fall in love with the whole facial and body language thing. I actually ended up buying several books on the matter. I actually find Baker incredibly charming, like Patrick Dempsey. They are the same kind of guy.
DeleteTerrific picks. I LOVED Lie to Me. Tim Roth was the perfect choice to lead the program just everyman enough to be believable in the role but such a talented actor he made some of the more bizarre aspects of the show work.
ReplyDeleteLife was one of those under the radar shows that's a great find if you stumbled across it. Damian Lewis carried the series well and I loved Adam Arkin as his somewhat nutty roommate.
I liked The Mentalist but not quite as much as the other two. I watched it on and off but wasn't a faithful viewer, I do have a friend through who wouldn't miss it. She was crazy for Simon Baker.
As you said there as SO many choices this week the problem wasn't coming up with three it was limiting the list to that many. I solved that by picking three favorites that came to me quickly.
Life on Mars (2008)-In present day New York City detective Sam Tyler (Jason O’Mara) is pursuing a suspect when he’s struck by a car. When he awakens he finds himself in the same spot but it’s 1973! Already dressed in 70’s clothing he heads to his precinct where he’s mistaken for a transfer and put to work, now he has to figure out what happened while adjusting to his new surroundings and still chasing criminals alongside cops that have rougher methods than he’s use to. Intriguing series has a great cast, Harvey Keitel, Michael Imperioli and Gretchen Mol among others, terrific period detail and soundtrack but fell victim to poor scheduling which lead to its short duration.
Wiseguy (1987-1990)-Government agent Vinnie Terranova (Ken Wahl) is fresh out of jail where he was placed by the Organized Crime Bureau (OCB) to give him a criminal history to enable him to go deep undercover to break up big syndicates. Guided by his often exasperated but understanding boss Frank McPike (Jonathan Banks) and wheelchair bound remote liaison “Lifeguard” (Jim Byrnes) he sets out to crime bust while trying to keep his secret from his mother (Elsa Raven). Excellent series told its stories in multi episode half season arcs focusing on one set of characters. All were good but the initial season’s two arcs dealing with the empire led by Sonny Steelgrave (a commanding performance by Ray Sharkey) and the draconian deeply twisted Profitt siblings (two showpiece turns by Kevin Spacey and Joan Severance) are by far the best.
Dragnet (1951-1959/1967-1970)-“Dum...da.dum...dum-Ladies and Gentleman the story you are about to see is true, the names have been changed to protect the innocent….This is the city-Los Angeles, California…I work here, I’m a cop…my partner’s Frank Smith, my boss is Captain Glavas my name is Friday.”
So began every episode of this Jack Webb series which he created and in which he starred giving a performance of amazing stolidness handing out his standard catch phrase “Just the facts, mam”. Initially taking a documentary approach before switching to a more standard form of storytelling of solving crimes this is the granddaddy of police procedurals.
Thanks! I haven't seen any of your picks but since I love police shows I think I'll give them a try (yep, I have a lot of free time).
DeleteI totally forgot about Life! It was an interesting show, it sucks that it only got two seasons.
ReplyDeleteI know right! I'm still hoping one day season 3 will be announced.
DeleteLie to Me was an excellent show, I wish it had been on longer.
ReplyDeleteMe too.
DeleteI know of all but never really tried watching them.
ReplyDelete