TV: The Unusuals

Dramedy is a word that makes me cringe. It reeks of desperation. I imagine it to be the word a pitch man uses when trying to convince a studio executive that dramas can be comedic or that a comedy can be dramatic. "You know... a damedy!" With a TV history that includes shows like M*A*S*H and Scrubs, it would seem that such a desperate word would be unneeded. Drama is often better with the lightening aspects of comedy, and comedy can be kept from being frivolous by the weight of drama. Unfortunately, "dramedy" is used and The Unusuals was stuck with the label.



Set in NYC, The Unusals presents a homicide division filled with ecentric characters that specializes in not-straight-forward cases. At the center is Detective Casey Shraeger (Amber Tamblyn, Joan of Arcadia), who is trying to shed her socialite past, and Detective Jason Walsh (Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker), a former baseball player and current diner owner. Other characters include a very Frank Burns-like "top" detective, a man who believes he will die before he turns 43, and other that has a brain tumor and may die in the near future.

The Unusuals premiered in April of 2009. ABC touted the show as the next M*A*S*H and had hopes of it being the next big crime drama. The first episode, like many pilots, is somewhat rough around the edges. It perhaps tries too hard to be funny given absurd situations. The performances are impressive though, especially Renner's. By the third episode, the show settles down. Audiences didn't give the show that long and it was quickly canceled.

All ten episodes of The Unusuals are currently available (as of 1/25/10) online at Hulu and Crackle.

Television: Probe

Before CSI (2000) debunked and solved crimes with science and House M.D. (2004) disparaged humanity, there was Austin James and Probe. Debuting as a mid-season replacement on ABC in 1988, Probe followed many of the cliches of 80s crimes dramas: a bickering duo solving mysteries with the usual number of pre-commercial cliff-hangers, car chases, and a synthesized score. What set it apart for its time was the clever use of science and Sherlockian logic to unravel the storylines.

Parker Stevenson (pre-Baywatch) starred as misanthropic genius, Austin James, the founder of and expatriate from a massive tech corporation. Ashley Crow, playing secretary Mickey, provided the common sense foil for James's overbearing and manic brilliance.

Co-created by Isaac Asimov, the show had distinctly a skeptical slant. It relied on more reality-based science fiction concepts, eschewing the supernatural as an explanation for phenomena. Many of the plots were based around James's tech company, poking at the notion of corporate mismanagement. Some plot devices are far-fetched, but this is science *fiction* after all.

Introduction to Mickey, Serendip and Austin James:




Ratings were never high during its half season run and Probe wasn't renewed after its initial six episodes. Regardless, the show still maintains a small devoted following. Since it is not currently available in any video format, I have no compunction about linking to the YouTube clips. YouTube user thunderwolf429 has made all the episodes available and they can also be found at Probe Resurrected.

Television: "Carnivàle"

While it might be debatable whether a television show that enjoyed two seasons on a major cable network can be considered "obscure," HBO's Carnivàle has been gravely overlooked. The project began with great ambition. Debuting in September of 2003, the series depicts a supernatural battle of good versus evil against the backdrop of a traveling carnival during Dust Bowl era America. On opposing sides of the conflict, the cast starred Nick Stahl (Terminator 3, Sin City) as an Oklahoman fugitive and Clancy Brown (Highlander, The Shawshank Redemption) as a Methodist minister.



To complete its overarching plot, "Carnivàle" was set to run six seasons; every two seasons completing a "book" of the "trilogy." Unfortunately, with a budget of $4 million per episode and flagging ratings, HBO canceled the show, leaving much of the story unresolved. Despite its ambiguous ending, "Carnivàle" is worth watching. The 1930s setting is fairly unique to television and is well executed. The tone is similar to Ray Bradbury at his darkest, but without any of the innocence Bradbury might bring to it. The show is polished, though the storyline tends to lean toward the Byzantine.

"Carnivàle" is currently available from Amazon.com for a reasonable price and can also be found through most DVD rental services. HBO continues to maintain a website for "Carnivàle" that includes many behind-the-scenes and making-of clips.