Homer Simpson once explained betting on football games to his daughter Lisa by comparing the game to ice cream. Ice cream is good, he told her, but it’s even better with hot fudge on it.
Mmmmm. Fudge.
It’s true about television too. A new slate of broadcast network shows is good, but cable provides the hot fudge, and mounds of whipped cream, and chopped nuts, and those crumbled-up cookie things.
Dig into those basic cable channels you never watch, eyeball some of that premium cable you’ve been paying for. Good stuff all around.
“Viva Blackpool”: One of the best shows of the fall season, including the big networks, can be found Oct. 23 on BBC America (Comcast digital cable channel 162).
“Viva Blackpool” is a truly original six-part miniseries involving a murder mystery about a small-time casino operator and his family in the seaside English town of Blackpool, with intrigue, drama, singing and dancing.
It’s a mystery and it’s a musical, choreographed to classic American hits such as Elvis’ “Viva Las Vegas” and Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boots Are Made for Walking.” No, it isn’t “Cop Rock”; it works, brilliantly. The accents aren’t hard to understand, and the ending is blissfully satisfying.
“Boondocks”: Hard to gauge since nothing more than a clip was ready for early review, but the animated Boondocks, based on the controversial comic strip drawn by Aaron McGruder, showed promise. It debuts Oct. 2 on the Cartoon Network’s nighttime persona, “Adult Swim.” Look for sparks.
“The Adam Carolla Project”: The former “Man Show” co-host was actually a master carpenter before showbiz. He and his old pals rebuild a rundown house, hoping to flip it for profit. Again, no completed show to view, but the clips were great, and Carolla proved to be genuinely funny and fast on his feet in an interview session with TV critics in July. Debuts on TLC Oct. 4.
“Ambulance Girl,” “Human Trafficking”: Two promising shows on Lifetime. “Ambulance Girl,” directed by and starring Oscar-winner Kathy Bates, is the story of a 50-something writer who chucks a career to find herself as a volunteer rescue worker. A bit sappy, but for its intended audience, it’s right on target. Airs Monday.
“Trafficking” stars Oscar-winner Mira Sorvino in a four-hour, two-part miniseries about the international sex trade.
“Masters of Horror,” “Sleeper Cell”: Showtime. Masters challenged a collection of horror film directors to create a one-hour horror show for a 13-part series. Lots of zombies. Starts Oct. 28. “Sleeper Cell,” a weekly drama series about a terrorist cell in Los Angeles, also has potential. Due in December.
“Extras,” “Yesterday”: HBO. “Extras,” an HBO/BBC coproduction, stars Ricky Gervais. It’s ponderously droll and self-aware, but many critics seem to love it. Debuts Sept. 25. “Yesterday” is in Zulu with English subtitles. The story of an African woman dealing with her husband’s AIDS, and then her own, looks heartbreaking and beautiful. November.
