Up & Coming Weekly

Time Out of Joint TV by DEAN ROBBINS It’s season four for Eureka (Friday, 9 p.m.), the SyFy series about a secret community of ge- niuses assembled for top-secret government research. Even good shows start to sag in the fourth year, but Eureka has come up with a clever way of refreshing its storyline. A group of town resi- dents travel back to 1947 (hey, I said they were geniuses), and when they return, things they’ve done in the past have slightly changed the present. In this week’s episode, the returnees try to make sense of the changes — a rich source of humor. Henry (Joe Morton) is sur- prised to meet the woman he’s married to, and Sheriff Carter (Colin Ferguson) finds himself again involved with the long-lost Tess (Jaime Ray Newman). Meanwhile, a guy named Dr. Grant (James Callis) from 1947 has traveled to 2010, and he’s a little let down. “I thought there’d be more flying cars, robotic servants and superhigh- ways stretching into the sky,” he says. Really? Given that the episode ends with Sheriff Carter halting a deadly stream of “anti-matter positrons” with a high-tech gizmo, I can’t agree with Dr. Grant that 2010 lacks for excitement. Chasing Mummies Wednesday, 10 pm (History) This isn’t one of those slickly packaged documentaries set among picturesque pyramids. It digs into the pharaohs’ dusty, musty tombs with Dr. Zahi Hawass, an Egyptologist with a thick accent and a grandiose sense of himself. You can practi- cally feel the scorching heat as interns get lost in tunnels, bulldozers sink into the sand, and everybody endures Hawass’ frequent tantrums. “He gets angry,” says one associate, “but he has a heart of gold.” I find Hawass fun to watch, but that’s because I’m thousands of miles away from him on my living room couch. In person, I suspect it’s not so fun. “YOU UNDERSTAND NOTHING!” he screams at his crew. “MY TIME IS VALUABLE!” And God forbid anyone would make a peep when the master is working. “We are making a discovery, and PEOPLE ARE TALKING OUTSIDE, WITH DANCES!” So where, exactly, is the “heart of gold”? The mummies themselves are more friendly than this creep. Work of Art Wednesday, 11 pm (Bravo) Bravo is a leader in creating fun reality competitions, but its latest concept has been a real embarrassment. The idea is to find the next great visual artist — something that’s impossible to do in the context of a reality show’s challenges, eliminations and time limits. Imagine the series’ vacuous host giving her spiel dur- ing the Renaissance: “The goal is to impress our panel of judges with your paint- ing on the Sistine Chapel ceiling. You have 30 minutes — go!” The contestants include a suspiciously high number who could double as su- permodels — and yes, they do pose naked for each other. Meanwhile, the judges offer timeless insights: “It’s been said that good art is not what it looks like, but how it makes us feel.” Work of Art makes me feel sad. Do Something Awards Monday, 9 pm (VH1) The Do Something Awards honors stars who have made gaudy pub- lic gestures on behalf of the needy. Maybe it’s uncharitable of me to use the word “gaudy,” but I can’t help seeing heavily hyped philanthropy as a part of the stars’ marketing operation. These awards, for example, give people like Christina Aguilera and the Jonas Brothers one more chance to parade their fabulousness before a TV audience. If the show can spur celebrities to make bigger charitable donations, more power to it. I just think it should be renamed the Do Something to Extend Your Brand awards. 22 UCW JULY 14-20, 2010 JULY 16 • KICKOFF PARTY FOR CHRISTMAS IN JULY TOY RUN at Legends Pub. JULY 17 • 8TH ANNUAL CHRISTMAS IN JULY TOY RUN Register at 8 a.m. at M&M Leather. Depart at 10 a.m. $15 & toy to ride, $10 per passenger. Funds benefit Duke Children’s Hospital. T-shirt and lunch at Texas Roadhouse included. JULY 24 • LEGENDS REVERSE RAFFLE First bike out at 7 p.m. Night run. Breakfast at midnight. $1000 in cash and prizes. For info, call 867-2364. JULY 31 • FIVE YEAR ANNIVERSARY PARTY @ J&J TAVERN Pig-picking, Scotch Doubles Tournament, horse shoe contest and more. AUGUST 7 • “CAN I GO” BENEFIT RUN. Proceeds send children with diabetes of Military/Veteran’s famlies to Camp Adam Fisher. Depart at noon. Food, door prizes, music and more. 495-0545. AUGUST 21 • STEELE ANGELS BACK TO SCHOOL RUN. Registration 2-4 p.m. at Cape Fear Harley Davidson. Escorted ride to Dog House for free food, 50/50 raffle, door prizes and live music. 818-0458 for more info. PATRIOT GUARD RIDERS The Patriot Guard Riders is a diverse group of patriots from every state that come together to honor fallen soldiers at funeral services across the country. Visit www.patriotguard.org for more info. TUESDAYS BIKE NIGHT at Chili’s Grill and Bar in Southern Pines. Happy hour, drink and food specials. All bikes welcome. 4 p.m. to close. WEDNESDAYS BIKE NIGHT at Applebee’s, Cotton Square, Fayetteville, drink and food specials beginning at 7 p.m. All bikes welcome. THURSDAY THIRSTY $1.00 OFF ALL DRINKS For more information call LEGENDS at 4624 BRAGG BLVD. WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM THE MAJORS 2010 *Sturgis Black Hills Rally • Aug. 9-15* * Want to go? Call 910-391-3859. Have a motorcycle ride or event coming up? Let us know! Call Joy at 910-484-6200, e-mail to editor@upandcomingweekly.com Fax to 910-484-9218. The past comes back to haunt Eureka – literally

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