Up & Coming Weekly

26 UCW DECEMBER 2-8, 2009 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM The broadcast networks' fall series gave TV a bad name, but Men of a Certain Age (Monday, 10 p.m., TNT) makes you fall in love with the medium all over again. Ray Romano co-created this masterful drama about middle- aged friends who've lost their mojo. Joe (Romano) is a sad sack with a gambling problem and a broken marriage, Terry (Scott Bakula) a fading actor and ladies' man, and Owen (Andre Braugher) a car salesman who eternally disappoints his father. At one of their lunchtime get-togethers, Terry says he feels like Sisyphus, the mythological character who forever pushes a rock up a hill. The other two know exactly what he means. These brilliant actors have such rapport that they seem to be making up the dialogue as it comes out of their mouths. Nothing feels forced: not the quirkiness, not the poi- gnancy. Every scene is a revelation, packed with observations about life in the '00s. When Joe drops his two kids off at their mother's, each is peering into a handheld device while politely enduring his awkward attempt to be fatherly. I didn't know whether to laugh, cringe or cry. It's not easy to make a compelling drama on the subject of stagnation. But I can't wait to see these characters push the rock up the hill again next week. Conspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura Wednesday, 10 pm (truTV) No one asked Jesse Ventura to save the human race, but he's gonna do it anyway. The cartoonish pro wrestler and former novelty governor of Minnesota couldn't take himself any more seriously in this new reality series, in which he leads a team of investiga- tors in unraveling so-called conspiracies. For example, Ventura claims to have discovered a secret U.S. military research facil- ity in Alaska that's creating "the most dangerous weapon the world has ever seen." He storms up to the very low gate with his beer gut and bald-guy ponytail, demanding entry. The lone gatekeeper in blue jeans denies this puzzling request, and that's enough to con- vince Jesse that a horrendous conspiracy is afoot — even though the gatekeeper helpfully suggests he come back on "media visiting day." Jesse drives to a neighboring town, where a bearded old guy who drives a snowplow is one of the few locals who agree to talk to him. This dude believes the government is developing a doomsday machine that can control people's minds and cause earthquakes. "It's an invisible death ray!" exclaims Jesse, now with all the proof he needs. Tune in next week as Gov. Ventura unearths more invisible menaces. 12 Men of Christmas Saturday, 9 pm (Lifetime) Kristin Chenoweth has won an Emmy and a Tony, but I don't think she'll be picking up an award for this TV movie about a high-powered Manhattan PR executive named E.J. who inexplicably takes a job in podunk Montana. I guess it is explicable — if not plot-wise, then at least business-wise. The Lifetime marketing folks needed a fish-out-of-water story for the holidays, featuring a brittle fe- male urbanite in wicked designer fashions who's humanized by salt-of-the-earth types in the heartland. Fair enough. But the brittle female urbanite needs at least a hint of charm or we won't care about her humanization. Squeaky-voiced Chenoweth comes up short in the charm department, despite the fact that E.J. is supposed to be a stunning force of nature. "I could give lessons in 'amazing'!" she exclaims. Actually, Chenoweth could stand to take a few lessons in "amazing." Sinatra at Carnegie Hall Sunday, 8 pm (PBS) This 1980 performance features toupee-era Frank Sinatra, holding a drink and smoking while bellowing over bombastic arrangements. He milks applause, brags, shouts out to the "chicks," indulges in ethnic stereotypes and sneers at the rock and R&B bands that had made him irrelevant. He makes coarse jokes and then clicks into "sincere" mode for the unctuous love songs. In other words, he behaves like the ultimate lounge singer — the kind we've been laughing at for the last 40 years. Sinatra used to be the undisputed king of the crooners, but Dean Martin looks much preferable to modern eyes. Dean had the pipes, but he could also wink at showbiz shtick, not taking himself too seriously. Sinatra always took himself seriously, and that's why I have trouble doing so. A Guy Thing Men of a Certain Age Grows Old Gracefully TV by DEAN ROBBINS 3006 Bragg Boulevard Fayetteville, NC 910-323-1791 YOUR FOOTBALL HEADQUARTERS FOR COLLEGE, HIGH SCHOOL AND RECREATION TEAMS YOUR FOOTBALL HEADQUARTERS FOR COLLEGE, HIGH SCHOOL AND RECREATION TEAMS YOUR FOOTBALL HEADQUARTERS FOR COLLEGE, HIGH SCHOOL AND RECREATION TEAMS YOUR FOOTBALL HEADQUARTERS FOR COLLEGE, HIGH SCHOOL AND RECREATION TEAMS Visit our Hope Mills Location, 5613 Rockfish Road. 910.609.1791

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