If I can make it there...'2 Broke Girls'

'2 Broke Girls' (RTE2) is not bad at all. A quirky, slightly bawdy slice of Recession Comedy, the series stars Kath Dennings and Beth Behrs as a poor and formerly rich girl respectively forced by circumstances to work a Diner to pay the bills. The first episode had some decent laughs; Behr's character, Caroline, plays the recently impoverished daughter of a millionaire conman (hmm, wonder who that's modelled on?). Every week, we get to see how close the two girls are to earning enough to start up their own business. Dennings and Behr are decent actors and while the script is never groundbreaking or particularly hilarious, it had 'thetvreviewguy' smiling through a good part of it. Mediocre sitcoms tend to be written production-line style and there are elements of 'a kooky character here, a zany one there' with '2 Broke Girls'. But it's worth a second viewing before filing it away with 'King of Queens' under 'New Yawk' disappointments. There is potential in the series and while 'thetvreviewguy's life is as short as the next guy's and hates watching time-wasting TV, this is definitely worthy of another go. Just funny enough to have you tune in, the girls are appealing enough to keep you tuned. 'Political' with a very small 'p', it will be interesting to look back on shows like this a few years from now, when, and more likely, if, we ever get out of what's euphemistically referred to as 'recession'.

Book Him Danno!

Ever dreamt of escaping a damp and dreary January to a distant, tropical island? Ever thought of fleeing the household bills at the start of the year and flying off to the Pacific? But, what's that, you're broke and can barely afford a holiday down the road? Then look no further than (and 'thetvreviewguy' did) 'Hawaii Five-O' (RTE2) for your dose of winter escapism. Forget the non-too original dialogue, the model cop casting, the high-tech gadgetry most police forces can only dream about and think instead of the mild winters and hot summers, the fantastic Morton Stevens opening theme, the oh-so sandy beaches and the reminders of the original, which if you're anything over 35, you'll remember with some affection. While there's little to differentiate this from the run-of-the-mill cop show, at least the pacing is effective and character relationships, while formulaic, keeps the viewer watching. There's a the usual array of car chases (which reminds 'thetvreviewguy' of the line about 'Bergerac' that there's not much point having car chases on an island) and shoot-outs, love interests and 'dirty' cops. This all makes 'Hawaii Five O' sound totally clichéd; it is, but only partially...it doesn't go down the easy 'CSI' route nor does it go for mortuary carve ups all too easily used in current cops shows. Worth the occasional viewing, if only to remind yourself of a time when opening themes were really rocking, you dig?

Paradise Postponed

Okay, angels who come down to Earth is as old as the, er, Bible, but angels that come mix with us mortals as lawyers? Now that's just crazy talk!!  'Eternal Law' has this very premis and, while it's far from heavenly, it's not quite hellish and gives us some cheery fare in the dark January days. But it's still not the most the original of angel-takes; perhaps we're going to soon have our TV sets festooned with the winged ones similar to the vampire takeover of recent years? 'Eternal Law' is like a not very good episode of 'Quantum Leap'...again, not exactly terrible but not classic telly or 9pm programming. It's more of a 5-7pm effort that's pleasant, insubstantial, glossily produced, yet ultimately, neither that spiritually or intellectaually filling. On the plus side, it is brave enough sticking this sort of stuff out on prime-time; give 'thetvreviewguy' something quirky over some Geezer Mockney prog any day. The writing, however, needs to get sharper, the third episode started well but just fizzled out before the end, which topped off the damp squib. The sort of TV show that's perfect if you're a) a Teacher correcting homework b) doing some form of 'blogging' c) half asleep d) hungover. While 'thetvreviewguy' might prefer Engels to Angels, he could do worse than tune in for another episode but then again he won't be knocking on Heaven's door to see it again. Hasn't quite earned its wings yet.

A Fine Endeavour

'Inspector Morse' hit a high quality threshold. It never underestimated audience intelligence, played for what was a gargantuan amount of screen time (two hours) and rarely went for the obvious or seemed plodding or pedestrian. The franchise of the younger Morse, 'Endeavour' (ITV), lives up to the very high standards set by the predecessor and, in common with the original, provides an oasis of class among all the reality show nonsense about these days. Shaun Evans plays the (then) young constable with considerable aplomb; not too much insider knowledge is required to appreciate the character and his motivations. As ever, Oxford looks stunning, and makes for a perfect setting as a place where problems are solved and life's mysteries are explained. There's a classic beginning, middle, end structure to 'Morse' and we get this with 'Endeavour' also; it's a satisfying piece of television that leaves us middle-brows looking forward to future episodes. When there's a successful TV series, a prequel can never be that far behind. 'Endeavour' hits the spot with quality acting and tight script; the 'Morse Franchise' looks like continuing for many years to come. Should the series last, Oxford may not be safe for some time. A strong cast, good plot and great pacing make this production a fine endeavour.  'Morse' has spawned a monster, an erudite and compelling beast.