Monday, August 30, 2010

Emmys were good, but a tad unsatisfying

     Last night was the 62nd Annual Emmy Awards, and this morning, the results are a mixed bag.  First, the broadcast itself.  Host Jimmy Fallon did ok.  His singing tribute to 24 and Lost was very cool, but his reading of twitter comments was beyond lame, and he did it multiple times throughout the night.  The cast of Modern Family participated in some funny retooling clips of their show.  The best part, naturally, was the opening sketch.  Jimmy and Tina Fey helped Lea Michele, Corey Monteith, Amber Riley, and Chris Colfer, all from Glee, form a Glee Club.  The other members they picked up included Jon Hamm (Mad Men), a very enthusiastic Nina Dobrev (The Vampire Diaries), the always enjoyable Jorge Garcia (Lost), Joel McHale (Community), the fantastic Jane Lynch (Glee), and last and definitely least, Kate Gosselin (Jon & Kate Plus Eight).  The bit also included appearances by the legendary Betty White, Tim Gunn (Project Runway), and Randy Jackson (American Idol).

     The comedy awards went in an expected fashion.  Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory) and Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie) took the lead awards, while Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family) and Jane Lynch (Glee) brought home the supporting statues.  While none of these choices was surprising, each was highly deserved.  It was also nice to spread out the gold among four different shows.  Stonestreet's TV husband, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, touchingly has tears in his eyes as Eric went up to the stage.  The much-talked about showdown between Modern Family and Glee for best comedy ended with MF getting the prize.  Again, not surprising, as MF is the more typical comedy of the two, although it was surprising that phenomenon Glee didn't garner more statues.  Most surprising?  Broadcast television swept this category.

     The drama awards were a bit more surprising.  Not the Best Series, which went for the third year in a row to Mad Men, even though I was really pulling for Lost in it's final year.  Although I must ask, for a series that has won top honors three times, why was a new episode aired last night in competition with the Emmys?  Did they want no one to watch it?  Thank goodness for TiVo.  Also, Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) kept his Best Actor streak going  But Best Actress went to Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer), a total mistake in my book, as I was rooting for every other actress in that category!  Cranston's co-star, Aaron Paul, got a well deserved Supporting Actor win, and Archie Panjabi (The Good Wife) rounded out the category.

     In the miniseries and movie genre, Al Pacino (You Don't Know Jack) and Claire Danes took home the top statues, the latter much more deserving than the former, and David Straithairn and Julia Ormond assured that Temple Grandin got three of the four awards.  Grandin also took Outstanding Made for Television Movie, while the Tom Hanks / Steven Spielberg epic The Pacific unsurprisingly won best mini-series.  Grandin and The Pacific were both fantastic, so no complaints there.

     I'd also like to mention that although it would have been oh-so-satisfying for Conan O'Brien's The Tonight Show to win, The Daily Show With Jon Stewart is a nearly flawless program that deserves every kudos it earns, so it someone had to beat Conan, I'm glad it was Jon.

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Lost Season 6 worth buying immediately

     It had to end sometime.  After six spectacular seasons, ABC's Lost came to an end last May.  Although Lost usually waits to put out their DVDs until late in the fall, Season 6 is already out, and I highly recommend going to the store and purchasing it at your earliest convenience, if not sooner.  All sixteen episodes, including the two hour premiere and two and a half hour finale are included.  This was the season that tied it all up.  From the flash sideways universe, to Richard (Nestor Carbonell) and Jacob's (Mark Pellegrino) origins, to the tear jerking series finale, it was a hell of a year.

     But, of course, if you're like me, you've already seen the episodes.  The most exciting thing in this DVD release is the special features.  There are a few, though not more you easily get through in a couple hours, audio commentaries aside.  There's here forty minute "THE END: Crafting A Final Season" which shows clips and interviews from throughout the last year.  It brought almost as many tears as the episodes did to me eyes.  "A Hero's Journey" is about how Lost set out to tell the classic hero tale, times sixteen.  "See You in Another Life, Brotha" tackles some of mystery surrounding the sideways universe, and why the alternate characters were always looking in mirrors.  "LOST on Location" takes you to the set for six episodes, mostly revealing how the special effects and water scenes were created.

     The crown jewel of the DVD, and the reason you must buy now, is the twelve minute epilogue to the series, "The New Man in Charge".  It finds Ben Linus (Michael Emerson) arriving at the warehouse that puts together all those nifty food drops to the island to fire the two employees.  Half of the minisode is Ben and the guys watching a tape on the function of the Hydra Station, which didn't reveal a lot of new information, so much as confirmed widely held theories.  And then Ben goes back to Hurley's old mental institution to tie up one of the show's biggest loose ends.  I won't reveal who he finds there, as the surprise was great, but it is a major player who was not brought back like so many others were.  And there's a brief appearance by Hurley (Jorge Garcia), too.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Psych best USA has to offer

    In a network filled with the best procedurals on television, most of the few worth watching, Psych stands out as the current best. Seven episodes (out of nine airing this summer) into it's fifth season, it's also the longest running, with the departure of Monk after eight years last fall. The reason it works so well is it's just so fun! The show stars James Roday and Dulé Hill (The West Wing) as Shawn Spencer and Burton Guster, better known as Gus, but often introduced by Shawn with a variety of odd nicknames. The two make up the Psych detective agency, which works freelance for the Santa Barbara Police Department, helping them solve crimes, frequently involving murder. Shawn pretends to be a psychic, but is just highly observant. Gus, his best friend since childhood, supposedly holds a regular job, which he hasn't been shown at in some time, and is persuaded by Shawn to help out.

     This season, things have changed slightly, now that Shawn's father, retired cop Henry Spencer (Corbin Bernsen, L.A. Law, Major League) has been brought in by the police to coordinate all consultant hires. Although Henry is in on their scheme, he is often helped them in the past, and still does, although sometimes making them work a little harder to earn their keep. Their boss is Chief Vick (Kirsten Nelson), who often has little, if any, plot. The cast is rounded out by police detectives Carlton Lassiter (Timothy Omundson, Judging Amy), who hates them, and Juliet O'Hara (Maggie Lawson), who tolerates them much better.

      This year started out with a couples of sub-par episodes, but the last couple have been back to the usual standard. In last night's offering, Chi McBride (Pushing Daisies) played a prison guard who lost some inmates, and Shawn and Gus helped him track the cons down. Recent episodes have also been bolstered by an extra long version of the theme song, arguably the best part of the series in the extended form. The shorter cut isn't very good.

     Next week, Psych will guest star Nestor Carbonell (Lost).  Psych has only two episodes left this summer, but will return in November for seven more, including the show's third Christmas special, which this year will have It's a Wonderful Life as it's theme. Considering how good special episodes of Psych usually are, I am certainly looking forward to it.

     Psych airs Wednesday nights at 10pm on USA.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

The Weeds have been pulled

     Showtime's Weeds returned for it's sixth season last Monday, and the first two episodes have basically only set up the next volume in the story.  I saw volume instead of chapter because this is the second time the show has practically reinvented itself from the ground up.  At the end of season three, the suburb where the story was set burnt to the ground, taking the now ill-fitting theme song with it, as well as any racially diverse cast members.  Nancy Botwin (Mary-Louise Parker, The West Wing) took her family south, and they soon settled into new routines near the Mexican border, and with new minorities.  She was soon caught up in the drug game again, and plenty of old familiar faces found their way back to Nancy.  As season six begins, the principal cast has slimmed down to only Nancy's family and Doug (Kevin Nealon, Saturday Night Live), who did not appear the last two weeks.

     It's very regrettable that Celia (Elizabeth Perkins, Must Love Dogs, The Flintstones) is gone, but she and many of the recurring characters has a great ending, setting up a new gang of misfits.  How Doug left that group is anyone's guess.  Early previews show Doug being captured and forced to try to help Nancy's current husband, Esteban (Demian Bichir) track Nancy and their infant son down.  Nancy, meanwhile, has fled north, up not across the border, with the baby and older sons Silas (Hunter Parrish) and Shane (Alexander Gould) in tow, as well as their Uncle Andy (Justin Kirk, Angels in America).  The reason for their flight is that Shane killed a woman to stop her from killing him and his brother.

     The actors are really showing their range.  Parker's character is barely sane anymore, and has taken her always confused Nancy to the extreme.  Shane, once the sweet child, is homicidal, and doesn't seem to concern himself with guilt, a startling, but satisfying twist, considering it has really given a chance for Gould to shine.  Silas has had more plot previously, but one can definitely feel his frustration at having his life ruined.  And Andy, well, Andy just goes with the flow like always.

     One wonders if the Botwins, now rechristened the Newmans, will manage to stay at their next harbor very long, or if they will be on the run for the rest of the series.  Surely it's only a matter of time before they are found.  Yet, I find myself more interested in what they will be doing now, rather than what's coming for them.  And I am extremely grateful that the harsh lighting of southern California and Mexico has been left behind.

     Weeds, a brilliant dramedy, airs Monday nights at 10pm on Showtime.

Monday, August 23, 2010

The Big C premiere elicits a yawn

    It's hard to fairly judge a show by it's pilot.  I try not to, although if it has a really terrible pilot that I couldn't even sit through, then I don't expect subsequent episodes to be any better.  Showtime's new half hour offering, The Big C did not have a great pilot.  It was filled with cliches and trite dialogue.  However, I adore the lead, Laura Linney (John Adams), and the cast has plenty of other talent with Oliver Platt (The West Wing), John Benjamin Hickey, Reid Scott (My Boys), Gabriel Basso, Phyllis Somerville, and Gabourey Sidibe (Precious).  Admittedly, many of those people have a limited career history, but each held their own in the first episode.

     The series involves Linney's character, Cathy, dealing with cancer.  It isn't a big reveal held to the end of episode one.  It's the title issue.  Of course, she goes a little bit crazy.  She breaks into a neighbor's house, has a giant pool dug in her tiny back yard, and cusses and bribes a student.  But we can forgive her because she might die, right?  Right?  Sure, some erratic behavior is fine.  But in a society where so many of our population have had this terrible disease, and so many have fought it into remission and lived many, many years after, only a certain amount of bad behavior is tolerable before the character becomes unlikeable.  I'm not saying that's what has happened to Cathy... yet.  I don't wish to sound insensitive, and surely some may think I am being so, but I think she could deal with her emotions without turning into a tool.  Again, has not happened yet.

     The conceit of the series arrives with a number of limitations.  Will Cathy die or force the cancer into remission?  If the show gets any better, and it's high ratings for last week's premiere are a good sign that people will tune in, the writer's will surely go for the latter.  But how long will the story work if the main conceit is taken away?  They can do stories about how someone copes after the immediate death threat has been removed, but again, it won't be too long before that gets stale.  And then will the cancer return?  How many times can that be done before viewers stop caring?  If it does come back more than once, a happy ending to the show would be almost impossible to leave viewers satisfied.

     The Big C has some things to work out.  But then, so does Cathy.  It's good enough to earn some more watch time, including the second episode, which airs tonight.  The Big C airs Mondays nights at 10:30pm on Showtime.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

No Computer!

Greetings readers,

     I am at my local library, which has a limited use on their computers policy.  Sadly, my own computer stopped working at all this past Saturday.  That means no articles for the time being.  It was still under warranty, so HP is having it sent back to the factory for repairs.  This takes 7-9 business days.  So it will likely be two full weeks before I post another review.  I apologize for any inconvenience, and look forward to getting back to you soon.  Thank you for understanding.

~Jerome Wetzel

Monday, August 9, 2010

Summer Shows 2010

Here are a list of summer shows, in alphabetical order.  Shows that have more than one review have the links listed after the network name.

*100 Questions (NBC)
*18 to Life (CW - U.S., bought from CBC - Canada)
*62nd Primetime Emmy Awards (NBC - many articles, click on link for complete list!)
*Are We There Yet? (TBS)
*The Big C (Showtime)
*Big Lake (Comedy Central)
*Burn Notice (USA)
*Childrens Hospital (Cartoon Network)
*Covert Affairs (USA)
*Dark Blue (TNT) - I only made it through 10 minutes of the premiere.  Just not my show.
*Ellen's Somewhat Special Special (TBS)
*Futurama (Comedy Central) 
*The Gates (ABC) - Terrible!  Turned it off after ten minutes, and will not be writing a full review.
*The Glades (A&E) - It's a cop show.  Enough said.  I will not be writing a full review. 
*The Good Guys (Fox) First Two Episodes / Summer Finale
*The Green Room With Paul Provenza (Showtime)
*The Hard Times of R.J. Berger (MTV)  - Terrible!  Turned it off after ten minutes, and will not be writing a full review.
*Haven (SyFy)
*Hot in Cleveland (TVLand)
*Huge (ABC Family) - I wish I could review it, but the local cable signal is so choppy, just on this network apparently, I miss about 10-15 minutes of every episode I TiVo.  It's weird.
*Hung (HBO)
*The Jensen Project (NBC) - I watched about 15 minutes, but it was too cheesy to warrant a review.
*Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D List (Bravo) 
*Last Comic Standing (NBC) 
*Louie (FX) 
*Mad Men (AMC)
*Melissa & Joey (ABC Family)
*Memphis Beat (TNT)
*My Boys (TBS)  Season Premiere / Series Finale
*Neighbors From Hell (TBS)
*The Neistat Brothers (HBO)
*On the Road With Austin and Santino (Lifetime)
*Persons Unknown (NBC)
*Project Runway (Lifetime) - I enjoyed the show for a long time, but I canceled my season pass this cycle.
*Psych (USA) First Seven Episodes / Summer Finale
*Rizzoli & Isles (TNT)
*Rubicon (AMC) - Could not get into it.  No full review, sorry.
*Rookie Blue (ABC)
*Scoundrels (ABC)
*Shark Week (Discovery Channel)
*Team Coco Presents Conan's Writers Live Hosted By Andy Richter (TBS)
*True Blood (HBO)
*Warehouse 13 (SyFy)
*Warren the Ape (MTV)
*Weeds (Showtime)
*White Collar (USA)

Friday, August 6, 2010

2010 Emmys: Guest Actors and Actresses

    The Emmy nominations for this year are out. This is television's biggest awards show, and as a television reviewer, I couldn't help but be excited. Sure, there were some snubs, but there were also some pleasant surprises. With lots of time left until the statues are handed out on August 29th, there is plenty of time to examine who's up for what. In this fifth in a series of articles, I'll look at the the guest star awards.

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series: Mike O'Malley, Glee "Wheels"; Neil Patrick Harris, Glee, "Dream On"; Fred Willard, Modern Family, "Travels With Scout"; Eli Wallach, Nurse Jackie, "Chicken Soup"; Jon Hamm, 30 Rock, "Emmanuelle Goes to Dinosaur Land"; Will Arnett, 30 Rock, "Into the Crevasse".  Mike O'Malley deserves this award the most.  His turn as the father who doesn't hate his gay son, and tries everything he can do make him feel accepted, was fantastic.  Definitely some of my favorite scenes in season one.  That being said, Eli was also great, and Fred Willard could always use a little more credit.  Honestly, I wouldn't be disappointed by anyone on this list.  It's a great group.  But O'Malley, all the way.

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series: Christine Baranski, The Big Bang Theory, "The Maternal Congruence"; Kathryn Joosten, Desperate Housewives, "The Chase"; Kristen Chenoweth, Glee, "The Rhodes Not Taken"; Tina Fey, Saturday Night Live, "Host: Tina Fey"; Betty White, Saturday Night Live, "Host: Betty White"; Elaine Stritch, 30 Rock, "The Moms"; Jane Lynch, Two and a Half Men, "818-JKLPUZO".  I love me some Lynch and some Chenoweth and some Stritch and some Fey, but let's clear those out of this cluttered category right now, because I don't think they'll win.  With White's momentum, including the groundswell facebook campaign that got her the gig, I see her as the favorite.  However, Baranski gave my favorite performance of the above choice (disclosure: I did not see Lynch's because that's a terrible show).  I also like Joosten quite a bit, as she's won before, I don't want to discount her.

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series: Beau Bridges, The Closer, "Make Over"; Ted Danson, Damages, "The Next One's Gonna Go In Your Throat"; John Lithgow, Dexter, "Road Kill"; Alan Cumming, The Good Wife, "Fleas"; Dylan Baker, The Good Wife, "Bad"; Robert Morse, Mad Men, "Shut the Door, Have a Seat"; Gregory Itzin, 24, "1:00 PM - 2:00 PM".  All I can say is tough, tough, tough.  Lithgow's buzz makes me lean towards him, although I haven't watched it yet.  I am buzzing through Dexter as fast as I can, but I just started the series two weeks ago!  Itzin was wonderful, as always, and 24 just couldn't resist bringing him back again for good reason.  My third choice would be Cumming.  But again, tough category filled with very talented men.  This is one I am very unsure about my choices.

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series: Mary Kay Place, Big Love, "The Might and The Strong"; Sissy Spacek, Big Love, "End of Days"; Shirley Jones, The Cleaner, "Does Everybody Have a Drink?"; Lily Tomlin, Damages, "Your Secrets Are Safe"; Ann-Margret, Law & Order: SVU, "Bedtime"; Elizabeth Mitchell, Lost, "The End".  I hate to admit it, but I only saw two of the above performances: Tomlin and Mitchell.  Both were excellent, both were talked about.  I favor Tomlin a little more.  However, Jones has been absent from television a long time, as has Ann-Margret, so my instincts are telling me these two legends may be battling it out.  We'll just have to wait and see.

     The 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards will air live Sunday, August 29th at 8pm on NBC.

Thursday, August 5, 2010

On the Road With Austin and Santino

     When Lifetime brought back Project Runway last week, so soon, considering it's the third season we're seeing in less than a calendar year, I was surprised by a few things.  One is the new, hour and a half format.  The second was the ditching of the less-than-good Models of the Runway after only two cycles.  The third was what is now following the long running contest.  Namely, a little show called On the Road With Austin and Santino.

     Austin Scarlett delighted fans during the first season, and Santino Rice annoyed audiences in season two.  It seemed a strange pairing, but then again, not really.  The draw of Project Runway for me has always been the drama, and these two clash.  Plus, they both were pretty high profile; each among the best known, if not the best, to come out of their season.  If anyone would get to headline this show, these two were the ones to pick.  And they both have oodles of talent, despite any personality flaws.

      In the first episode, Austin and Santino met a girl that loves to ride horses, and clashed over what her style should be.  Santino favored a gingham theme, while Austin went for lace.  Quite honestly, I though Austin's idea was loads better.  Santino's gingham fabric looked like a table cloth, and it just seemed too predictable for the situation they were in.  But Santino's very strong personality won out, and he did make a fairly decent dress with the material.  Better than expected, anyway.

     I don't know that this series really has the staying power.  I doubt it will be different enough every week to hold my interest for more than a few episodes.  However, as an occasional spot, it might be worth checking out.  That's why I find myself wishing they had produced a limited run of 3 or 4 episodes, or just an hour or two special instead of a series.  Or give the show to different designers every week or few weeks to keep it fresh.  But feel free to prove me wrong, Lifetime.

     On the Road With Austin and Santino airs Thursday nights at 10:30, including tonight.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

18 to Life hits the U.S.

    18 to Life is a charming Canadian sitcom about two best friends and neighbors who get married shortly after turning eighteen.  Originally developed with ABC, the CW now has the American rights to it, and began by airing the first two episodes last night.  All twelve first season installments have already run in Canada, and a second season is in production, to air next winter.  Because the show has already been released, you can find it online if you're slightly creative (or in the Canadian iTunes store), but no DVD set has yet gone on sale.

     The show stars Stacey Farber and Michael Seater as Jessie and Tom, the central couple, and both young actors are a delight.  They have great chemistry.  Her family is New Age, his is business anal.  Yet the actors playing the parents manage to rise above the stereotypes.  The groom also has two sisters, and there's an Iraqi refugee living with the bride's family, so the cast is pretty full for a sitcom.  Add to Tom's best friend, Carter (Jesse Rath), who was Jessie's first sexual partner, and you have quite a bit going on.  And yet, at least in the first two episodes, it was well balanced, and didn't seem too busy at all.  Perhaps as the show continues, the writers may want to give the parents more than a scene or two per episode to steal, but for now, the formula is working nicely.

     In the pilot, "A Modest Proposal", Tom proposes to girlfriend Jessie on a dare.  Both families are against the idea, but pretend to put their full weight behind it in an effort to drive them apart.  The couple, mostly undeterred, go to City Hall and make their engagement a very short one indeed.  In the second episode, "No Strings Attached", the couple tries to find a place to live, made complicated by the fact that neither work, and Tom will soon be starting college.  The parents are starting to embrace the nuptials, but in stages.  I don't think they will let it go to quickly, and it should make a good season one plot arc.  Not having seen the entire season, I don't know what will be in store for season two.

     It's a comedy with good heart, appropriate for families, and feels fresh.  I recommend checking it out.  And finding the first two episodes online, if you can, since they are not currently schedule to rerun.  18 to Life will be presented on the CW Tuesdays at 9 and 9:30pm.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

The Good Guys' summer is over

    The Good Guys have packed it up.  After a mere nine episodes, the final airing last night, the Fox summer series has come to an end.  This is regretful, as I think it has been hands down the best show of the summer.  Happily, however, it will return this fall.  Unhappily, the return date is two months away, and that's a long time to go without my weekly dose of Dan Stark (Bradley Whitford) and Jack Bailey (Colin Hanks).

     Although it is not the standard crime procedural, on paper the series does not have a lot going for it.  Every episode goes through a lot of the same plot points: Stark and Bailey are assigned a minor crime, they want to work a larger crime, somehow the minor crime ties itself into the larger crime.  Stark screws up and angers their boss, Lt. Ruiz (Diana Maria Riva).  Bailey makes subtle passes at his ex-girlfriend, Liz (Jenny Wade).  Through a series of lucky happenstances, the two take down whatever big villain exists, usually with the help of a small villain, who barely qualifies as such, and earns the audience's sympathy, and gets away with whatever he or she did, or gets a very slight punishment.  Time jumps around in whatever way to best please the audience.  Because of the shear number of coincidences, one episode is unrealistic.  But it happens again and again, every week.

     However, something about The Good Guys rises above the ingredients.  It doesn't matter that the episodes don't change much, or that they aren't believable.  It is still miles of fun to watch.  Creator Matt Nix (Burn Notice) has got something on his hands that is light-hearted and action packed.  Tons of bullets fly, things blow up, and somehow, rarely is anyone scratched.  Bradley Whitford seems to be having the most fun of career, overacting the washed-up, former legend with the '70's look.  Hanks, despite his obvious similarities to his father, Tom, has never had his career take off.  But in playing the straight man against Whitford, he's found a home.  Wade is sweet, and Ruiz is more than someone for the audience to get mad at for chastising the heroes.  Usually, you can easily understand why she gets so upset.

     It may not be the smartest thing on television, or the best written, but it has a charm that transcends it, and makes it better than summer fare.  Deservedly, it will return Friday nights beginning September 24th.  A Friday time slot is not usually a good sign, but as the show escaped summer, it can probably escape the death knell of Fridays, too.  Watch The Good Guys on Fox.

Monday, August 2, 2010

Shark Weeks bites again

      Discovery Channel's annual predator-extravaganza has begun. Shark Week kicked off a couple of new specials last night, and will continue throughout the week. Why are sharks the only animals to get such a feature on the channel? Perhaps it's their mysterious nature. Since they live below the water, humans don't often get to see them. Whatever the reason, the week is always popular for the network, and this year should be no exception.

      Last night, I checked out Ultimate Air Jaws. It is a sequel to previous specials, Air Jaws: Sharks of South Africa and Air Jaws II: Even Higher, both of which were also rerun yesterday. In this newest installment, the cameras return to watch the Great Whites leap from the water to hunt seals once more. Only this time they've brought a special camera called the Phantom, which is basically a high-speed that slows the footage down enough for us to observe the giant creature's attack in much more detail. This time, the crew also followed the sharks during their migration. It was exactly what you'd expect from what I described, or, in a word, sweet. As in awesome.

      Another new special this week is Into the Bite, where the cameras actually make it into the sharks' mouths (we hope) to get a view we will never see (we hope). Also on the docket are Shark Attack Survival Guide, Day of the Shark 3, and Shark Bite Beach. Then late night host Craig Ferguson gets into the water with Shark Bites: Adventures in Shark Week, which will feature clips from the last 20 years of Shark Weeks. Of course, plenty of old favorite specials will also air, and Discovery channel hits like Mythbusters and Dirty Jobs have Shark Week episodes. In short, there is plenty to keep you occupied this Shark Week.

      Shark Week is presented on the Discovery Channel.