Friday, November 3, 2006 (Page 3)

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FOR YOUR VIEWING PLEASURE
Well, it's sweeps month so you can expect nothing but fresh offerings from the networks these next few weeks with lots of guest stars and "very special episodes" and shocking deaths. The Class, Help Me Help You, Survivor, Ugly Betty, Top Chef, Fashion House, Desperate Housewives, Nip/Tuck, Freak Show, Drawn Together, Nemesis, The Wire, and Brothers and Sisters all have new episodes.

This Sunday's Brother and Sisters has the whole Walker clan showing up at the family cabin for a romantic weekend. (Read last week's recap here.) Not with each other, mind you. It's just that no one knew anyone else was coming. I guess checking with each other via email was just too much effort. But hopefully this means we'll get to see some more Kevin and Scotty snogging.

BTW, as much as I think their storyline is great and significant (as do lots of other folks judging from what I've read online) it really is kind of sad that we're getting excited over this. After all, Kevin is only one of six or seven main characters and his relationship with Scotty gets maybe three or four minutes an episode. Yet network television has been such a barren desert in this respect Brothers and Sisters truly is meaningful. Oy.

Nip/Tuck may have dropped Christian's "Am I gay" storyline (temporarily, I hope), but Alanis Morrisette is doing a three episode stint as Liz 's icky love interest. Someone dies on Sunday's Desperate Housewives. We haven't seen too much of Andrew lately, but I suspect he's not the one biting the bullet. I finally got a chance to catch up on all the episodes of Nemesis Rising. The boys' coming out in episode two went well and their family is all quite likable. This week the guys perform a “showcase” concert to convince their label they are the real deal.

After four episodes, I'm very pleasantly surprised by the series. Where so many other reality shows—think Whitney and Bobby, or Flavor Flav—come across as cheap and exploitative, Nemesis has real feeling and emotion behind it. It was particularly nice meeting Nick's family (Nick is Jacob's boyfriend) who are kind and accepting. And Joshua has really grown on me. Yes, he's lazy and kind of clueless sometimes, but he is sweet and genuine and really worries about how his being publicly gay will impact his family. He seems like a good egg.

Speaking of Logo, Sunday brings the world premiere of Fighting Tommy Riley, an independent flick for which the gay network bought the rights. It's a boxing story, but less bloody than Raging Bull and less sappy than Rocky. I don't want to give too much away, but it's not your usual gay movie. In fact, part of what I liked so much about it is that it's not so much a "gay" movie as it is a movie where the gay aspect is simply part of the story. J.P. Davis, who also stars as Tommy Riley, wrote it. But the movie's real standout is Eddie Jones who plays Marty, Tommy's trainer.

There is one rap against the movie, but I can't discuss it in detail without divulging a plot twist. All I can say is that, ten or fifteen years ago, I would've agreed. But there is a broad enough spectrum of films out there now that there is room for what happens here, especially since it's so well done.

You already know Borat is at theaters and there ain't much else of queer interest to see at the box office. This week on DVD there is the first season of Melrose Place and Shem, which tells the story of a young bisexual Frenchman looking for the truth about his grandfather. Shadowboxer isn't gay, but was made by the openly gay Lee Daniels, stars Helen Mirren, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Stephen Dorf, and lots and lots of male nudity. In case you like that sort of thing.

Now I'll shut up so you can have the BEST.GAY.WEEK.EVER!

That's it for this week! Check back next Friday for a new installment of Best. Gay. Week. Ever., or read previous installments here.

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