Sunday, December 10, 2006

Selling Sleeper Cell


Yeah I know....MORE great tv to watch, as if we don't have enough to do. Tonight on Showtime (and Movie Central here in Canada), 'Sleeper Cell' begins it's second season (or maxi-series as I call them now - there were ten episodes in the first season, and eight I believe in the second). Cool, gripping 'must see' tv - and as far as I can tell, the entire second season plays this week with one episode a night.

Here's a second season teaser trailer.

Here's a longer second season preview.

Remember the series 'Wiseguy'? Stephen J.Cannell's groundbreaking late 80's crime drama series about a guy going undercover to infiltrate the mob? Sleeper Cell reminds me a little of that series. By giving us in depth looks at both sides of the picture (the federal agents and the cell terrorists) you find yourself relating to the characters, even members of the cell. And empathizing with them in some way -- seeing them as just humans. Like 'The Wire' or 'Traffic' or 'Syriana', this series is a tough watch, but ultimately a satisfying one.

And hats off to Showtime. Once HBO's bitch, with 'Weeds', 'Dexter', 'Brotherhood', and 'Sleeper Cell' - viewers are grooving to the new shows...exciting creative players are wanting to work with the network...they've turned their boat around.

5 comments:

Good Dog said...

It looks like they're really cooking now. The first season got shown over him, midweek, late at night, in two-episode blocks. Which kind of sucked.

Managed to catch most of them. Luckily it's just out on DVD.

Not sure about the episodes being shown every night - which is something I obviously don't have to worry about. When shows have been scheduled nightly over in the UK - it happened with the last season of Seinfeld - it kind of lost the magic of expectation.

I guess I'm someone who can wait for instant gratification.

(Yet, when I watch TV shows on DVD I'm happy to set time aside and watch a bunch of episodes in a row. What the hell does that contradiction say about me?)

Lee said...

Good Dog, you'll want to watch the whole of Season One on DVD, because the asshats at Channel Four cut a ludicrous amount out of each airing.

ME said...

This is one of those series that I somehow didn't get to first time around on TMN. Not sure why, because all I hear is good stuff. Must go out and rent first season first then watch the new ones.

wcdixon said...

It is pretty good, but ya know...there's just so many shows one can keep track of. I actually caught most of Sleeper when they reran it.

M Hand: welcome. Yeah Masters of Horror is pretty good - I've caught maybe 4 of them. But have watched it begrudgingly because I pitched an anthology of supernatural horrors about two years ago and got interest but no go. Then this came out - guess I needed the 'Masters' to seal a deal.

adero said...

i actually havent seen it yet either. but i have heard amazing things about it. i am definitely gonna have to rent this. my friend has been telling me how great it is and he has been talking about a sleeper cell contest they are running too.