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Monday, October 01, 2007

Reviews: Aliens in America, Cane, and Life is Wild

Aliens in America
Premiere date: October 1, 2007
Airs: Mondays @ 8:30 p.m. ET on the CW



Most of us felt like aliens in high school. Just imagine if you were an awkward teenager going to your first day of class in America, but you happened to be a Muslim from Pakistan. Aliens in America is the story of a young foreign exchange student who is sent to live with a Christian family in Wisconsin. The family has a son of their own, who feels like an alien at high school, too. Justin and Raja soon discover that they have more in common than they imagined. Aliens in America is one of my two favorite new comedies this season. (Reaper is the other.) Adhir Kalyan is so charming in this role, you’ll want to play host for him, too. In addition to many laugh-out-loud moments, the show is an excellent social commentary on the xenophobia currently occurring in our country. The premiere episode has a sweet ending and hits all the right comedy notes. We need more shows on television that provide a cultural education. Aliens in America does that and gives us plenty of laughs to boot. Here’s hoping Raja gets a green card to stay more than one season.


Cane
Premiere date: September 25, 2007
Airs: Tuesdays @ 10 p.m. on CBS



Jimmy Smits returns to television in this drama about a Latino family that operates a rum business. This show is full of Latin verve and good acting. The cast is stellar and includes Hector Elizondo, Nestor Carbonell and Rita Moreno. A sibling rivalry between the two brothers, Smits and Carbonell, provides plenty of drama. (Think Bobby versus J.R. Ewing.) Cane was a pleasant surprise to me. I didn’t expect it to be as good as it was. The Duque family is so large it may take you a couple episodes to remember all of them, but it’s worth the investment. Smits shines in his role as head of the family business. He waivers between good and evil. In other words, he’s got a touch of Tony Soprano in him that makes him dangerous. This drama has plenty of secrets and lies, as well as family love. It’s easy to get drunk on Cane. And don’t be surprised if you’re thirsty for a Mojito after you watch.

Life is Wild
Premiere date: October 7, 2007
Airs: Sundays @ 8 p.m. on the CW

If you’re looking for a show to watch with the entire family, then Life is Wild may be to your liking. It’s this season’s 7th Heaven. A New York veterinarian uproots his family to South Africa to get them away from the pampered lifestyle to which they’ve grown accustomed. The show is actually shot in South Africa and features some of the most beautiful wildlife shots I’ve ever seen on a TV show. It was a bit predictable at times, but it didn’t ruin the show. The heart of Life is Wild is the family, albeit a newly blended family of stepsiblings and rebellious teens. For those who loved 7th Heaven, I think you’ll love Life is Wild just as much. If not, you’ll at least to get to see some beautiful cinematography.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

I, too, was pleasantly surprised with Cane. I dvr-ed it out of curiosity. I think Smits is fantastic and would watch just about anything he was on. I'm really interested to see where the storyline goes in the next few weeks.

tube talk girl said...

He is a TV icon. I'd follow him anywhere, too, Tim. Wait, does that make me stalker? :)

tube talk girl said...

One more thing, on Cane, was it me or was Nestor wearing more eye liner than a drag queen? His eyemakeup was distracting.

Anonymous said...

Aliens was so funny. The classroom scene when the teacher was asking who else was angry at him was hysterical. And then she called him a "Muslami." Sadly, I really think people are that ignorant. This show is ballsy. I love it.

Anonymous said...

I really wanted to watch this show, but it's on the CW and I'm bitter that they cancelled Veronica Mars and Everwood.

Anonymous said...

Yes, TTG, you're a stalker...add Jimmy Smits to the ever-growing list of men you stalk (Selleck, Josh Jackson, etc.)...Nestor's eye makeup was pretty distracting...I told my wife he looked like Chris Daughtry, what with all of the eyeliner

tube talk girl said...

Yes, Tim, that list is long. Don't forget Tom Welling and Josh Duhamel. I have a thing for tall, dark, and chiseled cheekbones.

I've never seen a male actor wear eyeliner like that before. Strange. I want to send him my eye makeup remover.

tube talk girl said...

Jess, I'm bitter, too, but my bitterness extends far back to the days when the WB cancelled Angel. :)

Still, the CW has come out with two good shows: Reaper and Aliens and America and they have my loyalty forever with Smallville.

Anonymous said...

I had Aliens DVR-ed and just watched it. I loved it!!!!!

I thought Cane was a little slow, and yes TTG, that eyeliner is crazy on that dude.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the kudos and the buzz on our little show "Life Is Wild" - I know that we're all really enjoying working on the program and living in South Africa. I hope it all translates over to the screen so everyone can experience the fun.

I hope you continue to enjoy it!

Take care,

DW

tube talk girl said...

Hey D.W.! Thanks so much for stopping by and visiting Tube Talk. That's incredibly cool.

I did enjoy the show, and as I said, it's beautifully shot. There aren't many good family drama shows on the tube anymore and "Life is Wild" fills that niche nicely.

Good luck with the show. We're pulling for you. By the way, I just changed the photo in my review. (The one I had was from the old press photos, before you were cast.) South Africa looks gorgeous, and I wanted to show some of the wildlife.

All the best!

Anonymous said...

wow, that "life is wild" pic is really cool. It looks beautiful. I love animals, and I liked 7th Heaven, so I'll have to check it out.

ramos said...

Aliens in America is one of my favorite show.Season 1 episodes are fantastic one.I saw this show online as i got a source to watch Aliens in America.I really enjoyed the show here.


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