Month: April 2006

“Rescue Me” — The Complete Second Season

Jae-Ha Kim

Rescue Me is a wake up call for every man who (as a kid) dreamed about becoming a fireman and every woman who fantasized about being with one. As flawed and complicated as they are selfless and heroic, the fire fighters in this FX series are a compelling lot. They deal with infidelity, drug addiction, and sexual abuse on a daily basis and make it seem like old hat. But the characters are so well thought out that they almost always make viewers care about what’s developing in their lives. This second season surpasses the debut year in terms of story lines and pacing.

“These Girls”

Jae-Ha Kim

Being the object of three teenage girls’ affections may be some men’s secret fantasy, but Keith Clark (David Boreanaz) finds it’s more than he can handle–or live up to–in These Girls. Keith is the type of guy who doesn’t work, but needs a babysitter to look after his infant when his wife is working. He and the 17-year-old sitter begin an affair, which goes smoothly until her two best friends catch her in the act. Literally.

“Kate & Allie” — Season One

Jae-Ha Kim

“Kate & Allie: Season One” introduced a new type of nuclear family to the 1980s: a pair of divorced women living with their children together in a somewhat cramped New York brownstone. A mid-season replacement in 1984, the sitcom starring Susan Saint James as Kate McArdle and Jane Curtin as Allie Lowell was both a critical and commercial success. The shoulder pads, clunky answering machine, and hairdon’ts give away the decade, but the storylines of grown-up best friends supporting and, at times, sparring with each other during personal and professional crises are timeless.

“The Facts of Life” — Seasons One and Two

Jae-Ha Kim

Before “Degrassi Junior High” and “Seventh Heaven,” there was “The Facts of Life”–a feel-good sitcom where a lesson was learned at the end of each episode. Set in an all-girl boarding school, the series spanned nine seasons, countless hairdos, and an array of cast members and guest stars–some of whom (George Clooney, Helen Hunt, Molly Ringwald) would become very, very famous in the future.

“Here Come The Brides” — Season One

Jae-Ha Kim

If you look at the premise of “Here Come the Brides” on paper, the whole series sounds rather bizarre: three brothers head East to find 100 young women who agree to move to untamed Seattle to marry the single men in town. The potential brides have to remain in Seattle for at least a year. If they don’t, the siblings could lose their family business. But this show isn’t set in a society where there’s a Starbucks on every corner.

“Side Effects”

Jae-Ha Kim

A well-intentioned film about a young pharmaceutical rep who is torn between earning a good living and living a good life, Side Effects tells the story of Karly Hert, portrayed by Katherine Heigl (Grey’s Anatomy, Roswell), who also executive produced the project. Karly works for a company whose motto is “To protect and prolong life.” But what they really mean is prolong their own) lives by making as much money as possible.