Continuing our look at the new fall season, here are the offerings that I may find myself interested in for Tuesdays.
7:00
Murder in a Small Town – A Canadian mystery-drama featuring old favorites Kristin Kreuk and Stana Katic.
9:00
High Potential – Created by Drew Goddard and based on a French series, it stars Kaitlin Olson as an under-employed genius who consults with the police.
After 8 seasons, ABC decided to put Castle out to pasture. Given the expected change in direction for the potential 9th season, with Stana Katic and Tamala Jones written off the show, it is perhaps for the best. I assume this will also be the end of the road for the Richard Castle novels, which had been a mainstay of my bookshelf over the past few years.
I assume Nathan Fillion and Katic will show up on my screen, either big or small, sooner rather than later.
Driving Heat – Richard Castle
The latest Nikki Heat novel, from the Nathan Fillion-portrayed author from the television show Castle, arrives with Heat taking over as captain of her precinct, just as Kate Beckett, as played by Stana Katic, has on the show. She teams once again with Jameson Rook, now her fiance, to figure out who is killing a group of whistle blowers and the NYPD shrink. After the case is solved, Heat and Rook get married, just as Castle and Beckett did.
As usual, Castle, or the mystery writer using the television character as a pen name, delivers an entertaining tale for fans of the television series. I don’t know how much one would get out of these novels if you didn’t also enjoy the show, as there are a lot of in-jokes and allusions to the characters and actors, but it is a fun trip for those who do like the show. I’m not sure if there will be more in this series, as the show’s ratings aren’t stellar in its 8th season, so this may have been the swan song for Mr. Castle. If so, he’s gone out on a high note.
Deadly Heat – Richard Castle
The latest novel from Richard Castle, played as always by Nathan Fillion on the show Castle, picks up right after the previous one, with Nikki Heat learning the identity of her mother’s murderer but not knowing why she was killed. In this followup, Heat, the novel version of Stana Katic’s Kate Beckett character, gets the closure she has been looking for while tracking down a serial killer that has targeted her.
These novels have been an intriguing marketing tool for the television show, as they are written by the character and featured in the show’s narrative. It would be easy for these to be trashy, but someone is obviously trying to put out a product worthy of the best selling author. One can only hope that the story of Nikki Heat and Jameson Rook hasn’t ended with the closure of Heat’s mother’s case.
As we start to gear up for midseason premieres and February sweeps, let’s take a look back at what I said and thought back in September.
7:00
How I Met Your Mother – It looks like we (and Ted) are finally going to meet the long-teased titular mother this season, which could be just what the show needs. It started to drag a bit last season, but the premiere seemed like they were back to form. At its worst, it is worth watching for Jason Segel and Neil Patrick Harris, who always bring their A-game.
Well, despite a tease here and there, we aren’t really any closer to meeting the titular mother. But, the season has been good so far, and the last new episode had Jason Segal show just how much range he actually has.
Chuck – The spy comedy enters its fourth season with a new season, a new Buy More, and, finally, Chuck and Sarah together for reals. One of the better shows on TV at bringing out nerd-culture without talking down to it.
The introduction of Chuck’s mother has been a godsend for the show, if only for the occasional guest spot from the surprisingly funny Timothy Dalton. Beyond that, the show has been up to its usual snuff.
Heat Wave - Richard Castle
Book 2 for 2010 is a tie-in novel from the ABC show Castle. Unlike most tie-ins though, this one doesn’t tell a new tale with characters from the show; it is a plot point in the show itself. Richard Castle, played by Nathan Fillion, is a best selling novelist who tags along with a homicide detective, portrayed by Stana Katic, to get information for his newest book. Heat Wave is the result in the show, and was released in the real world as well as the latest thriller from “Richard Castle”. The real author is so far unrevealed.
The book mirrors the set up of the show. Nikki Heat is a NYC homicide detective investigating the links between a dead millionaire and an art heist while putting up with a journalist who has talked his way into a ride along. The novel is a fun, but quick, read, coming in at just under 200 pages. It moves quickly, following the same basic structure of the show (you can practically feel the commercial breaks between chapters) along with what is meant to be some wish-fullfillment on the “author’s” part. Even for non-fans of the show, it provides an entertaining story that can be knocked out in a night or two.
As for the whole 52 in 52 concept, I’ve fallen a little behind as we enter week 3 of 2010. But, I’m currently working on 3 other books, so hopefully I’ll catch up and maybe even get ahead to build up a little cushion for summer.