Sprague Grayden Movies
Jericho returned for a second astounding season thanks to unprecedented and impassioned support from its legion of loyal fans, many of whom sent peanuts (reportedly totaling thousands of pounds) to the CBS offices in New York and Los Angeles. Why peanuts? That was a reference to the Season 1 cliffhanger finale, which ended with a character uttering "Nuts." CBS responded by bringing the series back for this concluding seven-episode Season 2 run in the spring of 2008. In the aftermath of a devastating nuclear explosion, and a battle with neighboring New Bern, the once peaceful town of Jericho begins to rebuild itself as it attempts to communicate with the outside world. The newly formed Cheyenne government strives to establish its stronghold in the region, but Jericho's citizens become suspicious of these new leaders as they question their true intentions.
- Starring:
- Skeet Ulrich, Ashley Scott, (more)
Nick Guthe's darkly comic Mini's First Time stars Nikki Reed as the title character, a manipulative, highly sexualized teenager with parents who fail to offer much structure or guidance. Her stepfather (Alec Baldwin) is rich and dim, and her mother (Carrie-Anne Moss) leads a hard-partying lifestyle. As the relationship between Mini and her stepfather grows more twisted, criminal activity occurs. Luke Wilson appears as a detective investigating the situation, and Jeff Goldblum plays their wealthy neighbor. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nikki Reed, Alec Baldwin, (more)
- 2005
Veteran U.S. Army campaigner Sgt. "Scream" Silas (Keith Robinson) more than lives up to his name when he finds out he's been assigned an additional 90-day stint in the Iraq war as the TV drama series Over There begins its 13-week run. Not only is Scream sick of being stuck in "the middle of downtown Sh*tville," but he must also wet nurse a platoon comprised entirely of combat "virgins." The horror of war hits home immediately when former football star Pvt. Bo Rider (Josh Henderson) loses a leg in a roadside bombing. Later episodes show the soldiers facing moral dilemmas regarding the treatment of prisoners and the handling of civilians, the latter problem particularly affecting the street-smart Pvt. "Smoke" Williams (Kirk Jones) when he's suspected of the wrongful death of an innocent Iraqi, whereupon the insurgents put a price on his head. In another all-too-common crisis, a journalist imbedded with the platoon is taken hostage by terrorists. And in less common but no less vexing predicament, the soldiers mull over the possibility of petty larceny when they stumble upon a million dollars squirreled away by Saddam's minions. Elsewhere, preppy private "Dim" Dumphy (Luke MacFarlane) must deal with the fact that his wife, Vanessa (Brigid Brannagh), is not only cheating on him but is hitting the bottle big-time; the invalid Bo has trouble making ends meet when his military pay is cut off; PFC "Doublewide" Del Rio (Lizette Carrion) ends up going AWOL out of concern for her autistic son; abrasive and resentful Pvt. "Mrs. B" Mitchell (Nicki Lynn Aycox) makes a public spectacle of herself cavorting around with anti-war movie actors; and in the waning days of the tour, the lives of the platoon members are placed in serious jeopardy by the miscalculations of new CO Alexander Hunter, aka "Captain Underpants" (Josh Stamberg). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Keith Robinson, Erik Palladino, (more)
The mysterious death of Lisa Fisher (Lili Taylor) -- revealed in the third-season finale, "I'm Sorry, I'm Lost" -- casts a dark shadow across the entire fourth season of this critically acclaimed HBO drama. As funeral director Nate (Peter Krause) grapples with single parenthood and the aftermath of his wife's apparent drowning, he makes his way back into the arms of ex-girlfriend Brenda (Rachel Griffiths). Their reunion does little to help Brenda's budding romance with a hunky neighbor (Justin Theroux), but it does plenty to upset Lisa's grieving family. Meanwhile, David (Michael C. Hall) finds his newfound domesticity with boyfriend Keith (Mathew St. Patrick) interrupted by a surreal carjacking incident. As David slowly cracks up, Keith goes out on the road to provide security for trashy pop star Celeste (guest star Michelle Trachtenberg), who at one point unexpectedly seduces him. Art-school student Claire (Lauren Ambrose), too, find herself batting for the other team when she takes up with audacious performance artist Edie (guest star Mena Suvari). The relationship doesn't last, but ex-boyfriend Russell (Ben Foster) does help Claire stumble upon the new artistic direction that will lead to her first gallery show. Fisher matriarch Ruth (Frances Conroy) slowly gets to know the real George Sibley (new series regular James Cromwell), whom she impulsively married before learning about his history of mental illness. Meanwhile, family man Federico (Freddy Rodriguez) finds his own marriage disintegrating after he gets caught up in an affair with a needy lap dancer (guest star Idalis DeLeon). With its even darker-than-usual storylines, apocalyptic imagery, and shocking revelations, the fourth season of Six Feet Under alienated some fans and critics. Nevertheless, the show remained a strong ratings performer during this slightly shorter, 12-episode run. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael C. Hall, Peter Krause, (more)
- 2002
Piecing together elements from such past series as The Profiler, Quantum Leap, and the 1967 cult classic Coronet Blue, John Doe starred Dominic Purcell as the title character. Awakening naked on a desert island, the hero eventually washed up in Seattle, where he quickly gained a reputation as a walking encyclopedia of arcane facts. If one wanted to know how many dimples there were on a golf ball, or the name of the ruler of Peru in the early 16th century, all one had to do was ask "John Doe," who literally knew all the answers save one: He had no idea who he really was, where he had come from, or how he had managed to accumulate so much knowledge. Even so, John offered the benefit of his expertise to the police to solve baffling crimes and missing-persons cases. While some of the authorities welcomed his input, there were those who thought there was something very fishy -- if not other-worldly -- about the enigmatic Mr. Doe. As expected, each hour-long episode provided tiny clues as to the protagonist's identity, but never enough to give the whole game away. John Doe debuted amidst much publicity fanfare on September 20, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dominic Purcell, Azura Skye, (more)
- 2001
When Gentech Industries decides to movie their facilities to the quiet suburban community of Hillsdale, NJ, the stage is set for mayhem in this Romero-esque zombie opus from director Michael J. Hein. Surrounded by barbed wire fences and shrouded in secrecy, the mysterious Gentech soon begins to rouse the suspicious of the locals as trucks are spotted entering and exiting the facility at all hours. Determined to find out what kind of research Gentech is involved with, a local priest and a no-nonsense police sergeant set out to discover the truth behind Gentech - but not before a group of partying teens break onto the grounds to make a horrifying discovery. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Looking like death warmed over, Jack Lemmon plays the aging father of Ted Danson. Always proud of being able to fend for himself, Lemmon despises being reliant upon others, but his enfeebled state does not allow him his old independence. For his part, Danson resents having to care for his dad as he would for an infant. Things take an upward turn when a "Doctor Feelgood" (Zakes Mokae) enters the scene, pumping Lemmon full of self-confidence. But then Lemmon is stricken with cancer, an affliction that he can't jolly himself out of. As the reality of his imminent death strikes everyone around him, Lemmon retreats into fantasy, recalling the past happy events of his life as though they're happening here and now. The rest of the family humors their dying dad, and in so doing draws closer together than they've been in years. TV sitcom maestro Gary David Goldberg co-produced and directed Dad, and also adapted the screenplay from the novel by William Wharton. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Lemmon, Ted Danson, (more)
