TV GUIDE Previews (Part I)

Look Inside!! EXCLUSIVE

  The Middletown Insider gives readers a sneak preview at the new television season for Middletown 2014!   The list has a lot to pick from and if you read real carefully you may find yourself a treat like an Easter egg or two!

1)   The Mayor and His Mom (FOX)- This ½ hour comedy on the FOX network tells the tale of a former Mayor and his Mom who co-habitat together, argue with one another and basically drive one another batty in a style that is reminiscence of Neil Simon’s classic play The Odd Couple.

2)        Devoto and The Man- (Satire/Encore Vineyard Networks) Follow the adventures of a college professor turned politico as he uses his followers, known as the The Villagers, on his quest for domination of the town’s planning and zoning committee.  The  pilot episode focuses on the professor's many ambitions and shameless deal making techniques in order to become chairperson of an organization he  just joined.  Watch as  his beloved Dems chew him up and spit him up while in the same breath he hopes to dodge a political bullet by putting a “Vote Serra” sign on front lawn.

3)       P/Z Commissioner Russo in Charge (BET)- From the team that brought you Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Charles in Charge comes P/Z Russo in Charge.  Directed by the DMTC and their minions, after Commissioner Chisem is forced to stop down and settle in at his Common Council seat, the DMTC has a field day with this one by naming Daniel Russo, Chisem’s successor.  Watch as the entitled Villagers write letter after letter hoping to force a change against Russo who they openly dumped on (remember how nasty they were?)throughout both campaigns.  The second episode deals with Karma as it crosses over with Devoto and the Man as the viewers see the professor's reaction when he was told Russo beat him for chair.

4)        Bait Car-(Reality on F/X Network) Watch as Republican Town Committee Vice-Chair person William “Billy” Wilson drives a taxicab all around Middletown looking for trouble with the hopes that he can pick up a few fares while keeping his tire threads from going bald.

5)         Phillip Pessina- (Biography Network) The educational channel looks at former deputy chief Phillip Pessina and his rise to power.  Interviews with William Shatner and Lynn Baldoni are included.

6)         Baywatch- (TV Land) The number 1 syndicated show in America returns for a very special episode that features former State Representative Jim O’Rourke leaving the scene of a boating accident that left one innocent female dead.  Watch as Mitch and the gang attempt to unravel the threads of guilt in Mr. O’Rourke’s remarks and attitudes after the tragedy. The episode is based on an actual event that took place in Rocky Hill, Connecticut a few years back when the Mr. O'Rourke left a young woman to die after picking her up at a Rocky Hill bar.

7)   I Lead Two Lives- (Documentary/NatGeo) starring Tim Lennox as the once and future Republican/Independent who has composite view points on most social issues.

8)   Mr. Santangelo’s Neighborhood:  (PBS/Children) The producers of Mister Rogers Neighborhood have a new resident in the neighborhood, Mr. Santangelo and his wife Lisa.  Lisa talks to the children about all the important work she does with everybody while Bob follows her around and basically does what is asked of him. "Bob, get the dogs off the bed!"  Special Guest: Darryl Lucas as the Pizza Delivery Boy.

9)        Dateline (NBC/News) Keith Morrison takes a deeper look into the mysterious Connecticut Health Center CEO Mark Masselli and attempts to figure out why somebody in the non-profit field is making over $607, 000 a year.  What is Masselli’s hidden connection with Former Speaker of the house Christopher Donovan? Who paid for Masselli's trip to Tibet and his meeting with the Dali Lama?  The news-team will also conduct interviews with former employees that claim Masselli forced them to give Donavan’s campaign $100.00 donations. 

10)       Growing up Micciulla- ( E! Reality/Style Channel) Follow the adventures of a young Italian man running a massage parlor while running for office and hanging out at the Bada-Bing club.  Early episodes include cameos from: Jimmy Smits, The Lombardo Boyz, Kool Moe D,  James Caan, Big Pussy from The Sopranos and Frank Vincent.

Board of Assessment Appeals member 
 stars in the reality show "Growing up Micciulla"

11)                  Star Trek The Middletown Generation (SyFy)- Starring Councilman David Bauer as Spock, Billy Russo as Captain Kirk and John Killian as Q.  Early adventures include: plans to put the budget in space and beam Tribbles into the Mayor’s office with the hopes that the cute cuddly characters won't be eaten alive.

"Damnit Joe these friggin tribbles!!
Get me appropriation for the Council to rubber stamp STAT!!"

12)                  Dr. Fred Carroll is Dr. Who- (BBC/Drama)-  The traveling Doctor is back for his 50^th year.  This time the 10th Doctor Who morphs into an American, Fred Carroll.  In this episode, the new Doctor plans to grab a broom and sweep up the solar system.When things get rough, the Doctor fights a Demalak and zooms away in the TARDIS call box.

13)                  Who’s Line is it Anyway? - (GSN/Reunion) Anniversary edition that pits the improvisational skills of Richard Pellitier, Joyce Rossittier, Dan Russo and Stephen Devoto against one another.  Watch as the gang goes after Devoto and his selfish agenda of promoting his self as the expense of anyone. Blue House anyone?  Does anybody know what the hell is going on? Does anybody care? 

14)  Sons of the Village- (Fox/FX) From the Kurt Sutter the creator of Sons of Anarchy.  The show returns in October and Sutter promises fans that all plot lines will be resolved. he The creator told TV GUIDE, “Let’s just say that Ed ‘Jax’ McKeon’s team of bicycle riding social vigilantes attempt to defeat a Starbucks drive through proves to be quite interesting as he tosses tofu bars at cars that refuse to honk whenever the villagers are having a protest.”    Sutter also mentions the final story arch will look at the financial motivations behind some of the Villagers actions as they are forced to admit that are indeed capitalists like those they are publicly protesting.

15)                   Judge Joe Gallo (Court TV/30 Minutes)- Yep, another court show on Court TV, makes sense doesn’t it?  The producers claim unlike Judge Judy, Judge Joe Brown, Judge Alex or The People’s Court this show is different- the judge is worse than the defendants.   The first episode brings us inside Gallo’s court house as we watch Bailiff J. Milardo push Gallo’s eyes back in his head, cartoon style after an attractive paralegal walks by.  “This show is so much fun that after I hid my wife from Gallo, I had to pee,” claimed an employee from Call Before You Dig.

16)                  Little Blue House on the Prairie (PBS)- The award winning investigative news show Frontline takes a hard look at a group of creative capitalist people in a small town in Connecticut who claim they are buying and fixing houses for the joy of it and to bring quality folks into the city.  The special asks serious questions with regard to Blue House: Did the 7 principal owners make money off the deal?  What is their real reason (non-Villager political correct) to buying the property other than money? Could this be a case of elitism gone wrong or something more sinister?

17)                  Blue’s Clues: The Case of the Missing Midnight on Main (PBS)-  Host Donavan Patton as Joe sends BLUES on a special mission to figure out who is responsible for killing the Midnight on Main Street dream.  Did  Masselli pull the plug because he was angry at the Mayor? Was it something else, something more devious?  Be on the look out for money clues and other things that spell out C-O-R-R-U-P-T-I-O-N.

18)                   Somalis: When the Time is Right (Spice Channel/Adult Programming)  For $49.99 viewers can watch as the Mayor’s chief of staff Joseph Sherman Howard Somalis shows the world his inner John Holmes as it’s Wonderland all day and Boogey Nights, well, all night in this steam feast that will make Milton Berle’s third leg look small in comparison. 

19)                   The New Odd Couple (CW)- Starring William Wilson and Grady Faulkner as they live together above Vechitto’s Lemon Ice. Tonight’s episode has Billy refusing to do the laundry and watching the game, while in retaliation, Grady buries all the laundry inside Billy’s bed.  The laughs keep on flowing for 30 minutes of quality entertainment on the CW network.

20)                  Walking Dead: Middletown (MSNBC)- From Robert Kirkland and Dan Pickett comes a new chapter in horror.  It seems the voting machines in Middletown have been contaminated with a toxic waste substance which forces the voters to bitch and moan about taxes, jobs, and other important things but vote the same way.  Watch as the voters slowly become zombies and slaves but continue to keep the status quo the same making sure that a plate of JELLO has more smarts than them.

2 Term Treasurer Que Phipps (D)
on the set of the new Middletown "Walking Dead"

Stay tuned for  TV GUIDE PART II!