Not much to report about this past weekend, so I'll just mention a couple of TV shows that have caught my interest lately.

I know I’ve mentioned this show before, but after seeing another episode last night, involving a case of ‘gay bashing,’ I wanted to plug it again. While CSI and CSI: Miami remain my personal faves, COLD CASE is really beginning to click with me. I enjoy the idea of Detective Lilly Rush (played by Kathryn Morris) being given the job of looking at murder cases, which have never been solved or where new evidence appears which may change the original conclusion. Rush is the only woman in the Philadelphia homicide bureau, which brings its own problems, naturally. (Hey, it is network television, so you have to have your typical “old boys” who resent Rush, plus the younger guys all hitting on her. Despite this Morris brings some intelligence to the character, but also a sensitivity that other female detectives on the small screen seem to lack.)

One of the nice little touches on the show, as I think I mentioned weeks ago when the show premiered, is that we see the characters as they are today as well as how they were at the time of the original crime. While a little short on the usual car chases and action that most ‘cop shows’ use to fill the time, COLD CASE actually allows characters to drive the plot, allowing the viewer to sympathize with both the victim and occasionally the murderer as well.

If you get ANIMAL PLANET on your cable system, Donna and I both recommend KING OF THE JUNGLE. Despite not being a fan of 'reality shows' like SURVIVOR and the like, we've really taken to this twist on the concept. Twelve individuals, all with backgrounds in working with animals (veterinarians, zoo keepers, animal handlers, etc.) compete in a series of challengers. They range from the physical (climbing trees, navigating rope bridges) to actually working with animals of different sorts. Some just involve identifying a creature and then having a minute of air time to explain the animal to viewers, while others force the contestants to 'capture' specimens. Just like all the other shows of this type each week one contestant is judged 'off' the show and has to leave the encampment. Eventually the finalist will be given their own show on ANIMAL PLANET. Certainly not original, but lots of fun for folks who enjoy Wild Kingdom, Croc Hunter and other things like that.