That's Life!

Like most American TV viewers today, I am a fan of shows with action, and with a capital 'A'.

It must come from a desire to be ripped out of our repetitive, over-scheduled, lives. But for whatever the reason, shows with the requisite action get our attention, and those without it, don't.

I am not including comedies in this discussion, since laughing is its own action - sort of. And comedies are seldom more than half-hour shows, while dramas are usually an hour. An hour without action is bedtime, basically.

Which is all too bad, since several shows that deserve my (and our) attention have slipped away. The one which bothers me most is 'Life', which has gone missing from NBC's lineup after two seasons. I only caught a few episodes of it before it went away, usually when the other shows I watched in its time slot were showing a rerun.

You see, by crime procedural standards, the show had little action. If you were swapping channels and happened upon it, you'd be unlikely to glimpse any car chases, shootings, foot pursuits, breaking glass, or bloody gore to arrest your attention. So, like many of the shows fans, I settled on it for a try only when there was simply-nothing-else I wanted to watch.

But the show was good - even great. By the time the season ended, I'd become caught up in the life of detective Charlie Crews (Damian Lewis). He'd become one of my favorite people. The finale was satisfying, and left me wanting more. The supporting cast was first rate, and, even if the writing was only just acceptable, I eagerly anticipated the next season.

Little did I know the decision had already been made to drop the show. (Thank You, Jay Leno)

Luckily for me, the first two seasons are available for download from iTunes. I've been buying the standard definition versions two at a time to watch during plane rides on my iPod. So I can honestly say I've 'enjoyed Life at 30,000 feet'.

RIP Charlie Crews ...