USA Network has a great track record for original programming and I’ve been a fan since they started airing them.
One of the show we really like is Royal Pains. I remember Mark Feuerstein from his recurring role in West Wing and in Royal Pains as Hank Lawson he is really growing as an actor. His character is a doctor who relocates to the Hamptons after some problems back in New York involving saving the life of a kid instead of a big shot.
His brother talks him into starting up a service called Hank-Med which provides medical services to the rich as a doctor for hire. His clients don’t want publicity or would rather avoid public facilities. Business is good and Hank and his brother Evan along with Divya Katdare are making a real go of it as they grow the business. Unfortunately Evan thinks he can increase their income by investing the money from the business and he loses big time. To make matters worse, the person who screwed up the investments for them is their Dad, played by Henry Winkler.
The Winter season picks up with boys rushing to the hospital with Dad as he suffers a heart attack. Evan learns a few things about their Dad Eddie as the recuperating process seems like it could bring him back into his sons lives.
It’s a great episode with some nice humor during a charity golf match which also gives us a chance to see Hank in action. The addition of Winkler to the cast looks like it will bring in an added dimension to the show which was already good. Winkler plays the con man Father with gusto, and doesn’t over do it. We also see Hank feeling liek he may want to try again with doctor Jill Casey.
The winter season of Royal Pains will be six episodes and starts on Jan 20th, leading into the premiere of a new show called FAIRLY LEGAL.
USA is continuing great original programming and the beauty of it is they are doing an medical show that is almost an – anti-medical show, just as Fairly Legal is a not really a legal show, but uses the law as the vehicle for the great characters. I highly recommend Royal Pains and Fairly Legal.
