Dexter is an unexpected hit from Showtime and shown on CBS in the US, now screening series 4 since its beginning in 2006. Based on the crime novels (Darkly Dreaming Dexter, Dearly Devoted Dexter and Dexter in the Dark) by Jeff Lindsay. The main character is Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall of Six Feet Under notoriety), a police civilian and criminal mastermind. He examines blood spatter patterns and establishes causes of death and other crucial forensics information which assists the Miami Metropolitan police department in finding and catching murderers in their jurisdiction. But Dexter is just as much a killer, innocent colleague and upstanding staff member by day and methodical and disciplined killer by night.

Dexter was found in a deep pool of his mother’s blood in a haulage trailer at the harbour at just 3 years of age and it has a lifelong and enormously traumatic effect upon him. He is found after 2 days by police officer, Harry Morgan (James Remar) who then brings him up along with his own daughter Debra. We discover very early on that Dexter is strangely taken with the concepts and actions of murder and his adoptive father teaches him discipline and method, learned by his own experiences in the police force, to protect Dexter. Now as an adult Dexter only kills bad guys, those missed by the scales of justice, using his training under ‘The Code of Harry’ to cover his tracks carefully.

Debra works alongside Dexter, as a police officer, intent on finding the bad guys and entirely unaware that her brother is one of them.

Further emphasising Dexter’s sociopathic tendencies and highlighting his need to create a normal facade, he has a girlfriend to complete his disguise. Rita (Julie Benz of Buffy fame), is also emotionally damaged by her previous partner and mistakes Dexter’s reticence as caring respect.

Dexter achieves character depth and history in flashback scenes, shown during conversation or during moments of reflection and we soon know much of the background which brings us to the present moment.

In series 1 when the Ice Truck Killer hits Miami we see what happens when another serial killer steps on Dexter’s toes and there’s a multitude of surprises along the way.

No matter how gruesome it sounds, it is an incredibly clever programme. The gore scenes are reasonably restrained, a few are used for the shock factor, coming as a cautious reminder that really is a programme about a murderer who is getting away with it. Even the beginning, titles  are ingenious, each a moment of a morning routine in everyday life, filmed close up with the intention of appearing violent and dangerous.

It feels gritty like any US crime series worth its salt, but there’s a darker undertone, contrasted with some enormously funny modern references. One I caught a clip of was the police team discussing a note which referenced the American novelist Mark Twain (1835-1910). Dry as can be, one retorts ‘Ah yes, Mark Twain from Deep Space Nine’ and another shoots back with ‘No, Mark Twain was Next Generation!’.

Somehow it almost becomes easy to understand Dexter’s justification, which is perhaps part of what makes the series so gripping and of such international popularity, a darker side of human nature which allows the moral crime but loves the concept of a protective vigilante.

The series is written by the award-winning screenwriter James Manos, Jr. and distributed by CBS in the US; however in the UK we’re still awaiting series 2 on any channel, unless I’ve missed it. However, when it does launch, you’re likely to find it on Sky1 and most definitely after the watershed. Each episode, interspersed with advertisements in four segments, last 45 minutes, each following the 12 episode story line and the series story arc.

It’s filmed in Miami predominantly, so you really get a feeling for those incredibly humid days when the actors are visibly sweating in a heat wave. Much of the first series was shot in a small locale but you’d never know it. As the number of seasons grows and the finances invested do too, I’m sure we’ll see more of the US in general.

I’m utterly hooked. You can buy series 1 on DVD from any decent retailer, Amazon stocks it at 16.98 currently, Play.com at 16.99.

Let’s get one thing straight – South Park is not aimed at a “child” audience. It was never intended to be aimed at a “child” audience. Anyone who says it is aimed at a “child” audience, has obviously never watched it. There is a disclaimer at the beginning of the show, which states, “… the following program contains coarse language, which should not be viewed by anyone…” So right from the beginning, you the viewer are given due warning. At this point, if you are easily offended, or you don’t want your children watching, it is your responsibility to change the channel or turn off your TV. You have the power.

If you didn’t turn off the TV or you didn’t change the channel, you had your chance. You have no one but yourself to blame.

Is South Park profane? Very much so. In one episode, they use the word “sh-t” 162 times. Those who were up on current events at the time the show aired, know that the episode was in response to “sh-t” being used ONLY ONCE on a prime time show! The South Park episode was satirizing a real life controversy centering around the single use of that word during prime time.

Is South Park unsophisticated toilet humor? At times South Park does make extensive use of toilet humor, You don’t get any more “toilet humor” than Mr. Hanky the Christmas Poo. As South Park’s dedicated viewers know though, South Park is rarely unsophisticated. Most of the episodes are stories written in response to current events and are meant to parody and satirize their subject matter in an intellectual way… i.e. to prove a point and make the audience think. I know… thinking is too hard for some people. Don’t worry. There’s plenty of mindless soap operas and game shows for you to “veg” out to during the day.

Is South Park offensive? I suppose that depends on who you are. Matt and Trey once claimed that they are “equal opportunity offenders”. Take that to mean whatever you like. At this point, they’ve equally offended just about every group they can think of.

Is South Park “racist”? It is true that in their episode, “Apologies to Jesse Jackson”, they used the “n word” over 40 times. Anyone who was up on current events would know that the episode was in response to the news about Michael Richards and later, Don Imus. So… Matt and Trey weren’t being racist. They were satirizing the use of a racist word and the subsequent hype in the press. Here is an interesting quote from Wikipedia: “Kovon and Jill Flowers, who co-founded the organization “Abolish the ‘N’ Word”, which  is linked with the NAACP, praised this episode, saying it was a good example of how it felt to be called (n-word).”
http://en.wikipedia. org/wiki/South_park

Now for fun, let’s compare this to older cartoons. Look at Woody Woodpecker, Droopy, or even old Tom and Jerry cartoons. Those cartoons were much more guilty of portraying racial stereotypes. Take the Droopy cartoon, “Droopy’s Good Deed,” where a bulldog character names Spike is burned in a fire. Spike is all charred and black with big pink lips. Droopy goes up to Spike and asks, “Hey Blackie. Are there any more babes in there?” Of course, racial stereotypes were much more acceptable back then, which, by default, made it OK, right? Never mind that these particular animation clips have been banned or edited out of Droopy cartoons played now. You can see the Droopy sample here if you don’t believe me: http://classicanimation.blogsp ot.com/2006/07/hey-blackie.htm l

Is South Park worthless trash that should be taken off the air? Well, it was nominated for numerous awards including being nominated eight times for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program. Incidentally, it won twice. It also won a Peabody award. Correct me if I’m wrong, but awards like those are not given lightly, or to just anyone. You can see a list of all of it’s awards (nominated and won) on Wikipedia. Go ahead and click there and read for yourself. I’ll wait. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S outh_park#Awards

So, you’re back? OK then. In conclusion, don’t bash a show and spout fire about how it is trash and should be taken off the air until you know a little more information about it. If you’re easily offended, that’s what those buttons on your remote control are for… so you can go somewhere else. Matt Stone and Trey Parker are not to be held responsible for raising your children wrong. They never intended their show for children. Cartoons are not a “child only” medium. This has always been a misconception.

Asking what is the best television series is like asking what is the best color. It is subjective, and what is the right answer for one viewer may be way off base for the next. That is why there is so much variety in television. However, there is one current television series that stands above all others. Not everyone loves it, but everyone has to at least admit that it is smart television. It is a show filled with drama, mystery, intrigue, and comic relief. It has the power to make its audience sit on the edge of their seats anticipating what will come next. It is mesmerizing and smart, with as much drama as Dawson’s Creek and as much mystery as Twin Peaks. It is the show everyone is talking about on Thursday mornings. The show I am referring to is, of course, LOST.

A new dawn in television. In the past, television dramas have had interlocking story lines where one major story permeates throughout the life of the series. Series such as The X-Files and Twin Peaks did this superbly, taunting viewers week after week with clues to the over-arching mystery. LOST is a series in this vein. However, what makes LOST different is that there are really no stand alone episodes. A viewer must have watched season one in order to truly understand all subsequent seasons. The writers expect that the viewers have been watching from the beginning. Many past series have been hesitant to go as far as LOST has because a potential viewer might be doubtful about starting to watch during season 5, knowing he has to go back and watch all four preceding series to truly understand the show. But this is just one more thing that makes LOST great.

A simple yet complex plot. The plot of the series is very simply, several plane crash survivors find themselves on an island awaiting rescue. They come to find out the island has some very mysterious qualities and they are not the only ones there. That’s it! But the true question is, what is the island? It is not just an island. It has the power to heal, to make sick, to give life and to take it away. The mysterious properties of the island are seemingly endless and timeless. And who are the others that live on the island? Through five seasons the most loyal viewers still cannot answer these questions.

Educated writers. While watching LOST one gets the feeling that these writers know everything about everything! The allusions in this series are endless. There are biblical allusions to such things as Adam and Eve, Jacob, Purgatory, Jesus, The  Virgin Mother. There are allusions to ancient Egyptian cultures such as Horus, Anubis, the ankhe – symbol of life, hieroglyphics on the temple wall. There are even allusions to suggest the island is connected to The Lost City of Atlantis. There are allusions to philosophers, literary characters and authors in the character’s names, John Locke, Sawyer, Juliet, Christina Shepherd. The lists of allusions are endless. These allusions create mystery and intrigue. Was the island connected to Egyptian culture somehow? Is the island a biblical place? Is it a mythical place?

Drama. The show has drama. It has relationship drama, love triangles, mother-child issues, daddy issues, friendships, enemies, sickness, birth, death, and so much more. Many viewers watch for the mystery to unravel, but many other watch for the drama. To whom will Kate profess her love? Will Rose and Barnard make it through the show intact and healthy? Can Sayid find companionship? Will Hurley’s luck ever change? The characters are real and we as viewers see ourselves in them. There is the reluctant leader, the believer, and the dreamer. There is the scientist and the theologian. There are the love birds and the volatile. There is the liar and the sage. We find ourselves rooting for some and hating others, but the following week, all of that could change!

Science fiction. Though the series is typically referred to as a drama, there is plenty for the sci-fi fan to sink his teeth into. There’s the mysterious black smoke monster. The island’s electromagnetic qualities have a sci-fi feel. Death seems to be a temporary state on this island for some people. And the island itself is able to communicate with a chosen few. Jacob, the name used to describe a man (or possibly an entity) that is in control of the island, is mysterious and mystical. And there is the addition of time travel in the latest seasons. The thing about LOST is that is sucks you in with its drama and then it keeps you there through the science fiction, whether you are a fan of this genre or not.

Comic relief. The show is not without its comedy. Hurley is one character who often provides some comic relief. Lovable and loyal, this character is the one most likely to come out with a witty one-liner that makes viewers smile. Charlie, in the earlier seasons, provided a spring board for Hurley’s comic relief, while in later seasons it seems Miles has been placed as a foil to Hurley’s silliness. There are few laugh-out-loud moments, the  show is after all a drama, but there is certainly enough light-hearted scenes to keep the heavy mystery from getting too heavy for viewers!

Mystery. The one thing that keeps viewers coming back week after week is the mystery. There are questions on top of questions and the answers usually lead to more questions. Viewers tune in for the promise of answers to long awaited mysteries only to find that those answers create more mystery. It is ingenious! Just enough is given to keep people satisfied, and just enough is kept hidden to keep people watching. Sometimes something you noticed in season one pops up as an answer to a mystery in season four. It makes things difficult for a viewer who has not been watching from the beginning, but it also makes the series so intriguing to those who have. Avid fans will watch each episode very closely to be sure not to miss anything. Many fans, myself included, have watch the entire known series from season one through season five more than one time through!

Theories upon theories. I cannot think of another show, past or current, that has been discussed, debated, and theorized more than LOST. If you look up LOST theories on any search engine, hundreds of results will pop up, each complete with research and ‘proof.’ Each week LOST fans come up with new possibilities to solve the mystery of the island. Some have been outright denied by LOST’s creators but most are possibilities. The ingenious of the show is evident in the fact that one fan can prove his theory beyond a shadow of a doubt while the next can disprove it just as easily.

LOST is not a show for everyone. The people who love it, love it whole heartedly and will never miss an episode. People who are not fans have likely just failed to give the show a chance. I myself stopped watching in the middle of season two with the excuse that it was too focused on character stories and was forgetting about the mystery at hand. But sometime during season three I was hooked again and began to realize that when the end game is already in the minds of the writers, build-up is necessary, and that explained season two’s character flashbacks. The show is smart and exciting. If you are not a fan of LOST, rent season one and get ready to become absorbed in the best current television series.