I thought last week’s “Newsroom,” about the Bin Laden extermination, represented a major rebound for the series after two lackluster installments. It felt more like the Aaron Sorkin who wrote “Charlie Wilson’s War,” “The Social Network” and “Moneyball.”
I liked the stuff with ACN big boss Charlie and Late For Dinner (and Charlie staring at the clocks all during the party), I liked the anxious comedy of manners on the D.C. tarmac (“She set the treasury secretary on fire.” “It’s true.”), but most of all I came to love Lisa Lambert, fashion buyer and roommate of Maggie Jordan, whose general coolness elevated her to something more than a distraction or plot device. I loved that Jim Harper seemed to jump from like to love for Lisa, and I loved that Lisa seemed to earn it. I loved Neal’s girlfriend (Natalie Morales of “Middleman” and “Parks and Recreation” fame) generally, but especially her explaining to her video game opponent that he lost 10 minutes ago. Also, it felt good to relive the night Osama met Seal Team Six. We could afford to dramatize that once a year, I think.
HBO says of “The Blackout, Part 1: Tragedy Porn”:
"News Night" refuses to lead with a pair of sensational stories, which causes ratings to plummet - and forces Will and Mac to abandon their principles in order to lure viewers back and shore up the network's bid to land a Republican debate. Will auditions an unlikely scribe, Brian Brenner, to write an all-access profile; Sloan chafes over her lack of air time to report on a critical financial crisis; Charlie learns the identity of an NSA whistleblower; Neal pitches an internet sting.
Last week on “Weeds” Nancy agreed to a playdate and ended up selling pot for a pharmaceutical concern. Showtime says of “Unfreeze”:
Nancy lands a highly competitive job; Shane graduates from the police academy; and Andy looks for work at a local synagogue. Meanwhile, Doug's excessive spending is curtailed.
Tonight's premieres:
All You Can Meat (10pm Travel)
Animal Practice (10:38 p.m. NBC)
Hell On Wheels (9pm AMC)
Sundays June 17-Aug. 5, 2012
(Adults 18-49; repeats in gray; older weeks in parentheses)
10.2(11.6)(---) (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) Olympics
2.7 (2.6) (2.6) (2.7) (2.6) (2.6) (2.6) (2.6) True Blood
2.1 (1.9) (2.0) (2.3) (---) (---) (---) (---) Big Brother
1.5 (1.6) (1.2) (1.8) (1.8) (1.4) (---) (1.7) Family Guy
1.5 (1.6) (1.4) (1.5) (1.4) (1.4) (1.3) (1.2) Keeping/Kardashians
1.3 (---) (1.2) (1.2) (1.2) (1.2) (1.3) (1.5) Falling Skies
1.3 (1.3) (0.9) (1.6) (1.3) (1.4) (---) (1.3) The Simpsons
1.2 (1.1) (1.2) (1.5) (---) (---) (---) (---) Breaking Bad
0.9 (0.7) (1.2) (1.2) (1.0) (1.1) (1.0) (---) AFH Videos
0.9 (---) (0.9) (1.1) (1.1) (0.9) (1.0) (---) Army Wives
0.9 (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) NFL Football
0.9 (0.8) (1.0) (1.0) (0.9) (1.2) (1.0) (1.0) 60 Minutes
0.8 (0.5) (---) (1.4) (1.5) (1.2) (0.9) (---) Extreme Makeover WLE
0.8 (---) (0.9) (0.8) (0.7) (0.5) (0.7) (0.7) Longmire
0.8 (0.7) (0.9) (0.9) (0.9) (0.7) (1.0) (---) The Newsroom
0.8 (0.6) (---) (1.5) (1.5) (1.2) (1.1) (---) Secret Millionaire
0.7 (0.8) (0.8) (0.7) (---) (---) (---) (---) Black Dynamite
0.7 (0.9) (---) (0.9) (0.8) (0.8) (0.8) (1.0) Cleveland Show
0.7 (---) (0.6) (0.9) (0.8) (0.6) (0.6) (0.7) Drop Dead Diva
0.7 (---) (0.8) (0.8) (0.8) (0.5) (0.7) (0.6) The Glades
0.7 (---) (0.7) (0.8) (---) (---) (---) (---) Leverage
0.6 (0.8) (---) (0.8) (0.7) (1.4) (0.7) (1.5) American Dad
0.6 (0.6) (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) Bar Rescue
0.6 (0.7) (0.6) (0.9) (0.8) (---) (0.7) (0.9) Ice Road Truckers
0.6 (0.7) (0.9) (0.6) (0.5) (0.7) (0.9) (0.8) The Mentalist
0.6 (0.5) (0.6) (0.8) (0.9) (0.5) (0.7) (0.6) Storage Hunters
0.6 (0.7) (0.7) (0.5) (0.7) (---) (---) (---) Sunday Best
0.5 (0.5) (0.7) (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) Chopped
0.5 (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) Flip Men
0.5 (---) (0.4) (0.5) (0.6) (0.6) (0.6) (---) The Great Escape
0.5 (---) (---) (---) (---) (0.7) (---) (---) Hawaii Five-0
0.4 (---) (---) (0.4) (---) (0.5) (0.6) (0.4) Cupcake Wars
0.4 (0.5) (0.6) (0.5) (0.6) (---) (---) (---) Hoarding
0.4 (0.4) (0.5) (0.5) (---) (---) (---) (---) Political Animals
0.4 (0.6) (0.6) (0.6) (0.6) (---) (0.7) (0.8) Watch What Happens
