"Trauma" survived almost a whole season in NBC's primetime line-up, but it ultimately became a victim of the Jay Leno scheduling brouhaha and its own penchant for taking itself much too seriously. The promotional materials for "Trauma" declared, "Executive producer Peter Berg delivers"¦the first high-octane medical drama series to live exclusively in the field where the real action is." The promo went on to describe "Trauma" as "an adrenaline shot to the heart," but viewers tended to characterize it as a sedative shot to higher consciousness, complaining that characters were stereotypic and plots were contrived. For all of its melodrama, "Trauma" did set valuable precedents for other, better-written medical dramas: The plots promoted paramedics and nurses over physicians as the true wonderworkers of emergency medicine, and the paramedic team included an openly gay character whom the writers treated with considerable insight and sensitivity. Held against TLC's "Life in the ER," "Trauma" betrayed its promise of realism, but it occasionally showed the promise of medical dramas focused on real caregivers instead of over-educated biochemists.

As the story begins, Chuck is a twenty-something computer geek working at the Burbank, California, "Buy More" store. Chuck receives an e-mail from Bryce Larkin, his former Stanford roommate, who is now a CIA agent, allegedly a rogue. When Chuck opens and reads the e-mail, it embeds "The Intersect" a "neural super-computer" in his brain, making "Nerd Herd" guy the repository of all the CIA's intelligence information. The CIA dispatches Agent Sarah Walker, of course a beautiful blonde, to protect Chuck by posing as his girlfriend. Drama, action, and comedy ensue. The producers describe "Chuck" as an "action-comedy-drama" series. Originally NBC's lead-in to short-lived but monumentally popular "Heroes," "Chuck" has retained the look and feel of the warm-up act for the bigger talent; but the network has failed to deliver the headline act that would save poor "Chuck" from its life constantly on the threshold of cancellation. Critics complain that "Chuck," although clever and loaded with potential, never quite satisfies the requirements of action or comedy or drama, let alone hitting the trifecta. The series has survived largely on the strength of its cute-power and a core of exceptionally loyal fans who know how to use Twitter and Facebook.

The Orville is a science fiction television series created by Seth MacFarlane. It premiered in 2017 and is set 400 years in the future, where humanity has become part of a multi-species union called the Planetary Union. The show follows the crew of the USS Orville, a mid-level exploratory spaceship, as they navigate their personal and professional lives while exploring the galaxy.

John Grisham knows law and lawyers well because he is one himself. When he writes it usually centers around attorneys and courtrooms. The Firm was a hit movie starring Tom Cruise back in 1993 and was based on Grisham's second novel which became a best seller of the same title in 1991. When a young straight arrow Memphis attorney is hired by an organized crime related enterprise he has no idea what he's getting into until the Chicago mob ties become all too apparent. He then becomes a "whistleblower" for the FBI and helps bring down the Memphis law firm Chicago based mob ties. As the TV series begins Mitchell Y. McDeere (Josh Lucas from A Beautiful Mind, Glory Road) and his family emerge from the witness protection program only to encounter challenges, both new and old, that still threaten him and his family. Also starring in The Firm are Molly Parker (Dexter, Shattered) as Abby McDeere wife of Mitch, Callum Keith Rennie (Rookie Blue, The Killing) as Ray McDeere, Natasha Calis (Gone, Alice) as Claire McDeere, and Juliette Lewis from Natural Born Killers, From Dusk till Dawn as Tammy. Perhaps they should have remained in the security of Witness Protection.

While on an excursion deep into the Amazon forests Dr Emmet Cole traveled along the Amazon River in search of magic held in the dark recesses of the Amazon. He turned up missing six months ago and now his locating beacon has turned up, giving off signals to help locate it. But when his wife Tess gathers together a crew to seek out the beacon and hopefully, her missing husband, they find their labors useless. Their son Lincoln has his own agenda and is ready to cross his father off as permanently gone. The crew, comprised of new acquaintances and old friends come to realize there is magic in this place and it comes alive when a ghost is unleashed, killing Jed and terrorizing the boat's crew. Starring Bruce Greenwood (Hollywood Homicide, Capote) is Dr. Emmet Cole, his wife Tess is played by Leslie Hope (Teri Bauer wife of Jack Bauer on 24), their son Lincoln is portrayed by Joseph Anderson (The Crazies, Love Happens), and Eloise Mumford previously seen on TV's Lone Star and Crash. Entertaining and filled with lush unfamiliar scenery.

Since its debut night back on September 21, 2010, Tuesday night viewing hasn't been quite the same. Detroit 187 brings a gritty realism to television that shows the heroic and positive side of the city that cars built. The program is a crime drama and with its ensemble cast of great actors, explores various 187's (police code for homicides) that occur with frequent regularity in the writer's minds in the Motor City. We, the viewing audience, ride along and explore the people and reasons why murders happen and why they are part of the culture of every big city. Detective Louis Fitch, played by Michael Imperioli, is rather rough around the edges yet as a ten year veteran of the DPD was first a cop with the NYPD, bringing that tough mentality to the Motor City and almost fitting in. Sergeant Jesse Longford (James McDaniel) is a lifelong resident of Detroit whose father was also a police officer. He's tough yet understanding and about to retire. Aisha Hinds is yet another alumni of NYPD Blue and represents a tough as nails black woman who heads up the DPD homicide unit. The entire cast is superb and with good writing Detroit 187 should be around for a good long while.