Tag Archives: Dead Again

Mar 8 2015

Two New Dead Again Episodes – Why a DVR Is So Handy

Joe Schillaci, Kevin Gannon and Michele Wood are on new cases. © AETV 2014

Joe Schillaci, Kevin Gannon and Michele Wood are on new cases. © AETV 2014

If you own a DVR and really use it to it’s full potential, then you should be able to skip the first couple of paragraphs of this post. I left to go shopping this morning and was completely unaware that Dead Again, one of my new favorites on A&E was coming on with not one, but two new episodes.

Which is where my DVR comes in. Since I have it set to record all “new” episodes of Dead Again, I came again home several hours later, unpacked my groceries, walked my dog, and sat down wondering what I was going to watch on TV.

When I pressed my Play List button, I was overjoyed to find at the very top of the list, a folder entitled Dead Again with two new episodes in it – the case of Margo Prade and the murder of millionaire William McLaughlin.

With these two particular episodes I was one-for-one. I remember the case of Margo Prade, vividly. I’ve seen at least three different television shows on this particular murder, but because Dead Again is so unique, is done so differently, and the real names of the people involved aren’t revealed until the very end, I wasn’t exactly sure it was the Prade case until the last 7 minutes or so.

The second episode, the murder of William McLaughlin, I wasn’t familiar with at all, but when I googled his name, I noticed there was extensive coverage of the murder trials of both suspects that are currently serving time in prison.

One of the biggest enjoyments I get from Dead Again is the affirmation of my own opinions on cases they’ve reexamined. Most recently the Prade case. Last season there were two cases they had a go at that reaffirmed my opinions.

So what’s my advice – if you don’t want to miss any of this season’s Dead Again, you should learn how to operate your DVR.

 

 

 

Oct 16 2014

Things That Make You Go Hmmm – Dead Again is Dead On!

I hate shows that are predictable. Dead Again is far from that. As a matter of fact, if you call yourself a True Crime connoisseur, then you should set aside a Thursday to come to the table. Dick Wolf should consider submitting these shows to Criminal Justice programs to be used as teaching tools.

Again, I had to watch it more than once. As a matter of fact, today is Thursday and a new episode of Dead Again comes on in just a few hours and I watched it for a third time, today. It’s that good.

SPOILERS

Right off the bat you can understand why the perpetrator made every single move he did during the commission of this crime – once you knew who did it (that’s why it is so rewarding watching it again). Hence, working backward, you can see why Wood and Schillaci would suspect a family member in this particular case.

Michele Wood is the skeptic of the experts on Dead Again. © AETV.

Michele Wood is the skeptic of the experts on Dead Again. © AETV.

While watching the interviews you gain a little more insight. During the crime reconstruction where they examine the shotgun blasts and Wood walks in the same steps as the mother, who is the only surviving victim … but wouldn’t a mother know if her own blood killed her husband, her youngest son and shot her?

No, that’s just too obvious, too easy – but as more and more evidence points in that direction, you throw your hat in the ring with the experts and decide it just has to be family.

But there was one thing that didn’t make sense – why was there gasoline poured all over the house but never lit? When you hear the District Attorney tell it, you understand how crime and violence destroys a family. While pouring the gasoline, he heard his mother on her cell phone calling for help. She heard his footsteps leaving the house without setting the place on fire. The last act of the mother/the final act of the son.

The right person is serving time on this case, but the whole town believes he didn’t act alone. See what I mean about not being predictable.

Another episode airs tonight (Thursday) on A&E at 9pm CST.

Oct 4 2014

Dead Again – Winner … Joe Schillaci – Alive & Kicking

I admit, I have been more than pissed at A&E for dumping Longmire and insulting my intelligence with Love Prison. I mean I watch and write about TV for a living. I understand demograpics. I’m in the demographic range that they no longer want anything to do with.

But how many 18-49 year olds do you know are buying expensive cars and saving for retirement? I’m quite sure Longmire will land on it’s feet where it will be more than appreciated and bring its 5.7 million fans* with it.

But there are shows on A&E that I’ve been watching since Day 1. The First 48 is one of those. From Miami to Memphis to Birmingham to New Orleans to Dallas and Harris County, I’ve seen them all. I own both “Best of the First 48” DVDs. I’ve laughed and I’ve cried. I’m a very loyal fan and I bet the demographic category I fall in is too.

Joe Schillaci has always been one of my favorites. He openly admitted one morning when having breakfast with two colleagues that he was metrosexual. When I discovered he was taking part in a Dick Wolf crime show called “Dead Again” I was really excited.

Executive Producer Dick Wolf has gone from showing us some of the fictionalized dramas of America’s real cases in Law & Order to Cold Justice on TNT (I’m a fan) and now to A&E with Dead Again.

Joe Schillaci, Kevin Gannon, Michele Wood - the team of Dead Again. © AETV.

Joe Schillaci, Kevin Gannon, Michele Wood – the team of Dead Again. © AETV.

Wolf has assembed a team of experts: Joe Schillaci (Retired Deputy Commander, Miami), a 30 year veteran with a background in homicide and undercover work and a fan-favorite from The First 48; Kevin Gannon (Retired Detective Sergeant, NYC); and Michele Wood (Homicide Detective, Chicago, 13 year veteran).

The 60-minute series uses these experts in their field to re-examine controversial murder cases in which serious unresolved questions still linger long after the verdict was determined.

The episodic premiere was Thursday, October 2. I watched it twice. I’m still thinking about it and today is Saturday. The case and how it ended is haunting me.

Like The First 48, the eight cases Schillaci and the team re-investigate will not be resolved when the 60-minutes is up. The first episode of Dead Again ended so abruptly, with no known resolution, that I believe that’s why it’s still effecting me.

But I guess you can’t watch year after year of true crime murder cases and not have it effect you. But what really marvels me is the difference between Cold Justice and Dead Again.

Cold Justice reopens unsolved murder cases with the consent of local law enforcement and has a go at re-examining the evidence in an attempt to solve the murder.

The premise behind Dead Again is totally fascinating when you seriously think about.

* Longmire fans 5.7 million viewers when DVR views get added in over 7 days. Multichannel News (8/28/14) Updated

Sep 19 2014

A&E Greenlights ‘Love Prison’ Reality Series, 3 Others – TheWrap

A&E Greenlights ‘Love Prison’ Reality Series, 3 Others – TheWrap.

Well, fall is here and so are the new shows. I managed to watch two episodes of A&E’s social experiment called “Love Prison” yesterday and was shocked they could find advertisers for that crap.

Reading some of the advanced press online, they stated one out of every three relationships begins online. Really? I did do a little bit of research on my own and unfortunately the state of online dating is not a happy one. There are just as many online dating commercials as there are bladder leakage ones.

Serviss and Siegel, contestants on Love Prison. © AETV.

Serviss and Siegel, contestants on Love Prison. © AETV.

The two episodes I watched were train wrecks … I couldn’t look away. Serviss (42) and Siegel (39) were dating for six months. Siegel is from California; Serviss from Long Island.

The other episode I watched was about Rosie, an LA party girl and Chris, a computer nerd from Iowa. They had been dating online for two years. She was wishy washy and he was way to passive. To give you an example, residents of the Love Prison get one phone call during the week – he called his mother.

All I could think about the entire time I was watching … they dumped Longmire for this … crap. Just to get a better skew in the 18-49 demographic. Yikes!

Rosie and Chris, contestants in Love Prison. © AETV

Rosie and Chris, contestants in Love Prison. © AETV

There is hope, however. Some of the other shows they have planned will appeal to the cerebral part of that demographic.

Dogs of War is about a nonprofit organization that pairs veterans with PTSD with adopted dogs who help the veterans transition back into regular life.

Mark Wahlberg (yes of “The Wahlburgers”) is executive producing a show for A&E entitled Big Brew Theory that follows four quirky MIT grads as they pursue their dream of opening a home-grown micro brewery. I bet their parents are proud.

The “Godfather of Pittsburgh” takes a fascinating look at a truly original character who finds it hard to walk the ‘straight and narrow’ and still succeed in business. (That’s their write-up, not mine.)

Other shows in the works include 8 Minutes (working title) which really sounds promising, The Unproduceables, which sounds hysterical and the new show by executive producer Dick Wolf, Dead Again that has a premiere date of Thursday, Oct. 2 at 9pm CT.

I’m covering Dead Again in another post.

Many say that the unscripted “reality” show came out of the 2007-2008 Writers Guild of America strike when all 12,000 screenwriters and TV writers in the guild went on strike. It started on November 5, 2007 and ended on February 12, 2008.

I would think that by now networks would realize that America has had its fill of reality shows. Love Prison airs on Monday nights, 9pm CT.