COPS AND ROBBERS; LIKABLE DRAMA `TURKS' CENTERS AROUND A POLICE FAMILY WITH ONE BAD APPLE.Byline: Keith Marder Daily News Television Critic If you watch tonight's premiere of ``Turks,'' you are more than likely to have this reaction: ``Haven't I seen this before?'' The CBS (Cell Broadcast Service) See cell broadcast. police drama about a Chicago family is predictable and often cookie-cutter. But don't be surprised if your second thought is: ``This isn't half-bad.'' What separates this from many like it, including ``Trinity'' (which already has been taken off the fall schedule), is William Devane (``Knots Landing''). The television veteran is undoubtedly a star of the medium. He oozes with charisma, and in this vehicle, with a close-cropped hairdo, Devane grounds the show. He spends a lot of time working and drinking with the boys after work, leaving his wife lonely. This causes her to turn to the church for companionship. Their three children are Joey, a no-nonsense cop paired with an African-American partner; Mike, a husband and father who is struggling to make sergeant; and Pauly, the brainy brain·y adj. brain·i·er, brain·i·est Informal Intelligent; smart. brain  i·ly adv. college kid who gets
mixed up with some bad characters.
The writing is loaded with cliches and the show is predictable. One of the story lines was almost lifted directly from the ``Trinity'' opener. Pauly not only gets mixed up with the wrong crowd, he drives the getaway van at a warehouse robbery only to be caught and given a stern warning by his own brother, Joey. This comes back to haunt Joey. The best scene of the pilot episode comes before the credits, when two thugs learn the hard way that you don't rob a cop hangout hang·out n. Slang A frequently visited place. Noun 1. hangout - a frequently visited place haunt, stamping ground, resort, repair . At its core, ``Turks'' smoothly shifts from a family drama to a police drama. This is an emotional brood, who all live on the same block and yell at one other constantly. (Their poor neighbors.) They all get together at the end of the first episode for a pickup game of basketball (which, incidentally, is how the first episode of ``Trinity'' started). Sure, you've seen it before. But, hey, you've seen worse. THE FACTS The show: ``Turks.'' The stars: William Devane, David Cubitt David Cubitt (born March 18, 1965) is a Canadian television actor. He has starred in the Canadian series Traders and the American series Robbery Homicide Division and Medium. He was also featured in the NBC disaster miniseries 10. , Matthew Armstrong, Michael Muhney Michael Muhney (b. June 12, 1975) is an American actor, most famous for his role as Sheriff Don Lamb on the UPN/The CW drama Veronica Mars. He attended DePaul University's The Theatre School (formerly The Goodman School of Drama) in Chicago, Illinois where he , Helen Carey, Sarah Trigger and Ashley Crow Ashley Crow (born on August 25, 1960 in Birmingham, Alabama) is an American actress. A notable role she has is Sandra Bennet on Heroes. Ashley Crow's real-life husband is Heroes cast member Matthew John Armstrong, who played the role of Ted Sprague, a man with radioactive . What: The family that fights crime together is not always happy together. This multigenerational mul·ti·gen·er·a·tion·al adj. Of or relating to several generations: multigenerational family traditions. Chicago family includes three police officers, a college student, a couple of spouses and a kid. When: 9 p.m. Thursdays. Channel: KCBS KCBS Kansas City Barbecue Society KCBS Korea Christian Book Service (now called KCB; Seoul, Korea) KCBS Kerala Catholic Bible Society (Kerala, India) (Channel 2). Our rating: Two and one half stars. CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: Michael Muhney, left, David Cubitt, William Devane and Matthew Armstrong play a close-knit Irish family in the new CBS drama ``Turks.'' |
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