Mark this date on your calendars: April 29^th, 2010. If you’re a college student, it’s the day before the last Friday of classes for the 2009-2010 academic year. If you’re a television watcher, it is the day alluded to in last night’s premiere episode of ABC’s FlashForward.

For those who don’t know, the premise of the show is that everyone in the world blacks out for two minutes, seventeen seconds (save for one person dramatically revealed to be lurking in Comerica Park in Detroit). During the blackout, everyone has a vision of his or her future in six months.

The show opens with Los Angeles a smoldering mess. Cars are piled up, buildings are on fire, and around the world the scene is the same. The camera focuses on Mark Benford (Joseph Fiennes), an FBI agent who immediately surveys the mess and tries to piece together what happened. Along the way, we learn that Benford is a recovering alcoholic whose sponsor (Brian F. O’Byrne) has a daughter who died in the Afghanistan conflict.

Of course, the visions that every person has during the blackout change what each person believes. Benford sees himself drinking again and being targeted because he is piecing together why everyone blacked out. His sponsor sees that his daughter is still alive. Benford’s wife (Sonya Walger) sees that she is with another man and Benford’s colleague (Harold and Kumar’s John Cho) doesn’t see anything at all.

However, for such an interesting premise, the show is not without faults. The show followed different storylines for each of the characters, which made it seem as if there were multiple shows on the television screen. Furthermore, the characterization was rather weak and some of the emotional dialogue seemed out of place (no one really recognized that thousands of people died as a result of the blackout). However, the story was so compelling that it demanded the viewers’ attention. This show is one that will stand on the merits of its story, not of its characters.

This show will probably explore fate versus free will, a concept that Lost has tackled in the past. Will a character that knows his future change his actions to correspond with it? Probably. Will the veracity of these flashforwards be called into question? Possibly. Will I continue to watch to see if my predictions are right? Definitely.

After kicking the addiction, House is a very difficult patient who desperately tries “to get asked to leave”. He could leave on his own will but he needs a recommendation from the facility’s director, Dr. Darryl Nolan, if he wants to practice medicine again. Dr. Nolan seems to be a bad person who is treating House like a slave (which House wittingly comments about how ironic that the black director would be insensitive to slavery).  However House is unfazed and banter with the hospital’s doctors at  allow for the series’ signature tongue-in-cheek dialogue to reemerge after a darker opening sequence.

Being locked up in a mental hospital brings up horrible nightmarish scenarios like those of One Flew Out of the Cuckoo’s Nest. Yet House doesn’t alter his behavior. He continues to have scintillating dialogue with doctors who could really make his life a living hell.  Somewhat surprisingly, House begins to follow directions (somewhat) while he also confronts some of the perceived injustices inside the hospital. For a person who has held little concern for others over the past five seasons, House becomes worried with the rehabilitation techniques used for certain patients.

One such patient is a man who acts normally most of the time yet is also convinced he is a superhero. House breaks some of the rules to take the man to a fair and foster his misconceptions. It seems as though House had made the right decision until the man attempts to fly off of the parking garage and is seriously injured. House has made a huge error in judgment. I personally felt that he was making the correct decision, but because of the horrendous outcome the hospital’s philosophy proves to be right.

This event serves as a catalyst to change House’s life philosophy. Through his one-on-one talks with Dr. Nolan, he begins to reevaluate his dealings with other people. As we have learned throughout the series, House is almost incapable of having close relationships because he cannot fully trust anyone. Dr. Nolan addresses this issue almost immediately while rejecting House’s attempts to shift focus on other non-important issues.

House forms a relationship with a regular visitor of another patient.  Lydia and House spend much time together and develop a strong attraction and attachment. Through this romantic relationship, House makes himself completely vulnerable, yet the pessimist in him inhibits some of his early thoughts. Although destined to fail because Lydia is married, House continues to be with her—rejecting his former philosophy that failures overshadow any success and that pain trumps joy.

House’s character change in the season premiere can only be described as remarkable. The episode was more of a cinematic experience and one that included emotional weight and a variety of other reactions.  House underwent major philosophical change in the episode that could suggest shift in the dynamics of the show. Needless to say the season premiere was everything a television admirer could wish for and is something definitely worth watching.

Henry VIII is one of the most notorious kings in world history. If you aren’t familiar with him for some ridiculous reason, I have a couple of key things to say. One, pay attention in history class next time you bum! And two, that Henry VIII had six wives and started the reformation against the Catholic Church in England.

Henry VIII was the center of a soap opera before they really existed. The guy had ultimate power in England and really, really wanted a son. So much in fact that he was willing to divorce and behead his way to getting a male heir to the throne.  This setting seems like it would make a pretty powerful historical drama, right? That’s what Showtime is counting on.

Jonathan Rhys Myers, of Bend It Like Beckham fame, portrays a young Henry VIII. Myers is a young, fit, and handsome man, nothing like the traditional representations of Henry VIII.  Because we do the research so you don’t have to, I looked up why the creators would cast someone who didn’t look like the famous paintings. There were two major reasons: one, that Henry VIII was an attractive and fit man in his youth, and two, because the creators took historical liberties.

Something that needs to be noted immediately is that the show is not completely faithful to the actual events. Although you will learn a great deal about English history, characters are sometimes combinations of multiple figures and aren’t always a physical embodiment (or even close look alike) of the historical personage. But you had to see this coming? This is supposed to be the OC or Melrose Place of 500 years ago! Who would want to see ugly people having sex? Especially on a channel that you have to pay extra to get!

Therefore, they cast some pretty nice looking gals to portray the women in Henry’s life.  Maria Doyle Kennedy and Natalie Dormer are Catherine of Aragorn and Anne Boleyn respectively.  Kennedy is one of the highpoints of the show, she plays a queen that is infused with frustrations and love and therefore is one of the most convincingly real characters. Dormer does an alright job, but I can’t stand to look at her. I can see why some people will find her attractive, even Henry VIII, but she is such a whore! She destroyed the Catholic Church in England dammit! (Please note: Doug is a Catholic and pretty proud of the awesomeness of the history of the Holy Church)

I can’t really tell who will be watching this show more, men or women. Men seem to like historical dramas more because it reminds of them of the good ol’ days when men were king (see what I did there?), but this shows puts the emphasis on drama. Of course, men like drama, but women seem to flock to it. I could definitely see this show being one that women gossip about (and don’t include me in…). In that regard, women will also probably tune in because of Myers and Henry Cavill, the latter who is about as hunky of a man you can get (very attractive and has an English accent ladies!).

Part of me thinks that Myers and Cavill were selected because of their appeal to women. Frankly, their acting is just average and sometimes dips below average especially during some heated debate scenes (of which there are many). Luckily for those of us who like to watch superb acting we have Sam Neill and Jeremy Northram.   Neill plays Cardinal Woolsey and Northram plays (Saint) Thomas More. Both are pretty seasoned actors and really bring a lot to the theatrical aspects of the tumultuous story. Woolsey and More are two close advisors to Henry VIII who advise him on all matters, but begin to fall out of the king’s favor when Henry wants a divorce.

The central problem for Henry is that he wants to divorce his wife, Catherine of Aragon because she isn’t bearing any sons. Under the trance of the evil whore Anne Boleyn, he basically destroys the entire Catholic Church in England because the Pope refuses to annul the marriage. Woolsey and More argue with the king over the fight with the church but can’t really change the king’s mind because he has absolute power. Once the split begins with the Catholic Church, Henry becomes the embodiment of a spoiled child, one who has absolutely no limitations.

If you can’t gather from the brief synopsis, the show is pretty damn entertaining. There are definitely problems (more depending if you are a stickler for historical accuracy) but the time period lends itself well to a really sexy and intense television drama. I was a big fan of HBO’s Rome, a show who’s success seemed to be the main catalyst for The Tudors manifestation. Both shows share a lot in common, particularly their grandiose scale. The only difference is that The Tudors is a sexy drama that will appeal to a wider audience of viewers. Some of the acting and special effects will be disappointing but the actual narrative and pacing of the show will leave you wanting more. And… oh goodie! You can get more as there is a second season!