‘Rescue Me’ could offer top viewing
Up here in Massachusetts we know Denis Leary not only as a smart-aleck comedian and TV pitchman but as a guy who remembers his blue-collar roots and who comes out regularly for charity events.
After the Worcester Cold Storage fire of 1999, which killed six firefighters, including his cousin and a childhood friend, he formed the Leary Firefighters Foundation, which helped the families of firefighters lost in that blaze and on Sept. 11, 2001.
You can be sure he’s going to do right by the profession in “Rescue Me,” his new series about New York firefighters, which debuts tonight at 10 on FX.
Leary is the star, executive producer and a writer. But don’t expect this to be another one-sided tribute to blemish-free heroes.
As in his last series, the short-lived but twisted and funny cop show “The Job,” Leary knows that to properly praise the good guys, you’ve got to show all sides of them. That includes the stress the job causes and the dark humor it inspires.
So “Rescue Me” may be reverent at times, but it will also be bleakly humorous and politically incorrect. (Note also that FX’s biggest hit is the very dark cop show “The Shield.”)
Leary plays Tommy Gavin, senior NYFD member of Truck 6 in uptown Manhattan. He’s got a bottle problem, and he’s also bottling up some leftover emotions from Sept. 11.
His colleagues include Daniel Sunjata, Steven Pasquale and John Scurti. Andrea Roth is Janet Gavin, who is separated from Tommy and trying to have a boyfriend.
This is complicated by the fact that Tommy has moved in across the street to keep an eye on his family.
This could be one of the summer’s best debuts. And tonight’s premiere will be presented commercial-free.
Highlights
Driving viewers away, ABC at 8: Two repeats of “My Wife and Kids,” two new episodes of the played-out “Drew Carey Show” and an hour of “The Ultimate Love Test.”
“60 Minutes,” CBS at 8: Dan Rather talks to Strom Thurmond’s biracial daughter.
“That ‘70s Show,” Fox at 8: Casey Kelso works at the strip club where Donna’s bachelorette party is held. Repeat.
“Next Action Hero,” NBC at 8: This week’s stunt involves dangling high above the ground.
“Star Trek: Enterprise,” UPN at 8: Back-to-back repeats about the quest for the Xindi superweapon.
“Smallville,” WB at 8: Back-to-back repeats, one with a freaky parasite and one with Jonathan accused of shooting Lionel.
“Quintuplets,” Fox at 8:30: The kids get jobs.
“King of Queens,” CBS at 9: Doug wants to buy a chain saw he sees on TV. Repeat.
“Simple Life 2,” Fox at 9: Paris and Nicole bunk with a religious family. No cussing!
“Law & Order,” NBC at 9: Back-to-back repeats, starting with the ripped-from-the-headlines case in which a hit-and-run driver gets her victim stuck in the windshield.
“Two and a Half Men,” CBS at 9:30: Alan promises to help get Charlie’s housekeeper back. But he wants something, too. Repeat.
“Method & Red,” Fox at 9:30: Method’s in love. Red thinks it’s a bad idea.
“48 Hours Investigates,” CBS at 10: A woman stabbed her husband 193 times. Why?