FX’s original programming is to the point where I’m fairly certain they could air a promo with nothing but a black screen and the words “TV SHOW COMING SOON”, and I’d be hooked.
And to be quite honest, this doesn’t seem all that far-fetched given the inconspicuous effort they put toward launching new shows.
They did it with the magnificent Justified a few years ago, and last year, they began airing a cryptic, 30-second spot showing a car driving slowly down the street of a calm (though eerily empty) neighborhood in Anytown, USA. As the car passes the house on which the camera has been trained, and transmitted radio ghost-sounds crackle in the background, we see that it has been painted with a large, red sickle and hammer. THE AMERICANS flashes briefly on the side of the screen, and that’s it.
And I watched, because HOW AWESOME WAS THAT PROMO? And the show had a brilliant first season that fully surpassed my expectations.
So when I began seeing teasers for their newest effort some four or five months ago (maybe I’m exaggerating, but it feels like forever), I immediately knew that I’d watch it. 
All I knew is that it was called The Bridge and that it was premiering July 10th. Aside from that, it was the usual minimalist action: a car backing slowly away from a trailer in the black of night. A body being dragged across the desert floor with a bridge (THE bridge, perhaps?!) shimmering in the distance. Softly delivered Spanish being spoken between a man and a woman while a lone high-heel sits on the bank of a dirty river.
WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?
Honestly, I didn’t care. Because these spots were so compelling—and given the pedigree of the channel’s recent original efforts—I planned on watching, regardless. But knowing that me talking about “softly-spoken Spanish” only goes so far, I did a little digging. And here’s what I found on the Internet.
Like most quality, “original” programming, The Bridge is based off of a Danish/Swedish TV series of the same name. Since we generally do not give a fuck about those nations, however, this particular adaptation takes place along the Texas/Mexico border. It follows the tale of two police detectives—one Mexican, one Texican—as they work together to solve the case of a border-hopping serial killer. Along the way, their efforts are complicated by rampant, Mexican-style corruption and unchecked drug cartel violence.
(Side note: apparently Mexico has like, a HUGE problem with violence related to drug cartels. Who knew?? Lol.)
Anyway, it stars a bunch of people I’ve never heard of, plus Diane Kruger (Bridget von Hammersmark from Inglorious Basterds!) Ted Levine (Buffalo Bill from Silence of the Lambs!) and Matthew Lillard (Shaggy from Scooby Doo, which I’ll try not to hold against them).
Beyond that, there isn’t a whole lot more to say. It’s got mystery and probably some scorpions, and most likely some beheadings and a really good-looking detective and Buffalo Bill, too!
And although I kid, I promise you’ll want to catch this from the beginning. With the sorry exception of ABC’s short-lived, god-awful The River, I’m pretty good at picking television shows.
Now if only I could find a way to find a job as an overpaid, vapid studio executive. Let me know if you’ve got any connections. Thanks in advance.
The Bridge premiers on FX, Wednesday, July 10th at 9PM CT.
Follow me on Twitter, @StanfordWhistle
Big Justified fan here.
Just finished watching season 1 of Longmire on NFLX great TV show.
Also Ray Donovan on SHO is pretty compelling , watching Conrack as a criminal thug is to good.
I keep hearing good things about Ray Donovan. I need to get on the boat.
Yes you need to see this very good show.
Love the Fbombs. Keep them coming, and you will keep me coming back. But to the promo… meh. As Jack Possinger says to everything::: 3 1/2 stars.
New Netflix series out tomorrow, July 11, from the creators of Weeds…..Orange Is The New Black.
Hmmm… sounds promising. I’ll have to look into that, too.
The Always Sunny cast commercials for the new FXX channel and their new season if pretty radical too.
Bless the baby Jesus for DVRs.
Where is Cheech at so I can remind him of the words to that wonderful song he sang, ‘Mexicans/Americans’?
Well, I am not waiting for ya Cheech, here you are.
Mexican Americans don’t like to just get into gang fights,
they like flowers and music and white girls named Debbie too.
Mexican Americans are named Chata and Chella and chemma
and have a son in law named jeff.
Mexican Americans don’t like to get up early in the morning
but they have to so they do it real slow.
Mexican Americans love education so they go to night school
and take spanish and get a B.
Mexican Americans love their Nana’s and their Nono’s and their
Nina’s and their Nino’s…….. Nano Nano Nina Nono!
Mexican Americans don’t like to go to the movies where the
dude has to wear contact lenses to make his blue eyes brown
cause don’t it make my brown eyes blue…..
“And thats all i got, how do ya like it?”
*phone rings*
Mexican Americans like to answer telephone calls and say hello
to whoever’s on the other end
Beaners!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biFPi0rSgaA
Boys, boys, boys…
“It puts the lotion on it’s skin or else it GETS THE HOSE!!!!”
Completely unimpressed by the pilot and can we declare a moratorium on the savant as lead investigator angle? Already tired. As said earlier by Leftridge, The Americans was indeed a pleasant surprise, but I’m still pissed at FX for cancelling after just one season, the excellent and totally original Terriors a couple of years back. The Bridge is derivative in every conceivable way, but I’ll probably watch a couple of more episodes before most likely pulling the plug on this effort.
Aw, man! That’s too bad. I haven’t watched it yet– it’s DVR’d– and haven’t really heard anything one way or the other. I’ll still give it a shot, obviously, but I don’t like hearing it’s “derivative in every conceivable way.” Maybe there’s some room to grow. Good call on the “savant as lead investigator angle” as well. Hello, Hannibal.
Yeah, I don’t know, it took time for The Americans to grow on me so I will give this more of a chance because of its FX pedigree. In fairness, they did explore some areas where the characters and series might have a chance to grow and I did like the cinematography, much better than what you normally see on most tv/cable shows. I’ll reserve my real judgement until about 5 or 6 episodes in.
I think the people who read the Star review focussed too much on the derivative angle.
So what? Lots of movies and television shows have been based upon products of other countries. That doesn’t even begin to speak to whether the end product here is any good or not, since I seriously doubt many people here have watched the Swedish or Danish versions of the shows.
And even if they had, who cares? Either it’s good or it isn’t.
I watched it, B Man, and it was good. I think you’ll enjoy it. Thanks for the heads up.