On Demand Weekly

Media savant T Tara Turk goes deep inside cable TV to reveal Video On Demand's Hidden Gems so even the busiest of our readers can get the most out of On Demand TV. Tell Tara what VOD shows you think deserves her attention.

5 Shows You’ll Be Demanding This Spring (VOD Hidden Gem)

By T. Tara Turk

Living in Southern California, I have to say I can never really tell when Spring is here (don’t hate me) except that it gets lighter and a new crop of shows invade the city. Usually the hype is more exciting than the premiere but there are rare moments when the hype lives up to the challenge thus creating more internet chatter, photo spreads, fan obsessions, sh*t (insert popular character) says, etc.

Here are some shows I’m definitely looking forward to:

Real Miami Vice (ID)

“Come to Miami on vacation. Leave on probation.” That’s how one former Miami Beach Police chief described the era of crime that washed over the party city in the 1980s. ID Investigation knows how to throw a crime party on its channel. While this may not be a huge commercial hit, we true crime fans know that Miami is a city ripe with endless stories. I follow Billy Corben on Twitter. He’s the mastermind behind the cult classic “COCAIN COWBOYS” movies and his tweets about the area alone make me excited for any show that’s going go beyond the Crockett and Tubbs white linen suits and flashy Ferraris.

Mary Mary (WE TV)

Following the surprising popularity of The Braxtons, WE Tv proves it has the formula down for doing family-centered reality TV that won’t make you cover your kids eyes as some botox Barbie throws a table or bunch of catty Southern “belles’ act a fool in Africa. Mary Mary is a gospel group not particularly well known outside of their demographic so there is a bit of a risk but these sisters, Erica and Tina Campbell, are Grammy award winning songbirds who are facing their own life challenges (unexpected pregnancy, busy husbands, working with family, etc) that should make them both relatable and fun to watch.

Styled by June (VH1)

Jay Z came to her show premiere. Oh that’s not enough for you? June Ambrose has been one of the most influential black women in fashion styling for years. Now that we are all able to peek behind the velvet curtain to see folks like Rachel Zoe, it’s time we keep looking to find out the story behind other stylists as well. Ambrose is funky fashionable and powerful. If you enjoy Zoe’s show, you’ll definitely add this one to your TV’s wardrobe.

Magic City (Starz)

Miami Beach. 1959. Done and done! I am a sucker for everything about this time period (I mean it’s the time period of the last good Godfather movie). Jeffrey Dean Morgan, whom I forgive now for the WATCHMEN, plays Ike Evans, owner of the Miramar Playa Hotel, where nothing is as it seems as Evans tries to balance his life and the mob he sold himself to. Thank God for Mad Men setting the trend of going retro for great stories. This could go the way of "Pan Am" and the "Playboy Club" but here’s hoping Starz makes sure it stays on course.

Don’t Trust the B in Apartment 23 (ABC)

Krysten Ritter from everyone’s favorite "Breaking Bad" is starring in one of the millions of sitcoms coming out this Spring. One reason I’m looking forward to this is that she plays a b*tch who still forges friendships and two, James Van Der Beek who does and doesn’t play himself. Huh? Ok.

Scandal (ABC)

I love Shonda Rhimes. I want to BE Shonda Rhimes in certain aspects. I’m hoping this show that features Kerry Washington (I like her...I’m not always in love with her acting) as a political fixer that starts her own crisis management firm. We have forgotten already about Rhimes’s now cancelled "Crossroads" so we know she’s human, but darn if "Grey’s Anatomy" and "Private Practice" still aren’t attracting viewers like they just got here. And we are in need of a reminder of how great "West Wing" was.

Email me what you're looking forward to watching this Spring.

- T. Tara Turk


T. Tara Turk is a novelist/playwright/screenwriter, living in LA with her boyfriend and dog - all three successful TV addicts. You can find her at www.ttaraturk.com or follow her on Twitter @ttaraturk.