Haven

Anyone who knows me does know I like TV. As a genre, it can be incredibly thought-provoking, interesting, entertaining, informative/educational, as well as escapist, a procrastination aid, and a general waste of time. I used to downplay it, but on the whole, and as long as it doesn't interfere or prevent one from getting on with one's life and the whole business of living, I say "okay". Besides, I watch taped programmes from the PVR often enough, I may as well write about some of them.

I came across this new show called Haven on Showcase last week. It's based on a Stephen King short story and that caught my attention. I think his books are a little too scary for what my imagination can handle, but I do think he is a gifted storyteller. He knows exactly where the black and the white is, and directs his attention to all the areas of grey people usually don't consider. He did it with another short story "Needful Things" and he did it also with "The Colorado Kid", on which this new series is based.

I'm two episodes in and I already can see the tendrils of arcs and possibilities stretching out. The fact that it is on Showcase is a comfort, I think, because even if no one and their sister watches it, they'll continue producing it. Kudos for shooting it in Canada - the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia figures prominently in most panorama shots of "Haven" (supposedly in Maine) and the cast is also engaging. The two leads I know very little about (Emily Rose and Lucas Bryant), but Nicholas Campbell will be a regular and two of tonight's guests were Stephen McHattie (another icon among Canadian actors) and Caroline Cave (who I know and like from another Showcase programme called Crash & Burn). Maurice Dean Wynt was in the first episode, and he also doesn't suck. All in all, a promising beginning for a promising show. I hope it lasts.