Chris Isaak
courtesy of SHOWTIME
"The Chris Isaak Show" (SHOWTIME)

It is hard to believe that "The Chris Isaak Show" has been on SHOWTIME for two complete seasons and is now starting the third. Hard to believe because the show and its star are just so ordinary. There is nothing dynamic about Chris Isaak and nothing dynamic about his show. He just strolls through it and gets a laugh or two here and there.

The upcoming third and final season (he has said there will be no more) looks to be more of the same. Once again Chris and his band get into some Seinfeld-ish ordinary situations that don't engage the audience but rather just wash over them. 

Chris Isaak obviously went to the Elvis Presley school of acting. He acts like he is singing a ballad, no excitement or enthusiasm. He is a nice looking enough guy but a little effort on his part would mean everything to the show.

He also seems to have infected the rest of the cast with his lackadaisical attitude. From his real band members to the fake ones, they all just kind of drift with the plot whichever way it intends to go.

Guest stars are thrown in to try to pick up the pace. In the first show of the season it is Brett Michaels, a poor choice for a guest star if there ever was one. He makes Isaak look like "Mr. Energetic." He has an out in space stare, and a tendency to mumble. It makes him look right at home on this show but that is not a good thing.

In later episodes we get stars such as Michelle Branch, Barry Zito, Brian McKnight and Gloria Estefan. None of these performers is able to improve the show. They just get sucked intro the black hole that it is.

The only thing good about this being the last season of "The Chris Isaak Show" is that it is the last seasons of "The Chris Isaak Show." The sooner it is gone and forgotten, the better. 

The new season premieres January 8 at 10 o'clock on SHOWTIME. There will be thirteen episodes shown ion consecutive Thursdays. The shows will repeat Fridays at 11:30.

 

 

 

 

 

©2003 Jackie K. Cooper

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