FINAL-1 Sat, Jul 15, 2017 3:03:59 PM Your Weekly Guide to TV Entertainment for the week of July 22 - 28, 2017 Small town Peter Mensah stars in “Midnight, Texas” “Midnight, Texas” premieres Monday, July 24, Massachusetts’ First Credit Union on NBC, and is based on the literary trilogy of Located at 370 Highland Avenue, Salem the same name by Charlaine Harris. Starring St. Jean's Credit Union ET Filler Francois Arnaud (“Blindspot”) as Manfred Ber- 3 x 3 1 x 3 nardo, a man on the run from his mysterious Serving over 15,000 Members • A Part of your Community since 1910 TO ADVERTISE HERE past, the show features a colourful cast of Supporting over 60 Non-Profit Organizations & Programs Contact Glenda strange characters, all of whom live in the Serving the Employees of over 40 Businesses 978-338-2540 or small town and look out for one another. Peter [email protected] Mensah (“Sleepy Hollow”) and Parisa Fitz- 978.219.1000 • www.stjeanscu.com Henley (“Jessica Jones”) also star. Offices also located in Lynn, Newburyport & Revere Federally Insured by NCUA FINAL-1 Sat, Jul 15, 2017 3:04:01 PM 2 • Salem News • July 22 - 28, 2017 Extraordinary and supernatural beings stand their ground in ‘Midnight, Texas’ By Shona Dustan roles originating in Harris’s nov- physical connection to Mr. Bridg- the arrival of “The One,” an enig- series can scratch a lot of the itch- TV Media els, for that matter — he had a er. Sarah Ramos (“Parenthood”) matic stranger who is destined to es fans were left with when the plays Creek Lovell, main love in- save Midnight and all humanity latter series ended back in 2014. Video significant character arc in “True releases ollywood has been turning Blood” back in 2012. terest of Bernardo and a writer from a great evil. With three of Harris’s novels to novels into big- and small- The rest of the town’s residents whose family harbors a deep, Upon his arrival in Midnight, pull from, writers have plenty of Hscreen sensations for de- are just as interesting. Fiji Ca- dark secret. Yul Vázquez (“Blood- Bernardo has no idea what he’s fodder for a good few seasons of cades, and while specialty cable vanaugh (Parisa Fitz-Henley, “Jes- line”) is Rev. Emilio Sheehan who walking into, but wins over the this show, and when they run out, channels may seem to have that sica Jones”) is the owner of The watches over the town and over- townspeople one by one. It isn’t they should have a handful of market cornered at the moment Inquiring Mind, a witch with a sees the Midnight Chapel and Pet long before the town is threat- well-developed and already be- (see “Game of Thrones,” “Out- Wiccan shop who has some seri- Cemetery, while not-so-mysteri- ened by outside forces, and Ber- loved characters to work with — lander” and oh so many more), ous unrequited feelings for her ously disappearing every month nardo finds himself fighting plenty of material for many sea- NBC is about to give them a run neighbor. That neighbor is Bobo during the full moon (werewolf alongside the strange inhabit- sons to come, though the longevi- for their money. Winthrop (Dylan Bruce, “Orphan alert!). Rounding out the cast is ants. The series is shaping up to ty of the series will be largely de- The peacock network has cho- Black”), who owns the pawn perhaps the most interesting be an excellent mix of weekly termined by the viewership num- sen a series by author Charlaine shop and employs Mr. Bridger; character: Joe Strong (Jason Lew- mysteries and threats, as well as bers. Summer series almost never Harris as their subject matter, though he seems to be a regular is, “Sex and the City”) is a literal long-running story arcs — a com- do as well as those that air in the Chin Han and Scarlett which is a pretty great way to human, his past is mysterious, angel. He’s been on Earth for bination that has been network fall and winter, but NBC has a lot Johansson in a scene hedge their bets — Harris’s ad- and he’s an integral and stalwart thousands of years and lives with television’s bread and butter for of faith in this quirky sci-fi drama. from “Ghost in the Shell” dictive Sookie Stackhouse novels part of the eclectic town. his husband, Chuy (Bernardo years — and while “Midnight, Whether you’re a sci-fi or fan- (also known as the Southern Arielle Kebbel (“The Vampire Saracino, “From Dusk Till Dawn: Texas” is by no means the raun- tasy fan, or even just a mystery Ghost in the Shell Vampire Mysteries) served as the Diaries”) stars as Olivia Charity, a The Series”), while he watches chy, envelope-pushing, sexy ex- buff, tune in to “Midnight, Texas” It is the near future, and the basis for HBO’s incredibly popular deadly and eerily effective assas- over all the citizens of Midnight. travaganza that “True Blood” when it premieres Monday, July line between humans and ma- “True Blood,” so this new series sin with a deep emotional and His is a sacred mission: to await was, it’s safe to say that the new 24, on NBC. chines has grown increasingly should come with a built-in and blurred as people augment very eager audience. their bodies with advanced cy- “Midnight, Texas” premieres bernetics. After her body is se- Monday, July 24, on NBC, and is verely damaged in a terrorist based on the literary trilogy of the attack, a woman (Johansson) same name. Once again, Harris has her undamaged brain in- uses her novels to weave a com- tegrated with a mechanical plex web of mystery and drama, body in an experimental pro- using characters with supernatu- cedure. Now called Major, she ral qualities as her protagonists. quickly rises through the ranks The series stars broody Canadian of a counterterrorism organi- hunk Francois Arnaud (“Blind- zation, but soon she begins ex- spot”) as Manfred Bernardo, a periencing alarming hallucina- man on the run from his mysteri- tions as the memories of her ous past. Bernardo is a psychic who, through his dead grand- past continue to fade. When mother, Xylda (Joanne Camp, her body is hacked by an un- “Manhattan”) can communicate known assailant, she is set on with other deceased individuals, a path that could lead her to sometimes with terrifying results. the truth about her origins. Led by Xylda to a tiny Texas Director: Rupert Sanders. Stars: crossroads town called Midnight, Scarlett Johansson, Juliette Bernardo is told by his ghostly Binoche, Michael Pitt, Pilou gram that he’ll be safe there. Asbæk, Takeshi Kitano. 2017. “Safe” probably isn’t the right 107 min. Action. word, but he certainly finds a sense of purpose and belonging. Midnight, Texas, you see, is a ha- The Boss Baby ven town for others like Bernardo When his parents bring home — supernatural humans inhabit a business suit-wearing baby, the hamlet, and they take care of seven-year-old Tim (Bakshi) is each other, protecting one anoth- jealous, and more than a little er from interlopers and prying suspicious of his new brother’s eyes, not to mention mortal (Baldwin) unusual behavior. danger. His suspicions prove to be It’s Midnight’s most prominent founded when the baby, also vampire who declares Barnardo known as “The Boss,” reveals the be “one of us.” The striking that he can talk like an adult, Peter Mensah (“Sleepy Hollow”) and that he’s actually an agent plays Lemuel Bridger, an old and who’s been sent by Baby very wise vamp whose opinion Corp., an organization made holds a lot of sway in the Texas up of babies of adult-level in- town. He works at the local pawn telligence devoted to preserv- shop (the night shift, of course) ing the love of infants. His mis- and is one of the oldest local in- sion: to discover why puppies habitants. Mensah is no stranger to sci-fi and supernatural roles, or Parisa Fitz-Henley as seen in “Midnight, Texas” Continued on page 16 FINAL-1 Sat, Jul 15, 2017 3:04:01 PM July 22 - 28, 2017 • Salem News • 3 (51) (50) (69) BASEBALL 10:30 p.m. NESN Red Sox Final 5:00 p.m. ESPN2 College Football 7:00 p.m. GOLF Golf Channel SOCCER Live Live Live Academy Saturday 7:30 p.m. ESPN2 (50) CFL Ottawa Red- 8:30 p.m. GOLF (69) Golf’s Greatest Saturday 3:00 p.m. NESN (51) Softball 360 De- BASKETBALL Blacks at Toronto Argonauts Live Rounds 3:30 p.m. LIFE (36) NWSL Orlando Pride Sports Live this week grees Saturday Tuesday Thursday vs. Chicago Red Stars 3:30 p.m. NESN (51) Softball 360 De- 4:00 p.m. ESPN (49) MLS New York Red Noon ESPN (49) The Tournament Super 7:00 a.m. NBCSN (48) Pro Football 7:00 a.m. GOLF (69) CHAMPS Senior Live AUTO RACING grees Sixteen Live Talk Live Bulls at Minnesota United FC Open Championship Round 1 Live (49) 8:00 p.m. NESN (51) Red Sox First 2:00 p.m. ESPN (49) The Tournament 1:30 p.m. ESPN (49) NFL Live Live 6:00 p.m. ESPN International Saturday Pitch Live 9:30 a.m. GOLF (69) LPGA Scottish Champions Cup Barcelona vs. Juventus Super Sixteen Live 5:00 p.m. ESPN2 (50) College Football 6:00 a.m. NBCSN (48) NASCAR Special (51) Open Round 1 Live Live 8:30 p.m.