If there were any justice in the world of television, Paris Hilton would not have been given a show about her search for a new BFF; and well-written, well-acted series would never be cancelled before their time. Alas, the darkness of short-term studio profits casts a long shadow over the importance of quality storytelling.
In the case of Saving Grace (right; FX, Wednesdays at 11pm), not even great domestic ratings or Holly Hunter's star power could keep the highly original American drama from the chopping board, reportedly because of disappointing overseas reception and DVD sales.
As the death march, otherwise known as the third and final season, begins, Oklahoma City detective Grace Hanadarko (Hunter) is given a chance to help another lost soul after the death of Leon Cooley, a murderer with whom she shared her 'last-chance' angel, Earl. This time, the person is an innocent woman whose pain of losing loved ones has seen her spiral into self-destruction - something Hanadarko knows only too well.
The hard-living detective's acceptance of Earl, at first grudging then open as the series progresses, has a positive effect on her life, however. She still doesn't know what to make of God but as she begins to trust her grey-haired, novelty-T-shirt-loving spiritual guardian, her earthly relationships also improve - with her family, best friend Rhetta Rodriguez and partner, Ham Dewey.
It's too bad the big-picture themes of higher power and the tussle between good and evil are rushed into an abrupt end in the second half. Hanadarko should have had this whole season for self-forgiveness; another one to find out and struggle with her true calling; and a final one to gather her army and face evil incarnate in an earth-bound battle. Instead, we get it all crammed into a messy jumble in the last few episodes. Ironically, we are left without faith - in the studio powers that be - just as Hanadarko finally finds it.
The long-term fate of another, less existentialist detective yarn remains in the balance. Castle (TVB Pearl, Thursdays at 10:35pm) begins its second season with the full commission of a third in the bag. It seems studios are more willing to back productions with a good marketing gimmick - a book that parallels the show. Along with the new season, ABC Studios launched a crime novel called Heat Wave, written by Richard Castle, detailing the exploits of detective Nikki Heat, based on the character Kate Beckett in the TV series. It reached No 6 on The New York Times' best-seller list early this year. Clever, aren't they?
