Second Season Of “In Plain Sight” Off To A Strong Start

If you haven’t had a chance to check out USA Network’s most recent hit “In Plain Sight” you could be missing out on one of the most original American television series dramas in a long while.

After “In Plain Sight” was plagued with a later than normal series start last year due to the WGA strike, the series has only received more and more added viewers with each episode. The pilot episode, which aired on June 1^st, 2008, pulled in over five and a half million viewers, placing it at the top of USA Network’s DirecTV highest rated television series since the debut of its other great series “Psych” in 2006.

This drama that takes place in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is all about the lives of those FBI agents who work for the Federal Witness Protection Program, and the people who’s identities they are sworn to protect. The main character Mary Shannon (aptly played by Mary McCormack) is a Deputy United States Marshall with an extremely hectic personal life, a disdain for traditional authority, and a job that is obviously full of stress as she does what she can to ensure the safety and protection of individuals in the witness protection program. She is the perfect example of the flawed hero.

Her partner Marshall Man (played by Fred Weller) is a useless trivia aficionado and comes from a family of law enforcement and is the balancing force in Mary’s life. As the series has moved forward Marshall and Mary have developed one of the most dynamic friendships television has seen in awhile.

Along with a handful of other cast members, “In Plain Sight” is a fully robust experience for DirecTV subscribers. This series is sure to be a great staple for the USA Network’s lineup, and this season has only solidified that claim with already stellar viewership numbers for season two’s debut.

Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations Is A Travel Channel Treat

If you ever had a chance to check out Anthony Bourdain’s 2001-2002 Food Network television show entitled “A Cook’s Tour”, you’ll know that Mr. Bourdain loves to travel to beautifully exotic places all over the world to sample the local food and culture. Although “A Cook’s Tour” was canned after two seasons, the Travel Channel (airing on DirecTV channel 277, with Video On Demand on channel 1277) was smart enough to give him another great show along this same vein entitled “Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations”.

Anthony Bourdain, a great chef himself, fascinates home satellite television viewers all over the world. Not only does he find culinary treasures in the United States, his farther travels have sent him across to the globe to places like Sicily, Italy (where he met with Sicily’s president), Thailand, Ghana, Romania, Laos, Ireland, and Shanghai, just to name a few. He has since received critical acclaim for an episode chronicling his journey to Beirut that landed him a nomination for a 2007 Emmy Award for “Outstanding Informational Programming”.

Besides being an extremely personable, educated, and very brave soul when it comes to eating bizarre insect-related dishes, Anthony Bourdain is a great host. He also has famous friends to bring along, such as the much-lauded author Chuck Palaniuk, the UK band Morcheeba, George Pelecanos, and fellow bizarre food enthusiast Andrew Zimmern, ensuring that every episode is entertaining, informative and fun.

It seems that the fun won’t be ending soon either, with future seasons already slated and Bourdain’s online blog has stated that he’s planning to take his stomach and film crew to Papua New Guinea, Ethiopia, Melbourne, and Chile to new a few. And for those that enjoy DirecTV’s channels that specialize in cooking or travel, you can get both with this Travel channel exclusive.

The Smithsonian Channel – Watch Something Great!

Taking a trip to one of the Smithsonian Museums is a learning adventure the whole family would enjoy. If you can't get there, however, there is great alternative—right in your living room. Showtime Networks and the Smithsonian Institution partnered to bring satellite cable subscribers Smithsonian Networks, made up of Smithsonian Channel HD, Smithsonian On Demand, and smithsoniannetworks.com.

The Smithsonian Channel, another great network in the DirecTV programing lineup, airs both on channel 267, and the always popular and handy Video On Demand version on channel 1267. The content available on Smithsonian Networks is inspired from the wide variety of content offered by the Smithsonian Institution's research labs, museums and facilities, and magazines. The network programming showcases historical, cultural and scientific shows and features, many of which will fascinate all audiences alike. Did I mention that it's commercial free?

As of September in 2007, the Smithsonian Channel HD became a DirecTV exclusive network, after Dish Network suddenly dropped the network without any announcements or warning to their customers.

So many great television shows have been circulating lately as well. Aside from the “Smithsonian Spotlight”, which is a weekly show airing every Sunday morning that offers information and an inside look into the many current programs, exhibits, book publications and projects that the Smithsonian Institution has to offer, many other shows are a much watch on this channel.

One show airing lately that might be of interest to any theology buffs is the “Lost Gods” series, which is a historical journey into the past, showing different civilizations from the Celts to the Egyptians and their search and practices that lead to the establishment and, at times, downfall of many of the world's religions. This is however, only one good example of the many great shows on the Smithsonian Channel.

Unravel A Good Time With Investigation Discovery

Discovery Communications, the parent company involved for bringing such great Discovery network sister channels to satellite television programing as Animal Planet, Discovery Health, Discovery Kids, Planet Green, and the Military Channel, have also been responsible for the creation of the “armchair detective” hit channel Investigation Discovery. On this channel, you'll find lots of great law and crime shows that will shock and entertain you.

Since 1996, Investigation Discovery, a joint project venture originally started between Discovery Communications and media giant CBS, has continued to bring viewing audiences an entertaining and educational watching experience through their great programming lineup that includes a variety of crime related features and documentaries, as well as a variety of programming centering on homicidal investigations and other forms of criminal activity.

Airing on DirecTV's channel 285, as well as the extremely handy Video On Demand version on channel 1285, Investigation Discovery, (or ID, as it's popularly branded) has solidified itself as the channel for anyone interested in criminal law proceedings and murder investigations. The Investigation Discovery Website is now a large part of the network's presence, supplying supplementary and constantly fresh content regarding the programing, as well as work from crime writers such as Gary C. King, David Lohr, and Corey Mitchell. Just a few of the shows you can catch on Investigation Discovery are “Deadly Women”, “Real Interrogations”, “Life of a Crime”, “Most Evil”, “The FBI Files”, and “Solved”. Once you see what you've been missing, you'll be hooked. Ask a representative about DirecTV packages that include this and other great channels. You'll be surprised at how affordable great satellite programming can be.