"Touch" Goes for the Heart and Soul

Martin and Jake Bohm (Kiefer Sutherland and David Mazouz)

One of the more pleasant mid-season replacements this past television season was the show 'Touch' (Thursday's at 8pm). It airs on GlobalTV in Canada. 'Touch' is an amazing blend of great writing, acting and stories that are sometimes borrowed from real headlines and at times seem based on our own lives. It tells the story of Martin Bohm, played by Kiefer Sutherland, former reporter and widower. His wife died in the World Trade Centre on 9/11. His son, Jake, played by the very talented David Mazouz, is 11 and has chosen not to speak. He communicates via numbers and patterns, which lead them to various intrigues and adventures each week.

The premise is that everyone in the world is connected somehow, sometimes directly, through other people, situations, etc. All the world is a village and we are all participants in a beautiful play. Most episodes have two or three storylines that start independent of one another and by the end of the show, the threads come together to create a cohesive and wonderful story.

What impressed me most is that this quality show has found a home and audience on network television. I may be showing my bias here, usually this type of programming finds itself on cable networks. Actors are often shown speaking in their native language with subtitles, it lends a sense of authenticity. Even though we may know little of other cultures, we somehow do find common ground in the respective storylines. As the saying goes "the world really is small" and with the increase in use of handheld communication devices, etc. that is even more true now then before.

If you have not had an opportunity to check out "Touch", please do so, you will not be disappointed. You can follow "Touch" on Twitter and 'like' it on Facebook.