Top Shot - Saturday Show Recommendation

Top Shot. 

Top Shot has become one of my favorite reality TV shows this past season.  Running over the summer and into the regular season, the show brings some of the best shooters from around the country together to compete in different shooting events.  These marksmen are from all walks of life - though most are from some sort of law enforcement (however, my favorite contestant so far [Dustin] is a Christian camp counselor who took up shooting in his spare time). 

The competitions we have seen so far this season have made use of some very interesting weapons.  They have included anything and everything from an antique Gatling-gun to throwing rocks at targets.  The contestants must be masters of all sorts of firearms and able to compete physically in challenges as well.  It tests one's overall fitness and ability to adapt to unique shooting situations.

I think what draws me to this show, more than anything else, is it looks like something I'd like to take part in.  The main focus of the show is target shooting and some of the competition events have seemed really fun.  It's almost like playing a video game in real life. Having only ever shot a gun at overnight camp when in 7th grade, I'd clearly fail at basically every challenge on the show - but I'd sure love to give it a "shot."

This is the third season of the show, and while I haven't watched the first two, at some point I think I may go back and check them out.  More than anything else, it's nice to see a reality show about actual skill and not getting drunk and partying. 

A very interesting show and I'd recommend it.  Airs on Tuesday nights on the History Channel.

Until the next episode...
Chris

New Season Of TV

So, the fall season of TV kicked off in full steam this week, which is both a good and a bad thing - good because I want to know what happens in a few cliffhanger shows and bad because I'll be watching far too much TV daily now. But I digress. The reason for this post is the plethora of TV shows which have begun before this week, are beginning this week, or are yet to come. 

First, we begin with shows that have been running for a couple weeks now.  At the top of that list: Breaking Bad.  If you don't watch this show, well, you really should.  The acting involved in it is top notch, the story lines are captivating, and the seasons never get dull.  In fact, though this is the 4th season, I don't think there's been an episode yet that I have thought was even remotely boring.  That is not the case with all AMC shows - no matter how good - (ahem, MadMen).  And in the past few episodes, Gus' character has really come to life.  He is showing himself to be the mastermind he always clearly was, even though the show had never really delved into it.  Furthermore, he's showing that he has some serious nerves.  I kinda love/hate Gus.

Also currently running - Project Runway.  Interesting season so far.  Pretty tame, collectively for the show.  But there are some interesting characters on it, and as things continue to progress, I really do think they have the true talent still in the running - which is generally not the case with that show.

Weeds.  I consider this the tame Breaking Bad.  If you want a similar storyline, but don't want the intensity of the other show - watch Weeds.  There's a little bit of something for everyone in this show.  For me...Andy is probably the biggest reason to watch it.  He's hilarious, constantly coming up with some sort of hijinx, and some of his one liners are amazing.  Kevin Nealon is great too.  Very funny show. 

On to returning shows for the season.  Show's I'm most excited about: Big Bang Theory, HIMYM, The League, and The Good Wife.   Certainly there are others that I love to watch, but these are shows that I watch immediately whenever they are aired.

As far as I can tell the best days for TV as far as I'm concerned are in this order:  Sunday (Breaking Bad, Good Wife, Downton Abbey); Thursday (Big Bang, The League, Archer, Community, Grey's Anatomy, The Mentalist); and Monday (HIMYM, Weeds, 2.5 Men).  Followed somewhat closely by Tuesday (NCIS, NCIS LA, Parenthood, Glee). 

I'm not going to go into much detail on shows already aired this week - so those who TiVo'd their first episodes won't be upset with me.  I'll just say I was happy with the way that HIMYM ended the hour - seems the show may be getting back on the right track.  Also Modern Family had a great opening episode, I thought both NCIS's got off to a decent start, and Archer is irreverent as always.  Oh, and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, while totally crossing the line as always, had some of the funniest moments I've seen on TV in a while in their season opener last week. 


NEW SHOWS:

Here are some new shows I've watched so far which you may or may not want to look out for:

New Girl:  This is funny TV.  In the past couple years a lot of sitcoms have come out with male/female friends living in an urban setting that feel very much like some sort of Friends ripoff.  This is not one of them.  Zooey Deschanel is hilarious, the comedy seems fresh and relevant and overall it's very funny.  I'd suggest watching. 

Unforgetable: The first episode was anything but what the title suggested to me.  Maybe it will take shape in a few more, but it seems like it's just another cop show that doesn't have a quirky character like Bones to keep it interesting. 

Up all Night: I wanted to like this more than I did.  Will Arnet is basically playing GOB, which I don't mind at all.  There was just something off.  I will watch a couple more episodes and report back.

Free Agents: I did not like this show.  And it's a shame.  I generally do like Hank Azaria - this was just not the best work I've seen him do.  I won't be tuning in again. 

I'm sure there are plenty of shows that I'm forgetting right now, but I'll no doubt get to them later.  This should give you a healthy idea of what is new this season and what to look out for in the coming weeks.  For now, all my sights are set on the Big Bang premiere happening tonight - there's a reason Jim Parsons keeps winning that little Emmy award...

Until the next episode...
Chris

Ringer

Ringer.  Yesterday night, the CW premiered a new show called Ringer starring Sarah Michelle Gellar.  The premise of the show is that there are two twin sisters - one poor and one rich - who have led very separate lives while growing up.  The poor one has made some obviously bad choices and they have lead her to a serious low point in her life (testifying against a known killer).  The rich one married "well" and lives in the upperclass society of NYC - a "perfect" life.  They are not close and clearly do not share much about their lives with each other.

Just before she is to testify, the poor one, Bridget, shakes her FBI protection to go and visit her sister, Siobhan (I totally love the spelling and pronunciation of this name, just a side note).  They go to her summer house - ridiculously adorned and huge - and decide to take a sisterly ride out in a boat on the lake near the house.  On the boat ride it is clear that Siobhan drugs Bridget and the latter wakes up to find her sister gone, her diamond ring on the boat and a piece of her clothing (I think) floating in the water.  Thinking her sister has drowned, Bridget jumps in the water to try to see if she can save her to no avail.  Siobhan is gone - Bridget believes she has committed suicide.  However, instead of telling anyone about this (and thereby ending the episode and series) she takes the place of her wealthy sister and becomes Siobhan - thus begins our tale. 

Back in NYC, though certain things about her are slightly different (weight, preference in housing, and just overall lack of knowledge of things going on in her sister's life) people accept Bridget as Siobhan.  As time continues, it becomes clearer to her that things are not what they seem.  That though her wealthy sister's life may have seemed perfect on the outside, it was full of secrets and sadness when examined up close.

Do I like this show?  I found it entertaining.  Some of the acting was less than stellar and some was very good - but that's almost always to be expected from shows on the CW.  What really struck me was how similar I found the show to Gossip Girl (also on the CW).  Sure, no one is in high school (except Siobhan's step daughter), but the general feeling of that slimy extremely wealthy life on the UES came pouring through.  The deceit felt very familiar, as did the sense of mystery over just what drama will be revealed next.

I found the story slightly incredulous, but most TV is like that anyway, and I am interested enough to watch a few more episodes to see how this pans out.  If you like Sarah Michelle Gellar or Gossip Girl, I'd say this would definitely be up your alley.  If you just like twisted mysteries that unfold over a season - this may also be for you.  And if you, like me, are just addicted to everything that comes through that little box resting on your TV cabinet, then you probably already saw the show and will be watching whether you like it or not. 

Until the next episode...
Chris

I'm Baaaaacccckkkk!

That's right - I am back in Germany, and after wrestling with the idea of whether or not to post on this blog again - I'm back.  It's been a long and busy summer, and is looking to a busy fall as well, so posts will be less frequent would be my guess, but we'll see.

However, there has been a lot of TV that has aired since I last posted, and though I won't comment on all of it now - here are a few shows to certainly see some blog-time in the near future: Suits, Weeds, Breaking Bad, Bones, Top Shot, Friends with Benefits and the ever-popular: Bachelor Pad 2. 

"Bachelor Pad 2?" you may be thinking?  Ok, I'll toss this one in this opening post as a freebie.  Back when I was in Australia I had no TV.  In fact, only one person I knew had a TV - my friend Josh.  I rarely would see any tv programs and basically read a lot and went to the beach a lot.  BUT, once a week we would all gather at Josh's to sit around a tv and watch this horrible show called "Paradise Hotel."  It was a trashy reality show that took place at a hotel which was basically paradise - go figure.  Anyway, we watched it every week and for some odd reason watching Bachelor Pad 2  takes me back to the days of cheering for Keith to win.  Except on this reality show, I'm just hoping that Kasey falls and hits his head...cause that guy sucks.

So anyway, stay tuned for the return of the tv blog.

Until the next show!
Chris

So if you were thinking of outrunning them on a horse...I would try a cheetah.

The Office.  It was Michael's last episode.  The end of an era, really.  How will the show fare without Steve Carrel in the driver's seat?  Time will only tell, I suppose. 

It was a sad episode.  Michael spent the time alloyed in his last day saying goodbye to everyone in the office in his own way.  He was a man who could be so awkward at times - and that was not lost in this episode.  His awkward goodbyes with Phyllis, Ryan and Toby were great.  His gift to Oscar - hilarious. 

But at the same time, Michael always had the biggest heart around the office - and this was also present in his final episode.  The scenes with Dwight were especially pleasing.  Their friendship throughout the years, though at times one sided was shown as the true friendship it always was.   It always seemed that Michael took Dwight for granted, but in the end -it turns out- they both appreciated and needed each other. 

And the scenes with Jim and Pam - especially the last two.  Of course it would be Jim who figures out Michael's plan at the end.  Again, in a situation where we always felt one party was more attached than another it turns out that both Jim and Pam need and love Michael as much as he does in return.  In the end, they were all one big happy family.  And it won't be the same going forward.

I don't know what the office is going to be like without Michael Scott.  If the final scene of this episode was any indication, I probably won't be tuning in very often.  The problem with Ferrell's character is that it is too one sided.  Michael had the boss side, he had the psychotic side, he had the awkward side, but he always had the side that made you love him too.  Thus far, Ferrell misses that.  Will they end up giving it to him or whoever ends up being the new Michael Scott?  I certainly hope so, or I doubt the show will have much of a place on NBC in the future.

Coming up this week, I think I'll go through some of the best Michael Scott moments.  A good way to remember such a funny and lovable character.  

Until the next episode...
Chris


TWSS

Celeb Doppelganger 2

Lately I have been watching a lot of Bones...and it has lead me to believe that David Boreanaz looks an awful lot like one-time boyband member Nick Lachey. Anyone else agree?  Plus, they both have had marital problems...so they've got that going for them...which is nice...


Until the next episode...
Chris

Guilty Pleasure Shows

The Real World. One of my biggest "guilty pleasures" on TV is the genre of reality TV shows. Over the years I have watched a myriad of shows that can fit under this descriptor, including: Top Chef, Project Runway, Next Food Network Star, Jersey Shore, Fear Factor and - of course - The Real World. I'm not sure what it is, but there is something about that last show that draws me in when I watch it.

The history of The Real World is an interesting one. In 1992 MTV set out to produce a scripted TV show, very similar in form to a soap opera. But after realizing they didn't have the budget to continue with the project - they decided that cutting actor and writer fees (among other things) would work with their funding. They also figured that putting 8 interesting people in a house together would create enough drama in itself - easily as much as a scripted program. And, as they say, the rest is history. In the first few seasons of the show - it really hit on some difficult issues, no more compelling than that of the cast member on the third season who had AIDS. In those early days, the show was actually full of substance, bringing important issues to light, and allowing real people to talk about them in front of millions of others.

Sadly, in the past years, the show has degenerated into an excuse to put 7-8 people together in a house to drink, pass out and hook up. Not always in that order. In the most recent season, airing now, there are 7 young people living in the Palms Hotel in Las Vegas. One (Adam) has already been kicked off the show for getting so drunk he broke just about everything in the suite, and also was breaking things in the hotel's clubs which the cast members frequent. He had been warned once, and instead of responding like a normal person ("I'm sorry, this won't happen again), he told the other cast members that he couldn't promise it wouldn't happen again and continued to act exactly the same.  He seems like a real winner...as you can see from the following video:



Furthermore, this past week, a new cast member joined them to replace the recently kicked off Adam. Instead of welcoming her in a friendly way, the females on the show decided she was ruining their status-quo and proceeded to attack her verbally (I'm rather surprised it did not come to fisticuffs - yes you heard me, fisticuffs). It was quite atrocious to watch.

Most of this season has been that way - really difficult to watch. And yet...I do. I watch every week. I even get excited to watch. Why? Maybe I live vicariously through their "free" and young lives. Maybe I find it interesting to observe people with such different value-systems than I adhere to.  Maybe I just find it fun to watch people screw up their lives on national TV.  Whatever the reason may be, I tune in every week and will probably continue to do so. 

And there we have it, the first of my "guilty pleasure shows."  I'm sure there will be more.

Until the next episode...
Chris

Saturday Show Recommendation

Archer.  In its second season on FX Archer has shown consistently that it belongs on the list of great comedies currently on TV.  Not for the faint of heart, the animated show irreverently follows secret agent Sterling Archer through his sexual and spy lives as they intertwine with ISIS - a secret government agency run by his mother.

When it comes to crossing lines of decency, Archer (both the show and the character) excels at it.  However, as a favorite comedian of mine says - when I cross my line of decency it reminds me that I have one...

Featuring some great actors in voice over parts, Archer offers a star studded cast.  It includes: Aisha Tyler, Jessica Walter, Chris Parnell, Judy Greer and Jeffrey Tambour.  There is a very obvious connection to Arrested Development with the mother played by Jessica Walter - and this only adds to the hilarity of this show.

Basically the show, to me, feels like everything James Bond would say and do if his movies were not intended for audiences of all ages.  Archer provides laugh out loud sequences every single week, and as the episodes are only 20 minutes long, it is easy to enjoy a few episodes at a time without wasting the day.



Episodes can be watched out of sequence, but really, to get the most from the show show, start from the beginning.  It's a great series, and if you are ok with pushing your line of decency for a bit - you won't regret tuning in.

Until the next episode...
Chris

Who will it be?!

http://marquee.blogs.cnn.com/2011/04/22/jim-carreys-on-his-way-to-the-office/?iref=NS1


The Office. Excited for next week!  Especially after the sad final Dundies awards that took place this week.  I kinda hate/love Ferrell's character on the show, so it will be interesting to see what the others can bring to it as well.

Until the next episode...
Chris

A not drunk Snooki?

Who wants to watch that?


http://entertainment.blogs.foxnews.com/2011/04/20/jersey-shore-cast-forbidden-to-booze-it-up-in-florence-italy/?test=faces

Until the next episode...
Chris

Mid-Week Rundown

Ok, I have neglected my posting obligations here for over a week - very sorry.  In my defense, it was one of those times when I was in the midst of a production (which I speak of in the blog header) and I got really busy.

So, I've decided to just touch on the most important things from TV last week in this blog.

Here goes:

House: 13 is back.  We bid goodbye to another character?  Taub is still a jackass. And Cuddy has all but disappeared. Why?

HIMYM: One good episode, and then we go straight back to the crap of Barney with his Dad. Hello HIMYM producers - don't you read my blog? We want LAUGHS. We want humor. We should just watch the Big Bang Theory instead...

Glee: Welcome back Glee, it's been a while. Do we have a Will/Emma rekindling? I hope so. The abandonment of that story-line was a big disappointment. Anyone else think this highschool drama has gotten a bit big for its britches? I mean, it used to feel like they were in HS. Now it's just one big drama after another, and the school part is irrelevant. And not in a good way.

The Killing: Still the best new show on TV. Czech it out.

The Office: Will Ferrell's funny jokes work in 20 minute segments too. I hope they keep him around for a while.

Parks and Rec: Andy and April tie the knot in a pretty underwhelming episode. But there were some good laughs, and the concept of an Xbox pancake was born.

The Good Wife: This show is in danger of being canceled. That is beyond my understanding. People need to learn how to pay attention to things for more than 20 seconds again.

The Event: This is one of the worst shows I keep watching. Thankfully it's almost over.

 Archer Benoit (balls). Silk Socks. "As what? Russia's only black woman?!" Just tune in.

I guess I'll stop there. That seems like enough. I omitted 30 Rock, which was funny too, yet underwhelming. And that should more or less catch us up to today. Tune back in this week for some new posts, an actual Saturday Show Recommendation, and maybe even some guilty pleasure shows.

Until the next episode...
Chris

Saturday Show Recommendation

The Killing.  AMC has once again caught my eye with a new series on their network.  In the past 5 years they've released some of my favorite shows on TV including, Mad Men, Breaking Bad, and Rubicon.  And while I don't yet watch The Walking Dead, I have heard that it is also phenomenal.

The Killing is a murder-mystery crime show based on the Danish show of the same name.  In the premiere episode we learn that the story will focus on the murder of a teenage female high school student who, while seemingly pure and innocent at home (pink room, very girly, pictures on the wall, butterflies, etc), may be wrapped up in some deeper darker secrets.  It also appears that her death may be tied up with the campaign of a politician as the election draws nearer.

One of the great things about all of these AMC series is that they are headed by more-or-less unknown actors of incredible talent.  Yes, I know some of them peripherally from other shows/movies, but with the exception of maybe 4-5 people I could not have named the show that I knew them from before looking it up.  The same holds true with The Killing.  The cast is headed by the unknown Mirelle Enos, who is absolutely amazing.  She plays a female character unlike any that I've really ever seen on TV before.  She is strong, stoic, in love - but not obnoxious, and incredibly smart. 

Generally we don't have main characters on TV shows that are female who are not strikingly beautiful, and in this series it seems that they not only are not accentuating her looks, but actually playing them down.  She looks like a run-down cop ready to leave her job, but hot on the scent of a new case.  She is really great in the role.  As with most of the AMC shows, there is quite a large ensemble cast, including Billy Campbell, Michelle Forbes, and the Swedish actor Joel Kinnaman (who plays Enos' unconventional partner).

The show  presents itself as a sort of extended movie, where you don't really get the feeling that you are watching a TV series with a beginning and an end to each episode, but rather a longer through-developed storyline.  It is captivating, very emotional, and quite dark.  There is no real horror to the show - it's not a thriller, per se - but it is full of drama.  The characters are very real feeling - the scene on the beach where the parents have to tell their young children that their sister has been killed was heart-wrenching.  I feel (as with most AMC shows) that I am not watching a put together scene between actors, but that I am watching real people having an actual conversation.  Everything feels genuine, and this is an extremely welcome change from normal network TV. 

The Killing airs on on Sunday nights, which makes today's post especially relevant.  It is, at the very least, worth DVR-ing, and if you have nothing to do, make sure you find the first episode (2hour premiere) somewhere and then watch the second tomorrow.  I hope that people continue to tune into this show and make it a success; it would be a shame to have another Rubicon - in which the show was so fantastic and gripping, but the storyline developed slower than the modern TV watcher's 30 second attention span would allow for, and the show was eventually canceled.  AMC programing is just too good for that fate.

Until the next episode,
Chris

Shut. Your. Ass.

The Big Bang Theory.  A couple years ago The Big Bang Theory overtook HIMYM as the best comedy on CBS and it showed once again this week why that is true.  The episode revolving around rumors and how quickly they spread was absolutely laugh-out-loud funny.  It was one of the best episodes of comedy TV I have seen in a long time, with both Sheldon and Raj having some incredible lines.  And even Amy Farrah Fowler had a couple great ones (and is more and more turning into a character I like).  I don't want to give too much away - if you're a fan of the show, just go and watch it.  I haven't laughed like that in a while. 

Until the next episode...
Chris

Guacamole on a Donut

The Good Guys.  Starting last fall there was a great new show on tv called The Good Guys.  And then all of a sudden in December, it was no more.  FOX decided the show no longer had a place in its programing and canceled it.

This is maybe one of the biggest shames in TV this season, in my not so humble opinion.  The show starred Colin Hanks (Tom Hank's son) and Bradley Whitford.  Awesome right?  It gets better.  They play cops.  Hanks is a straight laced rookie cop who has been paired with an old veteran who no one thinks much of.  In his role as this lovable veteran, Dan Stark, Whitford grew an excellent cop 'stache and put on a little weight.  It is a zone I've never seen this actor in before, and he absolutely kills in it.

Though I've never been a big fan of the West Wing (yes, I know - I haven't really given it a chance, and one day I'm sure I will watch it all and fall in love with it as I do with most other Sorkin things, but I digress) I most clearly remember Whitford from Billy Madison as Eric.  Sniveling, very put together, young, no 'stache...those are the memories I have of Mr. Whitford.  This is a think of the past.  As Dan Stark he is a dirty, guacamole on a donut eating, caricature of an old school cop.  I think the thing that makes this show so impressive to me is that that character can be so cliche - most actors would make it so.  But Whitford's Stark is always fresh and always hilarious.  The two lead characters play off of each other so well and the show really has a fast upbeat pace. There is never a dull moment; and the humor, while sophomoric at times, is genuinely funny.



Overall, this show should not have been canceled - and if people didn't like it, I think it is only because the first couple episodes started a bit slow...but it really picked up after that.  I hope this becomes a cult classic - I would definitely buy a Dan Stark shirt.  And if anyone is looking for a BDay gift for me (May 30) please feel free to see if they exist and send me one.

Until the next episode...
Chris

Parenthood

Parenthood. There are few shows on TV today that I find so entertaining and well-acted as Parenthood. Who knew that taking a guy from Punk'd, a girl from Gilmore girls, a guy from Sports Night, the girl from Swimfan, and a Julia Roberts look-alike...and giving them the Coach from Coach and Holly Gennaro from Die Hard for parents would be such a winning recipe? But that's exactly what they've done and it works so well.

Dax Shepard is one of the biggest surprises for me on the show. I first saw him on Punk'd, then knew him from Employee of the Month and Idiocracy. Needless to say, none of these are works of genius, or characters which required much depth. But holy cow does his character on Parenthood have depth. He plays the ugly duckling on the show. Really a great guy underneath, but he makes some bad decisions.

Peter Krause and Monica Potter play the parents of a young boy with Asperger's disease. They are one of the most believable parent couples I've ever seen on TV. The bring both the pride parents can have in the young ones they raise as well as the fear and confusion that comes with dealing with a child like that. And the young boy who plays the son, my gosh what an actor for that age. So committed. So effective.

The show not only focuses on families, but also on issues like race relationships, job crises, teenage issues like sex and drugs and alcohol, school things, etc. Nothing seems to be off-limits. It's almost like having a huge family of your own and there are no boundaries. They talk about what is on their minds, because they're all related and don't have to shy away from things that friends might have to.

Almost every week watching the show I laugh out loud at something that one of the characters does. At the same time, in almost every episode I get a bit choked up - not only because they show difficult situations, etc, but because they almost always somehow relate to my life (and I'm sure I'm not the only one). And in the end, no matter what is going on on the show, family always comes first - and this is something most of us can relate to in a huge way.

This is the type of show that has to be watched from the beginning, so if you haven't been watching - Netflix the first season and go from there.

Until the next episode...
Chris

Lack of anything

This weekend was pretty much a deep void of worthwhile TV.  Even the event that everyone was looking forward to - the NCAA finals turned out to be much of a dud. 

On Monday, almost no new shows were on, but The Event continued it's run into obscurity. After killing off the principal "bad guy" character last week, they decided to take a character who was previously nice, and turn her bad.  It seems to me that only a show that has no direction whatsoever would pull a maneuver like this.  Either a character is good at heart or not, but they do not change so suddenly to fit a storyline.  I am pretty much done with this show, but as it was the only thing on  - I watched it.

I would have been better off watching reruns of Frasier. 

Until the next episode...
Chris

Saturday Show Recommendation

 Sports Night.  Sports Night was an Aaron Sorkin show that ran on ABC from 1998-2000.  The show centered around a SportsCenter (ESPN) type show on the fictional CSC network and all the happenings that went on behind the scenes.  Much like many of Sorkin's shows it was often shot with long single takes, very seamless dialogue bits and contained a whole lot of wit and humor.

The show starred many future big names on primetime TV, notably: Felicity Huffmann (Desperate Housewives) as Dana Whittaker the show's producer, Josh Charles (The Good Wife) as Dan Rydel - one half of the two man anchor team, and Peter Krause (Parenthood) as Casey McCall - the other half of that bro-some.

Besides the wonderful cast, which also included Josh Malina and Robert Guillaume, the show had a freshness to it that I still find true today.  The situations, while often overstated, always seemed applicable to something I was feeling or going through at the time.  In a way, it was a show that was about sports - but it was also about everything BUT sports.  It was about people, their interactions with each other, and their lives at home and work.  It was about office life, deadlines and work competition.  It was had a great love story that ran through it and it had a great friendship by which each episode was measured.  It was a show that mixed both comedy and drama and put that all into 25 minutes of airtime each week.  I think this was one of the reasons it was so short-lived...people weren't ready to deal with such a mature show at that time.  Nowadays I think a show like this would find a much larger audience.  In some ways, the show was just too far ahead of its time.  

Also, Dan Rydell really gets my feelings on soccer:




One slightly annoying part of the show is the laughtrack that they felt was needed in the first season.  It drops out somewhere along the way (I can't quite remember when) and when it does, the show is without flaw - in my not so humble opinion.  

To be honest, I never watched Sports Night when it was actually on.  I believe that it was on Comedy Central (or some other channel on which it was syndicated) that I first became acquainted with its genius.  Sports Night is constantly listed as one of the best unknown shows and one of the best shows ever to have been canceled.  So do yourself a favor: order the box set from Amazon.  Or download it illegally.  Or watch it all on youtube (yes, it's all out there).  Or ask me if you can borrow my copy sometime...it is well worth getting your hands on and devoting a bit of time to watching.

Until the next episode...
Chris

Follow Up

Also care of J.B.:


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-12931459

Grey's Anato-glee

Grey's Anatomy.  Hmm.  Where to begin with this week's Grey's...?  First off, I felt that the episode missed the mark a bit.  The singing didn't bother me that much - I mean, House did a similar thing with an episode a few weeks back and I really liked it (they also put the characters into basically every sitcom ever which was brilliant).  But I think the reason I liked the episode of House was that they went somewhere daring with it.  With Grey's it all felt very safe.  Like they wanted to do this sort of strange funky episode but couldn't go far enough or dark enough with it.  Which is kinda weird - especially for a show that specializes in the "dark and twisty."

Furthermore, I thought that it was an odd choice for a show that usually uses music so well.  Grey's is almost famous for its soundtrack - - for introducing no songs to us week after week - - and using them extremely effectively.  That was a bit lacking from this episode.  Also, it was blatantly clear that the only cast members truly ok with singing were: Callie, Bailey, Owen Hunt, and Little Grey - everyone else stayed more or less silent  (and some, like Christina stayed completely silent).  It kept me wondering when their breakout solos would be, and also disappointed me that it was that obvious that they can't sing.

However, I love Sara Ramirez's voice.  A graduate of the Juilliard School, many people only know her as Callie - but she was also an original cast member in Spamalot on Broadway.  The lady can sing, and she showed this...especially at the end of the episode when she was singing "The Story" by Brandie Carlile.  She let it rip and it was pretty brilliant.  My favorite part of the episode by far...and really the only committed singing I felt the entire time.

When it was all said and done, I was sort of underwhelmed by the episode.  If you want to do something like this, you have to commit.  You have to be willing to go all the way to weird.  Sure, you might alienate some people, but the ones who get it will be absolutely hooked.  "Sometimes for an artist, the only difference between insanity and genius is success,"  In this instance, Grey's was not willing to risk insanity...so they didn't make it to genius.

Until the next episode...
Chris

The Finale -or - I really hope Richard wins.

Top Chef.  Here we go.  Blogging as I watch this week's finale episode of Top Chef.  It is only Mike I. and Richard B. left to fight it out for the title of Top Chef All Stars.  And the challenge is: the cheftestants must create for the judges the restaurant of their dreams.  Blais - though he denies it - is the clear favorite to win.  I really don't think that Mike can win, or that he deserves to do so.  BUT, he's proven me wrong thus far, so what do I know?

By way of a blind taste test, each chef chooses 3 sous chefs to work with them on their challenges.  Because this is a blind taste test, Richard and Mike can only guess at what chef made each dish and personal issues are possible if they choose a dish made by someone they don't get along with.  Richard picks first and gets Spike, Angelo, and Antonia.   Mike chooses Tiffany, Jamie, and Carla.  Wow.  Advantage in a real way now to Richard. 

So the teams set out to set up their restaurants.  Mike seems pretty in control - extremely cocky as usual.  Blais points out very correctly that this is both Mike's biggest asset and his biggest downfall.  In the other kitchen, Blais has lots of protein going on - including bone marrow!  This is always an audience-pleaser.   However, he often over thinks things.  Can his sous chefs pull off everything he wants to do?  I'm not sure. 

Blais has really put a lot of pressure on himself.  He is worried he will be "always the bridesmaid, never the bride."  I wonder how this will affect his cooking.  To start off, they really like his amuse and first two courses.  The fourth is a beef dish which looks beautiful, but they are not seeing his personality - I dunno, if he cooks well, what does it really matter? They seem to like the rest of his food, but didn't like the dessert (which had...fois gras?!).  At least he's being smart...before the second judges come in, he's going to tweak his dishes based on the response and tasting after the dishes come back.  Very smart.

Mike's restaurant is celebrated by the first set of judges except for 2 things.  The wait between the 1st and 2nd courses and the 4th course.  After the first judges eat, I think it's pretty even probably, with Mike maybe a bit in the lead. 

The second set of judges on each side start off really liking the food.  I think the judges that went Richard to Mike seem to like Mike's food better.  And the ones that went the other way - I think they like Richard.  This is going to come down to the end. 

Judges Table.  They loved Mike.  Thought his food was very clean, even effeminate - but in a good way.  As for Richard, they thought everything was awesome.  They thought his beef was a bit uninspired but very perfectly done.  Man, I really hope at this point that Richard wins.  I cannot stand Mike as a person.  Maybe they edit him poorly, but I really think it would be hard to be THAT misrepresented. 

Ok, so coming in to the end of the episode now and they have made their decision.  Before they say it, I really think it might be Mike, which scares me.  I'd be pretty upset with Top Chef if that is the decision.  But I guess we'll see...

And the new Top Chef is...:

RICHARD BLAIS!

Well done Top Chef.  I agree whole heartedly.  He stood up and took what is his, and I cannot be happier for the man. 

Until the next episode...
Chris

"I'm living like there's no tomorrow, because there isn't one."

Some bad news for Mad Men fans - care of my friend J.B.:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-12905058

Apparently, the problems are over 2 minutes of show-time that AMC wants to cut to allow more time for commercials as well as the request for the producers to cut 2 characters (and [-implied-] their salaries...).

I can't see how this show could possibly be losing money - it is insanely popular and there are no big stunts or shoots or whatever, most of it takes place in an office building or restaurant-, so it would appear this boils down to greed, sadly.   

Hopefully they can figure out a good compromise and move on.

Until the next episode...
Chris

The (non) Event

The Event.  Is there any other show on TV besides NBC's The Event that I watch consistently but care less and less about what happens to it with each passing week?  I highly doubt it.  The series started so strongly last year - in the first episode it seemed to be a cross between 24 and Lost and I really thought that all my prayers had been answered (well at least prayers about Jack Bauer hanging out with Kate and Jack while Sawyer calls everyone names and they all shoot Nina again...).  TV life was glorious.

But then something happened that I don't understand, NBC decided to take a 4 month break on the show from November to March.  In a show that is all about secrets, puzzles, and giving the audience just a piece of these each week to keep its interest - a long hiatus makes viewers completely lose interest.  How many people could stay interested in a show that had no clear direction and then seemingly disappeared?  Not many apparently...  The first episode was viewed by over 10 million people.  Now?  They're hovering at about 4 million, and losing viewers every week.  When you compare this to a successful show like House for example it is not even close.  House (even in what is a poorly watched season) this year is averaging about 10 million viewers per episode.  Averaging.  Not peaking at.  And to compare it to Lost, a very successful version of that type of show, Lost averaged over it's whole run in the upper teens of millions per episode. 

So... does The Event have a place on TV past this season?  I really don't think so.  I think at this point it will be really hard to find the viewership the show needs to make it financially worth keeping on the air.  I guess we'll have to see what NBC decides at the end of May, but this seems like it will be another very good concept (like Flash Forward last season) to be more or less killed by being too vague in the initial episodes and then taking a really long break mid-season.   I'm not sure why TV execs think that is ever a good idea.  Shows like this need to be watched continuously.  Bad NBC.  Bad. Go to your room.

Until the next episode...
Chris

Father of the Year

Shameless.  The season finale of what I think was the best new show of 2011 was this week.  Shameless knocked this episode out of the park. 

I don't know what I was thinking about while watching last week's episode - but I had totally forgotten about the implications of Frank's sleeping with Karen as it relates to Lip.  Duh.  Karen is (was) Lip's girlfriend...and this came in to play in a big way this week.

To start things off, I'm glad that Steve was able to get Lip and Ian out of jail by giving up the house. It was his fault that they were in there, and although I didn't really expect him to, he stepped up here. This made his plea to Fiona a bit more weighty. But would she ever really have left her family to go with him? Isn't that what we all dream of? No responsibility. The chance to just run away and start over if we needed to. To run away with the loves of our lives and never look back. But it's rarely the case. That's not anyone's reality that I know.

Karen had her problems this week as I mentioned before. Between having to deal with Frank who is both ashamed and seemingly gloating about his poor choices, to her issues with Lip, she really got herself in a tangle. Also, sending an email to her father with the video of the two of them was the icing on the cake. I feel bad for Eddie, I really do. But he himself is also a nutcase. That whole family has problems and it has really taken its toll on Karen. I was a bit surprised of Eddie at the end; I guess I just didn't expect that he would commit suicide, and am still not sure that there won't be a twist next season.

The episode ended, as so many do, with Steve coming to get Fiona and take her away to paradise. But instead of the happy ending that some may have wanted, we find him alone and Fiona taking a job with her friend. Does Steve actually leave? Probably. Will he be back? Almost definitely. I can tell you one thing for sure...I'll be back watching again next season. So until then...

Until the next episode...
Chris

Big News...

http://www.cnn.com/2011/SHOWBIZ/TV/03/25/fringe.tv.ew/index.html?hpt=Sbin

Saturday Show Recommendation

This week's Saturday Show Recommendation is The League.

In my opinion, this is one of the funniest shows to hit TV in a long time. Each season of the show centers around a group of 5 friends (+1 wife) and their fantasy football league that season. Naturally, as the show is about 5 males and the issues they might have together, as well as the fact that it centers around a fantasy football league - this show probably appeals more to guys...but I certainly know girls who enjoy the show as well.

I think the reason the show is such a hit for myself as well as many of my friends is because we all know people exactly like the characters in the show. Everyone's group of friends has an Andre or a Ruxon or even a Pete. We all have the know it all, or the guy who thinks he's way cooler than he is, or the guy with the hot girlfriend that makes no sense because he looks like a troll, etc etc.

Probably the funniest character on the show is Taco. He's played by Jon Lajoie. Taco is a free spirit who seems to have no sense of the real world, and no boundaries within it. He always speaks his mind, usually to the detriment of others around him. He makes his own deoderant, plays crude songs on his guitar, and both sells and drinks "Three-Penis Wine."





If you play fantasty football, baseball, or even fantasy frolf, this is a show worth checking out. If you have any friends at all with less than normal habits, this is a show to watch. If you just like laughing all the time while watching TV - tune into The Leauge during football season. Or you know...better yet...find the first two seasons and watch them now. You'll thank me later.

Until the next episode...
Chris

The economy would rise...everyone would be tan...and all the radios would play house music...

The Jersey Shore.  I don't have much to say about the Jersey Shore this week.  There was a lot of fighting and laughs etc., but there was really only one reason I was watching: Ron and Sam.  And you know what?  They finally made the right choice.  Before leaving the house Ron and Same broke up.  After 3 seasons of fighting, there is finally an end to this horrific relationship.  We all know that this might not be for good - especially as the show is due back next season for a trip to Italy with the same cast - but for now, at least, they get to live their own lives.  If anything, I hope that young viewers watch this and learn to be better at relationships than most couples are.  Certainly better than these two have been.  I'm sure I'll tune in next season to see if they kept their live separate, but for now, all I can say is thank God the fighting is over for this season.

Until the next episode...
Chris

The Hoomers continue

The Office. This week's The Office was in top form. From Rainn Wilson's fantastic portrayal of Dwight as a haggler at the office garage sale, to the wonderfuly tender moments of Michael and Holly's relationship, this episode was great.

As one of TV's all-time best supporting characters who's antics make us laugh, Dwight was great this episode. The goal of trading from a thumbtack to the best thing at the garage sale was noble, and we all knew he would make it...only to be foiled by Jim. The trading of the telescope for the magic legumes was classic Dwight and Jim. There is something so great about the way these two play off each other - especially Wilson's ability to make everything a competition (which he always loses). Of the rest of the garage sale participants, I especially liked Ryan's bottled salsa and pesto, featuring Oscar and Phyllis respectively on the bottles.

But of course, the main part of the episode (and certainly what everyone will talk about) was the proposal.

One of the things The Office does better than almost any other show is it takes every day situations and makes them tender and special. Awkward things happen to all of us every day in real life - and, generally speaking, TV shows try to take these situations and make them either funny or completely ignore them. The Office goes the opposite direction and embraces them. This is what makes such tender moments possible and what makes the show so special. When the sprinkler went on in the middle of Michael's proposal - sure it was funny - but it didn't take away from the moment one bit. If anything, it enhanced it. This was almost as great a moment as Jim proposing to Pam or the wedding episode. The honest feelings that all of us see behind the characters bring us in to the action and make us connect and really care about them as if we knew them. Kudos to the Office for really bringing it this episode.

I hope that Michael and Holly will be back at some point for a wedding episode. It is such a shame for the show to be losing Steve Carell, and I hope that he will return to provide his unique sense of humor to the show again. To be honest, I'm not sure how the show will survive without Michael, but I guess we'll see how things will go. All I have to say is that this last episode made me both laugh out loud and well up a bit...and really, what more could you ask from 20 minutes of TV?

Until the next episode...
Chris

The Humor is Back!

Modern Family.  This episode of Modern Family had more laughs than the entire season of HIMYM has had thus far.  Manny was on his game, Jay was great, Phil and Claire were funny, and Luke hit it out of the park yet again. Not to mention the great guest star bit from Nathan Lane.

Luke has had an amazing season thus far on Modern Family. For a character that didn't have much to offer in the first season, the writers/producers/whoever have turned him into one of the funniest parts in the show. His one-liners are seemingly non-stop, and as I discussed in the HIMYM thread, they keep him as a side character...#winning.

He is able to be a completely comic character, and it works so well for him. Now if we could just get a bit more of Manny in the coming episodes the show would really be on a roll. In the first season, Manny ruled the show with his hilarious tiny adult act. We need it back.

Also seeing Jay hang out with his son and his gay friends was touching - as Jay is a bit older and they seem to be fans of classic movies and divas of the past - they have a lot to talk about together. Nathan Lane was annoying, but not to the point it hurt the show. His character was actually pretty funny.

I could go into depth about the situations that arose in the episode, but you should really just go and watch it. It was a great week for Modern Family and they have brought the humor back to TV.

Until the next epsiode...
Chris

Hootie Hoo is back! (but not really)

Top Chef.  We're now down to 3 competitors: Mike, Richard and Antonia.  Coming into this week, I expected this to be the finale, as they usually have 3 cheftestants competing against each other for the title; but, apparently, they will eliminate one more chef before the episode is over and leave only 2 for the final show.  Going into the episode, I am really hoping that Mike's over-confidence comes back to bite him now that he's one two elimination challenges in a row - but at this point it's really anyone's game and Mike is cooking as well as anyone else.

The Quickfire challenge (QF) was an interesting concept: each chef got to choose from some of the more difficult past QFs and give one to a competitor.

Richard was stuck with using hot dogs, Mike with only one pot to cook in, and Antonia with only canned goods. Obviously Antonia and Richard had the short end of the stick here, having to use processed foods while Mike has free reign over any ingredients - not sure what Blais was thinking there. Then the second twist came. Each chef got to choose one extra thing to hinder a contestant. Because of this, Antonia ends up with Carla (hootie hoo) tied to her side, Blais with one hand, and Mike can use no utensils. I have to say, Blais's currywurst did not look appetizing - I would not have wanted to eat that.  Especially living in a country that serves currywurst everywhere, I'd say most street vendors' food looks better than that did.  Mike ends up with the win (again?) and I think at this point, both Blais and Antonia were just shaking their heads in shock. As far as I can tell, Mike gets lucky again (he seemed to be saying his dish was undercooked) -  would I ever go and eat at a restaurant of his? No. Not at all. Shouldn't that be a component in who wins Top Chef?

So we move on to the Elimination Challenge (EC), Mike still holding a bit of an advantage over the other two chefs. The EC is all about making someone's last meal...but not just anyone...three amazing chefs. The first is Michelle Bernstein who Mike chooses for himself. She gives him probably the easiest of the 3 meals: fried chicken, bisquits, etc. All things she couldn't have as a child. Blais gets Wolfgang Puck and he gives him a traditional Austrian meal: Goulash, Spaezel, Apfel Strudel, etc. Finally, Antonia gets Iron Chef Morimoto who requests a traditional Japanese meal of sashimi, sticky rice, and miso soup.

Just looking at the 3 meals and the chefs' backgrounds, I think it's pretty clear that Antonia is at a huge disadvantage. As an American-Italian chef, really how familiar can she be with Japanese cooking? Especially when it comes to something as subtle as sashimi.   I can say, as a huge sashimi fan, that less is certainly more, and so much of the dish comes down to the freshness of the fish and the consistency of the technique used by the chef.

As the diners are eating the meal, it seems pretty clear to me that they like Richard's the best and Antonia's the worst, while having some mixed feelings about Mike. So, I am sitting here assuming that Richard and Mike will move on to the finale, and Antonia will pack her knives and go. They announce that Richard will make the finale (hooray, and duh - cause he's awesome. his hair alone is better than the other two chefs combined) and I prepare for Antonia to leave.

BUT, then I look down at the bottom of my screen and notice I still have 10 minutes of show left. What? 10 minutes of Antonia crying and packing up? That doesn't make sense. And then out it comes...a Top Chef surprise envelope. Both Mike and Antonia have 45 minutes to go BACK into the kitchen and make 1 bite to give to each of the judges. Their fate will be sealed by this and nothing else.

Well cool - this is obviously great for Antonia. She was a dead man walkin' and this gives her a very real second life. But it kind of takes all meaning out of the actual ELIMINATION challenge. Sure, Blais moved on, but why even have the other two compete if you're not going to factor that in?  And why call it the elimination challenge if no one is eliminated from it?

Anyway, Mike starts to make beef and Antonia grabs some grouper.  At first glace, I think beef is a better choice over all. If you get just one bite and can make a piece of beef melt in someone's mouth, that's gotta be a winner. Of course, as that is what Mike is preparing, I somewhat hate myself for thinking that (haha),  The final bites are as follows: "Seared grouper in coconut lobster broth with a yam, apples and dill pollen relish" (Antonia) and "Tempura lobster over beef tartare with carmelized olives and chimicrri sauce" (Mike). That all sounds delicious, but what do the judges think? They seem to like Antonia's dish and do not seem so warm to Mike's at first, could this be a huge upset? I loved Motimoro's way of describing how the dishes were different by calling them "Bang and very subtle." But at the end, the judges vote and see who prefers which dish ending up 3-3 with only Wolfgang Puck left to vote (it's amazing that that seems to always happen on reality shows, isn't it? I'm sure that the producers couldn't have anything to do with it...).

In the end the winner is: MIKE. Antonia hears the final "please pack your knives and go." Well, while I don't like Mike - that is the right choice. He cooked better than her consistently for the episode, and had been on a roll.  He also would have been safe had they used the actual EC as an EC, so overall I am glad that they stuck with that.  I am looking forward to Blais kicking his butt next week in the finale though. I think Blais's biggest issue will be getting out of his own head. The man has some inner demons for sure, and if he can keep them under control I expect his meals to be fantastic next week. I can't wait to see it.  From the previews, it looks like they'll each be more or less running their own restaurants with former cheftestants on the line.  Should be a lot of fun.

Until the next episode...
Chris

Do you think Jesus was black? We thought he was black.

The Good Wife.

One of my favorite shows on television today is The Good Wife on CBS. Not because it takes place in Chicago (although it gets points for this) or because it has Josh Charles (Dan Rydell from Sports Night) on it, but because it is always good, entertaining, dramatic TV. The characters feel real on the show and the situations always seem fresh.

I'm going to take the approach of writing about this as though you've watched the show. At this point there are too many characters to explain and too many through stories to go into.

This week focused on three main issues:
1.) Kalinda's indictment to the grand jury.
2.) Lamman Bishop and his divorce mediation.
3.) Peter's campaign and race issues surrounding it.

Kalinda's indictment is the first - in what appears will be many - attempt by Glen Childs to derail Lockhart and Gardiner as some sort of revenge plot towards the Florricks. I, for one, have hated Childs' character since the first time he entered the show. He is stuck up, presumptuous, arrogant, and exactly what I expect a politician to seem like. He seems to think he's above reproach, and I can't stand that quality in someone. With the twist at the end of the episode, I see no way this will not get dirtier and quickly. All I can say is that I am glad that Blake's character will be gone from the next episodes. I think that Kalinda is in for a rough few weeks. Will she tell Alicia what she did? Will Peter? What a mess.

The Bishop case is an interesting one. How do you settle a divorce between a drug dealer and his wife? How can you say what his income really is to make it a fair deal? I don't really know what the lawyer and soon to be ex wife were trying to prove in repeatedly turning down offer after offer (which all seemed rather generous), but in the end it came back to bite them. Greed is a bad thing. There is no doubt in my mind that Bishop was behind the wife's overdose - you just don't mess with someone like that. One of my favorite things about the episode was seeing Brody from the Wire as Bishop's associate. I always liked him on the Wire and wish he would be used in more shows.

Finally, the race issue in the District Attorney election. Now that Eli and Peter have forced Childs out of the race, there are only two horses left. Peter (white, upperclass, politician) and Wendy Scott Carr (black, not life-long politician). Now that Childs is out of the race, Eli has decided that to win, Peter has to remove all black influence from his campaign. Or at least hide it - like Zach's black girlfriend. This is one of the dirtier and darker sides of politics. I loved the way that the entire Florrick family (minus Peter, who was not in this episode) stood up to Eli. He can be a jerk at times, and I hope that Peter can win the election without bowing to playing a game about race.

Overall, I enjoyed this episode, but it wasn't the best I've seen. The drama was certainly there at times, but it didn't last the entire episode. I don't care very much about Lemman Bishop as a character, so his story was not an interesting one. The focus just seemed to be too scattered over the episode, and it was very unlike this show to be pulled in so many directions at the same time. I'm sure they'll bounce back next week - as this remains one of the best prime-time dramas on TV today.

Until the next episode...
Chris

Victoria Jackson...well isn't that special.

Today, Victoria Jackson

has come under fire for her comments regarding last week's Glee. The former SNL actress wrote in a blog post:

“Did you see “Glee” this week? Sickening! And, besides shoving the gay thing down our throats, they made a mockery of Christians – again! I wonder what their agenda is? Hey, producers of “Glee” – what’s your agenda? One-way tolerance?”

The rest of the blog post (found here) is so anti-semetic and hateful that it is hard for me to read. Because this is a TV blog, I am going to stick more to what she said on TV and her comments on Glee, but if you feel so inclined - have a look.

She ALSO went on CNN for an interview, during which she held up a bible, called "homophobic" a "cute little buzz word of the liberal agenda," shielded her eyes when they showed the kiss from Glee, and said: "Now listen...I just wanna know why the liberals are pro-Muslim and pro-gay. Muslims kill gays -that's what's confusing to me. And the only thing I can come up with is the Muslims hate God and the gays hate his Word." (you can check out the interview here: CNN interview)

I have so many issues with this actress's comments and reasons behind them. But I will only step on my soapbox for a few moments.

I am so sick and tired of celebrities having a microphone to speak into and saying whatever they want. This is on both sides of the issue. I'm tired of those that rant about the evils of conservatives and I am equally tired of those that use theirs for the doctrine of exclusivity that some people seem to think Christianity is. Just because you were on SNL 100 years ago, does not mean that the world needs to hear your views on life. Just the same as I could really not care less what Kathy Griffin has to say about Sarah Palin and think that Griffin has no place in the political debate herself.

It seems to me that people have a need to demonize that with which they are not familiar. Be that religion, homosexuality, other cultures, etc. As a Christian myself, I take strong issue with the fact that she is the image and face people will relate with Christianity and DO relate with Christianity. I think of Christianity as an inclusive, loving, religion. One of not casting the first stone. And have so many friends and acquaintances who feel the same way. And yet Victoria Jackson is who everyone sees because she was on CNN. I'm sorry, Miss Jackson (oo oo oo oo I am for real), but don't you realize that you're doing more harm to Christians than the producers of Glee ever could? Caricatures on tv shows exist because they expand on flaws that real people already show. Victoria Jackson is like a living walking caricature, and she's not even on a TV show.

It is totally irresponsible in an age where young gay kids are killing themselves because of fear of persecution to come out and say that what they feel is wrong and "sickening."

We have to be there and protective of the youngest members of our society. "The test of the morality of a society is what it does for its children." (Dietrich Bohnhoffer - German theologian). Time to grow up and stop seeing the world through exclusionary eyes.

When you only believe what you want to believe and refuse to accept reality...you turn into Charlie Sheen.

Celebrity Doppelganger

Anybody else think that Vinny from Jersey Shore looks just like Furio Giunta (played by Federico Castelluccio) from the Sopranos? Furio is way cooler though...

Vibrating Jello Pit

How I Met Your Mother.  This weeks episode of HIMYM was actually pretty good from a dramatic point of view. It focuses on Barney and his father. It is the episode that we no longer have to take Bob Barker for Barney's dad, because we find out he is actually a man named Jerome, played by John Lithgow. Lithgow was, as he seems to always be, phenomenal. There was a lot of emotion in the episode and it seemed to me that Lithgow was always spot on. And he was funny too at times. In fact, the times I actually laughed this episode were mostly from him. NPH was good as always. His character was the same trite, overly sexual, Barney as always. But we also saw the other side of him - the hurt kid who's dad ran out on him. The end scene with the two of them was touching and even hard to watch because it was really well done. So kudos to HIMYM for that.

BUT...this show is a sitcom. The entire episode, the jokes felt forced - and really, it's felt that way for a while now. But more than that, the show has completely gotten away from its roots. The topic of the show is right in the name: How I Met Your Mother. This is not a show about Barney and his search for his dad. Or Marshall and the death of his dad. Those are fine as side stories but entire episodes should not focus on them. It should be about Ted and the search for his future wife and the mother of his children. But, somewhere around the middle of the 5th season, that story line seemed to completely disappear.

I'm not sure what made the writers and producers think this was a good idea, but the show went away from its roots and has suffered since then. The reason Barney was such a good character is because he was a side character. His antics could be justified because he was not the main character and we didn't see another side of him, he was just gross, hilarious, sexual Barney.

Same with Marshall, et al. Think of your favorite sitcom. The main character is almost never your favorite. Very few people watched Seinfeld for Jerry. Everyone loved either George or Kramer. The same with Frasier - you had Niles and Marty to keep the humor going while Fraiser was the front man. Even in today's shows like The Big Bang Theory, Sheldon and Raj often have much funnier bits than Leonard. These characters work because they are not the focus of the show. They can be completely comic characters, almost caricatures of real people, and when used infrequently but well, they make a big impact.

At some point, the writers need to focus again on Ted's story, allowing the other characters to resume their side roles, or the show will not only continue in it's less-than-funny way, but also lose all meaning and focus. I can still remember the times we got so close to finding out who the mother was, those episodes were really exciting. Now I watch the show and forget that that is even a part of the story. And furthermore, why would the father even be telling all this stuff to his kids in the "how I met your mom" tale? He would be the worst storyteller ever. It just doesn't make sense.

I have liked this show for a long time. I hope it gets back into its original hilarious form soon. I am not sure that even a show with such a good reputation (mainly because of its fantastic first few seasons) can survive on stale jokes and without a focused storyline.

Until the next episode...
Chris

Effective Immediately: Your Illinois State Workers' Compensation Has Been Terminated

Shameless. I mentioned this show in my Midseason Replacements list. It's a great show - airs Sunday night on Showtime. The show follows Frank Gallagher.

Frank is a drunk on worker's comp, who neglects his family, has moved in with an agoraphobic woman and her sex-crazed daughter Karen, and who seems to have no direction in his life except to wait for his workers' comp check with which he buys booze. BUT, at the beginning of this week, Frank gets some bad news: his workers' comp has been terminated. So he sets out on a quest of sorts. Frank goes to find a job. "How noble!" you might say. But no, Frank doesn't want a job to work...he wants a job where he can get hurt and quickly back on benefits. So he and Debbie and Karl set out on the quest, going from work-site to work-site, to find the most dangerous job possible. The first one looks like a winner, but as Frank is filling out his application one of the other workers gets hurt. You can just see the dejection on his face knowing he just missed his chance. So...they move on. The second seems promising until they reach the actual workroom. There has been a safety overhaul and there hasn't been an accident in 93 days. They RUN out of there as fast as possible. Finally, at the third workplace, there are nails all over the place, there are powertools everywhere...Frank has hit the jackpot. He starts working, thinking he'll be out of there in a day, but he comes to realize that he has an overprotective coworker and they won't let him use any power-tools. It seems like it may take some finesse to get back on workers' comp...

Meanwhile, Steve (Jimmy) is still lying to Fiona about the fact that he is not from the South side, but actually from ---Lake Forest---!!! (I grew up in Lake Forest). Debbie knows, and he is buying her things to keep her quiet. Their relationship seems to be going well, but unbeknown to Steve, Tony (a cop and Fiona's ex) becomes wise to the fact that Steve steals cars for a living. He follows him and catches him red-handed, giving Steve an ultimatum: leave or go to prison. It's situations like these that give us moral choices as viewers. I LIKE Steve as a character. He's fun. I'm pulling for him in the

long run. Sure, he's a criminal with a hidden past (and maybe a wife?!), but he seems to genuinely like Fiona and vice versa. So, that makes me kinda dislike Tony and his obsession with Fiona. Tough to root for the bad guy here, but, well I do.

Lip and Ian are off trying to find Ian's father, this episode. They meet their grandmother who tells them Frank had 3 brothers (having found out last episode that their mom slept with one of them). When they finally find the one they think is Ian's real dad, it is pretty clear he is. Ian, however, freaks out a bit and decides to leave. Will he be back? Absolutely. This story line doesn't end here.

The episode ends with two unfortunate events. First, Tony, thinking that he has seen Steve again in stolen car, pulls it over and has the driver arrested. BUT, it's not Steve. It's Lip and Ian in the car that Steve lent to them for the day. Second, Frank, deciding he can take no more of the job grabs a nail gun and nails his hand to a piece of wood. This ought to get him his workers' comp he so desperately desires. But he goes home, drinks some Old Style (excellent) and pops a few pills when he hears something downstairs. It's Karen (the aforementioned sex crazed daughter of the woman Frank is living with). She's still mad at her father for the purity ball issues, has cut her hair off, dyed it black, tattooed whore on her arm and more or less gone off the deep end. She grabs the pills, downs a few and jumps on Frank as the episode ends with them caught on webcam "in flagrante." Both of these situations will certainly not go over well.

Next episode I expect to see Karen's dad coming after Frank, Steve somehow weaseling himself out of his situation, and Lip and Ian in some real trouble with Tony under the gun. I thought this episode was great, albeit somewhat setting up the events which took place at the end. I still think Steve and Fiona are a great match, regardless of Tony's meddling. Yes, they are not good role models - but no one on this show really is. It is a show that shows a reality that most of us don't deal with on a daily basis and the choices these people make. I also think that the show will either have Steve splitting or Fiona getting Tony to leave him alone. I highly doubt that Fiona is going anywhere, especially with the kids still around. It all depends on if the producers and story writers want a clean ending or a more dramatic one. If I were to guess, Steve will leave on his own and many further episodes will focus on the two of them dealing with the issues that arise from this.

Overall, this is a great show. Comedy, drama, awkwardness and awesomeness abound. And the acting is off the charts. Definitely worth checking out.

Until the next episode...
Chris

Where did all the humor go?

After another solid week of television watching, I'm left asking myself one question: Where did all the humor go? This week of TV seemed almost devoid of humor. Actually, maybe the funniest thing I saw on TV this week was Anna Torv's awkward impression of Leonard Nimoy on Fringe. (I mean, come on, we get that he is being channeled through her in the episode, but 40 minutes of the ridiculous accent just got to be a bit grating. [A link for those interested: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiDLGMYf_UU])(Also, I have gone back and forth about blogging about Fringe on this site, but but I feel like the potential for spoilers at almost every turn is too extreme. I'll save to say that it's a show worth watching, but like most of Abrams stuff, you have to start at the beginning.)

Anyway, back to the main topic. How I Met Your Mother wasn't on. No The Office. Tracy Jordan was not on 30 Rock - though the reality show format was funny, and Alec Baldwin had some good one liners. No Big Bang Theory. Archer seemed off it's game this week, especially as I don't really find cancer jokes so funny. Parks and Rec was not at its best either. And no new Modern Family.

Really, the only show that I found very funny this week was Community - but they're always great. I know that it's March Madness time, and people are distracted by that so there are less new episodes on right now, but come on, folks. We need our laughs. (Plus, WFU sucked this year, so I have no team to cheer for, I only have Duke and UNC to cheer AGAINST) Most weeks are filled with big laughs between any of the great shows I listed above. We're actually in a great time of TV with a lot of great shows on, especially a lot of great Sitcoms. I think that's what makes a week like this so lacking. I hate to say it, but a great new episode of Two and a Half Men would have hit the spot.

So, to pass the time until they return, here are a few great clips from episodes past: Enjoy!

Modern Family:


How I Met Your Mother


The Office


Community


and one of my all time favorite clips from a sitcom ever:



Hopefully those will hold us over until next week. At least Shameless is on tonight!

Until the next episode...
Chris

Saturday Show Recommendation!

I've decided that for the time being, I will recommend a show every Saturday that I think more people should watch. I think there are a lot of great shows out there that don't really get the press they should, and especially some of great sitcoms that are not 30 Rock or The Office.

So, we begin today:

If there is one show that you don't watch that you absolutely should...it is Community. Unless you don't like to laugh. In which case you should get yourself checked out...because there's probably something wrong with you. For real.

Community is a veritable smorgasbord of humor. Starting with the very well proven talents of: Chevy Chase (insert every funny movie from the 70s/80s), Ken Jeong (The Hangover, Role Models, Knocked up...), John McHale (The Soup) and John Oliver (The Daily Show) the show also brings some great young talents to the screen: Danny Pudi, Donald Glover and Alison Brie (Who you may also know from Mad Men). The jokes and extended metaphors are more-or-less non-stop and the backhanded stabs at current events keeps the show fresh every week.

The show centers around a study group at a Glendale Community College. The members come from different races, genders, age groups and every possible joke and awkward situation that arises from this is exploited. Perhaps my favorite thing about the show is that I think the funniest moments do not come from the proven comedians listed above, but from the newcomers. Donald Glover (Troy) and Danny Pudi (Abed) seem to me to be young unknown comic geniuses. They play a pair of unlikely best friends who seem to almost live in each other's brains. Every scene with them on the screen becomes instantly better and they are the primary reason for watching the show. That and Ken Jeong's absolute insanity as the Spanish (yes Spanish) Teacher "Senor Chang."

This will almost certainly become a cult tv show regardless of how well it does for NBC (it's currently in the 3rd season). Time for you all to get in on this show, and in fact, time to go back to the beginning of the series and take a trip through Glendale with the Spanish 101 studygroup.



Until the next episode...
Chris