But on the bright side of all this, I think as fans of television, especially good television, we can all appreciate any story that continues to bring attention to the late, great "Firefly" (on which Maher played Dr. Simon Tam)...
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Sean Maher...a gay dude playing a gay dude trying to pass as a straight dude
So according to Entertainment Weekly, Sean Maher, who apparently plays a closeted married gay man on "Playboy Club," came out as gay in real life. Whatever your personal thoughts and feelings about men and women who are gay, the fact that people still think a person's sexual orientation has anything to do with his or her skills as an actor is positively archaic. As a writer, no one cares if I'm gay or straight. All they care about is that I do my job well. And sometimes, they don't even care about that. So, I'm glad Maher finally felt comfortable coming out of the closet, but I'm sorry that he felt like he couldn't just live his life without giving us, people he's never met, an explanation.
But on the bright side of all this, I think as fans of television, especially good television, we can all appreciate any story that continues to bring attention to the late, great "Firefly" (on which Maher played Dr. Simon Tam)...
But on the bright side of all this, I think as fans of television, especially good television, we can all appreciate any story that continues to bring attention to the late, great "Firefly" (on which Maher played Dr. Simon Tam)...
Monday, September 26, 2011
New show review: "Pan Am"
This was not on my original list of new shows to watch. It didn't get great reviews from everyone, but it didn't get terrible ones, either. It's no Mad Men (nothing is, of course) but I'm a sucker for a period piece.
And actually, here is where I will say one of the very few bad things I will ever say about Mad Men - for all the show's appeal, it's a show about men. Yes, women figuring out their place in the world during the tumultuous 1960s is very well done in the characters of Peggy, Joan, and yes, even Betty, but Mad Men's ensemble cast boasts about triple that number in main male characters. I feel like Pan Am might be the women's answer to Mad Men, exploring what it was like to be young and single and in an exciting career in the 1960s.
I hate flying, so I could never imagine actually wanting to be a stewardess, but flying has become so commonplace and mundane nowadays, I think we tend to forget, at least those of us my generation and younger, that back in the 1960s, flying was new and it was exciting and it was glamorous. Sure, the women were eye-candy for wealthy men, but it was a way for young women to support themselves not as secretaries at the advertising firm of Sterling Cooper Draper & Price, but in a way where they also got to see the world.
Also, I love Christina Ricci and Michael Mosley is my secret television crush...
Wow, I'm getting vertigo just watching people fly on tv. And not even in a real airplane. And I KNOW it's not a real airplane. This may become a problem...
Wow, I just teared up a little bit at the failed-wedding scene with Kate and Laura. I totally dig sisters who don't like each other but who love each other...
Okay, final verdict: I could do without the Cold War era spying subplot. It's a little too melodramatic. And kind of unneccessary. And even with that pseudo-darkness, the pilot was bit too bright and shiny...not to beat the dead horse that is comparing Pan Am to Mad Men (even the TITLES sound similar!) but whereas Mad Men makes me feel like I've actually dropped into the 1960s, or like I'm watching a documentary about that era, Pan Am's pilot (ha ha...get it?) made me feel like I was watching a 21st century idealized drama about the 1960s. But, despite all that, I think I might be hooked. At least for a little while...
"Pan Am" airs Sundays at 10 p.m. on ABC.
And actually, here is where I will say one of the very few bad things I will ever say about Mad Men - for all the show's appeal, it's a show about men. Yes, women figuring out their place in the world during the tumultuous 1960s is very well done in the characters of Peggy, Joan, and yes, even Betty, but Mad Men's ensemble cast boasts about triple that number in main male characters. I feel like Pan Am might be the women's answer to Mad Men, exploring what it was like to be young and single and in an exciting career in the 1960s.
I hate flying, so I could never imagine actually wanting to be a stewardess, but flying has become so commonplace and mundane nowadays, I think we tend to forget, at least those of us my generation and younger, that back in the 1960s, flying was new and it was exciting and it was glamorous. Sure, the women were eye-candy for wealthy men, but it was a way for young women to support themselves not as secretaries at the advertising firm of Sterling Cooper Draper & Price, but in a way where they also got to see the world.
Also, I love Christina Ricci and Michael Mosley is my secret television crush...
Wow, I'm getting vertigo just watching people fly on tv. And not even in a real airplane. And I KNOW it's not a real airplane. This may become a problem...
Wow, I just teared up a little bit at the failed-wedding scene with Kate and Laura. I totally dig sisters who don't like each other but who love each other...
Okay, final verdict: I could do without the Cold War era spying subplot. It's a little too melodramatic. And kind of unneccessary. And even with that pseudo-darkness, the pilot was bit too bright and shiny...not to beat the dead horse that is comparing Pan Am to Mad Men (even the TITLES sound similar!) but whereas Mad Men makes me feel like I've actually dropped into the 1960s, or like I'm watching a documentary about that era, Pan Am's pilot (ha ha...get it?) made me feel like I was watching a 21st century idealized drama about the 1960s. But, despite all that, I think I might be hooked. At least for a little while...
"Pan Am" airs Sundays at 10 p.m. on ABC.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
My main problems with Grey's Anatomy at the moment...
I finally caught up on the season premiere of Grey's Anatomy yesterday, and here are my two main problems with this show right now.
A, the cast is too big. There are characters, like Teddy or April or even the Chief right now, that do very little to further any of the main storylines right now. I find appealing characteristics in all of them, but I missed having, say Lexie Grey on my tv screen for more than 30 seconds. I say, cut the fat. And if Derek is going to keep being such an ass, then they should just write Derek and Meredith off right now instead of waiting until Patrick Dempsey and Ellen Pompeo's contracts expire. The show has evolved beyond needing the two of them as the stars. It really has become mostly an ensemble piece, and if they still need a Grey to keep the title making sense, Chyler Leigh is still there.
B, the unbelievable drama. Let me clarify. Grey's Anatomy is a soap. So it's going to be somewhat unrealistic at times. And it's going to be full of melodrama all the time. But I'm talking about the non-organic, let's just throw a monkeywrench from out of left field into this storyline to shake things up. I'm thinking of one storyline in particular - Cristina Yang's unplanned pregnancy and subsequent abortion. Her not wanting a baby drove a wedge between her and Owen, it created more of a parallel between her character and the character of Meredith's mother, and all of that is good and compelling, but the thing is, it was too much of a stretch. It really asked me to suspend my disbelief, like, a crazy amount. Considering Cristina has already had one unplanned pregnancy (with Burke in Season One), is a doctor (so she knows all about medicine and biology and whatnot) and is realllllly opposed to having a child...shouldn't she know some more effective form of birth control than whatever she's using that allowed her to get knocked up not once, but twice?
That is all. Oh, Jackson Avery is so pretty. Now I'm done.
A, the cast is too big. There are characters, like Teddy or April or even the Chief right now, that do very little to further any of the main storylines right now. I find appealing characteristics in all of them, but I missed having, say Lexie Grey on my tv screen for more than 30 seconds. I say, cut the fat. And if Derek is going to keep being such an ass, then they should just write Derek and Meredith off right now instead of waiting until Patrick Dempsey and Ellen Pompeo's contracts expire. The show has evolved beyond needing the two of them as the stars. It really has become mostly an ensemble piece, and if they still need a Grey to keep the title making sense, Chyler Leigh is still there.
B, the unbelievable drama. Let me clarify. Grey's Anatomy is a soap. So it's going to be somewhat unrealistic at times. And it's going to be full of melodrama all the time. But I'm talking about the non-organic, let's just throw a monkeywrench from out of left field into this storyline to shake things up. I'm thinking of one storyline in particular - Cristina Yang's unplanned pregnancy and subsequent abortion. Her not wanting a baby drove a wedge between her and Owen, it created more of a parallel between her character and the character of Meredith's mother, and all of that is good and compelling, but the thing is, it was too much of a stretch. It really asked me to suspend my disbelief, like, a crazy amount. Considering Cristina has already had one unplanned pregnancy (with Burke in Season One), is a doctor (so she knows all about medicine and biology and whatnot) and is realllllly opposed to having a child...shouldn't she know some more effective form of birth control than whatever she's using that allowed her to get knocked up not once, but twice?
That is all. Oh, Jackson Avery is so pretty. Now I'm done.
Friday, September 23, 2011
When will people learn? HIMYM climbs on board the Katie Holmes love train
I just read an article by Michael Ausiello here in which he shares that Katie Holmes has been cast in the pivotal How I Met Your Mother role of the Slutty Pumpkin (long-time fans will know what I'm talking about). What the showrunner's seem to not realize is that Katie Holmes can't act. To be fair, they're not the only ones who have Katie Holmes blinders on...but really? When will people learn??
Yes, she was the star of Dawson's Creek on the now-defunct WB network for, like, a million years, but many of the actors on that network and its current manifestation, the CW, are cast for their looks, not for their mad acting skillz. I don't find her line readings believable and I really hate that half smile thing she does - Katie, you didn't have a stroke. Use the muscles on both sides of your face!
Anyway, I get that she has a super famous hubby and so that gives her some cache in Hollywood circles, but I'm really disappointed in HIMYM for this. Although to be fair they have a history of giving guest spots to people who can't act (Britney Spears, Rachel Bilson, Stacey Keibler, I'm lookin' at y'all!) and also to be fair, HIMYM isn't really Must See TV for me anymore. So maybe I'll just go ahead and skip those episodes and watch my DVDs of the first season instead.
Yes, she was the star of Dawson's Creek on the now-defunct WB network for, like, a million years, but many of the actors on that network and its current manifestation, the CW, are cast for their looks, not for their mad acting skillz. I don't find her line readings believable and I really hate that half smile thing she does - Katie, you didn't have a stroke. Use the muscles on both sides of your face!
Anyway, I get that she has a super famous hubby and so that gives her some cache in Hollywood circles, but I'm really disappointed in HIMYM for this. Although to be fair they have a history of giving guest spots to people who can't act (Britney Spears, Rachel Bilson, Stacey Keibler, I'm lookin' at y'all!) and also to be fair, HIMYM isn't really Must See TV for me anymore. So maybe I'll just go ahead and skip those episodes and watch my DVDs of the first season instead.
Some reasons why Thursday night television is awesome...
So, I haven't even finished watching all my Thursday night shows, THAT'S how awesome Thursday night television is, BUT...let's break down what we did watch...
Community...sometimes veers tooooo much into the absurd. But my brother was very psyched to see Omar from The Wire (who? I know, a tv-phile who has never seen The Wire!!!) and I think this premiere veered into the absurd to loop it on back into a bit of reality. Greendale is a weird place. You never know what's going to happen. As lovers of Britcoms, though, my bro and I both cracked up at Abed's reaction to the end of the 6-episode run of Cougarton Abbey...hopefully his new love (based on a show the bro and I agree we just do NOT get at all) will continue for a million, trillion years, like its Doctor Who counterpart has....
Parks and Recreation premiered exactly as I thought it would...sweet, quirky, touching, funny. I do a lot of genealogy work, and a lot of that work involves researching and discovering the world in which your ancestors lived. Well, P & R, like I've said before, is not just our characters - it has become a fully developed world in which they live. And our main characters - they don't always do the right thing or make the right choices, but they are fundamentally good people, which is not something you can say about a lot of characters on tv today...I just rewatched the first season of P & R, so watch for a post on that soon, but the thing is, it wasn't sappy when Ben broke up with Leslie....it was exactly what Ben would do. It almost makes me want to live in one of those fly-over states...and Ron Swanson? Rocks. Hard. His and Leslie's pseudo-bromance, their completely platonic respect for and understanding of each other, has become one of my favorite parts of this show...
The Office was almost like watching a new show. Yes, Steve Carell left before the end of the season last season but they were sort of treading water till summer...now, they have direction, and because of that, it's almost like watching a new show. Am I surprised Andy got promoted to regional manager? Yes. But when I think about it, he was the most ridiculous guy in the office besides Michael Scott. He's the most bumbling, eager-to-please in that place. He's got a funny, funky relationship with Darryl, which I adore (Darryl for regional manager! That was my vote!!!), a somewhat respectful yet highly competitive relationship with Dwight...he really stepped up in the end standing up for his co-workers. I can see this playing out in some funny scenarios. Plus, he ditched the pink pants. But thank god he held on to the pink tie...
And last but not least....The Vampire Diaries!!! First, and I meant to write this last week but I got deathly ill, the girls on this show are too thin. They've always been too skinny, but it's beyond noticeable now...if Nina Dobrev loses any more weight, I will boycott this show...I will!!
So...they actually went with bad-ass Stefan. Not surprised. This show has never shied away from storylines that might initially upset the fans, which in my humble opinion, is what keeps it so fresh and clever...although we've learned that everyone Stefan has killed is a werewolf, mortal enemy to vampires. So, not quite so badass. Bonnie has yet to make an actual entrance...I like how they're incorporating Matt more into a main storyline. He got totally lost last year. And this show could go to shite and I would still watch cuz of Steven R. McQueen. Cougar much? Uh, yeah.....
Good to see Alaric re-embracing his vampire slaying roots. That's what made him totally badass to begin with and they're definitely gonna need those skills now. Also, good to see him, like Matt, being incorporated more into the main storyline. His and Damon's bromance and unlikely but funny alliance is one of my favorite parts of THIS show... I feel like Klaus should know by now that he did NOT in fact kill the doppelganger...TVD may be a teen show, but it does NOT treat the viewers as stupid, which is awesome. At 32, it makes me feel less dumb for watching it...
But really, TVD and CW, let the actresses eat. I WILL boycott.
Did I mention before? Best. TV night. Ever!!!!!!
Community...sometimes veers tooooo much into the absurd. But my brother was very psyched to see Omar from The Wire (who? I know, a tv-phile who has never seen The Wire!!!) and I think this premiere veered into the absurd to loop it on back into a bit of reality. Greendale is a weird place. You never know what's going to happen. As lovers of Britcoms, though, my bro and I both cracked up at Abed's reaction to the end of the 6-episode run of Cougarton Abbey...hopefully his new love (based on a show the bro and I agree we just do NOT get at all) will continue for a million, trillion years, like its Doctor Who counterpart has....
Parks and Recreation premiered exactly as I thought it would...sweet, quirky, touching, funny. I do a lot of genealogy work, and a lot of that work involves researching and discovering the world in which your ancestors lived. Well, P & R, like I've said before, is not just our characters - it has become a fully developed world in which they live. And our main characters - they don't always do the right thing or make the right choices, but they are fundamentally good people, which is not something you can say about a lot of characters on tv today...I just rewatched the first season of P & R, so watch for a post on that soon, but the thing is, it wasn't sappy when Ben broke up with Leslie....it was exactly what Ben would do. It almost makes me want to live in one of those fly-over states...and Ron Swanson? Rocks. Hard. His and Leslie's pseudo-bromance, their completely platonic respect for and understanding of each other, has become one of my favorite parts of this show...
The Office was almost like watching a new show. Yes, Steve Carell left before the end of the season last season but they were sort of treading water till summer...now, they have direction, and because of that, it's almost like watching a new show. Am I surprised Andy got promoted to regional manager? Yes. But when I think about it, he was the most ridiculous guy in the office besides Michael Scott. He's the most bumbling, eager-to-please in that place. He's got a funny, funky relationship with Darryl, which I adore (Darryl for regional manager! That was my vote!!!), a somewhat respectful yet highly competitive relationship with Dwight...he really stepped up in the end standing up for his co-workers. I can see this playing out in some funny scenarios. Plus, he ditched the pink pants. But thank god he held on to the pink tie...
And last but not least....The Vampire Diaries!!! First, and I meant to write this last week but I got deathly ill, the girls on this show are too thin. They've always been too skinny, but it's beyond noticeable now...if Nina Dobrev loses any more weight, I will boycott this show...I will!!
So...they actually went with bad-ass Stefan. Not surprised. This show has never shied away from storylines that might initially upset the fans, which in my humble opinion, is what keeps it so fresh and clever...although we've learned that everyone Stefan has killed is a werewolf, mortal enemy to vampires. So, not quite so badass. Bonnie has yet to make an actual entrance...I like how they're incorporating Matt more into a main storyline. He got totally lost last year. And this show could go to shite and I would still watch cuz of Steven R. McQueen. Cougar much? Uh, yeah.....
Good to see Alaric re-embracing his vampire slaying roots. That's what made him totally badass to begin with and they're definitely gonna need those skills now. Also, good to see him, like Matt, being incorporated more into the main storyline. His and Damon's bromance and unlikely but funny alliance is one of my favorite parts of THIS show... I feel like Klaus should know by now that he did NOT in fact kill the doppelganger...TVD may be a teen show, but it does NOT treat the viewers as stupid, which is awesome. At 32, it makes me feel less dumb for watching it...
But really, TVD and CW, let the actresses eat. I WILL boycott.
Did I mention before? Best. TV night. Ever!!!!!!
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Best. TV night. Ever.
That's right, folks. Tonight marks the return of the best night of television in its entirety. Last week we saw the premieres of The Vampire Diaries and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, but tonight we add to that mix the returns of Community, Parks and Recreation, a revamped The Office featuring the newly added James Spader, and Grey's Anatomy.
So much tv to watch, so little time.
Now, those of you who read this blog have heard me argue before that, as the title of this blog asserts, television is in fact more than a vehicle for commercials and consumerism - there are times it can be considered art. Most of the time my arguments rest on well-written, well-acted, beautifully shot shows like Mad Men. Or Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Yes, I went there.
But let me tell you that the comedies can bring it as well, and anyone who argues that television can never be considered art has obviously never watched a paintball episode of Community or Community's stop-motion animation Christmas episode, "Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas," which in my humble opinion, is such a well-written (earnest and poignant without being cloying or cliche), well-acted (yes, even in animation form), and beautifully shot piece of art that it should become part of the classic Christmas television staples. Just sayin'.
Aaand a quick small plug for Parks and Recreation. Watch this show. Please. You will not regret it. This is a show that has created a whole world of both endearing and annoying but always funny characters, not just our mainstays in the opening credits, and the citizens of Pawnee, Indiana are the quirkiest, most sincere characters you'll find on tv today. In a television lineup that features so many killers and drug dealers and dark twists and so much cynicism, it is, as Rob Lowe's character would say, LITERALLY the most refreshing (and honest-to-god funny!) show on tv.
That is all. Watch it, ya heard?!?!?!
So much tv to watch, so little time.
Now, those of you who read this blog have heard me argue before that, as the title of this blog asserts, television is in fact more than a vehicle for commercials and consumerism - there are times it can be considered art. Most of the time my arguments rest on well-written, well-acted, beautifully shot shows like Mad Men. Or Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Yes, I went there.
But let me tell you that the comedies can bring it as well, and anyone who argues that television can never be considered art has obviously never watched a paintball episode of Community or Community's stop-motion animation Christmas episode, "Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas," which in my humble opinion, is such a well-written (earnest and poignant without being cloying or cliche), well-acted (yes, even in animation form), and beautifully shot piece of art that it should become part of the classic Christmas television staples. Just sayin'.
Aaand a quick small plug for Parks and Recreation. Watch this show. Please. You will not regret it. This is a show that has created a whole world of both endearing and annoying but always funny characters, not just our mainstays in the opening credits, and the citizens of Pawnee, Indiana are the quirkiest, most sincere characters you'll find on tv today. In a television lineup that features so many killers and drug dealers and dark twists and so much cynicism, it is, as Rob Lowe's character would say, LITERALLY the most refreshing (and honest-to-god funny!) show on tv.
That is all. Watch it, ya heard?!?!?!
Friday, September 16, 2011
New show review: "The Secret Circle"
My god, Thomas Dekker's eyelashes are long! He looks like a teenaged Casey Affleck...
Ok, I'm back.
I really, really, REALLY want to like this show. Like The Vampire Diaries (which came back last night - woo hoo! Show, I missed you!), The Secret Circle is based on an L.J. Smith book series, but even moreso than TVD, The Secret Circle was near and dear to my heart growing up. I read those books over and over again until the pages fell apart, and then I went to the bookstore and bought them again.
The books and show have basically the same premise: Cassie Blake moves to a new town where she's befriended by a group of teens who reveal that they are all witches, descended from a long line of witches. They have all lost at least one parent because years ago, when the parents were practicing witchcraft, something went wrong and people died. Cassie's mom fled town and never revealed any of this to her daughter. There's also a strong emphasis on destiny, fate, and soulmates.
I like Britt Robertson as an actress, although I feel like the CW is pushing just a little too hard to make her into the next CW star, and I have loved Gale Harold since his Queer as Folk days, so it was a pleasant surprise to see him on my screen, even though he's apparently evil. There was potential for a good story in the pilot, but I couldn't help but feel that the story made sense to me because I already know the books forward and backwards - they rushed into certain storylines and glossed over other parts and were just sort of confusingly cryptic about other things that, I think did I not already know what was going, I wouldn't have a single clue what was going on.
But a lot of pilots are clunky. Is there potential? Definitely. Did the pilot have me squealing with surprised delight like The Vampire Diaries pilot did? Not even close. Will I watch again? Of course. Unless they completely butcher my beloved story, I will be along for the ride.
The Secret Circle airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. on the CW.
Ok, I'm back.
I really, really, REALLY want to like this show. Like The Vampire Diaries (which came back last night - woo hoo! Show, I missed you!), The Secret Circle is based on an L.J. Smith book series, but even moreso than TVD, The Secret Circle was near and dear to my heart growing up. I read those books over and over again until the pages fell apart, and then I went to the bookstore and bought them again.
The books and show have basically the same premise: Cassie Blake moves to a new town where she's befriended by a group of teens who reveal that they are all witches, descended from a long line of witches. They have all lost at least one parent because years ago, when the parents were practicing witchcraft, something went wrong and people died. Cassie's mom fled town and never revealed any of this to her daughter. There's also a strong emphasis on destiny, fate, and soulmates.
I like Britt Robertson as an actress, although I feel like the CW is pushing just a little too hard to make her into the next CW star, and I have loved Gale Harold since his Queer as Folk days, so it was a pleasant surprise to see him on my screen, even though he's apparently evil. There was potential for a good story in the pilot, but I couldn't help but feel that the story made sense to me because I already know the books forward and backwards - they rushed into certain storylines and glossed over other parts and were just sort of confusingly cryptic about other things that, I think did I not already know what was going, I wouldn't have a single clue what was going on.
But a lot of pilots are clunky. Is there potential? Definitely. Did the pilot have me squealing with surprised delight like The Vampire Diaries pilot did? Not even close. Will I watch again? Of course. Unless they completely butcher my beloved story, I will be along for the ride.
The Secret Circle airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. on the CW.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
New show review: "Up All Night"
I love Christina Applegate and Will Arnett. Let's just get that out of the way right now. I think they've both got great comedic skills and I like them personally as well, so I want them both to find a vehicle in which they might actually succeed. So "Up All Night," which premiered last night, was definitely on my Must Watch list for this season.
Most of the time I love Maya Rudolph although when she was on SNL, she, like Molly Shannon, sometimes lost sight of the line between funny and excrutiatingly grating.
Sitcoms that add babies tend to be on their last legs and spiral quickly downward after that. But sitcoms that begin with babies? Well, let's watch and see!
Oh. My. God. I have never seen Will Arnett play this understated, ever. I love it.
And while I am not yet married and do not yet have kids, I see my friends who are and do trying to segue (I wanted to spell that Segway, like the one GOB used to ride in Arrested Development...) from their pre-marriage, pre-kids partying, young adult days to the whole responsible, grown-up, parenting thing, and trying to balance work and spouses and babies... I like that this show is showing that...
Okay, I'm not laughing yet but Will Arnett holding that adorable baby up to his cheek is totally tugging at my heartstrings and making my uterus cry...
And oh my God. I didn't laugh. But my eyes started tearing. Maybe it's hormones, but the last scene of this episode, when Christina and Will and that cutie pie are lying on the blanket outside and Christina is talking to her daughter was so touching without being cloying...
I'm not sure what type of show "Up All Night" wants to be yet - it seems to be leaning into Bill Lawrence territory of the half-hour comedy that also plays the drama and serious very well, like Scrubs and now Cougar Town, but I think I will be checking this show out again.
"Up All Night" airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on NBC. And if you miss an episode, check it out on NBC.com or Hulu.com. Like I did. Because even though I love television and have a Must Watch list, I also have a life...
:)
Most of the time I love Maya Rudolph although when she was on SNL, she, like Molly Shannon, sometimes lost sight of the line between funny and excrutiatingly grating.
Sitcoms that add babies tend to be on their last legs and spiral quickly downward after that. But sitcoms that begin with babies? Well, let's watch and see!
Oh. My. God. I have never seen Will Arnett play this understated, ever. I love it.
And while I am not yet married and do not yet have kids, I see my friends who are and do trying to segue (I wanted to spell that Segway, like the one GOB used to ride in Arrested Development...) from their pre-marriage, pre-kids partying, young adult days to the whole responsible, grown-up, parenting thing, and trying to balance work and spouses and babies... I like that this show is showing that...
Okay, I'm not laughing yet but Will Arnett holding that adorable baby up to his cheek is totally tugging at my heartstrings and making my uterus cry...
And oh my God. I didn't laugh. But my eyes started tearing. Maybe it's hormones, but the last scene of this episode, when Christina and Will and that cutie pie are lying on the blanket outside and Christina is talking to her daughter was so touching without being cloying...
I'm not sure what type of show "Up All Night" wants to be yet - it seems to be leaning into Bill Lawrence territory of the half-hour comedy that also plays the drama and serious very well, like Scrubs and now Cougar Town, but I think I will be checking this show out again.
"Up All Night" airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on NBC. And if you miss an episode, check it out on NBC.com or Hulu.com. Like I did. Because even though I love television and have a Must Watch list, I also have a life...
:)
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
New show review: New Girl
Okay, so the new show "New Girl" is available to watch on Hulu ahead of its Sept. 20 premiere. This was one of the shows on my check-out list, but I'm going into this with almost no information - I know that Zooey Deschanel plays a newly single girl who moves in with three dudes, and that every review I've read has either liked or disliked the show based solely on whether the reviewer likes or dislikes Zooey Deschanel. So, let's get started!
So first off, my opinion of Zooey Deschanel....do not hate her, thinks she talks a little weird, but am also not aboard the Zooey Love Train. So, I'm probably a good, unbiased person to give this show a go. Aaaaaaand....go!
Oh my God, that theme song has to go. I don't care that it's supposed to be a theme song for herself that the character made up cuz she's a little weird. No, just...no.
But oh yay - Max Greenfield! Oh, I have loved this guy ever since he was Officer Leo on the dearly departed and sorely missed Veronica Mars. Aaaand...Damon Wayans Jr.? He's been growing on me lately, but isn't he already on the show Happy Endings, which got picked up for a second season? I'm confused...
Ok, I laughed...I like that they're incorporating her singing as a dorky quirk of hers and I like that her character is, well, geeky and dorky. And that the guys aren't falling all over her. And that's she's weird. I think the guys have good chemistry together, and Wayans and Greenfield are both cracking me up. Zooey's playing up the quirk a little too much for my taste, but overall, I liked it. Pilots are tricky. They have to set up in - in this case - half an hour what the entire series is going to be about. Sometimes that changes along the way, but the pilot has to introduce a storyline and characters and so it can be rushed and exposition-y, so I actually feel that a second episode can give you a better feel of whether or not you're going to like a series, but let's just say that based on this pilot, I'm going to give that second episode a shot...
Hooked? You can check out "New Girl" Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on Fox starting Sept. 20.
So first off, my opinion of Zooey Deschanel....do not hate her, thinks she talks a little weird, but am also not aboard the Zooey Love Train. So, I'm probably a good, unbiased person to give this show a go. Aaaaaaand....go!
Oh my God, that theme song has to go. I don't care that it's supposed to be a theme song for herself that the character made up cuz she's a little weird. No, just...no.
But oh yay - Max Greenfield! Oh, I have loved this guy ever since he was Officer Leo on the dearly departed and sorely missed Veronica Mars. Aaaand...Damon Wayans Jr.? He's been growing on me lately, but isn't he already on the show Happy Endings, which got picked up for a second season? I'm confused...
Ok, I laughed...I like that they're incorporating her singing as a dorky quirk of hers and I like that her character is, well, geeky and dorky. And that the guys aren't falling all over her. And that's she's weird. I think the guys have good chemistry together, and Wayans and Greenfield are both cracking me up. Zooey's playing up the quirk a little too much for my taste, but overall, I liked it. Pilots are tricky. They have to set up in - in this case - half an hour what the entire series is going to be about. Sometimes that changes along the way, but the pilot has to introduce a storyline and characters and so it can be rushed and exposition-y, so I actually feel that a second episode can give you a better feel of whether or not you're going to like a series, but let's just say that based on this pilot, I'm going to give that second episode a shot...
Hooked? You can check out "New Girl" Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on Fox starting Sept. 20.
Monday, September 12, 2011
2011-2012 TV season: What to keep an eye out for this week!
The 2011-2012 television season is upon us, folks - let's take a moment of silence to thank the TV gods. It's been a long summer.
While some shows started last week and many more will start next week, this week we have a few old favorites returning and newbies to check out. Here are the ones on my schedule (and since I've been watching a lot of Britcoms on Hulu.com in the interim, yes, I am pronouncing that with a "sh" sound in my head!) ...be forewarned, if you consider episode descriptions to be spoilers and you don't want to be spoiled, stop reading now!:
Tuesday, Sept. 13: On the CW at 9 p.m. we have the new Sarah Michelle Gellar vehicle, Ringer. The TV Guide description reads: "In the series premiere, ex-stripper Bridget (Sarah Michelle Gellar), a recovering addict slated to testify in a murder trial, flees protective custody and reunites with her wealthy identical twin Siobhan, who soon disappears while on a boating excursion. In a desperate effort to avoid the feds and mobsters now hunting her, Bridget passes herself off as Siobhan, but as she soon learns, the new pose hasn't made her any safer: someone is apparently targeting Siobhan for elimination."
I don't usually do dramas, and while I love some CW shows there are others that I can't help but roll my eyes at - too soapy and I guess I've just finally outgrown the teen angst. But I've missed Buffy on my tv and the premise sounds slightly intriguing, so I'm going to at least check out the pilot.
Wednesday, Sept. 14: At 10 p.m. on NBC we have the new show, Up All Night, starring Christina Applegate, Will Arnett, and Maya Rudolph. Description: "New mom Reagan Brinkley (Christina Applegate) returns to work while her husband, Chris (Will Arnett), takes on the role of stay-at-home dad in the premiere of this comedy series about learning the ropes of parenting. Reagan's zany boss, Ava (Maya Rudolph), meanwhile, doesn't quite acknowledge the changes in Reagan as she welcomes her back to the office."
This show has gotten terrible reviews so far, which doesn't mean it won't do well or that it can't improve. All I know is that I LOVE Applegate, Arnett, and Rudolph and am thinking this show can't be worse than Arnett's last outing, Running Wilde, so I will be giving it a chance. At least for one episode.
Thursday, Sept. 15: Ohmygodohmygodohmygod! At 8 p.m. on the CW we have my Favorite Drama returning, The Vampire Diaries. If you've never seen this show, watch it. Like, now. Rent the DVDs, watch it online, set your DVR because this is one of the best-paced, tightly written, compelling shows on television. Don't let the vampires and high school setting fool you. The premiere description reads: "The third season begins with Elena and Damon searching for Stefan, who is with Klaus tracking a werewolf. Meanwhile, Caroline plans a party for Elena's 18th birthday, and Jeremy sees the ghosts of his late sister, Vicki, and his former girlfriend, Anna." (The description is actually wrong - both Vicki and Anna are late flames of Jeremy's).
Which leads us to the new show at 9 p.m., The Secret Circle. This series is, like The Vampire Diaries, based on an L.J. Smith book series - lesser known to many people but equally as beloved to this reader and TV viewer here. I am just as apprehensive, if not more so, about this show's premiere as I was for TVD - with TVD, because it was based on one of my favorite book series growing up, I wanted the show to do well. Now that it has, I'm afraid that The Secret Circle won't be able to capture that same spark, that it will be a cheesy, boring, poorly acted, badly written adaptation. I want it to be as successful as TVD, but I feel like TVD captured lightning in a bottle and The Secret Circle won't be as lucky. Still, I will be checking it out. Description: "In the series opener, teen Cassie Blake (Britt Robertson) moves to a seaside Washington town, where she learns she is a witch and meets a circle of friends who inform her they are also witches. "
And last but not least, at 10 p.m. on FX, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia finally returns aftering being off the air since last December. Description: "Frank wants to marry a prostitute and the gang can't talk him out of it. While Dee sets out to burnish the hooker's heart of gold, Charlie takes a different tack: He tries to set Frank up with another woman. Meanwhile, Mac has put on a lot of weight. "I'm cultivating mass," he tells Dennis. " I have no words. Oh wait, yes I do - I can't wait! :)
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While some shows started last week and many more will start next week, this week we have a few old favorites returning and newbies to check out. Here are the ones on my schedule (and since I've been watching a lot of Britcoms on Hulu.com in the interim, yes, I am pronouncing that with a "sh" sound in my head!) ...be forewarned, if you consider episode descriptions to be spoilers and you don't want to be spoiled, stop reading now!:
Tuesday, Sept. 13: On the CW at 9 p.m. we have the new Sarah Michelle Gellar vehicle, Ringer. The TV Guide description reads: "In the series premiere, ex-stripper Bridget (Sarah Michelle Gellar), a recovering addict slated to testify in a murder trial, flees protective custody and reunites with her wealthy identical twin Siobhan, who soon disappears while on a boating excursion. In a desperate effort to avoid the feds and mobsters now hunting her, Bridget passes herself off as Siobhan, but as she soon learns, the new pose hasn't made her any safer: someone is apparently targeting Siobhan for elimination."
I don't usually do dramas, and while I love some CW shows there are others that I can't help but roll my eyes at - too soapy and I guess I've just finally outgrown the teen angst. But I've missed Buffy on my tv and the premise sounds slightly intriguing, so I'm going to at least check out the pilot.
Wednesday, Sept. 14: At 10 p.m. on NBC we have the new show, Up All Night, starring Christina Applegate, Will Arnett, and Maya Rudolph. Description: "New mom Reagan Brinkley (Christina Applegate) returns to work while her husband, Chris (Will Arnett), takes on the role of stay-at-home dad in the premiere of this comedy series about learning the ropes of parenting. Reagan's zany boss, Ava (Maya Rudolph), meanwhile, doesn't quite acknowledge the changes in Reagan as she welcomes her back to the office."
This show has gotten terrible reviews so far, which doesn't mean it won't do well or that it can't improve. All I know is that I LOVE Applegate, Arnett, and Rudolph and am thinking this show can't be worse than Arnett's last outing, Running Wilde, so I will be giving it a chance. At least for one episode.
Thursday, Sept. 15: Ohmygodohmygodohmygod! At 8 p.m. on the CW we have my Favorite Drama returning, The Vampire Diaries. If you've never seen this show, watch it. Like, now. Rent the DVDs, watch it online, set your DVR because this is one of the best-paced, tightly written, compelling shows on television. Don't let the vampires and high school setting fool you. The premiere description reads: "The third season begins with Elena and Damon searching for Stefan, who is with Klaus tracking a werewolf. Meanwhile, Caroline plans a party for Elena's 18th birthday, and Jeremy sees the ghosts of his late sister, Vicki, and his former girlfriend, Anna." (The description is actually wrong - both Vicki and Anna are late flames of Jeremy's).
Which leads us to the new show at 9 p.m., The Secret Circle. This series is, like The Vampire Diaries, based on an L.J. Smith book series - lesser known to many people but equally as beloved to this reader and TV viewer here. I am just as apprehensive, if not more so, about this show's premiere as I was for TVD - with TVD, because it was based on one of my favorite book series growing up, I wanted the show to do well. Now that it has, I'm afraid that The Secret Circle won't be able to capture that same spark, that it will be a cheesy, boring, poorly acted, badly written adaptation. I want it to be as successful as TVD, but I feel like TVD captured lightning in a bottle and The Secret Circle won't be as lucky. Still, I will be checking it out. Description: "In the series opener, teen Cassie Blake (Britt Robertson) moves to a seaside Washington town, where she learns she is a witch and meets a circle of friends who inform her they are also witches. "
And last but not least, at 10 p.m. on FX, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia finally returns aftering being off the air since last December. Description: "Frank wants to marry a prostitute and the gang can't talk him out of it. While Dee sets out to burnish the hooker's heart of gold, Charlie takes a different tack: He tries to set Frank up with another woman. Meanwhile, Mac has put on a lot of weight. "I'm cultivating mass," he tells Dennis. " I have no words. Oh wait, yes I do - I can't wait! :)
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Thursday, September 8, 2011
While we're spreading the "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" love...
...this was a post I wrote in my sports blog awhile back, but it's one of my absolute favorite scenes from one of my absolute favorite episodes. (Don't tell my best friend - she HATES the Phillies!)
Mac writes a love letter to Chase Utley
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Mac writes a love letter to Chase Utley
Friday, September 2, 2011
My Dwight Shrute bobblehead...
...he's hard at work. You know, stapling and answering phones and whatnot. I think this guy works harder than I do. He came free with the boxset of one of the seasons of The Office but I think they have other bobbleheads now.
For some reason, I really want one of Oscar.
Happy Labor Day weekend, everyone! Celebrate (like I will be doing) by making sure this bobblehead works harder than you do! :)
True Blood: Are we there yet?
I feel like this season is dragging on and rushing along, all at the same time.
I LOVED the first season of True Blood, in spite of the usually crappy make-up jobs on the actors. I thought the story was interesting and well written. Unfortunately, it's all kind of gone downhill from there. I hear a lot of people complaining because the show has really started to diverge from the direction the book series took and Alan Ball definitely seems to have a different vision of the True Blood 'verse than Charlaine Harris does, but I've only read one book, so that doesn't bother me so much - plus, television is a completely different medium than books and so requires a different storytelling technique and therefore sometimes a change in story.
Anyway, I've already mentioned the whole down-with-faeries attitude I have, so maybe that's part of it, but I just feel like on the one hand, this season of True Blood is wandering dangerously close to the territory Big Love unfortunately landed in, where because of the limited episode run, storylines were brought up, rushed through, resolved in one episode, or dropped altogether. I mean, c'mon writers - a little drama and suspense never killed anyone. At the same time, I feel like there are whole storylines, boring, unneccesary ones like Arlene's baby and Tommy the skinwalking brother that have just sucked up so much time in this limited episode run. It's called pacing people. And self-editing.
I guess I get frustrated because I can see glimmers of good story and good characters in this show and I hate to see them get mangled or lost so badly. Really now I'm just waiting for this season to end so I can borrow my sister's DVDs and rewatch the first season all over again.
I LOVED the first season of True Blood, in spite of the usually crappy make-up jobs on the actors. I thought the story was interesting and well written. Unfortunately, it's all kind of gone downhill from there. I hear a lot of people complaining because the show has really started to diverge from the direction the book series took and Alan Ball definitely seems to have a different vision of the True Blood 'verse than Charlaine Harris does, but I've only read one book, so that doesn't bother me so much - plus, television is a completely different medium than books and so requires a different storytelling technique and therefore sometimes a change in story.
Anyway, I've already mentioned the whole down-with-faeries attitude I have, so maybe that's part of it, but I just feel like on the one hand, this season of True Blood is wandering dangerously close to the territory Big Love unfortunately landed in, where because of the limited episode run, storylines were brought up, rushed through, resolved in one episode, or dropped altogether. I mean, c'mon writers - a little drama and suspense never killed anyone. At the same time, I feel like there are whole storylines, boring, unneccesary ones like Arlene's baby and Tommy the skinwalking brother that have just sucked up so much time in this limited episode run. It's called pacing people. And self-editing.
I guess I get frustrated because I can see glimmers of good story and good characters in this show and I hate to see them get mangled or lost so badly. Really now I'm just waiting for this season to end so I can borrow my sister's DVDs and rewatch the first season all over again.
Some of my noteworthy fellow alums you can see on "the tube"
And I don't mean the London Underground.
So, I'm proud of the schools I graduated from, but sometimes people will ask me where I went to college, and I'll reply, "The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.," and they'll shrug and go, "Whatever. Never heard of it. I think you're making that up."
Sigh.
So, as my 10-year reunion from a very real college quickly approaches this fall, here are a few notable alums who have made a name for themselves on tv. I've never met any of them, but I did used to stalk their yearbook photos when I worked for my college newspaper. And just for the record, we're going to limit this "notables" post to only actors/writers, and only those who have done television...
John Carroll Lynch - for me, he will always be the husband from "Fargo" whose duck picture got picked to be on a stamp, but you might also know him from recurring guest roles on "The Drew Carey Show," "Carnivale," "Big Love," and "Body of Proof," which is still on the air but which I have never watched.
Susan Sarandon has done mostly movie work, but she did a guest stint as a fading soap star on "Friends," and also had recurring guest spots on both "Malcolm in the Middle" and "Rescue Me."
John Slattery has become much more of a household name as Roger Stirling, that ole' tom-catting, silver-haired fox on one of my all time favorite shows, "Mad Men," but some part of him will always be the creepy politician boyfriend who asked Carrie to pee on him in "Sex & the City."
Siobhan Fallon has done various guest spots, but most people will remember her from her time on "Saturday Night Live."
This next guy you might not recognize just by looking at him, because he's not an actor, but Alfred Gough is, more importantly and more fittingly for me, a television writer. You might know him as one of the co-creators and executive producers of the once awesome, recently departed "Smallville."
So, I'm proud of the schools I graduated from, but sometimes people will ask me where I went to college, and I'll reply, "The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.," and they'll shrug and go, "Whatever. Never heard of it. I think you're making that up."
Sigh.
So, as my 10-year reunion from a very real college quickly approaches this fall, here are a few notable alums who have made a name for themselves on tv. I've never met any of them, but I did used to stalk their yearbook photos when I worked for my college newspaper. And just for the record, we're going to limit this "notables" post to only actors/writers, and only those who have done television...
 |
| Ed McMahon |
Ed McMahon, known primarily for his work with Johnny Carson on "The Tonight Show."
 |
| John Carroll Lynch |
John Carroll Lynch - for me, he will always be the husband from "Fargo" whose duck picture got picked to be on a stamp, but you might also know him from recurring guest roles on "The Drew Carey Show," "Carnivale," "Big Love," and "Body of Proof," which is still on the air but which I have never watched.
 |
| Susan Sarandon |
Susan Sarandon has done mostly movie work, but she did a guest stint as a fading soap star on "Friends," and also had recurring guest spots on both "Malcolm in the Middle" and "Rescue Me."
 |
| John Slattery |
John Slattery has become much more of a household name as Roger Stirling, that ole' tom-catting, silver-haired fox on one of my all time favorite shows, "Mad Men," but some part of him will always be the creepy politician boyfriend who asked Carrie to pee on him in "Sex & the City."
 |
| Jon Voight |
Jon Voight is another actor who is better known for his movie roles...and also for his estrangement from arguably more famous daughter Angelina Jolie, but he's done several tv movies, which I won't name since I don't watch made-for-tv-movies, as well as recurring guest roles on several tv shows, such as "Gunsmoke" in the 1960s and more recently, "24."
 |
| Audrey Wasilewski |
Now, I only just discovered today that Audrey Wasilewski graduated from CUA - you really DO learn something new every day! Audrey is one of those character actresses who is never the star but who is in EVERYTHING and who you see EVERYWHERE. She played a French-Canadian maid in one episode of one of my all time favorite shows, "Wonderfalls," which you should all watch on DVD IMMEDIATELY, but you may know her from some of the same shows as fellow alums John Carroll Lynch (she played neighbor Pam on "Big Love") and John Slattery (she plays Peggy's disapproving older sister Anita).
 |
| Siobhan Fallon |
 |
| Alfred Gough |
This next guy you might not recognize just by looking at him, because he's not an actor, but Alfred Gough is, more importantly and more fittingly for me, a television writer. You might know him as one of the co-creators and executive producers of the once awesome, recently departed "Smallville."
 |
| Brian Williams |
Last but not least, let's mention Brian Williams, anchor of "NBC Nightly News." He attended Catholic University but left before graduating. Still, he's a fairly familiar television presence, especially to those of you who, unlike myself, watch the news. Also, he has surprisingly great comedic timing and is always funny whether he's hosting "Saturday Night Live" or doing a guest spot on "30 Rock." And my college roommate used to have a crush on him when we were in school, so she might kill me if I don't include him... :)
Thursday, September 1, 2011
'It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia' cast previews 'Toddlers & Tiaras' episode, swears a lot - From Inside the Box - Zap2it
It has been way too long since The Gang has been on my television, and Hulu doesn't make enough episodes available. Can't wait for the return of these unloveable losers Sept. 15 on FX!
'It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia' cast previews 'Toddlers & Tiaras' episode, swears a lot - From Inside the Box - Zap2it
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'It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia' cast previews 'Toddlers & Tiaras' episode, swears a lot - From Inside the Box - Zap2it
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