The biggest indictment of how far Modern Family has fallen this season is that of the shows I watch on Wednesday night it was placed fifth on my priority list. As a show I thought was the best new show last year, this is a stunning fall from grace. I've started to wonder is it the writing is that much weaker or has the newness and novelty just worn off? It's hard to say at this point but one this is for sure the honeymoon is definitely over.
Last night's episode did have its share of highlights. Phil doing Phil stuff like having a spa day by himself was excellent. "You should totally get bangs...you have the face for it. I don't." This kind of environment was right in the Phil wheelhouse. Even him getting advice on how to deal with Claire was well done. I thought Phil getting a win for successfully using the advice he received at the spa was a nice touch. There's so many times he's completely clueless, it's nice to see him succeed now and again.
An episode with the Dunphy kids but not Luke is a big miss for me. I'm an unabashed fan of Luke. The other two register a big whatever for me these days. Maybe it's because I'm a male and I don't get the sister/sister relationship but I don't find Haley and Alex interesting at all. One of the biggest issues this season has been the writing for Claire. She has been neither a funny character nor a sympathetic character this season. She's just been busy.
Jay's personal victory to have himself placed on the mantle in a coffee can made me laugh along with the kooky couple they wanted to buy the crypt space from. The "tada" argument was OK but not one of the finer moments. The better moments with this side of the family are between Jay and Manny. The man to man talks they have always include a nice nugget or two of manly advice Manny is able to pass on to Jay.
The "Two Monkeys and a Panda" stuff was a total miss for me. Cam in hysterics is usually good but the flashbacks were very forced and disingenuous tonight. Even getting Lily to clap when they said adoption because of something he saw on Oprah fell pretty flat. I prefer Cam when he's overconfident and moving towards hysterics otherwise he comes off as a poor man's Albert from The Birdcage.
I've said it before and I'll continue to say it, I continue to watch the show for the highlights because each episode has a few. However, as a whole the series still seems a bit lost with where they are taking our favorite modern family.
Showing posts with label modern family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label modern family. Show all posts
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Modern Family "Regrets Only" Review
I'm starting to get concerned about Modern Family. The only episodes that have really worked this season have had gimmicky characters like Fizbo and Phil's alter ego Clive Bixby. "Regrets Only" had none of these gimmicks to fall back on and the episode suffered for it.
Phil's relationship with Claire may be the least interesting relationship on the show. The age difference between Jay and Gloria and Mitchell and Cam's relationships offer greater variety of material. Phil is at his best when he's being one of the kids. His attempts to be an adult and deal with Claire just always seem to fall short. Phil's best moments on "Regrets Only" are between him and Gloria. His reaction when she offers to cut his hair by saying "I'll do you." However, his attempt to figure out why Claire was mad at him just came off as a lazy episode.
We know Alex has the classic "Jan Brady" complex when it comes to Haley. Her eternal quest to expose Haley to her parents is usually pretty good but last night's fake job and Haley's attempt to cover it up was lifted straight out of a News Radio episode.
It seems like they really need some common ground they can grab on to for this season, at least on the Dunphy side of the family. Last season the Dylan/Haley courtship gave Phil and Claire something to ground them in parenting. It also created some of the better comedic tension between the two. This season the writers have put the parenting on autopilot and tried to concentrate on the relationship between the parents and it hasn't worked.
Maybe the solution is to take some of the focus off of the Dunphy's. The Jay/Gloria karaoke story actually had some funny moments and more traction than the writers used. I think they could have gotten a lot more out of Luke as Cam's party planning assistant. Even skipping the part of Mitchell forgetting the invitations and concentrated solely on the party.
It seems like I say this every other week but I do hope Modern Family regains their mojo. Last year it was a breath of fresh air and this year has been entirely too stale. Perhaps they need the offseason to see where things went wrong and come back strong in the fall. It wouldn't be the first time a show fell victim to a sophomore slump.
Phil's relationship with Claire may be the least interesting relationship on the show. The age difference between Jay and Gloria and Mitchell and Cam's relationships offer greater variety of material. Phil is at his best when he's being one of the kids. His attempts to be an adult and deal with Claire just always seem to fall short. Phil's best moments on "Regrets Only" are between him and Gloria. His reaction when she offers to cut his hair by saying "I'll do you." However, his attempt to figure out why Claire was mad at him just came off as a lazy episode.
We know Alex has the classic "Jan Brady" complex when it comes to Haley. Her eternal quest to expose Haley to her parents is usually pretty good but last night's fake job and Haley's attempt to cover it up was lifted straight out of a News Radio episode.
It seems like they really need some common ground they can grab on to for this season, at least on the Dunphy side of the family. Last season the Dylan/Haley courtship gave Phil and Claire something to ground them in parenting. It also created some of the better comedic tension between the two. This season the writers have put the parenting on autopilot and tried to concentrate on the relationship between the parents and it hasn't worked.
Maybe the solution is to take some of the focus off of the Dunphy's. The Jay/Gloria karaoke story actually had some funny moments and more traction than the writers used. I think they could have gotten a lot more out of Luke as Cam's party planning assistant. Even skipping the part of Mitchell forgetting the invitations and concentrated solely on the party.
It seems like I say this every other week but I do hope Modern Family regains their mojo. Last year it was a breath of fresh air and this year has been entirely too stale. Perhaps they need the offseason to see where things went wrong and come back strong in the fall. It wouldn't be the first time a show fell victim to a sophomore slump.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Modern Family "Princess Party" Review
"The truth is little guy, I am rich but not with money. I've got my abs. I've got my hair and I've got a super sweet job driving that limo outside." Bobby Sullivan
It's time for Lilly's birthday party and all the crazies in the Pritchett clan are coming out to play. Claire and Mitchell's mom, Jay's ex, Dede, played by Shelly Long, is coming to town for the party and she has a way of bringing out the worst in everyone. Modern Family always works best when they bring out their worst.
Dede shows up at Phil and Claire's house with Claire's old high school boyfriend, Bobby Sullivan in tow. Bobby is played by the excellent Matt Dillon. Dede always looking to get something neglected to tell Bobby that Claire was married when she invited him to dinner.
There's some pretty funny quien mas macho? banter between Phil and Bobby before and after dinner but the real comedy is going on at Mitchell and Cam's house. Cam is upset because Mitchell didn't invite his alter ego Fizbo to entertain at Lilly's party. Instead hiring a princess to entertain. I thought court jester Fizbo was genius. I would have hired him on the spot.
You know it's a good party when Gloria shows up whacked on Xanax and tequila. Cam is gold tricking the princess to break character. Then berating her with a story about being lit on fire and still making balloon animals as he was being loaded into the ambulance. The party really gets going when Dede shows up with Bobby leading to a great line by Claire. "You win. I'm screaming at a princess party, Mom."
Modern Family continued their comeback from a sub par first half of the season with another solid episode tonight. On a night when Phil doesn't have the biggest part it's imperative to get a performance like this out of Cam. Although Phil was classic Phil exclaiming "I've got Gloria. I've got Gloria" as Gloria and Dede were rolling around on the ground fighting.
It's time for Lilly's birthday party and all the crazies in the Pritchett clan are coming out to play. Claire and Mitchell's mom, Jay's ex, Dede, played by Shelly Long, is coming to town for the party and she has a way of bringing out the worst in everyone. Modern Family always works best when they bring out their worst.
Dede shows up at Phil and Claire's house with Claire's old high school boyfriend, Bobby Sullivan in tow. Bobby is played by the excellent Matt Dillon. Dede always looking to get something neglected to tell Bobby that Claire was married when she invited him to dinner.
There's some pretty funny quien mas macho? banter between Phil and Bobby before and after dinner but the real comedy is going on at Mitchell and Cam's house. Cam is upset because Mitchell didn't invite his alter ego Fizbo to entertain at Lilly's party. Instead hiring a princess to entertain. I thought court jester Fizbo was genius. I would have hired him on the spot.
You know it's a good party when Gloria shows up whacked on Xanax and tequila. Cam is gold tricking the princess to break character. Then berating her with a story about being lit on fire and still making balloon animals as he was being loaded into the ambulance. The party really gets going when Dede shows up with Bobby leading to a great line by Claire. "You win. I'm screaming at a princess party, Mom."
Modern Family continued their comeback from a sub par first half of the season with another solid episode tonight. On a night when Phil doesn't have the biggest part it's imperative to get a performance like this out of Cam. Although Phil was classic Phil exclaiming "I've got Gloria. I've got Gloria" as Gloria and Dede were rolling around on the ground fighting.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Modern Family "Bixby's Back" Review
Clive Bixby's back and hallielula so is Modern Family. When last we left Phil, Cam and the rest of the family they were stuck inside a Three's Company episode. Last week was a bye and it couldn't have come at a better time. Hopefully, they used the time to work with the hitting coach to try and get their stroke back. Is that enough mixed metaphors?
Modern Family has been in a sophomore slump most of this season but tonight's episode showed glimmers of their return to greatness. The key to turning this season around is of course strong episodes for Phil and Cam. Phil is at his absolute best when he's trying to be smooth or hip. So a valentines episode played right into his wheel house. We got to see the return of Phil's alter ego, Clive Bixby. Clive's ultra smooth with lines like "You look hot enough to cook a pizza on....in." Phil and Claire carried the episode from start to finish.
The Cam and Mitchell argument over who Broderick had a crush on had a few moments. Mostly, Cam's smugness when he thinks it's him. The other two story lines didn't work as well. Jay and Gloria's night out/in fell flat entirely. I didn't really get the Manny trying to woo Hailey storyline either. Manny is at his best when he's working the ladies or dropping worldly advice on Jay but I just don't see any traction in his pursuit of Hailey.
Overall, it was a better episode than the last few but they still have a ways to go to get back the Season 1 magic. Maybe next week's "Princess Party" and hopefully a return of Fizbo is the final piece.
Modern Family has been in a sophomore slump most of this season but tonight's episode showed glimmers of their return to greatness. The key to turning this season around is of course strong episodes for Phil and Cam. Phil is at his absolute best when he's trying to be smooth or hip. So a valentines episode played right into his wheel house. We got to see the return of Phil's alter ego, Clive Bixby. Clive's ultra smooth with lines like "You look hot enough to cook a pizza on....in." Phil and Claire carried the episode from start to finish.
The Cam and Mitchell argument over who Broderick had a crush on had a few moments. Mostly, Cam's smugness when he thinks it's him. The other two story lines didn't work as well. Jay and Gloria's night out/in fell flat entirely. I didn't really get the Manny trying to woo Hailey storyline either. Manny is at his best when he's working the ladies or dropping worldly advice on Jay but I just don't see any traction in his pursuit of Hailey.
Overall, it was a better episode than the last few but they still have a ways to go to get back the Season 1 magic. Maybe next week's "Princess Party" and hopefully a return of Fizbo is the final piece.
Monday, January 24, 2011
ApeDonkey Power Rankings - 1/24/11
Top 5
1. The Swanson Pyramid of Greatness - Parks and Recreation returned last week and I know if you're smart enough to read this blog then you already watch P&R. If for some unfathomable reason you don't watch then you need to fix that. Immediately. This week the worlds greatest government employee, Ron Swanson revealed the foundation on which every life should be built, The Swanson Pyramid of Greatness. There is so much good and victory in here I almost feel unworthy to receive it. Go ahead, take a look, print it out and hang it on your wall. You'll be better for it.
2. Twitter - If you're reading this, I assume you're already on twitter. But if not, you really should be and this past Sunday is a perfect example why. Twitter was made for events like NFL playoff games. You find you some good follows and your Sunday football tradition just improved seven fold. Between Cutler quitting, gambling degenerates gripping and Rashard Mendenhall Rapisbergering Big Ben twitter was exploding with comedic genius. If comedy isn't your thing but you just want to get more insight into the game, Adam Caplan, John Harris and Rob Rang do a great job of breaking down the game and players. If you want opinions not necessarily on the X's & O's but rather the circumstances surrounding the game then Gregg Doyle, Dan Wetzel and Jason Whitlock are your guys. Or if you're nearsighted and can't see all the way to the television but you want to know what is going on in the Texans game then John McClain will be there to regurgitate the play that just happened. If you're lucky he'll also drop a little Texans propaganda in your lap as well. What I'm trying to say is no matter your situation twitter makes watching football better.
3. Nose Pickers - Look I'm not going disparage anyone for nose picking. When it come to rhino digging I'm world class. I'm a big fat guy but I have these tiny narrow nostrils. So, I have to spend a great deal of time clearing the air passages. However, I bow in respect to the guy I saw in Shipley's donuts the other day. In fact, I slow clap in respect to his brazenness. There he was in the middle of the busy donut shop taking nose picking to a new level. As he stood there cork screwing a napkin in to one nostril then the next and then back again, I knew there was a higher plain of picking I had yet to achieve. I salute you my friend. I only hope to inspire others the way you have inspired me. God Bless.
4. Aaron Rodgers - This time last week the guy was getting killed for snubbing a cancer patient and now he is one victory away from winning the greatest championship in the world. And yes World Series the Lombardi trophy trumps you. We now know the perceived snubbing of a cancer survivor was blown way out of proportion. Hell I had a little fun with this perception myself on twitter. The truth is Rodgers does a lot of charitable work for cancer patients and is widely considered a good guy. He stepped into the very difficult role of replacing a legend like the old dongslinger but he's improved every year and is now considered one of the premier quarterbacks in the league. I'll be pulling for the Pack when they play the Steelers in two weeks because I've liked the Packers since the Lynn Dickey/James Lofton days and if given a choice I prefer to not root for a person accused of sexual assault.
5. Perseverance of the Human Spirit -Some where in Houston there's a woman whose husband has left her alone with five kids this week. She is in a constant battle with raging hormones, sleep deprivation and poor grammar by her kids. She prays daily that she's able to hold it together until her valiant husband is able to make his way back to her. Though her nerves may be frayed she perseveres. Because she knows some where out there, there's a rock star that dedicates songs to her and she will make her husband take her to see that rock star a couple months from now. Keep it together Nicole.
Bottom 5
1. Jay Cutler - I'm gonna go out on a limb and say Jay Cutler didn't have a very good day yesterday. His play was bad, not Jake Delhomme bad but bad none the less. Sonny Liston thought his "injury" seemed kind of fishy. And now he's got Bears fans burning his jersey. Someone could really use a reset button. I think Bears fans might want to slow down though. Yeah Cutler likes to pout and through pity parties on the sidelines but have you already forgotten the list of QBs you guys have had since McMahon and Ditka were patrolling the sidelines? I'll give you a partial list just off the top of my head. Stop me when I get to the QB you like better than Cutler: Erik Kramer, Rex Grossman, Peter Tom Willis, Jim Harbaugh (the QB version not the coach), Doug Flutie, Mike Tomczak, Jim Miller, Cade McNown. Is that enough or do I need to keep going? What I'm trying to say is you finally have a guy with some talent. Yeah he's got issues between the ears but he also made strides this year. I'd cut him a little slack. You've got the rest of your lives to hold this game against him.
2. What's left of Al Davis - This is one of those situations where a picture is worth a thousand words. It may also be worth a thousand winces too.
3. Winter Sports Doldrums - Everyone talks about the dog days of summer after the NBA has ended their season and before football is ready to start over again but I find the winter sports doldrums to be much worse. Two weeks from today the football season will officially be in our rear view and all that will be on the table is basketball. Baseball will still be nearly two months away and March Madness more than six weeks. I'm sure it depends on your preference between baseball and basketball as to which down time leaves you more wanting but at least in the summer you can get out and find things to do. The dreary winter weather is far less accommodating. Maybe I'll turn my attention to something other than sports. Is there something other than sports? I'll have to get back to you on that.
4. Modern Family -The writing on Modern Family has been pretty disappointing this season and this past week's episode was the lowest point yet. It was as if the writers discovered Three's Company while watching Nick at Nite and just adapted one of those scripts to fit MF. You know the one where there's a misunderstanding between Jack, Chrissy and the Ropers. If anyone read all the hype from last season and decided to start watching Community and Modern Family this season, they'd think we were all crazy for putting these two shows on the same level. Community has actually managed to improve this season while MF has taken a step back.
5. The End of the World as I Know It (And I Feel Fine) - On March 8, 2011 R.E.M. will release their new album (that's an old school term for a collection of songs for all you youngins) Collapse into Now and I won't be heading to the store to buy it. This marks the end of a very long and enjoyable relationship between the boys from Athens, Georgia and myself. I have everything the band has ever released and many things they haven't. I've read several books on the band and a chronicling of the making of their first album but this relationship just isn't working for me anymore. It all started to fall apart when Bill Berry left the band in 1997 and the release of their last great album, New Adventures in Hi-Fi the previous year. The subsequent releases have failed to live up to the quality I expect from R.E.M. and rarely get played anymore. There are a few songs like Imitation of Life that make it into the rotation but not many. I still plan to see them live whenever they come to town because they continue to be an outstanding live act. I just have lost my desire to hear new music from the guys. I have a retrospective review of all their releases in the works. In preparation for that post and to mark this sad occasion I've spent the past couple of days listening exclusively to their catalog. If I can ever finish this 80's movie post I'll get to working on my R.E.M. love fest.
1. The Swanson Pyramid of Greatness - Parks and Recreation returned last week and I know if you're smart enough to read this blog then you already watch P&R. If for some unfathomable reason you don't watch then you need to fix that. Immediately. This week the worlds greatest government employee, Ron Swanson revealed the foundation on which every life should be built, The Swanson Pyramid of Greatness. There is so much good and victory in here I almost feel unworthy to receive it. Go ahead, take a look, print it out and hang it on your wall. You'll be better for it.
2. Twitter - If you're reading this, I assume you're already on twitter. But if not, you really should be and this past Sunday is a perfect example why. Twitter was made for events like NFL playoff games. You find you some good follows and your Sunday football tradition just improved seven fold. Between Cutler quitting, gambling degenerates gripping and Rashard Mendenhall Rapisbergering Big Ben twitter was exploding with comedic genius. If comedy isn't your thing but you just want to get more insight into the game, Adam Caplan, John Harris and Rob Rang do a great job of breaking down the game and players. If you want opinions not necessarily on the X's & O's but rather the circumstances surrounding the game then Gregg Doyle, Dan Wetzel and Jason Whitlock are your guys. Or if you're nearsighted and can't see all the way to the television but you want to know what is going on in the Texans game then John McClain will be there to regurgitate the play that just happened. If you're lucky he'll also drop a little Texans propaganda in your lap as well. What I'm trying to say is no matter your situation twitter makes watching football better. 
3. Nose Pickers - Look I'm not going disparage anyone for nose picking. When it come to rhino digging I'm world class. I'm a big fat guy but I have these tiny narrow nostrils. So, I have to spend a great deal of time clearing the air passages. However, I bow in respect to the guy I saw in Shipley's donuts the other day. In fact, I slow clap in respect to his brazenness. There he was in the middle of the busy donut shop taking nose picking to a new level. As he stood there cork screwing a napkin in to one nostril then the next and then back again, I knew there was a higher plain of picking I had yet to achieve. I salute you my friend. I only hope to inspire others the way you have inspired me. God Bless.
4. Aaron Rodgers - This time last week the guy was getting killed for snubbing a cancer patient and now he is one victory away from winning the greatest championship in the world. And yes World Series the Lombardi trophy trumps you. We now know the perceived snubbing of a cancer survivor was blown way out of proportion. Hell I had a little fun with this perception myself on twitter. The truth is Rodgers does a lot of charitable work for cancer patients and is widely considered a good guy. He stepped into the very difficult role of replacing a legend like the old dongslinger but he's improved every year and is now considered one of the premier quarterbacks in the league. I'll be pulling for the Pack when they play the Steelers in two weeks because I've liked the Packers since the Lynn Dickey/James Lofton days and if given a choice I prefer to not root for a person accused of sexual assault.5. Perseverance of the Human Spirit -Some where in Houston there's a woman whose husband has left her alone with five kids this week. She is in a constant battle with raging hormones, sleep deprivation and poor grammar by her kids. She prays daily that she's able to hold it together until her valiant husband is able to make his way back to her. Though her nerves may be frayed she perseveres. Because she knows some where out there, there's a rock star that dedicates songs to her and she will make her husband take her to see that rock star a couple months from now. Keep it together Nicole.Bottom 5
1. Jay Cutler - I'm gonna go out on a limb and say Jay Cutler didn't have a very good day yesterday. His play was bad, not Jake Delhomme bad but bad none the less. Sonny Liston thought his "injury" seemed kind of fishy. And now he's got Bears fans burning his jersey. Someone could really use a reset button. I think Bears fans might want to slow down though. Yeah Cutler likes to pout and through pity parties on the sidelines but have you already forgotten the list of QBs you guys have had since McMahon and Ditka were patrolling the sidelines? I'll give you a partial list just off the top of my head. Stop me when I get to the QB you like better than Cutler: Erik Kramer, Rex Grossman, Peter Tom Willis, Jim Harbaugh (the QB version not the coach), Doug Flutie, Mike Tomczak, Jim Miller, Cade McNown. Is that enough or do I need to keep going? What I'm trying to say is you finally have a guy with some talent. Yeah he's got issues between the ears but he also made strides this year. I'd cut him a little slack. You've got the rest of your lives to hold this game against him.
2. What's left of Al Davis - This is one of those situations where a picture is worth a thousand words. It may also be worth a thousand winces too.
3. Winter Sports Doldrums - Everyone talks about the dog days of summer after the NBA has ended their season and before football is ready to start over again but I find the winter sports doldrums to be much worse. Two weeks from today the football season will officially be in our rear view and all that will be on the table is basketball. Baseball will still be nearly two months away and March Madness more than six weeks. I'm sure it depends on your preference between baseball and basketball as to which down time leaves you more wanting but at least in the summer you can get out and find things to do. The dreary winter weather is far less accommodating. Maybe I'll turn my attention to something other than sports. Is there something other than sports? I'll have to get back to you on that.
5. The End of the World as I Know It (And I Feel Fine) - On March 8, 2011 R.E.M. will release their new album (that's an old school term for a collection of songs for all you youngins) Collapse into Now and I won't be heading to the store to buy it. This marks the end of a very long and enjoyable relationship between the boys from Athens, Georgia and myself. I have everything the band has ever released and many things they haven't. I've read several books on the band and a chronicling of the making of their first album but this relationship just isn't working for me anymore. It all started to fall apart when Bill Berry left the band in 1997 and the release of their last great album, New Adventures in Hi-Fi the previous year. The subsequent releases have failed to live up to the quality I expect from R.E.M. and rarely get played anymore. There are a few songs like Imitation of Life that make it into the rotation but not many. I still plan to see them live whenever they come to town because they continue to be an outstanding live act. I just have lost my desire to hear new music from the guys. I have a retrospective review of all their releases in the works. In preparation for that post and to mark this sad occasion I've spent the past couple of days listening exclusively to their catalog. If I can ever finish this 80's movie post I'll get to working on my R.E.M. love fest.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Television at the All Star Break
All Stars
Terriers - Terriers is an example of why I love and hate television. It was my favorite show of the 2010 fall season. Excellently cast, written and directed. Donal Logue brought the right balance of dry sarcasm and recovering burn out to the role of Hank Dolworth. Even though I couldn't stand Michael Raymond-James during his run as Rene on True Blood, I thought he was excellent as Hank's partner Britt on Terriers. The writers did a great job creating an updated version of Chinatown without obviously ripping off the Jack Nicholson classic. Of course, since this was my favorite show of the season FX saw fit to cancel it a week after the season finale. Thanks.
The League & It's always sunny in Philadelphia - Both of these shows started the season slowly with lackluster premieres. Sunny continued a slow run as it wound down the Dennis get married arc but by mid season the shows were producing the funniest hour on television. Taco and Rafi were the the break out stars of the season going away. Taco treated us to modern classics like My Naginata, I'm inside of me and Ghost Monkey. The League added the fear boner, the murder boner and white knuckler to our lexicon this year. Sunny focused outside the bar this season as we got to see the gang buy a boat, Charlie become a school janitor and Sweet Dee teach a high school Drama class. Mr. Shue could learn a thing or two from her. The highlight of Sunny's season was the premier of the gangs version of Lethal Weapon 5 if you haven't seen it, you need to fix that. Mac's turn as Sgt. Murtaugh is worth the price of admission.
Community - The writers finally figured out what to do with Britta and the show was all the better for it. I could have done without the Betty White cameo but Professor Chang's continued mission of becoming a part of the study group has delivered terrific comedic moments. If there is one thing Community does better than any other show, it's a theme episode. Starting with last season's Modern Warfare episode Community has produced a handful of well crafted clever theme episodes spoofing zombie movies, conspiracy theories and animated Christmas specials.
Grey's Anatomy - Yeah, I'm shocked too but this has been the best Grey's season in years. Seems as though the loose gunman in last season's finale opened a wealth of potential character story lines. Dr. Webber is back in his rightful position of Chief. The story lines based around the love lives of the doctors is far less soap opera like since writing off both Izzy and George. The show has been able to get back to the core cast of doctors struggling with the decisions of a demanding career.
30 for 30 - I didn't watch all the 30 for 30 episodes just the ones who's subject interested me. In no particular order my favorite episodes were Run Ricky Run, Pony Excess, Who Killed the USFL?, The U, The Two Escobars, Into the Wind and The Best That Never Was.
Good but not Great
Sons of Anarchy - The season was very uneven and even silly at times. The whole Belfast saga bordered on ridiculous but a great season finale made up of a lot of the disappointments and set things up nicely for next season.
Walking Dead - WD had a great season premier but it's shortened six episode season failed to deliver. The show focused on too many characters we don't care about and really let everyone down with a dud of a finale. Hopefully, a longer run and nearly a year to develop will produce a better season next year.
Modern Family - Season 2 has been a small step back for Modern Family. More Phil and Cameron and less Haley and Alex will go a long way to fixing that.
Todd Margaret- Running Wilde was supposed to be 2010's hit sitcom starring Will Arnett and David Cross but that show has already been canceled. However, over on IFC there is a much better comedy starring David Cross and Will Arnett called The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret. Since it's on IFC and not under the constraints of network television, David Cross is free to let go and do David Cross things.
30 Rock - Another good but not spectacular season from 30 Rock. Alec Baldwin and Tracy Morgan have basically carried this show for a while now. They need to return to featuring the writers like Judah Friedlander more and less Kenneth. I have to wonder what effect Tracy Morgan's kidney transplant will have on the show but if that means more Jenna then 30 Rock could quickly slide off the DVR roster. This season's Reaganing is one of my all time favorites.
Rubicon - Rubicon's season was the complete opposite of Sons of Anarchy. Rubicon had a great season exposing a little bit more of the mystery and conspiracy with every episode. The story evolved at a measured pace but fans of the show expected this. Then they crapped the bed with a hurried, disorganized finale. Ultimately, the bad finale didn't matter since AMC canceled the show after just one season. I would like the creators get another shot to entertain us though.
Mad Men - Weird season for Don Draper and we all know Mad Men goes as Don Draper goes. I think this will turn out to be just transition season as we saw Peggy and Pete step into more important roles with the firm. The most intriguing item from this past season was Sterling's Gold.
Boardwalk Empire - I think I'm more excited for next season than I was happy with this first season. Michael Pitt delivered gold as Jimmy and Stephen Graham was magnificent as Al Capone. Eli, Jimmy and the Commodore plotting Nucky's downfall has me excited about next season but I think I'd be much more excited to learn of a spin off based on Al Capone and the Chicago crew. Make it happen. BTW I think I finally figured out what it is about Lucy that has always bothered me.
Top Chef- The fact that I had to look up who won this last season should tell you all you need to know about last season. Angelo, Tiffany and Ed provided some nice moments but DC was a failure as a location and Eric Rippert was a dud as a regular judge. The All Stars season has already been better than last season even though I haven't agreed with the judges more often than not.
Down Season
Dexter - Oh how you let me down this season Dex. You took up with a terribly uninteresting woman in Lumen. You and Quinn have struck a very strange truce and for whatever reason you let the most heinous killer on the show, Batista and LaGuerta's relationship continue to ruin our lives. The writers turned the most interesting story line, the
Weeds - I have no idea why I haven't cut this show yet. Andy, Doug and Silas are basically the only reasons I keep coming back. Nancy got to whore it up with Zack Morris for a couple of episodes and the traveling evangelical pot show was fun while it lasted but this show has the focus of a High Times staff meeting.
Survivor - Once they voted off Jimmy Johnson and the guy who looked like Moose Johnston the season was exceptionally boring. The positive was I able to watch entire episodes in less than 20 minutes. More conniving, back stabbing players always makes for a more interesting season. Let's try to get it right next time.
Big Bang Theory - The joke has worn thin. We get it. Smart guys living across the hall from hot girl. Sheldon is difficult to live with. Leonard is romantically tortured and they're all big dorks. The addition of Blossom as the female version of Sheldon hasn't added much to the equation. It may be time to wrap this one up.
The Office - I guess we shouldn't call it a down season once it becomes a trend. The Office has been slipping for years and so far this season if appears Michael Scott is going to go out with a whimper. The first half of the season has produced three good episodes. I think most hardcore Office fans wish the producers had decided to end the shows run at the end this season with the departure of Michael. At least we did get to vicariously exercise some of our anger towards Jim's character through Dwight's snowball demolishing of his manhood.
East Bound & Down - The season in Mexico failed on many levels. Mostly it failed by trying to tell the same joke over and over. Don Johnson's stint at Kenny's dad was unnecessary and not particularly funny. They took way to long to get the highlight of the season, Stevie down to Mexico. I'm interested to see if there's anywhere they can take Kenny that will keep us entertained with new comedic situations.
Project Runway - Generally boring cast + unexplained bad judging = bad season.
Cut from the DVR roster
The Big C - This show proved that it takes more than Oliver Platt to keep me interested in a show. Laura Linney was able to create the most unlikeable cancer patient in the history of television. Even Kevin Garnett would agree with me on that.
Glee - Wow. You guys were able to take a fun, interesting show and turn it into a terrible weekly hatefest in record time. Last season, the Glee kids were worth rooting for as the school underdogs. This season I wanted to see them all drown in a giant Slurpee. Want a lesson on doing theme shows? See Community.
No Ordinary Family - Never really got off the ground for me. I hated the kids and wanted more Conrad and Vick Mackey from Romany Malco and Michael Chiklis. I'm not sure crime fighting super heroes can successfully work as a family show. Super heroes inherently require dark sides to balance their powers.
S#*! My Dad Says - The opening credits rolled and the show immediately went from 0 to terrible. I lasted one episode and just barely. A sitcom without a single funny moment might not work.
How I Met Your Mother - Much like Big Bang Theory, HIMYM seems to have run it's course. Get to the part where you meet their mother already. We get it. You have a womanizing friend who wears suits and is played by Doogie Howser. You're friends with a kookie married couple and a struggling news anchor and you really like architecture. Now how did you meet these never aging super patient kid's mother?
The United States of Tara - Maybe I just hate female lead characters or maybe Tara's multiple personalities wore on me almost as much as her ultra liberal hip family. Do television writers have kids? Based on the kids in these shows I would say no, terrible, terrible characters.
Nurse Jackie -I've been re-watching The Sopranos lately and I find that I have to fast forward through all Melfi and most Carmella scenes because I can't stand Edie Falco's voice and face. A hatred for some one's voice and face make it very difficult to enjoy a show centered on that person.
Hung - It's gonna take a lot more full frontal scenes of Lenore and far fewer scenes of Tanya and Ray's kids to get me to watch again.
Terriers - Terriers is an example of why I love and hate television. It was my favorite show of the 2010 fall season. Excellently cast, written and directed. Donal Logue brought the right balance of dry sarcasm and recovering burn out to the role of Hank Dolworth. Even though I couldn't stand Michael Raymond-James during his run as Rene on True Blood, I thought he was excellent as Hank's partner Britt on Terriers. The writers did a great job creating an updated version of Chinatown without obviously ripping off the Jack Nicholson classic. Of course, since this was my favorite show of the season FX saw fit to cancel it a week after the season finale. Thanks.
The League & It's always sunny in Philadelphia - Both of these shows started the season slowly with lackluster premieres. Sunny continued a slow run as it wound down the Dennis get married arc but by mid season the shows were producing the funniest hour on television. Taco and Rafi were the the break out stars of the season going away. Taco treated us to modern classics like My Naginata, I'm inside of me and Ghost Monkey. The League added the fear boner, the murder boner and white knuckler to our lexicon this year. Sunny focused outside the bar this season as we got to see the gang buy a boat, Charlie become a school janitor and Sweet Dee teach a high school Drama class. Mr. Shue could learn a thing or two from her. The highlight of Sunny's season was the premier of the gangs version of Lethal Weapon 5 if you haven't seen it, you need to fix that. Mac's turn as Sgt. Murtaugh is worth the price of admission.
Community - The writers finally figured out what to do with Britta and the show was all the better for it. I could have done without the Betty White cameo but Professor Chang's continued mission of becoming a part of the study group has delivered terrific comedic moments. If there is one thing Community does better than any other show, it's a theme episode. Starting with last season's Modern Warfare episode Community has produced a handful of well crafted clever theme episodes spoofing zombie movies, conspiracy theories and animated Christmas specials.  |
| OK Maybe I have a thing for Lexie |
30 for 30 - I didn't watch all the 30 for 30 episodes just the ones who's subject interested me. In no particular order my favorite episodes were Run Ricky Run, Pony Excess, Who Killed the USFL?, The U, The Two Escobars, Into the Wind and The Best That Never Was.
Good but not Great
Sons of Anarchy - The season was very uneven and even silly at times. The whole Belfast saga bordered on ridiculous but a great season finale made up of a lot of the disappointments and set things up nicely for next season.
Walking Dead - WD had a great season premier but it's shortened six episode season failed to deliver. The show focused on too many characters we don't care about and really let everyone down with a dud of a finale. Hopefully, a longer run and nearly a year to develop will produce a better season next year.
Modern Family - Season 2 has been a small step back for Modern Family. More Phil and Cameron and less Haley and Alex will go a long way to fixing that.
Todd Margaret- Running Wilde was supposed to be 2010's hit sitcom starring Will Arnett and David Cross but that show has already been canceled. However, over on IFC there is a much better comedy starring David Cross and Will Arnett called The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret. Since it's on IFC and not under the constraints of network television, David Cross is free to let go and do David Cross things.30 Rock - Another good but not spectacular season from 30 Rock. Alec Baldwin and Tracy Morgan have basically carried this show for a while now. They need to return to featuring the writers like Judah Friedlander more and less Kenneth. I have to wonder what effect Tracy Morgan's kidney transplant will have on the show but if that means more Jenna then 30 Rock could quickly slide off the DVR roster. This season's Reaganing is one of my all time favorites.
Rubicon - Rubicon's season was the complete opposite of Sons of Anarchy. Rubicon had a great season exposing a little bit more of the mystery and conspiracy with every episode. The story evolved at a measured pace but fans of the show expected this. Then they crapped the bed with a hurried, disorganized finale. Ultimately, the bad finale didn't matter since AMC canceled the show after just one season. I would like the creators get another shot to entertain us though.
Mad Men - Weird season for Don Draper and we all know Mad Men goes as Don Draper goes. I think this will turn out to be just transition season as we saw Peggy and Pete step into more important roles with the firm. The most intriguing item from this past season was Sterling's Gold.
Boardwalk Empire - I think I'm more excited for next season than I was happy with this first season. Michael Pitt delivered gold as Jimmy and Stephen Graham was magnificent as Al Capone. Eli, Jimmy and the Commodore plotting Nucky's downfall has me excited about next season but I think I'd be much more excited to learn of a spin off based on Al Capone and the Chicago crew. Make it happen. BTW I think I finally figured out what it is about Lucy that has always bothered me.
Top Chef- The fact that I had to look up who won this last season should tell you all you need to know about last season. Angelo, Tiffany and Ed provided some nice moments but DC was a failure as a location and Eric Rippert was a dud as a regular judge. The All Stars season has already been better than last season even though I haven't agreed with the judges more often than not.
Down Season
Dexter - Oh how you let me down this season Dex. You took up with a terribly uninteresting woman in Lumen. You and Quinn have struck a very strange truce and for whatever reason you let the most heinous killer on the show, Batista and LaGuerta's relationship continue to ruin our lives. The writers turned the most interesting story line, the
Weeds - I have no idea why I haven't cut this show yet. Andy, Doug and Silas are basically the only reasons I keep coming back. Nancy got to whore it up with Zack Morris for a couple of episodes and the traveling evangelical pot show was fun while it lasted but this show has the focus of a High Times staff meeting.
Survivor - Once they voted off Jimmy Johnson and the guy who looked like Moose Johnston the season was exceptionally boring. The positive was I able to watch entire episodes in less than 20 minutes. More conniving, back stabbing players always makes for a more interesting season. Let's try to get it right next time.Big Bang Theory - The joke has worn thin. We get it. Smart guys living across the hall from hot girl. Sheldon is difficult to live with. Leonard is romantically tortured and they're all big dorks. The addition of Blossom as the female version of Sheldon hasn't added much to the equation. It may be time to wrap this one up.
The Office - I guess we shouldn't call it a down season once it becomes a trend. The Office has been slipping for years and so far this season if appears Michael Scott is going to go out with a whimper. The first half of the season has produced three good episodes. I think most hardcore Office fans wish the producers had decided to end the shows run at the end this season with the departure of Michael. At least we did get to vicariously exercise some of our anger towards Jim's character through Dwight's snowball demolishing of his manhood.
East Bound & Down - The season in Mexico failed on many levels. Mostly it failed by trying to tell the same joke over and over. Don Johnson's stint at Kenny's dad was unnecessary and not particularly funny. They took way to long to get the highlight of the season, Stevie down to Mexico. I'm interested to see if there's anywhere they can take Kenny that will keep us entertained with new comedic situations.Project Runway - Generally boring cast + unexplained bad judging = bad season.
Cut from the DVR roster
The Big C - This show proved that it takes more than Oliver Platt to keep me interested in a show. Laura Linney was able to create the most unlikeable cancer patient in the history of television. Even Kevin Garnett would agree with me on that.
Glee - Wow. You guys were able to take a fun, interesting show and turn it into a terrible weekly hatefest in record time. Last season, the Glee kids were worth rooting for as the school underdogs. This season I wanted to see them all drown in a giant Slurpee. Want a lesson on doing theme shows? See Community.
No Ordinary Family - Never really got off the ground for me. I hated the kids and wanted more Conrad and Vick Mackey from Romany Malco and Michael Chiklis. I'm not sure crime fighting super heroes can successfully work as a family show. Super heroes inherently require dark sides to balance their powers.
S#*! My Dad Says - The opening credits rolled and the show immediately went from 0 to terrible. I lasted one episode and just barely. A sitcom without a single funny moment might not work.
How I Met Your Mother - Much like Big Bang Theory, HIMYM seems to have run it's course. Get to the part where you meet their mother already. We get it. You have a womanizing friend who wears suits and is played by Doogie Howser. You're friends with a kookie married couple and a struggling news anchor and you really like architecture. Now how did you meet these never aging super patient kid's mother?
 | |
| More Lenore please |
Nurse Jackie -I've been re-watching The Sopranos lately and I find that I have to fast forward through all Melfi and most Carmella scenes because I can't stand Edie Falco's voice and face. A hatred for some one's voice and face make it very difficult to enjoy a show centered on that person.
Hung - It's gonna take a lot more full frontal scenes of Lenore and far fewer scenes of Tanya and Ray's kids to get me to watch again.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Are you ready for some TV?
The NFL's preseason started tonight so I thought it was time I finally got off my butt and started my own preseason camp. It's time to get the DVR ready for the fall season. Just like an NFL team I've got more shows on the roster in the preseason than I can take into the regular season. I've got my sure fire starters, my solid pros, the vets that slipped last season and need to win a their job back and I've got the rookies looking to push these slipping vets right off the depth chart.
I'm going to run through the schedule network by network. Why? Well it's my blog and I can do whatever the hell I want with it. On that note, ABC seems like the most logical place to start.
Fall Roster
Modern Family - Wed 8c - Last year Modern Family narrowly edged Community for Rookie of the Year honors. They come back this season ready to anchor Wednesday night. It was a can't miss last year and we expect nothing less from Phil, Cam and company this season. If Fisbo happens to make another appearance, all the better.
Grey's Anatomy - Thurs 8c - Ok this was the other reason I wanted start with ABC. I wanted to just go ahead and get this out of way. Yes, I watch Grey's Anatomy. I'm not particularly proud of it but I've watched it since it's first episode and have found it very hard to stop. There now you know. As far as the show goes, it has been slipping for some time now. Grey's has spent the past two seasons tip toeing the cut line, only to escape each time. The show made three adjustments that has kept it on my active roster. Getting rid of George was a great first step in redeeming the show. Letting Izzy walk was another great move. Those two moves alone probably keep them on the roster another season or two but just to make sure they added Kevin McKidd to the cast. I'm not going to lie, I have a big man crush on the guy formerly known as Lucious Vorenus. Now if they let Meredith die in some horrible fashion they may be in for Pro Bowl contention.
Saturday Night College Football - Sat 7c - Yes please, may I have some more. I'm not going to be DVRing the games but I'll definitely be watching them.
Veterans Trying to avoid being cut
There are no veterans fighting for a spot from ABC. ABC's program is down from it's heyday and is no longer producing a lot of top talent.
Rookies Trying to Make it
No Ordinary Family - Tues 7c - Lot's of people are suckers for any kind of superhero show and I'm no different. It will good to see Vic Mackey uh I mean Michael Chiklis make a run at being a good guy again. Superheros, Michael Chiklis, Julie Benz that's enough to earn it at least a few episodes try out on this team.
The rest of ABC is pretty much garbage
DWTS - No thank you, I don't think I've watched a dance show since Solid Gold and Dance Fever were tearing up the airwaves when I was a kid. Besides, if I really need my Cheryl Burke fix, I can just go the the Internet and download pictures while watching Sunny reruns.
Americas Funniest Hove Videos - Really? The fact that this show is still on may be the best argument for the Taliban in their fight against westernization.
I'm going to run through the schedule network by network. Why? Well it's my blog and I can do whatever the hell I want with it. On that note, ABC seems like the most logical place to start.
Fall Roster
Modern Family - Wed 8c - Last year Modern Family narrowly edged Community for Rookie of the Year honors. They come back this season ready to anchor Wednesday night. It was a can't miss last year and we expect nothing less from Phil, Cam and company this season. If Fisbo happens to make another appearance, all the better.
Grey's Anatomy - Thurs 8c - Ok this was the other reason I wanted start with ABC. I wanted to just go ahead and get this out of way. Yes, I watch Grey's Anatomy. I'm not particularly proud of it but I've watched it since it's first episode and have found it very hard to stop. There now you know. As far as the show goes, it has been slipping for some time now. Grey's has spent the past two seasons tip toeing the cut line, only to escape each time. The show made three adjustments that has kept it on my active roster. Getting rid of George was a great first step in redeeming the show. Letting Izzy walk was another great move. Those two moves alone probably keep them on the roster another season or two but just to make sure they added Kevin McKidd to the cast. I'm not going to lie, I have a big man crush on the guy formerly known as Lucious Vorenus. Now if they let Meredith die in some horrible fashion they may be in for Pro Bowl contention.
Saturday Night College Football - Sat 7c - Yes please, may I have some more. I'm not going to be DVRing the games but I'll definitely be watching them.
Veterans Trying to avoid being cut
There are no veterans fighting for a spot from ABC. ABC's program is down from it's heyday and is no longer producing a lot of top talent.
Rookies Trying to Make it
No Ordinary Family - Tues 7c - Lot's of people are suckers for any kind of superhero show and I'm no different. It will good to see Vic Mackey uh I mean Michael Chiklis make a run at being a good guy again. Superheros, Michael Chiklis, Julie Benz that's enough to earn it at least a few episodes try out on this team.
The rest of ABC is pretty much garbage
DWTS - No thank you, I don't think I've watched a dance show since Solid Gold and Dance Fever were tearing up the airwaves when I was a kid. Besides, if I really need my Cheryl Burke fix, I can just go the the Internet and download pictures while watching Sunny reruns.
Americas Funniest Hove Videos - Really? The fact that this show is still on may be the best argument for the Taliban in their fight against westernization.
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