Today's Top Ten is brought to you proudly by the letters SMG. That's right, Freaks, our much-missed Buffy is venturing back into the world of television with a CBS pilot slated for next fall. If all goes well, we'll get to watch her play a girl posing as her wealthy sister while on the run from the mob. I'm thinking Marc Blucas for the husband!
Huh. He got better looking.
No?
Have it your way.
So it got me to thinking, who else do we miss? Who do we long to invite into our living rooms once a week all over again?
Well, I'll tell you:
Top Ten People Who Should be on TV
1. Claire Danes
Sure, the lovely Mrs. Dancy has been making a fine go of it on the big screen, but she's mostly an indie darling, and isn't that just a waste? It's time to sink those acting chops into a meaty weekly role. I mean, seriously, the Emmys wouldn't even bother to nominate anyone else. Give her a just-starting career girl with a complicated love life and a crazy family. And for the love of all, get Jared Leto to guest star.
Pictured: Angst
2. Shannen Doherty
Doherty had a brief fling on reality shows with the dating thing and the dancing thing, and put in a stint on the new 90210 as Brenda Walsh, but that's not what we want. It's time to live into the bad girl image and stop trying to cover it up. I want to see her as a rival spy toying with Michael on Burn Notice, or screwing up Julia's marriage on Parenthood. Embrace the bitch, Shannen.
3. Josh Holloway
He hasn't been off for long, but rumors would indicate he's got big-boy dreams of making it as a movie star. Stop it, honey. Stop that. You are hot, you are charming, and you just need one likable cop role and you're set for life. Maybe take over the aborted Rockford Files re-do?
Yep, it was unnecessary!
4. Zach Braff
OK, so Garden State was good. Nothing else you've done has been. Come back home, Zach. You'd have to be careful of the role, you can't play J.D. again, but a new sitcom with humor and heart (which you're really good at!) would fit right in on the CBS Monday night line-up. It can take the place of the terrible, terrible Rules of Engagement.
5. Peter MacNicol
MacNicol has done a few guest spots since Ally McBeal went off the air, but nothing that's up to snuff for this really talented actor. Have him take over for the limp fish playing the boss-type on Dana Delaney's Body of Proof, or make him the new weird-and-possibly-murderous neighbor on Desperate Housewives.
Don't know why I thought of murder...
6. Jason Lee
The Chipmunks? Really, Jason? Give this scene-stealing actor a weekly paycheck so he doesn't have to engage in trash like that! He was great on My Name is Earl, so let's stick with sitcoms, shall we? Something to replace one of the two spots that (fingers crossed!) will be opening up over at NBC on Thursday nights.
7. Jennifer Garner
It's not working, Sydney. You're not a movie star, the movies you've done have been terrible. Valentine's Day? Ghosts of Girlfriends Past? Come on. You know what you should be doing. Call up JJ and help out Eliza Dushku with a cool new kick-ass girl show.
Why is this not on TV right now?
8. Amy Sedaris
30 Rock. Right now.
9. Dennis Haysbert
We want the silky smooth voice of Mr. Haysbert on our TV with great character lines, not just asking me if I'm in good hands with my car insurance. How about stirring up trouble as a Fed on Justified?
Did you know he was in Major League?
10. Jennifer Aniston
We want to like you. We do, you're like our pretty, cool friend who can't get it right. And as a friend, let me tell you: your movies are terrible. Come back to TV. We'll watch. Promise.
For the third straight year in a row, USA network is the highest rated cable network on TV. In 2010, they even outranked the CW in ratings, the first time a cable network has ever beaten a broadcast network. They do crazy numbers in the all important 18-49 demographic, and while they might not be winning the awards of, say, HBO or AMC, they are doing well enough to have doubled their original programing in the last two years. Why?
Well, I'll tell you.
It's fun.
USA's battery of shows is, first and foremost, fun to watch. Look, life is hard. At the end of a long day, most of us just want to curl up in front of the TV in our comfy pants and veg. Do we want to watch intense dramas with complicated plotlines and miserable characters? If the ratings for The Event, V, or last year's FlashForward are any indication, no.
We want to watch fun stuff like Burn Notice, where they do funny accents for aliases and blow stuff up. We want to watch Shaun and Gus drop pop-culture references on Psych. We want to watch White Collar suave con artist Neal be charming and really, really hot.
Good television.
America loves procedurals. Hell, I love procedurals. I want to watch problems get fixed. It makes me feel better about my life. And USA has the best procedurals on TV. There's just enough of a continuing plotline through the season to keep everything cohesive and me invested, but there's one story per week where somebody takes out a bad guy, cures a disease, or solves a dispute. Procedurals can go wrong (Um, Chase, Law and Order: Los Angeles, The Whole Truth...) Procedurals suck if you aren't invested in the characters.
That's where USA got it right. I want to go have a drink with every single USA lead and most of the side characters as well. These are fully formed likeable characters, and we care what happens to them. I watched the premiere of Fairly Legal last week, and if you've read my Spring TV Preview, you know that I did not have particularly high hopes. Well, it's great. Because after one hour, I feel like I know these people, like they are my friends. I think, "Oh, poor pretty Kate Reid, I'm sorry your dad died and I really hope things get better for you!"
My new BFF Kate.
And then I change the channel and I don't think another thing about it. That's entertainment! It's not trying to make me think, or cry, or cringe. USA just wants me to tune in and have a good time.
I don't want to make it sound like here that I think these shows aren't incredibly well done, they are. They are well-written, well-acted, well-produced shows. It's just that I don't really care about that as much as I care about my really enjoyable hour of television.
It's just polished programming. It's funny characters who look good while fixing problems. What's not to like about that?
Don't get me wrong, I love them, and I watch all of them, but they make me crazy. With the Oscar noms this morning and the SAG awards this weekend, I felt like this was a good time to do a little pointless ranting about it. Now we all know these awards are mostly political, and rarely award the person who most deserved it (particularly when it comes to TV) but that has never stopped my bitching about it in the past, and it isn't going to work now.
Nope, my mind is made up.
I used to be an actress (I have the very expensive BFA to prove it) so I actually know what goes into good acting. I think comedy is criminally underrated at awards shows, and I think subtle performances, which are often the most difficult as an actor, don't make for a very exciting highlight reel so they get ignored. In short, awards shows are stupid.
But I love them.
But they're stupid.
So these are the actors on TV that I think are truly brilliant, and will never, ever, ever get nominated:
Donald Glover, "Troy Barnes", Community
Glover is exceptional as the sometimes-stupid foil to the more popular Abed in Community's great ensemble. Ensemble shows are hard for awards shows, they get all confused by the choices, so if they are going to award an ensemble show, they are going to pick one "favorite". (See: Barney Stinson) Unfortunately for the stellar Glover, it's never going to be him. (Chevy Chase is a movie star, Alison Brie is a cute girl, and Danny Pudi plays a weirdo, which they love.) Seriously, just watch his face in this throw-away episode endcap and tell me this is not pure brilliance:
I'm surprised that Deschanel has never earned a major acting nom for this role, because the character is really a weirdo, which as we have established, awards shows love. I think it's due to the ease with which she performs, making the Bones character, who could have been immensely unlikable, one of the best on TV. Her old Hollywood chemistry with David Boreanaz, especially in the early seasons, is great, and she consistently has heartbreaking emotional moments. It's too subtle of a performance for voters, but richly deserves to be recognized.
This was hilarious, promise.
Alyson Hannigan, "Lily Aldrin", How I Met Your Mother
Yeah, NPH is awesome. Really, this is a well-acted show by everyone involved. But Hannigan is really amazing. You wouldn't really notice, because she makes it look so effortless, but she has great comedic timing and brings real heft to the show's more serious moments. She's never afraid to look stupid in the pursuit of a joke, and she knows just how to underhand a line to make it funnier than it was on paper. Plus, she is the best crier on TV. Seriously, look at this face:
Wouldn't you kill fluffy baby bunnies if it would make her stop crying?
Nolan Gould, "Luke Dunphy", Modern Family
Everyone on this show is great, and there has been a lot of fuss made about how great the kids are, but people mostly pay attention to Rico Rodriguez's Manny. My money is on Luke, played with aplomb by Gould. This kid gets better every week, and as hilariously as he is written, the performance is what makes it. Surrounded by professional adult comedians, this kid shines week after week. Just watch the first 16 seconds of this clip, and try not to spit Diet Coke on the computer screen (Oh, that just me?):
I went back and forth here about whether to add Olyphant or Walton Goggins, who plays Boyd and is outstanding, but I figure if this show ever manages to get on the awards radar, it will be Goggins who earns the nod. Awards shows love crazy, and Boyd Crowder is nothing if not crazy. It's a shame, really, because both actors deserve to be recognized for their amazing work on this show, which I think is one of the best on TV. Olypahnt is brilliant as the tortured, difficult Marshall Jennings. You should be watching this show.
Here is some incentive.
Christian Kane, "Eliot", Leverage
This is a weird choice, and I have no idea if anyone watches this show but me, but I'm constantly surprised by Kane and what he brings to what could easily be a one-note character. He's the muscle in Leverage's family of thieves, and manages to never allow the character to descend into cliche. There's life behind his eyes, you know? This is a fully-formed character with demons and desires that Kane uses in a surprisingly deep performance. Plus, he sings:
Um, hot.
Brian Van Holt, "Bobby", Cougar Town
OK, so I know I kinda can't shut up about this show, but it's really funny, and you should be watching it. Really. Everyone on the show is really excellent, but the most impressive performance is from Van Holt, who once again plays a character that could have easily become a bumbling redneck stereotype. Instead, he makes Bobby a character with real heart, someone we laugh at, but ultimately care about a lot. If you've ever seen Van Holt in anything else, you'll know just how different Bobby is from anything else he has played, which of course makes it all the more impressive. I hope that the awards will wake up and notice this show soon, but I fear the bigger names will outshine Van Holt's great work. Penny can!
Perhaps not the best photo to use to convince you he's not a stereotype...
OK, awards shows, are you listening? Start noticing the work of these fine actors. Oh, and if it helps, you can stop nominating Mariska Hargitay and Hugh Laurie. They've been mailing it in for years.
Well, it's Friday, Freaks, and do you know what that means?
I need a drink.
Oh, and also, it's time for the top ten list.
Drink up!
1. Regatta Bar, Ally Mc Beal
This rocking piano bar not only had the dulcet stylings of Ms. Vonda Shepard, but occasionally played host to more exciting acts. I mean, where else can you wear your heeled loafers and micro-mini while listening to Barry White?
Hey, remember when this was a thing?
2. MacLaren's, How I Met Your Mother
The bar I would officially frequent if I were a TV character. A comfy, cute, remarkably laid back bar (especially for Manhattan) with beer on tap? Yes, please! Plus, added bonus of getting hit on by Barney at least once a weekend.
Pitchers! In New York City! ($47.25)
3. Boar's Nest, The Dukes of Hazzard
Everybody loves a bar where a brawl is always imminent, right? Sure, Boss' office is in the back, but there's that convenient escape route. Plus, and I don't know if you know this, but Daisy Duke works there. In her...shorts.
Yeah, we"ll call 'em "shorts".
4. Caritas, Angel
Sometimes a person (or vampire or demon) just wants to let loose with a little karaoke, you know? Rock a little Barry Manilow, hear all about your destiny as an added bonus. Plus, I hear they make a mean Seabreeze. Also, less likely to die here than at The Bronze.
5. Peach Pit After Dark, Beverly Hills 90210
This bar and occasionally club, owned by father figure Nat (or David, or Valerie, or that guy who dated Donna, or whoever) would not only serve a mean martini, but hosted Donna Martin Originals fashion shows, singing sensation Jamie Walters, and overdoses in the bathroom. Plus, Brian Austin Green rapping. Let's all remember how awesome that was:
This is the whitest thing you will ever see.
6. Woody's, Queer As Folk
Though far less flashy, sexy, or thumpa-thumpa than its counterpart Babylon, Woody's always seemed like much more fun to me. Oh, god. Does that make me a Ted?
Yep, I'm totally going for the atmosphere.
7. Ten-Forward, Star Trek: The Next Generation
It's a bar. In space.
8. Gray's Pub, Cougar Town
You know this classy bar has the best wine selection on this list, and bottles big enough to fill your Big Carl. Plus, the nachos have three kinds of cheese on them.
9. Paddy's Pub, It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia
It's got a pool table, and a dart board, and beer. Really, what else do you need? It's the worst bar in Philadelphia, so you know it's better than all the bars in Cleveland, Detroit, and Salt Lake City.
In-house band? Handled.
10. Cheers, Cheers
Because sometimes you just want to go where everybody knows your name. Even if they won't let you sit on the bar stools. Clearly, those are reserved.
I live in a world where things fit into nice, neat little boxes of unnecessarily dramatic emotion. Let's break it down, shall we?
Thing I Love: Dave Annable's super sexy salt and pepper hair on Brothers and Sisters. Thing I Hate: What they've done with the rest of the characters on this show. Sarah alternates between being love-sick with the French hottie and just a total bitch. Nora spends the whole time whining about the kids, and anytime they give her a hint of having her whole life it completely falls apart. And don't even get me started about the RIDICULOUS and cliche plot lines that involve Saul. This show has moments where you can see how good it could be, quiet real moments where these great actors shine. It's a shame it can't always be like that.
Thing I Love:Cougar Town Thing I Hate: The insane product placement they've been doing recently. Look, I know the way the world works, it's a necessary evil. But a whole plot line built around a Netti-Pot? Come on.
Thing I Love:Castle Thing I Hate: The incredibly predictable pacing. Yeah, yeah, procedural, blah, blah, I get it. They are indeed always the same. Castle does seem to be slightly more predictable to me than most, though. I always know who did it right away, and often how. I'm not saying this is a huge problem, the great cast's chemistry and the awesomeness of Nathan Fillion can make up for pretty much anything, but it's my only gripe with an otherwise fantastic show.
Thing I Love: Elizabeth Mitchell Thing I hate:V. OK, I don't really hate it. It just isn't as good as it should be. Frankly, its kinda boring.
Thing I Love: Thursday night TV. Thing I Hate:Bleep My Dad Says. (Especially the bleep part. Say it or don't.) The Office without Steve Carell. Olivia Munn on Perfect Couples. Outsourced.Outsourced. Outsourced.
Things I Love: J.J. Abrams. Joshua Jackson (although he will always be Charlie Conway to me). Weird Sci-fi stuff with lots of mythology and mystery. Thing I Hate:Fringe. Well, specifically Anna Torv, because I tried very hard to watch this show when it first came on, and she was awful. No personality at all. Now that apparently both she and the show are better, I have no idea what is going on and cannot watch it. Damn you, complicated plot lines with alternate universes!
Thing I Hate: The T-Mobile commercials that are blatant ripoffs of the Mac guy ones. Actually, I hated those too. Thing I Love: T-Mobile's dress, the pink polka-dotty one. So cute!
Midseason pilots are often really awful, and this year seems to be shaping up to be no exception. While we wait for the return of the stuff we already know and love, let's take a moment to see what else you should be adding to your Tivo this spring.
Mad Love- (CBS, Monday, 8:30/7:30) This new sitcom starring Sarah Chalke and Jason Biggs could really go either way. If it manages to be funny and heartfelt, it could follow in the footsteps of lead-in How I Met Your Mother, but the we're-in-love-but-our-best-friends-hate-each-other plot line could fall into boring sitcom cliche in a hurry. Based on casting pedigree alone (Yay, Judy Greer!) I'm giving it a shot, but I'm not expecting fireworks.
Mad Love could be something we've seen before, like this set, which is totally MacLaren's from HIMYM.
Harry's Law- (NBC, Monday 10:00/9:00) Everybody loves Kathy Bates. Big movie star, yada, yada. I just don't know that this show is going to keep my interest. I mean, do we really need another sassy, play-by-her-own-rules attorney? Oh, NBC. You are killing the only shows that are remotely good (Chuck) and you keep putting more derivative drivel on. What's your damage?
Sassy!
Traffic Light - (FOX, Tuesday 9:30/8:30) A sitcom revolving around the married guy, the dating guy and the single guy. Like Rules of Engagement, but actually funny. Starring several unknowns and a couple Hey-it's-that-guy! (David Danman from The Office and Kris Marshall from Love Actually) I think it will rest on the strength of the writing, and based on what I've seen so far, I have surprisingly high hopes.
All sitcom promo pictures look the same.
Happy Endings - (ABC, Wednesday 10:00/9:00) Part of the new three-hour comedy bock ABC is trying on Wednesdays, and surrounded by comedy power-houses Modern Family and Cougar Town, this is the only spring show whose previews have made me laugh out loud. Starring Zachary Knighton, who I loved on FlashForward, and Casey Wilson, who was criminally fired from SNL, this show has the best potential of all the spring shows, not in the least because it feels original. I know, sometimes I forget TV can do that too.
See?
Perfect Couples - (NBC, Thursday 8:30/7:30) This is the only show on the list I have seen a complete episode of, and it's a mixed show. I adore Kyle Bornheimer and Christine Woods as Dave and Julia, the "normal couple" of the three, but the rest of the cast is often annoying and rarely funny. It's a shame the entire show isn't just about Dave and Julia, but I think it would have been particularly aided by the re-casting of Rex (Hayes MacArthur) and Leigh, the incredibly wooden Olivia Munn. Certainly not must-see, no matter what NBC says.
Yep.
Fairly Legal - (USA, Thursday 10:00/9:00) I love the USA shows. They're fun, flirty, funny little hours of TV that give me pretty actors (like White Collar hottie Matt Bomer) and characters I want to have a beer with (Psych's dynamic duo Shaun and Gus). I want to like Fairly Legal. I hope that it will deliver exactly what lead-in Royal Pains does every week; frivolous entertainment. With the inaugural season already cut from 12 episodes to 10 by USA, the pilot is going to have to make me a believer.
I went to college with the black guy.
Mr. Sunshine- (Wednesday, 9:30/8:30) Matthew Perry. Alison Janney. On the same show. Let me say that again, so that it can sink in. Matthew Perry and Allison Janney on the same show. The same show. I am terrified that this will be awful. Please don't let it be awful. It's going to be brilliant, right? Right?
Could I be any more excited? Sorry, had to be done.
Things I'm not bothering to talk about: Body of Proof (It's another Medical Examiner, you know if you want to watch it), Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior (Again, you know), Friends With Benefits (more derivative NBC crap), Being Human (watch the original BBC version instead of this hacky remake), and Off The Map (Grey's Anatomy in the jungle!).
Hello, TV Freaks! It’s time for the all-new, so-exciting, groundbreaking Friday feature, Top Ten Lists! Yep, those tinglies you are feeling? That's excitement. You're welcome.
I am a huge fan of lists. I want everything to be in list format. I will read ‘the top ten most boring things ever to happen’ list, and be happy to debate it with anyone who will listen. Now, I'm not going to always do my lists in specific numerical order, you'll know if I do because the list will start with 10. I also do not claim to have watched everything on TV ever, so I'm going to miss stuff all the time. But hopefully I will get some of your favorite stuff and maybe introduce you to some new stuff too. Onto the list!
This is a completely underrated Friends episode, and doesn't ever make the Best-of lists for this show, but it’s really Friends at its best. It's in the first season, but it's really when the show found what it was doing comedically, and especially figured out how to use Matthew Perry. He is hilarious in this episode, where he is trapped in an ATM vestibule during a city blackout with Victoria’s Secret model Jill Goodacre. (Yeah, I don't know who she is either. But apparently she was a very big deal in 1994. Like the Chunnel.) Perry is on his game in an episode that has him speaking mostly in voiceover, calling attention to his physicality and great facial reactions. I still giggle every time I think about the scene below where Perry is trying to tell his friends where he is, and who he is with. The rest of the episode is spot on as well, with the introduction of the hated Paolo, Rachel's hot Spanish boyfriend. Ross is at his most adorable, the sweet-pathetic of earlier seasons, as opposed to the pathetic-pathetic the character became later.
2.LOST, “LaFleur”
Now, look. LOST was a far from perfect show, but I do believe it was one of the most ambitious projects ever to appear on TV. At its best, LOST was heartfelt, confusing, exciting, and absolutely riveting. When was it the best? When the writers focused on the characters, and not on all the sci-fi mumbo-jumbo. We loved this show because we cared about what happened to the people, not because we were obsessed with the physics of time travel. Pretty people are more fun than math. Season five, with all of its time travel, spent a lot of time on physics and mysteries and wandering around in the jungle and whatnot, so it was incredibly uneven; but “LaFleur” is by far the best single episode of the season, and I would argue one of the best of the show as a whole.
Some of the castaways have made it back to the real world, but the island-trapped castaways, including Sawyer and Juliet, have been previously skipping through time. When Locke leaves the island the time-traveling seems to have stopped, and it turns out that these characters are stuck in the 1970’s, where they remain for three years. In one episode, the writers manage to not only capture three years, but build a relationship that becomes a focus for the remainder of the show’s run. They managed to do for Sawyer and Juliet in one episode what I’m not sure they ever accomplished in six seasons of Jack and Kate. The performances by Josh Holloway and particularly my girl-crush Elizabeth Mitchell are stellar, and it is one of the best examples of what how good this show could be.
3. The West Wing, “Noel”
This entry might be stretching the definition of trapped slightly, but it is such a brilliant episode, I decided you would all deal.Josh, played by Bradley Whitford, is trapped in a room with a therapist, played by the excellent Adam Arkin, forced to confront his PTSD after the previous season-ending shooting. Told in flashbacks and accompanied by a guest-turn from cello great Yo-Yo Ma, this episode is heartbreaking and engaging all at once. The pacing of the script, written by my hero Aaron “Please lay off the mushrooms” Sorkin is really what makes this episode stand out, along with brilliant work from both Bradford and Arkin. (Bradford won the 2001 Emmy for Best Supporting Actor in part for this performance.)
The episode is concluded with one of my favorite all-time West Wing moments, with Leo assuring Josh that he can keep his job and telling him a story about friendship:
"This guy's walking down the street when he falls in a hole. The walls are so steep he can't get out. A doctor passes by and the guy shouts up, 'Hey you. Can you help me out?' The doctor writes a prescription, throws it down in the hole and moves on. Then a priest comes along and the guy shouts up, 'Father, I'm down in this hole, can you help me out?' The priest writes out a prayer, throws it down in the hole and moves on. Then a friend walks by, 'Hey, Joe, it's me can you help me out?' And the friend jumps in the hole. Our guy says, 'Are you stupid? Now we're both down here.' The friend says, 'Yeah, but I've been down here before and I know the way out.'"
Normally I’m not going to do much with non-scripted TV, although one could argue with Bourdain’s writing this show falls somewhere in the middle, but this is one powerful episode of television. Bourdain and his crew happened to be filming in Beirut when the war between Hezbollah and Israel broke out and end up trapped in the country for a week. They spend most of their time trapped in the hotel, awkwardly sunbathing and trying to make sense of the madness around them. Tony vacillates between being horrified, confused, and even bored in this incredibly honest portrayal of the conflict and the reality of being caught in the middle. It’s the normally-snarky host at his most eloquent, and riveting TV.
6. South Park, “Trapped in the Closet”
It makes fun of Scientology. It makes fun of R. Kelly. It makes fun of Tom Cruise. And as always, it does it brilliantly. Enough said.
7. Lost in Austen
This BBC miniseries is every girl’s wet dream. Modern British girl Amanda Price gets trapped in the world of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice after magically trading places with Elizabeth Bennet. It’s great writing, with lots of jokes for those of us (totally not me) who have watched the legendary Colin Firth all-wet version a million times, and has a lot of interesting twists and turns for even the casual Austen fan. It’s just a really well done production, with great acting by lots of Hey-it’s-that-guy! Brits and, of course, a fairy-tale ending.
8. How I Met Your Mother, “Zip Zip Zip”
This awesome with-a-capital-A first season episode features Marshall and Lily stuck in the apartment bathroom because Ted is trying to romance his then-girl Victoria. Now I was never a huge fan of the cupcake girl, but the dynamic between her and Ted in this episode is great. It’s Ted at his most ridiculous, completely over-romantic and sappy, balanced by the real heart of the show, Marshall and Lily, facing a new level of closeness in their relationship when Lily is forced to pee in the bathroom they are sharing. Hannigan and Segel are always hilarious, but this episode is a perfect example of just how good their timing can be. It’s also the episode that introduces is to Bro-Robin, who suits up to drink scotch and play laser tag with Barney. Legen-wait for it….
9. Alias, “The Box”
This is another show with really high-highs and really low-lows. (I’m looking at you, giant red ball over Russia!) But this episode, written by and starring Quentin Tarantino, is one of its best. Being a Tarantino project, it is of course fast paced and kinda bloody, and has lots of power walking shots with people in sunglasses. But, you know, in a cool way. Sidney is trying to break into the SD-6 building when the employees, including Dixon and Marshall, are taken hostage by Tarantino’s gang of thugs. It’s got lots of action, great Spy Daddy/Daughter bonding time, and Vaughan running around looking upset. Which is just the best, isn’t it?
I couldn't find anything from this actual episode, so you will all have to muddle through with this really ugly picture.
10. Coupling, “Dressed”
This show gets referred to as the “British Friends” a lot, which is entirely stupid. It’s much more like a modern Noel Coward play, complete with slamming doors, mistaken identities, and double (sometimes triple) entendres. This episode is one of the best, and features Jane (Gina Bellman) showing up for a date in a trench coat and nothing else. Trouble is, not so much a date as a dinner party. In a scene that only the British could pull off, Jane ends up trapped in the bathroom, trading her coat for a doll’s dress for the next-door neighbor’s little girl. Trust me, one of the funniest things you’ll ever see.
Well, that’s the first list done. What do you think, Freaks? Am I crazy? Did I leave out the greatest episode in your history of ever? Let me know!
I don't watch the news. I don't watch national, I don't watch local, I don't read the newspaper, I never have any idea what is happening in the world. On purpose. Honestly, the only way I knew what happened in Arizona last week was because the bar where I was watching football forgot to change the station when the game was over.
But I watch The Daily Show.
I watch The Daily Show because Jon Stewart is amazing. I tune in particularly when something awful happens because I know that Stewart will manage to make me feel better. And Monday's broadcast after the Arizona shootings was no exception. It is unbelievably comforting to know that there is a voice for those of us who can't stand politics, who detest the 24-hour news stations, who think that the constant stream of hatred and violence our media seems so often focused on is despicable; but who are intelligent enough to understand that it isn't to blame for our country's problems.
With self-deprecating humor and measured reactions, Stewart manages to always find the light in terrible situations. In his opening on Monday, he reminds us of how much good the victims have done in the world, urges us to change what we expect from the media, and wants us to learn from this event, to be better. I am constantly amazed at how much credit he gives his audience. He doesn't talk to us like we are stupid. He knows that we care about the world and want to help, but that we are prone to apathy because we are exhausted of the bullshit. He knows that sometimes we just want to laugh, but we are going to need permission first.
More than anyone else on TV, he feels like someone I can trust not to lie to me. I know we "Can't outsmart crazy", as he said on Monday, but I also know "It would be really nice if the ramblings of crazy people didn't in any way resemble how we actually talk to each other on TV." I love that he can say both, because it is exactly how I feel. More importantly, I appreciate it.
So, thanks, Jon. For giving those of us who are tired of the bullshit a place to go to laugh at it, so we can try to change it.
So I watched The Cape on NBC on Sunday. Let me just say for the record, and right here at the beginning, I actually liked it. Now, it is possible that I was slightly distracted by pretty, pretty David Lyons, but I genuinely thought it was fun.
I mean, sure, he manages to have the fastest training montage since Daniel-San, but that's fine. Totally reasonable that he learns to be a superhero in two days. And maybe it is extremely convenient that his secret underground lair is located close to outdoor shopping, has power, and comes complete with computer equipment and a baseball-throwing machine for knife practice, but that is totally fine!
Because of the fun.
And sure, Summer Glau totally comes out of nowhere, has flashy cars and a computer that would make a cylon jealous, but did you see how hot she is in all those slow pans? I mean, with the smoke and everything! She's hot! She wears boots!
So fun.
Perhaps the writers seem to think that I am some sort of head-trauma victim, as they felt it necessary to remind me, through flashback, that the villain was the same guy we'd met in the last scene, but that is just completely fine. I think it’s so fun to get beat over the head with flashbacks! I mean, LOST had flashbacks, so now every show with even the slightest hint of mythology has to do them too, right? Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't get it the first twelve thousand times you told me. Really, he loves his family? He is sad that he cannot see his kid due to being wrongly accused of vicious crimes? Sooooooo fun.
OK, so here's the thing. I heart TV. Big time. I love it, I watch it constantly, I want to talk about it. I occasionally even dream about it. (Remind me later to tell you about the one where me and Spike from Buffy had a TV show where we were time-travelling space detectives.) Thus, blog. I know, I'm revolutionizing things here. Someone on the internet wants to talk about TV? Pause for dropping of jaws, gasping of breath, etc, etc.
Whatever. It's gonna be fun!
I know good TV, even if I'm not always watching it, so you will find no Idols, no Dancers, and no Bachelors here. Especially Charlie Sheen. The fact that Two and a Half Men has been the #1 comedy on TV for like ten years makes me want to kill myself. Or middle America, I can't quite tell.
But I digress. (I'll do that a lot too.) We'll talk scripted stuff, network and cable, current shows and my loves of the past as well. You should know that I think Aaron Sorkin can do no wrong, JJ Abrams ain't far behind, and I love Joss like the brother I sometimes want to kill. I want TV to make me laugh, and cry sometimes, and throw shoes at the screen, and yell "Whaaaaaat?!!?” I want epic love, even if it just takes place at the Buy More, and characters who feel like my friends. (Sydney, honey, call me!) I believe that TV, at its best, can make you think and grow and feel and understand the world in new ways; and even at its worst, can let you be free of the burden of life for a little bit. (Ok, well not at its actual worst, because that can make you want to kill people, or at least force people in New Jersey to stop procreating.) It's TV, and I love it, and I want to share it with you.
So put on your comfy pants, grab your ice cream, and come get your TV Freak on!
