Up All Night Review: 1.01 "Pilot"

Today is a great day to cancel Up All Night.

Somewhere in California, Dan Harmon is celebrating.

For those that don't know, Harmon is the show runner for NBC's lowly rated/critically acclaimed (unless those critics are Emmy voters) comedy Community. A show who's ultimate fate for a fourth season may very well lie in the success of NBC's new slate of comedies. Although this is just the first, if Up All Night is any indication, then Harmon will be safe for another year.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I went into my viewing of the Pilot already turned off by the promotion NBC has run all summer. You might have seen the ads, you see Christina Applegate and Will Arnett laying in the bed, fighting the baby, and singing karaoke. You also see Maya Rudolph pop open a bottle of champagne, waking the baby up.

Congratulations, you have seen the pilot. Seriously, this is one of the worst pilots I have ever seen. In no way did I connect with the characters. In fact, I can't even recall them mentioning the names of any of the characters . . . even the baby. By the end of the show, I was simply referring them to by loose definitions of what they did or said in the episode.

Speaking of the characters, 'The Host' (Rudolph) was actually the most likable. She was also a cartoon, but my only smiles came from her unique brand of physical comedy. As for the leads, 'Career Mom' (Applegate) and 'Body by Nordictrack' (Arnett), they were bland and way too dark. Part of the reason I didn't connect with these people is that I had no sympathy for them. They have a newborn and then go out and drink way too much and stay out way too late. Am I supposed to feel sympathy for them being idiots? Sorry.

Also, I'm pretty sure I saw three different babies during the episode. This is pretty common, but usually shows do little things like . . . you know, casting babies that look similar.

It is unfair to judge a show by its pilot, I admit that, but in a timeslot that contains a much better family sitcom on ABC, I will be leaving Up All Night OFF my DVR list.

Game of Thrones Review: 1.01 "Winter is Coming"

HBO

Today is not a good day to cancel Game of Thrones.

Well that was certainly an interesting hour of television. I'm not sure I remember any of the names of the characters, I'm not sure I could recall many of the locations, and I'm pretty sure this might have been the creepiest hour of TV I have ever seen.

Don't get me wrong, the show was very very good. The writing was top notch, the acting was great, but at some point you almost feel the producers are just going for the shock factor. The following is a pretty comprehensive list of the debauchery that happened in the episode. A word of warning, some pretty adult stuff lay ahead.

- Something that looks like a cross between an Urukai and a plastic baby doll slaughters one man and beheads another.

- A man beheads another man in front of his children, including his ten year old son.

- Vivid up close shots of a rotting deer (overt symbolism as the symbol for the house of the king is a deer) and wolf, complete with maggots. Also the wolf had left five wolf pups that were almost slaughtered.

- A dwarf is given a blowjob, with sound effects.

- The brother of the dwarf has three prostitutes join the dwarf and his lady for a fivesome.

- On a different continent, the a blond brother fondles his sister to prepare her to be wed to a savage.

- Said blond sister walks into freshly poured scalding water in order to cleanse herself and third degree burns (speculation).

- There is a blood orgy at this sisters wedding.

- She is brutally raped.

- Back on the original continent, the queen question comes on to a thirteen year old girl.

- And to end the hour, the previously mentioned ten year old boy witnesses the queen and her twin brother engaging in doggy style incest. The last scene is the boy being tossed to his assumed death.

Those are some pretty raw things to go through in a show, but the funny thing is, at the end of the hour I was ready to see where things go in the future. Plus, next week can't possibly be anymore scandalous, can it?

Cougar Town Review: 2.15 "Wall"

ABC

Today is not a good day to cancel Cougar Town.

In February, ABC pulled the already renewed Cougar Town off of Wednesday nights to try and launch Matthew Perry's Mr. Sunshine.

What a horrible, horrible decision that turned out to be.

Not only did Sunshine drop 45 percent from the season average for Cougar Town, but the show just was not very good, especially when compared to Cougar Town.

And boy, it is a good show.

Bill Lawrence is a TV genius. I am pretty sure he will be the one responsible for Everybody Loves Hypnotoad someday. In other words, the man takes premises that should not be funny at all and turns them into great TV. He did with the political angle in Spin City, the medical show in [Scrubs], and now the over forty friend group with Cougar Town.

You notice how in that last paragraph I mentioned nothing about Courtney Cox banging young dudes? Yeah, that is because the show is NOT about that, it is about a group of 40-something friends and their addiction to wine. So if you are still thinking that the show is not for you because of the title, I urge you to think again.

Honestly, up until Halloween, I thought that way too. Cougar Town was the show that I would leave on after Modern Family, but never really watch. On the Halloween episode, the great Ken Jenkins (Bob Kelso in [Scrubs]) guest starred, and I was hooked.

I must be out of the review writing groove, because I haven't said anything about tonight's glorious return to Cougar Town. I can surmise it in two words . . . .

PENNY CAAAAAAN!

Don't know what the heck I'm talking about, watch the show and find out, it is on again Wednesday at 8:30 CST.

P.S. I almost used the name of the show as much as Abed, and I didn't poop my pants at all. And if you still don't know what the heck I'm talking about, then you are dead to me.

Review: Mad Love Episode 1.09 "Pub Quiz"

CBS

Today is a great day to cancel Mad Love.

The follow text conversation took place between 7:41 and 7:57 CST

Jeramy: The fact that you didn't rip Mad Love apart makes me doubt you. Strongly

Blake: It is better tonight.

Jeramy: Are you watching the same show I'm watching?

Blake: It is charming. Certainly not the best, but not horrible.

Jeramy: It is horrible. The laugh track makes it worse.

Blake: Yeah, the laugh track is bad, I will give you that, but the show is not nearly as bad as you think. It is a solid 5.

Jeramy: It's a solid -5. You only like it because Sarah Chalke makes you moist.

Blake: Yep.

Jeramy: I don't know who's worse... cliché fat guy, cliché straight guy, or the two barely distinguishable chicks.

Blake: Fat guy is funny and the chicks are cute. Straight guy is horrible.

Jeramy: Fat guy isn't funny. The chicks aren't naked enough to be a draw.

Blake: Well, I disagree. It won't matter though, it will get axed.

Jeramy: The cliché wackiness is making me reach for my gun.

Blake: Haha! Sounds like you should write the review tonight.

Jeramy: Don't worry dude, Sarah will be doing softcore porn in a few years.

Jeramy: ...which will be better scripted than Mad Love.

Blake: I hope so.

The Paul Reiser Show Review: Episode 1.01 "The Father's Occupation"

NBC

Today would be a prophetic day to cancel The Paul Reiser Show.


The premier episode of TPRS gives us a good idea of what we can expect from the series as a whole: an attempt to remake Curb Your Enthusiasm. To their credit, they aren't hiding this fact... Larry David is actually in this episode and they repeatedly reference CYE... so it's not a stretch to call this a Curb clone. You have a famous, self-deprecating Jewish comedian playing a version of himself having wacky, semi-scripted hijinks with his famous and semi-famous friends. There's one thing that this clone is missing, however.

That thing is humor.

Curb Your Enthusiasm was an envelope-pushing HBO series that touched every R-rated subject you can think of and then some. The characters are over-the-top, which is frequently where the humor comes from. The Paul Reiser Show is an inoffensive NBC sitcom starring Paul Reiser and a cast of people very much like Paul Reiser. This is the reason TPRS won't work... no one wants to watch Paul Reiser be Paul Reiser, unless Helen Hunt and Steven Wright are involved.

Here's an example of what I mean: throughout the show, Paul's group of friends (who's kids go to the same school... exciting!) are helping their children put together dioramas about different states. Meanwhile, Paul auditions to host a game show. All of his friends show up, and while standing around in a parking lot outside of the studio (because this gag wouldn't work inside) one friend continues to work on the diorama (instead of skipping this pointless trip all together). Long story short, someone glues their shorts to the side of his car. The whole punchline to this is... "Did you glue your butt to my car?" An adult, actually said the word butt, not ironically, on prime time network television.

Remember, this show follows Community, who ended tonight's episode with a girl agreeing to dress slutty for a much older man and calling people from Thailand "Chinese Mexicans". I'm sure next week's poopie jokes will have THAT audience riveted!

So, if you enjoyed Curb Your Enthusiasm but wish they didn't use such dirty language, are a kindergarten teacher, and feel like skipping Thursday night bible study, you might enjoy The Paul Reiser Show. You'd also be alone.

-Jeramy

Happy Endings Review: 1.01 "Pilot" & 1.02 "The Quicksand Girlfriend"

NBC

Today is not a good day to cancel Happy Endings.

This is a special review, not only is it of two episodes, but the first two episodes of a new series! I know, exciting stuff.

Let me get this out of the way off the bat, the show is actually very well done and extremely funny. Unfortunately, it also comes at a time when the market is saturated with a ridiculous amount of 'romantic, group of friends' sitcoms. How I Met Your Mother, Mad Love, Traffic Light, Better with You, Cougar Town, and Perfect Couples have all aired this year and all have very similar premises.

So while there is the overwhelming sense of deja vu here, the series still manages to feel fresh, which is no small accomplishment.

The basic premise of the series is Dave (Zachary Knighton) is left at the altar by Alex (Elisha Cuthbert). Blah, blah, blah, blah. Look, every review you see out there for this show is going to go into these people are and the crux of what we learn in the pilot. The truth is, the series only gets good when it gets past that point and lets the brilliant writing take hold.

Don't get me wrong, the series is not perfect, but it is already a better show than Perfect Couples was before it was cancelled, and has plenty of room to grow.

But is the show already Destined to be Cancelled, like it's NBC counterpart?

Well the truth is a little sad, but it very well could be. Launching a show in mid-April is never a good sign and next week it will be moving to 9:00 CDT, which is a very untraditional slot for a sitcom. It will be interesting to see how the ratings do, but initially it seems to be the perfect coupling (excuse the pun) with Cougar Town for a potential Tuesday comedy block next season.

It is at this point that I usually wrap these things up with bringing in a joke from earlier to tie things up nicely in a little package.

I guess for this one, I will just have to skip the Happy Ending.

Although seriously, give it a try next Wednesday night (I just couldn't end on such a terrible joke, despite evidence to the contrary, I am better than, but only by a little).

-Blake

Read Blake's other Wednesday Night ABC Comedy reviews for The Middle and Modern Family.

Modern Family Review: 2.19 "The Music Man"

ABC

Today is not a good day to cancel Modern Family.

The promotion for the return of Modern Family this week touted that it was the funniest episode of the season. Now, I thought two things while seeing this promo. First being that it was just a ploy to get people to tune in and stick around for the premiere of Happy Endings (for which I will be reviewing shortly) and second that there was no way this episode could live up to those lofty expectations.

ABC Promotional Team 1. Blake 0.

I will be darned if I did not explode with laughter throughout most of the episode. It is like the cosmic comedy forces in the universe saw my review of The Middle from earlier (don't be lazy, read it if you haven't) and decided to flip the script. This is the Quarterback of the Wednesday lineup, it isn't always great, but when it is on, it is nearly unmatched in TV today.

Now, if you have read any of my other reviews, you should know by now that I am not going to go into a play-by-play of the action in the episode. That isn't my job, my job is to tell you if this show is good or not. Actually my job is to produce a sports show, but my hobby is to tell you if this show is good or not. And you know what, it really was tonight.

The funniest plot point came from the Dunphy's wrapping their car with what was essentially an ad for prostitution. However, I want to take a moment to delve into the sad head of Manny (Rico Rodriguez).

Manny is so ridiculously inept at being a kid. This is seen tonight by his trying to get the attention of a girl in the Cam's (Eric Stonestreet) school play. Unfortunately, he has no idea how to relate to her, thinking that the more adult he acts, the more likely it is that she is to like him. Like most twelve year old girls, she was far more interested in the idiot who has no future and will probably treat her like crap.

Or not, I have issues with that portion of my childhood.

Perhaps one day Manny will grow up and be as socially adjusted as I am. You know, a 20-something that is sitting behind his computer every night blogging.

Sad Realizations 1. Blake 0.

The Middle Review: Episode 2.19 "The Legacy"

ABC

Today is not a good day to cancel The Middle.

Everyone gets a trophy, and that isn't always a bad thing.

That was the basic plot of tonight's episode, but I can't help feeling that it is also about the show itself. Yeah, this is going to be one of those meta reviews. Deal with it.

The Middle is the closest spiritual successor to ABC's family sitcoms of the 1990's on the network. And I love it for that. I grew up watching shows like Home Improvement and to a much lesser extent Roseanne, shows that rarely ever made me laugh out loud (or LOL if you are sixteen years old), but kept me smiling throughout the episode. And The Middle does this, every week.

In football vernacular, it would be like taking an offensive lineman in the first round of the NFL Draft, which is a middle of the country way of saying that it is solid, but not flashy. And this episode was no different.

But is that enough, is it enough in today's TV world to simply be solid? Apparently, the answer is yes as the show has already been renewed for next season, and the show has done quite well in the ratings. I just have to wonder 

though, how much can viewers in the New York or LA related to a lower middle class family that has to deal with hand-me-down clothes from cousins or that one really poor family with the kids that belong more in a prison than a school? Both were well executed plot lines in this episode.

The bottom line is that for me, constant smiles and the occasional chuckles is enough, and that is exactly what "The Legacy" delivered, as have most episodes of this meat and potatoes show. What do you think, is this enough for you, or do you need to be on the floor laughing constantly?

Maybe I will get a trophy for number of rhetorical questions.

I should, this review was not very special, but a solid C. And I'm okay with that too.

Mediocrity! Yeah!

Sports Show with Norm Macdonald Review: Premier episode

Comedy Central

Today is not a good day to cancel Sports Show with Norm Macdonald.

Coming in to fill the long suffering 10:30 eastern time slot (airing right before The Daily Show), Sports Show with Norm Macdonald joins/replaces Comedy Central's first foray into the world of sports news themed comedy Onion SportsDome, which is "on hiatus" while Comedy Central undoubtedly decides whether to kill it by axe or by fire. The network is essentially replacing a failed sports comedy show with a different sports comedy show. Given the history of the "spocom" (a term I am officially coining) being, well, nonexistent, this seems like a really stupid move.


The biggest problem with Sports Show is the star, "Canukomedian" (another term I'm officially coining) Norm MacDonald. Don't for a moment get the impression that I'm dogging Norm... he would have this same problem no matter what he did. You see, while I'm a huge fan and consider him to be one of the funniest comedians working today, there is a crowd of people who really just don't get him. I'll call these people "morons" (yet another term I'm officially coining). In fact, this group of people cost him the job most similar to his role as host of Sports Show... that of SNL Weekend Update anchor: NBC exec Don Ohlmeyer pressured SNL producers to cut Norm from Weekend Update because he was "not funny". Meanwhile, many people consider Norm to be the best WU host ever. Different strokes, I guess.

Sports Show should naturally cater to the sports crowd, which is a sizeable bunch... but narrow those viewers down to those that also understand Norm Macdonald's comedy and... I don't know if there are enough eyes to keep the show on the air.

All that being said, SS needs to step up to the plate and hit a grand slam walk-off home run on its first at-bat. It needs to throw a ninety yard hail-mary for a touchdown. It needs to <insert generic sports cliche here>. Bottom line, it needs to not only avoid sucking but actually be good in a way that SportsDome was not. So, does it? The answer is a resounding...


Maybe.

The first episode is hilarious. The opening headline-style monologue frequently required me to hit pause to get past my own laughter. Norm is brutal, just like he was in his Weekend Update days. Nearly every one of the jokes hit to some degree, which for me almost never happens. The only gag that didn't work as well was one that relied on a clip heavily featured on another Comedy Central show Tosh.0, but that was still pretty funny even if you'd seen the clip before. The "Norm goes undercover as an NBA star" skit after the first break was pretty funny and the shows close was just as good as its opening. I loved the show and if keeps it up, I'll be watching it as long as it's on the air.

Getting down to brass tacks: is Sports Show funnier than SportsDome? Absolutely. SD was hit-and-miss at best, SS is much more consistent. If you like Norm Macdonald, you'll love Sports Show, sports fan or not. If you don't find Norm funny at all, then you'll hate it. Comedy Central has ordered 8 episodes... I guess we'll see which side wins.

Eulogy: Perfect Couples

Perfect Couples: Not perfect soon enough (NBC)

Friends, we gather today to mourn the loss of Perfect Couples. While it wasn't granted much time on this earth, it's hard to say that anyone was surprised at its length of life. If we learn anything from Perfect Couples, let it be this: when you're a network looking for an immediate hit, you might not want to go with a show that takes half a season to pull its head out of its ass. You can't promote a show with a terrible pilot, and no matter how good it gets half a dozen episodes down the road, you won't win viewers unless you can afford stick it out. This might seem harsh, but those of you who truly knew Perfect Couples from a simpler time know that it's true: the pilot was awful... and I'm going to show you why a potentially good show was destined to be cancelled. *cue "he just said the name of the blog" music*

HIMYM Review: Episode 6.20 "The Exploding Meatball Sub"

CBS

Today is not a good day to cancel How I Met Your Mother.

This episode spells the end of the seven episode "Marshall's dad died" story arc, and I'm glad. Don't get me wrong, it was an excellent storyline full of poignant, funny, and unusually sad (for a comedy show) moments, but it's been a bit too persistent for my tastes, at least as a central theme.

The main storyline in episode 6.20 revolves around Marshall revisiting his disdain for his job at GNB and ultimately quitting. This is a bit odd for me, considering he claimed to enjoy his job a scant twelve episodes back (at the black tie fundraiser). You could blame it on the loss of his father making him reevaluate his blah blah blah, but in reality this is WAY too soon for him to go back to "I want to save the world" Marshall from "Money is awesome" Marshall. It smells of writers not thinking things out longterm.

Two subplots reflect this main plot. In the first, Ted claims that Lily and Marshall never challenge one another while Lily claims that Ted and Zoey challenge each other too much. They both profess to be happy with the way things are, but in a twist absolutely no one sees coming, they finally admit that things aren't all they're cracked up to be. Lily even makes a move that seems pretty out of character to me (and a little shocking when you really consider the ramifications).

That's enough of the bad, let's get to the good: the second subplot involves Barney dealing with Marshall leaving GNB. Even though they tie it in with Barney's father drama, it's still the highlight of the episode and provides much of the humor. The writing throughout is still top notch (Tommy Boy is hilariously referenced near the beginning of the episode) and the acting is great. HIMYM has managed to achieve something few sitcoms do... to successfully inject drama into the series without missing a beat. You're dealing with the death of Marshall's father, which was set up so beautifully it's almost brutal, as well as the Barney's dad saga which has been going on for a few seasons, and the show is still as funny as ever. It absolutely deserves its recent two year renewal.

All that being said, it makes Mad Love (which follows it) look absolutely awful by comparison. Don't listen to Blake... that show isn't long for this world. It's essentially the Go-Bots to HIMYM's Transformers... a cheap, obvious knockoff that will not stand the test of time.

-Jeramy

Mad Love Review: Episode 1.08 Paw and Order

CBS

Today is not a good day to cancel Mad Love.

This is one frustrating show.

By the eighth episode of a series, you can usually start to see everything start to gel. The writers get a good handle on the characters. The actors start gaining chemistry with one another. Basically, the whole show finds its footing . . . or it doesn't.

I am not ready to say that Mad Love is not going to discover these things, but it took a giant step backward from the momentum it had gained over the past several episodes.

This weeks plot was N-42 on the sheet of sitcom B-I-N-G-O the writers must have been playing, which is an overwritten way to say that it was boring. Kate (Sarah Chalke) has to dogsit her bosses dog, it doesn't like her and of course it runs away. Of course, after the dog is found it is a case of mistaken identities and they have to pull the ol' switcheroo (0-89 on that sheet, if you are keeping score).

The bright spot of this series so far has been the wonderful acting of the two supporting roles, Tyler Labine as Larry Munch and Judy Greer as Connie. Even they were unable to rise to the occasion this week as Connie tried to get used to her new boyfriend while openly fawning over Larry (I-22) and ultimately getting dumped by said boyfriend with the realization by her that she has feelings for Larry in the end (G-71). Wow, none of that was expected.

Am I being rough on the show? Absolutely. The talent is present to make this show much better than what tonight showed. The principal cast is strong and the show runner, Matt Tarses ([Scrubs], Sports Night), has the talent to lead them to that point.

That being said, time is running out. The ratings have been pretty consistent with How I Met Your Mother, and it would seem like a natural companion for that series, but with several other bubble sitcoms and a fresh stock of pilots on CBS, Mad Love has to be better than this.

And for the record, I think it will be, but what do I know, I just lost my own game of B-I-N-G-O.

-Blake

Castle Review: Episode 4.20 "The Dead Pool"

ABC

Today is not a good day to cancel Castle.

It was another "carrot" episode on Castle this week, which is both great, and horrible. For those of you who have never seen an 80's style workout montage, using a carrot basically means to tempt someone with something. In our case, it the continuation of the will they, won't they of the leads, Richard Castle and Detective Beckett.

And you know what, I did it.

This is why I watch this show. Every week I tune in and couldn't care less about the murder of the week, I want to see the chemistry between Castle and Beckett and that I just hope will be resolved, even if I know it won't this week.

As Jeramy pointed out in his last post, the two of us know a little something about TV, and one of the things we know is that you do not do anything as major as resolving romantic tension in mid-April. Now this time next month during May sweeps, the expectation will change, but not now.

So for what it was, a carrot episode, it was very good. The central story this week centered around the murder of an ascending young swimmer. Everything about this story put me to sleep. This felt like something I could have seen in any one of millions of CSI clones that have come and gone over the last several years. I expect more zany stories from Castle.

Fortunately, the B story of Castle mentoring a young writer, whom Beckett ends up having great chemistry with, is good fun. The resolution feels rushed, but it is sweet enough to keep that us chasing the carrot.

Overall, it was a rather disappointing episode of a usually great show. Even more disappointing is the fact that the show will be preempted over the next several weeks for Royal Wedding coverage.

I will not be reviewing that, but give me Stana Katic over Kate Middleton.

-Blake

(For those of you looking for a star rating, thumps up, or any other ridiculous way of quantifying my thoughts, you won't find one. I don't believe in giving arbitrary ratings on singular episodes. Don't be lazy and infer my rating based on the above thoughts. Critical thinking people, let's be grown ups.)

What is and What Should Never Be

That sound you hear is John Lennon
rolling over in his grave

I echo all the crap my esteemed colleague Blaken Cheeseburger said below. Though, I'd like to make my own claim... a pair of claims, actually. It's not just our professions, but our love of the medium as an art form that makes us qualified. Plus, we're pretty smart. And we own this here blog what you're reading now.

Secondly, it's my opinion that we're currently going through a TV renaissance of sorts. Who wouldn't want to start a venture like this in the midst of such a high point? Rolling Stone did it, and aside from their latest cover, they're doing pretty well. That being said... seriously, Rolling Stone? Snooki? Did Amy Winehouse have an appointment at the VD clinic or are you just filling your yearly goblin quota?

On to the "highly unoriginal questionnaire format:"

What are your favorite genres?
What a great "highly unoriginal" question! My favorite TV genre would have to be drama, though I find myself watching more "sitcom" style shows. I can't say that I like sitcoms as a genre due to the overwhelming number of terrible sitcoms currently on TV (Mike and Molly, Big Bang Theory, Outsourced, Shit My Dad Says, Rules of Engagement, e.t.c.) but, when done correctly, sitcoms can be incredible. Good and bad examples exist for most every other genre and I calls 'em likes I sees 'em.

What are your favorite shows on TV right now?

I'm way better than Blake at choosing images. (NBC)

 1. Community (NBC)
 2. Archer (FX)
 3. Leverage (TNT)
 4. Wipeout (ABC)
 5. The Glades (FX)
 6. Walking Dead (AMC)
 7. Castle (ABC)
 8. Storage Wars (A&E)
 9. Parks and Rec (NBC)
10. How I Met Your Mother (CBS)
11. Burn Notice (USA)
12. Psych (USA)
13. Glee (FOX)

Note: Community, Archer, and Leverage are tied for first. I don't know if Walking Dead is appropriate since it won't be back on for what seems like a year. Glee is at the bottom of the list because I loved the first season but was pretty lukewarm (at best) on this most recent season... I may stop watching it when it returns if they haven't gotten their act together.


The best show of all time is...

Bullwinkle Studios

... The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle. Period. There's never been a funnier show on television. People acted so astounded when Shrek was in theaters... as if Mike Myers and Eddie Murphy invented creating a children's movie that is just as funny to adults. Rocky and Bullwinkle were doing it (better) in 1959. Not only did you have Rocket J. Squirrel, Bullwinkle J. Moose, Boris, Natasha, and Fearless Leader, but you also got to see Dudley Do Right, Mr. Peabody and Sherman, various Fractured Fairy Tales, and more. It, in my mind, is one of the very few perfect TV shows ever broadcast (another being All in the Family).

Anything else you would like to tell the people?
Well, I greatly enjoyed this questionnaire format and wish there were more questions for me to answer. Such as... worst TV shows ever[1]? Oh, the paragraph I could write. Perhaps we'll get to that another time.


-Jeramy


(P.S. - I'm going to actively try to cut down on the cursing in this blog at my partner's request, though I refuse to censor bad words as they appear in quotes or titles.)


1. For the record, the worst TV show ever would have to be COPS. Not because it's a bad show (it's actually a very good show), but because it showed executives that you could make a ton of money with very little effort if only you'd put terrible people on TV... a system I like to call the "Trainwreck Syndrome". COPS was the only show to do it right... these terrible people were getting arrested. Now they're being lauded as pop culture icons and being showered with undeserved money. COPS is the worst show ever in the same way Hitler's mom was the worst mother ever.

Introduction to Collegiate Studies

20th Century Fox

Stop me if you've heard this one before, two work friends decide to make a blog. Pretty common theme, and also the start of our story. Fortunately for you readers, me and my coworker do not push paper for a living, so you will not be reading about the latest in stapler technology. Nope, we work in TV, and as such will painstakingly give you the benefit of our knowledge.

Or something like that.

The other guy will introduce himself a little later, but since I have the rather auspicious task of being the first, you have to learn about me now. And given the convention that there are very few original ideas on TV right now, I will do so in a highly unoriginal questionnaire format. Yep, this is happening.

What are your favorite genres?
Wow, what a great question, no one. My favorite TV genre is by far the sitcom. Be it single camera or multi camera, I love them. I also really enjoy well done American animation, but the farther removed from the 90's we get, the less likely that I will like it. Finally, although it is not the focus of this blog, I am a horribly cruel sports TV critic.

What are your favorite shows on TV right now?
I think this is a great place for a list!

NBC

1. Community (NBC)
2. Parks and Recreation (NBC)
3. The Office (NBC)
4. Castle (ABC)
5. The Mentalist (CBS)

The best show of all time is . . .

ABC

. . . Coach. Was it the most influential show in the history of tv? No. Did it have its flaws? Of course it did. However, the combination of college football, Craig T. Nelson, Bill Fagerbaake, and Jerry Van Dyke was comedy gold. This was a show that never extremely popular, but it did have its heyday around the time I was growing up, so it was the first real hit in my eyes. And what can I say, you always remember your first. The first six seasons were some of the most consistently funny TV, that I have ever seen. Of particular standout was the season 2 episode "Homewreckers" where Hayden (Fox) and Luther (Van Dyke) essentially destroy the typical late 80's white carpeted apartment with grape juice.

Honorable Mentions to Avatar: The Last Airbender and pretty much any
show on ABC's TGIF in the 90's, such as Boy Meets World, Family Matters, Step by Step, and just the whole TGIF set up, which I feel was way ahead of its time in its program within a program format.

Anything else you would like to tell the people?
Nope, I'm pretty sick of talking in such a silly format.
In case you haven't been able to tell, I am not a huge fan of introduction posts, you will learn the most about me by reading my posts everyday.
And you will learn very soon as I debut the first Destined to be Cancelled feature tomorrow and look for my Castle and Mad Love reviews later this evening.
Until then, enjoy a great Monday night of TV.

Sebo