Seasons one and two of the Mighty Boosh are such entirely different animals that I think they should be dealt with separately. After hearing about this show from friends for years, we finally managed to see one late at night on BBC America (apparently they feel that 1am on a Saturday is the prime time to showcase one of their most inventive and hilarious shows).

The first season introduces us to Howard Moon (played by Julian Barratt), a jazz aficionado and generally amiable loser who weaves together what are typically considered some of the worst personality quirks (envy, jealousy, laziness, self importance) into an inexplicably charming character.

Moon's best friend, (played with equal charm by former Brix Pick hunk, Noel Fielding) Vince Noir is a vain mod/glam rocker who floats happily through routine daily life and always enjoys the spoils of their adventures. He can also speak to animals (though he squanders his gift chatting to them mainly about Gary Numan, imagine that?) .

They work in a less than a stellar zoo (called the Zooniverse) that's run by a nearly retarded manager, Bob Fossil, who can't remember the “scientific” names of the animals and instead refers to them by semi descriptive phrases like “the gray legged face man” (an elephant) and “the long mover; windy man” (a snake).

Other characters on the scene are Naboo, a shaman who loves Fleetwood Mac; Mrs. Gideon an older foreign lady Howard Moon is in love with; and, this week's style icon, Matt Berry as Dixon Bainbridge, a “real live action man” and all around shady character who owns the zoo.

This is a show that's really hard to accurately describe. Many of my favorite parts consist of nothing more than the easy banter between Noir and Moon that proceeds their bizarre adventures in which they encounter a wide variety of interesting friends foes: mutant animals, Black Frost, and Charlie–a huge wad of bubble gum with a mustache. It's truly unique and it's one of the best comedies we've seen in some time.

Then there's season two which, sadly, disposes of both the Zooniverse and Bob Fossil; a development that angered fans and made the show suffer. One can easily see why Barrat and Fielding wanted to change the format, try new things and expand their characters but, too often, it feels like they enjoy playing the roles more than we enjoy watching them.

This new format, which starts the adventure right away (gone are the funny conversations I loved), makes the show feel a bit more like a hit or miss sketch comedy half hour. Don't get me wrong, it's still way funnier than nearly everything on our domestic networks right now, and some additions, like the slow witted full moon and Bollo the gorilla playing a larger role as Naboo's familiar, are ingenious.

Still, the first season works better for me by leaps and bounds. Let's hope the highly anticipated third season is totally excellent! I can hardly wait to see.

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Posted on November 19, 2007

Before there was a Harry Potter there was Mildred Hubble, the gawky, unpopular worst witch at Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches. Instead of always battling pure evil and saving the world, she more often has to battle catty rich witches and spends a lot of time in an awesome cake shop that I daydream about like a lonely preteen.

Most of you might be more familiar with the Fairuza Balk, Diana Rigg, Tim Curry movie version that preceded the television series and got a lot of air time in our youth. Based on the Jill Murphy collection of books, The Worst Witch is charming and fun in all formats. I've enjoyed hours (there are four full seasons worth) of the 1998 series starring Georgina Sherrington and I just found out that the series continued into 2006 with The New Worst Witch (which I have not seen yet) which follows Mildred's equally hapless cousin.

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Posted on October 29, 2007

As the new Fall television season continues its ongoing parade of mediocrity, lousiness, and down right awfulness, it makes one appreciate an old gem like Ab Fab. It's one of those rare and flawless shows where every time an episode comes on my TV, it's a classic and we've got to watch the rest of it. Whether it's the one where they have to do their grocery shopping themselves (a personal favorite) or the one where they get stoned and sell Saffi in Marrakech, or the one where they have a ping pong filled French countryside getaway… honestly, need I go on? They are all brilliant!

It's so excellent to have a funny show written by women about women and fashion and friendship and champagne and orgies. I seriously dare anyone to say women aren't funny after a single episode. Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Saunders (who wrote and created the series), couldn't be better as their irresponsible, trendy, catty, fantastic characters. Like the best character driven comedy, they become like companions whose small adventures become funnier the more we get to know them. The last episode aired in 2004 after five years, so if you have yet to see the show, I envy all the hours ahead of viewing pleasure, nay delight.

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Posted on October 15, 2007

The outlandish Dexter works for two reasons: 1. Its main plot: a serial killer who kills serial killers, and 2. It's star: Michael C. Hall, who pulls off the task of creating a likeable killer who is without a doubt, not entirely human. His perfect performance, the gleefully artful extreme violence (if CSI would make someone from hundred years past swoon, Dexter would surely cause heart attacks), the decent plots and cinematography all make the show's flaws that much more saddening. If it weren't for the positives I have mentioned, this show would seriously be weaker than the worst Crossing Jordan ever filmed. Ouch.

It's a shame they didn't get a skilled writer for the minor characters (aside from the girlfriend, who I kind of like), but the sister is so wussy, annoying, and idiotic, that one couldn't even believe she would be capable of running a bath, let alone a homicide investigation; and do we really need the unneccessary estranged wife and local drug king pin sub plots that add nothing? But, before I belabor the point too much, despite these flaws, we stayed glued to the TV for the duration of the entire first series. The second series begins Sept 30th on Showtime, but I will have to wait in anticipation for it to be released on DVD. First season is available now.

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Posted on October 1, 2007

The second example this week of Japan's passion for good food. When I first saw Iron Chef, of course, it blew me away with it's eccentricity. Takeshi Kaga, the flamboyant ringmaster and his four iron chefs: Masaharu Morimoto, Masahiko Kobe, Hiroyuki Sakai, and Chen Kenichi became nearly household names when it aired on the Food Network and gained cult status in America. In the case of Morimoto, he also gained renown for his restaurants, Nobu and Morimoto. The last episode was shot in September, 1999, but reruns are still played today. Once the original was over, The Food Network began its own series, Iron Chef America, which, while popular, failed to live up to its predecessor in my mind, if only for the obnoxious hosts.

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Posted on September 17, 2007