RIPI didn’t grow up with The Jeffersons, I discovered it later in life during Nick at Night marathons (and wrote about it here). I was sad to hear of Sherman Hemsley‘s passing. He was a cultural icon and quite funny, though extremely private in his personal life. He was 74.
on HBOI’m pretty late getting caught up with the charming musical comedy series Flight of the Conchords, but HBO Go has allowed me to watch all the episodes I missed.
I didn’t realize it lasted only two seasons, and was a little crestfallen when the I played the finale.
Kiwis Jermaine and Bret are lovable, but I might just adore their manager Murray the most.
Sometimes comedian musical interludes can fall flat but here the songs are witty and catchy mimicking everything from modern R&B to David Bowie. There are several songs I would happily listen to in all seriousness.
If you too missed this gem the first time around, it’s great fun summertime viewing.
on FXLouie is proof that first impressions can’t always be trusted. Jim and I watched the pilot episode a while back and just couldn’t get into it but on a friend’s suggestion we gave it a second chance… and are loving it.
Louis C.K. is a comedian’s comedian who does everything his way – whether side stepping Ticketmaster, or self releasing comedy DVDs. This series, which he directs, produces and edits as well as stars in, is no exception.
He accepted a small amount of money (by television standards) to make the pilot and in return he retained complete control. The result is a unique show that reflects the honest, often taboo tone of his stand up.
While the show reminds me of student films, it’s much more sophisticated and honestly, sometimes brilliant. Unlike so many short films (and the show really feels more like short films than a television series) it doesn’t deal in stereotypes nor the expected, characters this rich must come from personal experience.
You can catch up on the first two series on Netflix instant.
On NickWell. This was a surprise. Jim and I are a bit smitten with Spongebob Squarepants.
We’re far more into it than Van actually.
I had no idea it was so strangely charming.
on HBOGirls. It’s about hipsters. It’s about millennials. Of course there’s a rage filled backlash against its hype and popularity. No two peoples are more scoffed at on the planet.
I expected to be thoroughly annoyed myself. I know these girls. They crowd restaurants in the weekday afternoons. They dress like Blossom. They never give a seat to a pregnant lady on the subway feeling more entitled to rest their own feet. They make me feel old as they spill out of Bedford Avenue bars – and make me feel good about being old. It’s not that I hate them, I just assumed that watching a show glamorizing their bankrolled lifestyle wouldn’t be my idea of fun.
And fun its not, but Girls is in its own way rather smart and interesting. It’s not glamorizing but quite self critical, often cringe inducing (reminding me of Todd Solondz). Creator Lena Dunham knows her subjects well and thrives on the old adage “go with what you know”. Her characters are realistic, horribly flawed (but not in that script writing class “fatal flaw” kind of way) and more interesting for it. The only exception is the character Shoshanna who comes of as an over the top improve character delivered by a girl who hates other girls. Some empathy and subtler acting could have gone a long way here.
The pilot was better that the second episode which focused on sex in a desperate and often icky way (realistic? Possibly for some. Enjoyable to watch? Eeh.) and whether the entire season can hold my attention remains to be seen. More Chris Eigeman wouldn’t hurt.
I will say Girls surprised me. And at the very least, it’s a very welcome point of view compared to the often veiled sexist crap that litters premium channels (just try to watch the horrendous House of Lies to get an idea of what I mean).
on HBOPosters of Game Change have been promising that, at the least, the HBO movie will feature excellent makeup and costume. Ed Harris gets McCain’s creepy deep brown bat eyes and does a good job, but lacks the jowls and deep anger of John McCain.
Meanwhile, Julianne Moore makes a stunning transformation into one of my least favorite public figures, Sarah Palin. Beyond the up-dos, accent, and suit jackets, she is able to make the Vice President hopeful human and to my shock worthy of our sympathy.
While not exactly flattering, this portrait is much fairer and less parody than I expected. Though it probably is much more enjoyable viewing if you’re one of the many that howled with sad laughter at Palin’s Katie Couric interview.
Without transcending the tv movie genre, Game Change is a fascinating look at one of politics most recent dramas and reportedly was close enough to actual events to make some of the people involve squirm.
Makes the rather indulgent ordering of HBO worth more than the season of Game of Thrones we got it for.
On The Cooking ChannelIf your passionate about history and food look no further than Supersizers Go for a fun serving of both.
Brits Giles Coren and Sue Perkins, a food writer and comedian take on a different era each episode taking on the customs, dress and most importantly food of the time most often from the richest society.
They recreate actual menus from recipe and historical books.
By the end of the week they compare their overall health.
It’s fascinating to see how people used to eat and this is a great companion to the new York Public Library What’s on the Menu project.
on Cooking Channel, Sat at 10You’d be hard pressed to find to women on television as utterly charming as the Two Fat Ladies whose cooking show graced the airwaves in the mid to late nineties.
Their motorcycle and sidecar are as iconic as they are. Their locations and food are thoroughly British. Think castle boarding schools, cricket matches, pheasant terrines and an intriguing anchovy paste called “gentlemen’s relish”.
It was very sad when Jennifer passed away, ending the show in 1999.
Cooking channel had a marathon on Christmas day which I dvr-ed and have been enjoying intermittently since.
It was a very good year for television. Not only did Breaking Bad break my mind (not listed here as I recommended in a previous year) but it was the year Game of Thrones graced the small screen! YES!
But the quality television didn’t stop with epic, sex filled, big budget serious fantasy. One of the best period dramas ever debuted, we got to see Karl Pilkington visit the seven wonders of the world, Jeremy Irons gets pulpy and popey, an HBO classic comes to Netflix, and an HGTV show makes us want to pack up and live abroad.
1. Game of Thrones
4. The Borgias
6. House Hunters International
on OvationI am officially in love with the Nutcracker, not only is it a beautiful ballet set to great music, but it has continually inspired Van to walk!
While I have to say Ovation has done a terrible job of programming the Battle of the Nutcrackers (hard to find to DVR, only air the same one in a row, and little to no info on their site including when and how to vote – voting was over before I knew it), it’s a yearly program I’ve begun to look forward to.
I’ve only seen three of the five I vote in my mind for the Russian Mariinsky production which boasted the most spectacular and innovative costumes and sets. Just look at the Arabian dance!
If you’ve missed them, I finally found a press release with information and here goes:
“The Viewers’ Choice will be revealed on Christmas Eve, December 24th. Christmas Day, December 25th, will bring a special surprise Nutcracker premiere, accompanied by an all-day marathon of the other productions. “