One of the great developments in television in the last decade is the invention of Hulu, the (currently) free Web site featuring clips and full episodes of numerous television shows. Originally a joint venture between Universal and 20th Century Fox, there are now a myriad of options for users to catch missed episodes and discover new favorites with high-quality, legal videos (those are the key words with Hulu; you don’t have to worry about the Feds knocking on your door, or getting a headache from straining your eyes to see a poor quality video). Are you looking to discover the best Hulu has to offer, but don’t have plenty of time to spend watching TV on the Internet? Here are some of the best shows Hulu has to offer right now (at least, what the offer from the beginning, so you can become acquainted with a show from the beginning).
“Strangers With Candy” (Comedy Central, 1999-2000): If you are interested in introducing yourself to this show (which you should be), you need to act fast. As of right now, the episodes will expire on Saturday, Feb. 27. Normally I wouldn’t include videos that are going to expire so soon, but “Strangers With Candy” is one of my all-time favorites. In this satire of cheesy after-school specials, Amy Sedaris stars as Jerri Blank, a 46-year-old self-described “boozer, user and loser” who returns to high school to pick up her life where she left off when she left for a life on the streets. I became familiar with this show because of Sedaris’ co-star, Stephen Colbert, who plays a disaffected, rude and closeted teacher, Chuck Noblet. It’s utterly twisted and perverted, and that’s what makes it such fun.
“My So-Called Life” (ABC, 1994-1995): Since “Freaks and Geeks” is sadly not on Hulu, I’ll recommend this great look at the American high school experience instead. Claire Danes’ Angela Chase is a realistic and relatable character attempting to find her place in the high school world, along with her friends Rayanne and Rickie. Her quest to have the quintessential high school bad boy, Jordan Catalano (Jared Leto) also helps to create a conflict-filled high school series that doesn’t sugarcoat the experience.
“The Office” (BBC Two, 2001-2003): Hulu must have realized I was putting this list together, because I looked on Hulu’s Facebook page, and this show was featured as a brand-new addition yesterday. This show goes without saying; it beget the American version (and numerous others worldwide), and any fan of the American version needs to see this version for themselves. Whether you prefer the broader comedy of the American version or the dry humor (or humour, since we are talking about a British show), both are essential viewing. The series finale Christmas special, like the Christmas finale on Gervais' show "Extras," is a hilarious and touching way to end a series.
I’m sure you’re all overwhelmed already by the amount of hours you’ll be staring at the computer screen, so for now, I’ll leave you with these three shows. In my next entry, I’ll feature other Hulu gems.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Ricky Gervais proves cartoons aren't just for kids
Most of the people reading this blog are likely teenagers at the very least. So, it's probably safe to say that for most of you, watching animated programming may not be at the top of your TV viewing queue. It's understandable; as we grow older, we want to watch more 'grown-up' programming. However, there are some things that are just better in animation.
On Friday, "The Ricky Gervais Show" premiered on HBO. The show features Gervais, "The Office" co-creator and "Extras" costar Stephen Merchant, and radio producer Karl Pilkington chatting about anything and everything. These conversations are from the podcasts and audiobooks the three recorded approximately five years ago, and are now featured on HBO in animated form. Gervais and Merchant are comedy legends as a result of "The Office," but it is the previously unknown Pilkington who steals the shows. He is a simple, yet incredibly complicated man who says the strangest non sequiturs, and has incredibly strange theories on the world. I was familiar with the podcasts and audiobooks before HBO brought it to a wider audience, but the animation really works to bring Pilkington's wild thoughts to life, and the animation helps one see his "head like a f***ing orange," as Gervais and Merchant say. This clip from the series illustrates what makes "The Ricky Gervais Show" so much fun.
Animating these podcasts helps to bring them to life in a new way, and it allows for American audiences who are unfamiliar with Pilkington to experience his sheer genius. It may seem a little silly to create an animated sequence of already recorded conversations, but it is more captivating seeing animated versions of the three men versus videotape of said podcasts. HBO has worked with Gervais in the past, and they knew the key to making his work pop was to put it in this format. Animation isn't necessarily reserved for kids' cartoons anymore, and, as is the case with "The Ricky Gervais Show," it can improve on already great audio. When Robert Smigel created the Fun With Real Audio segment for TV Funhouse on "Saturday Night Live," he knew that animation unlocked plenty of potential.
It will be interesting to see how the animators will interpret Pilkington's crazy theories in the 13 episodes of the series. This is one cartoon that anyone should watch regardless of age, as long as they appreciate smart comedy by smart people. And Karl Pilkington.
As a bonus, here is a must-see (but not safe for work due to language) video of Gervais on "The Daily Show" last night. Gervais has fantastic rapport with talk show hosts (his Conan O'Brien interviews are classic), and he proves it yet again.
Also, if you want to listen to more podcasts from Gervais, Merchant and Pilkington, they are located here.
On Friday, "The Ricky Gervais Show" premiered on HBO. The show features Gervais, "The Office" co-creator and "Extras" costar Stephen Merchant, and radio producer Karl Pilkington chatting about anything and everything. These conversations are from the podcasts and audiobooks the three recorded approximately five years ago, and are now featured on HBO in animated form. Gervais and Merchant are comedy legends as a result of "The Office," but it is the previously unknown Pilkington who steals the shows. He is a simple, yet incredibly complicated man who says the strangest non sequiturs, and has incredibly strange theories on the world. I was familiar with the podcasts and audiobooks before HBO brought it to a wider audience, but the animation really works to bring Pilkington's wild thoughts to life, and the animation helps one see his "head like a f***ing orange," as Gervais and Merchant say. This clip from the series illustrates what makes "The Ricky Gervais Show" so much fun.
Animating these podcasts helps to bring them to life in a new way, and it allows for American audiences who are unfamiliar with Pilkington to experience his sheer genius. It may seem a little silly to create an animated sequence of already recorded conversations, but it is more captivating seeing animated versions of the three men versus videotape of said podcasts. HBO has worked with Gervais in the past, and they knew the key to making his work pop was to put it in this format. Animation isn't necessarily reserved for kids' cartoons anymore, and, as is the case with "The Ricky Gervais Show," it can improve on already great audio. When Robert Smigel created the Fun With Real Audio segment for TV Funhouse on "Saturday Night Live," he knew that animation unlocked plenty of potential.
It will be interesting to see how the animators will interpret Pilkington's crazy theories in the 13 episodes of the series. This is one cartoon that anyone should watch regardless of age, as long as they appreciate smart comedy by smart people. And Karl Pilkington.
As a bonus, here is a must-see (but not safe for work due to language) video of Gervais on "The Daily Show" last night. Gervais has fantastic rapport with talk show hosts (his Conan O'Brien interviews are classic), and he proves it yet again.
Also, if you want to listen to more podcasts from Gervais, Merchant and Pilkington, they are located here.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
People are angry at NBC. In other news, the Pope is Catholic.
For the first time in what seems like eons, NBC is not languishing in last place. Sadly for the creative forces at the Peacock, it isn't the original programming that is bringing in the ratings and the ad revenue, rather, it's Olympic coverage that is causing their winning streak. As Nikki Finke reports, half of America watched Olympic coverage during the last week.
This is an astounding statistic, and one would think that NBC would be thrilled that this many people are watching. They may be able to recoup some of that $250 million they're losing on Olympic broadcasts with that high number!
However, that doesn't mean that those viewers are watching NBC happily. West Coast residents are angry at the network for tape-delaying their broadcasts of high-profile events for prime time, and those prime time delays are ruining the results for viewers. That's not all; viewers are being prompted to provide the name and account number of their cable or satellite company in order to view content (NBC hopes to make money from said companies), a large invasion of privacy and a potential security risk for viewers. In other words, you're stuck waiting around hours for highlights, unless you're willing to give up sensitive account information that NBC seems to think you have readily available every time you browse the Internet.
It's a sad testament to the state of the network to see that it requires losing $200 million, broadcasting content that is ONLY available on NBC in the United States (because, let's face it, if people could watch the games on higher rated networks like CBS, they would, since they're watching CBS more often) and non-scripted content like sporting events to reach the top. Also, NBC's honeymoon with American audiences is going to end in one week, and then they are likely to go crashing back down to fourth place.
I have a love/hate relationship with the Peacock; I'm still angry about the Conan O'Brien debacle, and it constantly amazes me that they continue to make awful programming decisions (which are too multiple to list). Yet, the Thursday night comedy block owns my soul (even if The Office is often disappointing, and a shell of its former self), and Chuck is great fun. I'd like to see Olympic viewers stick around after the Olympics and watch some of my favorite shows to increase their ratings (especially Chuck and Community, two on the bubble shows), but on the other hand? I'm reveling in NBC waking up on March 1 and realizing their dominance was a short-lived dream.
This is an astounding statistic, and one would think that NBC would be thrilled that this many people are watching. They may be able to recoup some of that $250 million they're losing on Olympic broadcasts with that high number!
However, that doesn't mean that those viewers are watching NBC happily. West Coast residents are angry at the network for tape-delaying their broadcasts of high-profile events for prime time, and those prime time delays are ruining the results for viewers. That's not all; viewers are being prompted to provide the name and account number of their cable or satellite company in order to view content (NBC hopes to make money from said companies), a large invasion of privacy and a potential security risk for viewers. In other words, you're stuck waiting around hours for highlights, unless you're willing to give up sensitive account information that NBC seems to think you have readily available every time you browse the Internet.
It's a sad testament to the state of the network to see that it requires losing $200 million, broadcasting content that is ONLY available on NBC in the United States (because, let's face it, if people could watch the games on higher rated networks like CBS, they would, since they're watching CBS more often) and non-scripted content like sporting events to reach the top. Also, NBC's honeymoon with American audiences is going to end in one week, and then they are likely to go crashing back down to fourth place.
I have a love/hate relationship with the Peacock; I'm still angry about the Conan O'Brien debacle, and it constantly amazes me that they continue to make awful programming decisions (which are too multiple to list). Yet, the Thursday night comedy block owns my soul (even if The Office is often disappointing, and a shell of its former self), and Chuck is great fun. I'd like to see Olympic viewers stick around after the Olympics and watch some of my favorite shows to increase their ratings (especially Chuck and Community, two on the bubble shows), but on the other hand? I'm reveling in NBC waking up on March 1 and realizing their dominance was a short-lived dream.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
But, mom, I need to stay home to watch TV!
I don't mean to talk about myself too much in this blog, but I'm going to be a little self-indulgent for a bit.
For the past five days, I have been incredibly sick. Instead or working on the increasingly large amount of homework I have, I watched far too much television (please note that this is not much different from my life on a regular basis, but at least this time, I had a semi-relevant excuse for watching TV!). Of course, there have been numerous instances over my lifetime where I had to miss school as a means to recover from illness, and television has always been a way to forget about how miserable I've felt.
I have to ask, though, does anyone else have any go-to shows that they watch when they're sick? For me, it's The Price Is Right. Due to its 11:00 AM time slot, throughout elementary and high school, I rarely had the chance to watch the program, and therefore, it was such a treat to be able to watch it, even if the circumstances that allowed me to do so were less than fantastic. Of course, it was far more fun when Bob Barker was hosting the show (as an Ohioan, I always enjoyed the Drew Carey Show when I was younger, mainly due to its numerous Cleveland references, but honestly? Carey hosting TPIR is just nowhere near as fun as Barker; he may have been a womanizer, but it's hard to hate him. Plus, he beat up Adam Sandler, that's an automatic A+ in my book), but I'll still watch it when I'm sick, like I did on Monday and Tuesday of this week, just for old time's sake. And on those rare days that you watch, and you get to watch a contestant play Plinko? It's like all of your troubles melt away!
Let's ignore the fact that based on my current schedule, I could watch TPIR nearly every day. That's just not fun! It's one of those that is just more special when you're breaking the rules, when you feel like such a rebel for "skipping" school, even if you have a valid excuse - your illness (on that note, wasn't it so much more fun to be home sick when you were younger, because it meant that you succeeded in convincing your parents that you were sick enough to stay home?), and I plan on keeping it that way.
So, does anyone else have any television shows that they would turn to when they were sick? Other game shows? Cartoons? Old sitcoms? The rare hour or two a day when MTV and VH1 air music?
For the past five days, I have been incredibly sick. Instead or working on the increasingly large amount of homework I have, I watched far too much television (please note that this is not much different from my life on a regular basis, but at least this time, I had a semi-relevant excuse for watching TV!). Of course, there have been numerous instances over my lifetime where I had to miss school as a means to recover from illness, and television has always been a way to forget about how miserable I've felt.
I have to ask, though, does anyone else have any go-to shows that they watch when they're sick? For me, it's The Price Is Right. Due to its 11:00 AM time slot, throughout elementary and high school, I rarely had the chance to watch the program, and therefore, it was such a treat to be able to watch it, even if the circumstances that allowed me to do so were less than fantastic. Of course, it was far more fun when Bob Barker was hosting the show (as an Ohioan, I always enjoyed the Drew Carey Show when I was younger, mainly due to its numerous Cleveland references, but honestly? Carey hosting TPIR is just nowhere near as fun as Barker; he may have been a womanizer, but it's hard to hate him. Plus, he beat up Adam Sandler, that's an automatic A+ in my book), but I'll still watch it when I'm sick, like I did on Monday and Tuesday of this week, just for old time's sake. And on those rare days that you watch, and you get to watch a contestant play Plinko? It's like all of your troubles melt away!
Let's ignore the fact that based on my current schedule, I could watch TPIR nearly every day. That's just not fun! It's one of those that is just more special when you're breaking the rules, when you feel like such a rebel for "skipping" school, even if you have a valid excuse - your illness (on that note, wasn't it so much more fun to be home sick when you were younger, because it meant that you succeeded in convincing your parents that you were sick enough to stay home?), and I plan on keeping it that way.
So, does anyone else have any television shows that they would turn to when they were sick? Other game shows? Cartoons? Old sitcoms? The rare hour or two a day when MTV and VH1 air music?
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Cupid's arrow hits your cable box
It's Valentine's Day, and therefore, if you're a semi-regular viewer of cable television, it's time to wallow in your misery! Nearly every channel that regularly shows films has devoted this weekend to humoring the poor, sad saps that are without a companion for the holiday. Are you a hopeless romantic who can't seem to find a man because every man today is uncouth and unsuitably impolite? Well, Oxygen's marathon of films based on Jane Austen novels is right up your alley. Are you a strong, independent woman who is obviously worthless without a mate? Because I Said So is your life in film form.
For men: are you a nice but nerdy guy who is surrounded my increasingly growing pressure to find love (or a one-night stand)? The 40-Year Old Virgin can give you your romantic comedy fix, without all of the mushiness of Lifetime fare, and with raunchier humor. Sure, it may be frustrating to see all of your friends going on movie dates with their partners to see Valentine's Day this weekend, but why waste money on a mindless romantic comedy when you can see (arguably) better films for free? The television networks know you're alone, and they know that you want to indulge in a bit of romance, even if you aren't embracing the concept in your life.
Are these movie schedule blocks patronizing? Absolutely. However, they do allow for us poor people (men: don't lie, you know you've seen most of these romantic comedies on a voluntary basis) who are tempted to make up imaginary girlfriends and boyfriends (such as 30 Rock's Liz Lemon, who, on Thursday's fantastic episode, had a fictional "astronaut Mike Dexter" ready to pick her up from a root canal, proving she won't die alone) to engage in a healthier pastime. We'll just stay in our houses on Valentine's Day with a bunch of chocolate or Ben & Jerry's (Stephen Colbert's Americone Dream, of course) and spend the day laughing and crying over our lack of an unrealistic soul mate. Laugh at us if you will, but we're the ones who are entertained all throughout the weekend. We don't have to worry about if we've bought the right gifts, picked the right restaurant, or wore the right clothes on our Valentine's Day dates. Thanks to television, we can live vicariously through the romantic trials and tribulations of fictional characters. The networks and advertisers know this, and have provided us with a bounty of romantic cheer.
Eat it up, everyone, and enjoy your Valentine's Day, whether it's with your significant other or your satellite TV. Here's a gift for you television fans:
(Found on Tumblr)
For men: are you a nice but nerdy guy who is surrounded my increasingly growing pressure to find love (or a one-night stand)? The 40-Year Old Virgin can give you your romantic comedy fix, without all of the mushiness of Lifetime fare, and with raunchier humor. Sure, it may be frustrating to see all of your friends going on movie dates with their partners to see Valentine's Day this weekend, but why waste money on a mindless romantic comedy when you can see (arguably) better films for free? The television networks know you're alone, and they know that you want to indulge in a bit of romance, even if you aren't embracing the concept in your life.
Are these movie schedule blocks patronizing? Absolutely. However, they do allow for us poor people (men: don't lie, you know you've seen most of these romantic comedies on a voluntary basis) who are tempted to make up imaginary girlfriends and boyfriends (such as 30 Rock's Liz Lemon, who, on Thursday's fantastic episode, had a fictional "astronaut Mike Dexter" ready to pick her up from a root canal, proving she won't die alone) to engage in a healthier pastime. We'll just stay in our houses on Valentine's Day with a bunch of chocolate or Ben & Jerry's (Stephen Colbert's Americone Dream, of course) and spend the day laughing and crying over our lack of an unrealistic soul mate. Laugh at us if you will, but we're the ones who are entertained all throughout the weekend. We don't have to worry about if we've bought the right gifts, picked the right restaurant, or wore the right clothes on our Valentine's Day dates. Thanks to television, we can live vicariously through the romantic trials and tribulations of fictional characters. The networks and advertisers know this, and have provided us with a bounty of romantic cheer.
Eat it up, everyone, and enjoy your Valentine's Day, whether it's with your significant other or your satellite TV. Here's a gift for you television fans:
(Found on Tumblr)
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Clash of the cable celebrities
Welcome to my blog! I'm Marisha, and I'm going to be discussing television, since it's something that I know far too well.
I feel that it is only appropriate, as I am a blogger, to inform you that Jon Stewart is an evil bully who likes to invade the homelands of others (in this case, poor old innocent Bill O'Reilly's television studio, and the poor viewing audience of his television show) will be force to sit and watch a public sacrifice to the gods of cable news programs.
Last week, Jon Stewart went on "The O'Reilly Factor." It was not the first time Stewart appeared on O'Reilly's show, and O'Reilly made memorable appearances on "The Daily Show." The two exchanged barbs, but overall, O'Reilly was fairly respectful of Stewart, and there was a good debate between the two. Voices weren't raise too much, and both raised good points about the strengths and weaknesses of their networks and the Obama administration.
However, as Stewart pointed out on "The Daily Show" after the interview, those of us who spend too much time on the Internet apparently assume everyone on television suffers from 'roid rage, and that any disagreement between two people automatically turns into a giant flame war unfolding in real time, in real life.
To quote Stewart...OH, SNAP!
(Image via TinyPic)
Watch out, everyone! If you go on Jon Stewart's show, and he doesn't agree with you, he'll give you a lobotomy faster than you can say "Here it is, your moment of Zen." As for Bill O'Reilly? Wow, he doesn't let anyone else talk on his show, he screams at you so much that your entire face will be blown backwards, like Squidward Tentacles:
(Image via TinyPic)
Yet, in reality, this interview was nowhere near as vicious as these blogs made it seem, nor was there a clear "winner" in this so-called debate.
Sure, our blogs can make it seem as though these television pundits are crazier than they actually are (let's face it, you probably aren't going to get a prime-time slot on television unless you have some unresolved anger issues from your childhood). However, they can also turn these people into unlikely heroes. Jon Stewart may scoff at blogging hysteria, but look on the bright side - we're laughing WITH you, right? We'll be tuning in to your show to see what comes next.
I feel that it is only appropriate, as I am a blogger, to inform you that Jon Stewart is an evil bully who likes to invade the homelands of others (in this case, poor old innocent Bill O'Reilly's television studio, and the poor viewing audience of his television show) will be force to sit and watch a public sacrifice to the gods of cable news programs.
Last week, Jon Stewart went on "The O'Reilly Factor." It was not the first time Stewart appeared on O'Reilly's show, and O'Reilly made memorable appearances on "The Daily Show." The two exchanged barbs, but overall, O'Reilly was fairly respectful of Stewart, and there was a good debate between the two. Voices weren't raise too much, and both raised good points about the strengths and weaknesses of their networks and the Obama administration.
However, as Stewart pointed out on "The Daily Show" after the interview, those of us who spend too much time on the Internet apparently assume everyone on television suffers from 'roid rage, and that any disagreement between two people automatically turns into a giant flame war unfolding in real time, in real life.
To quote Stewart...OH, SNAP!
(Image via TinyPic)
Watch out, everyone! If you go on Jon Stewart's show, and he doesn't agree with you, he'll give you a lobotomy faster than you can say "Here it is, your moment of Zen." As for Bill O'Reilly? Wow, he doesn't let anyone else talk on his show, he screams at you so much that your entire face will be blown backwards, like Squidward Tentacles:
(Image via TinyPic)
Yet, in reality, this interview was nowhere near as vicious as these blogs made it seem, nor was there a clear "winner" in this so-called debate.
Sure, our blogs can make it seem as though these television pundits are crazier than they actually are (let's face it, you probably aren't going to get a prime-time slot on television unless you have some unresolved anger issues from your childhood). However, they can also turn these people into unlikely heroes. Jon Stewart may scoff at blogging hysteria, but look on the bright side - we're laughing WITH you, right? We'll be tuning in to your show to see what comes next.
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