Parks and Recreation returns as 30 Rock shines

This semester is killing me, much like the cold, possibly flu I currently have. So, I haven't had the time to update this blog, sadly.

However, this week for the BG News, I reviewed episode one of what is currently the funniest show on television, "Parks and Recreation." Words cannot adequately express my happiness now that the show is back on the air.

So, check out my review of "Parks and Rec" at BGNews.com.

Not only was last week's season premiere funny, but "the Flu," last night's episode, also delivered, largely thanks to Aubrey Plaza's April and Rashida Jones' Ann's hilarious hospital beside exchanges. Everyone, do yourselves a favor, please watch this show. If you watched season one and didn't find it funny, forget about that opinoin you formed and come in with an open mind, becasuse the show has become amazing.

Also, "30 Rock" was quite hilarious last night, mainly for making fun of the Jack/Liz shippers, even if this hilarious scene got the annoying OneRepublic song in my head.



My personal favorite joke? Upon the success of the NBC telethon for Mel Gibson and Jon Gosselin's private island, according to Jack, "It was our highest rating since that episode of 'SVU' when the detectives watched 'American Idol,'" which I took to be a blatant jab at the "Office" episode from November which revolved around a viewing party for "Glee."

This network. I think the Jan. 14 episode of "SNL" summarized it best:

James Van Der Beek, Joshua Jackson use Dawson's Creek fame for humor

I like seeing people in the public eye becoming Internet savvy, realizing they can use it to help their careers, poke fun at themselves and connect with fans.

For those of us who grew up in the late '90s, even if we didn't watch the show, we were all familiar with "Dawson's Creek" and Katie Holmes' Joey Potter and her love triangle with Pacey Whitter (Joshua Jackson) and Dawson Leery (James Van Der Beek). One season three episode of the show yielded an emotional reaction from Dawson that lived in infamy on the Internet, "crying Dawson." For years, Internet users have been using the awkward cry to feign sadness and express sarcasm.



This week Van Der Beek partnered with FunnyOrDie.com to create James Van Der Memes, a website which recognizes the permeation of "crying Dawson" online by allowing Van Der Beek to create a series of new emotion-filled animated gifs. My personal favorite, "No You Didn't":



Similarly, at last year's ComiCon, Jackson took a break from promoting his Fox show "Fringe" to hold his own "Pacey-Con" to celebrate his character, complete with Pacey fan fiction Jackson wrote:

Pacey-Con with Joshua Jackson from Joshua Jackson

Sure, these acts could be seen as pandering to the Internet and past fans in order to resurrect popularity (especially in Van Der Beek's case, since his last show, "Mercy," did not make it past season one). But I think it's funny that these two former co-stars are using their breakout roles and dumb Internet jokes to acknowledge their fans. With Van Der Beek, he's laughing at his own awkward acting moment, and as someone who collects gifs, his myriad of new expressions are quite nice additions to my collection.

Fall in love with Misfits this holiday season

You can watch Misfits here on YouTube, no fuss. Or via SideReel links. There. You have absolutely no excuse not to watch this show.

A couple weeks ago, I blogged about the brilliance that is Misfits, the British dramedy about a group of kids in a community service program who are suddenly given supernatural powers. The synopsis of the show sadly underscores how entertaining and fascinating the show is, so please do not judge the show based on the synopsis alone.

Well, since I blogged about it, the show only became more brilliant. I don't want to give too much away, but the second season of the show made the show even more addicting. New characters and character pairings were created and embraced by the show's fans. Episodes that are filler are still jarringly gut-wrenching (literally - I warn you now, while season 2, episode 6 is great, don't eat or drink anything while watching it) and emotionally affect the viewer. I don't like to waste time when I'm watching TV - I like plot forwarding episodes. But if an episode that doesn't really forward the plot can still be good, that's the sign of a great TV show in my eyes.

I realize I'm being really obtuse in my descriptions, but I don't want to inadvertently give anything away. Being surprised is half of the fun.

I liked to places to watch the episodes above. There's only six episodes in season one and seven in season two, so it's not a major time commitment. I'm not exaggerating when I say that I have never heard of someone who watched the show and didn't like it. It's charming, fascinating and addicting.

TV addicts, make a wise decision during the holidays and watch Misfits. Plus, when it's inevitably poorly remade for American television in a few years, you can say you knew about it before anyone else.

Do yourself a favor, stay 'streets ahead' and watch Community

Back during season premiere time, I wrote about how Community started the season off on a high note. While this season has been far from perfect, I still find myself enjoying the show, and Thursday's Christmas episode was genius.

As shown above, the entire episode was filmed as stop-motion animation, which could have been a cheap gag, but instead, established a high point for the show. Now, for the most part, I kind of hate Christmas. I'm not saying that in an attempt to be an ironic grinch, I just find other times of the year more enjoyable, and in recent years, I've become jaded by it. So, I was awfully surprised by how moved I was by this episode.

Abed, everyone's favorite television obsessed oddball, wakes up one day with his entire world in stop motion, and the study group tries to get him out of his funk. What follows is an episode that both satirizes and embodies holiday television traditions in a funny and sweet way. I'm not entirely sure how much of the episode's dialogue and events were real, or figments of Abed's imagination and worldview, but it was a fun ride that also put me into the Christmas spirit, which is a pretty remarkable feat. Plus, I have to love any show that manages to work the phrase "wash your dupa" into the plot (as a Polish person who hears her grandma, excuse me, Busia, say the word "dupa" all too often, I was cracking up).

Please, do yourself a favor and watch "Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas." Community is one of those shows where it's fairly episodic, and you can watch any episode and understand what's going on. I'd like to also recommend 4 other episodes that showcase the show at its finest:

Modern Warfare (season one): As the title suggests, this episode involves war. A paintball game, more specifically, a campus-wide game for early class registration. It turns into an all-out blood bath straight out of a video game, complete with jabs at Glee.

Contemporary American Poultry (season one): The Godfather (and other mob movies), revolving around chicken nuggets. Need I say more?

Anthropology 101 (season two): Here's how good this episode is: Betty White is the weakest link.

Basic Rocket Science (season two): This was another episode that was so outrageous it was funny. I think what sold me on the episode was the KFC product placement. I can't help but laugh and smile at a great Colonel Sanders joke/reference:

Why am I here? Why do I watch shows like SNL?

Those of us who watch TV on a regular basis have probably found themselves asking why they are watching something that is terrible.

I'm not talking about "guilty pleasure" terrible, where something is enjoyable, even though it is lowbrow. I'm talking about deliberately sitting down to watch a show week after week, even though it consistently disappoints, out of sheer loyalty, a desire to not miss a potential great moment, or some other reason. While this semester has left me unable to follow as many television shows as I'd like, I still have this relationship with Saturday Night Live.

Rarely can I say that I enjoy a full episode of SNL, where I can recall sketches, recall laughing at them and find more hits than misses. Most weeks, SNL is filled with painfully unfunny skits that drag on far too long with only the occasional chuckle, which is how this season has been for me. Last night's episode, hosted by Anne Hathaway, was probably tied with the Amy Poehler-hosted season premiere for the best episode of this season, but sadly, that's not saying much.

Yet, every single week, I sit down, put aside whatever I'm doing, open up the ONTD discussion posts for the episode, and sit complaining (or occasionally expressing amusement) at the episode with fellow commenters. I usually don't enjoy the episodes enough to warrant spending 90 minutes watching them in real time.

So why do I do it? Well, the aforementioned discussion posts are a big reason. They help me get excited about the episodes, even though I'm eventually disappointed by them. As ONTD user "whop__dedooo" (that's a perfect username given the discussion) said, "the formula for our snl posts is pretty much: soo excitied --> ehh this skit is boring --> the writers dont know what to do with them ---> why did i watch again." I'd like to add a fifth step: "Oh yeah, I watch because it's better than homework."

For me, even the most painfully unfunny episode is better than toiling away on a Word document for hours and hours on a paper I care little about. It's a chance to complain about something other than my procrastination and my schoolwork. It can also assure I don't miss a potentially funny moment (I still remember watching "Dick In A Box" live, thinking it would be a hit, and going online immediately after the episode to be proven correct). But mainly, it's a chance to procrastinate, quality or not.


Does anyone else have similar relationships with shows?

Misfits is one of British television's finest

The above image explains exactly why Misfits, a sci-fi dramedy airing on Channel 4 in the UK, is so engaging and addicting.

The show centers around a group of young delinquents who are performing community service in London. During an electrical storm, the group is given superhuman powers and must deal with the outrageous fallout that results (it sounds familiar, yes, but unlike Heroes, it doesn't take itself too seriously). I would give the rundown of their powers, but I think it's more fun to discover them as the episodes unfold, because it creates a sense of suspense and intrigue. These characters are not the only ones who are affected by the storm, and, without giving too much away, as the above gif hints at, at least one of their probation workers ends up dead, and the gang has to work to cover up the death.

The fist six-episode season aired last fall/winter in the UK, and season two began on Thursday, and it came back with a solid episode that reminded me exactly why I enjoyed the first season. I'm not normally a fan of sci-fi shows, but I love this. I think my love partially stems from the fact that it's not simply a sci-fi show. The mythology of why the characters got their powers is fairly secondary to their subsequent dealings with them.

There are numerous moments of hilarity from the sharp-tongue characters, especially Kelly and Nathan. There is high drama from start to finish. Simon (otherwise known as Barry) is a character that is just so down on his luck, you can't help but feel sympathy for him. There's plenty of violence and sex, suspense twists and turns. And the second episode is incredibly heartbreaking. The show does a fantastic job of running its audience through the emotional gamut.

I realize my synopsis may be vague, but I have a feeling that the majority of regular readers have never even heard of the show, and I don't want to give much away. I began watching the show fairly blindly, and I'm glad I did. It made the experience so much more rewarding.

With Dexter falling short of its previous season, my own schedule preventing me from watching Chuck and Breaking Bad off the air until July (yes, I know AMC's Walking Dead is supposed to be great; I have not had time to watch it yet), Misfits is providing me with my drama fix. It won the prestigious 2010 BAFTA Television Award for Best Drama Series for a reason.

For those of you who are in the UK, or have an IP proxy, Channel 4 has each episode on their website. How I wish I could recommend NinjaVideo to everyone as a means to watch the episodes in high-quality. Since that's no longer possible, I'll recommend Sidereel to get the links (MegaVideo is my source now, but zshare and wisevid are good, too, if possible).

Anyone else familiar with Misfits?

Conan O'Brien returns to television

Once I see a few more episodes of Conan O'Brien's new show, I'll be able to critically evaluate it, with more coherent language and maybe a little criticism (hopefully, not much). In the meantime, I am giddy knowing that I cracked up many times during his show tonight. Of course, if my brain explodes due to the amazing pairing of Tom Hanks and Jack McBrayer, it'll be a bit difficult to update.

Anyway, it's just so nice to see Conan back on television. I missed his interactions with Andy, I missed his rapport with guests, and I miss him singing! His performance tonight with Jack White had me dancing in my seat like a crazy person (in other words, thank God I was watching it alone in my room, because that would have been too embarrassing for anyone to see). I remember the euphoric high I had in May after seeing Conan at Michigan State University; just being reminded of how amazingly funny and how big of a smile he brought to my face. I have that same high again, and it's nice to know that my exposure to him won't be limited to that one tour date, but now, he'll be on my TV four nights a week.

I think the highlight was, no doubt, the Halloween mask, even if it will likely haunt my dreams:


(via jenpero on LiveJournal)

I think David Sims of the AV Club gave a really well-stated review of the episode. I would highly recommend reading it.

So, what did everyone else think? Overall, I think his "Tonight Show" opener was more entertaining, but that show was so good, it would be difficult to top it. This was certainly a fun show. List your likes/dislikes in the comments!

Big Love set to end in 2011 ... good riddance?

Thursday, HBO announced that the fifth season of Big Love, beginning Sunday, Jan. 16, will be its last.

I used to be a fan of Big Love in its first and second season (I'm one of the only people who did not really enjoy season three, minus the amazing "Come Ye Saints" episode), in which the Henrickson/Grant/Heffman family faced the extensive issues that come along with hiding their polygamist family from society, and attempting to deal with a traditional polygamist compound.

And then, suddenly, I found myself reacting like this when watching it:


It became just so complicated; too many characters were in play, and Bill Paxton's character, Bill Henrickson, became more unlikable than Michael Scott. Big Love was good at making us love to hate characters (Daveigh Chase's Rhonda still makes my blood boil when I think about her), but with Bill, they simply ruined him.

In terms of increasing the show's quality, ending the show may be the best option. Hopefully, they'll use their remaining episodes to leave the show with a good legacy. Actually, I hope Bill dies or the wives leave him.

Anyway, Big Love, along with Entourage (also ending next year), needed to end. I'll add the Office to that list as well. Anyone else have shows that they only watch out of habit, because they're still on TV? Ones that you don't really enjoy? Leave a comment.

30 Rock listens to Bill O'Reilly and does it live, Will Arnett remains a god

(Context for this is below.)

I have been neglecting this blog, but not by choice. School and the "real world" have completely taken over my life, sadly.

So, here's a quick update:

30 Rock took a cue from their fellow Rainbow Room tenants and performed a live show Thursday, one version for the Eastern and one for the Pacific time zone. While it was not their funniest episode, it was a nice change of pace for the show. In recent seasons, the fact that 30 Rock is about a "show within a show," TGS with Tracy Jordan, is often overlooked for Liz and company's personal issues.

This episode was a fun reminder that TGS exists, that people have to worry about Tracy's antics, and that the Robot and Bear Talk Show should have happened. Now, if only Josh Girard could still be on the show ... oh well, at least Rachel Dratch was back. Her crazy characters are always welcome, especially when they have a Fonzie fetish like this one did (God, if only Henry Winkler could have made an appearance, that would have been fantastic). Chris Parnell's Dr. Leo Spaceman serenaded the audience in only a way Dr. Spaceman could. Both of these former SNL stars are incredibly underutilized in the world of comedy.

The episode also featured guest spots from Julia Louis-Dreyfus, playing Liz Lemon in "flashback" scenes that were impossible to stage life, along with Matt Damon (and Bill Hader as his co-pilot). And then there was Jon Hamm (pictured above), who complimented his hook hand with an executed inmate's hand or a horny middle-aged Josh Groban fan's hand, depending on which coast you live on. It was silly, but it was still worth a laugh.

For what it's worth, the biggest laughs, for me, came when TGS' Fox News sketch introduced Jenna's character simply as "Blonde," and, upon speaking about her birthday party in a disjointed way, Jack asking Liz, "Why are you speaking like a Persian immigrant?" Differences between the two episodes are here, and both versions of the episode can be found on Hulu.


In other news that no one will really care about, but I will share anyway, this happened:



Will Arnett replied to me on Twitter. I realize this isn't that big of a deal, it's not like we had a deep conversation or anything. But I like seeing "arnettwill @MacysDayMar" and not the other way around. I just think it's cool that someone I adore so much even took a second to acknowledge fans, especially when that fan is me. Anyone else have similar exciting Twitter moments?

It feels like 2006 all over - The Office is hilarious again

We have a shocking development:



It is so nice to be able to say that Thursday's episode of "the Office" was quite funny. I rarely say that these days, but there were some great moments throughout the episode.

The vocal inflection Steve Carell would put into Michael's voice when talking to Toby was genius, as were some of his facial expressions, such as when he rested his head on his folded fists and told Toby to "take two of these and call me in the morning" ... and by "these," he means two quick and hilarious flips of the bird. His saccharine smiles were killer. Plus, his "confessions," such as "I was sitting the other night, eating my penis. I mean, peas ... I was probed," were just pure Michael.

Dwight "was taking Mose to get his blood pressure taken at the Rite Aid." I don't really know why I found this line so funny, but I do. Only because I can't see Mose and Dwight going into a drugstore for ANYTHING. They probably create their own homemade Vicodin. Actually, Dwight's entire description of his so-called discrimination was hilarious (even if that scenario wasn't so great, it didn't bring the episode down).

The best moment? Dwight hiring Mose to make a day-care center in the Scranton Business Park. His decoration? AN INSANE CLOWN POSSE POSTER. For those of you who know me, I am amused and horrified by Juggalos, so this was just brilliant. I rarely laugh very loud, but I was cackling at that moment. That moment alone was better than anything in season six for me.

Pam's "Office Administrator" plot could backfire on her, but due to the messy bureaucracy in an office, it could very well work. Gabe is timid enough to let it go on, so long as he can feign ignorance if Jo were to find out.


It's strange, it was the weird nuances by the actors that made this show. The way Kelly did not hesitate in saying that she talks so much, she no longer listens to herself was genius. Sure, there were some great one-liners, but it was the simple things that made it work. I was worried Steve had "checked out" of being Michael Scott this season since he's leaving, but I think he delivered a great performance.

I sure hope they can keep up the momentum.