Eastbound & Down Please Go Away

So Danny McBride is back on "Eastbound & Down" sorry I'm a bit late but let's be honest this show fucking stinks.

I'm going to start off with a couple positives:

Katy Mixon looks like she lost 3 pounds, perhaps she rocked the elliptical with zero resistance once a week for a couple months.

They play a Black Keys song in the beginning of the first episode. (Which I am watching as I write this)

I'm pretty sure this season will remain in the United States which means there will be a lot less room for cheap, quasi racist, phoned in jokes based around Kenny Powers just BEING in Mexico.

That's all I can think of right now so far, granted I haven't even finished the first episode. The part about "Eastbound & Down" that kills me is that it was so great in the first season. Perhaps I am recalling the show with rose colored glasses but I remember powering through the first season in a weekend and loving every minute of it. I also remember suffering through the second season and contemplating canceling my HBO subscription. It was as if the writers gave up, realizing they would make enough money on chubby college kids buying goofy t shirts and the show would stay afloat based entirely on poorly constructed catch phrases.

This season seems like it will be even worse than season two. The jury is still out as I have 2.5 episodes to watch.

Oh yeah I forgot to mention Kenny is now playing on a team in Myrtle Beach South Carolina and Jason Sudeikis is on the team with a hacky Southern accent. I'm shuddering as I write this.

The thing about this foolish show that kills me the most is the fact that it survived when so many other great shows did not. The episode is concluding right now with Danny McBride and Katy Mixon fighting a redneck couple at a mini-golf course.

I have zero hope for this series but I guarantee it wont be cancelled for at least two more seasons.

ANK

Parks and Recreation featuring Louis C.K.

So I have been on board with "Parks and Recreation" this entire season and have been loving it so far. I am very late to the party as this is their fourth season and the show seems to just continue to do well. It has a loyal following and a number of award nominations and I generally laugh out loud at least once every time I watch, which is big for me. Their most recent episode featured a cameo from Louis C.K. who is without question one of the funniest comedians performing currently. Needless to say I was very excited when I turned on my DVR-ed episode this morning and saw his face. I anticipated a hilarious episode and sadly I was let down.

Louis C.K. is a phenomenal comedian and a decent actor in his roles on "Louie" and "Lucky Louie" (when playing himself). However this latest "Parks and Recreation" episode missed the mark big time. I found Louis' character to be flat and unbelievable and it was really hard developing any sort of feeling about him either positive or negative. The entire episode dragged to the point where I just cooked my breakfast and stopped paying attention.

My theory here is that as of late NBC has been going out of their way to be the edgy network TV station. CBS has their formulaic cop shows and fucking Sheenless "Two and a Half Men", ABC has the now vomit inducing fallen from grace "Modern Family", "The Bachelor", and now "The River" which I shut off, and NBC wants to make people believe that they're like FX or even HBO and get some cool young hip viewers. In the past year NBC has debuted the pathetically edgeless "Whitney", "Chelsea Lately", "Two Broke Girls" and now this most recent episode of a show that works and works well but just totally bombed with the edgiest comedian around. Louis C.K. toned down, out from behind the mic, and molded into an NBC character isn't funny and never will be. I can imagine him trying to ad-lib lines about his cock and NBC executives getting really nervous and begging him to stick to the script. It's tragic that the episode didn't work because I truly love the show but this one just missed.

A few other things I didn't like about the latest episode of "Parks and Recreation"

1. Aziz Ansari's singing/annoying baby talk voice/general attitude (in this episode and the last one)

2. Adam Scott acting like a total pussy

3. Not enough Ron

4. Rashida Jones getting work because she's Quincy Jones' daughter

ANK

Netflix is Making Moves

Netflix hasn't had the greatest year in terms of subscriber loss due to their plan to charge a separate fee for streaming video and DVDs. So I guess it makes sense for them to do two of the awesomest things I've heard in a long time.

1. "Lilyhammer": The new Netflix Streaming exclusive show starring Steven Van Zandt. Steven was on Howard Stern today promoting "Lilyhammer" which premiers on Netflix next week. In the show Steven will reprise his role as a mafia hit man (not Sil) who has been placed in the witness protection program. After watching the trailer I learned that Steven's character on the show requests to be placed in Lillehammer which is a town in Norway and home to the '94 Winter Olympics. As you can imagine it seems to be a terrific fish out of water story and should be entertaining as hell. I'm a huge fan of Steven's, he was one of my favorite characters on the Sopranos, and I cannot wait to check out his performance in his own vehicle on February 6th. I am also very curious to see how well received it is due to it being Netflix' first original program. Watch the trailer with the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfRgVbp9gSY

2. Arrested Development: I couldn't possibly be happier about this. Netflix has picked up the rights to stream the new season of "Arrested Development" for it's triumphant return in 2013. The entire original cast is back and it's going to be amazing. The show was cancelled back in 2006 after 3 seasons. It is one of those shows that just crushed fans when it was cancelled and the fact that it is returning is just outstanding. I am just learning of this today but will anxiously await the new episodes when they premier. Here's a link to an article in the Chicago Tribune from today about it:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/sns-rt-us-arresteddevelopmenttre80u1lg-20120131,0,902553.story

ANK

We don't need an Office spinoff.

I read the news online yesterday that NBC is in talks with Rainn Wilson aka Dwight Schrute from "The Office" about developing a spinoff based around Dwight and his beet farm Schrute Farms. Needless to say I was displeased as I am a rampant cynic and loathe cheesy network attempts to revive dead plot lines and characters.

The show is projected to air midseason 2013, and Paul Lieberstein aka Toby (also from "The Office") is involved in development and I imagine it'll be a steaming pile of horse shit. I'm sure it will have the worst promos known to man featuring Rainn with his big goofy head that makes me want to crack it open with a hammer. If you fail to share these feelings with me watch "The Rocker" and you will be on the same page.

There's no deal inked yet and the show is not a guarantee but if it does get made I envision it testing well because most people have horrible taste when it comes to television. The things that irks me the most about this spinoff idea is that "The Office" has clearly jumped the shark, James Spader is ok at best, and the show has really not been funny since Michael Scott (Steve Carell) left. So why the hell is NBC not working to make "The Office" funny again? It's also projected that "The Office" will in fact be returning next year for another laugh-less season. Perhaps we'll really luck out and Pam and Jim will have another quirky fucking kid.

I am a James Spader supporter, and I do find his character amusing, but the kind of role I expect him to play is his role in the movie "Crash" (the original nothing to do with the Oscar winner) starring Holly Hunter. It's a movie about people who have a strange sexual fetish that involves having sex near the scene of fatal car accidents. The concept is fucked, the cast is cool, the movie is way under the radar, and it's awesome. That's the kind of Spader I am interested in. His role as Robert California on "The Office" just doesn't make sense, kind of like Kathy Bates didn't make sense with her hacky Southern accent and her stupid dogs. They've both been stand-ins with about as much permanence as a henna tattoo.

I feel like NBC has some great shows "Parks and Recreation" uhhhh yeah that's kind of it. (I also secretly like "The Voice") Take a look at NBC's roster and tell me if you actually enjoy any of these garbage shows.

http://www.nbc.com/shows/

List of ways NBC could make "The Office" funny again.

1. Jim kills Pam and then himself.

2. Michael Scott comes back but every episode is based around his improv class and he writes, directs, and stars in "Threat Level Midnight II".

3. Kevin narrates every episode.

4. Creed becomes the boss and gets his own spinoff called "Creedence".

5. Ryan and Kelly become the main focus of the show and Kelly gets pregnant.

6. Todd Packer (David Koechner) is in every single episode drinking heavily.

ANK

House of Lies: Episode 3 Review

Another Sunday night of Showtime, another delivery of awesomeness from House of Lies.  I knew I would like this show because I never got tired of the "Big Balls" promo that ran all through fall and mid-winter during Dexter and Homeland.  Thankfully, it has yet to disappoint.

This episode brought a nice twist into the mix, with Greg Norbert reemerging at Galweather & Stearn with the shitastic news that they were buying the firm and privatizing their consulting.  Basically, he wanted to throw a gigantic middle finger into Marty's face for the events of episode 1.  You know: Marty meets stripper, brings stripper to business dinner, stripper pleasures client's wife in bathroom, chaos to follow.  As intriguing as their character dynamic may be, I think I'll get sick of Norbert very quick if he keeps trying to outsmart the great white shark that is Marty Kaan.

I absolutely love Marty's sidekicks, Doug and Clyde.  Their friend/relationship is hilarious and it's fun to see everyone ride Doug's ass about being such a square.  Jeannie (Bell) is a solid female counter to Marty, but she has yet to pull me in.  And I'm still waiting on that lingerie, ass-shaking scene from all the promos, cause those gave me half a chub.

One thing I really dig about this show is it's consistent story arc; funnyfunnyfunny until the final moments, which give us more dramatic insight into Marty and what he thinks about himself and his career.  With the threat of Galweather's board partnering with MetroCaptial, Marty's job is in jeopardy due to his destructive nature and closing tactics.  Skip and Marty's conversation on the balcony made it clear that Norbert wants Marty gone and Skip seems to want to do little to prevent that.  The shot of Marty's face as he speeds along in the stolen car was telling of how unstable he is.

I could literally gush for hours about Lies, it's an amazing show with an interesting and new concept, as well as some unique cinematography (though nothing will ever beat Breaking Bad's).  Nevertheless, Showtime continually knocks it out of the park.

Score: 10 out of 10

Are You Havin A Go?

This is my first article in a little while. I would say that I have been busy but that just doesnt sound right, lets keep going with 'Im really lazy'. I've actually been seeing alot of movies recently, to the point where I'm dangerously close to seeing Red Tails because ive seen everything else. I'm clearly losing my mind. Also if you would be interested in reading my thoughts on movies that I see, let me know and I may make your dreams a reality. I'd like to start by addressing the huge cliffhangers from the end of my last article that I'm sure havent left your thoughts for more than a moment these past weeks:

Am I an Archer guy? (Do I watch the show Archer?) The answer is yes. I didnt like this show at first because I thought the animation style was weird and I kind of just wrote it off. I've only seen 2 or 3 episodes now but the show is very watchable and witty and has some great voice talents. Watch it

Does Sliders hold up? No. It fucking stinks.

Recently I decided to take the month off Netflix because I didnt feel like paying for it and I watch it too much anyway. My television sickness then led me to Hulu where I happened upon Peep Show, a charming british series that is currently in its seventh season. It is a low budget comedy about two flatmates (British for roommates) bumbling through their lives. There is Mark (the straight man) and Jeremy (the wildcard). Both great characters and great actors playing them. I'm watching the 3rd episode of Season 1 as i type this. Mark just showed up to a party with a bag full of beers and is drinking by himself on the couch, watching Jeremy hit on chicks. He thinks his best chance at getting laid is if the girl Jeremy brings home accidentally walks into his room after using the bathroom. I'm only 3 episodes in and it just seems to be a show about these 2 getting into situations but I really like it. In between the dialogue, Mark and Jeremys thoughts can be heard. When this happens it is always very funny, personal, helps make them real and is not forced. It is what makes the show. The humor (humour?) is ridiculously dry and the story lines are simple and funny. I recommend you give it a shot if any of this sounds good to you. I love discovering a new show that has several seasons in the can, I have hours of this show to power through at my leisure. Ill write more when I have seen more, but this show is the real deal.

Another show I recently watched was another British entry: Life's Too Short, from Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, who created the original The Office and also Extras. Both amazing in my opinion, I had high hopes for this new show. The show is VERY british with a nice, simple pun of a title. The show features the actor Warwick Davis playing a version of himself that is basically a miniature David Brent from the Office. Delusional, pompous, desperately trying to look cool but failing at every turn. Whereas David Brent was all these things and somehow managed to be lovable, Warwick Davis just kind of annoyed me. He had some good moments here and there and is clearly not afraid of a good pratfall or cheap height joke, but this didnt need to be a series. Gervais and Merchant pop by once an episode playing versions of themselves that share not only an office but a desk, and appear to do nothing but entertain the notions of their clients who they cant stand. I expected more from this show. I can only recommend this to people who like 'cringe humor' type shows like The Office UK or Curb Your Enthusiasm, but with this show the cringe element is taken too far at times and just isnt funny or surprising. Like their other show Extras, this show is celebrity-cameo heavy. These cameos are probably the best sections of the show, Liam Neeson's attempt at stand up comedy was legendary.

Alright thats all for now. Thanks for reading, see you out there. Cliffhanger: Am I the new lead writer on Franklin & Bash?

House of Lies: Episode 2 Review

Another Sunday, another great episode of House of Lies.  I was a little skeptical after the series premiere, wondering if all the fourth wall, consulting jargon, lavishly over-the-top antics of the show would hold water, but here we are at episode two and I am hooked.  Marty and his team of associates are truly what holds this show together; they're relentless back and forth banter is hysterical and natural.  My two favorites are Doug (Josh Lawson) and Clyde (Ben Schwartz); Doug is painfully but hilariously awkward while Clyde is surprisingly suave and sharp.  Schwartz brings mannerisms to his character that could definitely draw comparisons to Andrew Garfield's portrayal of Eduardo Saverin in The Social Network.

The episode brought us Marty's team heading down to Phoenix, consulting with the divided (and married) owners of a basketball team.  While it was fun to watch them go to work with bringing the organization and its money back together, by far the best scene was Doug's interaction with Cat Deeley, of So You Think You Can Dance fame.  The whole segment culminated with his missed opportunity to get her number, while simultaneously filling his underpants with some not-so-lovely juice.  Women: 1, Doug: 0.

While the show primarily covers humor, the final scene brought in some serious drama with Marty's son, who's more than a little confused about his gender, asking him what a fudge-packer is.  Being bullied is a common issue in today's schools, it was interesting to see the show bring in some real world elements to its standard fiction.  How, as a parent, do you handle that question?  It will be intriguing to see how Marty deals with it, as he clearly loves his son unconditionally, but the same cannot be said for his devilish ex-wife, Monica.

All in all, this show is really shaping up to be another Showtime powerhouse, right in place with Homeland.  Next week's episode is sure to please, catch it Sunday at 10 after Shameless.

Score: 9 out of 10

Southland Premier

So I was out the other night and I happened to bump into a fan of TV Guys and he gave me some fantastic and constructive criticism for the blog; apparently I've been a bit negative as of late and the people would like to hear about a show I enjoy and that they may not have heard of. So today I write about a show that premiers tonight that I have loved since the beginning. "Southland's" 4th season premiers tonight on TNT at 10 pm and here's why you need to tune in if you aren't already planning on doing so.

"Southland" premiered in the spring of 2009 to large viewership on NBC and made it through its entire first season successfully developing a large fan base. NBC execs decided to pick up "Southland" for a second 13 episode season to premier in the fall of 2010. After they began production of the first few episodes (6 in fact), NBC previewed them and decided that they were far too "gritty" for the 9pm Thursday time slot and that"Southland" no longer had a place in the NBC family. This was in my humble opinion a horrible move. Long story short soon after the NBC cancellation TNT began negotiations to grab this show and that's where it airs now and it's great.

"Southland" is the story of a group of Los Angeles police officers on the job and it plays out almost like the "reality" show "COPS". A lot of hand-held camera, bleeped out profanity, and tons and tons of action. I give "Southland" two thumbs up.

It has an interesting cast made up of the likes of Ryan from "The O.C." (ugh) aka Ben McKenzie who is actually one of the best characters, C. Thomas Howell (my personal favorite), Regina King, and Shawn Hatosy (who seems to be getting all kinds of work).

The show is fast paced, action packed, and thrilling, and you find yourself lost in each episode invested in what actually happens to the characters, not just in the line of duty but in their personal lives as well. One character has a serious drug problem, one has issues with his marriage, and the list goes on and on.

If you're a fan don't forget to tune in to "Southland" tonight at 10 pm on TNT, if you're not set your DVR and give this show a chance because it's awesome.

Here are a couple reasons why "Southland" beats the shit out of SVU/CSI procedural type cop shows.

1. Every episode is completely different without formula.

2. The characters aren't douche bags.

3. The dialogue is realistic.

4. There are always multiple intertwining plot lines and not just an entire police force unrealistically trudging the path of the same boring case looking for semen.

ANK

Are you there, Chelsea? It's me cancelled.

What a fucking abomination this show is. I took in the pilot episode Thursday night and if this show doesn't get cancelled mid season I will shave my eyebrows off and eat nothing but Burger King for a decade.

Chelsea Handler's schtick has run its course. We get it, you're quirky and opinionated and a bit crass, that doesn't translate to a funny sitcom. I must say this is the worst piece of shit I have seen on television this year. But like I said to Scott the other day I'm going down with the ship, I plan on taking in every single episode.

The show stars Laura Prepon from "That 70's Show" as Chelsea and Chelsea plays Laura's sister Sloan. The premise is absurd, the characters are awful, and the jokes are all completely mailed in. I'd love to be a fly on a wall during a table read for this show. I bet it's just a group of smarmy assholes chuckling at their own cynicism.

Here's a list of my main complaints about "Are you there, Chelsea?"

1. Lenny Clark: (who I have seen live and love as a standup) plays Laura Prepon's father. Thought Lenny was phenomenal on "Rescue Me", he was funnier when he was fat, but he's great even without the weight. My complaint is that his ridiculously thick accent makes him unbelievable as Laura's father. Lenny Clark is Boston, his accent makes it hard to really take him seriously on the show and it's all I can think about whenever he's in any scene.

2. NBC: feeling the need to shove Laura Prepon into the show to make it more marketable. I'm 28 years old, I am right in the meat of the key demographic for this show and I get that seeing a person my age as the main cast member might make this show more relatable to me. I however do not believe that it's necessary. Chelsea Handler has her moments she's clever enough, not my favorite but she is hardly (as of the pilot) the focus of the show at all. I don't think Laura Prepon is funny and in my opinion she hasn't really found anything that was a great fit for her beyond "Slackers" and "That 70's Show".

3. The token little person: I feel like this guy is going to be a big part of the show and I find it upsetting. The guy's name is Mark Povinelli, he gets work all over Hollywood from "Modern Family" to "Boardwalk Empire" and now he's part of the NBC family. Already in the pilot episode "Are you there, Chelsea?" has managed to make a mockery of the fact that he is vertically challenged and not even in a clever way. I foresee Mark's character being awful and all the jokes based around him being equally awful. Cheap short jokes aren't funny.

4. The quirky Whitney Cummings/Chelsea Handler NBC promos that are all over the place: I love Whitney Cummings I think she's funny, sexy, and a smart business woman when it comes to making the right career moves in Hollywood, but I look forward to these promos going away. I think both of their shows stink and have lousy casts and for some reason "Whitney" is succeeding (I credit Chris D'Elia). Perhaps it's because schmucks like me watch the show even though they don't enjoy it.

My prediction is that "Are you there Chelsea?" will not make it. I could be wrong, but I don't think I am.

ANK

Shameless Season Premiere Review

Shameless was definitely up there for me as pleasant surprises from last year (next to Game of Thrones of course).  I knew William H. Macy would be genius, but had my reservations about Jason Chatwin and Emmy Rossum, especially after sitting through the likes of Dragonball: Evolution.

But Season 1 was nothing short of amazing.  It was dark, it was downright hilarious, and absolutely unethical.  When it ended, I could not wait for the next season to come and finally, that day arrived.

Season 2 picks up in the summer, so a few months after the finale of Season 1.  Steve is gone (for now); Fiona is working with Veronica; Kevin and Lip are growing and selling weed; Ian is still trying to find himself; Debbie and Karl are maturing; lastly, Sheila is actually walking outside.  The characters we fell in love with are still themselves, except you can see the tiny changes in their characters from last season.  (I was a little sad to see Jane Levy permanently jump ship to ABC's Suburgatory, I figure the character of Mandy will be slowly written out using this new replacement, Emma Greenwell.)

Frank was getting into his usual drunken shit: stealing baby Liam to beg for change, then letting him get held for ransom by thugs that he lost a bet to in The Alibi.  One of my favorite things is seeing Frank go on rants at the bar to no one in particular, as Kevin just silently refills his pints without listening.  Macy nails the alcoholic father routine very well, the guy deserves an Emmy.  Speaking of Emmy's, Rossum is amazingly hot.  She's got the Plain Jane, girl-next-door-look down to a T and works it.  But, call me sappy, I want Steve back in her life.  The two of them together is both toxic and funny; they make each other happy and crazy at the same time.  I'm excited for whenever he comes back from Costa Rica to sweep her off her feet again.

And will someone please run Tony out of town?  His whole obsessive love for Fiona thing ran its course last season, and now it's just sad.  Check out Shameless on Showtime, Sundays at 9.  I'll be reviewing it all season, so stay tuned.

House of Lies = House of Fun

Last night was a great night for Showtime, with Shameless premiering for its sophomore season and the series premiere of House of Lies.  I will touch on Shameless later, but for now let's talk about House of Lies.

Starring Don Cheadle as managing consultant Marty Kaan, the show follows him and his team as they swindle big corporations into paying them ridiculous amount of money for work they "don't even need."  It brings to mind the idea of the 1% sticking it to the 1%, gleefully taking money and cutting throats along the way.

One thing I really like about the show is Kaan breaking the fourth wall; for those unfamiliar with the term, it means making direct contact with the audience.  At many points in the show, the frame would freeze while Kaan explained his motives or thoughts to viewers (think Dexter, but less overkill and stupidity).  Personally, I know next to nothing about business management and consulting, so it's nice to see the show take the time to explain the little things in order to simplify the dialogue and plot.  Sometimes, the cuts themselves were a little jarring, but I think we can chalk that up to it being a pilot episode.

The cast itself is great: Cheadle is masterful as the clever, funny and troubled Kaan.  I like Kristen Bell when she's full of confidence, which she has miles of playing Jeannie, the engagement manager.  The team is rounded out by two associates, played by Ben Schwartz and Josh Lawson, who provide excellent side commentary and compliment the intense personalities of Marty and Jeannie.

The premiere was hilarious and provided great insight to the show's potential.  I definitely look forward to more episodes.  It's very nice to have Sunday Shows back after the likes of Dexter, Homeland and Boardwalk Empire ended last month.  Look for House of Lies, airing Sundays at 10 on Showtime, as well as reviews by yours truly.

Californication is back

Words cannot express how much I have enjoyed "Californication" for the past four seasons. If that were truly the case why I'd be attempting to write a blog entry about it is beyond me.

I just watched the promo for the first time and from what I saw it appears that Hank Moody (David Duchovny) is back with a fucking vengeance. If you're a fan of the show you know all about how season 4 came to a close. I will spare the major details for those of you who have seen them and those who'd like to, but basically Hank got a probationary slap on the wrist after a statutory rape conviction. To explain that as quickly as possible; Hank is in a book store, he meets a girl played by Madeline Zima of "The Nanny" fame and sleeps with her as he so often does, turned out she was 17, yadda yadda yadda Hank got arrested, yadda yadda yadda there's a movie about it being made written by Hank with characters playing both Hank and Madeline (Mia on the show).

Season 5 episode 1 is entitled "JFK to LAX" and the promo conveys that Hank has spent his probation in New York and is returning to LA to resume being the coolest guy on the planet. There are a number of reasons that Hank Moody gives me a semi, he's an awesome writer who plays by his own rules, he smokes constantly, he's a babe magnet, and he rocks the shit out of black t-shirt in every episode.

Now a short list of things I don't like about "Califnorication" because being excessively positive makes my teeth sting:

1. Natascha McElhone the actress who plays Karen, Hank Moody's on again off again wife and mother to his daughter Becca (Madeleine Martin). I find her unsettling and I don't like the idea that Hank has a permanent place in his heart for her. Karen's portion of the story is rarely exciting and I feel this resonates throughout the entire show. Scenes she's in drag and her eyes are creepy and large like a Western Screech Owl. (I googled that)

2. Madeleine Martin the actress who plays Becca, Hank and Karen's daughter. In my opinion she was poorly cast, she never elevates any scenes, she's unnecessarily quirky, and everything she says and does feels forced. She's the type of person that would judge you based on your ipod play list while wearing a tattered Ramones t-shirt and pontificating about the days when music was good (before she was conceived).

3. Hank drives around for 3 seasons (I think its 3) with a broken headlight on his Porsche. I really don't understand why he wouldn't just get it fixed.

All in all "Californication" has solidified itself in my top 5 shows currently on television and it will stay there no matter what happens this season. I wish the show was 3 hours long and each season was 39 episodes. If you haven't checked it out you should certainly do so when it airs this Sunday night on Showtime at 10:30.

Here is my top five shows currently on television (to put it in order would stress me out)

1. Californication

2. Breaking Bad

3. Dexter

4. Curb Your Enthusiasm

5. Mad Men (very late to the party but already a huge fan, thanks Netflix)

ANK

The Increasingly Poor Viewing Decisions of Scott

Hello. I havent put up a new article in a bit but that doesnt mean I havent been hitting the television and hitting it hard. The past few weeks saw me storm through Life's Too Short (review coming) and Seasons 1&2 of The League. I always ignored The League because it is based around a fantasy football league and I'd rather be involved in a Fantasy R&B Vocalists League. But yes, the show is really funny and take a look at Ank's recent article for more reasons why.

Another show that just made its way to Netflix streaming is the IFC show 'The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret'. It is a show about a hapless underdog of a dude who is sent by his boss to sell a new energy drink in England and everything goes wrong. Doesn't sound amazing but alright, I'm on board. Its written and directed by/starring David Cross, who is normally hilarious in everything. On paper this is my favorite show ever. It's weird, set in England, doesn't have a laugh track and Will Arnett plays his boss. It was too good to be true. Since the first season was only 6 half-hour episodes I sat down and watched them all in a sitting the other night. The show fucking stinks. It has enjoyable moments here and there, but it gets worse as it goes instead of getting stronger and is really all over the place. I enjoyed the first two episodes, probably because his British sidecar is witty and both episodes ended with Todd Margaret pissing himself. I hoped thats how every episode would end. There is also a decent running gag about Todd pretending to have summered in Leeds as a child and thus has a slight Leeds accent. The show just kind of putters along and I found myself less and less invested and interested as it went. Every episode begins at the end, showing Todd Margaret in court facing a long list of charges for various serious crimes, and each time I saw this flash forward I more realized I didnt give a shit how he got in that scenario or what happened afterwards. Trust me, I love a good underdog but this just wasn't what I needed and by the end I was mostly doing other things and watching it in the background. I cant say watching it was a complete wash, but it was very forgettable and a huge letdown for me. The show returns for its second season on Jan 7 and I recommend you continue to be unaware of it.

Also in coming days I will post something about a show I enjoy because those exist too.Cliffhangers Until Next Time:-Am I an Archer guy?-Does Sliders hold up?

Should we do movie reviews?
This and more..

Louis Ck: Live at the Beacon

After watching Louis CK on Jimmy Fallon the other night I knew immediately I needed to stop procrastinating and download his new special "Live at the Beacon"

here's the clips from Jimmy Fallon

http://www.cinemablend.com/television/Late-Night-With-Jimmy-Fallon-Video-Louis-C-K-Talks-Years-White-House-His-Comedy-Special-38005.html

I was in subdued hysterics throughout Louis' appearance. It was truly refreshing to see someone who wasn't a bump on a log, blindly promoting some phoned in Uwe Boll movie or ghost written autobiography about their son with dyslexia. Granted Louis was promoting something but the way in which he promotes is so nonchalant and sarcastic it's as if he doesn't care (he probably doesn't) Louis cracked jokes about the very serious charities he raised money for with his special which got big laughs.

The concept behind "Live at the Beacon" is simple. Louis filmed the special independently, designed a bare bones website, connected it to pay pal, and wrote a note encouraging fans not to pirate it and to spend $5 to view it. With Louis' immense following from both his four time Emmy nominated show "Louie" on FX and his comedy career, this was an immediate success. So far the special has earned well over a million dollars and I have little doubt this is just the beginning.

I paid for and downloaded "Live at the Beacon" the other day and have it saved on my desktop where it will stay for a long time. Louis' standup is fantastic as always, but for me the most intriguing part is the concept. I love the fact that Louis made this special on his own and didn't charge people an exorbitant amount for it. I feel like in this day and age with torrents (which I use) SOPA, the high cost of itunes, and people's frustration with it all, this special couldn't have been more timely. Louis is a brilliant comedian, a gifted writer, and apparently a phenomenal business man.

Buy the special today and watch it, you will not be disappointed. Here's the link!

https://buy.louisck.net/

ANK

Football: No Longer Just For Jocks

I will preface this post by saying that if you know me at all you know that not only do I not follow any sports, but I am the last person that a show like "The League" would have been written for. When I heard about it back in the fall of 2009 I was doubtful that it would have legs of any kind. The cast is assembled of semi-recognizable D list actors and comedians who hadn't "set fire to the rain" quite yet. I gave the show a shot anyway because I watch everything and was pleasantly surprised. I've been a devout fan ever since and have even considered joining a fantasy football league and pretending I have a penis just to be more like the guys on the show.

Stephen Rannazzisi who plays Kevin on "The League" is my favorite character and really scored big with his role. Previously Stephen wasn't known for much of anything except his role in "Paul Blart Mall Cop" and being inside the World Trade Center during the 9/11 attacks. He's now the

anchor on the show and brings a different angle of comedy than the other cast members. His angle is the funny dynamic between him and his wife and daughter. I get a big kick out of Stephen's character Kevin and always anxiously await the interaction he has with his family. His timing and sarcasm are both weapons in "The League's" arsenal of good bits.

Paul Scheer is a comedian known for VH1 rockumentary type programs, "Reno 911", and originally the very funny "Upright Citizens Brigade". He definitely has a comedic television background and a decent body of work but "The League" is his best get yet in the business. Paul plays Andre on the show,

a metro-sexual and easily mocked plastic surgeon who gets a lot of guff from the other members of the league. He's one of my favorite characters because he takes a lot of hits and is always the butt of every joke. Andre as a character is easily likable for a number of reasons due to the sheer fact that he takes a beating and keeps coming back week after week. Whether they're making fun of his clothes, or his latest hobbies (urban foraging), or his demeanor, Paul Scheer is an integral part of "The League".

Nick Kroll is one of my other favorite cast members for a number of reasons. He's a hilarious standup comedian also from "Upright Citizens Brigade". Nick has had bit parts in a number of movies and TV shows over the years and even his own comedy special on Comedy Central (definitely a result of his hilarity on "The League"). Like his fellow cast members "The League" was a big get for Kroll. He plays Rodney Ruxin an attorney/asshole/husband to a smoking hot Hispanic woman, and probably my second favorite cast member. Kroll is a sarcastic, conniving and manipulative member in the fantasy league and will stop at nothing to win. Every scene he is involved in is humorous and one of my favorite episodes this year featured a Jeff Goldblum cameo as Ruxin's father. I don't think they could have cast a better father figure for Kroll and the episode itself was a laugh riot. The link below is to a sketch that's part of a series entitled "Oh Hello" that Kroll created with another comedian John Mulaney. Watch the clip, then watch the other clips, if you don't laugh you're dead inside.

http://vimeo.com/7118220

Mark Duplass plays Pete on the show and his character is probably the least outrageous but very necessary straight man in many scenarios. Pete is a divorced guy whose character is often meeting women and getting himself into interesting situations. Duplass has a pretty decent rap sheet in Hollywood with directing credits on the drama "Cyrus" starring Jonah Hill and John C. Reilly which I dug immensely, he also starred in the movie "Greenberg" with Ben Stiller which I stayed up until almost 2 the other night watching for the 2.5th time. Mark Duplass has less of a comedy background than his costars but he is funny in a different way.

John Lajoie is the most under the Hollywood radar cast member and he is the same way on "The League" playing the role of Kevin's strange brother Taco. John is a recording artist and comedian who began his career in the entertainment world in 2007. On the show he is ridiculous, unemployed, and always up to a new get rich quick scheme. Taco is probably my least favorite character. Throughout season two they ended almost every episode with a song performed by Taco and they were always cringe worthy. I'm pretty happy they got rid of that aspect of the show. Other than that Taco is OK and Lajoie will probably vanish quickly if the show is ever cancelled because he's really not that funny.

Katie Aselton plays the role of Kevin's wife and is "just one of the guys" in every way possible. She even plays in the league with them and is better than most of the men. The dynamic between Stephen and Katie might be the funniest aspect of the show, especially when their daughter is involved. I laugh almost every time they are all on screen together. Katie's life has been pretty interesting, she's younger than the other cast members born in 1978 she was Miss Teen USA in 1995 and has directed a couple movies that got into Sundance. Sounds like a good combo to me. I must admit the football knowledge is a bit of a turnoff for me and I like to think it's character research. Katie is an important part of the show and is always good for a laugh.

The League just wrapped up its third season last night on FX and I for one am excited about what's in store for next year. It's not exactly a cliffhanger kind of show and I'm really not worried about what will happen it's a nice break from shows like Dexter that are fast paced intense and emotionally taxing. The League has been picked up for a 4th season that begins in the fall and it should be interesting and lighthearted much like the previous 3. If you have yet to tune in to "The League" check it out.

ANK

Why Do Finales Suck?

It's the all time burning question: why do series finales never satisfy viewers?  The most obvious answer is because they're upset to see their favorite show move on and out of their lives.  It's comparable to when your number one candy is discontinued, or your top stripper quits to go home to her children.

Sometimes, the creators purposely leave the ending ambiguous, such as with The Sopranos and its loose-ended conclusion to a tumultuous series.  Other shows, like Oz provided their fans with somewhat of an open-ended closure to the show.  Then again, it's not like anyone in their right mind would release all the inmates at the end of the show and say "Fly little butterflies, fly!"  And even worse, with a genius show like Deadwood, the series is cancelled before the writers can give it a proper send off.

Then, there are shows like Lost.  Short disclaimer: I used to LOVE Lost.  I started watching very late into the series and had to play catch up before the final season aired.  I spent three months of my life, time that definitely should have been put towards academics, tearing through five seasons on Netflix Instant through a haze of smoke and lazy everydays.  Everyone knows the drill: first two or three seasons were amazing, season four was eh, season five was decent.  Then came the final season, or as I like to call it, "The Bane of The Island."

In a single two and half hour series finale, the writers of Lost destroyed everything they built up over six season.  Religion, really?  You develop and bring in awesome scientific and philosphical ideas and theories, then decimate them with fucking religion?  I could go on at length, but that's not the point of my rant.

My point is: why can't writers ever stick to their original formula and churn out a fantastic finale that brings the series to a close? Answers all the questions? Dots all the i's and crosses every t?  It's like they work so hard developing characters and plots and relationships, then refuse to care at the end and give up.  TV needs to revamp their stock of writers; the amount of piss poor television these days is nauseating.  I think it's time myself, Scott and Ryan wrote a show.  In fact, let's fucking do it.

Seriously HBO?

SERIOUSLY?

Scott informed me earlier of HBO's decision to axe three shows that I've grown quite fond of, "Bored to Death" "Hung" and "How to Make it in America". Needless to say as a big fan of all three I am a bit upset. I will say that I understand as a network executive for HBO if the ratings aren't there the ratings aren't there and you need to make a decision. But isn't there value in letting a show get it's legs before cancelling it and piling on a bunch of new shows? It's hard for me to be unbiased about HBO's decision here but ultimately they did give the shows a chance, not a single one of them was in its first season. Even so I am displeased.

Here's an excerpt from a Deadline Hollywood article,

"They will be joined by four new half-hour series: Armando Iannucci/Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Veep,Lena Dunham/Judd Apatow’s Girls, Ricky Gervais/Stephen Merchant’s Life’s Too Short, and Chris Lilley’s Angry Boys. HBO has two other comedies in the pipeline from auspices with strong track records at HBO — half-hour pilots 40, written byEntourage creator Doug Ellin and starring Ed Burns, and Viagra Diaries, penned by Sex And The City creator Darren Star and starring Goldie Hawn."

Personally I am a bit tired of anything Apatow but am willing to hold my tongue for his work with a television show. As evidenced by "Freaks and Geeks" "The Critic" and "The Larry Sanders Show" Apatow has chops.

As for another Doug Ellin vehicle I am totally on board. Met him in LA with my Dad and Brother he was about as cool as it gets. He actually told me when I chatted with him (he took the time to talk to me, very down to Earth) that he had a couple irons in the fire for when Entourage ended, this is clearly one of them. I know a lot of people have bad things to say about this season and the last few seasons of Entourage but I don't, I think it was awesome and the show was what it was. I must admit the series finale let me down big time but how the hell else were they supposed to tie that up? Fingers crossed Doug's new show isn't awful.

"Eastbound and Down" is coming back for whatever reason, pretty sure that show's entire cast and crew has been mailing it in since season one ended. I really look forward to the Kenny Power's fad ending. Something tells me that it wont based on the fact that there are way too many overweight, bud-lite swilling, fantasy football playing, nacho inhaling, retards that boost the ratings through the roof while wearing a guacamole stained Danny McBride t-shirt. Did any of you actually see "Your Highness"? If you enjoyed that movie please don't ever read this blog again. My dislike for the show obviously doesn't mean I wont watch the shit out of it, but let's be honest casting Deep Roy might be the silliest stunt I have ever seen. Don't get me wrong the man's a true gentleman, I even met him at the Beverly Hills Film Festival this year and he was more than happy to snap this photo with me.

rockin' loafers

I must say I am very disappointed about the cancellation of three solid shows. I will admit "Hung" was losing steam and that Thomas Jane wasn't really enough to carry the show. I'm mainly upset and confused about "How to Make it" and "Bored to Death" both show's casts were starting to develop chemistry and get more comfortable with each other. Ted Danson is a consummate pro and will be sorely missed. I love Ted but will surely not be tuning in to fucking CSI to see him. Honestly, that show has been dead in the water for years but people love formulaic, procedural, crime-based, garbage television so it will probably be broadcast until I'm dead.

The good news is that Enlightened was picked up for a second season and Laura Dern was nominated for The Golden Globe for "Best Actress in a Comedy" and the show was nominated as well. Perhaps now more people will watch it and discuss it and cause me to like it less.

All in all a mixed bag of TV feelings today, couple interesting sounding shows coming, couple new favorites going. Bottom line "Southland", "Californication", and "Shameless" all start up in the next two weeks. Merry Christmas.

ANK

2012 Golden Globe Nominations Are Out

Well, the Golden Globe noms have been announced, and as usual there's plenty of controversy to go along with it.  Every year, people anxiously await these nominations, as they typically dictate the road to the Oscars.  More often than not, the movies/directors/actors who are announced at the Globes go on to receive nominations/wins from the Academy.  Honestly, I'm more excited to have the comedic genius of Ricky Gervais back as host, hopefully refueled with more inappropriate jabs at Hollywood and politically incorrect judgments of its townfolk.

You can read the full list of nominations here.  But let's discuss some of my personal issue with the list now.

1. First and foremost, the absolute SNUB of Michael Pitt's work on Boardwalk Empire.  Before the show, Pitt was relatively unknown to most of the public, but contributed great performances in movies such as Murder By Numbers and Funny Games U.S.  The past two seasons on Boardwalk, he put forth a powerful showing as a young man lost after returning home from World War I and coming into his own as a full fledged gangster.  I won't give away any spoilers but his turn as Jimmy Darmody this season was tragic and powerful, strong and commanding; he easily stole scenes from everyone, including Best Actor nominee Steve Buscemi.  To not see his name even under the Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series is an utter traveshamockery.

2. Starz's Boss nominated for Best Television series, when that spot should belong to Breaking Bad.  I mean, come the fuck on.  Boss is a politically themed rip off of BB to begin with, and they have the audacity to nominate it over one of best shows on television?  On basic cable?!  It's almost a bigger snub than Pitt's, but a very close second.  Breaking just finished its fourth season and is still one of the strongest shows out there, with one last season to go.  It's definitely driven by amazing writing and cinematography, but also the superb performances of its stars, Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul.  Why is it completely missing from the ballot?  I love American Horror Story, but please, Best Series???  It's not even the best show on FX!

3.  Lastly, the double whammy bullshit that is the Best Actress in a Drama Series.  Who the fuck is Madeleine Stowe, and who the fuck actually watches Revenge?  Where in god's name are any of the actresses from Game of Thrones, arguably the biggest breakout show of the year?  Lena Headey?  Emilia Clarke?  Bueller???  How the shit does some two-bit ramshackle show have better actresses than Thrones?  Seriously, sometimes I think the critics are assholes and just fucking with us to see our sour reactions.  Huge letdown in this category.  Oh, and fuck everything about Margaret Schroeder.

Homeland Season Finale Review

Spoiler Warning: if you have not watched the season finale of Showtime's breakout show Homeland, do not scroll past this point.  Full spoilers for the entire season, and the last episode, appear below.  So don't blame me if it's ruined for you, because real fans don't miss premieres or finales.



The question of will he or won't he was finally answered in Homeland's season one finale last night.  All season long, viewers have been mulling over the idea: will Brody follow through on his commitment to Abu Nazir and sacrifice himself in the names of little Isa?  The answer: a resounding...maybe.

Damien Lewis' turn as Sgt. Brody has been amazing to watch; he's truly one of the most under-appreciated actors in the business.  Personally, I have trouble even calling him Brody, because he'll always be Major Winters to me.  But his performance as Marine POW-turned-suicide bomber has been superbly captivating this fall.  I don't know many actors who can express emotion through breathing like Lewis; this man's ability to huff and puff with agitation/frustration/fear is untouchable and can expertly convey his emotions with little to no help from words.

That being said, a majority of this episode was spent with our two main protagonists: Brody and Carrie, each going through their own inner turmoil.  Watching Brody give personal good-byes to his family, and the saddened look on his face as Jess walked out with a lackluster adios, was depressing but also built up some excitement: he's really going to do it.  Watching Carrie try to warn everyone was kind of frustrating: listen, everyone thinks you're nuts and you need to stop trying to help.  I was happy to see Saul finally cave and try to detain her, stopping the insanity of his unwavering devotion to her theories.  I love Carrie and how unstable she is, but it can get pretty annoying at times; I can only see Claire Danes make this awful crying, batshit crazy face so many times before I just want to bury it in an avalanche of fists:

We also got to see Tom Walker eat the bullet we knew was coming after finding out he was still alive.  But what we didn't get, and I'm pretty glad it's still a mystery, is seeing who's the mole inside the CIA.  There's almost no way it's Saul (almost) but I believe that'd make great TV if it was.  Estes is the next best, being so high up in the CIA, and he knew about the drone attack, and Brody called him personally to get Carrie fired. But there's always the chance Agent Galvez is our mole: he's young, Muslim and wasn't prominently shown throughout the season; he's not enough of a major player for it to be completely shocking, but I think him being a mole is too predictable for Homeland.

All in all, this was a pretty great finale that set up next season perfectly.  Homeland has been an amazing surprise from Showtime, although they have a great line-up of shows already (Shameless, Weeds, Californication).  I know I'm very excited for more Homeland next year, I'm actually going to go buy Band of Brothers on Blu-Ray for the sake of nostalgia.

Finale Score - 9 out of 10