One of the insult-to-injury aspects of Superstorm Sandy was that I knew my DVR wasn’t recording anything while the power was out. Via Hulu and on-demand, I’ve been able to catch up on just about all my shows, but it became that much more obvious when I was struggling through a show that I don’t really enjoy but still watch out of habit.
Anyway, here’s what I’ve been watching since the last installment. I do watch other things, and likely covered those shows in Edition I , II, III, or IV. And until they re-open the Hoboken PATH station and I revive or replace my car, I’ll probably be watching a lot more TV too.
LOVED
The 2012 London Summer Olympic Games (the networks of NBC) I know it’s not a “show,” but oh man did I spent a lot of time watching the Olympics. Due to my high-school reunion I missed most of the first day and a half, but I soon made up for it in a big way. Actually learned to program “favorites” on my remote so I could flip between NBC, NBC Sports Network, MSNBC, Bravo, and Univision. Watched daytime, prime-time, and never missed the Mary Carillo-hosted late-night slot (which I’ve enjoyed since “Club Barcelona”—pronounced “cloob”—back in 1992). From canoeing to team-pursuit cycling to women’s soccer to BMX and on and on, I was totally hooked. Semi-obsessively. Every two years I think, “OK, this time I’m not going to watch much of the Olympics,” but just when I think I’m out, they pull me back in. How many months till Sochi?
LIKED
The Newsroom (HBO) I had mixed feelings about this show, but as some other critic said, I could not stop watching. Aaron Sorkin’s repeated claim that they’re not using hindsight to belatedly critique the media and politicians seems disingenuous. There is absolutely a preachy tone to the show, and even though I agree with their opinions most of the time, it tends to grate a little. And making Jeff Daniels’ character a Republican doesn’t balance the scales. (He is the most left-leaning Republican you’re likely to meet.) Still, the acting is terrific (I especially enjoy Daniels and Sam Waterston), the writing is generally very sharp, and there’s a lot of humor and the right amount of heart. I will definitely tune in for the second season, and would’ve done that even if my friend hadn’t been hired as a script coordinator.
American Horror Story: Asylum (FX) Wait, Jack, you already mentioned this one in Edition III, you lying sack of…. Now hold on a minute: There’s a new plot, new setting, and some new actors. And I had to reset my DVR because of the expanded title. So, this is basically a new show. Last season’s finale was a dud. And this season’s premiere seemed pretty flawed to me. The “modern day” segment seemed to be titillating but with no other value. In classic horror form, “sinners” were punished: interracial marriage, lesbians. Except the creators are from Glee so we know they don’t really feel that way. So it seemed annoyingly heavy-handed. I have to say, though, subsequent episodes have been more and more satisfying. And scary. And surprisingly gruesome. They’ve got me again.
Ben & Kate (FOX) The cast is extremely likable and the first episode was very smartly written and a bit offbeat. Subsequent episodes haven’t been as strong, but, you know what? It’s good enough. Sort of a sweet My Name Is Earl/Raising Hope vibe. The characters seem to genuinely care for each other, and you don’t see enough of that on TV.
Burning Love (online series) Ken Marino—from The State, Party Down, and Childrens Hospital—teams up with many of his comedy pals for this spoof of The Bachelor and similar shows. I don’t watch those shows but it still feels like a strong parody. It is not as smart or well-made as Childrens Hospital, but, hey—free, online, and often funny, so who’s complaining? Nine minutes seemed like just enough; when I’d watch a few episodes in a row I got a little bored. I see that seasons 2 and 3 are planned and I worry that the joke will be stretched way too thin. We’ll see. Quick note on the end credits: Five production companies for a show that’s less than 10 minutes long?
KIND OF LIKED/KIND OF DIDN’T
Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee (online series) This seemed promising—or perhaps it didn’t: Jerry Seinfeld driving around, picking up his funny friends, going to coffee shops, shooting the shit. The “perhaps it didn’t” comes from my overall sense that Seinfeld is well past his peak. He’s still funny, just, not as funny. In the first installment, with Larry David, I kept thinking, this should be much funnier than it is. Same with Ricky Gervais, Joel Hodgson, Bob Einstein, Michael Richards. Brian Regan was pretty amusing. And yet a couple of times it was very strong: Alec Baldwin, Colin Quinn. Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks weren’t hilarious but it was certainly great to see them in their natural habitat. So, I don’t know, it’s cute enough but I wish it was better.
DIDN’T LIKE BUT KEPT WATCHING
Copper (BBC America) I was working on an article about K-9 cops, we were in the 42nd Street subway station, and there were posters for Copper plastered everywhere. The police officers seemed keen to check it out. So I was curious. When I saw that our old Homicide and OZ friends Barry Levinson and Tom Fontana were creatively linked to the show, that sealed the deal. But what a disappointment the show was. It’s basically CSI: Gangs of New York clumsily written and cheaply made. (Fontana tends to get co-story credits but doesn’t seem more involved than that.) The acting is not great either, though Kyle Schmid as Robert Morehouse seems a cut above the rest. Was pleased to see our Meldrick from Homicide directing a couple of episodes, but it wasn’t enough. If anything, this gave me greater appreciation for the period-crime of Boardwalk Empire (which has been especially excellent the past two or three episodes. Bobby Cannavale has been a terrific addition.). I was truly hoping Copper would be canceled because I know myself too well, and that despite everything I would tune in for a season two. (Homicide loyalty.) FML, it’s been renewed.
DIDN’T LIKE AND DIDN’T KEEP WATCHING
Go On (NBC) I didn’t watch Friends, but if I did, I think Chandler would’ve been my favorite. He was the smart-alecky one, right? This show was heavily promoted during the Olympics and that’s actually when I watched the “special airing” of the pilot. Maybe it would be OK. They had signed up a few of my favorites: Harold from Harold & Kumar, Brett “Little Bit of Luck” Gelman from Eagleheart, and Chris who everybody hated. I tuned in, and… meh. Not terrible, but just so generic. And an uncomfortable mix of comedy and drama. For me, Go On was a no-go.
The Mindy Project (FOX) Out of some lingering loyalty to The Office, I decided to give this one shot. And that’s all it got. Maybe it’s just “not for me.” Again, by no means a terrible show, and I liked the concept: bookish kid grows up to be doctor but secretly wants life to be a romantic comedy. My problem is Mindy Kaling. She seems incredibly unbelievable as a doctor. It feels as if Kelly from The Office is dressing up as the world’s worst physician.
Anger Management (FX) Not the utter train wreck I think we all hoped Charlie Sheen’s comeback would be. Just a ho-hum cookie-cutter sitcom. I watched the first episode—wait, I watched two, they showed them back-to-back–and then I was done.
The Neighbors (ABC) Worst thing I’ve seen in a long time. I watched for one reason only: Lenny Venito. He was terrific as Squatch in the very under-watched Knights of Prosperity (you remember, the one where they wanted to rob Mick Jagger). And he often shows up in quality projects: Flight of the Conchords, Bored to Death, etc. But most importantly, I was seeing a friend’s band a few years ago, Lenny was there, and he shook my hand. Seemed like a down-to-earth good guy. So, I’ll give him 22 minutes in a lead role, right? But my god, it was so terrible. How has this not been cancelled yet? It boggles the mind.
NO ONE TO BLAME BUT MYSELF AT THIS POINT
Yes, I’m still watching The Simpsons and Modern Family.
THANK YOU
For putting The Killing out of its misery. A mostly terrific first season, which they unfortunately tried to stretch into a second season, and failed miserably, in remarkably convoluted, just-another-conspiracy-show fashion.
LOOKING FORWARD TO
The return of Enlightened. And the PATH station re-opening.
You didn’t even try Nashville? I can’t stay up,that late but I hear it is really good. But perhaps “not for you.”
Nah, the concept didn’t really jump out at me, though I am intrigued with Nashville as a place, and hope to make it down there someday.
What a polite answer.
I’m also a fan of the state of Alabama today. Long story short, I called a T-shirt salesman who was owed $100 for more than 3 months due to a misplaced invoice. He couldn’t have been nicer or more relaxed about it.