It’s summer! The perfect time of year to sit at home in a darkened room hypnotized by the television. But before you paint the windows black and settle into the Barcalounger, check out my bi-annual list of the shows I’ve been watching.
LOVED
Friday Night Lights (DVD/Netflix) No, you didn’t accidentally click on a link from 2006. I never watched this back in the day, as I don’t really do teen shows, and high school football ain’t my bag. But people I really trust kept recommending the series. So thanks to the kindness of the Bergen County Cooperative Library System, I was able to “binge-watch” all five seasons. What wonderful television, with so much heart! (Full hearts, one might say.) Sure, it got a little soap-opera-y from time to time, but the stellar performances top-to-bottom kept things true. That they were able to transition to a mostly new cast for the last two years without a drop in quality was quite impressive.
The Eric Andre Show (Adult Swim) Here’s another one I had to catch up with after the fact. The promos I’d seen confused me. And who was this guy? Am so glad I finally checked it out. As soon as Eric Andre demolishes his set in the opening minutes, you realize this is not your father’s talk show. It’s f-ed up, surreal, and hilarious. I have laughed out loud at least once an episode, often staring at the screen wide-eyed in amazement. It was also interesting to see how the show found its footing from the first season to the second.
LIKED A LOT
Fargo (FX) The Coen brothers are my boys, so I was worried that this series wouldn’t live up to their extremely high standard. My worries were unfounded. Very strong casting helped a lot (hooray for Allison Tolman), as did sharp writing. Maybe things got just a little too dark sometimes, and there were a couple of loose ends they never did resolve. But I am really looking forward to spending future seasons in these snowy, polite environs.
True Detective (HBO) Moody, creepy, funny—a genuine sense of place—and wow Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson were GOOD, weren’t they?
The Spoils of Babylon (IFC) Very clever and out-there spoof of 1970s miniseries. Tobey Maguire was very funny as the lead, and Will Ferrell’s boozy introductions were excellent. And always good to see Haley Joel Osment getting work.
2014 FIFA World Cup (ESPN/ABC) Messi! Neymar! Stoppage time! Nil-nil! I’m caught up in it once again and will likely remain so even after the United States inevitably gets knocked out.
2014 Winter Olympics (NBC) I prefer the Summer Games, and Bob Costas’s pink eye was kind of unnerving, and there was all that controversy about Russia, and I was annoyed that the debut of Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show pushed back the second week of my beloved late-night coverage. But come on—it’s the Olympics! Must-watch TV.
Lucas Bros. Moving Co. (FOX) Part of the “Animation Domination HD” block on Saturday nights that is clearly a rip-off of Adult Swim, right down to the 11-minute shows. I’m usually watching Saturday Night Live in this slot so didn’t discover the show until last week. Apparently there have only been six Lucas Bros episodes and I’ve now seen half of them. There’s a low-key, smart friendly weirdness that I appreciate, and I’ve found myself smiling a lot.
LIKED
24: Live Another Day (FOX) It stinks that this only 12 hours—come on! this is 24!—and would somebody please wipe that ridiculous makeup off Chloe’s eyes? She is not remotely convincing as a goth. But still, Jack Bauer and the show’s classic tropes remain a dependable guilty pleasure. Very glad to have them back.
Getting On (HBO) I thought this improved as the season went on. Lauri Metcalf anchors the show with a quirky performance, and there’s just a nice mellow mood to the proceedings—gently funny and sweet, even when there’s tension.
Orphan Black (BBC America) My friend Sue recommended this last year. I started DVR’ing it but screwed up. So now through the magic of on-demand I’m finally working through it. So far I’ve only seen season one, but I like what I see. I don’t love it but I do like it. Tatiana Maslany is pretty amazing as a wide variety of characters. But aside from her sassy gay sidekick, the supporting cast leaves a bit to be desired, and there’s a cheapness/phoniness to the production that I don’t really care for (including the world’s least realistic police department). Still, the show is pleasingly screwy, has a nice loose take on sexuality, there’s some cool camera work now and again, and you do have to give them credit for casting Max Headroom.
Ja’mie: Private School Girl (HBO) After stretching himself a bit too far in Angry Boys, this was a return to form for Chris Lilley. He is hilarious as overprivileged mean girl Ja’mie, who we last saw in Summer Heights High. Will also be nice to see Jonah From Tonga again when that series reaches the U.S., but I do hope Lilley trots out a new character or two.
DIDN’T LIKE
Rick and Morty (Adult Swim) Though I was happy to hear Justin Roiland’s voice again in this animated series, after enjoying him in Out There, it ultimately made me realize how much superior Out There was as a coming-of-age comedy. This series just tries too hard, likely influenced by Family Guy. It clearly wants to appeal to the section of Adult Swim’s audience that I do not care for: fans of goofy, over-the-top, often sexist sci-fi. I gave up after a couple of episodes.
ONE AND DONE
Kirstie (TV Land) There was the nostalgia curiosity factor: Kirstie Alley, Michael Richards, Rhea Perlman. But this Disney Channel-esque cookie-cutter sitcom was absolutely crummy.
Chozen (FX) I like Bobby Moynihan, and was excited that Danny McBride was involved. But the animation and writing were sub-par, and this just came across as a poor man’s Eastbound & Down.
YES, I’M STILL WATCHING THE SIMPSONS
It’s true.
LOOKING FORWARD TO
The Leftovers on HBO looks interesting—more so than the leftovers in my fridge. Will try Welcome to Sweden. Final season of Wilfred, return of Nathan for You, and baseball, baseball, baseball….
WHAT I USED TO WATCH AND IN MANY CASES STILL DO
Links to Edition I , II, III, IV, V, VI, or VII.
Coming up on my 7th year as Salt in Wound’s most prolific _________. It’s been a habit, an addiction, a commitment. I want to be uplifting. Yet almost with every sentence in this post I feel negativity. My loss.
Seven year itch maybe? If you wanna fool around with other blogs I understand.
Did not think of the 7year itch, Jack. Funny. I was thinking tho about 7 years ago sitting at a table with 3 or 4 of Salt in Wound’s founders. Not just a flash in the pan. There was about 10 seconds of the conversation that I’ve played in my head once or twice a year since then.
I don’t want to be creepy. Memory is screwy, trying to retell memory gets screwier, i’ve changed my opinion on occasion about the memory, and it likely and rightfully doesn’t carry the weight that I give it.
Do you know what’s good on TV the next day or two? Note: I think we only get the sports stations you mention and maybe the Fox shows.