Midseason 2012 Top TV Picks

It’s 2012 and while we wait for sweet Mayan death in December, we might as well watch some TV. It’s officially midseason in the world of tube entertainment and I gotta say that while I am excited for some shows, I’m really heartbroken about Community not coming back on NBC. This isn’t one of those Conan situations, where us fans love the show but aren’t what you would classify as “loyal viewers.” I tuned into Community every Thursday so when I heard they’re not coming back… it stung.

But I digress. All in all, we came out of a really strong fall season. I was really pleased with the selections from my Fall 2011 Top TV Picks blog. Those continuing onto the midseason have my support. I figured I’ll use this blog post to highlight some programs that are either brand spankin’ new to the scene or shows that have not seen any light since last year’s midseason.

Let’s start with IFC‘s exclusive midseason delights.

Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein return for season two of Portlandia with a slew of guest stars. Season Two kicks off this Friday (1/6) with the episode titled “Mixology,” guest starring Adam Samberg of Saturday Night Live. If you can’t wait til Friday to watch some new Portlandia, episode two from this season, “One Moore Episode” is already online here. I’ve already viewed it and I can attest that season two does not disappoint. Jeff Goldblum is a guest on episode two and his creepy delivery is solid gold.

For those of you on GetGlue, checking in during Friday’s season premiere will earn you the Mixology sticker.

Immediately following Portlandia on IFC is season two of The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret, starring David Cross. Season one left viewers on a real cliff hanger so I would not suggest a first time viewer diving into this episode ill-equipped. If you need to get caught up or maybe just need a refresher,  IFC offers a Taiwanese animated recap of season one here.

Now onto some series premieres.

After getting your weekly fill of The Simpsons and Family Guy, FOX airs a two-episode premiere of Napoleon Dynamite. The animated series is an adaptation of the popular film and brings back its core cast for voice talent. Honestly, I don’t think audiences would buy signature phrases like “Flippin’ Sweet” if they were not voiced by Jon Heder.

Those checking in on GetGlue during the premiere on Sunday (1/15) will earn stickers and if you watch the trailer now, you can earn the “Napoleon Dynamite Coming Soon” sticker here.

 

MADtv veterans, Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele return to the realm of sketch comedy with their new aptly named series, Key & Peele. The show will feature both filmed and live stage sketch performances, similarly to (dare I mention) Mr. Show. Comedy Central has been snippets of the duo since November. If you’d like to get a taste of the series prior to its premiere on January 31st, click here.

And for those of us with toddlers…

While Disney Junior nears its first anniversary, a new animated series is added to the tyke-friendly program schedule. The Octonauts is a series based on the children’s books written by Vicki Wong and Michael C. Murphy. On January 9th, viewers will be introduced to the underwater crew, led by Captain Barnacles, as they embark on missions to rescue marine animals. Those familiar with children’s programming might see this as a cross between Special Agent Oso (Disney Jr) and The Wonder Pets (Nick Jr). If you would like to get familiar with the characters before buying plush versions of them, you can see them here.

I hope this guide proves useful as this midseason tides us through sweeps and to what will hopefully be an interesting summer season.

Related articles

• Going Sticker Crazy (fernrocks.wordpress.com)
• A visit to the set of ‘Portlandia’ (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• ABC Announces Midseason Premiere Schedule; No Return Date for COUGAR TOWN, GCB Replaces PAN AM (collider.com)

Fall 2010 Top TV Picks

I didn’t watch much TV in my 20′s so I find it hilarious how I’m now a tube junkie .  Coasting along in my 30′s, I sometimes get darn right giddy about some of the crap that’s on TV.  Now that my summer of reruns has come to an end, I’m elbow-deep in season & series premieres.

One new show that I won’t be cheering nor jeering, is the new Hawaii Five-O.  Being that I live in Hawaii it’s all people talk about and frankly, I’m burnt-out and numb to the subject.

Moving on, here’s some fall programming that make my nipples tingle:

The League, season 2 (FX) – A show about the trials and tribulations of an 8 team fantasy football league.  The characters are brilliant but what really drives the show home for me are the performances from Paul Sheer and Mark Duplass.  Guys effectively knocking each other down a few pegs while drinking beer.  It’s a delicate balance that is perfected in this series.

Boardwalk Empire, season 1 (HBO) – Adapted from the book by Nelson Johnson, Steve Buscemi brings life to tales of corruption in Atlantic City during the prohibition era.  Violence, nudity, music, it has it all.  Martin Scorsese directed the first episode.  For me, it’s like watching Gangs of New York every week.

Bored to Death, season 2 (HBO) – The adventures of Jonathan Ames continues as an unlicensed private detective.  So far it looks like Zach Galifianakis’s appearances are still lightly gingered throughout each episode however Jason Schwartzman and Ted Danson keep the dialogue aflutter until we see more of the funny Greek.

Community, season 2 (NBC) – The powerhouse cast left viewers hanging in romantic suspense at the end of season one.  Thus far, it appears they are making it up to us with a rhythm of chuckles consistent of season 1, while adding depth to characters we’ve come to love.

Unfortunately there are also some disappointing shows this season that are making me limp from the waist down:

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, season 6 (FX) – This is actually heartbreaking because I’ve been a hardcore fan of the show for a while now.  The season kicked off with what seemed like a two part episode, however it was not acknowledged as a two-parter.  Which implies that the show is straying from their signature mantra of not having their characters grow and develop and starting each episode with a clean slate.  The dialogue seems a bit lackluster and doesn’t have the intensity it once had.  I’m starting to think that the days of Nightman and Kitten Mittens are over.  This new season may be one where you’ll have to catch it from the beginning or you may miss the ride completely.  To be honest, it’s starting to look like a ride you may not care to catch.

$h*! My Dad Says, season 1 (CBS) – As a follower of the popular twitter feed, I really wanted this show to do well.  The obvious let down is the piss poor acting from Jonathan Sadowski but when I thought about it more, I’m not sure that William Shatner was the best choice for the role of Edison Milford “Ed” Goodson III.  Off the top of my head, Ed O’Neill would’ve been a better crabby old man.  If I had it my way, I’d yank O’Neill from Modern Family and cast him in this show on a cable network so that he could be a full blown potty mouth.

It’s still early in the season so really, there’s hope for all.  There’s a few shows yet to air that my thumb is ready to set to DVR:

Nick Swardson’s Pretend Time, premieres October 12 (Comedy Central) – Stand-up Comedian Nick Swardson rolls the dice with his own sketch comedy show, hoping for the same moderate success as Important Things with Demetri Martin.  I’m a fan of Swardson’s stand up act and I’m a sketch comedy writer and performer myself so I’m going to do my best at supporting the craft.  Based on the sample clips on Comedy Central’s website, it looks decent enough to avoid the sketch comedy graveyard recently populated by Michael & Michael Have Issues and Chocolate News.

The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret, premieres October 1 (IFC) – The first episode of the show created, written by, and starring David Cross can already been seen in its entirety on IFC’s website.  Cross has been apart of some home run comedy shows such as Mr. Show and Arrested Development and his stand up alone crushes audiences into a submission of laughter.

Conan, premieres November 8 (TBS) – The new lead-in for Lopez Tonight is expected to begin a new era in late night comedy.  Teamcoco.com is steadily serving up bite-sized hype for the upcoming show with twitter feeds, show promo videos and interviews with Conan O’Brien himself.  After all these months since the Conan vs NBC drama, I thought I’d be tired of saying that Jay Leno is a douchebag.  But I’m not.  Jay Leno is a douchebag and is a hershey stain on the underwear of comedy.

The fall 2010 season is shaping up to be a healthy entrée of entertainment.  Sifting through these hits and bombs are sure to keep viewers like me busy as I wait for my 2011 fresh helpings of Parks and Recreation, Entourage and Whitest Kids U’ Know.

New Season of Food Party on IFC

IFC served up 2 new back-to-back episodes of Food Party this past Tuesday. The double dose of hallucinogenic cooking in a world of puppetry was the first of many, as the show unleashed 20 new episodes this season. As a fan of the show, I wanted to do my part in promoting the new season by interviewing Food Party‘s host Thu Tran on my blog. Unfortunately, she declined an interview but needless to say I viewed the new episodes, regardless.

After the season premiere I called my very good friend, John Waihe’e IV from the comedy troupe “Chocolate Squirrel” to meet me at a local Irish bar and discuss the episodes. John introduced me to Food Party so I was very interested to hear his thoughts on the new season.

Generally on all counts, we agreed that the story in both episodes were great and were creative as usual. However we noticed some changes from the earlier season that had us a little worried.

It’s pretty obvious that the budget for this season has increased. One of the early scenes of the evening proved it by showing larger sets.

Scene from episode 201: THU HAS A NORMAL DAY

However it’s not the larger sets that bothered us.  It’s just that the shows charm is its do-it-yourself (DIY) look and feel.  Although the recipes aren’t realistic, viewers feel close to the show because with its low budget, campy effects.  The show gives a person the feeling of “well, I could put on this kind of show… but I’m not… but damn, that’s creative.”  Some of the examples below are showing how the show is losing its DIY quality.

Fancy digital swipes between scenes

Superimposed diving Thu

Don’t get me wrong, I love the show.  I just don’t want the show to evolve into having CGI characters to replace puppets and have the cardboard set replaced by a green screen.

I don’t want this post to end on a negative note so lemme say that I was glad to see episode 202: PBJ Love – a continuation of an episode from the earlier season.  I got to see my favorite character, Peanut Butter Jerry.

Grape Jenny & Peanut Butter Jerry

Another new favorite character for me is Ninja Dog.  His dramatic pauses kill me!

Thu Tran & Ninja Dog

I’m not sure how I feel about Randy Ranch… he just looks like some dude from The Matrix.

Randy Ranch

Upcoming episodes of this new season of Food Party promises to bring back other familiar characters such as The Devil, Perv Corn and Ice Cream Cone while introducing more new characters with such names as Egg Wizard and King of the Universe just to name a few.

TV/Movie Bands You Wish Were Real

Z02, courtesy of IFC

As I wait for new seasons of Bored to Death, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Whitest Kids U’ Know, I decided to explore some other shows I may fall in love with.  To my good fortune, I did find another series that proves to be a jewel in my collection.  Z Rock is a comedy series on IFC (Independent Film Channel) based on the premise of rock band that plays typical club gigs at night but by day, they play at kiddie parties.  By day the band is known as the Z Brothers and by night, they are known as Z02.

Being a musician myself, I’m quick to find phonies on TV.  Phonies, meaning actors pretending to be musicians.  My most recent of findings belonged to SNL with their Sergio sketch.  The sax player whaled a solo without a reed on his mouthpiece, which defies the laws of physics.  He also sprang out full grown of a woman’s vagina, but that’s a whole other issue.  These Z Rock characters played the musician roles pretty well so I decided to read up on these actors.

I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the Brooklyn based trio was a real band and the show is based on the dichotomy of their real music career.  Awesome surprises like this don’t happen everyday.  Imagine if you could wish any band you saw on TV or the big screen to be a real band.  I did some wishing of my own and came up with these hopeful acts.

Crucial Taunt

Crucial Taunt
They were the band of Cassandra, the love interest in Wayne’s World 1 & 2, played by Tia Carrere.  The big screen rock band captured the hearts of heavy metal teens in the early 90′s with their renditions of Ballroom Blitz and Why You Wanna Break My Heart. At the 2009 Hawaii Music Awards, I ran into Tia Carrere and asked her if she ever entertained the thought of doing a Crucial Taunt tour.  She told me that she wasn’t really a bass player and only learned the 3 or 4 songs for the movie.  If she can learn 3 or 4 songs… why not learn 10 or 12?  I’ll keep hoping.

Troy & Abed from NBC's "Community"

Abed & Troy
Okay, they’re not really a band but these guys do a mean Español rap in the NBC comedy, Community.  The two characters, played by Danni Pudi and Donald Glover, have reached Funny or Die fame with their Spanish rap titled La Biblioteca. Sure the duo has only one track so far, but I could handle a live version being performed a few times in a row.  Tour baby… tour!

The Titanic... sinking

String Quartet in Titanic
You know which guys I’m talking about.  In the film Titanic, a string quartet sits on the deck of the ship as it slowly sinks into the cold Atlantic.  Being sure of death, the quartet plays Nearer, My God, to Thee rather than attempting to seek out a life boat.  The actors themselves were probably musicians but I doubt the 4 of them still perform together to this day.  Although, I’ve been known to be proven wrong before.  What would be cool is to see the guys play a few songs on a platform above a large tank of water.  As they play each song, the platform gets lower and lower until they are slowly dipped into the tank.  Think about it… what a show!  They could tour aquatic parks all over the globe.

With the sorta reality of The Monkees, I’d say anything is possible with enough demand.  If you wanna see something on TV or the big screen come to life, demand it into fruition!

The Monkees

More women a bad thing?

Sundays are usually my “catch up” day for TV. Every Sunday it’s me, a bowl of cereal and my digital cable box. I really enjoy catching some good sketch comedy every now and then so I played my recorded episodes of Whitest Kids U’ Know. It’s a 10-15 sketch comedy show on IFC.

They’re a great troupe, using influences from some of my favorite troupes of the past such as Monty Python and Kids in the Hall. Something that both mentioned troupes were famous for is playing majority of the female parts themselves, despite the fact that these were all-male troupes. Whitest Kids U’ Know seemed to keep with that tradition until recently. I watched two episodes where at the end of the whole thing, I saw as many females in the show as there were males. If it were my first time watching the show, I wouldn’t have been as to who’s show it was. Who were the troop members and who were guest actors?

One thing that I really like about these recent episodes though, is a form where the sketches are seamlessly connected. The show that I like to think pulled that form off perfectly was Mr. Show. Monty Python dabbled in that as well, but their technique was to go from live sketch into their primitive animation in place of a punchline.

I’m interested to see where the next episode of Whitest Kids U’ Know will take us. Are they subtlety changing the form of their show, or did they just have a huge party with a bunch of chicks and promised them that they could be in a few episodes if they could bang ‘em? Only time will tell I guess.