Category — Comedy

In an uncharacteristic bout of good judgement, I’ve decided to continue avoiding the wasteland of bad television this weekend, taking refuge in some old favorites from the “TV– No Wait, DVD” genre.  Last weekend, I got my cartoon fix with some “Clerks” The Animated Series,” but today is going to be all about “Freaks and Geeks.”

The most cursory internet search of “Freaks and Geeks” will undoubtedly provide a bounty of blogs praising this show– and likely some pornography too, so make sure you have “Safe Search” turned on, kiddies.

Where was I? Oh, yes. “Freaks and Geeks” is about high school kids in Michigan during the 80s, centering around a sister and brother who fall respectively into the social castes of– you guessed it– freaks and geeks. They laugh, they live, they love. This series was on NBC in 1999, and like so many other great shows, simply didn’t catch on quickly enough for the network suits. So, they yanked it. Good job, guys.

“F&G” was one of Judd Apatow’s greatest creations though, so it herewith gets the official Television Revival thumbs up. Plus, it’s got Seth Rogen, James Franco AND Jason Segel, so if you liked Pineapple Express and/or Forgetting Sarah Marshall, you’re going to lurve this. So rent it, or buy it, or do whatever it is you do to watch new stuff that is actually old stuff that is good. End of dispatch. I’m off to buy another box of wine.

[Picture source: NBC]

I can’t believe I just found out about Eric Schaeffer’s reality tv show on Showtime! It is a documentary about the book tour he went on to promote his autobiographical book, I Can’t Believe I’m Still Single, and the subsequent dates he gets set up on by friends, fans, and acquaintances. Thus, his new series is called “I Can’t Believe I’m Still Single”.

Check the promo:

I’m probably one of the only people who has seen the complete Schaeffer oeuvre. And it was just by accident, I swear. Most of his movies I saw by chance on Cinemax or IFC, usually the ones where he was director and star. I would find myself strangely engrossed in the relationships he depicted, as if I was hypnotized. He has a wonderful knack for portraying relationships: like a torrid affair with a model in Fall, or a strange relationship with his best bud (played by Sarah Jessica Parker btw) in If Lucy Fell, or his struggle with sex and drug addiction in Wirey Spindell.

And with the FX television show, “Starved”, it just happened to premiere along with “It’s Always Sunny”, so I watched it and liked it.

So when I was channel surfing on Sunday and came across Eric talking to his assistant about how hot women were in Denver, I obviously was intrigued instantly. The show is honest, funny, and enjoyable for anyone, since it’s all about love and relationships. It’s really about looking for fulfillment in one’s life and coming terms with the idea that it could be a long and windy path to you finding Mr. or Ms. Right. I need to get his book ASAP, from the readings he did during the episode, I’m dying to know his further musings on “America’s Next Top Model”, women, yoga, and so much more.

Related links:
Eric Schaeffer’s Blog
Eric Schaeffer’s Myspace page
Buy his book!

Block out your 10 o’clock hour tonight because season four of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” premieres!

“Day Man…fighter of the Night Man” kills me every time!

The gang is back and ready to push the envelope once again with their self-deprecating, absurdist humor. Don’t know of the wonders to which I speak? You could do two things: check out my hyperbole filled post praising this television show or just rent the “Always Sunny” dvds to find out for yourself.

I’ve been subjected to a lot of bad teevee of late, evidenced in yesterday’s tirade about the dearth of American talent, paired with last weekend’s lamentation of how much Beverly Hills 9021-blows. Thus, I’ve armed myself with a box of Shiraz and my personal TV on DVD collection to cleanse my palette of the stale aftertaste of “Baywatch” wash-outs and the world’s oldest teenagers.

To wit, I’m looking forward to firing up the “DVD machine,” as my Aunt Louise called it, and perhaps enjoying some “Clerks: The Animated Series,” to start.

The “Clerks” TV series aired on ABC back in 2000, and Kevin Smith was chillingly accurate in his pre-premiere prediction that ABC would blow the marketing and scheduling, and the show would be canceled within 6 episodes. Smith was so right, in fact, that while six episodes were produced, only half as many ever made it to air. Being the animation fan that I am, and Kevin Smith fan that I used to be, you can imagine my delight when I purchased the DVD and unearthed the three treasures that were the “lost episodes.”

If you have any lingering skepticism, you should be aware that Alec Baldwin voices Leonardo Leonardo in the show, a Mr. Burns type of character, who is hilariously treacherous. As always, you can count on Baldwin’s comedic brilliance in his effortless delivery to make this unsung gem of a series really shine. If only it had come along during the [adult swim] age, then perhaps it would have had a fighting chance of survival. Sigh.

So go buy it on DVD. Or rent it, even. Trust me, it’s worth it. Despite it’s failure on ABC, “Clerks: The Animated Series” is one of the last bastions of Kevin Smith’s pre-suckfest era.

[Picture source: www.dvdtimes.co.uk]

After “Cowboy Bebop”, Shinichirō Watanabe next television series was “Samurai Champloo”. The 26 episodes focused on the misadventures of an unlikely trio: Mugen, the hilarious theif, Jin, the restrained samurai, and the feisty young girl, Fuu. They unite after Fuu rescues Mugen and Jin from execution and she demands they help her find the samurai who smells of sunflowers as her reward.

I saw the Japanese series when it debuted in America in 2005 on Adult Swim. The tone of the series fluctuated between comedy and action, much like “Cowboy Bebop”. However, this time around we get to see the world of the samurai, if said samurai was into hip-hop and likes to get funky all the time.

Check the opening credit sequence below:

If that wets your whistle, buy the “Samurai Champloo” dvds today.

FX has a new show called “Sons of Anarchy”.

It stars Charlie Hunnam (”Undeclared”) as Jackson ‘Jax” Teller, a member of a California biker gang that skirts the law and fiercely defends their right to ride on their own terms.

Watch the season premiere tonight at 10pm on FX.

M.A.S.H. is one of the most celebrated television shows in the history of the planet. In my mind, its fans are dead-on right to give it rave reviews.

Years after its final telecast, I still remember how impressed I was with the acting and the writing, principally by Larry Gelbart. From Alan Alda as Hawkeye to Harry Morgan as Col. Sherman T. Potter, the cast was a marvel of ensemble acting in a comedy.

The funny thing is I hated the movie (directed by Robert Almtan and starring Elliot Gould). I found the writing predictable, not funny, and overdone by half. Even though Gould and Donald Sutherland are among my favorite actors, I didn’t think either were able to overcome the bad lines they were given to recite.

But go figure. The movie was released in the fall of 1970 when anti-Vietnam sentiment was high, and was an instant hit. Ring Lardner Jr. won the Oscar for Best Screenplay and the film was nominated for Best Movie. Sally Kellerman also received a Best Actress nomination for her role as Hotlips.

Judge for yourself. Rent or buy the DVDs—both of the film and the TV series. I will. I want to see if my memories stand up to the real thing.

Buy the “M*A*S*H” - Season 1 dvd today.

Vince & Co are back for season five of “Entourage”. I wasn’t a big fan of this HBO comedy at first, but once the Medellin subplot arose, I was hooked!

Season five is supposed to focus on Drama coming to terms with his budding tv career, the failure of Medellin and lack of funds, and how Ari Gold is supposed to sorta all this crap out for Vince.

Catch the season premiere on HBO on September 7th, 10pm ET/PT.

ABC’s “Private Practice” will finally emerge from its post-strike hiatus on October 1st (9/8c). I actually found myself liking this show as a guilty pleasure. I’m wasn’t the biggest Addison fan when she was “Grey’s Anatomy”, but I warmed to her on the spin-off.

And who can resist Taye Diggs’ charm? Seriously, it’s quite difficult. Even Tim Daly (”Wings”) sorta wore me down with his silly homeopathic medicine and skirt-chasing ways. I connect most though to Amy Brenneman’s character. She is the resident therapist who can counsel everyone else, but hasn’t got a clue when it comes to her own lovelife.

Another reason I liked this show was for its lighter tone. They really tried to play up the sunny california, everything’s groovy stereotype in this show. If you’re looking for “ER” style gore and melodrama, this might not be the show for you. Granted, there were a few tense moments, but this cast of characters are simply more engaging than the current batch on Grey’s (prolly due to the lack of Mere whining). “Private Practice” is a welcomed alternative for the tv fan who wants a dash of hospital melodrama mixed with romance and comedy.

It may be hard to believe, but “I Love Lucy” is still funny—as millions who have seen it on TVLand (I still call it Nick at Nite) can tell you. Back in the 50s, it was the first television show to feature a woman it its main role. (Hey, it was even eponymous.) My folks never missed an episode of “Lucy”–or the Ed Sullivan show. In the days before cable, almost everybody watched these shows. They used more slapstick than most contemporary shows, but it was good slapstick.

I didn’t know that producer Desi Arnaz (Lucy’s husband at the time the show first aired and who played her Cuban bandleader hubby, Ricky Ricardo) invented the re-run. He did it during Lucy’s (Lucille Ball) pregnancy. In those days, you couldn’t say “pregnant,” you had to say “expecting.”

Watch the old episodes closely and you’ll catch references to Phillip Morris cigarettes, the show’s sponsor. In one of the funniest episodes from this memorable early TV comedy, “Lucy Does a TV Commercial,” Ms. Ball dresses up as Johnny the Bellhop, the Phillip Morris icon.