Fall 2013 TV
Well, my predictions on future blog posts have been poor this fall. September surprisingly saw the release of more films that I was interested in than October. I have been tempted to go see Captain Phillips, as I like Tom Hanks a lot and it got great reviews - but it seemed like another bleak drama, and the premise just didn't grab me (Netflix for sure, though). The good news is that I can guarantee that there will be a lot more movie reviews coming soon - not next week, but the week after with either 12 Years a Slave (PLEASE show this one, local rural theater!!!) or Ender's Game, followed by the new Thor, Hunger Games, and on we go.
But I didn't want to go too long without a blog post. What to do? There have been some interesting stories/surprises in the NFL at the midseason mark, but not enough for a whole post. I haven't looked at the coming NBA season enough yet to do a preview (hopefully have one next week). And I've almost done a political post recently (shutdown/debt ceiling thing), but haven't found the right way to do a quick essay form post. However, I hope to do some research on gerrymandering (possibly with campaign finance) and post about that sometime this fall or winter.
But what about this week? It occurred to me: I've never done a blog post about TV shows (nearly did one on Lost a few years ago after Netflixing the whole series). I've been able to watch a little more this fall thanks to my new DVR (I will never have cable without DVR again). So here's a look at what I've been watching, and recommendations thereof.
ABC
Modern Family
Wednesdays @ 9:00 PM
If you've never heard of this show, you've probably been living under a rock. Now in its fifth season, Modern Family has been growing in popularity each year, while achieving critical success from the beginning (it's won Outstanding Comedy at the Emmys every year it's been on air). Using the mockumentary style made famous by The Office (one of my all-time favorite shows), Modern Family combines it with the traditional sit-com's family dynamics and values to create a new classic. Each episode switches among three units of an extended family, each of which has uniquely hilarious dynamics. My favorite/funniest characters are Cam (Eric Stonestreet), Phil (Ty Burrell) and Jay (Ed O'Neill) - although young Lily is becoming really funny this year, too.
Modern Family was laugh-out-loud hilarious in seasons one and two, then regressed significantly in season three (in my opinion) and recovered somewhat last year. Season five, I'm happy to say, is back to the show's original fantastic form. The show has rid itself of the cliches it started to pick up in the last two seasons, as well as its focus on the kids (they're fine strictly as supporting parts - NOT in the lead). The ingenious plot connections among the three units are back in strong form, as is the overall sheer cleverness. The best comedy series of the fall so far, by a wide margin.
Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Tuesdays @ 8:00 PM
Made thanks to the incredible popularity of The Avengers, this show had the good fortune of being created by that film's director, Joss Whedon. In its first season, Agents of SHIELD has established itself as an hour-long family adventure (probably appropriate for middle-school kids and up) in the model of Lois and Clark and similar shows. The show focuses on, of course, the shadowy agency known as SHIELD, and on one particular unit led by Agent Coulson (familiar from recent Marvel films - same actor, too). Working with Coulson is a team of five: two (non-"super") butt-kickers, two nerdy scientists, and one mystery who used to work for a "Wikileaks"-like organization. The structure is fairly conventional, with a plot-of-the-week, although there's been considerable character development (for some of them anyway) and the beginnings of an overarching nemesis organization.
Being a comic book-film fan (strangely, though, I've never bought or read a comic book), I had to try this show. Plus, I figured ABC and Marvel would pour plenty of resources into it considering the popularity of its inspiration. The result so far: Agents of SHIELD is a surprisingly good show. It isn't deep or a critical darling, but it is simply very entertaining. Coulson and the mystery girl - former "Rising Tide" (ie: Wikileaks) hacker Skye - are the main characters, and form a solid foundation. The others aren't much more than stereotypes yet, but they are all easy on the eyes. The show has a lot of potential for growth, but it's already well worth watching.
CBS
The Crazy Ones
Thursdays @ 9:00 PM
Two huge names - from very different past roles - team up for CBS' new hit comedy. Now, I need to get off my chest that I am somewhat biased against CBS - I think most of their shows (granted, a lot of it I've only seen in commercials) are incredibly simplistic, redundant and purely commercial crap (how many ****ing NCIS, CSI, GHJ, ABC and XYZ investigation shows do you need?!?!). Putting two huge names together - Robin Williams and Sarah Michelle Gellar - seemed like another obvious ploy that the uber-rich CBS pulled to get mega ratings. Still, I LOVE Robin Williams - so I had to try it. He stars as the head of an ad agency, and Gellar is his daughter who works for him. Also involved are two male and one female assistants. I'm a few weeks behind on this (they're waiting on my DVR), but to this point each episode revolves around the ad agency trying to create campaigns for various clients with a mix of embarrassing failure and heart-warming triumph.
It's too early to have a final verdict on this show, as I could easily see it becoming either great or terrible. Robin Williams is still hilarious, and when he is the focus the show is hilarious. Gellar (or rather the character they wrote for her) isn't bad but certainly the weak link - an adoring daughter who messes up then figures out how to fix it (usually only with her dad's help). The other three are still wild cards. They have set up Zack (James Wolk) and Andrew (Hamish Linklater) to have clearly defined and opposing personalities - so far, they've worked at times and failed at others. I'll keep watching it and hope it develops, but I wouldn't be too surprised if it falls apart.
The Big Bang Theory
Thursdays @ 8:00 PM
Here's another one that you'd have to be culturally-deficient not to know about. I came to this show a little late, but really enjoyed watching random re-runs and getting to know the characters. The premise, shocking for a CBS show, is actually fairly creative, with a band of super smart nerds and one single "normal" young woman living in the same apartment building. The cast has grown to include female counterparts for Sheldon and Howard - Amy and Bernadette. To me, by far the funniest parts of the show have been the interactions of Sheldon, he of the severe case of Asperger's, and Penny, the ordinary country girl now living in the city. Howard, while occasionally funny, is far more repulsive than amusing; and unfortunately the new cast members have not been too good.
I actually only watched the season premiere episode of this show, and have not seen one since. While the early seasons of Big Bang were quite good, it has become pretty bad now. I watched it last season, but only because I was with a group of people who did still like it - but last year was also terrible. Why is it so bad now? For one, they have run out of good ideas and are rehashing plots/situations that they have done twice, three times, or more. The characters have changed as the show has become more popular - developing would be one thing, but they are cynical and "cool", a disastrous trend. Unless I get a compelling case from someone to do so, I will not be watching new episodes of this show again. Old re-runs are still good, though.
NBC
Parks and Recreation
Thursdays @ 8:00 PM
This show started off very quietly in the shadow of the massively popular The Office in 2009. Another mockumentary-style show, Parks & Rec is about a small town's government department (guess which one?) led by eternally optimistic and hard-charging Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler). The show provides an interesting - albeit silly and over-the-top, of course - look at both the strengths and weaknesses of (local) government in modern society. The department is hilariously headed by libertarian Ron Swanson, who oversees a mostly ragtag crew: Knope (the one motivated employee), stylish Indian American Tom, goofy Andy, exasperated Ann, serious nerd Ben, workout freak Chris, and more. My favorite/funniest characters are Ron (Nick Offerman), Tom, (Aziz Ansari), and Andy (Chris Pratt).
The show changed pretty substantially from the first two seasons to season three and beyond. I actually really liked the super-awkward style of the first two seasons - maybe even more than the current style - but the new style works very well (finally getting some awards recognition, too). I have to admit, though, that this season has not been up to the show's standards. Andy, one of my favorites, has been absent for most of the season, but that doesn't explain everything. I think it's probably just a slump but, now in its sixth season, perhaps another big shift is needed or the show simply needs to wind down soon. I'll definitely continue to watch new episodes, though. And if you have not seen the show yet, I definitely recommend you go through it on Netflix.
Fox
Brooklyn Nine-Nine; New Girl; The Mindy Project
Tuesdays @ 8:30, 9:00, 9:30 PM
I've decided to lump these three back-to-back-to-back shows together - not just because of the scheduling but because of their other similarities. New Girl is, ironically, the oldest, now in its third season; followed by The Mindy Project in season two; and Brooklyn Nine-Nine started this fall. All three shows are single-camera comedies (no laugh track), although I'd say Brooklyn is the only one that could qualify as a mockumentary. New Girl follows three guys (Nick - funniest character, Schmidt - most annoying, and Winston - weirdest) and one girl (Jess) who live together in an L.A. apartment. The Mindy Project is about a young female doctor and her (mostly work) friends and attempted relationships. Brooklyn Nine-Nine is about a police precinct starring Andy Samberg as the hotshot (but often screw-up) detective, Andre Braugher as his unamused boss, and supporting cast.
Although I enjoy all three shows, I'm a little worried about them. New Girl had a great first season, not as good second season, and worse still this year. Mindy started off great last year, but isn't quite as good this year. Brooklyn has followed suit with a nice first season so far. I'm not sure if these shows just inherently don't have great longevity, or if they just aren't being steered very well, since they have all followed a downward trajectory. General advice for all: avoid making romantic relationships (esp. if both are main characters) the focus. Both New Girl and Mindy have done that this year, and it doesn't work. Each show, while similar in some ways, has its own personality, and I'm hopeful that the writers can sustain or improve them going forward.
AMC
The Walking Dead
Sundays @ 9:00 PM
AMC has gone from just another cable channel to one of the hottest on TV the last few years. Mad Men and Breaking Bad (I've seen the first few seasons of Mad Men only; want to catch up on both via Netflix) gave AMC an impressive combination of critical and ratings success. The Walking Dead has become even more popular - the most watched show on TV in the 18-49 demo, I believe. The show takes place in a post-apocalyptic Georgia, following deputy Rick Grimes who, after waking from a coma, finds but a few survivors among hordes of zombies. He miraculously finds his wife and son alive, and joins the group that they were with. So far, it's mostly been a story of survival, whether it be avoiding the undead, finding food and shelter, or dealing with other group of people.
Season one of The Walking Dead, a mere six episodes, is probably my favorite so far - an extremely tense series of episodes that slowly unveiled the mystery that the show throws you right into the middle of. Seasons two and three were both good - and also opposites. Two was perhaps a little too slow, focusing mostly on the emotional impact of living without modern society; while three was perhaps a little too action-packed, with plenty of excitement but losing much of the nuance that marked the show earlier. Season four has been very good so far, in providing a better combination of exciting action with character development (and my least favorite character is gone! Yes!). If you're very squeamish, this might not be the show for you (usually I am, but this doesn't bother me); if not, try it on Netflix.
Other shows I watch occasionally or haven't started new seasons: Louie (brilliant), SNL (wow, the Bruce Willis episode was horrific; I miss Bill Hader!), Orange Is the New Black (Netflix original; I'm about halfway through the first season, and it's great).
Bottom line: If you want to follow just two TV shows this fall, I would recommend Modern Family and The Walking Dead.
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