When you get right down to it, we really just love Wipeout.
TV’s Moments of Joy – The Summer Honor Roll
Rescue Me – It was another pitch black season of Rescue Me, with perhaps a bit too much focus on Tommy’s ongoing alcoholism. The man has literally died as an indirect result of his reckless behavior and come close several other times. For someone who has lost a child to a drunk driver and suffered numerous other slings and arrows from the evils of drink, you would think he might
have learned by now. And the Gavins, as a family unit, as just some of the most self-centered a-holes we’ve ever seen. Yet somehow, at the end of every hour, we have a weird affection for this zany cast of misanthropes. It was nice that the guys in the house had some fun moments this season, but we didn’t love the story about Pat, the firefighter who got cancer from cleaning up at Ground Zero. And we’re very worried about Lou. As usual, the most stunning performances were turned in by Denis Leary, who has the ability to make us like Tommy, even though we know he’s a bastard, and Callie Thorne, who has the thankless job of figuring out a way to make us relate to crazypants Sheila. Our hearts broke for her when we thought that her son Damien had died fighting a fire, and they broke again when it turned out he hadn’t died, but was instead a brain damaged shell of a man now confined to a wheel chair. We’ve been promised more twists and turns in the final season in 2011, so we’ll just have to wait and see what else could possibly happen to our favorite rag tag bunch from the FDNY.
have learned by now. And the Gavins, as a family unit, as just some of the most self-centered a-holes we’ve ever seen. Yet somehow, at the end of every hour, we have a weird affection for this zany cast of misanthropes. It was nice that the guys in the house had some fun moments this season, but we didn’t love the story about Pat, the firefighter who got cancer from cleaning up at Ground Zero. And we’re very worried about Lou. As usual, the most stunning performances were turned in by Denis Leary, who has the ability to make us like Tommy, even though we know he’s a bastard, and Callie Thorne, who has the thankless job of figuring out a way to make us relate to crazypants Sheila. Our hearts broke for her when we thought that her son Damien had died fighting a fire, and they broke again when it turned out he hadn’t died, but was instead a brain damaged shell of a man now confined to a wheel chair. We’ve been promised more twists and turns in the final season in 2011, so we’ll just have to wait and see what else could possibly happen to our favorite rag tag bunch from the FDNY.Futurama — We’re still reeling from the fact that there are actual new episodes of Futurama on our television. That just blows our minds, and we’re very happy that Comedy Central brought it back 
to TV. Their first run of episodes just ended, and we absolutely loved it. They had big, crazy science-fiction episodes, like the planet of evolving robots or the secret plot of cats to subjugate Earth. There was satire, like the already classic episode “Proposition Infinity”, in which robosexual marriage is legalized. There were out-and-out looney episodes, as when Fry, Bender, and the Professor traveled to the end of time – twice. And we even got an episode teaming up Bender and Hermes, and it was awesome.
to TV. Their first run of episodes just ended, and we absolutely loved it. They had big, crazy science-fiction episodes, like the planet of evolving robots or the secret plot of cats to subjugate Earth. There was satire, like the already classic episode “Proposition Infinity”, in which robosexual marriage is legalized. There were out-and-out looney episodes, as when Fry, Bender, and the Professor traveled to the end of time – twice. And we even got an episode teaming up Bender and Hermes, and it was awesome.The crew just didn’t miss a step – they hit the ground running and the new batch of episodes easily measures up to Futurama’s classic original run. The fact is, we now live in a world where the Planet Express crew made it to 100 episodes, with more on the way. Seems like it wasn’t that long ago that there was a real question whether FOX would even air all the episodes that had been produced. But we were worried whether or not the new episodes would click, or if all those years away would have thrown the creative team off their game. Happily, Futurama came back strong and remains one of TV’s sharpest comedies. All it needed was a single nail, and another nail to nail it in with.
Jimmy Fallon on the Emmys – How great of a host was Jimmy Fallon?! It probably helped that he presided over one the most satisfying Emmy broadcasts in recent memory and that he’s obviously a TV fan. His opening number, a spoof of Glee, was spot on and just fantastic. We can even forgive the presence of Kate Gosselin. His song tributes to 24, Lost and Law & Order, each done in a different costume, were adorable. And his first joke about NBC letting one of its late night hosts go to L.A. to host another show? Genius.
Matt Nix — The writer/producer was working overtime this season, taking USA’s Burn Notice through its fourth season while also launching The Good Guys over on FOX. And while Michael Weston may be the polar opposite of detectives Bailey and Stark (at least in terms of competence), they all make for a great blend of action and comedy. Burn Notice got a little more serious this year, with Michael taking in an agent that he himself had inadvertently burned, it also gave us great bits with his mom (Sharon Gless), and a really fun guest appearance Burt Reynolds. That’s right, Burt Reynolds and Bruce Campbell finally teamed up, just like in our fan fiction!
The Good Guys, as we’ve mentioned before, is just a delight – sharp and funny and exciting. We love the way they play around with chronology, constantly jumping through time to explain plot points. And what’s really neat is the way that the villains in so many episodes are basically Burn Notice villains, and the guys just end up getting involved when an assassination plot bumps up against the case of the stolen humidifier. Matt Nix knows how to make TV that’s both fun and exciting, and we can’t wait to see new episodes of both of his shows, and anything else he might want to create in his spare time.
Casanova and Valerie from Project Runway – They’re the two contestants who in the current season’s early going have stood out to us, for different reasons. We’re not sure that Casanova can make it to Bryant Park. He’s got sort of a weird taste level and aesthetic and also has a limited knowledge of the English language. He’s taken a ton of flack from the judges so far, and he’s way too sensitive. It’s kind of like Fez from That 70’s Show became a designer. He does give a great interview, though. But, Valerie, she’s got the goods. She’s been pretty consistent and hasn’t annoyed us in the slightest. She’s very easy to root for. The show as a whole has already been a vast improvement over last season, and we’re enjoying the new 90 minute format, which has allowed for a little more character development and actual backstage drama to unfold. There’s a full-fledged villain–Gretchen–and April with her tiny little top knot hairdo that drives us a little batty.
Childrens Hospital — This summer, Adult Swim ran the original webisodes of Rob Corddry’s medical satire, and then kicked off an all-new season. Focusing on Dr. Cat Black (Lake Bell) who provides Gray’s Anatomy style-narration (One episode begins with the voiceover, “A hospital isn’t a place.”), it’s a masterpiece of straight-faced absurdity from some of the funniest people around.
Despite the fact that the name of the hospital actually comes from its founder, Dr. Arthur Childrens, it’s also a hospital for children. And yet, they still perform a lot of boob jobs (“Little tiny
breast implants. Seems like they get tinier every day.”) and the occasional vasectomy (“No, I’m not giving a six-year-old a vasectomy. Now hand me that sperm tube slicer.”) There’s a clown doctor who believes in treating people (and fixing cars) with “the healing power of laughter”, a genial yet widely-despised administrator who maybe likes butterflies a little too much, and a chief of medicine who suffers from an unnamed disease that leaves her a dead ringer for ER’s Kerry Weaver.
breast implants. Seems like they get tinier every day.”) and the occasional vasectomy (“No, I’m not giving a six-year-old a vasectomy. Now hand me that sperm tube slicer.”) There’s a clown doctor who believes in treating people (and fixing cars) with “the healing power of laughter”, a genial yet widely-despised administrator who maybe likes butterflies a little too much, and a chief of medicine who suffers from an unnamed disease that leaves her a dead ringer for ER’s Kerry Weaver.The main cast is great, including Rob Huebel (from Human Giant), Ken Marino (from The State), Henry Winkler, Megan Mullally, and Malin Akerman. And then there are the guest appearances from people like Jason Sudeikis, Ed Helms (as “Dr. Ed Helms”), and Nick “Ron Swanson” Offerman, who had some of the best jokes of the year as a cop who is a little fuzzy on when 9/11 actually happened. (“I seem to remember early in the year. January, maybe.”)
And somehow, it actually has ongoing story arcs. Cat’s affair with a child afflicted with Rapid Aging Syndrome is a great, and creepy, example. Or the story of Dr. Spratt, who faked her death because she had too much e-mail. After she admitted her trick, everybody still believed she was a ghost, and still respond with a panicked “Gh-gh-gh-gh-ghost!” when they see her in the halls.
The new season has just begun, so there’s still more to come this fall, including a live episode in October. And who knows? Maybe we’ll actually get an onscreen appearance from Michael Cera, who makes announcements over the PA in every episode.
Mad Men – The three time Emmy winner has been on fire so far with their fourth season. It’s been fascinating and exciting to see Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce develop as an agency while the turbulent sixties swirl around their Madison Avenue bubble. We’ve been on the edge of our seats the whole time. But we’re also pretty sure we’ve just witnessed the best episode in the history of the series with “The Suitcase”. This hour was an absolute tour de force for both Jon Hamm and Elisabeth Moss. Don and Peggy strengthened their connection and their friendship in ways we never thought these two guarded characters ever would. As a result, yet another layer was added to the incredibly rich story we enjoy every week. We can’t imagine where it’s heading next.
Louie – Louis C.K. has long been regarded as one of the best stand-up comedians in the business. While his first attempt at headlining a TV series (HBO’s Lucky Louie) didn’t click either creatively or in terms of ratings, his sophomore effort on FX had an absolutely fantastic first season. Louie is a little like a modern-day Seinfeld, in that he plays himself and the story is interspersed with Louis’ stand-up performances. But unlike Jerry Seinfeld, Louis doesn’t do jokes about the foibles of modern life – his material is more about how much he hates himself, why his kids are irritating, and how awkward it is to have to talk to a homeless person.
And Louie isn’t really structured like a traditional sitcom. Most episodes consist of two or three vignettes – just short little scenes based around one premise, rather than part of an overarching plot. Louis goes to the doctor. Louis looks up an ex on Facebook. Young Louis learns about crucifixion. Some of the scenes are hysterical – Louis trying to play a cop in Matthew Broderick’s remake of The Godfather, Louis meeting a fan in Alabama, Louis hooking up with a woman who’s attracted to him because he’s old and smells like death. Some of them are incredibly awkward and uncomfortable, like watching Louis deal with a heckler, or in an episode that should immediately be submitted to the TV Hall of Fame, a high school athlete bullies Louis in public and Louis follows him home to confront his parents. These scenes are as awkward as anything in Curb Your Enthusiasm, only they play out in a way that’s more honest.
