New Fall Sitcoms Is Where It’s At

Friends! And everyone else that is wildly disappointed with this week’s episode of Glee! Stop watching trash television. We don’t have to stand for it. Yeah, I’m looking at you Ladies of Greenwood with all of your Bad Girls Club nonsense. There are actually really charming new sitcoms to feast upon that I think will make you think twice about your allegiances to the shit we’ve been watching lately. Behold: Raising Hope and Outsourced.

Raising Hope

The story of a boy who knocked up a girl that was actually a murderer and then got sentenced to death so now he’s raising a kid with his lovably simple minded parents and senile Maw Maw. I’ll admit that at first I thought this show was just trying to milk (pun intended) the joke made popular in The Hangover: inept man takes care of infant. Hilarious right? Well, luckily that’s not really at all what this show is about. Jimmy, the boy in question, earnestly wants to be a good dad. He’s got a lot of heart and compassion. I don’t think we’ll be seeing him make his baby do jerking off hand gestures any time soon. The show has hints of My Name is Earl (and I say that as someone that never watched an episode but gathered that it was all just about making fun of republican hicks) but with the sensibility of How I Met Your Mother (the humor comes from relatable characters and relationships instead of relying solely on pop culture references and over-the-top antics). We’re only two episodes in and you can catch up on Hulu. I say give it a spin. It’s a really cute show.

Outsourced

The story of a boy who was ready to start a brand new management position for American novelty products when he suddenly learns that to keep his job he’ll have to move to India. Way to finally tap into the Bollywood scene, Hollywood. This show is just plain charming. It’s The Office but without all of the unbearable awkwardness. Just a group of people, in a room, coping with one of the worst jobs known to mankind: customer service. I love that it takes place in India because it allows the writers to shine a light on all of the bullshit things that Americans consume. I look at every product in their catalogue and can think of at least one person that I know that would not only buy it, but would show it to me the second I come over to their house, giggling like a little girl. It’s sad but true. And I know, I know, I’m only 1 episode in, but I’m hopeful. I think it looks pretty funny and easy to watch. And that’s what this 24 going on 44 girl needs.

Emmys Noms: First Impressions

You might be tolerable this year!

The Emmy nominations were announced today and I was SHOCKED with some of the results. And by that I mean that it didn’t look like an exact replica of last year’s ballot which is a huge breakthrough for the Emmys. I have been watching the Emmys since I was a little kid (probably long before the Oscars since I wasn’t old enough to watch any of the movies–but dammit I was old enough to watch Fraiser) and I gotta say, I’m pretty happy with how things shook out. Here are my random thoughts on the whole thing, take ‘em or leave ‘em.

-Jack Bender got nominated for his direction of the final episode of LOST and all I have to say is hallelujah. He has probably directed the most episodes of the show and is responsible for so many of those long, sweeping montages or action-packed running-in-the-jungle sequences that were so beautiful we can’t get them out of our head. I hope he wins but I also wouldn’t be surprised if it went to Mad Men or Breaking Bad.

The Tony’s: A Comedy of Errors

No additional dimming necessary.

I’ll be honest… my memory ain’t what it used to be.  Hell, I can’t really even remember what my memory used to be well enough to tell if what it is now really isn’t what it was back in the day.  (What? Sorry.) But the parts of my brain that I haven’t drank away assure me of one undeniable fact about awards shows: they keep getting harder and harder to watch.  Sadly, I think tonight’s Tony Awards underscored my biggest problem with the genre with  today.

Sure, these shows in general are kind of television’s black sheep: they don’t make much money; the voting is flawed; the wrong people win; they’re more than a little bit indulgent – for me, that’s all a matter of course.  Let’s face it, they’re not for everybody to begin with.  But for those of us who are into whatever artform Awards Show du Jour happens to be honoring, it should still be a good 3+ hours’ worth of viewing pleasure, right?

Apparently not.

I’ll take “Don’t Add Crappy New Characters” for 100, Alex.

As a college student I didn’t have time for TV. No Thursday night line-ups on NBC. No TGIF on ABC. Not even a Movie and a Makeover Sunday with TBS.

But now I’m a bonafide working girl with a less strenuous schedule and Hulu has taken away any barrier between me and the small screen. I’ve unearthed my IV drip of yore, plugged it directly into my MacBook and with only a few hits a day I’m back in my TV coma. While I’m propped up on my Tempur-Pedic bed waiting for my jello to arrive I’ll confess that I am actively following LOST, The Office, Modern Family, V, 30 Rock, Community, Parks and Recreation, Glee, and the occasional Project Runway. Damn, it feels good.

Looking at this line-up I notice a lot of newcomers. Shows that are doing pretty well in their first season with no looming signs of cancellation in sight. LET ME WARN ALL OF YOU. You will be tempted to add new characters in future seasons. But listen to this re-lapsed TV junky: I beg you, choose wisely. There is right way to do it. And there is a very, very wrong way to do it.

Pre-Glee

One drawback of being an admittedly lukewarm Gleek (aside from being hazed for not attending last weekend’s Glee Flash Mob) is that the morning after a new episode airs people automatically assume you’ve already watched it, so before you can even get out the first few syllables of, “Actually, my Tuesday night viewing allegiances still lie with Lost for the next four weeks,” they’ve prattled off something about Sue Sylvester sleeping with the principal in order to-and then I took out some trash and saved myself.  That said, I’m pretty excited to see last night’s episode this afternoon – mostly due to the beginnings of Season 1.5′s inclusion of Broadway legend and legend-in-training Idina Menzel and Jonathan Groff.  Drool.

My only stipulation: the episode better be the auditory equivalent of chocolate chocolate chip cake and/or provide some three-dimensionality to at least one of the characters or I might have to reconsider my giving of the show a second chance at my affections.  I swear, one more “the baby you think I’m having is actually the ugly cushion off the sofa in the living room” story arc that lasts for more than two episodes (let alone like 12), and I might just have to do something crazy.  Like start watching Desperate Housewives again.  *shudder*