Fall TV Comedies - Blackish and Marry Me are Gonna Make you Laugh Now

Sorry for the radio silence but I wanted to do a more in-depth review of some of the new comedies by watching at least two eps to get a handle on them. From best to worst...so far:

1.  Blackish - If you are married or married with kids and you are looking for a show that is fresher than the going stale Modern Family, this show is for you. The pilot was ok but it was the next three eps that really pulled me in and literally had me laughing out loud. I have always enjoyed Anthony Anderson and it is great that he has a cast around him that complement his talent.  This show is only going to get better as it hits its stride and the characters become more familiar. 

2. Marry Me - Confession, I am still sad that Happy Endings was cancelled but that same show runner, David Caspe, and one of the stars, Casey Wilson, bring a little bit of the Happy Endings fairy dust to this show.  The pilot was good, solid comedy - - nothing earthshattering - - but it is quirky and fun and similar to Blackish in that I think it will continue to get better as the cast gels.  Not gonna lie, at the end of the ep when they were going in for their engagement party I felt like half the partyers were missing because we needed the Happy Endings gang there, but hopefully I can grow to love this group just as much and they will be their own version of Ah-mah-zing.  

3. Selfie - A surprisingly sweet comedy with a terrible name.  Maybe because it is a modern day take on My Fair Lady (AUDREY!), or perhaps because one of my all-time faves John Cho is in it, but I really like this show.  It is silly, a bit weird with a side of camp. But I think this will get cancelled so I am not getting too attached. And poor John is a bit of a curse either his shows don't get renewed (Flash Forward) or he is undead (Sleepy Hollow).

4. Manhattan Love Story - I wanted to love this show (Evan from Greek....Dang I miss that show) but I  was more like meh at first blush.  The pilot was too trite and the characters were a little shallow for my tastes, plus there was the "girl can't operate her phone story line" which gets old fast.  But, by the second ep I was liking it a bit more and the characters were more likeable. So, I will stick with this one for a bit. As with Selfie though, the ratings are low so I don't have much hope.

5. A to Z - How could I not love the mom from HIMYM and Michael "One Nipple" Ginsberg from Mad Man? I think the main problem here is that I just don't see the chemistry between the leads.  They are both a bit too cutesy, but the premise of the show is intriguing....you already know that their relationship only lasts 8 months. So, presumably you watch the full trajectory of their relationship play out and then SPOILER she dies in the end. I kid. I am in a holding pattern with this one - - I think it will be a "I'mboredonfridaynightsoi'llwatchitondemandwhilerodneywatchesgoldrush" show. 

What are your favorite comedies from the new fall slate? 

Fall TV - How to Get Away with Revenge in Nashville

The new fall shows are very much exceeding my expectations with the most anticipated show, How to Get Away with Murder living up to the hype.  At the same time though, some old standbys in years past, which I loved for the good ole soapy goodness of them, Nashville and Revenge, are falling on hard times. 

First up, is the newbie, Murder.  Suspending all disbelief at how completely unrealistic this story is compared to what Criminal Law 1L year is really like (the actus reus/mens rea discussion and the deer in head lights look Wes had on his face getting called on were pretty much the only realistic parts of the first episode. Personally, I thought we missed a great opportunity to discuss malice aforethought, one of my favorite crim law terms) Anyways....this show is going to be GOOD. A little dash of Orange is the New Black (hello Bennett...), a little 'arry Potter (good to see you Dean!), with a helping of Emily Owens MD (nice job, friend of Emily's who got the guy...I can't remember her name for love or money and refuse to go on IMDB) and then of course some GILMORE GIRLS (Paris! Lookin' good with the new haircut...). The real star and anchor of the show is of course,Viola Davis. She does steely like nobody's business.  I am excited to find out how these (supposedly) brilliant law students end up with a dead body and a murder weapon.  Or, were they chosen for their vulnerabilities and not necessarily their intellect.....hmmm feels like Patty Hewes is in the house. 

I also caught up with two soapy shows that have been mainstays for me the past couple of years, Revenge and Nashville. Nashville didn't seem very fresh, like everything had already been done before. I have to say though I was VERY happy Rayna did not go back to Deacon. I like a good redemption story as much as the next person, but their story line gives me the skeeves.  I feel like it is borderline abusive - she has put up with his crap for so many years and she always takes him back. And, at a certain point you gotta realize that while you can still love someone, they might not be the best influence on your life (and vice versa).  So, I am definitely shipping Luke and Rayna.  

Revenge just felt tired, old, and very played out. What is left? I know Victoria is the avenger now and what is going to happen when David Clarke comes back to the fold? But do I really care? My DVR cut off the end so I wasn't able to finish the ep yet, but I have a feeling this show might be in danger of getting cut from the DVR rotation. We'll see, but with no red sharpie, it has lost its edge (well really lost its edge about 1 1/2 seasons ago but then really got its mojo back at the end of last season I thought....so much for that).

Fall TV - The Dead Presidents and Madam Secretary

Well, the fall tv season is shaping up quite nicely despite my lower expectations.  I don't know if The Roosevelts counts as new fall tv but it sure is a revelation.  

I have only watched the first 2 hours and, well ,now I know why Teddy always looks so intense in his pictures with nary a smile in sight.  Not only was he a sickly child with asthma (with recurring problems as he got older) but he also lost his wife and mother on the same day. And poor FDR the ultimate mama's boy....

Maybe the most fascinating aspect of The Roosevelts is understanding the true depth of their impact on history and America's role on the world stage.  Really, until Teddy the US seemed pretty content to sit back and let the wars come to them.  Then came the Rough Riders and the Spanish-American war. But even before that according to the PBS documentary, Teddy gave one of the most imperialist speeches in history (even through recent times).  The crux of it was that decline of the British Empire had opened a door to world dominance for the U.S.  And how that came to fruition.  Given America's recent decades long intervention in world affairs, suffice it to say, America still likes to flex its muscles abroad even while parts of the US are on a ventilator.  Peacekeeping I get, constant bombing in countries where the only real obvious American interest is oil and "democracy" is tougher to take. And maybe we have Teddy to thank for that to a degree. While there isn't much real video footage in The Roosevelts, Ken Burns and his crew sure do bring them alive. I am beyond excited for the next chapter. 

I am also surprisingly excited for the next episode of Madam Secretary. Part of its allure comes from the comfort factor of knowing many of the actors including the man who is always a villian, Zeljko Ivanek - - seriously no one plays white collar evil better than this man (Exhibit A- Damages, Exhibit B - Suits). And, I hope Tim Daly doesn't turn out to be a bad guy (it was just a wee bit suspicious that he was the only person who heard George's conversation with Bess and then boom, bye bye George).  It would be a shame to have to root against Daly because ever since Wings, he has had a special place in my tv watching heart. Either way, this show is going to live or die on Tea Leoni's shoulders  - - whether she can strike that right balance between steely and compassionate. She hit the right notes in the pilot, and I have hope from here on out. Although, I have to say the show left me a bit nostalgic for the dysfunctional train wreck that was USA Network's Political Animals, the short-lived Sigourney Weaver's vehicle that left me wanting more of the strong female politician.  

Cheers to more good fall tv! 

Fall TV Madness - A Promising One, Red Band Society

At the end of the Red Band Society pilot I had that feeling, it was similar to the feeling I had a the end of the Glee pilot - - the warm fuzzies.  While it was a tad too blatant with the heartstring pulling and the soaring Coldplay song at the end, it was good and I will definitely watch it again.  You can already see where some of the plots are going: the cheerleader Kara will have interesting character development where she will get a "heart" but also make some really bad judgments and decisions along the way while she learns to be less of a mean girl and more of a genuine one; Leo will be the "soul" of the show with his sage advice and "band of brother"esque quotes, Emma and Jordi will become the Hazel and Gus of the tv world and then there is Dash who already holds a special place for me. Dash has cystic fibrosis which is such a hard, angle-planed condition - - meaning it is a disease that has so many rough edges with no easy landings.  I lost a cousin to CF and am a carrier of the gene myself.  My cousin was a stubborn but fun-loving person whose lungs robbed him of the life he should have led. Every time I am with my Ohio family especially around the holidays I think of him and the fact that he is not with us there in the flesh although I know that his spirit lives on.  So, I'll be keeping a close eye on Dash and there will be lots of water in my eyes as we watch him struggle.  

While I really enjoyed the pilot, I know it will be too pat and maudlin for those looking for deeper meaning, not edgy enough for the hipsters, and maybe too sad to be a family show.  But, those thinking it will be too sad might want to reconsider because I think it will also be full of life-affirming, remember to live in the present lessons.  I wasn't going to watch it as I had a recent depressing brush with a Children's Hospital when I went to one here in Portland to visit friends and their baby who was having seizures. I had a ginormous lump in my throat walking down the hall past some of the rooms and didn't really relish reliving that moment through a tv show week in and week out.  You could tell by how decorated and lived-in those rooms were in the real hospital, that these kids called it home and that made me sad. But. if you approach it the way RBS wants you to, you could think instead that these kids are just so strong and they probably appreciate the little things in life that those of who are healthy just don't even realize or see.  And hopefully, RBS, will show the positive side of those hospitals while not addressing the elephant in the room i.e. how the hell can Jordi afford to have his leg removed, does he have healthcare? And, is there a crazy tea party congressman on his tail ready to drag him back to the border? Come to think of it do they all have healthcare? Are their parents going bankrupt to keep their kids alive?....These thoughts also crossed my mind in the real hospital (except the crazy congresman one because you know I could care less what country a sick child is from BECAUSE THEY ARE A SICK CHILD AND IT DOESN'T MATTER, THEY NEED CARE,THEY SHOULD GET IT). But some of these real world concerns - at least for now were glossed over in the Hollywood version.

Either way, I am going to keep watching because heartwarming y'all! And Octavia Spencer (aka "crazy bitch" which also begs the question - - what nickname would a Starbucks barista give you? Hopefully "mos deaf" for me if they have any sense of humor)! Don't forget, Dave wow-he-has-grown-up-since-Brothers-and-Sisters-and-doesn't-he-look-sexy-with-silver-hair Annable! I hope Fox gives it a shot....