tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post2564955284651815475..comments2023-11-03T06:02:02.128-07:00Comments on By Ken Levine: The new TV season so farBy Ken Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-71702671898115070122010-09-29T08:38:11.020-07:002010-09-29T08:38:11.020-07:00All I've seen of Outsourced are the commercial...All I've seen of Outsourced are the commercials, but is there a reason why the "sacred cow" appears to be a Polled Hereford steer?lseftonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01732977691512390071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-72299527670716288122010-09-27T01:18:05.158-07:002010-09-27T01:18:05.158-07:00I guess I'm the only one here who cares about ...I guess I'm the only one here who cares about or likes <i>The Big C</i>. I love Laura Linney in anything I've ever seen her do, and with my life surrounded by people with cancer right now it's of especial relevance to me.David K. M. Klaushttp://davidkevin.livejournal.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-86981814878352975012010-09-26T15:11:52.071-07:002010-09-26T15:11:52.071-07:00The main reason I watched the premiere of RUNNING ...The main reason I watched the premiere of RUNNING WILDE was to see Peter Serafinowicz as Arnett's fellow rich idiot. He's great, but just as in COUPLE'S RETREAT, he's being great in spite of the material instead of because of it. My advice? Get a hand on a copy of his self-titled one-season, unjustly-canceled sketch-comedy show from the BBC -- even the weakest material generated more laughs than this turkey.<br /><br />As for AD, it was funny because the cast was good. I will say this about Mr. Hurwitz; he found a way to make me laugh at David Cross, something I would never do, even with a gun pointed at my head, when Cross performs his own material.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-73946996952993637512010-09-25T17:42:30.776-07:002010-09-25T17:42:30.776-07:00Ok, now I've watched Outsourced. The good news...Ok, now I've watched <i>Outsourced</i>. The good news id, I won't be watching it again. That frees up half an hour. <br /><br />And the announcement of the new <i>American Idol</i> judges panel frees up a <i><b>lot</b></i> of time. Who would want to spend an entire season looking at Steven Tyler? Ugh!D. McEwannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-77600531483933688102010-09-24T20:33:49.515-07:002010-09-24T20:33:49.515-07:00Well I thought Punction Marks My Dad Says was actu...Well I thought Punction Marks My Dad Says was actually fairly funny. Not great, but watchable. <i>Vastly</i> better than <i>Better With You</i>.<br /><br />I haven't been able to summon up the courage to watch <i>Outsourced</i> yet. I suppose I should bite the bullet and take a gander.D. McEwannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-28938243236687612152010-09-24T19:11:05.502-07:002010-09-24T19:11:05.502-07:00So what I'm hearing about OUTSOURCED is that s...So what I'm hearing about OUTSOURCED is that somebody thought the reason the US attempt at THE I.T. CROWD failed was that it wasn't ethnic enough?<br /><br />wv: flatio - you're doing it wrong...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-39721275377551136172010-09-24T08:58:16.795-07:002010-09-24T08:58:16.795-07:00Regarding "Outsourced," I found the firs...Regarding "Outsourced," I found the first episode more than amusing enough to keep me coming back. The creators are going to have to be careful to start with humor that comes from the workplace setting, which could be set anywhere, be it India, Scranton, Berlin or Hong Kong, then make sure the cultural humor adds to that and doesn't replace it. Of course having the call center selling novelty products they don't quite comprehend lets them accomplish both at the same time. As long as the humor comes from a place of simply trying to understand the others' cultures and belief systems instead of being dismissive, there is a lot of potential. Some of the lines such as "So this is how you celebrate the birth of the son of your god?" in reference to the mistletoe belt buckle had me snorting. (That's outward snorting, not inward.) <br /><br />The characters are little more than "types" right now (the hottie, the mouse, the cool guy, the creepy guy, the scheming assistant manager) but there is room for growth. I particularly like that the assistant manager (Rajiv?) is self-serving but realizes the best way for him to succeed is to be as helpful to his new boss as possible so the boss can be promoted and get the boss' job for himself. That's an interesting take on what could have been another Dwight Shrute clone.elfnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-85155621292648586942010-09-24T07:26:13.866-07:002010-09-24T07:26:13.866-07:00Modern Family indeed had a really bad season premi...Modern Family indeed had a really bad season premiere. It felt like they were already recycling storylines and it didn't help that the characters had become less believable and less likable. <br /><br />I expect that it will get better but at the same time I wouldn't be that surprised if the show tanks this season. We shall see..NotTheWorstWriterEverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02194020522777262243noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-9135717741031774612010-09-24T06:36:59.640-07:002010-09-24T06:36:59.640-07:00http://www.cracked.com/funny-6528-new-shows/
Hope...http://www.cracked.com/funny-6528-new-shows/<br /><br />Hope this is of some assistance in this area...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-56332330942831231052010-09-24T00:03:25.912-07:002010-09-24T00:03:25.912-07:00I also can't stand Will Arnett - he's smug...I also can't stand Will Arnett - he's smug and unfunny. He's the primary reason I would never watch Running Wilde.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-12180702272129083732010-09-23T23:53:14.666-07:002010-09-23T23:53:14.666-07:00Since you only talk about sitcoms in your post I&#...Since you only talk about sitcoms in your post I'll do the same - I liked Raising Hope/Arizona.<br /><br />BBT & Community both had good premieres.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-8712059798958583592010-09-23T23:17:36.664-07:002010-09-23T23:17:36.664-07:00The funniest show by far that isn't with us th...The funniest show by far that isn't with us this season is Party Down. I don't care if no one watched, it was hilarious.Frednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-14073151419663261342010-09-23T22:11:16.203-07:002010-09-23T22:11:16.203-07:00Wow, a good deal of hate for Better With You. I ac...Wow, a good deal of hate for Better With You. I actually thought it was pretty good; in fact, I laughed more than I did at The Middle before it. (The Middle made me smile, but not laugh out loud. It's a nice show with nice characters and it definitely seems to have heart -- I just don't find it laugh out loud funny.) Stuff My Dad Says was OK, but not great. Still, it showed more heart -- particularly towards the end -- then I thought it would. I'll admit, I did laugh a couple of times at Outsourced, although on the whole it wasn't that great and it's kind of easy to see where it's going. The sitcom I really miss, though, is Parks and Rec., which was one of the best shows of the year last season. It's a shame NBC has apparently decided it can only air four sitcoms at any given time.Mikenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-26282519749372179512010-09-23T21:42:37.779-07:002010-09-23T21:42:37.779-07:00Mac- Speaking as a fat person, I can authoritative...Mac- Speaking as a fat person, I can authoritatively state that watching fellow fat people break wind and furniture is in no way "comfort food".Geoduckhttp://cook.web.eschelon.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-39858776179958875792010-09-23T21:00:45.211-07:002010-09-23T21:00:45.211-07:00I work in the evenings and haven't had time to...I work in the evenings and haven't had time to watch any of these shows on the DVR yet, but thank you for finally pointing out the obvious about Will Arnett, who annoys me as much as Will Ferrell. And I'll add a little extra fuel to the flame wars. I am completely baffled by the non-stop shirt-rending over the cancellation of "Arrested Development." I watched it for awhile, found it more frantic than funny, with a lot of annoying and obnoxious characters I didn't give a damn about, and tuned out. Along with several million other people, I might add (it wasn't unjustly ignored; it pulled high ratings that slowly eroded). A fellow comedy writer called me once when it was still on and without even saying "Hello," he demanded, "What do you think of 'Arrested Development?'" I said what I said above, and he replied, "THANK YOU! That's exactly what I think, and I'm sick of people in the industry calling me to nag me to keep watching it!" <br /><br />I'm particularly fed up with "Entertainment Weekly," Fark.com and some other outlets where people just can't stop blubbering about "AD" being canceled. Get over it. It's as if I started everything I wrote by whining for five paragraphs about how unfair it was that NBC canceled "My World and Welcome To It."Pat Reedernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-56342921966682917852010-09-23T19:29:43.885-07:002010-09-23T19:29:43.885-07:00I am glad to learn I'm not the only person who...I am glad to learn I'm not the only person who has never gotten all the love lavished on Will Arnett. He's never done a thing for me, but I've felt like the kid who noticed he Emperor was naked. Everyone else keeps saying Arnett's great.<br /><br />How excruciatingly bad was the premiere of BETTER WITH YOU? I turned it off 12 minutes in, and went to work on my Huff Po column. When I choose work over a watching a sit-com, it really sucks. Terrible writing. Wretched excuses for gags, charm-free characters, and a laff-track that would find "That was no lady; that was my wife" screamingly hysterical. How on earth did the great James Burrows get sucked into directing this garbage?D. McEwannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-22707209330246851132010-09-23T18:53:58.143-07:002010-09-23T18:53:58.143-07:00"Better with You" has JoAnna Garcia.
Tha..."Better with You" has JoAnna Garcia.<br />That's enough for me.tenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-30490858784208027312010-09-23T18:16:03.958-07:002010-09-23T18:16:03.958-07:00I hope Modern Family gets better or at least good....I hope Modern Family gets better or at least good. It's the only show keeping me tuned to network tv. But if last night was any indication, the sophomore (hi)jinx is on. It felt like the j.v. squad wrote the show.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-9004442992113076852010-09-23T15:57:07.369-07:002010-09-23T15:57:07.369-07:00I disagree about Arnett-- maybe he's acquired ...I disagree about Arnett-- maybe he's acquired taste. To me he sort of has the Charles Grodin vibe. In the right roles I think he's good.l.a.guynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-66969269356181234562010-09-23T15:43:05.012-07:002010-09-23T15:43:05.012-07:00I've only seen clips of Mike and Molly but I&#...I've only seen clips of Mike and Molly but I'm not going to let that stop me having a theory about it - I reckon it's a cynical attempt to appeal to the large and growing demographic of obese people. Like comfort food, an attempt to create comfort comedy for overweight people to see themselves as humorous rather than endangering their own health. And, more cynically , for non-overweight people to laugh at them. Fine if you create a Homer Simpson with staggeringly good gags, but if you just create two people who just break furniture (and wind), not so good. It could be bollocks - my theories often are, but you can't help wondering what came first - the focus group results or the premise?<br />Re. Will Arnett, I'm afraid I have to agree that he's only able to do one thing. As one who worshipped at the altar of Arrested Development, it's tough to keep the faith.macnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-43223421269403513622010-09-23T14:48:43.280-07:002010-09-23T14:48:43.280-07:00It's pretty sad that I get more smiles from si...It's pretty sad that I get more smiles from side banter between characters in action/crime shows than in the "comedies" being offered.Blazenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-16878823835732710182010-09-23T14:39:58.721-07:002010-09-23T14:39:58.721-07:00Hi Ken, a screenwriter friend recently turned me o...Hi Ken, a screenwriter friend recently turned me on to your posts. So glad he did. Really enjoying them! Keep em coming!<br /><br />Todd Klick<br />writerwrench.comTodd Klickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05020053213665956933noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-31199440202272025532010-09-23T13:46:09.135-07:002010-09-23T13:46:09.135-07:00I don't watch that many sitcoms, so I'm es...I don't watch that many sitcoms, so I'm especially annoyed that Big Bang Theory and Community, two that I do watch, are going up against each other this season.Larrynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-89702653938751591972010-09-23T13:37:05.402-07:002010-09-23T13:37:05.402-07:00I don't know about anyone else, but COUGAR TOW...I don't know about anyone else, but COUGAR TOWN annoys the hell out of me. It's chaotic. I feel like I'm having a panic attack and then I realize that I'm only watching this show. Courtney Cox rushes around with a painted on smile maniacally blurting lines at 100 miles per hour.Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00107309396839340695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-58784226489689438972010-09-23T13:02:15.830-07:002010-09-23T13:02:15.830-07:00I'm liking "Terriers" a lot. And I ...I'm liking "Terriers" a lot. And I thought "Raising Hope" had potential, but I'll be wary about it. Like another commenter said, all the pros and critics are panning it, but the masses seem to love RH. Terriers is the opposite: critics like it, the masses don't, except for a hardcore internet contingent. I'm definitely consistent...I'll be over in the corner hugging all my box sets of Firefly and Veronica Mars.Hologrammanoreply@blogger.com