Modern Family

Before I dive into my review of Modern Family, let me say this. I haven't posted anything in a week or two so let me wrap that up in a few sentences. Concerning Christmas specials i.e. Community, 30 Rock and The Office, I am ranking them as follows: Community > The Office > 30 Rock. In brief, 30 Rock didn't go anywhere it hasn't already and just had a regular Christmas-themed episode. Although, Elaine Stritch as Jack's mom is one of the best guest stars the show has. Same thoughts on The Office save the additional return of the lovely Holly. And even though nothing too grand came from her return in the Michael-Holly department, it certainly sets things in motion like we've all been waiting for. And as for Community, well, maybe they were trying to impress everybody in their sophomore effort or maybe it really is just that good of a show, but they really blew me away with their Christmas episode. Not entirely because of the actual jokes or story of the show itself (although they were worthy) but because they chose quite an undertaking with the Rankin/Bass-type animation. Making that entire episode is a real feat and I tip my fedora to them. They are constantly churning out fresh ideas. I don't know how long it can last, but I'll take it while I can.


Modern Family 

Anyway, Modern Family, where do I begin? First of all, I have been inundated constantly over the past year with everybody shouting at me to watch Modern Family. It's kind of annoying. I mean, people would get literally mad at me for not watching the shows that they watch. Like, angry mad. A lot of those people also weren't allowed to drink soda as kids and are the same people you catch yelling at themselves in mirrors when they think nobody is watching. So, for the sake of their elevated blood pressure, I watched Season 1 and 2 (up to the most current episode) over the past couple weeks.


First, let me say, I really really do like the show. Simply put, I don't think its one of my favorite comedies ever or anything, but it's one of the best ones on television currently. Definitely a show that I will set up to record every week and watch regularly. I won't really say that I'm going to watch it religiously because it's not that type of show. But I will get to that later.


Here's how I classify Modern Family. I don't mean to be overly simplistic or keep using the same shows as crutches for comparison, but that's what I'm going to do. The show is somewhere in the land between a Two and a Half Men-type show and The Office. I don't mean that in terms of quality but rather style and overall appeal. And to be honest, it leans much more heavily towards The Office. It taps into the same subconscious, unspoken situational humor as The Office but instead of "this is what people are like in an office" it is "this is what people are like in a family" and uses the documentary interview style (By the way, they really do never explain why they are talking to the camera. Ostensibly, The Office implies that it is a documentary crew and will even occasionally make glances at the camera itself. Modern Family just sort of has the gimmick unquestioned. Though, to be fair, The Office isn't exactly more realistic because of its acknowledgment of the camera. That crew is either making the most in-depth, Ken Burns-style documentary of office life or they just have nothing better to film because I think they have enough footage already). Anyway, the reason I say it's like a CBS-type sitcom is because of its family appeal and subject matter. Say what you want about shows on CBS (example: They are moronic) but people watch the shit out of them. Some of them have such massive appeal and are so easy to watch, that they constantly outperform everything in their timeslot. Modern Family is able to marry that appeal (family jokes pretty much cast the widest net out there, audience-wise) and sophisticate it with actually good writing. Also, they invest ample amounts of time into making the audience genuinely care about the characters (another way it is similar to The Office and, really, Community too). Writing comedies with an emotionally dedicated backbone is always a good movie, in my opinion.


And another thing, I used the word "sophisticated" in describing Modern Family. What I mean by that is, essentially, it has no laugh track. For the love of God, when will comedies stop using laugh tracks. They are obsolete. I don't mean to be rude (I probably do), but shows that are still using laugh tracks are stupid. They constantly remind everybody that they are indeed watching a sitcom. Shows (good shows) shouldn't have to remind their audience where to find the joke. In fact, the entire notion of comedy writing is changing such that there is no longer a setup-punchline format. Comedies today embed their jokes in such a myriad of layers in the show that adding a laughtrack would being spitting on it. Just think about shows that haven't used laughtracks from the past few years. (Arrested Development, The Office, Curb Your Enthusiasm, It's Always Sunny, 30 Rock, Community...the list goes on). Chances are, if you are still using one, your show is geared towards more of a common denominator audience. Excising the canned laughter doesn't make your show automatically good (Outsourced) but it does set it up for a feel that is conducive to better comedy. For further research on the subject, watch this clip of The Big Bang Theory with all of the laughs taken out and tell me if its funny.


Ok, SO, Modern Family. I didn't necessarily stray off-topic because Modern Family fits in with what I was just talking about. It is a member of the progressive comedy class. I guess the easiest way to break the show down is by family so let me just give a brief overview of my thoughts on each three ones.

The Dunphys: The centerpiece family of the show has pretty normal problems going on in it. Hayley is a budding teenager who talks on the phone constantly and wants to break the rules. Alex is dorkier and sometimes has trouble making friends. Luke has some sort of chromosomal disorder I think. I'm not really sure what's the matter with him. In fact, I really don't think his jokes are very funny. Probably one of my least favorite characters on the show. But really, the kids in the family aren't really breaking any new ground. In fact, the whole family is pretty average and if the show were just about them, it clearly wouldn't be any considerable stand-out. Claire, the mom, is the typical hectic, mini-van driving mom. But the pièce de résistance is clearly Phil. When I first saw the actor (Eric Stonestreet) at the Emmys, I thought he looked really unfunny and probably played the straight guy. But his delivery and character are hilarious. He's a buffoon, sure. One of my favorite moments of his was when he was trying to reach his sunglasses in the garage by climbing on top of the car. But the real reason I like him is because he's such a dork and that's always more fun to watch than a buffoon. Also, its comforting to know that someone that dorky and stupid acting can land a wife that hot. 

Jay/Gloria/Manny: This one is where things get a little more irregular as these three characters are all comfortably sitting in fresh and unique territory. I think Jay is a good solid character from both a comedic standpoint as well as an emotional perspective. Some of the more memorable character breakthroughs are centered around him. Manny is interesting. At first I didn't like him. I thought the actor that plays him (Rico Rodriguez) sort of delivered his lines poorly and the "old soul" gimmick wasn't really believable. But, like all things, you get used to it and I really actually enjoy Manny now. He can be a bit much sometimes but sometimes it pays off a la the episode about his birthday. And as for Gloria, yikes. She is ridiculous looking to the point of distraction. I really have no other comments on her performance. Actually, sometimes her accent can be super annoying. Like the way she always says "Jay". I would try to type out the way she says it phonetically, but my keyboard doesn't have a "G humping a Y"-key.


Cam/Mitchell/Lily: This is really what gives Modern Family its flavor. Fortunately, the addition of a gay couple really extracts the show from a stereotypical sitcom and allows it to venture out. In my opinion, I like Cam and I don't like Mitchell. I realize that the uptight character is how Mitchell is written, but I still don't really like him. (Or maybe it's a redhead-with-a-beard thing. It just looks unnatural to me. Like a dog wearing  shoes or an infant wearing a monocle.) Plus, Cam is so charismatic as it is, it's pretty easy to dislike Mitchell by comparison. When Mitchell freaks out about something, I'm just like "Shut up, you baby" but when Cam worries about something, I say "Haha, keep doing it, you're so funny. Hey, I thought I told you to shut it, Mitchell". Cam really has the physical comedy going for him too which helps. Not that he is necessarily doing pratfalls but, as callous as it may sound, fat is funny.


Overall, the reason Modern Family is such a success is because it is watchable from many different perspectives. It's a simple show for the entire family to watch together and appreciate. But it's also worthy of an audience that watches comedy shows they consider forward-thinking and smart. The idea for the show isn't world-changing but it is still a fairly new take on a tired concept. It might not have as many in-depth jokes or room for encyclopedic character knowledge as The Office or as many subtle pop culture references as 30 Rock, but it still has pretty sharp and perceptive writing. If it was on Thursdays, it might lose out to those shows. But its on Wednesdays so, I mean, what else are you gonna watch? Criminal Minds? Essentially, its a good, witty mainstream sitcom which is needed these days. 

Updates

Sometimes my mind writes checks that my fingers can't cash (That came out sounding creepy). What I mean is, I had this grand plan to watch all this TV and type my fully formed and well-versed opinions on individual shows. Well, it turns out that some of these shows are hard to keep up with. In fact, if you miss more than one episode of an hour-long HBO drama i.e. Boardwalk Empire, you're pretty much screwed in the catch up game. I'm sure I will use the down time of the Christmas holiday to get up to speed on all of these missed opportunities. (Although, to be fair, I have stayed pretty faithful to the NBC comedies.) In the mean time, I am going to take on a somewhat more manageable task.

I'm going to pick a show each week that I don't really know anything about besides the premises outlined from whatever commercials I've seen. I'm thinking something along the lines of a crappy looking network comedy or drama whose ratings are fueled by old people accidentally leaving the TV on after they fall asleep. For instance, who is watching Mike and Molly? I think a lot of people are actually. That will definitely be one that I watch soon just to see what is going on. Interestingly, when I suggested sampling that show first to a friend, he said that Mike and Molly is a buzzword and I would seem like I was following the crowd. I don't even know what that means. First, how is Mike and Molly a buzzword? Was there something about it on Wikileaks that I didn't catch? And second, the day I get caught following the "Mike and Molly crowd" is the day I start dropping the g's from -ing words and investing in personal gravy flasks. 

Fat jokes aside, something is medically wrong with his stomach.

In other news, I have been shoveling my way through the first season of Modern Family and am going to try and catch up to the current episodes by next week so look for my overall take on the show coming soon. This is the show that everybody claims "You have to watch! What?! You aren't watching Modern Family?? What are you? North Korean?" So, I'm watching it and I've already got some thoughts brewing besides ones that have to do with Sofia Vergara. 

Anyway, if anybody (my three followers) has any suggestions for shows I should try out, I'm all ears. Or eyes. Depending on the method of communication.

Community/30 Rock/The Office

Community - "Mixology Certification"

This episode of Community is pretty much reserved for viewers that have been following the show for the majority of its run. As an avid fan, I thought it was a great episode. However, if I had to guess, anybody that tunes in casually probably thought it was ho-hum. There was no recognizable parody or send-up for viewers to find common ground on. There wasn't even much of Greendale as the consistent background for the episode. Essentially, the episode removed the group from the school setting and placed them all in a bar for the night. Now, that's a great synopsis to hear if you've been tracking the various character etchings and traits of each individual group member as it explores further dynamics between the different people. It's probably not too exciting if you still refer to Community as "that show with the guy from The Soup".


Nevertheless, frequent viewer or not, it's hard to find much fault with the episode as a whole considering the off-campus location they chose was a bar for Troy's 21st birthday, or "Explusion Day". And using that setting, the show did a pretty good job of portraying a night out. Annie was worried about getting in with a fake ID to the extent of assuming an entirely different persona and accent to fool the bar employees. Coming as no surprise, this  trick dovetailed perfectly into a reason for Annie to be a newer and less inhibited person for the night. 


Jeff and Britta both acted like typical know-it-alls at the bar as they indoctrinated Troy on the tips and tricks of ordering drinks at bars. Jeff suggested he add two drops of spring water to aged Scotch in order to activate the flavor as he twirled his glass in his hand like a real douche bag. Speaking of Jeff and Britta, I'm really getting torn as to who I'd rather see hook up with each other. Jeff and Britta, judging by this episode, are kind of good for each other. They both try to act more civilized and mature than they really are and clearly have some sort of subconscious attraction to each other. However, I really enjoy when the show teases the idea of Jeff and Annie. A. I like Annie more and B. Jeff, although clearly a snob, does have a good heart and that is best displayed when the possibility of him and Annie is entertained. However, the Troy and Annie possibility that was introduced in Season 1 seems like it could be a whole other storyline judging by the very sweet conversation between the two tonight. So really, these threads could go anywhere or nowhere at all. If nothing else, it is a real relief to watch a show that can juggle both high concept comedy and deep, believable relationships so well in ways that The Office did at its height. 

In other regions of the group, Shirley (who I constantly want to call Sharrie for some reason?) is unveiled as having quite the alcoholic history at the same bar that the group coincidentally decides to visit. This comes as a breath of fresh air because I usually find Shirley annoying. Her whole "That's nice." routine is grating and so its nice to see her open up with some flaws. As for Pierce, well, they sure are sticking to that broken legs storyline faithfully. And Abed spends the majority of the episode displaying his true nerd to the point of talking about Farscape with a gay guy at the bar despite the fact that he is obviously trying to pick him up. INTERESTING SIDE NOTE: The comedian who plays the gay guy in the episode is Paul F. Tompkins and is probably one of my five favorite comedians ever. You want to know more about my history with him? OK well I have all of his albums and he just so happened to come to St. Louis this past August and yours truly went to go see him. In fact, I have a picture to prove it. He also signed his CD for me with a personalized note. If you would like to know more stories about my run-ins with celebrities, I have several. 


Anyway, Troy was the star of this episode and really stepped up to the plate as far as creating a more fitting role as one of the norms for the show. 


-"I broke my legs, not my gender."
-"It's like the Lifetime movie of beverages."
-"Stargate is better."
-"Abed does that like three times a week."


30 Rock - "Chain Reaction of Mental Anguish"

I never have that much to write about 30 Rock. Either the fast-paced gags deliver or they don't And considering the show throws so many at you (a high JPM, or jokes per minutes, a unit of measurement I invented) that there are almost always some great ones that stick each week. However, occasionally the show will entertain some of the various relationships it has on the back burner and bring them to the forefront for the week and then usually place them back on reserve for a while. Where have Jack and Avery been? I'm sure it will come up soon and then disappear for awhile as usual. And as I've said before, this isn't a problem because nobody watches the show to check in with these relationships each week. I think the only real relationship that I care about or get anything from is between Jack and Liz. It's part friendship and part mentorship. Liz looks up to Jack for advice and Jack really does watch out for Liz, despite his occasional disgust at her life choices ("I'm tired of talking this much to a woman I'm not having sex with.")


So, this episode decided to bring a few familiar storylines into view EXCEPT for the only one I really care about watching. Tracy's son is back trying to milk money from his rich dad. I thought he was ruled a fraud like two seasons ago? Why did they bring him back? And Jenna's look-a-like boyfriend has returned. However I can't fault this appearance because of how much I love Will Forte. I hope his departure from SNL doesn't result in a lack of airtime because he is great. He has subsequently been popping up on Conan lately playing a hilarious Ted Turner. Anyway, did the episode go into unneeded territory concerning the plot? Yeah, I think so. But if the one-liners and gags are strong enough, I can't say it was a bad episode. It just wasn't a great one. And if they are going to reintroduce occasional characters, let's make it some of the all-stars i.e. Will Arnett's Devon Banks. He clearly is going to have free time on his hands once Running Wilde is cancelled. 


-"Why can't we just paint each others' toe nails, watch vintage pornography, and then go to bed in our swing like a normal couple?"
-"It was Harold, and I ate all of him. Even the face in case of a tie. I ate him sir! I ate my father pig!"
-Jack: "You're the only one bank rolling this? What about Brown and Folderson?"
Tracy: "That's what I call my wallet."

-"Anyone I ever dated in high school turned out to be either gay or a girl dressed as a guy to get a journalism scholarship."

-Of course, Jack hoping that Kenneth's father figure, who turned out to be a pig, was human was a hilarious smaller moment.

The Office - "China"

I'm having a hard time figuring out this season of The Office and I think I know why. I've been watching the show since its inception and then rewatching the seasons as they come out on DVD. This is especially true with the advent of Netflix which has all of the seasons on Instant View (same with 30 Rock and Parks and Recreation, just saying.) So, other than watching them spaced out week-by-week, I am most familiar with seasons as consumed four or five episodes per sitting. Some days I will just curl up in my bed, draw the shades, drape myself in velvet and watch an entire season of a show like The Office. Is that sad? Yes. Does it help me as a fan of the show? Yes. Is there a bed pan involved? Probably. 

Anyway, I think the prevalence of shows on DVD changes the way we think about and react to the show. It's the same reason I have trouble watching Boardwalk Empire. Its sometimes a slow show week to week. But I bet if I watch it on DVD, it becomes a lot more exciting since I can watch the episodes back-to-back. Likewise, I just recently watched all of Deadwood on DVD and proclaim it as one of the best shows of all time. However, I don't think I would say that had I watched it one episode at a time when it originally aired because it would probably seem so goddamn slow and boring.

So, what does this have to do with this season of The Office? I'm saying its hard get a good feeling for a show when you tune in for 30 minutes once a week. When you have a marathon viewing of a season, the world that the show inhabits seems to take over for extended periods of time and shows that are faithful to that world i.e. The Office or Deadwood pay off for their dedication. Essentially, I think this season has been sporadic and spotty with continual storylines mixed in with occasional offshoot episodes like Ryan's website campaign. And its hard to tell if that's unusual for the season of it's just because you're watching it so spread out. Only time will tell.

As for tonight's episode, I'll say a few quick things. I realized that I don't really care too much about Pam anymore. I thought her whole Office Administrator storyline gave her something to do, but as far as the theme of her failing at her pursuits, I wasn't really affected. I didn't really care that much when she went to art school. I will admit I did enjoy when she left and joined Michael's new paper company. But overall, once the show hooked up Jim and Pam and they got married, the bubble was burst on that subject. However, her interaction with Dwight payed off because it was one of the times, although few and far in between, that the show unveiled a human and sympathetic side of Dwight. He essentially let Pam win because he felt bad for her. Call me a sucker for those moments but they get me every time.

And I am glad that the episode pursued an Oscar storyline because I have always liked his character even though this episode made him look like a know-it-all. I think he is one of the show's norms and keeps it grounded in reality along with Jim and Pam. In fact, if I think about it, Jim, Pam and Oscar are probably the only really normal acting people on the show. Maybe Phyllis? But she is also weirdly sexual with Bob Vance in an X-rated Mike and Molly sort of way.

Overall, this episode gave Michael a chance to be right about something, at least in his mind's eye. And I always enjoy whatever small victories Michael is able to scrape from his Dunder-Mifflin (Sabre) existence. 

-That interaction on the street with the "Other Pam" was hilarious. 

Dwight: "We have a colleague with the same name. You're not a liar too are you."

Other Pam: "I've been known to bend the truth."
Dwight: "Damn it Pam! Get out!"

-"Why do you even need soap? Are you that bad at going to the bathroom?"

-"He really does fit that old stereotype of the smug gay Mexican."

-“I can’t wait to do to Pam what I just did … to Pam.”

-Also, one final note: I play trivia every Thursday night and so I watch all these shows and as soon as they end run down to The Hill for trivia. It's a pretty great day altogether. Anyway, like two weeks ago, there was an over/under category that asked to name how many cities in America had over a million people and also how many cities in China had over a million people. THE EXACT SAME DISCUSSION THEY HAD ON THIS EPISODE. What are the odds that  they would talk about that exactly two weeks after I could have used that very information. 

Community/30 Rock/The Office

After some swift Wikipediaing (don't put that condescending red typo line underneath that word, Blogger. I knew what I was getting into when I typed it.), I discovered that last month was sweeps for the Nielsen ratings which would explain some of the celebrity cameos and unusual scenarios we found our favorite television friends in for the past few weeks. Well, things have somewhat returned to normal thankfully/unfortunately depending on your viewpoint. 


Community - "Conspiracy Theories and Soft Defenses"

It's gotten to the point now where I start every episode of Community attempting to sniff out what type of episode they are doing. Searching for the gag is never really a healthy way to enjoy a television show considering I fell in love with Community as a passive viewer when its genius unexpectedly hit me over the head. So I need to stop doing that. Nevertheless, judging from the subtle tones in the opening scenes of the episode, I knew this was going to be some sort of  mystery/sleuth theme and eventual parody. Add one more weapon to their comedy arsenal.


Also, let me say something about the world of Community. For sake of ease in comparison, it's stuck somewhere between the realities of The Office and 30 Rock (oh, that's convenient. It just so happens those are the two shows it is next to in the lineup. I know, but hear me out). The Office is a show, save a few exceptions for a joke's sake, that is pretty solidly rooted in realism. Comments, plots, characters, etc. all have a pretty real effect on the show's arc and storyline. If something ridiculous is said, it is treated as ridiculous. And this obviously makes sense considering the show is supposed to be a documentary and reflect the average office environment in America. 30 Rock is more cartoonish in its humor. Tracy Jordan can say and do outlandish things and perform, or reference, crazy stunts with little or no effect on the reality of the plot. Same goes for Jenna. The reset button is more or less pushed after most episodes. But Community is placed somewhere in between these two different worlds. It's an environment that attempts, though not always in documentary-faithfulness, to paint a picture of an odd group of friends in a community college setting. Crazy actions and words are often received with the appropriate real world response. However, the world isn't limited so much that a disease can't break out and turn everybody into zombies for one night. Or the group accidentally hijacks an old space shuttle/trailer. Or, as we saw in this episode, build a giant fort of blankets that encompasses the majority of the dorms. All these plots are explained with actual explanations and aren't necessarily fantastical. They aren't really zombies and it wasn't really a space shuttle and you could, if you wanted, build a fort that large. It's more fun-reality and in my opinion a perfect marriage.


Speaking of that fort, what a great Troy-Abed storyline. You know, it is obvious that they are best friends and every episode has the customary banter between the two as well as the weekly episode caps in order to prolong that relationship. However, it has been awhile since we got a solid Troy-Abed thread to energize that dynamic. This was one of my favorites in awhile.


Of course, this episode featured two amazing actors. The first real storyline that featured Dean Pelton (Jim Rash) as a main player and the underused Kevin Corrigan as Professor Professorson. Dean Pelton is great and I've yet to watch these webisodes he apparently has posted underneath the Community page on Hulu. And while it was refreshing to see him at the center of an episode, I hope they don't over-pepper this salad (is that a saying?) Sometimes the best appearances are the occasional appearances to whet the appetite.


-A surprising lack of the rest of the group tonight. But then again they did just do a exclusive group episode the week before.
-It's getting to the point, almost sadly, that everybody at Greendale desperately wants to be a part of the group. But can you really blame them? I wouldn't want to role with Starburns' entourage.
-"Enjoy eating fiber and watching The Mentalist."
-"That is gonna be the worst book I ever read cover to cover."
-"TV's gotten crazy good, you know"
-"Welcome to Fluffytown. No smoking, no farting, no pillow fights."
-"Be sure to check out our Civil Rights Museum."
-And my favorite quote of the episode, possibly the night: "Would that this hoodie were a time hoodie!"


30 Rock - "College"

30 Rock was back to its old tricks again this week. No star-studded cameos. No giant productions or stunts. Just the ol' meat and potatoes. And honestly, who needs more than meat and potatoes in their diet? Not British people, I'll tell you that much. 


I don't really have a ton of stuff to say about individual 30 Rock episodes from week to week besides rattling off the best lines of the night. That has nothing to say about the quality of the show. It's just a different type of show. It's a lot harder to theorize consistently. 


However, I will say this. Tracy and Jenna are like twins that speak the same language. They always know what the other one is up to. They are always in on the same rich/famous people secrets. And I love it when they scheme together.


-Liz picking her wedgie in her office when she thought she was alone only to turn around and see Jack might have been one of the points I laughed the most at tonight. Is that telling of something? Because if it is, I will continue to repress whatever it means.
-Also, I wrote down (yes, I sometimes take notes while I'm watching these shows. And sometimes I take notes when I'm watching you, too.), anyway, I wrote down "color conversation" but forgot what that meant in the episode. And since someone deleted it from the DVR (me..accidentally) I may never know.
-"Money can't buy happiness. It is happiness."
-"Your boos are not scaring me. I know that most of you aren't ghosts."
-"Usually everybody around here makes me feel like Hitler. But today I feel like ... Hitler in Germany!"
-"Why don't you ask Chakti, an Inuit who wants a hot bowl of noglok? A man and food I just made up to illustrate a point."
-"Your Aunt Ada is an idiot."
-"Lesbian Frankenstein wants ... her ... shoes ... back"
-"I'm high-fiving a million angels."
-"No! She means the pizza!"
-And how about that hilarious Lutz moment: "I told them not to! Let's get out of here Jack!" Oh what a poor soul that stupid Lutz is.


The Office - "WUPHF.com"

For The Office, like other shows this week, this was a return to form. They are all back in the office. No grand occasions or ceremonies are happening. Just classic hijinks. Yeah, ok, maybe they haven't made any progress in the seasonal arc department. But then again, The Office still has most of the season to go. Plus, let's not forget how much it can do in a few short episodes (Michael Scott Paper Company). But this showcased all, if not most, of the characters pretty well. Everyone got at least a little bit of something. Dwight was even off running some capitalistic hay place. And Angela was being courted by a gentleman suitor?? This is new. And honestly, I approve of it. I obviously am not a huge fan of Angela because, who is? I'd rather see this whole Dwight-Angela relationship dissolve and have her move off in a fresher direction. 


Anyway, Ryan. Ryan Howard. Scranton's resident d-bag. For the past few years, The Office has used him as a cultural punching bags of sort. He adopts all the hip trends (iPad, suspenders, dark-rimmed glasses (?)) and they have painted him to look stupid. But he has never really inserted himself into the forefront of many episodes, even when he broke off with Michael and Pam. Ryan has sort of just circled around the occasional plotline to make an off-handed comment. But tonight he was front and center with his ridiculous (but not altogether crazy, right?) business plan for WUPHF.com ("It's not a digital rape whistle").  And as usual, Ryan floated too close to the Pennsylvania sun on wings made of social media-wax and debted coworker feathers. 


Another thing. I seriously hope Steve Carell wins the Emmy for Best Actor this year. Honestly, he is so gifted. His major talent is in his face. Carell can command entire ranges of emotion with the most subtle eye-gaze or mouth smirk. His expressions can emote so much without him even saying a word. Tonight's example, although not his finest but still a good example, was when he tried quoting the Billy Joel song but couldn't finish it because he was in such a sad mood. Just watch that moment and you will have a glimpse of what I'm talking about.


I am such a sucker for the last two minutes of some episodes of The Office. When they wrap it up with a sweet monologue, usually by Michael, played over various shots of the characters, I am reminded of the strength this show is able to flex. And consequently mad about sub-par episodes. Past end moments that happen to come to mind are the end of "Office Olympics" and, I think, "Halloween" in which he hands out candy to kids after having to fire somebody. Both season 2 strangely. Oh! Also, when Jan comes with Astrid (Assturd) and won't let Michael hold her, the episode pans to Michael talking about how much he loves babies and it shows him playing with multiple children. That seriously might be one of my favorite Michael moments ever. I need to find a clip of that. (Update: Couldn't find a clip. Watch the episode on Netflix if you have it. It's called "Baby Shower") ANYWAY, tonight was a great ending as well. It really wrapped everybody up and I found the deck of cards analogy hilarious and spot-on. A great ending. (Watch it here)


-For some reason, when Stanley was talking tonight, he reminded me of Cleveland from Family Guy. Interesting.
-Great awkward Gabe moment. I am really starting to like when he is in scenes, oddly. “Think of your commission cap as a naked old man in a gym locker room.”
-"OK, moving backwards, our IT guys have been Glasses, Turban, Ear Hair, Fatty 3, Shorts, Fatty 2, Lozenge and Fatso."
-“Yes, I have a dream. … I want to own a decommissioned lighthouse. And I want to live at the top. And nobody knows I live there. And there’s a button I can press and launch that lighthouse into space.”
-“Oscar is my Queen. That’s easy, give me a hard one—that’s what Oscar said.”
-And an classic I Hate Toby-line: “Toby is the instruction card you throw away.”


Also, I didn't watch Outsourced but I saw the preview for it and the only joke they showed was Gupta (yes, I am aware of the names sort of) wearing a Pilgrim hat saying "I'm a Pilgrim and an Indian". HAHAHAHA!!!! HE'S BOTH!!!!! 

NBC Schedule Change

I tried to think of a witty joke modeled in the style of "NBC stands for..." but I couldn't come up with anything and I kept getting sidetracked by thinking about Alec Baldwin in Glengarry Glen Ross. (Never Be Closing? Numbskulls Burying Community? NWhere Bis CParksandRecreation?) So I'll give up. Either way, NBC announced changes to its lineup and is now extending its comedy block to cover three whole hours. Here's how it affects your weekend.

One of these things is not like the other.

The Good News: 
-Parks and Recreation will return on January 20th in the 8:30 PM CST slot and, in my opinion, this could not happen soon enough. I miss Pawnee, and Ron Swason and even Jerry. Loveable, fat, pants-ripping farting Jerry. 


-Also, 30 Rock was renewed for a sixth season and then subsequently bumped down to the 9 PM CST slot. Sooo I guess that's promising? 


-Community stays where it is as does The Office. 


The Bad News: 
-Outsourced (You know, that show about India?) has apparently become a sentient being and is taking over NBC's comedy ratings (highest rated new program?!). So, yes, it will continue to be around. Luckily it will continue to be last and now at 9:30 PM CST so I won't really have to look at it at all.


The Ehhh News: 
-First, I don't really watch NBC other than on Thursdays and Saturday Night Live so if your favorite show of all time is the Lost-24 lovechild known as The Event, it's coming back in February or something. I'm not really sure. Something is happening to the other shows. Guy Fieri is wearing sunglasses on the back of his neck and yelling at some single mother to stack six water bottles on top of each other on Minute to Win It. Jerry Seinfeld is tarnishing his image on The Marriage Ref. Some Law & Order? I don't know.

Relationships can be challenging AND humorous!

-In between Community and The Office, they are squeezing a new show called Perfect Couples. I have no idea what it's about but let me give you a glimpse. This is the way it is described on NBC's website: "Perfect Couples depicts the misadventures of three engaging couples as they struggle to find out what makes the ideal relationship - and how to maintain it through humorous trial and error." Not only does that description sound like the thesis statement to a C- high school essay, but it also sounds like a lame summary of every sitcom involving relationships ever. Friends and Seinfeld can both fit inside that box. Christ, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia can fit inside that description. Also, the photo to advertise the show is just three couples spooning. Except one looks aggravated, one looks happy and one looks confident. I can't wait to see what's grinding the gears of the aggravated one!


This network is becoming a bad game of Three-card Monte. If NBC took a Scantron test, it would spend ten minutes on the first question nervously erasing and refilling in-between A and B and then just end up going with C. And then it would skip a question to go back to but then off-set all of its subsequent answers by one so it just turns out to be one huge error (More test-taking references to come!). Who is running this network? I understand that ratings are ratings but why are you butchering your lineup. 30 Rock at 10 PM ET?? What? That show used to be at 8:30. Nothing helps an audience find a show better than constantly playing musical chairs with the time slots. Not to mention everything on the other nights is more or less just a shitty reality show. Listen, either be CBS and cater to the masses with three-camera laughtracked sitcoms or nurse the talent you have already. But don't go halfway like you are with Outsourced.

Update: Abbreviated Edition

Once Thursday night hits, it's pretty much off to the races until Monday morning. If this zebra is the weekend, then I am this lion. (I know that analogy doesn't work that well. I guess I'm eating the weekend? Really, I was Google-ing zebras yesterday because I was wondering if anybody ever rides them and then I stumbled upon a lion eating a zebra on a site called animalseatinganimals.com, no joke. And honestly I just wanted to work that image into something I did like jamming the wrong puzzle piece into a jigsaw puzzle just to be done with it already.) Anyway, what I'm saying is that sometimes I'm not really on top of recapping shows on Thursdays until a few days later. So, I won't go in-depth considering it's Tuesday already so I'll just recap things briefly.

Community: Todd VanDerWerff, television critic for the A.V. Club and all-around Community advocate said this was the best episode of the show so far. I don't know if I can jump on that but it was Top Five of a show that has yet to even really have a bad episode. I love the group with all my heart. Lock the group in a room for 22 minutes. You've got yourself a top-tier 'sode bro (That's how I say "episode" now). If you seriously aren't watching Community by now, take the Merlin Season 2 disc out of your DVD player and go buy Community's first season. Trust me.

The Office: If they are going to pursue outside storylines, at least make some headway on the Michael departure or Michael-Holly situation. I don't care about Jim and Pam anymore. I will say, Gabe would do/have/wear everything that Gabe did/had/wore. Also, seeing as this Glee-based episode is probably the easiest segue I will have to mention Glee here, I've been reading that the past few episodes of the show have just been God-awful. I saw those previews for the (and I'm assuming the plot from solely those) serious/emotional/gay kid is bullied/songless episode and they looked morose. Nothing's better than when a show based around musical numbers really digs into the plot. (I am being sarcastic.)

30 Rock: Needs to stop leaning on guest stars. And obnoxious accents. And screwing with my notion of Mad Men characters (Even though I thought John Slattery was funny). Liz-Jack and Tracy-Jenna/Kenneth plots can still entertain me on their own. And as far as story threads are concerned, does anybody even care about their allegiance to the Kabletown merger. I didn't think that was still a thing even. 

Outsourced: Apparently this show is the highest-rated new show on NBC. I don't get it. Who is getting these Nielsen boxes?! Old people and Dane Cook fans? And my friend keeps calling me Gupta from the show as a joke. Nothing's worse than a low-brow Outsourced reference.

Conan: Too soon to tell in my opinion. But what was with the guest line-up last week. Who leads off with Seth Rogen and follows up with Tom Hanks and Jon Hamm (who both better be as awesome in real life as my mind imagines them to be)? But his filmed Standards and Practices bit and the Ted Turner bit are harbingers of unchained comic freedom.

Walking Dead: I really liked the first episode but haven't seen anything since. From what I hear (listening to a single friend), the second episode wasn't as good but apparently it's still worth watching. Sometimes I think I need to get really sick so I can catch up on watching television.

Animation Domination: God, I hate that name for Fox's Sunday night animation lineup. But I still make sure to catch the shows either when they air or on Hulu (Which makes my computer get really loud and hot when I play shows on it. That cannot be good anybody except my slightly warmer crotch.) Am I stupid for still watching Family Guy? I don't care for the stories but I like to watch it for the cutaways and cultural references. Whatever. I am not ashamed. And I've been following Alec Sulkin, a writer for the show, on twitter lately (twitter.com/thesulk) and he is hilarious and makes me want to watch. I don't know. So what, who cares?

Saturday Night Live: Still a SNL loyalist. I guess they are just going to use Jay Pharoah as a crutch for his spot-on impersonations. And I've been seeing a lot more of the new cast than I thought I would. But following that great hosting job from Jon Hamm, I thought Scarlett Johansson sucked (Boooo, short curly hair!). I don't think I liked anything about this show save the Unstoppable trailer and Arcade Fire. Eh, maybe Hollywood Dish too.

Running Wilde: This show is pretty much dead from what I understand. It's getting pushed out by Raising Hope and I don't think it's getting renewed. I am not that surprised. It was kind of doomed to fail. Mitch Hurwitz has cursed himself with his own genius. My thoughts?: Scratching out everybody's comparison to Arrested Development, it is still better written than about 80% of comedies on TV. Watch this and then watch Mike and Molly. And the only person that has ever put out two incredible shows consecutively is Larry David. And you can't be Larry David. It was never going to be Arrested Development because it only has about four or five actual characters. And, not to compare Arrested Development like everybody else, but it's missing a Michael Bluth. There.

I keep seeing but not paying attention to previews for this Glory Daze show. Poor man's Undeclared from what I can tell.

Conan

The decision to put a television in my bedroom growing up probably damaged my frail young psyche or played a part in developing some strange anti-social disorder where I confuse fantasy with reality and will grow up to be someone who wears a lot of weird hats and gloves indoors. However, one incontrovertible result was my obsession with late-night television. This is where I devoured, and subsequently fell in love with, Seinfeld reruns on channel 11 and there were a few years where they played The Simpsons late on channel 30. I flipped between Leno and Letterman and even started to watch a lot of Jerry Springer. Some would say too much Jerry Springer considering I would sometimes remember the more creative chants from the crowd and write them as my away messages on AIM and nod my head in agreement as he gave his final thought. However, it wasn't until I discovered Conan that I had a real reason to stay up. Who cared if I missed an old episode of The Drew Carey Show or didn't catch Jaywalking. But I had to stay up and watch Conan. I would download classic bits like "Seinfeld Auditions" and howl at the recurring "If They Mated" bit. In hindsight, staying up until 1:30 AM probably didn't translate well to my class performance the next day but the constant fatigue and dark circles around my eyes made for a pretty good "Student Zombie and/or Sleepy Kid" costume come Halloween time. Nevertheless, watching Conan that late at night felt like I had stumbled upon some television secret. I can only imagine what it was like to watch him when he first came on the air like some well-funded public access show.

I enjoyed watching Conan on The Tonight Show and was glad he was finally getting the attention he deserved. Still, I think he is at his best when nobody thinks he is the best. He is funniest when he carries his false sense of bravado around and when it seems like nobody is watching, he is able to try out gags that are silly and experimental. Am I glad The Tonight Show fiasco happened? No. But I think Conan is best when he is fighting an uphill battle. Some of his greatest, most ingenious stuff came either when he thought he had no sizable audience in the beginning or when he knew he was on his way out of NBC and started wrecking havoc in defiance (not to mention the rallies, campaigns and TeamCoCo that came as a result).

That's why I think the whole "Hey, it's basic cable"-shtick for his new show on TBS fits him well. Last night, that strange sound coming from offstage during the Lea Michele interview was a perfect example. Conan made some quip about a Meineke muffler shop being next door and he played it off hilariously. That stuff isn't going to happen on The Tonight Show. I really do wish everything hadn't happened the way it did but Conan, without argument, came out on top of the entire situation. He is in the national spotlight more than ever and I hope people follow him over to TBS.

Anyway, the new show:
-I really don't think I can critique the overall show considering it is a nightly talk show and not some television series pilot like the first episode of Lost. It's better to let it find its groove for a week or two and then judge it.
-I thought the cold open was great. Even better than the one he did for The Tonight Show although not as grand in scope as running across the entire country. Handing over a bunch of forks at Burger King instead of Sweet and Sour packets and trying out his monologue as a clown for children was hilarious.
-So he is keeping the beard, eh? That's fine by me.
-"It's 1965, you're 2 years old"..."You're very good looking"
-Has Ricky Gervais ever failed to be funny?
-It will be interesting to see what happens in ratings between Conan and The Daily Show considering A. Jon Stewart just beat Letterman and Leno and B. Stewart and Colbert both made appearances during Conan's summer tour to help out.
-I thought the first show guest lineup was surprisingly B-list overall (Jack White made sense) but tomorrow is Tom Hanks and the next night is Jon Hamm.
-The nutcracker lady walk-through reminded me Vomiting Kermit or FedEx Pope.
-Conan's improvised mid-interview jokes (which I think is his greatest comedic skill and what I find myself laughing out loud at the most) are as funny as they've always been.
-The show has been hyped and a lot of people exploded onto Team CoCo so we will see how this fever pans out. A lot of people started watching him on The Tonight Show but then tuned out until his job was all of a sudden in jeopardy. But, for now, I think this will be good.

Eastbound and Down

"Chapter 13"


Well, this is embarrassing. When I watched Eastbound and Down last week, I thought it was the season finale. And I wasn't the only one. But really, Kenny left Mexico to return to North Carolina last week. It kind of made sense as a finale. Plus, last season was six episodes in the tradition of the British sitcom format so I figured this one as well. However, to my delighted surprise, I saw that my HAL-like DVR had taken the reins and was geared up to record another Eastbound and Down on Sunday night. Well, it looks like somebody just found a half-hour to shave off of their nightly macramé session.


I am still trying to figure out if I care about Kenny making a return to baseball or not. Even if he does somehow climb his way back into the majors, the glory will most likely be fleeting at best. Plus, I think the creators of the show are going to be careful about giving Kenny too much of what he wants because, as great as he is too watch, somebody like him usually ends up losing in the end. Everything that has happened in this series, especially the promises of professional league play, have been tinted with the notion of too-good-to-be-true. Did anybody in their right mind really believe Kenny could maintain the high he achieved a few episodes before everything came crashing down. Yet, if he makes it back to the mound or not, I can certainly say that I will be along for the ride with HBO renewing the show for a third (and most likely final) season.


Also, I don't really care all the much for April. Disregarding her Al Roker weight loss after the series premiere, I just kind of find her annoying. I'm pretty sure its her voice. And speaking of supporting characters, I really hope next season contains the North Carolina cast a lot more. With Dustin, Clegg, Cutler, etc., the show is just more varied. Mexico had some new friends to offer us but they were mostly just straight players to Kenny's persona.


Let me also say this: Eastbound and Down has the greatest music on television. While not only its songs are well chosen, they are perfectly matched with the action on screen. You will find this in every episode (especially when Kenny rides his jetski). Remember the final moments of that episode where Kenny is riding around on the roller coaster with Vida. The music playing during that scene was hauntingly used. Find that scene and watch it if you haven't.


-The Stevie within his own house is a rare but welcomed Stevie. The disgusted sneer he was giving his new in-laws (while making keyboard music apparently?) and his anger at answering his own door were hilarious departures from his usual passivity.
-Why did Jerry Minor have only a few lines?
-I've always thought Dustin was an odd choice as Kenny's brother purely from a physical stand-point. Not only does he have a weird scrappy body but that notion that he could be related to Kenny is a stretch. But that's probably because I look at him different after watching him play Sol Starr on Deadwood.
-"I literally can't talk to her. She doesn't speak English."
-"Let me know when you find Bin Laden. I've got champagne on ice."
-"That's love. It's better to be strangled by a necklace of Mexicans than not to be strangled at all".
-“You got some sort of ‘Reverse Benjamin Button’ thing going on?”
-“I hope you know there were a lot of rapes that happened in this house.”
-“Oddly enough, Mexicans aren’t too different from us once you get past the lack of interest in real sports and need to have yellow rice at every fuckin’ meal.”
-“Love. Is. The. Best. Gift. Ever.”