Show you shouldn't watch- The Deep End: 'Nothing Personal' aired2/11/10

I tried, I really did. I tried more then anyone should have expected from someone in my demographic. The Deep End is on Thursday nights right up against the 2 hour block of comedy on NBC. A couple of years ago, before Hulu was more of a household name, it wouldn't have stood a chance for me. Ahhh, I was the good 'ole days.

I watch 'Community,' 'Parks & Recreation,' 'The Office,' and '30 Rock' on Thursday nights live. However because I've always liked shows taking place in law firms, I thought I'd give it a try. I could tell from the previews it was essentially 'Grey's Anatomy' in a law firm, but it did seem a touch less heavy- handed. And it was- just not any better and more likely- a lot worse.

None of the characters grew on me. A couple of them were somewhat likeable- like Malcolm Bennett, the token African- American of the young lawyers in the firm. Anyway, thanks to Hulu I watched the first couple shows and this morning turned to the site to watch the latest one. Slightly before or just after the first commercial break two of the young lawyers were talking to school officials representing a tennis team which just revoked the scholarship of one of their female players. They suspected her of cheating, tested her blood for steroids, found nothing, then performed a chromosome test and decided......she's a man.

That's it for me, I'm done. The contrived humor, hokey coming-of-age themes, and unappealing displaced patriarch of the firm played by Billy Zane was already just about too much for me to bear. It's indicative of the show that the only appealing character is the Hart Sterling, played by Clancy Brown a prolific character actor who may be best known as the captain from 'Shawshank Redemption.' While he was the only likeable and compelling character there, the show should likely suffer the same end that the warden did in 'Shawshank.' So, in the episode titled 'Nothing Personal,' I'll have to tell 'The Deep End,' that it's nothing personal but I'm out- even the next day via Hulu.

Modern Family is Modern Comedy

Modern Family- My Funky Valentine (2/10/10)

'Modern Family' is a minor evolutionary step following shows like 'The Office.' In other words, it's a major network version of the new breed of shows like 'The Office' and 'Arrested Development' with some hints of shows like 'Curb Your Enthusiasm.' No laugh track, no obvious or slapsticky jokes unless they're entirely original, and characters which are more like parodies of the demographic they represent.

Ironically, the most recent show contained an appearance by David Brenner doing a cheesy lounge comedy act- completely the opposite of 'Family's' brand of comedy. Further ironically, this is the same reason why 'Cougartown' hasn't struck the same chords as the show right in front of it. 'Cougartown' aims for the same pleasantly smarmy, inside jokes that 'Family' does, but it still wants to prompt the viewer they are there. It's not as well written and seems almost insecure in its joke delivery. The comedy isn't as subtle and while there isn't a laugh track, chuckles from the audience are prompted by a brief music jingle or odd expression from one of the overdone characters.

In 'My Funky Valentine' each of the families stumble through their Valentine's Day experiences. Manny and Cameron & Mitchell's day intersects, while Jay & Gloria and Phil & Claire only overlap briefly at the end of the show. Jay, played by Ed O'Neil is a fantastic curmudgeon with a gentle touch. How he has managed to dodge typecasting after years of playing Al Bundy is a miracle While each character was obviously in different situations, both were matriarchs. It's as if enough time has past that he feels and looks familiar but is still a completely unique character.

While the show didn't do it last night, it's not uncommon for 'Family' to finish with some sort of morale or heartwarming scene. This is a difficult line to walk- it's challenging and often frustrating when shows attempt this. Usually it's bungled and comes off as too on-the-nose and insincere. There's an obvious break in a pattern which proceeds: laugh, laugh, laugh, laugh, laugh......sentiment, but Modern Family pulls it off. It'd be easy to think the show would struggle more in attempting this then most because it's so funny. But the humor eases the transition- the laughs are so deep and founded in reality that the after-school-special moment at the end is conveyed naturally.

Parks & Recreation- Sweetums

Parks & Recreation- Sweetums (2/4/10) HULU Link

Parks & Recreation is a total knock off of The Office. From breaking the third plane, to the characters functioning much more like caricatures, to a mundane office setting in a vaguely American town.......and I don't care. Damn is it good.

Laughs were everywhere last night in each and every scene. The introductory scene with Aziz Ansari (Tom) was a terrific leaping off point for the episode. Ansari is rapidly become one of the better characters on NBC's Thursday night two hour block of solid comedies. Here's hoping he continues to have more of the focus put on him, especially as he enters a single lifestyle mostly likely chockfull of comedy.

Leslie's encountering her nemesis at the library was also entertaining, as were the brief pieces with Mark Brendanawicz's truck (I'm a pushover for 'bleeps' on network shows) and April Ludgate (played by April Ludgate). Like Tom (Ansari), I really hope she is seen more and more often- for those looking for more of her, she can found on funnyordie.com in several sketches. She has the understated funniness about her that is thankfully becoming more and more in vogue.

There's very little wasted segments on Parks & Rec.- the hilarious characters get the most out of their split screen time. I certainly hope this episode is a sign of things to come- it certainly didn't center exclusively around Leslie (Amy Poehler) with other characters functioning only as satellites as it has to large extent in the past. The shows creators and writers may have realized the actors they have sprinkled throughout the show are individually and collectively brilliant and are doing the best to share the wealth. Let's hope this trend continues.

The Office- The already good gets better

The Office

Last night's episode of the office titled 'Sabre' was not one of my favorites. The Kathy Bates part could have been performed by anybody and Christian Slater's role was nothing more then a very brief cameo. While it could have been interesting given the new ownership of Dunder Mifflin, I found it underwhelming. The dynamic of the characters in the office interacting with a corporate entity has been done before with the corporate office in New York City.

The biggest potential bright spot was Michael visiting his former boss, David Wallace. When I saw that he was on this episode, I briefly got excited but was eventually let down. Michael's interaction with him felt like a 10 month old pregnant women- I always felt there was a laugh-out-loud moment lurking just beneath the surface but it never manifested They seemed to do a good job with David's new personality after being sacked by the Sabre corporation, but it just didn't deliver, much like the entire episode. This doesn't put me down on the office for the year. I unlike others, feel that it has been excellent this year, with the wedding episode a particular stroke of brilliance.

A lot of people seem to be down on this show of late, but I'm not one of them. For one, Pam and Jim's wedding episode earned enough good will to carry me for a couple seasons on fumes alone. Usually when a comedy has a half hour format, it struggles when stretched to an hour. Not the wedding episode. While the latter half hour contained more laughs then the first half, it didn't seem like a forced fit. And making the pinnacle of the show a youtube reference to the rash of surprise choreographed wedding dances was fantastic. Oftentimes The Office isn't content to just make you laugh.....it's writers intuitively realize when the viewer laughs at a more obscure reference then something prompted by a laugh track. The laugh is heartier. You feel like you're in on a private joke, albeit one shared by millions of others.

I read several blogs and comments where people bashed The Office this year and the clip show specifically. Many called it a cheap way to air a 'new' episode and they had already seen all those scenes before...blah, blah, blah. I thought the clips were excellent and a pleasant reminder of just how solid The Office has been for so long. They also seemed to have aired it at an appropriate time. As best as I can tell, syndication of The Office has only just begun so airing a clip show before the clips have been seen two or three times was a wise move. Beyond that, the clips were woven around a small story line. Most other clips shows take place when a character has some sort of dream sequence and starts saying, 'remember when....' It's gimmicky and an excuse to regurgitate long scenes from prior episodes. In these situations, the scene are so long that a viewer quickly recognizes the dialogue seconds in and spends their time predicting or mimicking the lines as they are said. The Office contained abbreviated clips so the viewer didn't have time to catch their breath, only laugh. The clips unfolded frenetically leading to layered laughter with no time for thoughts like, 'I remember that show....'

The 'Scott's Tots' episode was a fantastic illustration of how the show can manufacture an entire episode from the seeds of a character's idiosyncrasy. Unfortunately with few exceptions (Pam and Jim's visit to Dwight's beet farm), the show doesn't tend to orchestrate an entire episode around just one character. I certainly hope this is the next phase of The Office. Who wouldn't enjoy seeing an entire episode on the away-from-work activities of Creed or Oscar (rapidly becoming one of the better written characters)?

The Office should have built up enough credibility over the years for people to stomach a well done clip show. There are several times each season you can think back on an enjoy. I, for one still laugh every time I even think of Michael marking the Asian girl's arm at one of the company's Christmas parties. People can choose to be smarmy and bad-mouth a clip show on general principle, but it (like the show this year) was exceptional and worth watching.

****The Office also embraces it's online viewership. For a 'Producer's cut' with about seven extra minutes, check out Hulu..

Another Underrated Comedy- Men of a Certain Age

Men of a Certain Age

Adam Carolla, when speaking with Bryan Cranston on his podcast roughly said that whenever an actor has made an assload of money making a tv show (in Cranston's case, 'Malcolm in the Middle') and then chooses to pursue another project ('Breaking Bad') you can assume the follow up project is probably going to be good. The logic is sound. Unless you're completely money-hungry, why wouldn't an actor wait for something that is very provoking, challenging, and enjoyable?

Cranston and Ray Romano have done exactly that. I had feared that Men of a Certain Age might fall into a comedy black hole between pay cable and network TV and not receive enough viewers to continue. So I was very relieved to see it picked up for a second season. At the very least, that's a stay of execution and should provide more time to farm and audience and prove itself.

If someone told you to come up with a show about three guys that would speak to the same audience it portrayed, it's not a stretch to say you'd come up with exactly what MOACA is. Let's see.....I'll start with one guy in the throws a divorce, another with a Peter Pan complex, and a 3rd who has a conventional marriage. One will be African- American, another will be a ladies' man, and another will have the classic, pseudo-Jewish, nebbish characteristics of a father of two in mid-nuptial purgatory. The rest of the details may not be predictable, but they're not altogether surprising either. One is a diabetic (Andre Braugher, as Owen), another a player (Scott Bakula, as Terry), and the last a compulsive gambler (Romano, as Joe).

Each episode is weighted differently, with the three leads inexactly taking the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd story line. Between all the personality traits of each character the show covers most all conceivable bases Perhaps the most common thread between the three is professional dissatisfaction. You could charitably say that Joe owns and manages his own business (a party supply store). However, in real life these hell holes are low-end stores which while light on the wallet, are heavy on pain felt when forced to visit one in a strip mall. Owen (Braugher) seems to have been somewhat financially successful, but he works for his old man who he annoyingly calls, 'Daddy' even at age of 37+something. Terry (Bakula) is the least successful. He has that minor league LA fame associated with 'that guy's.' Basically, 'aren't you 'that guy' from that show with.....'

Romano is Joe, a mid-life crisis-esque man, in the midst of a separation from his wife (on the fast-track to divorce). He tries to have a healthy relationship with his kids and soon-to-be-ex-wife and two closest friends, but his most compelling interaction is with is actually with his bookie.

Owen has the most well-rounded family, including a supportive wife, young children, and the nice house but he is generally misable at work because of working for his father. He clings to the hope and unstated promise he will some day inherit his 'daddy's' car dealership.

Terry has a boss who blatantly envies his single lifestyle and mediocre fame. However, Terry cannot find a good or regular acting gig. His free-flowing lifestyle is simultaneously envied and pitied by his two best friends. For some reason the powers-that-be have thrown him into a serious relationship (he and his girlfriend moved in together in the most recent episode), while only touching briefly on his single lifestyle. Hopefully the story line will soon return to his more interesting life, complete with younger women who could be his daughter and cougars alike.

Oftentimes shows trying to walk the fine line between comedy and dramatic themes doesn't work- think of the awkward parts of SportsNight and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, both Aaron Sorkin shows. MOACA succeeds and often excels in this space. The jokes are meant delivered well, and are far more intended to be of quality, rather then quantity.

So far, the show has only seen one dud, the January 25th episode centered around Terry. The rest have been excellent, especially those focusing on Romano's character. Joe consistently makes up a for a lack of confidence with a quick wit, making him extremely watchable in any setting, with any other character. Whether this is due to Romano being one of the creators or his own comic chops is subject to debate, but Joe- like the show itself, is always worth watching.

Top Underrated Comedy- Party Down

TV Review- Party Down

There seems to be a new television undercurrent, a good one, of hipper and smarter comedies. These shows seem to lavish in more intelligent humor, often letting quantity yield to quality jokes. The combination for me is most often seen in shows like 'Arrested Development,' 'Curb Your Enthusiasm,' '30 Rock,' 'Flight of the Conchords,' 'The Office,'The Life and Times of Tim' and now 'Party Down.'

I'd be surprised if most people have even heard of 'Party Down,' but it's worth checking out particularly if you like any of the others from above, all of which individually probably deserve their own review- some for continued brilliance, others for being funny once, but have wandered astray. Regardless if you like, or haave ever liked any of the above shows, I think 'Party Down' is worth 30 minutes of your time to check out an episode.

Party Down and these shows are the antithesis of most prime time comedies that remain following the beat down brought on Hollywood writers by low risk, high return reality TV shows. They're like Seinfeld residue and i don't find much shame in that.' In some ways they have even a little bit more room for error and progress. It seems to be so hard to get a non-reality TV show greenlit that the network is more pot-committed to the project and the show has more rope to run or hang itself with.

'Party Down' is a prototype of this type of creative humor. It's on a pay channel, kinda. Starz, which most people know not from going out of their way to subscribe to it, but more because it's been piggy-backed on top of their HBO payment or devotion to Skinemax. The boss is essentially the Michael Scott of the L.A. catering business. The bartenders and waitstaff who make up the cast are all transients with their eye on showbiz who suffer through the requisite high balls and bacon-wrapped scallops as they wait to be discovered.

In addition to Randy (the boss), is a waiter who was unfortunate enough to be typecast by a cheesy commercial so much so that he cannot find gainful employment elsewhere, but also did not do well enough to survive on a truckload of residuals. His love interest is not-technically-yet-divorced struggling comedienne/waitress. Then there's a waiter who is trying to break through in the 'handsome business' and a bitter, holier-then-though writer/waiter. Lastly and perhaps best of all, there's the past-her-prime-waitress/way-past-her-prime-actress. They're all stereotypes in the funniest and best possible way.

I also remember reading that part of the success of 'Cheers' was due to it's setting. Story lines could essentially walk in the door. Each customer potentially held not only the requisitie drinking problem, but a potential story line as well. That's how 'Party Down' works. Sometimes they work a high school reunion (Randy, the boss is a member of the graduating class as well as the catering company.......on purpose), Porno awards, Young Conservatives rally, and even a single's mixer for senior citizens. This is the best part of the show Not only can they drop these misfits into certain story lines, but due to the transient nature of their staff, there is a revolving door slot where they can bring in a new staff member in for a show- i.e. in one show, like Stiffler's Mom.

If you don't have Starz riding on the coattails of your HBO subscription, don't worry. There are still ways. You can go to STARZ to see a couple of episodes by clicking the 'Original Programming' tab, then 'Full Episodes.' There should be two shows there and of course there are some other less then admirable ways to check them out online (so I heard). If you do have Starz, check it out on On Demand.

TV Reviews- these are the shows that will be reviewed and watched religiously

Party Down

Men of a Certain Age

Mad Men

Breaking Bad

Friday Night Lights

Saturday Night Live

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Nurse Jackie

30 for 30

Head Case

Californication

The Office

Parks & Recreation

Community

30 Rock

Modern Family