Television! Teacher, mother, secret lover: The TV Test Thread renewed

[Reply #40 on:]

I don't think it's to do with growing up. I don't lmow much about him, but I'm sure there are plenty of adilts who find him, and several other similar comedians, funny despite how sickening that might sound.

[Reply #41 on:]

I don't think it's to do with growing up. I don't lmow much about him, but I'm sure there are plenty of adilts who find him, and several other similar comedians, funny despite how sickening that might sound.

I'm aware, but I personally found him to be less funny as I became more mature.

[Reply #42 on:]

I've done my best over the past 129 years to avoid ever maturing.  Late-night comedy is something that I watch perhaps once or twice a month on a random basis, and I generally enjoy all of the above-mentioned hosts.

I don't disagree with the opinions that I might come to view some of them in a different light upon repeated watching.

[Reply #43 on:]

So, NBC have just given a straight-to-series order to a new Tina Fey sitcom and a new Michael Schur sitcom.

I really hope this is the start of an attempt to create a programming block as incredible as back when they used to air new episodes of The Office, Parks and Recreation, 30 Rock and Community all on the same night.

[Reply #44 on:]

Watching The Brink, it's pretty good, Jack Black and Tim Robbins

Looking forward to Patrick Stewarts new comedy showwww!

[Reply #45 on:]

Watching The Brink, it's pretty good, Jack Black and Tim Robbins

I've been watching it as well, but I've been thoroughly unimpressed so far. The show seriously needs to figure out what the hell it is - the subject matter they're dealing with is of a deadly serious political nature, and yet most of the "humour" seems to consist of lazy dick jokes and the like. And many of the recurring characters are just fucking awfully written (ie. the sex-crazed British couple and the rapture-obsessed ambassador, both of which consist of one joke - which wasn't funny to begin with - being rammed into the ground repeatedly).

It's a shame, as the cast is quite good (even the normally-insufferable Jack Black is tolerable in his role) and they have a fucking excellent premise - not to mention being pretty good-looking overall and having one of the best soundtracks of any tv show I've ever seen - but the writing is just plain bad. They need to bring in some people who can actually navigate the subject matter, and figure out a way to derive comedy from it. Between this and True Detective season 2, HBO have had a rather disappointing streak as of late.

[Reply #46 on:]

At least they have John Oliver's phenomenal program.

[Reply #47 on:]

That's true. I dare say it's one of the most important shows today (and one of the best).

John Oliver did a very funny bit about it when he reappeared for The Daily Show's finale, too. "What the fuck is a commercial??!!!"

[Reply #48 on:]

Remember when John Oliver was a bi-weekly panellist on Mock The Week?   Where is he now, eh?

Last Week Tonight is a great great show, and shows how likeable he is.   I've been a fan for a long long time, and still listen to The Bugle.

[Reply #49 on:]

I've been watching Archer. Pretty damn hilarious show, especially since I know enough about the spy genre to appreciate the satire.

I finished the second season last night. My favourite exchange was probably:

"I hope your cancer kills you!"

"Yeah? Well I hope... it doesn't."

[Reply #50 on:]

We have an Archer thread too, you know.

Seriously though, I'm kinda jealous as to just how much of the show you still have left to watch! Namely season 3, which may be my favourite season (though season 1 is a very close second).

Sadly, it definitely loses a lot of steam from season 4 onwards.

[Reply #51 on:]

We have an Archer thread too, you know.

Which is probably full of spoilers. I usually don't venture into those threads until I've absorbed every piece of relevant information in the known universe.

[Reply #52 on:]

Yeah, that's fair enough, I guess.

Let the catch-up binge begin, then!

[Reply #53 on:]

In all honesty nothing made me laugh harder or louder than the cancer arc in season 2.

[Reply #54 on:]

Those have definitely been my favourite episodes so far.

Although the pirate arc at the start of season 3 was fantastic and I really liked "Skytanic" in season 1 as well.

[Reply #55 on:]

The cancer two-parter is definitely the best thing the series has done to date (and likely will ever do), and I'd also consider season 1's Skytanic and season 3's Drift Problem to be the funniest episodes after that. Though honestly, the first three seasons as a whole are pretty damn hilarious

The only reason I rank season 2 a little lower than 1 and 3 is due to a few somewhat forgettable episodes in the mix (such as Tragical History) and some minor issues I had with the season's structure as a whole - other than that, it's a fantastic season of television in general, and I enjoyed the way they were able to flesh out so many backstories and give each of the side characters their chance to be in the limelight.

[Reply #56 on:]

Krieger is the best.

Krieger: Press that red button.
Archer: Will it kill everyone?
Krieger: ...Press that blue button.

 

[Reply #57 on:]

Um...uh...has anybody else watched Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp? Because it's absolutely hysterical from start to finish. Better than the movie for sure (which is good but not the amazing cult classic it's made out to be by some), though having the movie fresh in your memory first helps the viewing experience.

It's definitely stoner comedy, and maybe not for everyone's taste, but if you like the zany absurdist humor of, say, the movie Airplane!, then you should thoroughly enjoy it. Tons of memorable gags and fantastic guest star cameos.

[Reply #58 on:]

Um...uh...has anybody else watched Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp? Because it's absolutely hysterical from start to finish. Better than the movie for sure (which is good but not the amazing cult classic it's made out to be by some), though having the movie fresh in your memory first helps the viewing experience.

It's definitely stoner comedy, and maybe not for everyone's taste, but if you like the zany absurdist humor of, say, the movie Airplane!, then you should thoroughly enjoy it. Tons of memorable gags and fantastic guest star cameos.

I fucking love the movie, how dare you sir. I like the movie more for its subtly. But I liked First Day of Camp a lot. but I really didn't need an explanation of why Elizabeth Banks' character is at Camp Firewood or Molly Shannon's constant relationship fuck-ups for example. Not that it isn't really funny though. I will admit Jason Schwartzmen fit in with the group so well, it's now disappointing that he isn't actually in the movie.

[Reply #59 on:]

Bump.

Season 2 of Review starts tomorrow, and now the Comedy Central website has all the episodes of season 1 up streaming for free. It's a funny show, so check it out if you can.

I binge watched the entire first season of this yesterday, and overall, I really enjoyed it. I'd caught a couple of episodes of the Australian one previously so I was a bit dubious going in, as I normally am of any remake/adaptation, but Andrew Daly sold the hell out of it, and I really enjoyed the increasingly dark story arc(s) about the effects the show was having on Forrest's personal life. My favourite segments were There All is Aching, Space Travel, and pretty much the entirety of Pancakes, Divorce, Pancakes. Also, any time Forrest was on cocaine. I'm really looking forward to catching up on season 2 and watching it week-to-week!

Overall, this show definitely gets a Beamer seal of approval. Which is less praise so much as it is literally a seal.

[Reply #60 on:]

Watching The Brink, it's pretty good, Jack Black and Tim Robbins

Looking forward to Patrick Stewarts new comedy showwww!

I'm amazed at the polarising reaction this show is getting.

I think it's off to a pretty strong start.

[Reply #61 on:]

It's by the guy who created Bored to Death, and I think his style of writing is a perfect fit for Patrick Stewart, so it's already on my "to watch" list (though I'll wait a few more weeks before I dive in - the aforementioned Bored to Death took quite a few episodes to build up before it really became something special).

[Reply #62 on:]

So two Christmases ago my little brother bought me the complete series DVD box set of Daria*, which I had never seen before but was vaguely aware of (mostly because the Nostalgia Chick did an excellent recap of the series that I happened to watch), and which my brother apparently thought I would enjoy on account of I also wear glasses, I guess. I watched the first 10 or so episodes when I first got the DVD, but then I got sidetracked with work and a bunch of tedious mental and emotional mini-dramas and never got around to finishing the remainder of the series.

A few weeks ago, though, I decided to power through Daria in its entirety (right around the time I started grad school--there may have been an element of deliberate procrastination involved), and I just finished it. And I fucking loved it. Like, a bunch. To the point where this single run-through has cemented its place in my Top Ten Shows Evar list...admittedly not a very prestigious honor, as I have notoriously bad and/or pedestrian taste in television, but no matter. Anyway, I feel like my nascent indoctrination into the Daria fandom gives me the right to pontificate on the show for a bit, so that's what I'm about to do (with unmarked spoilers galore, so if anyone is even more out-of-touch than me and hasn't seen this show but thinks they'd like to do so in the future, you may want to stop reading now. Of course, there are myriad other reasons to stop reading most of my posts at about the two paragraph mark, so the rest of you can take your pick)...

The first season and a half is a bit uneven (not bad, mind you--consistently hilarious and insightful, in fact; "The Misery Chick" has to be one of the best episodes of the series, and one of the most emotionally- and intellectually-mature takes on death I've seen on TV (I also really love "Road Worrier," for different reasons)), but I think it's around "That Was Then, This is Dumb" that the show really hits its stride.

Season three was not my absolute favorite, either, but I do appreciate the decidedly more experimental elements: there is something delightfully crazy about both "Depth Takes a Holiday" and "Daria!", and "Jake of Hearts," "Speedtrapped," and "Jane's Addition" introduce higher emotional stakes and more nuanced portrayals of the characters' relationships--both of which contribute to my enjoyment of the final two seasons, which are possibly my favorite of the series.

I know the Jane/Tom/Daria thing is a point of contention (I was primed for this by the aforementioned Nostalgia Chick review), and it is decidedly uncomfortable watching the Jane/Daria friendship--undoubtedly the heart of the series--take a bit of a nosedive. But I kind of like that. A love triangle is formulaic, and a girl "stealing" her best friend's boyfriend is formulaic--but what's not formulaic is the way in which the show seriously grapples with the issue, allowing Jane to be (rightfully) pissed and Daria to be (rightfully) emotionally-conflicted, and for neither character to be made a villain for it. The whole ordeal leaves some noticeable fissures in their relationship for the remainder of the series, and while that's kind of a bummer it is also admirably true-to-life.

Oh, and I like Tom (it's kind of sad what happens to him in "Is It College Yet?", but the break-up itself is well-handled): I get why both Jane and Daria would like him, too. Once Daria and Tom are officially dating, I do have some trouble believing he could actually abide her crap--her detachment, her uncommunicative tendencies, her flippancy--but there's a great pay-off in "My Night At Daria's," with that speech she gives about her fear of true intimacy (not to mention "Boxing Daria," which is an amazing deconstruction of her character and has to be just about the greatest episode ever).

In fact, the show's strongest suit is its willingness to treat Daria's oh-so-infamous persona as equal parts genuine and phony: she's a legitimately intelligent and emotionally-complex person whose misanthropy cannot be blamed wholly on personal issues or the fact that she is surrounded by morons (and I love that all the morons--with the exception of the Fashion Club members (who I find hilarious, regardless)--are not malicious, but harmlessly air-headed and generally good people), but some combination of the two; she loves her parents and her sister, and they love her, but this is not easily expressed by any of the parties involved; she is confident in her superiority to most people but also insecure when it comes to the things she really cares about (writing being the most prominent example in the series). I relate to Daria in a lot of ways, and I think the things I find irritating about her (like, for example, the emotional detachment and superiority complex) are the same things I dislike about myself. So that's a pretty neat trick.

Oh, and I also love Jane and Trent (their sibling bond is among the best-written relationships on the series; Daria's crush on Trent, while seemingly anomalous, is also really cute), and I eventually came around to Quinn (particularly in seasons four and five, as the result of what I'd assume was an intentional choice by the writers to flesh the character out); there really aren't any characters on the series that I truly dislike (though Jake can be hit-or-miss, and Ms. Li's moral bankruptcy devolves into Flanderization around "Fizz Ed" and never really recovers), and the show provides even its seemingly shallowest characters with some sweet moments of genuine, well, humanity (Stacy keeping the libelous caricature in "Art Burn" is one such example--melted my heart, it did).

Anyway, I'll stop babbling; I'm not saying anything that hasn't already been said about a show that's been off the air for, you know, almost 14 years. I guess I was just sort of shocked at how much I ended up enjoying it--how, well, sophisticated it ultimately was. In a lot of ways, I think it exceeds even The Simpsons and Futurama--not to mention a lot of live-action shows--in its handling of the characters' emotional lives, and that's no small feat.

So, yeah, great show. That is all.

*I did a search for a Daria thread and saw that there were two existing ones that haven't been posted in for roughly 10 years--hence my posting in this thread, which is practically hoppin' by today's PEEL standards.

[Reply #63 on:]

Daria is awesome. I see a lot of myself in her, only I'm too enthusiastic.

[Reply #64 on:]

I love Daria.

It's not as good as Beavis and Butthead at its best, but it's a lot more consistent in its quality. It always felt like it was resentful of the fact that it was a spin-off - like the show-runner didn't want to make a spin-off, but it was the only way he could get the show on the air.

I happen to be re-watching King of the Hill at the moment and, whilst I know Mike Judge had next to no involvement in Daria, I just wanted to say how much I love it.

[Reply #65 on:]

Funny, I've actually been rewatching King of the Hill itself - I'm currently about half-way through season 4. It's quite remarkable how consistent the show remained for its entire run, particularly when one considers that the show pretty much did the same thing for 13 years straight (with the exception of a few notable changes, most of which concerned minor characters). Though on top of Mike Judge's obvious brand of character humour, I think Greg Daniels' influence is also quite evident - in some ways, particularly in regards to how well fleshed-out the town of Arlen was, it feels like an early template for Parks & Recreation. Though apparently by season 7, it was pretty much entirely John Altschuler and Dave Krinsky running the show.

Either way, truly one of the most underrated series of all time.

[Reply #66 on:]

Though I love most of Mike Judge's work and would love for this conversation to continue, can we please just take a moment to recognize that tonight is the premeire of the Late Show with Stephen Colbert?

*Precisely One Moment Later*

'Kay, thanks! You can keep talking about Mike Judge now.

* Scrappy eagerly waits to watch it online tomorrow, hopefully.

[Reply #67 on:]

I've been watching koth a lot this year because the local cw affiliated played an episode at 7:30 am and one at 6 pm, but the last week they switched to just one episode at 4 pm

Also, I recently saw the first season of Silicon Valley and thought it was really funny

[Reply #68 on:]

I watched Colbert's new Late Show. It was good, though definitely suffered for being the first episode as there was not enough time to compensate for the chanting from the crowd that was obviously saturated by Colbert Report diehards. I imagine that as the show falls into a groove it will be a lot better.

The highlights for me were the Donald Trump segment (which most seemed to resemble a bit from the Report, Stephen seemed very at home in it), and...holy crap, Derek Trucks and Buddy Guy trading solos? Well played!

The Jeb Bush interview was also pulled off surprisingly well.

[Reply #69 on:]

10 minutes ago according to the local news outlet. The weather woman has kinda a slutty dress on.

[Reply #70 on:]

* Scrappy eagerly waits to watch it online tomorrow, hopefully.

The video you have requested is not available for your geographic region.

[Reply #71 on:]

I'd hate to me the one named McNeal right now...  or be wearing the world's shortest skirt.

[Reply #72 on:]

*be
*shortiest


Man, it feels like I will have to wait a thousand years to catch the end of that Leno Colbert monologue!

[Reply #73 on:]

I agree with Beamer and Spacedal I guess.

About the last page on late night talk show hosts

[Reply #74 on:]

So two Christmases ago my little brother bought me the complete series DVD box set of Daria*, which I had never seen before but was vaguely aware of (mostly because the Nostalgia Chick did an excellent recap of the series that I happened to watch), and which my brother apparently thought I would enjoy on account of I also wear glasses, I guess. I watched the first 10 or so episodes when I first got the DVD, but then I got sidetracked with work and a bunch of tedious mental and emotional mini-dramas and never got around to finishing the remainder of the series.

A few weeks ago, though, I decided to power through Daria in its entirety (right around the time I started grad school--there may have been an element of deliberate procrastination involved), and I just finished it. And I fucking loved it. Like, a bunch. To the point where this single run-through has cemented its place in my Top Ten Shows Evar list...admittedly not a very prestigious honor, as I have notoriously bad and/or pedestrian taste in television, but no matter. Anyway, I feel like my nascent indoctrination into the Daria fandom gives me the right to pontificate on the show for a bit, so that's what I'm about to do (with unmarked spoilers galore, so if anyone is even more out-of-touch than me and hasn't seen this show but thinks they'd like to do so in the future, you may want to stop reading now. Of course, there are myriad other reasons to stop reading most of my posts at about the two paragraph mark, so the rest of you can take your pick)...

The first season and a half is a bit uneven (not bad, mind you--consistently hilarious and insightful, in fact; "The Misery Chick" has to be one of the best episodes of the series, and one of the most emotionally- and intellectually-mature takes on death I've seen on TV (I also really love "Road Worrier," for different reasons)), but I think it's around "That Was Then, This is Dumb" that the show really hits its stride.

Season three was not my absolute favorite, either, but I do appreciate the decidedly more experimental elements: there is something delightfully crazy about both "Depth Takes a Holiday" and "Daria!", and "Jake of Hearts," "Speedtrapped," and "Jane's Addition" introduce higher emotional stakes and more nuanced portrayals of the characters' relationships--both of which contribute to my enjoyment of the final two seasons, which are possibly my favorite of the series.

I know the Jane/Tom/Daria thing is a point of contention (I was primed for this by the aforementioned Nostalgia Chick review), and it is decidedly uncomfortable watching the Jane/Daria friendship--undoubtedly the heart of the series--take a bit of a nosedive. But I kind of like that. A love triangle is formulaic, and a girl "stealing" her best friend's boyfriend is formulaic--but what's not formulaic is the way in which the show seriously grapples with the issue, allowing Jane to be (rightfully) pissed and Daria to be (rightfully) emotionally-conflicted, and for neither character to be made a villain for it. The whole ordeal leaves some noticeable fissures in their relationship for the remainder of the series, and while that's kind of a bummer it is also admirably true-to-life.

Oh, and I like Tom (it's kind of sad what happens to him in "Is It College Yet?", but the break-up itself is well-handled): I get why both Jane and Daria would like him, too. Once Daria and Tom are officially dating, I do have some trouble believing he could actually abide her crap--her detachment, her uncommunicative tendencies, her flippancy--but there's a great pay-off in "My Night At Daria's," with that speech she gives about her fear of true intimacy (not to mention "Boxing Daria," which is an amazing deconstruction of her character and has to be just about the greatest episode ever).

In fact, the show's strongest suit is its willingness to treat Daria's oh-so-infamous persona as equal parts genuine and phony: she's a legitimately intelligent and emotionally-complex person whose misanthropy cannot be blamed wholly on personal issues or the fact that she is surrounded by morons (and I love that all the morons--with the exception of the Fashion Club members (who I find hilarious, regardless)--are not malicious, but harmlessly air-headed and generally good people), but some combination of the two; she loves her parents and her sister, and they love her, but this is not easily expressed by any of the parties involved; she is confident in her superiority to most people but also insecure when it comes to the things she really cares about (writing being the most prominent example in the series). I relate to Daria in a lot of ways, and I think the things I find irritating about her (like, for example, the emotional detachment and superiority complex) are the same things I dislike about myself. So that's a pretty neat trick.

Oh, and I also love Jane and Trent (their sibling bond is among the best-written relationships on the series; Daria's crush on Trent, while seemingly anomalous, is also really cute), and I eventually came around to Quinn (particularly in seasons four and five, as the result of what I'd assume was an intentional choice by the writers to flesh the character out); there really aren't any characters on the series that I truly dislike (though Jake can be hit-or-miss, and Ms. Li's moral bankruptcy devolves into Flanderization around "Fizz Ed" and never really recovers), and the show provides even its seemingly shallowest characters with some sweet moments of genuine, well, humanity (Stacy keeping the libelous caricature in "Art Burn" is one such example--melted my heart, it did).

Anyway, I'll stop babbling; I'm not saying anything that hasn't already been said about a show that's been off the air for, you know, almost 14 years. I guess I was just sort of shocked at how much I ended up enjoying it--how, well, sophisticated it ultimately was. In a lot of ways, I think it exceeds even The Simpsons and Futurama--not to mention a lot of live-action shows--in its handling of the characters' emotional lives, and that's no small feat.

So, yeah, great show. That is all.

*I did a search for a Daria thread and saw that there were two existing ones that haven't been posted in for roughly 10 years--hence my posting in this thread, which is practically hoppin' by today's PEEL standards.

Should've posted in both old threads.  It's a wonderful show, unfortunate you didn't see it earlier on.  The music was all copyrighted weird, but made it homely in its place in time, the 90s. 

La la laa la la

[Reply #75 on:]

I finally got the chance to see the premiere episode of the Late Show with Stephen Colbert. I've also been watching almost everything they put up on YouTube.

It is everything I was hoping it to be plus more. Colbert is of course funny, personable, and energetic. He really gets into the flow of things in a way that the other late night hosts simply do not. Jon Batiste and Stay Human bring great enthusiasm as well, while providing flavors, genres, and mixtures of music not often found in prime time.

Colbert is also a great interviewer. I knew he would be, but he is doing it far and away better than I had anticipated. He's the only late night host who really digs into a deep issue while interviewing a guest, not afraid to bring up a difficult subject or confront a politician who's evading answering a question. In this, he is very eloquent and well-spoken, able to articulate complex concepts or perspectives in a way that leads to a direct, concise question.

[Reply #76 on:]

Season 5 of Archer is booooorrrring. I'm only two episodes in but it feels like the quality has absolutely tanked.

[Reply #77 on:]

Probably more of a post for the Archer thread, to be honest. Season 5 has been discussed in detail there.

[Reply #78 on:]

Fair point. Like I said on the other page though it's difficult to avoid spoilers in those threads so I usually just avoid them if I'm not caught up.

[Reply #79 on:]

Season 5 is far from Archer's best, but I'd call it a huge step up from the fourth season. I had a lot of issues with that season (which you'll presumably read upon catching up with the show, so I won't bother saying any more here :P).