Why It’s Worth a Watch Wednesday – Bunheads!

June 27, 2012 By 23 Comments

This week Tiffany White and I take on two new television programs on Why It’s Worth a Watch Wednesday in our first Boys versus Girls post—ABC Family’s Bunheads and TBS’s Men at Work.

I’ve never in my life been the little girl with dreams of being a ballerina. I enjoy the idea of dancing, but my interest in it never developed very far beyond that. Maybe it has something to do with my solid lack of coordination, or fear of leotards. (Not to be confused with leopards, which are awesome.)

Anyhoo, despite my disinterest in the craft, I was pretty excited about the new series Bunheads, which derives its name from the common hairstyle worn by ballet dancers.

Why so excited?

I love dialogue. Banter, “speechifying”, you name it, when done well, I love it. If I could write only dialogue all day, I probably would. There are a few writers that are known for their abilities in the dialogue department (Sorkin, anyone?). One such writer is Amy Sherman Palladino. If you just said, “who?”, go to your room.

But seriously, Amy is the creator of The Gilmore Girls. If you watched GG (yes, in my head, this show is what GG stands for, not Gossip Girl) and hated it, you should probably just move along now. Bunheads will not be for you.

For the rest of you, Bunheads follows the character Michelle (Sutton Foster), a classically trained dancer turned Vegas showgirl who is feeling a bit sorry about her lot in life. As a result she agrees to marry her very persistent suitor, a sweet man who she doesn’t love but wins her over with tales of his hometown, Paradise.

Michelle arrives in Paradise to find a town that doesn’t exactly warm up to her, particularly her mother-in-law Fanny (Kelly Bishop). The only people in town that seem pleased with her arrival are four ballet students, excited about the prospect of knowing a “real” dancer.

As if being in this small town isn’t bad enough, a tragedy hits, leaving Michelle even more alone than she already was.

I’m really enjoying the show so far. I should disclose that I was a fan of The Gilmore Girls, and was a little worried this show would try too hard to be what Gilmore was. So far, it seem to be striking the right balance of being its own show, but retaining the signatures of Mrs. Sherman Palladino. The fast paced chatter, the pop culture references (although those seem to be toned down  a bit), the three generations to relate to; it’s all there.

There is also something to be said for a new program that appeals to various ages. Family programming is hard to come by, but like Gilmore Girls, this show seems like it will be one that will be enjoyed by adults and young people alike. (Oh, and dudes, I know far too many of you who pretend not to like The Gilmore Girls, yet will sit through it, laugh, and want to see the next episode, so don’t get all “this is a girl show” on me.)

Bunheads is definitely off to a solid start. I give it a MacTV rating. Totally a pantry staple.

[Hey, non-cable peeps: You can watch the third episode on Hulu. The rights have not been secured yet to keep a queue of the shows, so fingers crossed they get them soon so you can catch up. In the meantime, you can get away with starting at ep 3.]

What do you think? Have you watched Bunheads? How would you rate it? Are you a fan of dancing or The Gilmore Girls?
Now click over to Tiffany’s blog and see what she thinks about the Men at Work.
Come back next week when we review something…this Tropical Storm has my brain a bit waterlogged and is taking a toll on my ability to plan.

Remember to stop by the #watchwed hashtag in Twitter to discuss any of today’s reviews, or to mention any television programs that you’d like to see on Why It’s Worth a Watch Wednesday in the future.
ATTENTION RED CARPET WINNERS! Your photos will be posted in next week’s post. Sorry. Tropical Storm Debby ate my homework.
A Recap of The WatchWed Review System:
GTV (Gourmet TV): Everything we want and more
MacTV (MacNCheese TV): Guilty pleasure. Not perfect, but is satisfies
GMacTV (Gourmet MacNCheese TV): A combination of fine wine and comfort food
JFTV (Junk food TV): It’s not great for us, but we’ll go back for seconds
TBPTV (Twice Baked Potato TV): Part gourmet and delicious, while absolutely horrible for our cholesterol
SSTV (Still Simmering TV): It has potential, but the jury is still out
NIV (Nyquil Induced Viewing): Perfect for that late night television sleep timer
LOTV (Liver&Onions TV): Do we really have to explain? Blech

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Why It’s Worth A Watch Wednesday – These Are Their Stories

December 14, 2011 By 16 Comments

As 2011 winds down, so does the need to tell you about any new programming on the TV. As a matter of fact, a lot of shows start showing reruns, leaving our DVR queue a little quiet.

This week, Tiffany and I share a few of our standby shows. They’re the ones we turn on while we fold endless piles of laundry, bake cupcakes, or pretend to get something done in the house.

My pick is one of a large and successful franchise: Law and Order. Specifically, Law & Order: Criminal Intent.

The original Law & Order has been around since 1990, and at the time of its final episode last year it was the longest running crime drama around. Criminal Intent began in 2001 and ended just this past May. While not as long running as the original, it definitely held its own with a ten year run, and for this TV watcher, it was the one that kept me tuned in.

Where the original series focused on the police catching criminals and the prosecutors bringing them to justice, L&O:CI paid more attention to the motives of the criminals. The show spent time singling out the criminal, showing what drove them, and generally ended with a confession. Unlike the other L&O series, Criminal Intent did not focus on the prosecutorial element.

So, for a TV viewer who likes good court case viewing, what made me choose the one L&O that shies away from the courtroom?

Simply put, Detective Robert Goren. The primary detectives working cases during the length of the series are Goren and Eames. Goren is a detective who has pays close attention to minor details, has a wide array of knowledge, and possesses a special knack for getting into the head (and often, under the skin) of the criminals he encounters.

Regular readers know how much I love the guys with a gift – Shawn Spencer, Dr. House, Patrick Jane – so it should come as no surprise that the character of Detective Goren holds a special place in my TV heart. After all, it is rumored that his character, like House, is based on Sherlock Holmes.

As the series continued, elements of his life are very slowly revealed that bring to light how he could be so good at what he does, and why he isn’t always appreciated for it. As a matter of fact, this is an element of CI I didn’t expect to appreciate; the characters personal lives are rarely touched on in the show.

Aside from loving the character, I will admit that the fact that he is played by the brilliant Vincent D’Onofrio is the biggest reason that this show is on regular rotation in my house. Whether he’s doing Kubrick, playing a demented serial killer, a tormented writer*, or an alien, I’ve never been disappointed with him in any role. Detective Goren’s character is occasionally over the top in interrogations, but D’Onofrio’s delivery keeps me watching.

While I wasn’t thrilled when the show added another set of detectives to share the caseload, it was definitely still watchable, particularly with actors like Chris Noth joining the cast for a few seasons.

Is this show an amazing feat of writing? No. The cases are often predictable, and some lines are occasionally cheesy, which is why I give this show the MacTV rating. But just like my mac n’ cheese, I’ll eat it by the bowlful, even the cheap kind from the box. Low on the nutritional value, but it will forever be a pantry staple.

Given my earlier post, I opted for a "mature" photo here.

And yes, I did, and probably forever will, have a bit of a crush on Mr. D’Onofrio.

Are you a fan of any of the L&O franchise? Does anyone share my admiration for the “actor’s actor”, Vincent D’Onofrio? What’s your laundry day go to?

Now click over to Tiffany’s blog and find out what she tunes in to when the household chores are piling up.

Come back next week to see what we have cooking!

Remember to stop by the #watchwed hashtag in Twitter to discuss any of today’s reviews, or to mention any television programs that you’d like to see on Why It’s Worth a Watch Wednesday in the future.

*The Whole Wide World is based on the memoirs of Novalyne Price, following her relationship with the writer Robert Howard, creator of Conan the Barbarian. Random trivia time: Renee Zellweger thanked him when she accepted her Oscar for Cold Mountain. This movie is the reason why.

A Recap of The WatchWed Review System:

GTV (Gourmet TV): Everything we want and more
MacTV (MacNCheese TV): Guilty pleasure. Not perfect, but is satisfies
GMacTV (Gourmet MacNCheese TV): A combination of fine wine and comfort food
JFTV (Junk food TV): It’s not great for us, but we’ll go back for seconds
TBPTV (Twice Baked Potato TV): Part gourmet and delicious, while absolutely horrible for our cholesterol
SSTV (Still Simmering TV): It has potential, but the jury is still out
NIV (Nyquil Induced Viewing): Perfect for that late night television sleep timer
LOTV (Liver&Onions TV): Do we really have to explain? Blech

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Why It’s Worth a Watch Wednesday – Old School

December 7, 2011 By 17 Comments

This week on Why It’s Worth a Watch Wednesday, Tiffany and I are kickin’ it old school. Not so much because we are hip, but more because we are playing the part of cranky old folks, bemoaning days gone by. Specifically, we’re looking back to good ole TV programs we watched as kids that we occasionally long for, given the lack of quality family programming nowadays.

Tiffany is extra cranky this week, as her old favorite can’t seem to be found in syndication. At least I can tune into WGN or hit up Hulu Plus to see mine.

What did I pick?

Without a second thought, The Cosby Show. Like Tiffany’s choice, this show centers around a family. Though not perfect, they love each other and we get to look on as they go through the various trials of family life, simple and complex.

Having Bill Cosby at the helm as Dr. Heathcliff “Cliff” Huxtable, the show offered more than its share of laughs, using much of Bill Cosby’s standup material as fodder for the episodes. If you are not familiar with his standup, get on that, now. Here, I’ll wait for you:

Cliff is an obstetrician, married to Clair (Phylicia Rashad), an attorney. If their successful careers didn’t keep them busy enough, they also have five children (four at home, one grown and in college, played by Keisha Knight Pulliam, Tempestt Bledsoe, Lisa Bonet, Malcolm-Jamal Warner and Sabrina Le Beauf) to handle. Their children dealt with the small problems we could relate to: sharing a room with your sister, younger siblings wanting the same privileges as the older ones, kids trying to play their parents against each other; the simple problems that arise in any family. The Huxtables dealt with their children firmly and lovingly.

What makes me miss this show so much? So many things.

For one, the show depicted a minority family as successful and educated. Originally, Cliff was supposed to be a limo driver and Clair a stay-at-home mom. It was Bill Cosby who convinced the show’s producers to change their roles to reflect a more successful family. While the show didn’t stereotype the family or deal much with the issues of race, it did educate by highlighting elements of African-American culture in the show.

The Cosby Show didn’t follow the formula of the bumbling idiot father, the annoyingly overbearing mother, and the sassy, too-smart-for-their-parents children that most family sitcoms fall into nowadays. The parents knew when the kids were up to something, and taught them valuable lessons, which sometimes were as simple as “listen to your parents”.

In our house, The Cosby Show was important enough in our TV viewing schedule that it was the reason my father bought our first VCR. Did I mention that I grew up in a family of five children with intelligent and funny parents? That could have something to do with my love for this show as well. I related. Watching moments like this make me feel like I am sitting with my dad.

The show also had great guest stars. Guests like Stevie Wonder, Tito Puente, Lena Horne and Dizzy Gillespie contributed to my musical education and were among my favorites. But the most memorable for me was my childhood crush, Danny Kaye, playing a dentist.

The show ran for eight seasons, from 1984 to 1992. It marked a revival for the successful TV sitcom, and set a great example of real family TV.

I miss you, Cosby Show.

Did you watch The Cosby Show? Could you relate to the characters in the show? Can you think of any current shows that compare?

Now head over to Tiffany’s blog to experience some Growing Pains.

Come back next week when Tiffany and I discuss a few of our favorite TNT syndications…the shows we like to run all day long while we fold laundry or bake treats for our sweets. (I stole this line from Tiffany – it captures exactly what I use my TNT syndications for perfectly.)

Remember to stop by the #watchwed hashtag in Twitter to discuss any of today’s reviews, or to mention any television programs that you’d like to see on Why It’s Worth a Watch Wednesday in the future.

A Recap of The WatchWed Review System:
GTV (Gourmet TV): Everything we want and more
MacTV (MacNCheese TV): Guilty pleasure. Not perfect, but is satisfies
GMacTV (Gourmet MacNCheese TV): A combination of fine wine and comfort food
JFTV (Junk food TV): It’s not great for us, but we’ll go back for seconds
TBPTV (Twice Baked Potato TV): Part gourmet and delicious, while absolutely horrible for our cholesterol
SSTV (Still Simmering TV): It has potential, but the jury is still out
NIV (Nyquil Induced Viewing): Perfect for that late night television sleep timer
LOTV (Liver&Onions TV): Do we really have to explain? Blech

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Dear Television – It’s You, Not Me

August 8, 2011 By 22 Comments

I enjoy TV.  But I can be picky.

You may have guessed that, what with me telling you what you should or shouldn’t watch every Wednesday.

While I may watch my fair share, there aren’t too many shows that really grab me.  Most are guilty pleasures, opportunities to tune out.  With more and more web content available (and finding I spend more time in front of my computer than TV) I’ve started checking out more series online.

One series in particular caught my attention, and managed to hold it through the season finale, which was released today.

It’s called Leap Year.

The series follows 5 friends, each trying to start new businesses after being laid off, or “released” from their old jobs, in an effort to win a contest offering half a million in funding for their startup.

Why, on a blog where the readership is largely made up of creative writerly types who should be spending their time working on their novels rather than watching TV, am I taking a post to tell you to go watch something?

Because it’s good.  Believable, likable characters engaged in witty, yet realistic dialogue, in a plot that is interesting and timely…there aren’t many TV shows (well, any at the moment) that I can attribute a similar description to.   And really, with so much focus on making solid characters and stories in your writing, wouldn’t you want to see a great example of those things?

Also, given the time constraints I (and lots of you) have going (attempting to write and a 2 year old), the brief nature of the episodes makes it easy for me to keep up.  Although, I’ll be honest, they hooked me well enough that I’d make time for them if they ran longer.

So, I share with you some non-TV entertainment.  It’s what I wish TV would be.

Check the trailer here:

Currently Listening to: Nessun Dorma, on a loop, because that is what the 2 year old requested, and he is apparently the boss of me

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