TV Diary
1. "Andy Barker P.I."
It's maybe appropriate of his role as sidekick to Conan, but nonetheless a little depressing, that since leaving Late Night seven years ago, Andy Richter doesn't have much to show for it other than a lot of bit parts (in mostly crappy movies, but a few good ones, and also a funny recurring role on "The New Adventures Of Old Christine") and a couple short-lived sitcoms. Still, "Andy Richter Controls The Universe" was pretty great (and is all over YouTube), and "Andy Barker P.I." is looking pretty promising, based on the first half of the six episodes I've watched so far, which NBC.com is streaming well before the pilot airs this Thursday. It doesn't feel like it quite hits its stride and really become funny until the 2nd episode, although it's not as funny as the show it's replacing in its timeslot, "30 Rock" (which isn't really saying anything, because "30 Rock" is the funniest show on television right now, man I hope both these shows survive to see next season). It's exec produced by Conan, and reminds me a lot of the pilot he and Robert Smigel wrote in the early 90's for Adam West, "Lookwell" (which is also on YouTube), the whole goofy crime fighting farce thing, more overtly goofy than, say "Monk." One of the many really annoying people from "Arrested Development" is in this, although thankfully he's not quite as annoying in it, as is the guy who played the cab driver character in "How I Met Your Mother" that was for some reason abandoned after the first few episodes.
2. "The Winner"
I had moderately high hopes for this being decent, but Jeff is right that it's got a little bit of promise but ends up being kind of a chore to watch. I'm one of the few people who will stick up for 3 camera sitcoms with live audiences these days, but the laugh track in this is just oppressively loud and fake-sounding. Rob Corddry gets in some great throwaway lines here and there, but I don't know if I'll keep up with this one, especially when they seem to be running two episodes every week.
3. "The Sarah Silverman Program"
Another show I kinda gave a half-assed chance but I'm not sure if I'll ever sit through a whole episode. I never thought Sarah Silverman was really particularly funny to begin with and after my brother's incredibly accurate summary of her whole schtick, I can't really take her seriously at all.
4. "American Idol"
To echo what's been said by many people elsewhere, this has been a weird season so far, with an especially weak lineup as far as the guys go. That said, I get pretty irritated when the judges get haughty about it, because hey, they decided who was in the 24. So if they didn't pick the best out of all those thousands of people, it's kinda their fault. I'm just glad that Sundance and Antonella are gone, I was starting to feel a little fatalistic about the really annoying people sticking around too long. Right now, I'm really rooting for Jordin and Melinda and Gina and LaKisha, and I'm kinda rooting for Cris Sligh and Blake but am ready to kinda turn on them if they keep getting progressively more annoying.
5. "Ego Trip's The (White) Rapper Show"
I tried to give this show a chance, multiple times throughout the season, but maybe all the people who raved about can explain to me how it isn't, for long long stretches, total boilerplate reality show stuff? I mean it's as boring as most of those 'Celebreality' shows. A lot of the jokes were pretty funny on paper and I liked that it managed to be silly and irreverent while still very much from a hip hop nerd perspective, but in practice a lot of the gags got old and is it just me, or was the whole game show bit stolen from "I Know Black People" on "Chappelle's Show"? In terms of the whole humiliating contest stuff, it's actually a lot like "The Surreal Life: Fame Games," except that show is funnier.
6. "Extras"
I liked the UK version of "The Office" well enough but never particularly revered it, so I was mildly curious about this. I only saw a little of the first season and then all of the 2nd season, and it seems like it got a lot weaker in the 2nd season after it started to let go of the whole point of calling the show "Extras" and became a meta-commentary on formulaic sitcoms. The show itself is kind of tied to a really repetitive formula, but the celebrity cameos are generally pretty funny, as is the manager character.
It's maybe appropriate of his role as sidekick to Conan, but nonetheless a little depressing, that since leaving Late Night seven years ago, Andy Richter doesn't have much to show for it other than a lot of bit parts (in mostly crappy movies, but a few good ones, and also a funny recurring role on "The New Adventures Of Old Christine") and a couple short-lived sitcoms. Still, "Andy Richter Controls The Universe" was pretty great (and is all over YouTube), and "Andy Barker P.I." is looking pretty promising, based on the first half of the six episodes I've watched so far, which NBC.com is streaming well before the pilot airs this Thursday. It doesn't feel like it quite hits its stride and really become funny until the 2nd episode, although it's not as funny as the show it's replacing in its timeslot, "30 Rock" (which isn't really saying anything, because "30 Rock" is the funniest show on television right now, man I hope both these shows survive to see next season). It's exec produced by Conan, and reminds me a lot of the pilot he and Robert Smigel wrote in the early 90's for Adam West, "Lookwell" (which is also on YouTube), the whole goofy crime fighting farce thing, more overtly goofy than, say "Monk." One of the many really annoying people from "Arrested Development" is in this, although thankfully he's not quite as annoying in it, as is the guy who played the cab driver character in "How I Met Your Mother" that was for some reason abandoned after the first few episodes.
2. "The Winner"
I had moderately high hopes for this being decent, but Jeff is right that it's got a little bit of promise but ends up being kind of a chore to watch. I'm one of the few people who will stick up for 3 camera sitcoms with live audiences these days, but the laugh track in this is just oppressively loud and fake-sounding. Rob Corddry gets in some great throwaway lines here and there, but I don't know if I'll keep up with this one, especially when they seem to be running two episodes every week.
3. "The Sarah Silverman Program"
Another show I kinda gave a half-assed chance but I'm not sure if I'll ever sit through a whole episode. I never thought Sarah Silverman was really particularly funny to begin with and after my brother's incredibly accurate summary of her whole schtick, I can't really take her seriously at all.
4. "American Idol"
To echo what's been said by many people elsewhere, this has been a weird season so far, with an especially weak lineup as far as the guys go. That said, I get pretty irritated when the judges get haughty about it, because hey, they decided who was in the 24. So if they didn't pick the best out of all those thousands of people, it's kinda their fault. I'm just glad that Sundance and Antonella are gone, I was starting to feel a little fatalistic about the really annoying people sticking around too long. Right now, I'm really rooting for Jordin and Melinda and Gina and LaKisha, and I'm kinda rooting for Cris Sligh and Blake but am ready to kinda turn on them if they keep getting progressively more annoying.
5. "Ego Trip's The (White) Rapper Show"
I tried to give this show a chance, multiple times throughout the season, but maybe all the people who raved about can explain to me how it isn't, for long long stretches, total boilerplate reality show stuff? I mean it's as boring as most of those 'Celebreality' shows. A lot of the jokes were pretty funny on paper and I liked that it managed to be silly and irreverent while still very much from a hip hop nerd perspective, but in practice a lot of the gags got old and is it just me, or was the whole game show bit stolen from "I Know Black People" on "Chappelle's Show"? In terms of the whole humiliating contest stuff, it's actually a lot like "The Surreal Life: Fame Games," except that show is funnier.
6. "Extras"
I liked the UK version of "The Office" well enough but never particularly revered it, so I was mildly curious about this. I only saw a little of the first season and then all of the 2nd season, and it seems like it got a lot weaker in the 2nd season after it started to let go of the whole point of calling the show "Extras" and became a meta-commentary on formulaic sitcoms. The show itself is kind of tied to a really repetitive formula, but the celebrity cameos are generally pretty funny, as is the manager character.
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on Sunday, March 11, 2007 at 11:30 AM.
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Zac : 1:56 PM