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It’s been a long summer (no it hasn’t, come back, summer!). NYC Prep was great and everything (NYC Prep was the worst show ever), but it’s just nice to have our old pals back. “Have our old pals back”? That is so sad! Cat ladies look at me and shake their heads. “At least I have something meaningful in my life,” they say. But anyway, last night! There were a bunch of shows on! And they were almost all great! I’m not going to recap everything that happened because a) get real and b) recapping sitcoms is silly (“And then he made this joke, and then he got hit in the head with a bagel because Jewish writers”). But I will open up the discussion of everything that happened:
Community is great! Obviously, next week will be the real test (get it? Test? Community College? The test is to see if you can get me to the hospital before I bleed to death from these self-inflicted gunshot wounds) since the first episode has been online for awhile and all of the teaser promos were culled jokes from the first episode. But the first episode of Community is in the Lots Of Loves HONORS PROGRAM. (I really do hate myself, that is not a joke when I say that.)
Then there was the debut of The Office. I’ve said in the past that the basic conceit of this show no longer makes sense, which is true, and which suggests that perhaps the show has run its logical course. But obviously it is still so funny! Last night’s episode was a winner from beginning to end, but especially from beginning with the parkour stuff:
But also everything else. You Officeheads out there know what I’m talking about! (Even my least favorite character had some good lines ["Who has been saying there's another person inside of me, working me with controls?"].)
I didn’t actually get to Parks and Recreation yet, but let me guess: it was hit or miss, maybe a little more miss than you would have liked, but your genuine good-wishes for everyone involved and belief in the overwhelming amount of talent involved with the show forced out a couple extra laughs and you can’t wait to keep watching despite the fact that Rashida Jones spending all her time hanging out at the Chamber of Commerce makes no sense? Was I close?
And then, of course, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. The little show that could! You have to hand it to “the gang,” four seasons deep and they’re still just doing what they do best: being assholes! It is surprising how consistent this show has been despite its exponential rise to success. Good! In last night’s episode, Dee exploited a family looking for a surrogate womb, and the boys tried to take advantage of the collapsing real estate market. Also, Charlie became Professor Law over here.
Whoops! Uh oh!
Anyway, everyone’s back! Almost! (30 Rock returns October 15.) Yay!
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Shockingly, I found Parks and Rec funnier than The Office last night. Upset alert!
Gabe’s view towards the Office is the same as Charlie’s view towards dueling.
“It is surprising how consistent this show has been despite its exponential rise to success”.. I disagree. they are now caricatures of what their characters once were, and it’s so annoying sometimes to just hear them talk in high voices over each other. but, I do think the premise of the show and thus the show itself to be overall enjoyable and hilarious
I have TO DISAGREE. Those MOTHERFUCKERS HAVE always yelled over EACH OTHER in high VOICES.
no way! not as badly! season one case in point
I will never understand why four funny people screaming funny things at each other is a bad thing.
We’re gonna go paint your room a color that isn’t stupid. Then we’re gonna throw out all of your toys.
The Thursday Weekend Update was worth watching for Bill Hader’s impression of James Carville. I lizzed myself when he said “It’s like when a midget stands next to a Smart Car. You ain’t tall, midget! You just clever.”
Bill Hader as James Carville was the most solid part of the show. “You just stare at him ’till he cries” So much laffs! The rest felt kinda flat though, even with Amy Poehler back.
Amy Phoeler. May we never be without you.
I am a little disappointed in there being no Project Runway recaps here, but maybe the Mad Men ones have just spoiled me into thinking I deserve recaps for all my favorite shows.
has anyone figured out if it’s legal to own a hummingbird as a pet yet?
Community aced the test and got extra credit for the John Hughes dedication (am I doing it right??)
also, Charlie as a lawyer really reminded me of when Homer Simpson does similar things.
I?m sorry but I just don?t get It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. I?ve seen a few episodes and it doesn?t grab me. Can someone honestly tell me why it?s worth the time?
Mostly for the antics of Charlie Kelly. Netflix up season 3; Charlie as Serpico alone will probably change your mind.
WILD CARD, BITCHES!!!!!
so, there’s this episode where dennis and dee decide to do something with their college degrees, right? and they sit around on stoops and listen to biz markie for a while, right? and then they decide they need to go on welfare in the meantime, right? so dennis pretends to be a recovering crack addict and dee pretends to be mentally retarded. welfare lady doesn’t buy it, and so – oh, jesus. this isn’t helping anything.
Dude, eat my boogers.
it’s not-I think I get why people like it, but I was forced to watch the first two seasons while vacationing in a cabin that had no cable, just a DVD player. My sister and her boyfriend were dying laughing but it just got no reaction from me.
You’re obviously a power bottom.
I have no idea either.. I was never able to watch this show longer than.. 2 minutes before I got bored.
i get sunny, but i sympathize: i have the same problem with the mighty boosh. it should be for me, but it just isn’t. sunny is pretty consistent. if you don’t like it yet i’m not sure if watching more will change your mind.
“Even my least favorite character had some good lines”
I agree with joy’s post. If you want to get on board, lizzing, you need to start from the beginning. First season is amazingly great. Now, it’s just funny.
Hmm, that does not bode well. I?ve seen about 5 or 6 episodes of season 1 and I only laughed once. At the kid with the gun in the toy store. None of my fellow comedy nerd friends watch this show, which makes me think there is a reason. But I may start over with an open mind.
I need a treadmill to put in front of my television if I’m ever going to catch up with all of these IASIP episodes.
But yea, Community is pretty funny. Plus, Trudy from Mad Men, so there’s that.
I hope they give her a dance number.
All the shows were great! Did anyone watch that show Archer that was on after Sunny? Any show that features H. Jon Benjamin saying cock multiple times is ok by me
You know, I was prepared to hate it because of the terrible “covert screening” promos during Always Sunny, but it was actually pretty hilarious.
I tried. My eyes were working but my brain was having none of it.
It seems like this whole season of Parks & Recreation will be built on the idea that the town is up in arms over a gay penguin wedding.
Aka it’s on REALLY thin ice.
HA! I’m glad to see a bad joke come from Parks & Recs. I thought it was the best first episode this fall, though I assume 30 Rock will knock it out of the park (pun intended).
pretty sure that was the plot of this one episode, not the entire season. by the end of the ep, leslie is driving them to a gay friendly state and also wants to stop at a six flags on the way to make them go down the water slide.
SO GLAD people liked community. i saw it on a whim last night to avoid boredom and was a skeptic (promos=terrible) but it totes won me over. chevy chase hasn’t made me laugh like that since ever.
I wasn’t really looking forward to watching “Parks and Rec” yesterday but it REALLY surprised me with the funny. There were plenty of laugh out loud moments and I think Amy Poehler has grown into the role a little more. She seemed less like a female Michael Scott last night and I really enjoyed it.
FLUSH IT OUT.
Will you still cover HIMYM now that Lindsay’s gone?
Ass burgers.
I wasn’t blown away by ‘Community,’ actually. Obviously pilot episodes are notoriously lame (see also: every single show mentioned in this post), but I felt like the writing on ‘Community’ was way too focused on introducing the KRAZIE personalities we’ll come to know and love this season. The full study group scenes seemed particularly lazy. That being said, we know how funny McHale is and I hope it hits its stride soon. Oh, also: more Chevy Chase and Jon Oliver please.
First of all, I challenge anybody here to go toe to toe with me in bird law. Secondly, even though the office had some really funny parts, it was excurciating to watch. I cannot stand the Jim Pam interactions. I almost changed the channel during the shotgun wedding part. They need to take a page from Sunny’s book and just keep it with the funny.
Thank god Brian Unger is still funny. Those sanctimonious BMW ads had me worried.
I’m kind of disappointed that Gabe didn’t address the most annoying thing about last night’s tv: whatever that “covert screening” shit after Always Sunny was all about. Let me tell you a story. It’s convoluted, so stay with me.
I have DirecTV. I came home yesterday and tried in vain to set up the incredible number of Thursday night Tivos. I live on the west coast, so I get cable stuff two hours early (satellite) but local stuff at the correct time. It’s confusing, but last night it meant that at 9:00 I had to tivo The Office, Fringe (yeah, i know, but like I’m not gonna check on wtf happened after the WTC appeared and Spock lived there!), and… the last seven minutes of It’s Always Sunny, which for some reason ran from 8:04 to 9:07 according to the guide. I’m thinking “WOOHOO! ONE HOUR SUNNY PREMIERE!”
But, downside: I can’t tivo three things at once. One show needs to be cut, and I decided on The Office. It’s reliably funny but not reliably brilliant, and it’s very reliably on Hulu. So sorry Office, I will come in on the weekend.
Ok, so then I am watching It’s Always Sunny, and it has all these weird commercials about how I am part of some kind of experiment and will be watching “covert screening?” I think, “No, I’m not. And no, I won’t.” And didn’t you already try these bizarre opaque ads with Testees? And wasn’t that show a terrible failure? I’ll kindly wait for the new Louis CK series, thank you very much.
And then Always Sunny FUCKING ENDS after half an hour! And all of a sudden I am watching some Cartoon? Which is completely at odds with the “cover screening” ads, even though the “covert screening” ads seemed like they could be for literally anything!
Maybe it was a funny show. I don’t know. I was too busy shouting at the tv because I was so pissed off that a) Always Sunny was NOT an hour, as advertised, and b) I had dropped The Office to record a show I have never heard of and was not even supposed to be on.
I guess they thought “man, fuck, everyone uses tivo now, so it no longer helps to have Sunny as a popular lead-in to these new bullshit comedies we keep spewing out.” And then someone was like, “Hey, what if we fool tivo by just making it look like this show is part of Sunny?” And someone was like “No, David Blaine.” But someone else who is probably more powerful than that guy said, “Brilliant!”
Sorry, but this is Alienating Your Audience 101. No one wants to be tricked into watching something. We want to hear about it months in advance, keep tabs on the buzz, tell our friends, sit down for the premiere, and then either bitch or rave about it on Videogum. Tricking us just makes us hate you and your dumb show.
Covert Ugh.
Filibuster!
Do you even know what that means?
Hahaha. Zing. I was in class. At law school. So….yeah.
Why don’t you just watch some of the tv shows online?
You forgot #whitewhine
I have long suspected that I am the only person in the world not related to someone involved with the show to think Testees was really funny.
I have nothing but hatred for that “Community” guys ESPN/Beer wise ass, beer commercial face…It’s his job to win me over…On the plus side…plenty of solid shows don’t have their distinct voices defined in the first season….look at “Facts of Life”…
Community is immediately great. I can’t really say more without gushing but hopefully it manages to keep up the quality. I strangely felt good seeing that chick that’s in yogurt commercials as a cast member. You know, good for her on landing a real acting job.
P&R did pretty well last night. I stopped watching the first season halfway through, but since it wasn’t horrible (just underwhelming) I decided to give it a second chance (plus Louis C.K. is going to be on).
The Office is as it’s always been, so that’s good.
I’d be remiss not to mention Sunny. I felt the lawyer brought down the episode. Sweet Dee had a great story that was cut short to accomadate his scenes, which weren’t funny to begin with. Still, the rest of the time it’s classic Sunny. I especially liked the ending. Call me a fag, but it warned my heart to see that even thought the Gang from Paddy’s are horrible people, they’re still some version of a loving family (even if bent beyond belief).
I stayed around for Archer. It’s decent, so I’ll check it out when it premiers in January. Mostly, it just makes me miss Frisky Dingo.
Honestly, the only redeeming part of Community, for me, was when Abed started quoting The Breakfast Club. The rest of it kind of fell flat. I did appreciate that it wasn’t shot in documentary style, but it seemed to be missing something. A laugh track perhaps? Is there no going back? Also, this could have very easily been the latest straight-to-dvd installment in the Van Wilder/Road Trip series.
Something happened in between the cut of the pilot shown on Facebook and what was shown last night where they added all this obnoxious interstitial music between EVERY scene that made the ep seem more like a series of sketches than an actual story, and unneccessary ADR/extra editing (notice how the dean repeated “How do you turn this off? Uh-oh” like five times in the beginning). So I think it’s just the broadcast cut, really – I LOVE this show, but the first half last night was borderline unwatchable
I thought pretty much everything Aved said was funny, especially the “like ___ in all his movies” bits.
You’re the one asking for a laugh-track to let you know when a joke happens.
Sarcasm? I was aware that I wasn’t watching CBS. No offense if you’re a EVERYBODYLOVESRAYMONDHEAD.
I love Parks & Recreation!
Well that settles it then.
Every time I see recaps/discussions/whatever about sitcoms, I always think to myself “I really need to start actually following television shows!” But I never do. Except for 30 Rock and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Besides that, I’m totally lost.
You obviously know how to prioritize. Good job!
Charlie jumping in the pool with all his clothes on was great. And Mac chesting the guy up was one of the best it’s always sunny moments ever.
Hulu is lame for showing It’s Always Sunny on a week-long delay, but I thought Community was good (it helps that Trudy from Mad Men is adorable).
Parks and Recreation was awful. The whole episode made less sense than Rashida Jones spending all her time at the Chamber of Commerce.
*IS* the basic conceit of The Office that they are being filmed for a documentary film?
I think the idea is that they are being filmed for a documentary television show. Like, we’re watching the television show about an actual office sort of as it is happening. After all: The lives of the characters pass when the show is not on. Pam is now four months pregnant. And at the beginning of season 5 we got an episode that summed up the summer–the time we’re usually gone for.
I’M ALL over THIS WITH you, HOBBES (can I CALL YOU Hobbes? I’m GOING TO CALL you Hobbes)! The show IS LIKE WHAT a reality SHOW IS supposed TO BE like if it wasn’t SO CRAZY edited. OR WHATEVER. Don’t OVER THINK that shit! ALTHOUGH, it started TURNING IN the third SEASON for me, but WAS STILL OVER all very strong(ALTHOUGH I felt the THIRD season downplayed THE CAMERA WORK making it A LOT more stable AND STEREOTYPICAL AND SHIT); thenTHE FOURTH season started TO DO this black COMEDY thing that was KINDA AWESOME, but then KINDA coasted into TOO FAMILIAR territory. I MEAN, shit IS funny.But it’s NOT THE same to ME.
Yes, the basic concept is that it’s a film. At least that was the concept for the original British version, and the US knockoff never said anything to suggest that it was something different. If it were a documentary television show, why is that no office worker is ever recognized by any of the people they ever encounter outside the office? One of the brilliant aspects of the British Office Special was that it took place after the hypothical “film” had been released, so that the characters had become semi-famous as a result of the public actually seeing the edited film.
Yeah, I never really watched the Office, but I just assumed that it was them filming a reality show. That would explain why the cameras are there, at least. But having people recognize them outside of the show would be funny. But maybe they’re on VH1 or something and people don’t really care.
The Office still makes sense if you look at like they’re filming a documentary tv series. Like the world’s most boring version of Deadliest Catch.
I was glad I stuck around for Archer as I:
a. Had no idea it existed
and
b. Love Frisky Dingo
Whenever I see Sunny I just immediately think “this is the best thing on tv.” I love me some 30 Rock, but Sunny is so great. There is next to nothing redeeming about any character. It’s like Seinfeld with less tapered jeans and sweaters.