All but dead at the other major networks, scripted comedy is alive and well at NBC; even as the Peacock tries to flush high-quality television down a lantern-jawed toilet with The Jay Goddamn Horseshit Leno Show, it has, possibly inadvertently, assembled the funniest roster of sitcoms any network has been able to boast for at least a decade — and I’d put that number at closer to 20 years. The Office gets most of the attention, but 30 Rock doesn’t do too badly for itself — it cleaned up at the Emmys over the weekend, taking home five awards and crowning Alec Baldwin’s career transformation from Star of Frequently Lame and Occasionally Direct-to-Video Movies to Award-Winning Television Badass. Not bad for a show that some critics predicted would be overshadowed by Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, right? 30 Rock’s eagerly awaited fourth season won’t begin until mid-October, but in the meantime, NBC/Universal has trotted out this three-disc set, offering all 22 episodes from Season Three, plus enough bonus content to keep you lizzing for hours. (Sorry — each review of this season set is required to include at least one instance of “lizzing” or “I want to go to there,” and I wanted to get it out of the way early.)
If you’ve been avoiding the show for some reason, here’s the setup: Comedy writer Liz Lemon (the excellent Tina Fey) presides over the quirk-ridden, borderline insane staff of The Girlie Show, a sketch comedy show on the schedule of a fictionalized version of NBC (owned by a horrible-sounding conglomerate called the Sheinhardt Wig Company). At the outset of the series, Lemon is forced to add a deranged fading movie star named Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan) to the cast, rechristening the show TGS with Tracy Jordan and upsetting its former star, Jenna Maroney (Jane Krakowski). (more…)
Supernatural: The Complete Fourth Season (2009, Warner Brothers)
purchase from Amazon: DVD
The fourth season of Supernatural kicks ass. Great mythology, plenty of action, some good doses of humor, it makes you think, and yes, it will creep you out. I had never seen an episode of this series before the fourth season DVD box set arrived for me to review but, man, what a good place to jump into the world of Supernatural.
The first episode of the 22 on this box set opens with a man buried in a coffin. He’s Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles), who, we find out, was sent to hell. As he slowly digs his way out of the grave to the surface, he wonders who pulled him from Hell and what it all means. Bursting through the ground, Dean finds that his grave is in the middle of nowhere and trees fallen around the headstone. If this were a horror movie, it would be the perfect opening. No ridiculous voiceover, no exposition in the dialogue, just mysterious visuals and plenty of eeriness. Dean comes upon a deserted town, breaks into a gas station and steals a car. Oh and there’s an ear piercing scream that occurs midway through the break-in. More intrigue. I was hooked. Dean finds his way back to his brother, Sam (Jared Padalecki) and their mentor, Bobby Singer (Jim Beaver). The three of them are hunters, responsible for tracking down supernatural creatures and killing them.
Sam has psychic powers given to him by a demon called Azazel. As we learn throughout the season, Sam has been hanging out with a demon named Ruby, using his special gift to send evil beings back where they belong. The two of them hooked up during the four months Dean was in Hell. Like a good novel, we don’t learn what happened to Sam during those long months until later — specifically episode nine, “I Know What You Did Last Summer.” Likewise, we don’t fully understand what Dean went through while banished to Hell until the following episode, “Heaven and Hell.” In the meantime, the fourth season sets in motion a huge arc in the Supernatural mythology. (more…)
Brothers and Sisters: The Complete Third Season (2009, ABC/Buena Vista)
purchase from Amazon: DVD
ABC’s durable drama Brothers and Sisters hit some road bumps in its third season. After a standout second year in which the characters shaped into interesting people I wanted to follow each week, season three saw most of them become narcissistic navel gazers that were no fun to be around. Adding to the series’ woes were the supposed behind the scenes issues with star Balthazar Getty, leading to his character’s departure from the show. Still, the ship seemed to right itself by the season finale, leaving hope for the fourth season, premiering this fall.
Brothers and Sisters follows the many exploits of the Walker family, a large, wealthy California unit whose patriarch, William (played in flashbacks by Tom Skerritt) not only ran his food distribution company nearly into bankruptcy, but cheated on his wife with more than one woman. Williams’ wife is Nora, played with great energy and emotion by Sally Field. Her ability to make you cry and laugh with one look is one of the reasons Field is a Hollywood legend. Unfortunately, she can also become histrionic at times, which happens a little too much in season three. Nora’s character arc here includes opening a center for families dealing with cancer (which leads to romance with the center’s architect) and trying to draw William’s illegitimate son, Ryan (Luke Grimes), into her large brood. Ryan’s story is integral to the entire third season, as his character weaves into the lives of everyone. Despite Ryan’s unfortunate circumstances, including discovering that his mother has lied to him for 21 years and that the man raising him was not his biological father, the guy is a difficult character to like. It doesn’t help that Grimes portrays him as kind of creepy and sinister. Perhaps that was the intent, so that you don’t really trust him. And perhaps there was some subtext on the part of the writers that Ryan, despite his protests that he’ll never be anything like William Walker, is actually very much like the man he never knew. (more…)
Greek: Chapter 3 (2009, Buena Vista)
purchase from Amazon: DVD
Greek, ABC Family’s college based dramedy, continues to be a delight. For those of you who think it’s just another fluff series from the network that brings you the dreadful The Secret Life of the American Teenager, think again. Greek is thoughtful, witty, and one of the most enjoyable shows on television. The actors have really grown into their roles, bringing depth to their parts. The well written characters are at times smart, mean, loving, stupid and inspiring — just like all of the college students I knew back in the day. After being introduced to Greek last winter when I reviewed Chapter 2 (the latter half of the first season), I am now so in love with the show that I’ve added it to our DVR list. Greek Chapter 3, the first half of season 2, has just been released on DVD.
Created by writer/producer Patrick Sean Smith, Greek takes place on the campus of Cyprus-Rhodes University, a fictional mid sized Ohio college (think Miami of Ohio or Bowling Green). The two main characters are Casey and Rusty Cartwright, siblings with completely different backgrounds and social status. The junior Casey (the charming Spencer Grammer) is the interim president of her sorority, Zeta Beta Zeta and an astute politician. She spends the majority of this new chapter campaigning to get reelected as sorority president. Throughout the 10 episodes in this collection long episodes Casey learns more about herself than she wants to know, good and bad. Rusty (Jacob Zachar) is a freshman pledge to the party fraternity, Kappa Tau Gamma. An engineering student, Rusty (aka “Spitter”), has never had a social life, so being accepted by Kappa Tau Gamma means more to him at this juncture in his life than getting passing grades (which he does with ease). Although Casey would die to be seen in public with her geeky brother, she does watch out for him. (more…)
thirtysomething: the complete first season (2009, Shout Factory)
purchase from Amazon: DVD
In the mid ’80s, Marshall Herskovitz and Ed Zwick, a writing/producing team who had worked on the dramatic series Family and had success with a few made-for-TV movies, walked into ABC to pitch a new TV series. Neither wanted to be in television; both saw their future in motion pictures. In fact, Zwick had just directed the hit film About Last Night… and he was looking for his next film. However, the two men had struck a deal with ABC and were obligated to present an idea. Reluctantly, they entered their meeting and pitched a concept they anticipated would completely bomb with the television executives. Their idea was thirtysomething, a weekly drama about a group of friends coming to terms with their lives in their 30s, dealing with work and relationship issues, as well as coming to terms with the notion that their ideals of the ’60s didn’t pan out they way they had hoped. ABC loved the show and it began airing in the fall of 1987. It became a hit and established Herskovitz and Zwick as important new voices in television. More importantly, the cultural impact of this show is still felt today in the way shows are written and produced and how they are marketed. Shout Factory has just released thirtysomething: the complete first season on DVD, a wonderful new six-disc box set that not only includes all 21 episodes from season one, but hours of bonus material that looks back on the importance and impact of the series.
With its empathetic ensemble cast and its realistic look at life, thirtysomething struck a chord with viewers, particularly women, in the way it depicted the everyday occurrences that may seem trivial on paper, but in the real world could be difficult emotional issues. Things like finding a babysitter you trust, preparing for a housewarming party, a visit from you parents, trying to find love while your biological clock is ticking, and the effects your friends failed relationship can have on your own all were topics for episodes during the first season of thirtysomething. (more…)
Tracey Takes On… Seasons 3 & 4 (2009, Vivendi Entertainment)
purchase from Amazon: DVD
Here’s what I know about Tracey Ullman: She’s a gifted actress who immerses herself into her roles through voice inflections and accents, studied mannerisms, and, when the role calls for it, extensive prosthetic makeup. I would call her one of the most gifted actresses alive. The few times I’ve seen her interviewed or perform on her television series lead me to believe she’s also a very likable person. With all of that talent, it was a great disappointment to sit through the final two seasons of her HBO series, Tracey Takes On…, which have been released on a four-disc DVD collection through Vivendi Entertainment. Not once did I crack a smile, and quite a few times I found myself checking my watch to see how much more was left.
Tracey Takes On… follows a particular format: Each episode begins with Ullman introducing the theme of the show, and then we cut to a series of sketches featuring Ullman in character. Several of the sketches have interesting setups, but if the intention is to make you laugh as well as think, well…I didn’t laugh, and all I could think about was how bored I was. Sorry, Ms. Ullman. Even with guest stars of such notable comedic stature as Billy Connelly, Michael McKean and Hugh Laurie, as well as a notable appearance by the great Helen Mirren, seasons 3 and 4 of Tracey Takes On… never deliver the knockout you expect. (more…)
Gossip Girl: The Complete Second Season (2009, Warner Bros.)
purchase from Amazon: DVD
The drama! The sex! The glamour! Yes, the CW’s hit teen drama, Gossip Girl, is back on DVD in a whopping seven-disc set that contains all 25 episodes from its sophomore season, plus plenty of bonus booty to make this collection well worth your while. For those of you who enjoy your teen dramas with a flair for the melodramatic and a slick voiceover from the former Veronica Mars, Kristen Bell, Gossip Girl is a hell of a way to spend an hour. But I must warn you, watching just one episode of Gossip Girl is trying to eat just one Rice Krispie treat when there is a plateful in front of you: It’s very difficult. You may think you’re only going to watch one of these guilty pleasures, but three hours later you’re wondering where the time went, and why you feel so good.
If you’ve never entered the world of the Upper East Side New York elite who occupy this world, and you’ve never cracked open one of Cecily von Ziegesar’s Gossip Girl novels, (which the series is based upon) then let me fill you in, my friends. First there are the van der Woodsens, led by former teenage queen bee Serena (Blake Lively), her younger brother, Eric (Connor Paolo) and their mother, Lily (Kelly Rutherford), who is on to her fourth husband. He would be Bart Bass (Robert John Burke), whose son, the perpetually drunk Chuck (Ed Westwick) is one of the most cunning and sinister young men in Serena’s circle of friends. Serena’s best friend is the comely Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester), who has taken over the throne of queen bee of the mean girls at their private school. Chuck’s best friend is the dashing Nate Archibald (Chace Crawford) whose father has stolen millions and fled the country, leaving Nate and his mother to fend for themselves. Finally, there are the Humphreys, a family of three living in Brooklyn that include Dan (Penn Badgley), his wannabe sister, Jenny (Taylor Momsen) and their former rock star dad, Rufus (Matthew Settle). The only character who is not a part of the rich crowd is Vanessa (Jessica Szohr), an old flame of Dan’s who becomes an integral part of almost every character’s life. (more…)
Eli Stone: The Complete Second and Final Season (2009, Buena Vista)
purchase from Amazon: DVD
It’s disappointing that the earnest, big-hearted series Eli Stone never found a large enough audience to stay on the air. You may recall this ABC show as the one about a lawyer who begins having visions that show him future events that he must do everything within his power to prevent. Jonny Lee Miller stars as the titular character, playing Eli with so much charm and likability that the show’s failure to catch on is surprising. The storylines aren’t bogged down with heavy issues, which is gratifying considering this was a series that dealt with faith and a belief in a higher being. Moreover, the show never comes off as preachy and always offered a counterpoint to Eli’s spiritual callings. Alas, television is a business, and if a series doesn’t produce good ratings, its fate is pretty much sealed. Buena Vista (which owns ABC) has released the complete second (and final) season of Eli Stone on DVD. Fans of the show should rejoice because every episode is there for the viewing, and the character of Eli Stone will continue to live on your shelves, even though he’s not on television each week. (more…)
Dirty Sexy Money: The Complete Second and Final Season (2009, Buena Vista)
purchase from Amazon: DVD
You may not recall, but there were two “rich folks with problems” TV shows that premiered in the fall of 2007: the CW’s hit series Gossip Girl and ABC’s drama, Dirty Sexy Money. While the former continues to thrive, Dirty Sexy Money has been canceled. For those of you loyal enough to stick with the show, and those of you curious for something stylized and slick, Buena Vista has released the final 13 episodes of the show in a three-DVD box set that includes deleted scenes, a behind the scenes “day on the set” featurette with actress Natalie Zea, and bloopers.
Dirty Sexy Money starred Peter Krause (Six Feet Under) as Nick George, a well intentioned lawyer caught up in the abyss that is the Darling family, one of those rich and powerful New York clans you only see on television. Donald Sutherland co-starred as the family patriarch, Tripp Darling, Jill Clayburgh as his boozy wife, Letitia, and William Baldwin as one of his train wreck sons, Patrick. The first season was a hoot, as the producers also brought in Blair Underwood as the nemesis of the Darling family, Simon Elder, and introduced many people (myself included) to the wonderful talents of Natalie Zea and Glenn Fitzgerald, who played the spoiled, grown up Darling children Karen and Brian. Unfortunately for Dirty Sexy Money, the writer’s strike happened and ABC held off on producing any new episodes between January 2008 and the fall of that year. Any momentum the show had was killed and Dirty Sexy Money’s ratings were way down. By December the network pulled the show from air and eventually burned off the rest of the second season during this past summer… when no one was watching. (more…)
Scrubs: The Complete Eighth Season (2009, Buena Vista)
purchase from Amazon: DVD
The hospital sitcom Scrubs pulled off something rare in the television industry last year: It jumped networks, from NBC to ABC, and it revived itself after a couple years in which its comedy had become kind of stagnant and repetitive. Oh, the show had still been funny, in a slapstick, cartoony way, but gone was so much of the heart that had made Scrubs creator Bill Lawrence’s sitcom so unique and special in its early seasons. As the show entered it eighth season, the thought was that this would be its final bow. Lawrence was very vocal about the show coming to a close as star Zach Braff was ready to go into feature films full-time and Lawrence wanted to explore new ground in the television landscape. ABC is owned by Disney, the company that actually produces Scrubs. ABC was looking for a quick hit, drawing Scrubs’ loyal audience, and Lawrence seemed more than willing to prove to his old bosses at NBC, whom, he felt gave him a raw deal, in proving that Scrubs still had some life and deserved the respect to say goodbye to longtime fans properly.
Then something interesting and wonderful happened: the show not only returned to its dramedy roots, but it also became a better show than it had been in the past three or four seasons.
As the newly released DVD collection of Scrubs’ eighth eason reveals, the focus of the series once again became about the characters as opposed to the crazy scenarios the hospital staff got into. Although Lawrence and his wonderful group of writers were allotted a smaller budget than they had become accustomed to, he was able to work out deals with his stars to appear in fewer episodes, including Braff, always the central character on Scrubs. What did Lawrence do? He did what was natural to any hospital television series by introducing a cast of new interns who could pick up the slack when Braff and his co-stars weren’t around. The plan worked marvelously as we watched these interns take on many of the same roles we loved so much in the original characters. (more…)
All but dead at the other major networks, scripted comedy is alive and well at NBC; even as the Peacock tries to flush high-quality television down a lantern-jawed toilet with The Jay Goddamn Horseshit Leno Show, it has, possibly inadvertently, assembled the funniest roster of sitcoms any network has been able to boast for at least a decade — and I’d put that number at closer to 20 years. The Office gets most of the attention, but 30 Rock doesn’t do too badly for itself — it cleaned up at the Emmys over the weekend, taking home five awards and crowning Alec Baldwin’s career transformation from Star of Frequently Lame and Occasionally Direct-to-Video Movies to Award-Winning Television Badass. Not bad for a show that some critics predicted would be overshadowed by Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, right? 30 Rock’s eagerly awaited fourth season won’t begin until mid-October, but in the meantime, NBC/Universal has trotted out this three-disc set, offering all 22 episodes from Season Three, plus enough bonus content to keep you lizzing for hours. (Sorry — each review of this season set is required to include at least one instance of “lizzing” or “I want to go to there,” and I wanted to get it out of the way early.)
Supernatural: The Complete Fourth Season (2009, Warner Brothers)
Brothers and Sisters: The Complete Third Season (2009, ABC/Buena Vista)
Greek: Chapter 3 (2009, Buena Vista)
thirtysomething: the complete first season (2009, Shout Factory)
Tracey Takes On… Seasons 3 & 4 (2009, Vivendi Entertainment)
Gossip Girl: The Complete Second Season (2009, Warner Bros.)
Eli Stone: The Complete Second and Final Season (2009, Buena Vista)
Dirty Sexy Money: The Complete Second and Final Season (2009, Buena Vista)
Scrubs: The Complete Eighth Season (2009, Buena Vista)