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Showing posts sorted by relevance for query mad men. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query mad men. Sort by date Show all posts

3/25/2012

And Now, a Word From Our Sponsors...

There’s an 87% chance my DVR will explode tonight.

Good thing the sheer size of my cable package entitled me to a free upgrade for the super-capacity hard drive when I switched from truly horrendous Time Warner to seemingly better (but the jury’s still out) Verizon Fios.

This evening, I am recording no less than 11 shows – Jerseylicious (8-9pm, Style), The Amazing Race (8-9pm, CBS), The Good Wife (9-10pm, CBS), Celebrity Apprentice (9-11pm, NBC), GCB (10-11pm, ABC), Watch What Happens (11-11:30pm, Bravo), Mad Men (11pm-1am, AMC), Worst Cooks in America (12-1am, Food Network), Shameless (2-3am, Showtime West), House of Lies (3-3:30am, Showtime West), Californication (3:30-4am, Showtime West) – which amounts to nearly 12 hours of glorious television.

This is like a couch potato soufflé – one timeslot shift and the whole thing caves in.

Thankfully, cable re-airs the shit out their shows, or else this scheduling masterpiece would not be possible. You almost can’t imagine the same person could love both Jerseylicious and The Good Wife. But I do. And this is just my Sunday night lineup!

Honestly, though, I’m really only counting down to 1 show. Of course, I’m speaking of Mad Men.

You too?

It’s no secret I’ve had a love/hate relationship with the show, but it has been an excruciating 526 days since Mad Men season 4 ended (October 17, 2010, but who's counting?). At long last, Don Draper and the gang are back for more womanizing, boozing, and advertising.

Life at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce is my favorite part of the show. I’m a sucker for a good ad. Even a bad one, on occasion. Since we last rode the elevator together, I’ve noticed a pattern in the suits from Madison Avenue: Truth in advertising. I can name 3 companies off the top of my head who have launched multi-million dollar national campaigns centered around telling the truth about their brand and their industry.

I’m officially calling it a trend.

I mean, if 2 is a coincidence, 3 has got to be a trend, right? Regardless, grab your secretary, pour yourself a Tom Collins, a Brandy Alexander, or an Old Fashioned (Don’s fave), and watch these spots:


DOMINOS
Cardboard crust. Processed cheese. Flavorless sauce. Only enjoyable if you’re drunk. Domino’s CEO Patrick Doyle faced these criticisms head-on, and set out to make a better pizza. Steering a 50-year-old company and its 9000+ franchisees in a different direction couldn’t have been an easy task. They looked at 10 crust types, 15 sauce recipes, and dozens of cheeses to reinvent the product. And they cooked up a better ordering process (it’s actually fun!). Then they spent millions on a brutally honest ad campaign, which publicized their formerly lousy pizza and offered money-back guarantees to anyone who didn’t taste the difference. And they posted new customer feedback on a 125-ft electronic billboard in Times Square. Oh no they didn't? Oh yes they did!




KOTEX
Blue liquid. White spandex pants. Twirling in slow motion. Riding horses on the beach. Feminine hygiene product ads made periods seem SUPER fun. Somehow, erectile disfunction commercials could show an old geezer in the bedroom, but these girls had to be ANYWHERE but in the bathroom. So Kimberly Clark took the tampon by the string with their 90 year-old Kotex brand and turned the spotlight on themselves. They used their own old commercial footage to illustrate how silly the industry had become about monthly goings on “down there.” They changed packaging from sterile white to chic black. And in the process, they showed young girls that the only embarrassing thing about this topic was its advertising. Still think periods are all kittens and cartwheels? Get real!




JCPENNEY
Artificially inflated prices. Confusing markdowns. Massive exclusions. Retail industry pricing strategies were the enemy here. JCPenney’s CEO Ron Johnson (formerly of Apple) decided to stop the madness. This company was spending over $1B a year in promoting their sales (almost 600 per year). They looked at what they were charging, and what customers most often paid after juggling discounts. Turns out, only 1 in 500 items sold for full price. So he re-priced everything. And then he did away with complex return policies.  Did I mention he only joined the company in November? On February 1st, with a new logo (reminiscent of the American flag) and Ellen DeGeneres, the concept of “fair and square pricing” was introduced to this 110 year-old company. A breath of fresh air, indeed. Enough is enough!





These 3 brands existed in the Mad Men-era. And I’m guessing that’s also when the stereotypes they’re now fighting were invented.  I'm sure they worked at the time.  As Don Draper would say, “Trust me, I work in advertising.”

(As an aside, the current issue of Newsweek is a real treat -- right down to the ads)

Now, if you can stomach just one more teensy-weensy commercial before the show, I'll end with my most favorite ad airing right now.  It looks at truth from a different angle.  And truth be told, I don’t drink coffee, but I really would like 3 cups of Johan…






So, can there be truth in advertising? And what's YOUR favorite Mad Men moment? The womanizing, the boozing, or the advertising? Put your cocktail down and comment below!


tags: commercials, entertainment

8/20/2009

Sad Men

I was SOOO excited for Sunday’s Season 3 premiere of Mad Men (if you don’t watch it, please crawl out from under your pop-culture rock and read this recap immediately).

Being the MM veteran that I am, I Mad Men’ed Myself right into the offices of Sterling Cooper -- and yes, I stand by my decision to wear a pink polkadot party dress. I quizzed myself to find out Which Mad Man Am I? Turns out, I’m Betty “How’s Therapy Going?” Draper -- which says nothing good about me AT ALL, but whatevs. And I made a phone date with my mom to watch the show together, like we always do.

Except, I didn’t love it.

In fact, I didn’t even like it!

And it’s NOT because the subtle nuance is lost on my thick skull (yes, yes, I GET IT, the London Fog client is a metaphor for the smoke and mirrors in Don’s personal life, or the ad biz in general). And it’s NOT because the overt messages try too hard (pitting Pete and Ken as the dueling head of accounts was just plain silly, even though that actually happened to me once in real life -- and PS: I won). And it’s NOT because of the politically incorrect way they depict life in the 1960’s (that ballpoint pen in Sal’s shirt pocket sure was happy to see the bellboy, huh?).

It’s because it wasn’t entertaining. And that makes me sad.

Last year, I gave you 5 reasons I would miss Mad Men. Now, here are 5 reasons I'd like to forget Sunday’s episode entirely:

1. Warm Milk and Gross Feet
Warm milk is just disgusting, and I could REALLY do without that shot of the gloopy skin that forms on top. But more disturbing was the sight of Don Draper’s feet. If those Flintstone hammertoes were his, please require him to wear two pairs of socks. Simultaneously. At all times. I’m sure they revealed a lot of important backstory in that scene, but all I could think was… eeeeew!

2. Enough with the Screwing Around
Won’t Don EVER learn? I’m starting not to like him. At all.  As if banging a random stewardess that looks an awful lot like his pregnant wife, Betty, wasn’t enough, giving said stewardess’s silver airplane wings to his daughter, Sally, as a souvenir from the road was just too much. Stop being slimy.

3. Not Enough Roger Sterling
Now THIS womanizer with a bum ticker needs to be in every scene. Having the Silver Fox breeze thru for like 30 seconds was cruel and unusual.

4. Peggy Olson Needs to Chillax
I understand that she’s a woman in a man’s world and if she could turn her boobs into balls she would. But why is she so freaking uptight?

5. Pull Up Your Diapers, Whiny Pete
You can just picture Pete Campbell whining, “But Daddy, I want an Oompa Loompa nooooow!” Can we PLEASE see how he dealt with the news that he knocked Peggy up and she gave their kid away?! Nobody cares about his new desk accessory that boldly declares, “The Buck Stops Here.”


Oh! And in the “You Can’t Be Serious” department, um… lemme get this straight: Did Dick Whitman’s mother really name him after a…? Geez. No wonder he switched his name to Don.

Anyway, I kept watching. And kept waiting for it to get better. 52 minutes later, and no dice. But I did enjoy the BMW commercials!

So, did YOU watch? Did you like? And, seriously… can anyone tell me what the hell was UP with dreamy Don Draper’s feet??

9/20/2010

Must Tape TV

HUGE thanks to the 50 people who answered the last poll. The topic you’re most interested in is relationships, but since I’m fresh out of those, I decided to write about entertainment today. That should please at least 42% of you… enjoy!

Some people say they don’t watch much TV.

“Who, me? TV? Nooooo.”

These same people say they are too busy listening to Fresh Air on NPR (“Terry Gross's interview style is so… engrossing.”). Or making their way through Modern Library’s top 100 classic novels (“The political structure of Orwell’s Animal Farm is parallel to that of Plato’s Republic.”). Or whittling birdhouses out of sustainable materials like bamboo (“Bamboo is actually the largest member of the grass family!”).  SOME people even claim they don't OWN a TV.

Blasphemers!

I believe these people are lying, if for no other reason than that’s the BEAUTY of TV -- there’s something for everyone! Even public radio-listening, pretentious literary criticism-quoting, whittlers.

Now, I’m not ashamed to publicly embrace my first love: TV. I even love the commercials. My DVR is smoking right now (figuratively, of course, I leave the actual fires to the neighborhood coffee shops). That little silver box is a hub of recording activity, rivaled only by 24-hour surveillance cameras at the mall.

THIS is the most wonderful time of the year!

Old shows are back, new shows are starting, and I just got a cozy throw which I have named, Fozzie Bear, so I can snuggle up on the couch and watch them all. I only have 1 TV, but I may need a 2nd DVR. Seriously. I’m double booked every night from 8-11pm -- and then some.

So here’s how I’ll be spending my nights... and don't be jealous, you can use this as a guide to set your DVR too. 

You're welcome.

MONDAY
Reality: Dancing With the Stars (ABC, 8pm)
Comedy: How I Met Your Mother (CBS, 8pm)
Drama: Gossip Girl (CW, 9pm)
Drama: Weeds (SHO, 11pm)

TUESDAY
Comedy: Party Down (STARZ re-broadcast, 12am)
Reality: Dancing With the Stars (ABC, 8pm)
Comedy: Glee (FOX, 8pm)
Drama: Life Unexpected (CW, 9pm)
New Comedy: Running Wilde (FOX, 9:30pm)
Drama: Parenthood (NBC, 10pm)

WEDNESDAY
New Reality: Chopped Champions (FOOD re-broadcast, 1am)
Reality: Hell’s Kitchen (FOX, 8pm)
Reality: Survivor (CBS, 8pm)
Reality: Man vs Food (TRAVEL, 9pm)
New Reality: 24 Hour Restaurant Battle (FOOD, 10pm)
New Reality: Top Chef Just Desserts (BRAVO, 10pm)

THURSDAY
New Drama: My Generation (ABC, 8pm)
Comedy: *for when My Generation gets cancelled* Community & 30 Rock (NBC 8pm & 8:30pm)
Drama: The Vampire Diaries (CW, 8pm)
Reality: Project Runway (LIFE, 9pm)
Comedy: The Office (NBC, 9pm)
New Comedy: Outsourced (NBC, 9:30pm)
Reality: The Apprentice (NBC, 10pm)
Reality: Jersey Shore (MTV, 11pm)
New Reality: Real Housewives of DC (BRAVO, 11:30pm)

FRIDAY
Comedy: Modern Family (ABC re-broadcast, 8pm)
New Drama: Blue Bloods (CBS, 10pm)
Talk: The Soup (E!, 10pm)
New Talk: Fashion Police (E!, 10:30pm)

SATURDAY
New Drama: Hawaii Five-O (CBS re-broadcast, 8pm)
Talk: The Dish (STYLE, 10pm)

SUNDAY
Reality: Jerseylicious (STYLE, 8pm)
Reality: The Amazing Race (CBS, 8pm)
Drama: Desperate Housewives (ABC, 9pm)
Drama: Mad Men (AMC, 10pm)
Reality: *for when Mad Men's season is over* Undercover Boss (CBS, 10pm)
Drama: Brothers & Sisters (ABC, 10pm)
New Reality: Cupcake Wars (FOOD, 11pm)
Comedy: Bored to Death (HBO on Demand)
New Drama: Boardwalk Empire (HBO on Demand)


Could I possibly watch another show? Tell me what I’m missing below and if my head (or DVR) doesn’t explode, I’ll totally check it out.


tags: entertainment, pop culture

10/26/2008

5 Reasons I'll Miss Mad Men

I'll admit, I missed jumping on the Mad Men bandwagon when season 1 initially aired. I heard it was good, but could never find AMC -- at first I thought it was A&E, then maybe TCM. Who can keep track of all the acronyms? One day, while strolling thru Best Buy, I happened on the 1st season on DVD. It had very cool packaging, like a flip top cigarette lighter. Being a marketer's consumer, I was intrigued.

So I bought, and I watched, and I loved. You can bet I never missed an episode of season 2 (and even found it on channel 54!). I'm sad the season is over so quickly. I've really enjoyed taking a trip back to 1962 every Sunday night. Here's why I'm counting the days until season 3 (or at least until 2 comes out on DVD):

1) Dreamy Don Draper. I can say no more.

2) Love the opening credits. It really transports you back to that time, like falling down the rabbit hole. Combined with the costumes and the culture (Drinking in the office? Sleeping on your office couch? A pregnant woman smoking while at the doctor's office? Scandalous!), it's such a stark contrast to the politically correct, health-conscious world we live in today.

3) The story lines are never neatly tied up. It keeps me tuning in from week to week to see if Basketcase Betty will ever forgive the original Dapper Don for his dalliances, or whether Peggy will ever embrace reality and tell Pete she had his baby and gave it away, will Joan really marry her creepy fiance after he basically raped her in her boss's office (and will she put an eye out with those boobs?), is Sal EVER coming out of the closet, and now that Duck is hitting the sauce again, who knows what will happen with the Sterling Cooper merger?

4) Aside from Roger Sterling (played by the awesomely arrogant John Slattery -- remember him from SATC? He liked to be peed on.), I really never saw any of these actors before, but I'm impressed with their skills the same way I'm blown away when I see a Broadway show. HBO must be kicking itself for passing on this.

5) The marketer in me appreciates the way advertising has been integrated into the show. Even the commercials have a historical feel -- nice job BMW and Heineken -- so it never totally takes you out of the mood. Really slick!

I also love that my mom and I have a phone date every Sunday at 10pm to watch the show together. I guess that's reason #6. Maybe we'll need to start having a Dancing with the Stars phone date now...it has costumes too.

8/28/2013

How the Hell Is John Stamos 50?

Am I the only person who sits through every Dannon Oikos commercial just to watch this guy?
 
He recently had a birthday, much like someone else I know.  Guess how old he is?
 
FIFTY!!!

How the hell is John Stamos 50?!?  I guess, the same way I'm 40...  Oy.

I was just 9 years old when brooding Blackie burst on the scene in Port Charles and I've been smitten ever since.  I seriously think I've watched every show he's been on -- even the bad ones (Jake in Progress, anyone?).  Now, I'm watching Necessary Roughness just because he joined the cast. 

The show?  So-so.  But Stamos?  Good as ever.

The closest I've ever come to this Greek (yogurt) God was about 10 years ago when my mom and I saw him on Broadway in Cabaret.  Even as the emaciated Emcee he was adorable.  Mischievous.  Charming.  AND, he took a sip from a glass of water on OUR table when he was mingling in the crowd. 

It was like our very own MasterCard commercial.  Priceless.

Anyway, I've always preferred older guys.  Here's my list of celebrity crushes, who coincidentally happen to be over 40.  They're listed in age order, with Stamos on top, because, well... you know...


John Stamos
Age: 50
Sign: Leo
From: California
Height: 6' (thank God!)
Status: single? (call me)
Best role: 2 words... Uncle. Jesse.
Close second: Dr. Tony Gates on ER. 
Stars are people too: he had a job flipping burgers after-school



Jon Hamm
Age: 42
Sign: Pisces
From: Missouri
Height: 6'2"
Status: in a relationship
Best role: Dr. Drew Baird in 30 Rock
Close second: Don Draper in Mad Men
Stars are people too: he played Winnie the Pooh in a first-grade play



Jason Bateman
Age: 44
Sign: Capricorn
From: New York
Height: 5'11"
Status: married
Best role: Michael Bluth on Arrested Development
Close second: Derek Taylor on Silver Spoons
Stars are people too: he never graduated high school



Paul Rudd
Age: 44
Sign: Aries
From: New Jersey
Height: 5' 10"
Status: married
Best role: Mike Hannigan in Friends
Close second: Josh in Clueless
Stars are people too: he was a DJ at Bar Mitzvahs



Ed Burns
Age: 45
Sign: Aquarius
From: New York
Height: 6'1"
Status: married
Best role: Finbar McMullen in Brothers McMullen
Close second: Michael Murphy in Purple Violets
Stars are people too: he owned a Ford Explorer



John Cusack
Age: 47
Sign: Cancer
From: Illinois
Height: 6'2"
Status: single?
Best role: Rob Gordon in High Fidelity
Close second: Lane Meyer in Better Off Dead (thought I'd say Lloyd Dobler, huh?)
Stars are people too: he goes to his high school reunions


Kyle Chandler
Age: 47
Sign: Virgo
From: New York
Height: 6'1"
Status: married
Best role: Coach Eric Taylor in Friday Night Lights
Close second: nothing else comes close
Stars are people too: he worked as a nightclub bouncer



Jeffrey Dean Morgan
Age: 47
Sign: Taurus
From: Washington
Height: 6'2"
Status: in a relationship
Best role: Denny Duquette in Gray's Anatomy
Close second: Ike Evans in Magic City
Stars are people too: he's a huge Seahawks fan



Robert Downey Jr.
Age: 48
Sign: Aries
From: New York
Height: 5'8"
Status: married (good thing, I could never date someone this short)
Best role: Larry Paul in Ally McBeal
Close second: Tony Stark in Iron Man
Stars are people too: he tattooed "Suzie Q" on his arm in honor of his wife



Dermot Mulroney
Age: 49
Sign: Scorpio
From: Virginia
Height: 5'9"
Status: married
Best role: Michael O'Neal in My Best Friend's Wedding
Close second: Russell in New Girl
Stars are people too: he graduated from Northwestern



John Slattery
Age: 51
Sign: Leo
From: Massachusetts
Height: 5'10"
Status: married
Best role: Roger Sterling in Mad Men
Close second: Bill Kelley in Sex & the City
Stars are people too: he was one of six kids






Also, honorary cradle-robbing mention goes to these 3 fine fellas:

Jimmy Fallon
Age: 38
Sign:Virgo
From: New York
Height: 5'11"
Status: married
Best role: Weekend Update Anchor in Saturday Night Live
Close second: Ben in Fever Pitch
Stars are people too: his first stand-up routine was about Troll Dolls



Bradley Cooper
Age: 38
Sign: Capricorn
From: Pennsylvania
Height: 6'1"
Status: single?
Best role: Will Tippin in Alias
Close second: Phil in The Hangover
Stars are people too: he is fluent in French



Jerry O'Connell
Age: 39
Sign: Aquarius
From: New York
Height: 6'2"
Status: married
Best role: Vern Tessio in Stand By Me
Close second: Joe in Joe's Apartment
Stars are people too: he was an RA at NYU






Notice any patterns?   Yes.  Good thing I set the bar low, or I might be single forever. 

Oh, wait...

So, did I get it right with this list of dateable dudes (if only in my mind)?  See anyone I missed?  List YOUR full house below...


tags: dating, entertainment, pop culture

5/17/2015

The End of an Era

The ashtrays are empty.  The ice cubes have melted.

Mad Men is over.

I still remember bingeing on the first season. I had a DVD set that was packaged like a metal Zippo flip-top lighter. I lost that in a breakup. How fitting...

For better or worse, this has always been Don Draper's story -- it's his world and everyone else was just living in it. Quick to turn a phrase. A chameleon. Ageless. Timeless. Shameless. Suave. Unpredictable. Addicted. A lady-killer. 

Dangerous. 

I've long thought that they've always told us how this would end.  That free-fall through Madison Ave in the opening credits is symbolic, I think, of how the show started with Don at the ultimate high.  He had it all.  On the surface, anyway.  Then season by season, show by show, they chipped away at his perfect exterior.

His career, relationships, and sanity unraveled amidst the pretty pictures.

Would he kill himself? Or put an end to the larger-than-life Don Draper and become someone new? Or go back to being insignificant Dick Whitman?

Now that I've seen the finale, I think I wasn't totally off base. He's definitely having a massive identity crisis and the Don Draper we've known for 7 seasons ceases to exist.  Though, a big part of me wishes that he was inspired by that hippie retreat, went back to the ad game, and made that iconic multi-culti mountaintop "I'd Like to Buy the World a Coke" commercial for McCann.

I guess the truth lies somewhere inbetween.

But one thing is crystal clear: Tonight proved that the show has been as much about Peggy as it has been about Don. It's his healthiest (only?) relationship.

I loved her getting together with Stan too, but if you think about it, Peggy & Don are the central couple here. They had many special moments together, from the time he visited her in the hospital after she gave her baby away ("It will shock you how much it never happened"), to the day when they slow-danced to Sinatra in the office ("I worry about a lot of things, but I don't worry about you"), to tonight with that heartbreaking collect call ("I messed everything up, I'm not the man you think I am").

He never put the moves on her. He's been a confidant. A mentor. A truth-cannon. She makes him... human.  

Maybe the only other person he ever felt loyal to was Roger Sterling.  He's hands-down my favorite character. He was the coolest. He stole every scene. Roger never disappoints.

John Slattery isn't bad either.

I feel satisfied -- mostly -- with this finale (NOT like the Sopranos, I'm still bitter about that).  Since this has always been a show about the power of words, I'll end with a tribute to the 6 main characters using the lines written for them.

Here are my favorite quotes:
  • Roger "Not One For Subtlety" Sterling: "I gotta go learn a bunch of people's names before I fire them." (from: Long Weekend, Season 4)
  • Peggy "The Accidental Feminist" Olson: "The University Club said the only way I could eat dinner there is if I arrived in a cake." (from: The Beautiful Girls, Season 4)
  • Joan "Smarter Than Her Boobs Look" Holloway Harris: "One minute you're on the top of the world, the next minute some secretary's running you over with a lawnmower." (from: My Old Kentucky Home, Season 3)
  • Pete "The Charlie Brown of Madison Ave" Campbell: "Don't act like you had a plan. You're Tarzan, swinging from vine to vine." (from: Basket of Kisses, Season 6)
  • Betty "Denial Isn't Just a River in Egypt" Draper Francis: "That poor girl. She doesn't know that loving you is the worst way to get to you." (from: The Better Half, Season 6)
  • Don "A Marketer After My Own Heart" Draper: "What you call love was invented by guys like me to sell nylons." (from: Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, Season 1) and "People tell you who they are, but we ignore it -- because we want them to be who we want them to be." (from: The Summer Man, Season 4)

Anybody need a hug?

And anybody hope for a spinoff Three's Company-style with Peggy, Stan, and Joan?  I can see the shag carpet now.  Plus, his hair toss is EVERYTHING.

Or maybe that's just me.

What did YOU think of the finale?  Pitch me your ideas below... bonus points if you do it in Pig Latin.


tags: entertainment, pop culture

11/29/2016

Dip into Fall TV with the Loveseat Potato

The tater and I have been waiting a looooong time to post about fall TV because she wanted to see EVERYTHING.  But mainly, Gilmore Girls, which premiered on Netflix over Thanksgiving weekend.

She wanted to see that show more than she wanted pie!

So she watched, and I waited.

Grab the chips -- here goes...



MOST DISAPPOINTING NEW SHOW:
DUD: Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life (Netflix)

WHY IT'S A ROTTEN POTATO:
Oy. Where to begin? Let's start here: HATED IT. It pains me to say, but it's true.

I'm not even sure there's enough space here to explain why this was such a massive letdown so I'll have to do it in another post.  In a nutshell, errr... potato skin: It was depressing, the storylines were totally out of character for Lorelai, Rory & Emily, there were too many silly cameos with no real substance, the musical was sooo effing stupid, and the last 4 words were a cheap gimmick to trick you into wanting to see more of this dreck.

If you haven't already wasted 6 hrs on this, don't. Pack your bags, Stars Hollow. You really can't go home again.


Ok, now that rotten potato is out of the way, there's a LOT of TV out there.  And every year, it's time to rotate the crop, so the Loveseat Potato watched 32 new Fall TV shows for you, at least 2 episodes per show.  As always, there were spuds, and there were duds (I'm talking to YOU, Amy Sherman Palladino).

But one thing I noticed is that the best new shows have really awesome parts for women.

Tiny victories.

So, now it's about that time... chew on this:


BEST NEW DRAMA:
SPUD: Pitch (FOX)

WHY IT'S A SMASH:
This seriously might be my favorite new show. They had me at Zach Morris, but I love the concept of the first female MLB player.  And this storyline has action, and friendships, and rivalries, and romance, and mystery, and all the things that make a show good.  Baseball's a pretty boring sport to watch on TV but I will watch this game any day.

Honorable Mention Goes To: This Is Us (NBC), Bull (CBS), Designated Survivor (ABC), Queen Sugar (OWN), Atlanta (FX)

DUDS: Notorious (ABC), Pure Genius (CBS)



BEST NEW COMEDY:
SPUD: No Tomorrow (CW)

WHY IT'S A SMASH:
A show about the apocalypse. Sounds adorable! But it is.  It starts with a chance meeting over a mis-delivered package.  Soon, this new couple realizes fate and some insane chemistry brought them together as they check off experiences on their bucket list before the world ends. Which btw, is in 8 months. Unless the show does well.  Then... um... apocalypse averted!

Honorable Mention Goes To: The Great Indoors (CBS), Divorce (HBO), American Housewife (ABC), The Good Place (NBC), Better Things (FX), Search Party (TBS)

DUDS: Insecure (HBO), Man With a Plan (CBS), Kevin Can Wait (CBS), Speechless (ABC)



BEST NEW FANTASY/ADVENTURE/MYSTERY:
SPUD: Good Behavior (TNT)

WHY IT'S A SMASH:
She's an American, a criminal and a meth addict. She even cleans toilets! It's Lady Mary behaving badly. Michelle Dockery is a long way from Downton but this show is pretty addictive. She has a Bonnie & Clyde type-relationship with a hitman named Javier (don't we all?) and wears more wigs than Mary wore corsets. I'm not sure where this is headed, but I'm along for the ride...

Honorable Mention Goes To: Lethal Weapon (FOX), Westworld (HBO)

DUDS: Eyewitness (USA), Dead of Summer (Freeform), MacGyver (CBS)



BEST NEW REALITY:
SPUD: Martha & Snoop's Pot Luck Dinner Party (VH1)

WHY IT'S A SMASH:
This is a total shitshow in the BEST way. Martha & Snoop stand at dueling kitchens, putting their own spins on a main ingredient like chicken or lobster. They start with a cocktail then invite a couple of random celebs over to cook and play a party game.  You never know when a bedazzled chalice (filled with gin & juice) or a cheese grater on a chunky gold chain will appear.  Oh, and Snoop says grace before they eat.  Did I mention each fridge plays a song when you open it? Bon Appetizzle!

Honorable Mention Goes To: Finding Prince Charming (Logo)

DUDS: Ben & Lauren: Happily Ever After? (Freeform)


BEST NEW SHOW THAT'S NOT ON TV:
SPUD: Good Girls Revolt (Amazon)

WHY IT'S A SMASH:
I was skeptical of this one at first because the trailer made it feel like Mad Men on estrogen. While we all know sexism was alive and well in the 1960s at ad agencies, turns out it was also thriving in newsrooms -- and probably still is today. Based on a true story about Newsweek, News of the Week employees Anna Camp (of True Blood) and Hunter Parrish (of Weeds) are my faves here.  The show is more fluff than feminism at times -- and you can fast forward through every scene with a hand mirror -- but it's still worth a watch.

Honorable Mention Goes To: Fleabag (Amazon), Easy (Netflix)

DUDS: One Mississippi (Amazon)


Disagree? See anything I missed?  Pass the onion dip, put the DVR on pause and comment below...


tags: entertainment

1/17/2014

The Loveseat Potato Returns

Well, well, look who got a spuddy buddy?  No wonder she's so late with this fall TV post!

This is a match made in buttery mashed potato heaven.  Right?

Yeah... anyway, It's taken SO long to write this post that fall TV shows have been cancelled and their mid-season replacements have too.  And now, somehow it's 2014?!? 

Where does the time go?

While I'm waiting for a few new shows to start (Rake on FOX, and Late Night with Seth Meyers and About a Boy on NBC, I'm talking to YOU), let's feast our eyes on 50+ shows that have been clogging up my DVR.  In all cases, I've seen at least 2 episodes, but probably many (many) more.  Like, whole seasons.  Even of the ones I didn't like.

I blame the potato.


BEST NEW COMEDY
SPUD: The Millers (CBS)

WHY IT'S A SMASH:
Let's face it, sitcoms aren't as funny as they used to be.  But there's nothing not to like about this show.  Will Arnett?  Great. Greg Garcia, who created My Name Is Earl, created this show too? I'm in. It also makes me laugh?  Pass the chips (just don't tell you know who!).

Honorable mention goes to: Hello Ladies (HBO), The Michael J. Fox Show (NBC), Super Fun Night (ABC), Ground Floor (TBS), Orange Is the New Black (Netflix), Brooklyn Nine-Nine (FOX)

DUDS: Sean Saves the World (NBC), Trophy Wife except the little guy named Bert, he's awesome (ABC), Dads (FOX), The Goldbergs (ABC), Mom (CBS), Welcome to the Family (NBC - cancelled), We Are Men (CBS - cancelled), Back in the Game (ABC - cancelled)







BEST NEW DRAMA
SPUD: The Blacklist (NBC)

WHY IT'S A SMASH:
This show has a Silence of the Lambs vibe, minus the cannibalism. So far. James Spader lost some hair and gained some pounds, but is still creepy like we like him.  He plays Red Reddington, a fugitive who turns himself in to help a new FBI agent track down a bunch of other criminals who are so shady they aren't even on the Most Wanted List. Sounds dumb, but it's good.

Honorable mention goes to: Betrayal (ABC), Mob City (TNT)

DUDS: Hostages (CBS), Killer Women (ABC), The Carrie Diaries (CW), Almost Human (FOX), Lucky 7 (ABC - cancelled), Ironside (NBC - cancelled)










BEST NEW REALITY
SPUD: Friday Night Tykes (Esquire)

WHY IT'S A SMASH:
This show is hard to watch. And that's what has me hooked.  It follows a handful of pee-wee football teams in Texas. The boys, who are only 8 or 9 years old, are amazing. It's the coaches that are disgusting. If I had a kid on one of these teams, I'd punch the coach in the chicken nuggets.

Honorable mention goes to: Courtney Loves Dallas (Bravo), Vanilla Ice Goes Amish (DIY), Real World Ex-plosion (MTV), Below Deck (Bravo)

DUDS: 100 Days of Summer (Bravo), Thicker Than Water (Bravo), Toned Up (Bravo), Styled to Rock (Bravo), Come Dine with Me (Lifetime), The New Atlanta (Bravo), Alaskan Women Looking for Love (TLC)



BEST NEW FANTASY
SPUD: Reign (CW)

WHY IT'S A SMASH:
Ever wonder what Mary Queen of Scots was like when she was 15? Me neither. And even if I did, I'm 99% sure this show is wildly historically inaccurate. But hey, that's why they invented historical fiction. Just give me fancy dresses and cute boys, I'm there.

Honorable mention goes to: The Originals (CW), Sleepy Hollow (FOX)

DUDS: Once Upon a Time in Wonderland (ABC), Dracula (NBC), The Tomorrow People (CW), Witches of the East End (Lifetime)











BEST NEW COOKING
SPUD: Cutthroat Kitchen (Food Network)

WHY IT'S A SMASH:
Imagine you needed to roast a chicken using only a crème brûlée torch with spatulas duct-taped to your hands? A bunch of sociopaths cook up crazy sabotages like this every week, and chefs battle it out to cook a good dish despite them. I wish I could be a fly on the wall for the pitch meetings. It would be more funny to see what doesn't make the cut.

Honorable mention goes to: Knife Fight (Esquire Network), My Grandmother's Ravioli with Mo Rocca (Cooking Channel), Guy's Grocery Games (Food Network)

DUDS: Rachael vs. Guy: Kids Cook-Off (Food Network), Junior Masterchef (FOX), The Kitchen (Food Network)






Lastly, it's time to roast a show I wanted to love (really, I did!), but I didn't:

WORST FAMOUS PERSON IN A SITCOM
DUD: The Crazy Ones (CBS, Thursdays at 9pm)

WHY IT'S A ROTTEN POTATO:
Robin Williams!  This had all the makings of my new favorite show -- Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Bob from Mad Men in a modern-day advertising industry sitcom by David E. Kelley?  Genius.  Then came Robin freaking Williams.  That guy can't shut it off.  He grates my nerves down to a pile of hashbrowns, which incidentally, would be infinitely more enjoyable than his tired old schtick.  Boo.
















Disagree?  See something I missed?  Put the DVR on pause and comment below...


tags: entertainment

2/14/2017

The (Not So) New Gilmore Girls Stunk and I Still Can't Get Over It

I know Gilmore Girls: A Year In the Life aired over Thanksgiving and today is Valentine's Day.

But I waited to post about it until now, in part because I didn't want to spoil it for anybody. And because I still can't believe they screwed it up so badly.

Also because I am lazy.

Man, I wanted to love it, but it broke my heart.

In all this time, I've thought about WHY I hated it (and my mom hated it, and my friends at work hated it).  Mainly, I think it's because the plot, the people, and the dialogue were SO ridiculous and out of character from the SEVEN seasons we all watched and loved, I honestly don't know why they bothered to do it at all.

You know the old saying, if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all?

Not tonight.

Given that this is such a mother-daughter show, and I watched this whole series several times with my own mom, we couldn't wait to binge our way through the seasons. But we knew we entered an alternate universe when Winter started without even one note from Carole King, and it was downhill from there.

Here's why we want NO more Gilmore:


LORELAI, The Cool Mom

MOM: Lorelai was very dull. She wasn't chipper. She didn't have any spunk. Her dialogue wasn't cute or funny. She was dull dull dull.

ME: She dressed like a grandma. She stopped talking fast. She was depressed. She's in therapy. With her MOM. She read a book instead of watching a movie. She went H-I-K-I-N-G. In nature! Who the eff is this woman?



RORY, The Pride of Stars Hollow

MOM: OMG Rory,  What a hopeful, beautiful, smart, young lady she was. She knew exactly what she wanted.  She had her eye on being a journalist.  What happened to that girl?  She was a loser!  She didn't have the joy.  She couldn't do anything right. Just blew my mind.

ME: I get why she's trans-Atlantic friends with benefits with Logan. I might see how she went from following then president-elect Obama on the campaign trail to running the snoozy Stars Hollow Gazette. I can even live with the infamous "last four words" that brings the story full circle --  Logan is her Christopher. I'm NOT on board that a girl with so much potential is basically a failure. But what really I can't abide by is how Rory Gilmore had a one night stand (her first!) with a Wookie from ComiCon.  Unacceptable on a thousand levels.



EMILY, The Stuffy Grandmother

MOM: I like the mother. She was right getting mad at Lorelai. But it was like she had a lobotomy! The husband dies and she's like a nomad. Wearing rag tag jeans. She quits the DAR? Nobody checks on her -- nobody bothered?  It's like they didn't care about her any more since the father died.

ME: The JEANS! Were Emily's tweed Chanel suits burned in a fire? When did she start sleeping until noon?  Why is she living in Martha's Vineyard with the creepy dude from Twin Peaks? She works at a WHALE museum? She works?!?! Did she hit her head? Was Richard holding her captive for 50 years, and now she's letting her freak flag fly?  I need answers.



RICHARD, The Stuffy (and Dead) Grandfather

MOM: They didn't give the father the respect he should have gotten.  Especially with Lorelai, not even able to think of one wonderful memory and just made a joke out of a serious matter.  Absolutely disgraceful.

ME: Shameful! She couldn't tell a single nice story about her dad, who she actually had a good relationship with when he was living, and who made it possible for her daughter to go to private school and an ivy league college? The pretzel story was too little, too late. A shitty ending. Richard and his bowties deserved more.



LUKE, The Safe Choice

MOM: Luke's like a puppy dog.  He always there.  He's always loyal.  And he's always getting used. At least he had some spunk in the first series.  He stood up for himself as a man.  Now he just serves her.

ME: He's always been a devoted doormat. He was even an afterthought in his own wedding scene! And they clearly ran out of budget on pricey cameos (I see you Peter Krause), so they had to pull Luke's wardrobe out of mothballs. I'll bet you a donut that hat never left his head because his hair most certainly did.



LOGAN, The Rich Ex-Boyfriend Who Can't Grow Up

MOM: I thought that was ridiculous with Logan.  He asks her to marry him and she says no, that's not her focus.  Then you find out they're together on the sly while he's engaged to someone else?  Trashy. That's not Rory.

ME: Oh, Logan. He is trouble! I have to say, though, I def see the appeal there. But he's got to ditch the Peter Pan clan and rich kid antics with the Life & Death Brigade. It's called growth, people! And did we all forget that he already proposed to Rory, or did we wipe that memory clean because Amy Sherman Palladino didn't write it?



JESS, The Moody Ex-Boyfriend Who Can't Settle Down

MOM: I love the men in Rory's life but they were only there for a second -- especially Jess.  I couldn't understand why they didn't spend more time.  What was he doing with his life?  What happened to him?  I loved that character and he was there for 5 seconds.

ME: She hasn't seen him in years! Why is she so unfazed? Maybe she's been cyberstalking him and is trying to play it cool. Or maybe it's because they dated in real life and it didn't end so great. I'm going with the latter.



DEAN, The Dopey First Love

MOM: The other guy! Did he go to college?  Did he get married again?  He saw Rory for 2 minutes in a grocery store.  What a disaster!  Who wrote this? I loved this show!  You had such a good feeling.  It made you laugh. And cry. Some belly laughs even.  It was a such good story. I guess you can't improve perfection.

ME: He bored me then and he bores me now. So nothing's changed here. Adios, macaroni hair!



PARIS, The Frenemy Turned Fertility Doctor

MOM: Yes, that one makes sense. I like her now on How to Get Away with Murder.

ME: Yeah, she's intense. But how is she still hung up on Chad Michael Murray?!  He didn't even show up. C'mon!




LANE, The Sheltered Best Friend

MOM: Lane had a dad?

ME: Where the eff has Mr. Kim been all this time?  Never popped his head out of the antique shop.  Missed her wedding and her babies, and when she dyed her hair purple? And she's still in Hep Alien? No. Just no.




CHRISTOPHER, The Irresponsible Dad

MOM: The talk with her father went so fast.  He FINALLY got his act together and is no longer a failure.  It seemed like they haven't talked in a long time.  He didn't want to talk to her mother at all?  Who wrote this?  Seems like an alien wrote this!

ME: This made me angry! Not a single scene with "Lor"? Oh, no you didn't. It's the final straw. I. Literally. Cannot.



Now I'm all riled up again. Before we go, let's say something nice about the revival...

MOM: I can't say anything good about it.  The anticipation of watching it was fun.  But it was a letdown. That's it. The town is great -- I love the town.  It was the hope.  The same quaintness and light.  But then it seemed like the people weren't the same.  They have to grow but they were totally different.

ME: Samesies.


So how do you rate it?

MOM: I give it a C.  They made an effort.  I just didn't agree with it.

ME: You're grading on a curve.  I give it a ZERO.  I want those 6 hours back!


SO what do YOU think?  Do you agree?  Do you smell snow?  Write me a loveletter below...


tags: entertainment, family, pop culture, rants