Today's column splits three ways, with reviews of HBO's "Flight of the Conchords" (which grew on me to the point where I can't get some of the songs out of my head), the "Entourage" premiere (which does, in fact, show Vince at work), and Showtime's "Meadowlands" (which I think is just weird for weirdness' sake but is at least entertainingly weird).
Friday, June 15, 2007
Summertime new
Today's column splits three ways, with reviews of HBO's "Flight of the Conchords" (which grew on me to the point where I can't get some of the songs out of my head), the "Entourage" premiere (which does, in fact, show Vince at work), and Showtime's "Meadowlands" (which I think is just weird for weirdness' sake but is at least entertainingly weird).
I was excited when I first heard about Meadowlands, but once I realized it had nothing to do with Jersey I completely lost interest.
ReplyDeleteYeah, it'd be nice to give Steve Van Zandt a new acting gig.
ReplyDeleteOr Tony Sirico. Seriously, I keep imagining him as getting a gig on something that would make good use of him, like 30 Rock. Not too much of him, but just enough.
ReplyDeleteObviously I haven't seen the new episode of Entourage, but another thing that separates the "work" on Entourage or 30 Rock and the "work" on Studio 60 is that the scenes on Entourage are obviously parodies, while still being believable in the show. I don't need to see clips of "Who Dat Ninja?" or "Fat Bitch" or Gaybraham Lincoln to get the joke, but they still work as part of the overall show, and the clip from Aquaman was so spot-on that you actually wanted to see what came next. Studio 60 never sold me on any of their ideas, and there was no clever send-up. It was just lecture, lecture, lecture.
I hope this is coherent- I'm a little too caffeinated today. I think Tina Fey could give a Tony Sirico cameo legs like no one else. (I think it was Sirico himself who said somewhere that he'd like to try a sitcom with Kelly Ripa, and I can't think of any premise that is more stupid than that. Still, I'd probably watch it.)
Alan, one thing you might do this summer is just alert us to when some of the new shows are starting, even if you aren't planning on reviewing them or writing about them. That would be helpful and would prompt some comments, too.
ReplyDeleteI seem to be utterly alone in this, but I found Meadowlands completely boring. I'm mostly sick of shows about how dark and twisted suburbanites are, even if there's a weird mystery plot thrown in.
ReplyDeleteConchords, though, is a lot of goofy fun.
"Who Dat Ninja?"
ReplyDelete30 Rock really is genius work. I love it!
I don't expect much from shows like Entourage...it's just a fun show and I like the new direction they are taking for season 4.
Tony Sirico + Kelly Ripa = comedy platinum! I would watch that show, but I might not be laughing at the things they want me to laugh at.
ReplyDeleteBecause of "Viva Blackpool!" I will watch almost anything David Morrisey is in (except "Basic Instinct 2," of course!), so I'll be giving "Meadowlands" a few tries. "Flight of the Conchords" sounds up my alley as well.
Tony Sirico + Kelly Ripa = comedy platinum!
ReplyDeleteWhew, glad I'm not the only one who finds that hilarious. Maybe they could add the cat!
no shoutouts for "Honky Grandma Be Trippin'"?
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I also really dig Conchords. Their "hip hop" song (I think it's in the third episode) kills me.
"There's no party like the my grandma's tea party -- hey ... ho..."