Oh, hello there! How are you? More importantly, how’s your DVR? Great, great. Get comfy… let’s begin.
So NBC had a focus group watch some of Parks and Recreation, the new Amy Poehler comedy from the guys behind the US version of The Office. However, the focus group hated it. I hope it does well, I’m really looking forward to seeing Amy Poehler on my TV once a week again. And! They have a twitter for the show now.
Did you know that Lifetime is airing the 1996 Angelina Jolie film Foxfire right now, as I type this? How odd. Oh look, Real Housewives is on…
Oh my god, you guys. So much good TV stuff happened last week. Let’s dive right in, shall we?
The Carlytron TV Awards for the Week Ending on 3/21/09
The Good Riddance Award
Battlestar Galactica is done! I didn’t start watching ’til this season, and I’m sure my roommate Matthew is relieved that he won’t have to explain this show to me anymore. At some point, when I have some free time, I’ll watch the whole show start to finish. But, ’til then, I’ll say: Battlestar Galactica seemed really cool, and now it is over.
I did actually really like what I saw of it — and I’m happy it’s bowing out gracefully before things get really bad (see: Buffy, Sex and the City, the goddamn L Word). Battlestar has been criticized for being confusing and convoluted at times, but the thing I personally never understood is that we were actually supposed to believe that Starbuck was into dudes. That’s more baffling than a shipload of Cylons and strange religious references.
The FINALLY!! Award
Gossip Girl is baaaack! Thank God. This was such a good episode, you guys! Blair’s little wave as the curtain goes down at the end of their ridiculous school play was amazing. Also, how does Serena not know the director is gay? He was so obviously gay. Where are Lily and Eric? Serena’s in some fancy-ass play and they didn’t even show up?? That bummed me out, they’re two of my favorite parts of this show.
Other favorite parts of this show include Blair and Dorota — stellar! — and Serena, who needs to have her gaydar adjusted a smidge.
This is also the first episode ever where I didn’t hate Vanessa, so kudos to her. The Humphreys still suck. Except Dan, at the end, telling Blair that she could do whatever she wanted with the knowledge that he had sex with Rachel in a closet … that’s probably the only time I’ve ever liked him.
I’ve spoken with a few people who think this show has jumped the shark in the past few episodes, but I must disagree. The thing that makes this show so wonderful is its campiness, and I happen to believe that ridiculous storylines are awesome. Also, I will forever watch this show because I am convinced that Blair and Serena will make out one day. So bring it on!
The AWESOME Award
BETTER! OFF! TED! Oh man, this show totally impressed me. Smart writing, hilarious premise, and Portia was amazing. Her character on this show is kind of a combination of her two prior regular television roles (Nell on Ally McBeal and Lindsay Bluth on Arrested Development). I highly recommend this show, I can’t wait to see more.
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The Sad Award
Ugly Betty is leaving us for a while, to be replaced by In The Motherhood. I’m really sad… the past few episodes have been really on point.
The ‘Why Isn’t This Gayer’? Award
I’m going to use this space to call out … all of television. All of it. Right now there are no lesbians on scripted TV, are there? If there are, I don’t know anything about them. That is ridiculous! That’s it — I’m going to write a show. Tonight. I’m writing it tonight.
The Hot Girl of the Week Award
Portia has been everywhere promoting Better Off Ted, and looking simply smashing doing so. I can’t really begin to explain my adoration for her and Ellen, and I probably don’t need to since… duh. I’m not even going to link to any of her interviews, since I know you’ve seen them all already… except for her Prop 8 fake PSA from Kimmel. That is here and it’s amazing.
The Funniest Thing I Saw All Week
Oh, you know, 30 Rock and The Office? Maybe you’ve seen them once or twice? Yeeeah. I don’t even know where to begin. Both were stellar this week, as they usually are. I promise I will try to not use these two shows for this award every single week, but until the rest of television steps it up a bit I will be forced to.
How I Met Your Mother was also good this week. The best parts being Marshall extolling the virtues of the night shirt and Robin’s wacky newscast. True fact about me: one of my favorite conventions of comedy is having something insane happen in the background of a scene while people go about their business in the foreground, completely unaware. In Living Color used to do this really well; usually a reporter would be talking in the foreground and there would be some crazy antics happening in the background. I just scoured YouTube looking for a clip to illustrate my point but was unsuccessful. Anyway, this sorta thing makes me laugh 100% of the time, and it was used brilliantly on HIMYM this week.
The EWWW Award
“This has been a really strange day.” You said it, Meredith. They gave a dude a face transplant on Grey’s Anatomy this week. The makeup and effects were super gross. No lesbian plotline at all, Callie went to the woods to try and convince Derek to come back to work (he quit and is being a whiny bitch in his trailer in the woods) but he ended up bumming her out so they just drank all day. The best part of this episode was Bailey, being a badass as usual, and Izzie ending up where she belongs– in a hospital bed.
The AWWW Award
Marshall on United States of Tara. Poor kid; his mom (as one of her alters, T) got with with the boy he likes. I love his storyline, though … I’m starting to think that the new cool TV accessory is the probably-gay-teen-boy. See also: Ugly Betty.
The SHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUP Award
LuAnn on Real Housewives of NYC. Just… stop… talking… forever. Please. If you’re like me, and think this show is a fantastical trainwreck, then you might be interested in reading Richard’s recaps of the show over at Gawker. I usually end up spitting seltzer all over myself when reading them, though, so don’t read these when you’re wearing a nice shirt.
The Dollhouse Award for Dollhouse
Ok, I just needed a part where I could talk about Dollhouse. This week’s episode was the first one written by Joss Whedon himself, and was totally awesome. I’m hoping the show will now find its groove and not get canceled anytime soon.
Echo fighting the FBI dude? AWESOME.
The cute man-on-the-street interviews? FUNNY.
Boyd punching the crap out of Sierra’s asshole handler? BADASS.
The twist at the end (Mellie’s a sleeper doll!)? TOTALLY UNEXPECTED.
This shit is ON, for real-reals.
Though, one quick thing… why do all interrogators sit backwards in chairs? Just wondering.
That’s all from me for now… until next time, keep those DVRs whirring! (wow that was nerdy)
Dollhouse was awesome last week, can’t wait for tomorrow’s.
The whole thing where she thought the guy was in porn was hilarious. Especially when they run by the bed and she points and yells about it being porn.
Mellie being a sleeper doll made me all kinds of happy. :D
the porn jokes killed me.
Totally agree with you on Better Off Ted! But nobody seems to be talking about it… Shame. Dollhouse also awesome, fight scene very much “Buffy” and HIMYM, the whole Robin background was hilarious. Great picks!
Great post!
Can’t wait for Amy Poehlers new show. I don’t trust focus groups.
Better Off Ted is fabulously written, timed and acted… this better not be another Arrested Development people… start watching and talking!!!
I am responsible for bringing a few people in my life into the Gossip Girl circle (I was of course ushered in by Carly who also turned me on to about 12 different shows on TV) and I love love love this show. This week.. sooo good. Chuck Bass is my favorite. I want someone to narrate my life in Chuck Bass voice.
Should I start watching Grey’s again? I stopped like 3 seasons ago. Hmmmm. I’m not a big fan of face transplants.
Do you still have Tara episodes on your DVR? I’m coming over!
Tara is on demand, woo!
Don’t watch Grey’s, there is no point.
OMG! LOVED Better Off Ted. I totally used to work for that company.
I hope this show survives. My girlfriend doesn’t get it and she is usually a good barometer for things mainstream America will get/like. So I’m scared for Better Off Ted, but hopeful.
The focus group stuff for Parks and Rec scares me simply because my tastes are different than mainstream America. I hope they make it smart. I saw the promo and thought it looked funny and I’m not even one of the lesbos who has been mainlining the Amy Poehler/Tina Fey kool-aid (not that there is anything wrong with that – just sayin’…).
I too liked Better off Ted though Ted was my least favorite part. I liked Veronica, Lem and Linda the best. I’ll give that one a shot.
I didn’t love Ted the character either, but thought the ensemble and writing were great.
I’m all about the Kool-Aid, I’ve even got my little black Nikes on.
hey you should check out this UK series called Skins..its like the OC…cept everyone smokes weed. Theres a pretty sweet lesbian story line…Emily/Naomi. Ever heard?
I was about to mention Emily and Naomi in series 3 of Skins too. The storyline has gotten pretty good reviews in several places.
Unfortunately the final episode airs tonight here in the UK and the series won’t be back until this time next year. But you can still go and find out all about it!
totally agree about better off ted, its aces. although i would have tried to like it even if it were bad just because of portia. Love the adverts at the start especially.
is the latest episode of the office “new boss”? i thought it was last week’s…indeed, this is the best show ever!
It was last week’s episode, I write this column about the previous week, sort of as a recap.
I’m really, really keen to see Dollhouse, particularly now that you’ve talked it up – but the free-to-air networks here have decided not to air it. Strike one, TV execs. Strike one.
I just started watching it this eve after reading this, its brilliant! Not on tv here yet, but all the episodes so far are up on sidereel. heres the first one http://www.sidereel.com/Dollhouse/_watchlinkviewer/323 .
don’t know if you guys approve of super illegal watching tv online, but its the only way to keep up with shows from here!
if you’re nice to me, i can snail mail it to you ;)
OK….so I haven’t yet watched it, but got it DVR’ed on my computer (can you call it that if you download it but don’t actually have a DVR? LOL) – “SAMANTHA WHO?” is back – so excited….can’t wait to watch it.
Any1 else a Samantha Who fan? anyone?
I’ve heard good things but haven’t checked it out.
I can not praise “Skins” enough. Sigh. With it over for the season and BSG over until “The Plan”, Damages ending next week. Slowly but surely all my shows are ending. blimey.
I’m way behind on BSG (I’m somewhere in the middle of season 2) but I thought Starbuck played for our team the second she jogged by the screen in the first episode of the series. I think the writers/creators wanted her to be tough since the original Starbuck was a man but she ended up more queer. Dollhouse last week & last night was brilliant. Sleeper doll Mellie was a total shocker. I’m usually pretty good and figuring out where a show is going but that kicked me in the face. The ‘see, porn’ line was great, too. Eliza is always spot on with those one-liners.
So Dollhouse is unexpectedly getting more and more AMAZING!!!
This is bittersweet, because there are probs (!) few people who stuck through the confusion in some of the other episodes. I feel like its about to be really good and no one will know.
Also, yay new AUTOSTRADDLE!!!!
yeah totally, I’m really hoping people stick with it!!
Re: Skins
I haven’t seen it yet and would really like for it to start airing in the US so I can check it out. I’ve heard many good things.
When I was complaining about lesbians on TV I was mostly referencing US shows, since those are the ones I watch, but I realize that’s a bit narrow-sighted of me. We’re just light years behind everyone else over here, it’s sad.