Anil's TV Talk - Session 1

I WATCH WAY TOO MUCH TV. It is a fact. But it gives me the opportunity to review lots and lots of shows. I'm going to talk about a few of my favorite shows briefly...hopefully I'll be able to talk more about them later.

Let's start with comedies first (In a VERY particular order...)

1. 30 Rock

Best comedy on TV right now. Tina Fey is an unbelievable writer with an uncanny ability to play Liz Lemon also. And all of this along with her modest good looks make her an ideal wife candidate (if only she were Indian). Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan, and Jack McBrayer (Kenneth the Page) are absolutely brilliant on the show as well. But really, I can't say enough about the writing on this show. It hits you in the same way Arrested Development did...incredibly dense so that you actually have to suffocate yourself in order to stop laughing and hear all the jokes. If you haven't checked this show out yet...just watch the pilot. Oh and it's one of those shows where you really should put everything down and just watch it...otherwise you'll miss something.

2. Entourage

I didn't realize how high this show was on my list until just now. It definitely has it's down moments (e.g. the story line where Drama and Turtle are looking for rim jobs (???), the entire episode of the gang going out and doing shrooms) but overall the show definitely keeps me coming back. Jeremy Piven is incredible. He makes me feel like I know exactly what all Hollywood agents are like. The passion, frustration, and incredible comedic timing he brings to the show all make him a standout in every episode. The rest of the cast is fairly sub-par but I find E to be extremely relatable meaning Kevin Connolly must also be extremely relatable because I can't imagine he's doing much acting to play that role. Regardless, seeing the life of a movie star (apparently consisting of tons of beautiful girls and tons of money) with some great jokes from Ari Gold every week make Entourage a keeper.

3. Weeds

It's no secret that this show has fallen off. A great premise of a single mom trying to make money by dealing pot in the cookie cutter Californian suburb of Agrestic. Mary Louise Parker plays the sexy, cunning, yet clearly out of her element Nancy Botwin to a tee. Kevin Nealon and Justin Kirk make for two hilarious supporting characters to add to the show. The problem is, the story lines have just started to go dry. I won't spoil it for those who haven't been watching the show but the first few seasons were very, very funny as well as progressing pretty interesting plots. But over the past 2 seasons, it seems like the show has just gotten caught up in one specific story (again being vague to avoid spoilers) which quite frankly isn't that interesting or funny or intriguing or anything really. Nancy has almost completely lost touch with her family and the other characters. Their interactions, however, were what made the show so good. Weeds needs to become funny again. Soon.


4. The Office (U.S)

This show WAS amazing. I never got into the British show...more because of my laziness in acquiring it...not because the show wasn't good enough. But as a result, the only version of this show that I have been acquainted with is Steve Carell's. So when I first started watching, I really really liked it. I could totally relate to Jim and Pam's whole we're-quirky-and-witty-best-friends-yet-there's-something-going-on-here relationship. Dwight and Michael were both hilarious characters and the supporting cast of Oscar, Angela, Phyllis, Toby, Stanley, and Kevin made for a great ensemble. Now I don't know what it is but this show just has not been as good as it was in it's first few seasons. Nothing happens anymore. Sure there are always great one-liners and Michael's personality never fails to bring humor to any situation. But I don't know...Jim/Pam and Michael/Jan drama can't really be matched with the new storylines. I thought Holly was GREAT (Amy Ryan is awesome) but now she's out too. Hopefully this coming season will bring great things to put this show back on the map.



And as a side note...Extras (Ricky Gervais' OTHER show on BBC), Da Ali G Show (no explanation necessary) and Arrested Development (still the greatest comedy ever) are all shows that have sadly met their demise but are, in my opinion, better than any of the other shows on this list. I'll try to get around to describing each one of them soon so that you can understand just how important it is that you watch each of these 3 short lived shows.

That's all for now. Tune in next time for my list of top dramas.

Signing off mothas...