With all the serious topics I cover in my blog, I thought I'd lighten things up a bit and provide some brief reviews on television shows I try to regularly watch.
Fresh Off the Boat: In my opinion, the show got off to a bit of a rocky start and had trouble finding its footing. A majority of the racially-charged jokes came across as forced, as did many of the child actors' lines. I still saw some potential, however, so I decided to keep viewing it Tuesday nights. Fortunately, the episodes over the past two weeks have been arguably the best yet and I'm now starting to see the writers find their footing and find consistency throughout the duration of episodes, which it had been lacking early in the season.
Grade: 6.5/10 (trending upward)
Your Family or Mine: This is a new TBS show which attempts to comically illustrate those awkward moments with the in-laws. Yes, even as an unmarried person myself, I can confidently declare that such moments exist with all married couples and their in-laws. While I saw some potential in the first episode a couple of weeks ago, I was disappointed with last week's showing. There's less censorship in this show than there have been in shows past on the network, so that makes for some raw, vulgar, and humorous lines and interactions. On the flip-side, however, some of the acting has been rather sub-par to this point, with multiple characters coming across as borderline annoying. So, for the time being, I'm undecided on this show, but if I don't witness some improvements in the coming couple of weeks, chances are I'll look for something else to watch.
Grade: 5.0/10 (trending in no specific direction)
Black-ish: In my opinion, this is one of the best new shows on television. Unlike in Fresh Off the Boat, the racially-charged jokes in this sitcom haven't felt forced and it's been set up in a way where it can appeal to any and every demographic. The child actors have even been provided some good lines, the family feels like a genuine family, and they have plenty of hilarious moments to share with their viewers. Yeah, ABC finally did it! They finally found the perfect follow-up to Modern Family!
Grade: 9.0/10 (and holding steady)
Modern Family: This multiple Emmy award-winning show may not be quite as strong as it was early on, but it still ranks as one of the very best sitcoms on television, and week in and week out, unless one has a lit firecracker stuck in their butt, they'll probably get a few laughs out of this show.
Grade: 9.5/10 (and has held steady for quite some time)
The Big Bang Theory: Perhaps due to the actors' contract talks prior to this season, the first few episodes felt more condensed, with five minutes of commercials playing for every five minutes of the show's actual airtime. However, things have seemed to improve over the past 2-3 weeks, and while I don't think this season ranks as one of the show's best, I still rank it as one of the better sitcoms on television right now.
Grade: 8.0/10 (not exactly sure where it's trending currently)
Brooklyn Nine-Nine: I wasn't a huge fan of Andy Samberg's work in Saturday Night Live, but due to the solid reviews I read about this show, I decided to give it a gander, and am very happy I did so. Like a lot of successful long-term sitcoms, Brooklyn Nine-Nine features a great cast of interesting characters whom all work very well together. I think the only question I have moving forward would be, "Will Andy Samberg's character evolve at all or will he continue to be the same guy throughout the show's duration?" I only ask that because, while Samberg's character is often times silly and humorous to an extent, his somewhat childish demeanor on the show can get to be a bit much at times. Regardless, it's still a very solid show and I look forward to it coming back this week.
Grade: 7.5/10 (holding fairly steady)
The Daily Show: This show is the king of political satire and has been ever since Jon Stewart took over for Craig Kilborn 16+ years ago. It's going to be a sad day when the long-time host exits The Daily Show on August 6th of this year. Hopefully after the show's inevitable hiatus, newcomer Trevor Noah will be able to pick up right where Stewart left off and continue to put politicians, media personalities, and Hollywood celebrities in their place for years to come.
Grade: 10.0/10 (been holding steady for years)
The Nightly Show: As I suppose could be expected, Larry Wilmore's new show has gotten off to a bit of a bumpy, inconsistent start. To the writers' credit, they have been tinkering with the show's format and appear to be veering away from the one-third-humor-two-thirds-serious-discussion set-up they showcased earlier. I've seen some subtle improvements over the past couple of weeks, but I think it's too early to tell one way or the other if Wilmore will be the answer long-term in place of Stephen Colbert and The Colbert Report or if Comedy Central will decide to go a different route after giving the show its due time and opportunity.
Grade: 6.5/10 (possibly a slight upward trend)
The Odd Couple: While I've seen every episode in the show's first season, I'm still not 100% positive on whether or not I want to see it for a second season. I think the problem for me, oddly enough, is Matthew Perry's portrayal of the character Oscar. While it felt to me that he was in his element as Chandler in Friends, I'm having a hard time buying his act this time around. The annoyed faces he provides just don't feel natural to me, and while Chandler was an incredibly likable character, to this point, Perry's had difficulty providing Oscar with much likability. The reason I've continued to watch the show is Thomas Lennon's portrayal of the character Felix. The guy has been spot-on with his acting to this point in the season, and even though he would likely get annoying as a roommate, the guy presents a certain likability and charm (as unintentional as it might be) that would otherwise be sorely lacking from the show.
Grade: 6.0/10 (trending in no specific direction at the moment)
Louie: If you enjoy Louie C.K.'s stand-up routine, chances are you'll enjoy this, but perhaps not in the way you imagined. While there are some funny parts in the series, Louie is more focused on presenting a unique story than on prompting laughter. It took me a while to get used to this fact, yet after I mentally adjusted, it became like a car wreck and I couldn't look away. If you're looking for as many laughs here as you would be watching a Louie C.K. HBO comedy-hour special, you may want to just watch one of those stand-up performances. However, if you're willing to place that expectation to the side, be prepared for what can only be described as quite possibly the most unique ride on television right now.
Grade: 7.0/10 (trending upward)
Shows I'm trying to see more
Key & Peele
Rescue Me
Shows I'm meaning to check out
The Comedians
Big Time in Hollywood, FL
Fresh Off the Boat: In my opinion, the show got off to a bit of a rocky start and had trouble finding its footing. A majority of the racially-charged jokes came across as forced, as did many of the child actors' lines. I still saw some potential, however, so I decided to keep viewing it Tuesday nights. Fortunately, the episodes over the past two weeks have been arguably the best yet and I'm now starting to see the writers find their footing and find consistency throughout the duration of episodes, which it had been lacking early in the season.
Grade: 6.5/10 (trending upward)
Your Family or Mine: This is a new TBS show which attempts to comically illustrate those awkward moments with the in-laws. Yes, even as an unmarried person myself, I can confidently declare that such moments exist with all married couples and their in-laws. While I saw some potential in the first episode a couple of weeks ago, I was disappointed with last week's showing. There's less censorship in this show than there have been in shows past on the network, so that makes for some raw, vulgar, and humorous lines and interactions. On the flip-side, however, some of the acting has been rather sub-par to this point, with multiple characters coming across as borderline annoying. So, for the time being, I'm undecided on this show, but if I don't witness some improvements in the coming couple of weeks, chances are I'll look for something else to watch.
Grade: 5.0/10 (trending in no specific direction)
Black-ish: In my opinion, this is one of the best new shows on television. Unlike in Fresh Off the Boat, the racially-charged jokes in this sitcom haven't felt forced and it's been set up in a way where it can appeal to any and every demographic. The child actors have even been provided some good lines, the family feels like a genuine family, and they have plenty of hilarious moments to share with their viewers. Yeah, ABC finally did it! They finally found the perfect follow-up to Modern Family!
Grade: 9.0/10 (and holding steady)
Modern Family: This multiple Emmy award-winning show may not be quite as strong as it was early on, but it still ranks as one of the very best sitcoms on television, and week in and week out, unless one has a lit firecracker stuck in their butt, they'll probably get a few laughs out of this show.
Grade: 9.5/10 (and has held steady for quite some time)
The Big Bang Theory: Perhaps due to the actors' contract talks prior to this season, the first few episodes felt more condensed, with five minutes of commercials playing for every five minutes of the show's actual airtime. However, things have seemed to improve over the past 2-3 weeks, and while I don't think this season ranks as one of the show's best, I still rank it as one of the better sitcoms on television right now.
Grade: 8.0/10 (not exactly sure where it's trending currently)
Brooklyn Nine-Nine: I wasn't a huge fan of Andy Samberg's work in Saturday Night Live, but due to the solid reviews I read about this show, I decided to give it a gander, and am very happy I did so. Like a lot of successful long-term sitcoms, Brooklyn Nine-Nine features a great cast of interesting characters whom all work very well together. I think the only question I have moving forward would be, "Will Andy Samberg's character evolve at all or will he continue to be the same guy throughout the show's duration?" I only ask that because, while Samberg's character is often times silly and humorous to an extent, his somewhat childish demeanor on the show can get to be a bit much at times. Regardless, it's still a very solid show and I look forward to it coming back this week.
Grade: 7.5/10 (holding fairly steady)
The Daily Show: This show is the king of political satire and has been ever since Jon Stewart took over for Craig Kilborn 16+ years ago. It's going to be a sad day when the long-time host exits The Daily Show on August 6th of this year. Hopefully after the show's inevitable hiatus, newcomer Trevor Noah will be able to pick up right where Stewart left off and continue to put politicians, media personalities, and Hollywood celebrities in their place for years to come.
Grade: 10.0/10 (been holding steady for years)
The Nightly Show: As I suppose could be expected, Larry Wilmore's new show has gotten off to a bit of a bumpy, inconsistent start. To the writers' credit, they have been tinkering with the show's format and appear to be veering away from the one-third-humor-two-thirds-serious-discussion set-up they showcased earlier. I've seen some subtle improvements over the past couple of weeks, but I think it's too early to tell one way or the other if Wilmore will be the answer long-term in place of Stephen Colbert and The Colbert Report or if Comedy Central will decide to go a different route after giving the show its due time and opportunity.
Grade: 6.5/10 (possibly a slight upward trend)
The Odd Couple: While I've seen every episode in the show's first season, I'm still not 100% positive on whether or not I want to see it for a second season. I think the problem for me, oddly enough, is Matthew Perry's portrayal of the character Oscar. While it felt to me that he was in his element as Chandler in Friends, I'm having a hard time buying his act this time around. The annoyed faces he provides just don't feel natural to me, and while Chandler was an incredibly likable character, to this point, Perry's had difficulty providing Oscar with much likability. The reason I've continued to watch the show is Thomas Lennon's portrayal of the character Felix. The guy has been spot-on with his acting to this point in the season, and even though he would likely get annoying as a roommate, the guy presents a certain likability and charm (as unintentional as it might be) that would otherwise be sorely lacking from the show.
Grade: 6.0/10 (trending in no specific direction at the moment)
Louie: If you enjoy Louie C.K.'s stand-up routine, chances are you'll enjoy this, but perhaps not in the way you imagined. While there are some funny parts in the series, Louie is more focused on presenting a unique story than on prompting laughter. It took me a while to get used to this fact, yet after I mentally adjusted, it became like a car wreck and I couldn't look away. If you're looking for as many laughs here as you would be watching a Louie C.K. HBO comedy-hour special, you may want to just watch one of those stand-up performances. However, if you're willing to place that expectation to the side, be prepared for what can only be described as quite possibly the most unique ride on television right now.
Grade: 7.0/10 (trending upward)
Shows I'm trying to see more
Key & Peele
Rescue Me
Shows I'm meaning to check out
The Comedians
Big Time in Hollywood, FL
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