For the first time in I don't know how long, I'm actually regularly tuning in to a number of television shows. They're all of the comedy variety (sitcoms and late night talk shows). Here they are, ranked from my least favorite to favorite (though I like them all):
10) The Nightly Show (Mondays through Thursdays at 11:30 pm on Comedy Central): This show is drastically different from its predecessor, The Colbert Report, but it's still humorous and thought-provoking. Larry Wilmore provides a far different perspective than we're used to when it comes to late night talk shows, and while I think his contributors could definitely use a makeover (outside of a couple), I still make sure to tune in to The Nightly Show's segments on a daily basis. While the show has been renewed for another season, I do have to wonder about its long-term potential. Ratings have dipped from the previous show, the appeal has been condensed some, and while I personally enjoy it, I think some changes may need to be made for it to be a long-term success.
9) Life in Pieces (Thursdays at 8:30 pm EST on CBS): Of all the sitcoms I'm watching, I probably find this one the least funny, yet I still regularly enjoy it. The cast is top-notch, the dialogue is fresh, the chemistry is solid, and overall, it provides for a quality viewing experience. The format is similar to that of Modern Family, as four short stories get told about different components of a multi-generational family, until those four stories become one. The show may not have the most original premise in the world, but is well written, well acted, and I'll be curious to see how it evolves in the future.
8) The Big Bang Theory (Thursdays at 8 pm EST on CBS): While I've been a big fan of this show for a long time, and perhaps mainly for that very reason, I continue to watch it, I have been slightly disappointed with the past season (plus). To me, it's going the route of Friends, which too was a great sitcom for a long time, but at a certain point, the writers ran out of ideas and decided to focus 99% of their attention on the relationship between Ross and Rachel. I'm getting the same vibe from The Big Bang Theory, once a great sitcom, which has now started focusing most of its attention on the relationships between Leonard and Penny, as well as Amy and Sheldon. I'll continue to watch this show til the end, but have a feeling the end is coming soon. If sitcom-lovers have only started watching this show, I'd recommend watching earlier seasons to garner a better perspective of its full potential.
7) Black-ish (Wednesdays at 9:30 pm on ABC): The title of the show may have been a little off-putting for some at first, but if one gets past the title and just watches the show, there's a good chance they'll find it at least mildly amusing. With this show, ABC has finally found a good follow-up to Modern Family, which they'd struggled with through the years. Anthony Anderson seems to have found his niche with this show and I see it continuing for quite some time.
6) Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Tuesdays at 9 pm on FOX): Like with Jimmy Fallon, I was never a huge fan of Andy Samberg on Saturday Night Live. However, like Fallon, I've been quite impressed with Samberg's next television venture. Like with most great (and long-lasting) shows, Brooklyn Nine-Nine has an incredibly solid and diverse cast, full of characters which are unique and bring something different to each episode. While the belly-laughs may not always be there, the fun is always on full display, which makes this a very easy show to regularly watch and enjoy.
5) The Daily Show (Mondays through Thursdays at 11 pm on Comedy Central): I was slightly obsessed with The Daily Show when Jon Stewart was the host. When Trevor Noah took over for Stewart, I promised myself I'd try to not constantly compare the two, and give Noah a fair chance as the show's host. To this point, I still haven't fully decided to what degree I like or dislike the new host. The jokes are still there, largely aided by the show's host of hilarious contributors. However, the opening monologues and guest interviews are drastically different from those in years past and could use some work. Stewart mastered the art of balancing humor with passion. He was never one to bypass the opportunity for a joke, yet also knew when it was time to get serious and have a heart-to-heart with his viewers. Noah is new and should be given time to adapt and adjust, but to this point, he definitely hasn't mastered that balance like Stewart did. While I will continue to watch and largely enjoy this show throughout the week, I still have to wonder if The Daily Show will ever be as powerful as it once was. If not, I suppose I'll be able to continue loving it for just the jokes.
4) Modern Family (Wednesdays at 9 pm on ABC): Given how long I've been watching and thoroughly enjoying this sitcom, I think it's safe to now say it goes down as one of my favorite shows of all-time. Unlike The Big Bang Theory, it doesn't appear the Modern Family writers are out of ideas or losing focus. The only negative in recent seasons has been the (lack of) development of some of the "child" actors. When they were extremely young, they could get away with being mediocre actors, for the simple fact that kids are cute and entertaining, even when they don't mean to be. However, as these kids have grown up, the mediocre acting ability has become much more noticeable in some of them. Regardless of that minor complaint, Modern Family continues to be one of the best sitcoms on television, and I'll be curious to see how much longer this Emmy award-winning show lasts.
3) Grinder (Tuesdays at 9:30 pm on FOX): I only recently got hooked on this semi-new show, starring Rob Lowe and Fred Savage. Savage plays an actual attorney, while his brother, Lowe, plays an attorney on a television show, and due to this, feels as if he's just as knowledgeable about the law and just as effective in the courtroom as an actual attorney. When Lowe moves in with Savage and his family, and goes on to help (in his mind) at Savage's firm, it's cause for a great number of laughs. In my mind, it's a pretty clever set-up, and I hope the show garners good ratings so I can see how it evolves in future seasons.
2) The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (Mondays through Fridays at 11:35 pm on CBS): No, this may not be a carbon copy of Stephen Colbert's old show on Comedy Central, The Colbert Report, but it's a great hybrid of that and the former Late Show with David Letterman. Unlike most late night talk show hosts, who rely on slapstick/visual gags, Colbert is more about satire/dry wit, which, from my perspective, is incredibly refreshing. Not only that, but the man can sing, act, dance, okay, maybe not dance... His interviews are typically atypical and fun, as he regularly illustrates he (and/or his writers) did his (their) research on the guests. The musical acts have been a diverse bunch as well - anything from indie to rap to country to rock to musical numbers. The band, Jon Batiste and Stay Human, are great as well, and while Colbert and Batiste haven't been able to converse like David Letterman and Paul Shaffer once did, they are definitely improving in that area. I sincerely hope this show lasts near as long, if not longer than it did with David Letterman at the helm.
1) Angie Tribeca (Mondays at 9 pm on TBS): From the first scene of the debut episode on Sunday night, I was hooked, and went on to binge-watch all ten episodes that evening/next morning. The jokes fly in faster than a cheetah with a jetpack attached to its back. The show is over-the-top, in love with one-liners and puns, and completely ridiculous, as it only can be since it's satirizing American cop shows, much like Police Squad before it. This has to be, without a doubt, the funniest show I've seen in quite some time. Steve and Nancy Carell apparently placed on their David Zucker and Jim Abrahams writing goggles for this show, as it has a similar feel to their classic spoof films, Airplane! and The Naked Gun. Rashida Jones is in top-notch form as the lead detective in this show, and the surrounding cast is great as well. I truly hope this show finds a great deal of success and lasts for years to come.
*When the shows return, I'll also be watching Fresh Off the Boat, Review, and Drunk History
10) The Nightly Show (Mondays through Thursdays at 11:30 pm on Comedy Central): This show is drastically different from its predecessor, The Colbert Report, but it's still humorous and thought-provoking. Larry Wilmore provides a far different perspective than we're used to when it comes to late night talk shows, and while I think his contributors could definitely use a makeover (outside of a couple), I still make sure to tune in to The Nightly Show's segments on a daily basis. While the show has been renewed for another season, I do have to wonder about its long-term potential. Ratings have dipped from the previous show, the appeal has been condensed some, and while I personally enjoy it, I think some changes may need to be made for it to be a long-term success.
9) Life in Pieces (Thursdays at 8:30 pm EST on CBS): Of all the sitcoms I'm watching, I probably find this one the least funny, yet I still regularly enjoy it. The cast is top-notch, the dialogue is fresh, the chemistry is solid, and overall, it provides for a quality viewing experience. The format is similar to that of Modern Family, as four short stories get told about different components of a multi-generational family, until those four stories become one. The show may not have the most original premise in the world, but is well written, well acted, and I'll be curious to see how it evolves in the future.
8) The Big Bang Theory (Thursdays at 8 pm EST on CBS): While I've been a big fan of this show for a long time, and perhaps mainly for that very reason, I continue to watch it, I have been slightly disappointed with the past season (plus). To me, it's going the route of Friends, which too was a great sitcom for a long time, but at a certain point, the writers ran out of ideas and decided to focus 99% of their attention on the relationship between Ross and Rachel. I'm getting the same vibe from The Big Bang Theory, once a great sitcom, which has now started focusing most of its attention on the relationships between Leonard and Penny, as well as Amy and Sheldon. I'll continue to watch this show til the end, but have a feeling the end is coming soon. If sitcom-lovers have only started watching this show, I'd recommend watching earlier seasons to garner a better perspective of its full potential.
7) Black-ish (Wednesdays at 9:30 pm on ABC): The title of the show may have been a little off-putting for some at first, but if one gets past the title and just watches the show, there's a good chance they'll find it at least mildly amusing. With this show, ABC has finally found a good follow-up to Modern Family, which they'd struggled with through the years. Anthony Anderson seems to have found his niche with this show and I see it continuing for quite some time.
6) Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Tuesdays at 9 pm on FOX): Like with Jimmy Fallon, I was never a huge fan of Andy Samberg on Saturday Night Live. However, like Fallon, I've been quite impressed with Samberg's next television venture. Like with most great (and long-lasting) shows, Brooklyn Nine-Nine has an incredibly solid and diverse cast, full of characters which are unique and bring something different to each episode. While the belly-laughs may not always be there, the fun is always on full display, which makes this a very easy show to regularly watch and enjoy.
5) The Daily Show (Mondays through Thursdays at 11 pm on Comedy Central): I was slightly obsessed with The Daily Show when Jon Stewart was the host. When Trevor Noah took over for Stewart, I promised myself I'd try to not constantly compare the two, and give Noah a fair chance as the show's host. To this point, I still haven't fully decided to what degree I like or dislike the new host. The jokes are still there, largely aided by the show's host of hilarious contributors. However, the opening monologues and guest interviews are drastically different from those in years past and could use some work. Stewart mastered the art of balancing humor with passion. He was never one to bypass the opportunity for a joke, yet also knew when it was time to get serious and have a heart-to-heart with his viewers. Noah is new and should be given time to adapt and adjust, but to this point, he definitely hasn't mastered that balance like Stewart did. While I will continue to watch and largely enjoy this show throughout the week, I still have to wonder if The Daily Show will ever be as powerful as it once was. If not, I suppose I'll be able to continue loving it for just the jokes.
4) Modern Family (Wednesdays at 9 pm on ABC): Given how long I've been watching and thoroughly enjoying this sitcom, I think it's safe to now say it goes down as one of my favorite shows of all-time. Unlike The Big Bang Theory, it doesn't appear the Modern Family writers are out of ideas or losing focus. The only negative in recent seasons has been the (lack of) development of some of the "child" actors. When they were extremely young, they could get away with being mediocre actors, for the simple fact that kids are cute and entertaining, even when they don't mean to be. However, as these kids have grown up, the mediocre acting ability has become much more noticeable in some of them. Regardless of that minor complaint, Modern Family continues to be one of the best sitcoms on television, and I'll be curious to see how much longer this Emmy award-winning show lasts.
3) Grinder (Tuesdays at 9:30 pm on FOX): I only recently got hooked on this semi-new show, starring Rob Lowe and Fred Savage. Savage plays an actual attorney, while his brother, Lowe, plays an attorney on a television show, and due to this, feels as if he's just as knowledgeable about the law and just as effective in the courtroom as an actual attorney. When Lowe moves in with Savage and his family, and goes on to help (in his mind) at Savage's firm, it's cause for a great number of laughs. In my mind, it's a pretty clever set-up, and I hope the show garners good ratings so I can see how it evolves in future seasons.
2) The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (Mondays through Fridays at 11:35 pm on CBS): No, this may not be a carbon copy of Stephen Colbert's old show on Comedy Central, The Colbert Report, but it's a great hybrid of that and the former Late Show with David Letterman. Unlike most late night talk show hosts, who rely on slapstick/visual gags, Colbert is more about satire/dry wit, which, from my perspective, is incredibly refreshing. Not only that, but the man can sing, act, dance, okay, maybe not dance... His interviews are typically atypical and fun, as he regularly illustrates he (and/or his writers) did his (their) research on the guests. The musical acts have been a diverse bunch as well - anything from indie to rap to country to rock to musical numbers. The band, Jon Batiste and Stay Human, are great as well, and while Colbert and Batiste haven't been able to converse like David Letterman and Paul Shaffer once did, they are definitely improving in that area. I sincerely hope this show lasts near as long, if not longer than it did with David Letterman at the helm.
1) Angie Tribeca (Mondays at 9 pm on TBS): From the first scene of the debut episode on Sunday night, I was hooked, and went on to binge-watch all ten episodes that evening/next morning. The jokes fly in faster than a cheetah with a jetpack attached to its back. The show is over-the-top, in love with one-liners and puns, and completely ridiculous, as it only can be since it's satirizing American cop shows, much like Police Squad before it. This has to be, without a doubt, the funniest show I've seen in quite some time. Steve and Nancy Carell apparently placed on their David Zucker and Jim Abrahams writing goggles for this show, as it has a similar feel to their classic spoof films, Airplane! and The Naked Gun. Rashida Jones is in top-notch form as the lead detective in this show, and the surrounding cast is great as well. I truly hope this show finds a great deal of success and lasts for years to come.
*When the shows return, I'll also be watching Fresh Off the Boat, Review, and Drunk History
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