Skip to main content

What I'm watching...

I thought I'd tone things down a bit today and provide brief reviews on what shows I've been watching. Here we go...

Mondays
Kevin Can Wait (8 pm on CBS): Here's the latest vehicle for comedian Kevin James, who previously starred on the show King of Queens. Well, if you liked King of Queens, chances are you're going to like Kevin Can Wait. The formats are nearly identical. The only difference, from my vantage point, is the removal of the anger element which often followed King of Queens around like a shadow, limiting its replay value. So overall, I'd say I like this show better than James' old series, but it's not Emmy-worthy material either. The characters are fairly likable and seem to have a natural chemistry with one another, but the writing is rather formulaic and leaves much to be desired.

Grade: C+


Man With a Plan (8:30 on CBS): Mondays on CBS should be called, "Middle-Aged Stars Trying to Rekindle Their Pasts," as like with Kevin James in Kevin Can Wait, Matt LeBlanc tries to accomplish this in his new show, Man With a Plan. Also, similarly to Kevin Can Wait, Man With a Plan leaves a lot to be desired. To their credit, LeBlanc, along with co-star Liza Snyder, do all they can to maximize the potential of their characters. Unfortunately for them, they're not given much to work with. That's not to say this is necessarily a bad show, but it's so often riddled with clichés, the characters' chemistry and the overall storyline limit its overall appeal. Hopefully the writers make some necessary adjustments to help their talented lead stars, but until then, this will remain a very average show.

Grade: C


Superior Donuts (9 pm on CBS): CBS on Mondays features: Kevin James, Matt LeBlanc, and Judd Hirsch, as the 81-year-old former Taxi star leads the way in his new show Superior Donuts. The show hasn't been airing for very long, but I'm already seeing great potential. It has a Cheers-like feel to it, as 80-90% of the show is filmed at the donut shop and regularly showcases many of the establishment's "regulars." Hirsch and Jermaine Fowler have great chemistry with one another. Fowler's quips are more hit than miss. The dialogue feels fresh and not riddled with clichés. Not only that, but the show isn't afraid to tackle social issues while making viewers laugh. There are very few new shows I'm hoping to see last several seasons into the future. Superior Donuts, however, is one of those shows.

Grade: B+


The Odd Couple (9:30 pm on CBS): It appears as if this show might be on the way out, but if that's the case, I'll be curious to see if/when Matthew Perry gets another chance to lead a sitcom. For as much as I loved the guy in Friends, in my opinion, he's what broke this show. The rest of the show's cast was solid, especially co-lead Thomas Lennon. Perry's comedic timing just seemed off throughout the series' duration, and it's a wonder if he'll ever get another such opportunity. I appreciated the idea of this show and thought it had potential, but unfortunately a certain cast choice limited its potential and ultimately led to the show's demise.

Grade: C


Tuesdays
Fresh Off the Boat (9 pm on ABC): I wasn't sure what to think about this show at first. The character off which the show is based wasn't very personable, and in conjunction with that, the laughs were too few and far between to have generated a great deal of interest. However, toward the tail-end of the first season, I noticed some welcome changes in character development, and the show went from a complete dud to one with potential. Unfortunately, I'm not noticing those progressions so far this season, and I'm left wondering whether I should continue to watch in order to see if it improves like it did at the end of season 1, or if I'd be better off watching something else. So, for the time being, I'd just classify Fresh Off the Boat as a "cute" family show, yet one which needs to improve in the areas of laughs and character likability in order for me to continue tuning in every week.

Grade: C+


The Real O'Neals (9:30 pm on ABC): Oddly enough, this show is reminiscent of Fresh Off the Boat in terms of its start, progression, and potential staying power. The Real O'Neals was difficult for me to watch at first, as the lead character, who happens to be gay, wasn't accepted by his mother. However, like with Fresh Off the Boat, the show improved throughout its first season, but has kind of leveled off in its progressions, and I'm wondering how long it will be able to maintain my interest. Shows like Fresh Off the Boat and The Real O'Neals are important to our ever diversifying culture. It's important to showcase "minorities" in a positive light, in a relatable manner, and as being greater than the stereotypes which are too often cast in their direction. In saying that, though, I do wish the two before-mentioned shows were a bit better than they are. Hopefully they're able to improve, if for no other reason, to continue opening people's eyes and minds, as they grow more accepting of people different from themselves.

Grade: C+


Teachers (10 pm on TV Land): If you like jokes that are so wrong, they're right, then you may want to give Teachers a gander. The jokes fly at 100 mph, from random directions, filled with with and vulgarity, leaving many viewers in rewind-mode, as they wonder if they missed any. The teachers aren't great role models and aren't great teachers, but this isn't a documentary; it's a sitcom, so instead of being angered by these actors' intentionally over-the-top portrayal of teachers, just laugh.

Grade: B+


Wednesdays
Modern Family (9 pm on ABC): Modern Family has long been one of my favorite shows on television. It's reached a point like most such shows do, however, in that its writers are attempting to find ways to simultaneously keep themselves inspired and viewers interested. The kids have grown up, are getting set to move out of their parents' homes, and it's leaving many wondering if the show will be moving on before too long as well. Last year felt like an experimental season to try and find in which direction the writers wanted to travel, and it's partially worked. While Modern Family might not be where it was at the show's peak, it feels livelier and more consistent than last season.

Grade: A-


Black-ish (9:30 pm on ABC): Black-ish disappointed me earlier this season, as it felt like Daveed Diggs' Johan Johnson character added an unnecessary element and detracted from the cast's overall chemistry. When he left the show, however, Black-ish returned to being one of the best sitcoms on television. Its post-election show might go down as the best, most moving episode of the year. Black-ish today feels like Modern Family did at its peak, and I'm excited to see what's to come.

Grade: A


Thursdays
The Big Bang Theory (8 pm on CBS): Perhaps it was due to the contract strike the actors took, but last season's shows felt a bit lazy to me. Things have definitely picked up again for Leonard, Sheldon, Howard, Raj, and company, though. The Bang Theory may not be as good as it once was, but it's still a hell of a lot of fun. Once it becomes time, I'll be sad to see it go, yet hope the show ends before it becomes sub-par.

Grade: A-


Superstore (8 pm on NBC): Here's a show that features a solid cast, fresh dialogue, and some humor, yet it feels as though something is missing. Superstore has a winning formula and a winning cast, yet after most every show, I mumble to myself, "That was decent, but could have been better." Whatever that something is, I hope the writers figure it out before I do and fulfill this show's potential.

Grade: B-


Life In Pieces (9:30 pm on CBS): With the likes of: Colin Hanks, Zoe Lister-Jones, James Brolin, Thomas Sadoski, Dianne Wiest, and Dan Bakkedahl, among others, Life in Pieces showcases one of the best casts in television. The acting is great, as is the chemistry, and dialogue is fresh. The show's only downside, if you want to call it that, is it sometimes appears to have trouble deciding if it's a comedy, drama, or dramedy, which can result in some inconsistent tones in an episode. Regardless, it's a solid show, which I recommend checking out at some point if you haven't already.

Grade: B

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Boycotting jukeboxes because of TouchTunes

I love music and enjoy hitting the bar(s) over the weekend, so naturally, when the mood strikes me, I've never been coy about playing some songs on the jukebox. This past Thursday, a friend of mine turned 50, so several friends of her's, including myself, all met up to celebrate the occasion. At around 9:30, a friend of mine and I both chipped in $5 to play some songs on the jukebox. Four hours and 231 skips later, we gave up on hearing the songs we had selected, and went home knowing we had just wasted $5. This wasn't the first time such a thing had happened to me (and many others), and due to that, I'll be boycotting jukeboxes. Why? The scam known as TouchTunes. You see, here's how the plot typically breaks down. A person (or group of people) downloads the TouchTunes app on his/her phone, consumes one too many adult beverages, and due to this, has less care for spending extra money to hear the songs of their choosing right NOW. That's the thing with TouchTun

The difference between "looking" and "checking out"

I may be way off with these numbers, but it's my approximation that at least 75% of individuals whom are involved in a serious relationship feel it's perfectly acceptable to "check out" members of the opposite sex they're not involved with. Meanwhile, approximately 25% either don't feel this is acceptable or aren't sure about the matter. I hadn't thought about this matter for a while, but since I've been dating a woman for about 8 months, the topic has been pondered about some. When reading or hearing others discuss this very issue, I often times hear comments similar to the following: "It's human nature to look." "There's nothing wrong with checking others out. I'm sure he/she does it too!" "It's fine to do it. Just don't tell your boyfriend/girlfriend about it or do it in front of them!" "It's natural to find people attractive." When observing the array of comments, I i

The verdict is in. To no one's surprise, Jonathan Hoenig has been found guilty of being an idiot.

Just recently, when discussing the Michael Brown shooting and whether or not race had anything to do with it, Fox News contributor Jonathan Hoenig said, "You know who talks about race? Racists." One moment while I provide Mr. Hoenig with the well deserved slow-clap. :: slow-claps for two seconds :: So, that was quite the line by Mr. Hoenig, wasn't it? "You know who talks about race? Racists." Well, wasn't he just talking about race? So, by his own words, I guess that makes him a racist. Also, if he wants to be consistent, does this mean that people whom talk about gender are sexists and people whom talk about sexual orientation are homophobes? With that line of thinking, Hoenig would engage in the following back-and-forths: Hoenig: "So, who are you voting for?" A woman: "The Democratic candidate, because he's been adamant about his support for equal rights for women." Hoenig: "You sexist feminist nazi!"