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Showing posts with label 1 Season Wonder. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1 Season Wonder. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 01, 2020
Wednesday, May 08, 2019
1 Season Wonder: Baby, I'm Back
That's right! I'm baaaack.
And it's baaaack.
Welcome to 1 Season Wonder.
Today, it's this forgotten (yet still feels forgettable) gem from 1978, starring everybody's favorite "big dummy" and the girl who would later go on to be both Tootie amd Regine.
It's Baby... I'm Back.
Meet Raymond Ellis. a Washington D.C. man with a wonderful family (his stone-cold foxy wife Olivia, and their two dyno-mite kids Jordan and Angie) and a wonderful life in the nation's capital. He's also a compulsive gambler, and because of his habits he suddenly abandons his family one day and left for California. But years later, after picking up a groovy good job, Raymond gets his life together and returns to DC and his family. But after the wife just declared him legally dead, the family had moved on, with Olivia now engaged to a new man--an Army Colonel named Wallace Dickey, and the kids getting a new dad. With Raymond now back in their lives, Olivia, Jordan and Angie must deal with the man whom left them years ago, and Raymond must deal with the family that moved on and see him as the roadblock to their new happy lives, the new man that now has his now-ex-wife's heart and the mother-in-law (Luzelle) that will do anything to keep the man away from her daughter's new family, new life and new happiness.
Hilarity Ensues!
According to Wikipedia, this really is the plot of this series. And it surprised me, because years ago when I first heard of it when messing around on YouTube watching old network TV spots (just to see what television looked like back in the day), I thought of it as a random generic sitcom. From what I got out of it, I thought it was about the main character being a rising music star coming back to his hometown and catching up with his former flame. Well, I was sorta right. He did come back home, and wanted to hook up again with his flame (who is his wife), but the rising music star part was way off -- as I learned he's actually a deadbeat employee at a Cali racetrack.
Created by Lila Garrett and Mort Lachman, this series stars Demond Wilson (Lamont on Sanford and Son) as Raymond, Denise Nicholas (later for In the Heat of the Night) as Olivia, Helen Martin (known for That's My Mama and Good Times and especially as Pearl Shay on 227) as Olivia's mother -- and Raymond's thorn-in-his-side mother-in-law -- Luzelle, Tony Holmes as Ray and Liv's son Jordan and a young Kim Fields as their daughter Angie. Airing on CBS from January 30 to April 24, 1978, it had modest ratings but not enough to continue as you can see here.
Went I went into it, I expected very little... But I got a lot I didn't think could be seen on a sitcom. I've never seen many TV shows where deadbeat fathers whom left the family years ago actually came back and tried his best to get back on their good graces; usually these are plot points or storylines, not the start of a whole series. And most usually, the loser dads stay gone, and we never seen them again. I'm usually not a fan of these characters (yeah, I'm supposed to but still).
Watching the title sequence, Raymond's voice-over narration didn't help his case already. Leaving his family was terrible and enraging enough, but doing it to satisfy his gambling is strike two, and going after other women despite being married means "YOU'RE OUT!!" in terms of likability. The fact that I have to hear this in the title sequence for every episode drive this in and pushes it into infinity (and that's even if and when Raymond has grown as a character in my eyes). The series does well in displaying the Ellis family's feelings toward Ray since his sudden return. Olivia has anger, heartbreak and resentment to him; Jordan doesn't see him as his father anymore and resorts to referring to him by his name (and I don't blame him as most kids don't have the same love for their dads when they abandon them, hating them for thinking of them as nothing; I've been there myself, though my dad did come back after a while), Angie is okay with the news as she was a baby when Ray left and during scenes with them we see a sweet humbling relationship between them, and...to say it short, Luzelle cheered his legal death in the first episode (that's all you need to know).
As for the writing, it's really decent for a black sitcom of the decade. It's not exactly Good Times, The Jeffersons or Sanford and Son-level compositions but it's up there with the jive speak, jokes, the occasional bittersweet moment and the like, along with references to the movies and other TV shows of the decade. I wasn't gaffawing at most of the jokes as I do with these shows, but I damn sure was laughing. When a moment comes when it's either genuinely sad or bittersweet, it feels just like it. The reunion scene in the pilot "Living Proof" was a wild but perfect mix of emotions from the characters upon Raymond's random return.
The cast gave fantastic performances.
Wilson was a great second banana as Lamont Sanford, but he does carry this series real well too. While he still held the laughs good, he did nice during the dramatic scenes as well. And had he not, he sure had a talented group to work with. Nicholas was a beautiful force to be reckoned with as Olivia; she held down both comedic and dramatic scenes with ease, and almost had me in tears during her character's reuniting scene with Ray in the pilot. Holmes some great talent as Jordan; while he showed a bit (a lot) of brash and sass in some scenes, he was very good in early scenes showing well-done pathos in Jordan's anger and sadness after reuniting with Ray.
Sure, Luzelle filled the trope of the spiteful Mother-in-Law, but Helen Martin's performance had me rolling every other time she talked. The sass is delicious (and it's not the last time, as I'll remind you in a moment).
While this series didn't last, it was pretty good to watch while I was able to all these years later.
Why It's A Wonder: I assumed the ratings were pretty decent, since all 13 episodes aired no problem, and would've had another season or two had CBS had enough clout to do so. but since it was a midseason replacement (and other stronger shows got in the way), it really didn't stand a chance--and it's a shame, because a show like this was and still is needed on TV (at least story-wise) and would've been both empowering and entertaining to see that in real life there are men out there who love their families enough to come back after being deadbeats (granted they shouldn't be deadbeats in the first place, but hey, I'm not God, so I didn't make the Ten Commandments...)
And there it is, Baby, I'm Back, the twelth series added to the 1 Season Wonders Hall of...(for the moment I'll call it) Acclame (my own spelling of Acclaim). Yeah, that'll work.
Thank you for being here. And see you soon another edition of 1 Season Wonder.
I'm Andrew. Abyssinia.
And it's baaaack.
Welcome to 1 Season Wonder.
Today, it's this forgotten (yet still feels forgettable) gem from 1978, starring everybody's favorite "big dummy" and the girl who would later go on to be both Tootie amd Regine.
It's Baby... I'm Back.
Meet Raymond Ellis. a Washington D.C. man with a wonderful family (his stone-cold foxy wife Olivia, and their two dyno-mite kids Jordan and Angie) and a wonderful life in the nation's capital. He's also a compulsive gambler, and because of his habits he suddenly abandons his family one day and left for California. But years later, after picking up a groovy good job, Raymond gets his life together and returns to DC and his family. But after the wife just declared him legally dead, the family had moved on, with Olivia now engaged to a new man--an Army Colonel named Wallace Dickey, and the kids getting a new dad. With Raymond now back in their lives, Olivia, Jordan and Angie must deal with the man whom left them years ago, and Raymond must deal with the family that moved on and see him as the roadblock to their new happy lives, the new man that now has his now-ex-wife's heart and the mother-in-law (Luzelle) that will do anything to keep the man away from her daughter's new family, new life and new happiness.
Hilarity Ensues!
According to Wikipedia, this really is the plot of this series. And it surprised me, because years ago when I first heard of it when messing around on YouTube watching old network TV spots (just to see what television looked like back in the day), I thought of it as a random generic sitcom. From what I got out of it, I thought it was about the main character being a rising music star coming back to his hometown and catching up with his former flame. Well, I was sorta right. He did come back home, and wanted to hook up again with his flame (who is his wife), but the rising music star part was way off -- as I learned he's actually a deadbeat employee at a Cali racetrack.
Created by Lila Garrett and Mort Lachman, this series stars Demond Wilson (Lamont on Sanford and Son) as Raymond, Denise Nicholas (later for In the Heat of the Night) as Olivia, Helen Martin (known for That's My Mama and Good Times and especially as Pearl Shay on 227) as Olivia's mother -- and Raymond's thorn-in-his-side mother-in-law -- Luzelle, Tony Holmes as Ray and Liv's son Jordan and a young Kim Fields as their daughter Angie. Airing on CBS from January 30 to April 24, 1978, it had modest ratings but not enough to continue as you can see here.
Went I went into it, I expected very little... But I got a lot I didn't think could be seen on a sitcom. I've never seen many TV shows where deadbeat fathers whom left the family years ago actually came back and tried his best to get back on their good graces; usually these are plot points or storylines, not the start of a whole series. And most usually, the loser dads stay gone, and we never seen them again. I'm usually not a fan of these characters (yeah, I'm supposed to but still).
Watching the title sequence, Raymond's voice-over narration didn't help his case already. Leaving his family was terrible and enraging enough, but doing it to satisfy his gambling is strike two, and going after other women despite being married means "YOU'RE OUT!!" in terms of likability. The fact that I have to hear this in the title sequence for every episode drive this in and pushes it into infinity (and that's even if and when Raymond has grown as a character in my eyes). The series does well in displaying the Ellis family's feelings toward Ray since his sudden return. Olivia has anger, heartbreak and resentment to him; Jordan doesn't see him as his father anymore and resorts to referring to him by his name (and I don't blame him as most kids don't have the same love for their dads when they abandon them, hating them for thinking of them as nothing; I've been there myself, though my dad did come back after a while), Angie is okay with the news as she was a baby when Ray left and during scenes with them we see a sweet humbling relationship between them, and...to say it short, Luzelle cheered his legal death in the first episode (that's all you need to know).
As for the writing, it's really decent for a black sitcom of the decade. It's not exactly Good Times, The Jeffersons or Sanford and Son-level compositions but it's up there with the jive speak, jokes, the occasional bittersweet moment and the like, along with references to the movies and other TV shows of the decade. I wasn't gaffawing at most of the jokes as I do with these shows, but I damn sure was laughing. When a moment comes when it's either genuinely sad or bittersweet, it feels just like it. The reunion scene in the pilot "Living Proof" was a wild but perfect mix of emotions from the characters upon Raymond's random return.
The cast gave fantastic performances.
Wilson was a great second banana as Lamont Sanford, but he does carry this series real well too. While he still held the laughs good, he did nice during the dramatic scenes as well. And had he not, he sure had a talented group to work with. Nicholas was a beautiful force to be reckoned with as Olivia; she held down both comedic and dramatic scenes with ease, and almost had me in tears during her character's reuniting scene with Ray in the pilot. Holmes some great talent as Jordan; while he showed a bit (a lot) of brash and sass in some scenes, he was very good in early scenes showing well-done pathos in Jordan's anger and sadness after reuniting with Ray.
Sure, Luzelle filled the trope of the spiteful Mother-in-Law, but Helen Martin's performance had me rolling every other time she talked. The sass is delicious (and it's not the last time, as I'll remind you in a moment).
While this series didn't last, it was pretty good to watch while I was able to all these years later.
Why It's A Wonder: I assumed the ratings were pretty decent, since all 13 episodes aired no problem, and would've had another season or two had CBS had enough clout to do so. but since it was a midseason replacement (and other stronger shows got in the way), it really didn't stand a chance--and it's a shame, because a show like this was and still is needed on TV (at least story-wise) and would've been both empowering and entertaining to see that in real life there are men out there who love their families enough to come back after being deadbeats (granted they shouldn't be deadbeats in the first place, but hey, I'm not God, so I didn't make the Ten Commandments...)
And there it is, Baby, I'm Back, the twelth series added to the 1 Season Wonders Hall of...(for the moment I'll call it) Acclame (my own spelling of Acclaim). Yeah, that'll work.
Thank you for being here. And see you soon another edition of 1 Season Wonder.
I'm Andrew. Abyssinia.
Sunday, March 06, 2016
1 Season Wonder: FЯED: The Show
It's this guy...
...with his own TV show.
Prepare the world for a new Cold War.
It's FЯED: The Show.
Honestly, I don't know why this shit stain of a show existed. We had to fuckin' deal with this cumbag character for the past decade since his days on YouTube. Sure, it was funny at first--that is until you have to hear his super high-pitched voice squawk over...and over...and over...and over again. Plus, the shit he does is stuff for metal hospitals to fight over for eho gets the dibs to dig into.
He's like SpongeBob with an even higher level of ADHD! So...he's like SpongeBob.
Well, after the YouTube channel reached even more higher levels of popularity, some idiot decided to take advantage of the FЯED fЯanchise and turn it into a movie. Thus we later have FЯED: THE MOVIE. It's FЯED being FЯED at an older age. That's it. Just him squawking around about dumb shit for about 90 minutes. Oh, and other people are seen in the film too.All I can say is, the best parts of the film were his age advance to 15 (as he can't spaz out every 10 seconds at 6 anymore) and John Cena (yeah, I did write that).
Of course, despite its high ratings during its September 2010 premiere on Nickelodeon, it tanked critically. And when it was released in the UK and Ireland, it failed to make back its budget (of $4 million). Hell, one guy reviewing it for BBC Radio called it worst cinema experience of that year.
So what did Nick do after all of that? They gave him another movie. TWO in fact.
All three of the films are mindless, soulless, unfunny, obnoxious, pretentious, unwanted fat bags of heaping hot garbage. So yeah, it's best not to watch.
So why are here? Oh, that's right--FЯED: The Show.
Oh, okay. Uhh...This show features FЯED...and it is shit.
Okay, that's the review. See you later!!
"No you ugly libtard!! You made that stupid poll we didn't take! And now you're gonna do this shitty review of this shitty show. Give us what we didn't ask for!!!!"Jesus! *sigh* Fine. Damn you, self.
Okay, this show basically features FЯED (the character created by Lucas Cruikshank) doing anything that strokes his creepy little ego (or his stroke, as it seems he acts like he has one all the time) and ends up failing each and every time.
Remember the old saying "It's not the destination, but the journey"?
Well, there's a double meaning here.
While FЯED's destination changes depending on the episode, the journey is always the same (just like his YouTube videos): he does some shockingly stupid and painfully unfunny crap, some people react and runs around screaming, whining and crying (probably in every other scene).
And our destination is to watch something better (hell, even Planet Sheen is better than this dreck; at leat their writers can churn out an actual story) but somehow, our we still have to watch this. And the journey is to get to the end of
Even if he's 16, he's still fucking annoying! The digitally alteЯed voice grinds my gears every time even as if a sigh comes out of his affected pie hole! And that face just makes it worse. Every reaction is creepy; whether he's excited, shocked, horrified, happy, sad, scared, cringed, horny, ect.--it's always a weird sight. Sometimes, they're close to the same face.
Cruikshank may have some talent for the Internet, but that same old talent just won't work on television. And before you say "how the fuck do you know? You don't have any talent!"
1) I know. I have limits in my life (there are few), and being a YouTube whore is one
2) I've watched a lot of YouTube videos and TV shows in my life;
rarely any talent from the Internet can transplant to television. FЯED isn't one of those rare times.
A bit about the otheЯ characters:
-His mother Hilda is lazy and has not much to do. She dresses like she shouldn't and has the woЯst Valley Girl accent ever; it's slow and pretentious, and makes you want to hear white noise as a better alternative.
-His friend Bertha is an emo girl who gives no fucks about eveЯything. I wouldn't be annoyed with her, but considering the show she's a part of, I couldn't do that if I tried.
-Kevin is his enemy. I don't know why; he's obnoxious, he's a kiss-up . In one episode, it's revealed that when they were kids, him and Kevin were best friends. I don't know about you, but I ever was even acquaintances with that schmutz, I'd want to be his enemy later on in my life, too.
-There are other characters too, but I have enough of a life not to go there.
I would ask the question of why the Nick execs even give the FЯED franchise attention, but of course it comes down to money.
I would ask about why this show had to be picked up, but we all heard that before.
Oh wait. I WILL ask that!!
Why the hell did we need this excЯement of a shamelessly-Яipped-fЯom-the-InteЯnet TV show? It seЯves no puЯpose but to give us moЯe FЯED than we Яeally needed (none). It's just a lot moЯe minutes of FЯED being a neaЯly mentally-challenged boy spazzing out at the woЯld and the woЯld not Яeacting with a gun shot between the eyes. This guy--THIS FUCKING GUY--is iЯЯitating as all hell, and he wants to do whateveЯ he wants! But he can't do that with scЯeaming and cЯying and yelling at us with his fucked-up, talks like a chipmunk with a thimble tickling his ass, digitally-affected voice!! There is no stoЯyline woЯth a damn, no chaЯacteЯs woЯth a damn, no locale woЯth a damn, no woЯds woЯth a damn. NOTHING IS WOЯTH A DAMN IN THIS SHOW!!
God, eveЯything about this show is a waste of studio time, cameЯa work, cateЯing and eveЯything else. AVOID THIS SHOW LIKE A PLAGUE.
Why It's a Wonder: Nick sucking off Uncle Moneybags...or Яafi Fine.
And there it is: FЯED: The Show. The twelfth seЯies to be added to the Hall of One Season WondeЯs.
It should've gotten less...
And I'm glad FЯED Figglehorn is no longer a Яelevant thing. Good luck to Lucas CЯuikshank on whateveЯ he'll be doing in the futuЯe.
I'm AndЯew PollaЯd, and I'll see you guys lateЯ.
Я
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
1 Season Wonder: Allen Gregory
Welcome to 1 Season Wonder, during Maroon May 2015 - where I take a look into the annals of Television and find some of the best TV shows--with one season--and bring them to you for your enjoyment.
I scour across the Internet and find TV shows with only 1 season, watch them, see if I enjoyed them, talk about them here and put them in a list of 1-Season Wonders. It sounds easy as it looks, right? No, you actually have to find these shows, watch through them hoping they're not as painful as they were the first time, and debate with yourself to see if it makes the list. If that sounds challenging and you want it that way, then let's do it.
But this time, a little reluctantly.
Today’s edition of 1 Season Wonder is a Wonder for a different reason. It’ll make you wonder... Why this show was made in the first place? Why did the network greenlight it? Who would watch it? And who on Earth would waste the time and credibility as animators, producers, and voice actors on this particular show??
The show I’m talking about today is Allen Gregory, an adult animated comedy series that aired on Fox from October 30 to December 18 in 2011. This show is shit. It’s not funny, it’s extremely mean-spirited, and it’s God-awful torture to sit through.
Allen Gregory is about the titular character, a 7-year-old boy who believes he is one of the most important people on Earth, yet acts like one of the most despicable. His father, Richard, is a repulsive, idiotic and reprehensible person, who shouldn’t be doing anything that involves thinking, which I don’t think he does much of anyway, and not only teaches his son to be a piece of shit, but encourages the actions of one, too. Many things both do are horrible and sickening, and are some people you shouldn’t be around in real life.
And there are other characters that are embarrassingly bland, unfunny, and incredibly deadpan. No one is cheerful (except Patrick), everyone acts bored or dickish (again, except Patrick), it’s like everyone has an agenda against one another, and no one is likeable for any reason (even if there are likeable characters. there are few reasons for their likability)
The humor is shit--nothing is funny, the writing is sloppy, whatever is supposed to be clever the writers think they’re funny and pushing the limits of TV, but their efforts end up extremely terrible, and nothing is memorable (then again, why should it be? It’s shit we’d all like to forget.)
Let's start with the characters:
--Allen Gregory is a spoiled brat and an asshole rolled into a 7-year-old child. And everything he says screams dickish, condescending and ignorant. He treats everyone around him like a peasant and has little time for anything that’s meaningful or sensical.
Plus, he has what has to be the most creepy and disturbing crush any boy character has in the history of television--he has a crush on his principal...who is over seventy. Fucking. SEVENTY!
--Richard is complete man-child and an idiot who doesn’t deserve his money or his job, and is a horrible influence to his son. Everything he teaches him is absolutely stupid and even dangerous, and leads him on a path that will screw him later in life (he’s even aware of such and still encourages it).
but doesn’t even have one because his father pretended to give him one, letting on the illusion that he's working, because his utter incompetence and horrible behavior around people would destroy the company.
(He should even deserve that either)
Plus he forced a guy (a STRAIGHT guy!) into a homosexual relationship with him, for no reason at all, other than to treat him like garbage. And what makes this worse, is that the guy has a wife and two kids!! I don’t care if I have as much money while with him, this is disgusting. And Allen Gregory is cool with it!! I...I...can’t fathom this.
--And both are basically one and the same:
Both are stupid (they don’t even try to understand the basics of human decency), racist (both believe that minorities [especially Hispanics] are created to work in the service industry, because they look and sound), are extremely self-centered (it’s amazing that they even realize there are other humans around them in the first place) and they have no regard for society (they just treat everyone as beneath them and have nothing to do with them but treat them like crap). And since they’re the main characters, we’re supposed to like them. Why? They’re too spiteful, assholish and vindictive to like.
As for characters I do like, there are actually more than a few:
--Jeremy is a kind, caring, humble and intelligent man, who not only makes sense, but wants Allen to live a more respectful, honorable life (which of course fails)
--Julie may have a big weird-looking head, but she’s sane, competent and aware of the idiocy around her.
--Patrick is a sweet young man who is AG’s best (and only) friend. He cares about Allen, but doesn’t realize much about him or his intentions. (which is a good thing on his part) I like him because despite being naive (he is 7, you know), he is not a stupid character, and I can enjoy his antic and dialogue more that Allen Gregory’s.
--Principal Gottlieb is a competent worker of authority and isn’t a dick. She sees right through Allen’s bullshit and doesn’t find his crush for him even remotely palpable. See “1 Night in Gottlieb” for more (if you dare).
Now let’s talk about the writing:
On a short level, it’s like Family Guy (which makes sense as executive producer David A. Goodman was a producer on Family Guy), but on a more upscale, white collar-like level. They’re gross, offensive, creepy and most of all, it’s not funny. Whoever on the writing staff thought this was funny needs to look at their high school diplomas and college degrees and take a deep thought: What made you go to this show, and why did you believe it has potential? That’s what I think when I watch this show again. This writing is fucking terrible. When characters like Jeremy, Julie, Principal Gottlieb, Patrick and (sometimes) Gina aren’t talking, is when the shit reaches the fan. The dialogue is horrible in many ways, especially when Allen Gregory and Richard open their mouths.
One of the worst examples of this waste of the alphabet for television is “1 Night in Gottlieb”, an episode where Allen Gregory tries to prove to everyone at his school that he has made a sex-tape (a sex-tape) with Gottlieb (who, might I remind you again, is pushing fucking EIGHTY!!). This is one of the very worst plots of any episode for any television show in any genre EVER. Whoever thought that a plot like this would work needs to be lobotomized, because it’s not funny, it’s disgusting, it’s horrifying to think about and should not have been made in the first place. Why a child would know what a sex tape is is nauseating enough, but to want to make one with an old woman just makes me want to vomit so hard my organs will spill out. Another stupid thing is that her husband, the school counselor, actually believes that his wife would do such a thing, and actually wanted AG to prove it by showing it. Either he knows that it doesn’t exist and wants AG suspended for it or actually have to gall to have this seep into his mind; I don’t know, I didn’t really notice on account of the fact that this episode is dangerously horrible.
And speaking of stupid, many characters here are near retarded. They see AG’s or Richard’s antics, and instead of calling him out on them, they just take them as if they’re not a big deal. And they get away with this crap with little to no repercussions whatsoever.
And finally, let’s discuss the jokes:
On second thought, let's not to keep a good mind. This is why we as Americans should appreciate South Park, Family Guy and (yes) The Simpsons more. They’re not the crappy, horrible shows I thought they were. At least they have funny, memorable and excusable episodes to watch.
There are a few things I do like about this show:
The theme song is really good. The use of horns in it give this a nice jazz vibe and wonderfully relaxing. (this also goes for the incidental music) Makes you wonder why this music would be tied with such a shit show.
I don’t know what Jonah Hill (along with the other two) was thinking when he developed this trite dreck. And I definitely don’t know what Fox was thinking when the exes greenlit it. This show is nothing but shit humor, unlikable characters, paper-thin plots and horrible end results. This show should not have been made and should not exist.
And another thing, I actually wanted to like this show. I really did. I thought this show would be different from Family Guy and even The Simpsons and King of the Hill, and that interested me a lot. But what I didn’t notice is that the jokes and writing are so abhorrent, that I’m watching a rich Family Guy. And say what you want about Family Guy, but at least that show can turn out a gem every once in a while. This show has no gems, no genuinely good moments, no funny jokes or humor, few redeemable characters, and a disgusting black eye on Fox’s reputation that makes you wonder why the execs at the Animal even green-lit this shit in the first place.
This show is one of the worst television shows I’ve ever seen. And I’ve watched Family Guy, South Park, and even Tales from the Darkside. I've never been creeped out and violated from anything like this before and I don't think I might for a while. Hopefully. I want you to avoid this show like the plague, and if you've never heard of this show, don't even think of being curious of watching it after reading this. This should not exist, but now that it does exist, it's should be forgotten (ironically coming from the guy that wrote this review). No one should've heard of this show, and it shouldn't be heard of again. I cannot talk about this shite for as long as I live, and I don't ever feel like watching this for the rest of my life.
I usually write where to find this show now that it's cancelled, but I'm not even going to bother.
And there it is, Allen Gregory--the eleventh addition to the List of 1 Season Wonders. I just wanted to shit on this horrible excuse of a show, and be done with that. Good riddance, Allen Gregory. We barely knew you.
I scour across the Internet and find TV shows with only 1 season, watch them, see if I enjoyed them, talk about them here and put them in a list of 1-Season Wonders. It sounds easy as it looks, right? No, you actually have to find these shows, watch through them hoping they're not as painful as they were the first time, and debate with yourself to see if it makes the list. If that sounds challenging and you want it that way, then let's do it.
But this time, a little reluctantly.
Today’s edition of 1 Season Wonder is a Wonder for a different reason. It’ll make you wonder... Why this show was made in the first place? Why did the network greenlight it? Who would watch it? And who on Earth would waste the time and credibility as animators, producers, and voice actors on this particular show??
The show I’m talking about today is Allen Gregory, an adult animated comedy series that aired on Fox from October 30 to December 18 in 2011. This show is shit. It’s not funny, it’s extremely mean-spirited, and it’s God-awful torture to sit through.
Allen Gregory is about the titular character, a 7-year-old boy who believes he is one of the most important people on Earth, yet acts like one of the most despicable. His father, Richard, is a repulsive, idiotic and reprehensible person, who shouldn’t be doing anything that involves thinking, which I don’t think he does much of anyway, and not only teaches his son to be a piece of shit, but encourages the actions of one, too. Many things both do are horrible and sickening, and are some people you shouldn’t be around in real life.
And there are other characters that are embarrassingly bland, unfunny, and incredibly deadpan. No one is cheerful (except Patrick), everyone acts bored or dickish (again, except Patrick), it’s like everyone has an agenda against one another, and no one is likeable for any reason (even if there are likeable characters. there are few reasons for their likability)
The humor is shit--nothing is funny, the writing is sloppy, whatever is supposed to be clever the writers think they’re funny and pushing the limits of TV, but their efforts end up extremely terrible, and nothing is memorable (then again, why should it be? It’s shit we’d all like to forget.)
Let's start with the characters:
Plus, he has what has to be the most creepy and disturbing crush any boy character has in the history of television--he has a crush on his principal...who is over seventy. Fucking. SEVENTY!
but doesn’t even have one because his father pretended to give him one, letting on the illusion that he's working, because his utter incompetence and horrible behavior around people would destroy the company.
(He should even deserve that either)
Plus he forced a guy (a STRAIGHT guy!) into a homosexual relationship with him, for no reason at all, other than to treat him like garbage. And what makes this worse, is that the guy has a wife and two kids!! I don’t care if I have as much money while with him, this is disgusting. And Allen Gregory is cool with it!! I...I...can’t fathom this.
--And both are basically one and the same:
Both are stupid (they don’t even try to understand the basics of human decency), racist (both believe that minorities [especially Hispanics] are created to work in the service industry, because they look and sound), are extremely self-centered (it’s amazing that they even realize there are other humans around them in the first place) and they have no regard for society (they just treat everyone as beneath them and have nothing to do with them but treat them like crap). And since they’re the main characters, we’re supposed to like them. Why? They’re too spiteful, assholish and vindictive to like.
As for characters I do like, there are actually more than a few:
--Jeremy is a kind, caring, humble and intelligent man, who not only makes sense, but wants Allen to live a more respectful, honorable life (which of course fails)
--Julie may have a big weird-looking head, but she’s sane, competent and aware of the idiocy around her.
--Patrick is a sweet young man who is AG’s best (and only) friend. He cares about Allen, but doesn’t realize much about him or his intentions. (which is a good thing on his part) I like him because despite being naive (he is 7, you know), he is not a stupid character, and I can enjoy his antic and dialogue more that Allen Gregory’s.
--Principal Gottlieb is a competent worker of authority and isn’t a dick. She sees right through Allen’s bullshit and doesn’t find his crush for him even remotely palpable. See “1 Night in Gottlieb” for more (if you dare).
Now let’s talk about the writing:
On a short level, it’s like Family Guy (which makes sense as executive producer David A. Goodman was a producer on Family Guy), but on a more upscale, white collar-like level. They’re gross, offensive, creepy and most of all, it’s not funny. Whoever on the writing staff thought this was funny needs to look at their high school diplomas and college degrees and take a deep thought: What made you go to this show, and why did you believe it has potential? That’s what I think when I watch this show again. This writing is fucking terrible. When characters like Jeremy, Julie, Principal Gottlieb, Patrick and (sometimes) Gina aren’t talking, is when the shit reaches the fan. The dialogue is horrible in many ways, especially when Allen Gregory and Richard open their mouths.
One of the worst examples of this waste of the alphabet for television is “1 Night in Gottlieb”, an episode where Allen Gregory tries to prove to everyone at his school that he has made a sex-tape (a sex-tape) with Gottlieb (who, might I remind you again, is pushing fucking EIGHTY!!). This is one of the very worst plots of any episode for any television show in any genre EVER. Whoever thought that a plot like this would work needs to be lobotomized, because it’s not funny, it’s disgusting, it’s horrifying to think about and should not have been made in the first place. Why a child would know what a sex tape is is nauseating enough, but to want to make one with an old woman just makes me want to vomit so hard my organs will spill out. Another stupid thing is that her husband, the school counselor, actually believes that his wife would do such a thing, and actually wanted AG to prove it by showing it. Either he knows that it doesn’t exist and wants AG suspended for it or actually have to gall to have this seep into his mind; I don’t know, I didn’t really notice on account of the fact that this episode is dangerously horrible.
And speaking of stupid, many characters here are near retarded. They see AG’s or Richard’s antics, and instead of calling him out on them, they just take them as if they’re not a big deal. And they get away with this crap with little to no repercussions whatsoever.
And finally, let’s discuss the jokes:
On second thought, let's not to keep a good mind. This is why we as Americans should appreciate South Park, Family Guy and (yes) The Simpsons more. They’re not the crappy, horrible shows I thought they were. At least they have funny, memorable and excusable episodes to watch.
There are a few things I do like about this show:
The theme song is really good. The use of horns in it give this a nice jazz vibe and wonderfully relaxing. (this also goes for the incidental music) Makes you wonder why this music would be tied with such a shit show.
And another thing, I actually wanted to like this show. I really did. I thought this show would be different from Family Guy and even The Simpsons and King of the Hill, and that interested me a lot. But what I didn’t notice is that the jokes and writing are so abhorrent, that I’m watching a rich Family Guy. And say what you want about Family Guy, but at least that show can turn out a gem every once in a while. This show has no gems, no genuinely good moments, no funny jokes or humor, few redeemable characters, and a disgusting black eye on Fox’s reputation that makes you wonder why the execs at the Animal even green-lit this shit in the first place.
This show is one of the worst television shows I’ve ever seen. And I’ve watched Family Guy, South Park, and even Tales from the Darkside. I've never been creeped out and violated from anything like this before and I don't think I might for a while. Hopefully. I want you to avoid this show like the plague, and if you've never heard of this show, don't even think of being curious of watching it after reading this. This should not exist, but now that it does exist, it's should be forgotten (ironically coming from the guy that wrote this review). No one should've heard of this show, and it shouldn't be heard of again. I cannot talk about this shite for as long as I live, and I don't ever feel like watching this for the rest of my life.
I usually write where to find this show now that it's cancelled, but I'm not even going to bother.
And there it is, Allen Gregory--the eleventh addition to the List of 1 Season Wonders. I just wanted to shit on this horrible excuse of a show, and be done with that. Good riddance, Allen Gregory. We barely knew you.
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
1 Season Wonder: Accidentally on Purpose (#MaroonMay)
Howdy there, guys.
Welcome to the first edition of 1 Season Wonder during Maroon May 2015.
As always (sometimes), here's how it goes.
I scour across the Internet and find TV s hows with only 1 season, watch them, see if I enjoyed them, talk about them here and put them in a list of 1-Season Wonders. It sounds easy as it looks, right? No, you actually have to find these shows, watch through them hoping they're not as painful as they were the first time, and debate with yourself to see if it makes the list. If that sounds challenging and you want it that way, then let's do it.
In the age of the Internet and social media, people everywhere are finding love in many places: some good, some oh-so wrong. One example has found love in an oh-so wrong place. And yet, that was just the beginning.
It’s Accidentally on Purpose.
Billie Chase is a successful 30-something film critic in San Francisco. During one night at a bar with her sister Abby and friend Olivia, she meets Zack, an aspiring chef in his 20s. After a nice talk, they hit it off and drive to his friend Davis’ house, where they engage in a one-night stand. Months later, to her horror (and Abby’s excitement and Olivia’s mocking), Billie finds out that she’s pregnant with Zack’s child. Since then, she tries to navigate through life now as a pregnant woman and co-parent of the child with a man who’s barely an adult.
During the 18 episodes that air, Billie, Zack and their friends go an emotional (but mostly funny) roller coaster ride that includes being better people, seeing life in a different light, coming together as a new, closer family and bonding together when they thought it really wouldn’t happen. All while Billie’s pregnancy progresses and comes to full term. All the way till the very end when she gives birth to their child, and they get married.
This series was not only one of my favorite comedy series of that season, it was also one of my favorite shows of that season. It has humor that lands well, hot actresses for days, and a very wonderful storyline of a woman who has a child with a younger man. (!!) Something not many dramas ever do. Now, that is just sweet. The last show I could remember would do this was Murphy Brown, and that show began years before I was even born.
When I heard it got cancelled by CBS in May 2009, I was hurt. I hoped this show would return, so I can see the exploits of Zallie (their ship name; I hate those) and their child, along with Abby being (or at least trying to be) a great aunt, Olivia being a great godmother while still being a foul-mouthed, drinking, not-giving-a-shit woman who’s still a force to reckon with, Davis will be (slightly) less of a mooching slacker, and there will be more stories to behold and enjoy.
I like almost of the cast: Jenna Elfman is amazing as Billie, Jon Foster is great and really attractive as Zack, Ashley Jensen is fantastic and downright hilarious as Olivia, Lennon Parham is perfect as Abby, Nicholas Wright just makes it work well as Davis and Grant Show is really good as James. All of these cast members characters mesh well with each other, and make the show...as least, enjoyable.
I will admit: from watching this series when it first aired, I was annoyed by Abby and Davis a lot. Abby is this whenever she talked. Yes, she’s looking out for Billie and wants what’s best for her; Davis has NO excuse. The things she says and the way she says them irritate me near to death. Davis just makes me want to stab my ears with a screwdriver...and then do it again. Also, the fact that Zack’s crew keeps going on about the fact that he nailed AND knocked up an older woman is a major detraction...and it’s annoying.
Also, Davis seemed annoying as well, being a lazy, idiotic, unmotivated food-vacuum of a slacker whose existence is just to eat and mooch off other people. But he does have some funny moments. Sure they’re not as refined (if you know what I mean) as the other humor from some of the other sitcoms of the one season it aired as a part of.
Sure, this show has some corny humor like in “The Date”, Zack is playing a Wii Figure Skating game just to see up the female skater’s skirt or in another episode when he has a date over and they try to have sex in the nursery, but can’t because he sees bears on the wall that represent his conflicting emotion; should he do it where his future child sleeps or not or not because that’s where his future child sleeps. Also, in “Fight Club”, where Zack has to piss, but because his toilet can’t work anymore and has been removed, he goes to Billie’s and unexpectedly pees on her while she’s using it!! Sure, it’s not the best humor people want, but I freaking enjoyed it, because I’m a guy who has many different tastes, but I don’t do stupid, corny, terrible shows. And Accidentally is not stupid, corny and terrible (at least to me). But take that away from the bigger picture and you’ve got pretty fresh writing and a really funny cast for a sitcom. Yes, it’s not one of the best, but it’s CBS in the late 2000s; the shows that aired on it had dialogue that ranged from excellent from terrible. And this was somewhere in between,
In conclusion, while this show wasn’t the best sitcom on CBS at the time of airing, Accidentally on Purpose was an enjoyable series to kill time for a all the reasons I’ve stated. It’s a lovely baby story about two people in two different leagues coming together (through a one-night stand) in a to create life and, along with their friends, become different, better people. Isn’t that what you would need in a sitcom? Well, that is if you want
The entire series is available on DVD, and shown in its entirety on YouTube.
I really loved this series the first time around and I still enjoy it the second time around. And, as you've read this review, that you will too, if you give it a chance. Again, it's not the best sitcoms to come out of 2009, but it was one of the most enjoyable, and funny.
And there it is: Accidentally on Purpose, the tenth addition to the list of 1 Season Wonders, and the constant reminder that I should thank God that it didn't happen to me. And that CBS is a swift, scary demon business.
Thanks for joining me and tune in next week for another edition during Maroon May.
Good night, and may your choices in Short-lived TV be yours.
Welcome to the first edition of 1 Season Wonder during Maroon May 2015.
As always (sometimes), here's how it goes.
I scour across the Internet and find TV s hows with only 1 season, watch them, see if I enjoyed them, talk about them here and put them in a list of 1-Season Wonders. It sounds easy as it looks, right? No, you actually have to find these shows, watch through them hoping they're not as painful as they were the first time, and debate with yourself to see if it makes the list. If that sounds challenging and you want it that way, then let's do it.
In the age of the Internet and social media, people everywhere are finding love in many places: some good, some oh-so wrong. One example has found love in an oh-so wrong place. And yet, that was just the beginning.
It’s Accidentally on Purpose.
Billie Chase is a successful 30-something film critic in San Francisco. During one night at a bar with her sister Abby and friend Olivia, she meets Zack, an aspiring chef in his 20s. After a nice talk, they hit it off and drive to his friend Davis’ house, where they engage in a one-night stand. Months later, to her horror (and Abby’s excitement and Olivia’s mocking), Billie finds out that she’s pregnant with Zack’s child. Since then, she tries to navigate through life now as a pregnant woman and co-parent of the child with a man who’s barely an adult.
During the 18 episodes that air, Billie, Zack and their friends go an emotional (but mostly funny) roller coaster ride that includes being better people, seeing life in a different light, coming together as a new, closer family and bonding together when they thought it really wouldn’t happen. All while Billie’s pregnancy progresses and comes to full term. All the way till the very end when she gives birth to their child, and they get married.
This series was not only one of my favorite comedy series of that season, it was also one of my favorite shows of that season. It has humor that lands well, hot actresses for days, and a very wonderful storyline of a woman who has a child with a younger man. (!!) Something not many dramas ever do. Now, that is just sweet. The last show I could remember would do this was Murphy Brown, and that show began years before I was even born.
When I heard it got cancelled by CBS in May 2009, I was hurt. I hoped this show would return, so I can see the exploits of Zallie (their ship name; I hate those) and their child, along with Abby being (or at least trying to be) a great aunt, Olivia being a great godmother while still being a foul-mouthed, drinking, not-giving-a-shit woman who’s still a force to reckon with, Davis will be (slightly) less of a mooching slacker, and there will be more stories to behold and enjoy.
I like almost of the cast: Jenna Elfman is amazing as Billie, Jon Foster is great and really attractive as Zack, Ashley Jensen is fantastic and downright hilarious as Olivia, Lennon Parham is perfect as Abby, Nicholas Wright just makes it work well as Davis and Grant Show is really good as James. All of these cast members characters mesh well with each other, and make the show...as least, enjoyable.
I will admit: from watching this series when it first aired, I was annoyed by Abby and Davis a lot. Abby is this whenever she talked. Yes, she’s looking out for Billie and wants what’s best for her; Davis has NO excuse. The things she says and the way she says them irritate me near to death. Davis just makes me want to stab my ears with a screwdriver...and then do it again. Also, the fact that Zack’s crew keeps going on about the fact that he nailed AND knocked up an older woman is a major detraction...and it’s annoying.
Also, Davis seemed annoying as well, being a lazy, idiotic, unmotivated food-vacuum of a slacker whose existence is just to eat and mooch off other people. But he does have some funny moments. Sure they’re not as refined (if you know what I mean) as the other humor from some of the other sitcoms of the one season it aired as a part of.
Sure, this show has some corny humor like in “The Date”, Zack is playing a Wii Figure Skating game just to see up the female skater’s skirt or in another episode when he has a date over and they try to have sex in the nursery, but can’t because he sees bears on the wall that represent his conflicting emotion; should he do it where his future child sleeps or not or not because that’s where his future child sleeps. Also, in “Fight Club”, where Zack has to piss, but because his toilet can’t work anymore and has been removed, he goes to Billie’s and unexpectedly pees on her while she’s using it!! Sure, it’s not the best humor people want, but I freaking enjoyed it, because I’m a guy who has many different tastes, but I don’t do stupid, corny, terrible shows. And Accidentally is not stupid, corny and terrible (at least to me). But take that away from the bigger picture and you’ve got pretty fresh writing and a really funny cast for a sitcom. Yes, it’s not one of the best, but it’s CBS in the late 2000s; the shows that aired on it had dialogue that ranged from excellent from terrible. And this was somewhere in between,
Plus, on a side note, the black guy in Zack and Davis’ group of friends is played two actors: By an unknown actor in “Pilot” and then by Pooch Hall (of The Game fame) from "Memento" onward. Just...putting that out there.
In conclusion, while this show wasn’t the best sitcom on CBS at the time of airing, Accidentally on Purpose was an enjoyable series to kill time for a all the reasons I’ve stated. It’s a lovely baby story about two people in two different leagues coming together (through a one-night stand) in a to create life and, along with their friends, become different, better people. Isn’t that what you would need in a sitcom? Well, that is if you want
The entire series is available on DVD, and shown in its entirety on YouTube.
I really loved this series the first time around and I still enjoy it the second time around. And, as you've read this review, that you will too, if you give it a chance. Again, it's not the best sitcoms to come out of 2009, but it was one of the most enjoyable, and funny.
And there it is: Accidentally on Purpose, the tenth addition to the list of 1 Season Wonders, and the constant reminder that I should thank God that it didn't happen to me. And that CBS is a swift, scary demon business.
Thanks for joining me and tune in next week for another edition during Maroon May.
Good night, and may your choices in Short-lived TV be yours.
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
1 Season Wonder: Freaks and Geeks
Welcome to 1 Season Wonder, a segment of Maroon Mondays. And you know what that means. At least I think you do...
I scour across the Internet and find TV shows with only 1 season, watch them, see if I enjoyed them, talk about them here and put them in a list of 1-Season Wonders. It sounds easy as it looks, right? No, you actually have to find these shows, watch through them hoping they're not as painful as they were the first time, and debate with yourself to see if it makes the list. If that sounds challenging and you want it that way, then let's do it.
In a world where low-minded jocks rule the hallways of high school, where goofy-looking nerds rule the study halls and libraries, where the adults can't be any more smothering and clueless about their kids and kids in general, and the music that truly defined a decade and generation, you get one of the most critically-acclaimed, well-beloved and questionably-short series of the 90s...and also probably of all time. It's Freaks and Geeks.
Created by Paul Feig and premiering on NBC on September 25, 1999, Freaks and Geeks explores the the students, cliques, and behaviors within William McKinley High School in Chippewa, Michigan. Lindsay Weir is a "freak", an academic prodigy, a mathlete, and all-around nobody. She and her brother Sam, a "geek" with a love of Star Wars, LARPing, and algebra, move up to High School and face new challenges in their lives. For Lindsay, it's a new discovery in herself, including wearing a rad-ass army jacket and hanging with some strange, yet really cool beans friends aka the "freaks". And for Sam, it means bullies, bullies, new study groups and chess tournaments...and bullies.
But in that one year, they both find change in their daily minutae. Lindsay makes new friends in Daniel Desario, Ken Miller, Nick Andopolis and Kim Kelly, also "Freaks"; while Sam makes some in Neal Scheiber and Bill Haverchuck, also "geeks". This new rag-tag group of friends go through school, life and the troubles and tribulations that real-life teenagers would face in the 80s...and this series did it well.
This show was--well, awesome. And all the characters are awesome. They all have their own brand of humility and humor that some other shows of the era don't have...and they were not even in their 30s...yet. (Almost all of them were either in their 20s or a little older than their characters at the time of production [and some show it], with John Francis Daly being the exception, but still) They all weren't one-dimensional, boring or shitty. They were very complex, close-to-real-life and were likable. Lindsay and Sam are smart, but she doesn't bring any nerdy stereotypes to the table, and Sam does brought the ones that weren't exaggerated or blown up for the gags. Plus, the Freaks were like normal people, just different from what we thought were different; they think and act differently. And they were cool for it. Not many series could have a group of characters like this.
Wow, this series had it all about the 80s: the fashions, the attitudes, the hair. As much of the 80s as possible is thrown into this series, and it was done really well. Hey, it's Judd Apatow; the dude's a producing genius. Also, the use of Joan Jett's "Bad Reputation" as the theme song was freaking rad. In fact, the use of many songs of the 80s is freaking rad. Although it cost the show's budget greatly, it worked well in the producers' favor, and, along with sharp writing and acting, would help create some of its' memorable scenes. Like this one.
And speaking of said scenes, my God, were they filled to the brim with awkwardness. Many of them were either hilarious or heartwarming with a touch of hilarious in them. But of course, it it had some awkward in them, and that's what made them (and this series) memorable. I feel very sorry for the producers because they had a cultural touchstone on their hands, but NBC cancelled it just when it got better. A start in a time slot on Saturday did not help (although, at the time, it was a night that was programmed like the others), and a move to a night where Who Wants to Be a Millionaire was the fucking king of TV made things worse. After said cancellation, three episodes didn't air, so they (along with the rest of the show) would air on the network that later become known as ABC Family. That still wouldn't satisfy the fans (or the producers).
Even 15+ years later, everyone's still riled up about it's cancellation. Judd Apatow is still pissed about it. Just last month, Seth Rogen ran into a former NBC exec to complain about it. Here's an idea: How about making a revival?!?
Revivals have been huge this decade: From Reading Rainbow to now-cancelled Dallas, the shows that everyone loved from years past have come back in full force and has gained many fans. So why not do one for Freaks and Geeks?? Sure, the cast has grown up and has gone to different endeavors, but the show isn't called Freaks and Geeks in High School! Have the characters shown 35+ years after high school and into their own accords. Show them in that setting and that'll satisfy everyone.
I don't blame the producers for being angry about the show's death. NBC shuffled the show around the schedule, barely promotes it, and aired the episode out of order, causing the continuity to end up out of whack. So I see why they're still peeved after all these years.
But they do have a right to be peeved after all. This show is so damn good, brilliantly written, amazingly cast and wonderfully produced. This is one of the best shows of the 90s. As great as Friends, Seinfeld, . This show will live in fame...(insert famous quote here).
All episodes are available on YT and Netflix, with reruns airing on IFC and FXX.
Favorite Characters: All of them.
No words can describe how much I love each and every one of these main characters
Favorite Episode: Pilot--which started everything and looked, sounded and felt like a great pilot in the process.
Well, there it is, Freaks and Geeks, the ninth edition of the 1 Season Wonder segment, added to the list of 1 Season Wonders--because it just had to, and this show is too good not to be. This show is on of the best short-lives TV series in history for a reason. And I'm just glad it exists for all of us to watch, enjoy, love and have close in our conscience. And it's all deserved.
Thank you for joining me for this edition. Tune in next month for another edition of 1 Season Wonder involving another classic series that was criminally AND undeservedly short-loved lived. Also it's one show Sheldon Cooper is still crushed up about.
See you then!!
I scour across the Internet and find TV shows with only 1 season, watch them, see if I enjoyed them, talk about them here and put them in a list of 1-Season Wonders. It sounds easy as it looks, right? No, you actually have to find these shows, watch through them hoping they're not as painful as they were the first time, and debate with yourself to see if it makes the list. If that sounds challenging and you want it that way, then let's do it.
In a world where low-minded jocks rule the hallways of high school, where goofy-looking nerds rule the study halls and libraries, where the adults can't be any more smothering and clueless about their kids and kids in general, and the music that truly defined a decade and generation, you get one of the most critically-acclaimed, well-beloved and questionably-short series of the 90s...and also probably of all time. It's Freaks and Geeks.
Created by Paul Feig and premiering on NBC on September 25, 1999, Freaks and Geeks explores the the students, cliques, and behaviors within William McKinley High School in Chippewa, Michigan. Lindsay Weir is a "freak", an academic prodigy, a mathlete, and all-around nobody. She and her brother Sam, a "geek" with a love of Star Wars, LARPing, and algebra, move up to High School and face new challenges in their lives. For Lindsay, it's a new discovery in herself, including wearing a rad-ass army jacket and hanging with some strange, yet really cool beans friends aka the "freaks". And for Sam, it means bullies, bullies, new study groups and chess tournaments...and bullies.
But in that one year, they both find change in their daily minutae. Lindsay makes new friends in Daniel Desario, Ken Miller, Nick Andopolis and Kim Kelly, also "Freaks"; while Sam makes some in Neal Scheiber and Bill Haverchuck, also "geeks". This new rag-tag group of friends go through school, life and the troubles and tribulations that real-life teenagers would face in the 80s...and this series did it well.
Wow, this series had it all about the 80s: the fashions, the attitudes, the hair. As much of the 80s as possible is thrown into this series, and it was done really well. Hey, it's Judd Apatow; the dude's a producing genius. Also, the use of Joan Jett's "Bad Reputation" as the theme song was freaking rad. In fact, the use of many songs of the 80s is freaking rad. Although it cost the show's budget greatly, it worked well in the producers' favor, and, along with sharp writing and acting, would help create some of its' memorable scenes. Like this one.
And speaking of said scenes, my God, were they filled to the brim with awkwardness. Many of them were either hilarious or heartwarming with a touch of hilarious in them. But of course, it it had some awkward in them, and that's what made them (and this series) memorable. I feel very sorry for the producers because they had a cultural touchstone on their hands, but NBC cancelled it just when it got better. A start in a time slot on Saturday did not help (although, at the time, it was a night that was programmed like the others), and a move to a night where Who Wants to Be a Millionaire was the fucking king of TV made things worse. After said cancellation, three episodes didn't air, so they (along with the rest of the show) would air on the network that later become known as ABC Family. That still wouldn't satisfy the fans (or the producers).
Even 15+ years later, everyone's still riled up about it's cancellation. Judd Apatow is still pissed about it. Just last month, Seth Rogen ran into a former NBC exec to complain about it. Here's an idea: How about making a revival?!?
Revivals have been huge this decade: From Reading Rainbow to now-cancelled Dallas, the shows that everyone loved from years past have come back in full force and has gained many fans. So why not do one for Freaks and Geeks?? Sure, the cast has grown up and has gone to different endeavors, but the show isn't called Freaks and Geeks in High School! Have the characters shown 35+ years after high school and into their own accords. Show them in that setting and that'll satisfy everyone.
I don't blame the producers for being angry about the show's death. NBC shuffled the show around the schedule, barely promotes it, and aired the episode out of order, causing the continuity to end up out of whack. So I see why they're still peeved after all these years.
But they do have a right to be peeved after all. This show is so damn good, brilliantly written, amazingly cast and wonderfully produced. This is one of the best shows of the 90s. As great as Friends, Seinfeld, . This show will live in fame...(insert famous quote here).
All episodes are available on YT and Netflix, with reruns airing on IFC and FXX.
Favorite Characters: All of them.
No words can describe how much I love each and every one of these main characters
Favorite Episode: Pilot--which started everything and looked, sounded and felt like a great pilot in the process.
Well, there it is, Freaks and Geeks, the ninth edition of the 1 Season Wonder segment, added to the list of 1 Season Wonders--because it just had to, and this show is too good not to be. This show is on of the best short-lives TV series in history for a reason. And I'm just glad it exists for all of us to watch, enjoy, love and have close in our conscience. And it's all deserved.
Thank you for joining me for this edition. Tune in next month for another edition of 1 Season Wonder involving another classic series that was criminally AND undeservedly short-loved lived. Also it's one show Sheldon Cooper is still crushed up about.
See you then!!
Friday, May 30, 2014
#1SW: Dave the Barbarian
Welcome to 1 Season Wonder, a segment of Maroon Mondays. Here's how it goes.
I scour across the Internet and find TV shows with only 1 season, watch them, see if I enjoyed them, talk about them here and put them in a list of 1-Season Wonders. It sounds easy as it looks, right? No, you actually have to find these shows, watch through them hoping they're not as painful as they were the first time, and debate with yourself to see if it makes the list. If that sounds challenging and you want it that way, then let's do it.
Aaahh, the Medieval Times, where peasants live, dragons roam, denizens shop at he local mal--I mean marketplace, and one hero protects his city of Udrogath to stop the bad guys from taking it over...but he has to bake first. He's (and it's)
"Dave the Barbarian".
Created by Doug Landale, also creator of The Weekenders, another Disney animated series that I love to this day, Dave the Barbarian is the story of a Royal family in the city of Udrogath, King Throkmar and Queen Glimia, their kids Candy, Dave and Fang, their uncle Oswidge, Dave's talking sword Lula, and family pet dragon Faffy. King and Queen later leave town to take care of fighting evil from other places, leaving Candy in charge. Well, let's have the theme song explain.
(This video is part of a playlist that features all episodes, so you can watch as many as you want here.)
My God, I love this show.
The humor is awesome, its self-awareness is so thick, you can cut it with a knife. And yes, knives exist here. Speaking of, another reason I love this show, is because it doesn't care about historical inaccuracies. Anything from this and the last few centuries appear here. Yet you would be too busy laughing too hard noticing anything about it's anarchaic nature. All the characters are not paper-thin; they all have personality and likeness to them. Even the ones you didn't like had more to offer than others.
When it first premiered, I sincerly enjoyed the show. Even when in reruns, I enjoyed it. It was one on Disney Channel I loved watching...well, Besides The Proud Family, Kim Possible and That's So Raven. Even though I was a kid, I never cared for the amination the most. I loved the humor, the characters, the writing and the potential memes to come out of the show. Okay, maybe not meme, but you get the idea.
Why this show got cancelled in the first place is a huge mystery. I don't care if the content is too adult-focused for the kiddy-kiddy Disney Channel, despite the fact most of its shows feature adult humor some other shows probably won't get away with. And that's the point of the show and that's what makes it so funny. I can only wonder what would happen had the story continue into the second season (and maybe more). I blame whoever cancelled it; you better be happy to still have a job and give us some good DC shows, both live-action and animated. Whoever you are, you probably deserve the wrath of Chuckles. You know, the Silly Piggy!
Anyway, since it doesn't air on Disney Channel anymore, of course, you can find episodes on--uhh, that place with the videos and such. (I don't want the episodes of a show I truly like to be taken down by some @sshole from Disney. The people who uploaded them worked so hard to get them there, and they should be removed. People love these shows).
And that's why I chose these two shows. They're both funny in their own ways, I really enjoyed watching them, and I like the fact that I can watch them anytime I want on (that site) now. In fact, I'm watching right at the moment this post is released.
Favorite Character:
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Main--Dave (duh). It's one thing to have the strength of Hercules, but to have the effeminate nature of Kronk added on to it is genius.
Recurring--Chuckles. Anytime he appears he steals the show. His words (and hamminess) is why he is so awesome. I don't care if he is a villain. He just rocks.
Favorite Episode:
I could say them all, but I must choose one. And that is...the one with the musical about meat. Forgot the title.
And there it is, Dave the Barbarian, the seventh addition of the 1 Season Wonder segment, added to the list of 1 Season Wonders and however chosen to cancel it, seriously deserves to get a beat-down from Chuckles.
Thank you all for joining me today and yesterday for this special edition of 1 Season Wonder. This segment will take a break for now, because three series joined the Hall of Shame this month in a schedule out of whack. 1 Season Wonder will return in July with a series featuring the fakest band this side of television...until one of the members got shot and died. It's just sad.
An remember if you have a series you love that only had one season under its belt, please tell me on Twitter and Facebook.
I scour across the Internet and find TV shows with only 1 season, watch them, see if I enjoyed them, talk about them here and put them in a list of 1-Season Wonders. It sounds easy as it looks, right? No, you actually have to find these shows, watch through them hoping they're not as painful as they were the first time, and debate with yourself to see if it makes the list. If that sounds challenging and you want it that way, then let's do it.
"Dave the Barbarian".
Created by Doug Landale, also creator of The Weekenders, another Disney animated series that I love to this day, Dave the Barbarian is the story of a Royal family in the city of Udrogath, King Throkmar and Queen Glimia, their kids Candy, Dave and Fang, their uncle Oswidge, Dave's talking sword Lula, and family pet dragon Faffy. King and Queen later leave town to take care of fighting evil from other places, leaving Candy in charge. Well, let's have the theme song explain.
(This video is part of a playlist that features all episodes, so you can watch as many as you want here.)
My God, I love this show.
The humor is awesome, its self-awareness is so thick, you can cut it with a knife. And yes, knives exist here. Speaking of, another reason I love this show, is because it doesn't care about historical inaccuracies. Anything from this and the last few centuries appear here. Yet you would be too busy laughing too hard noticing anything about it's anarchaic nature. All the characters are not paper-thin; they all have personality and likeness to them. Even the ones you didn't like had more to offer than others.
When it first premiered, I sincerly enjoyed the show. Even when in reruns, I enjoyed it. It was one on Disney Channel I loved watching...well, Besides The Proud Family, Kim Possible and That's So Raven. Even though I was a kid, I never cared for the amination the most. I loved the humor, the characters, the writing and the potential memes to come out of the show. Okay, maybe not meme, but you get the idea.
Why this show got cancelled in the first place is a huge mystery. I don't care if the content is too adult-focused for the kiddy-kiddy Disney Channel, despite the fact most of its shows feature adult humor some other shows probably won't get away with. And that's the point of the show and that's what makes it so funny. I can only wonder what would happen had the story continue into the second season (and maybe more). I blame whoever cancelled it; you better be happy to still have a job and give us some good DC shows, both live-action and animated. Whoever you are, you probably deserve the wrath of Chuckles. You know, the Silly Piggy!
Anyway, since it doesn't air on Disney Channel anymore, of course, you can find episodes on--uhh, that place with the videos and such. (I don't want the episodes of a show I truly like to be taken down by some @sshole from Disney. The people who uploaded them worked so hard to get them there, and they should be removed. People love these shows).
Favorite Character:
.jpg)
Main--Dave (duh). It's one thing to have the strength of Hercules, but to have the effeminate nature of Kronk added on to it is genius.
Recurring--Chuckles. Anytime he appears he steals the show. His words (and hamminess) is why he is so awesome. I don't care if he is a villain. He just rocks.
Favorite Episode:
I could say them all, but I must choose one. And that is...the one with the musical about meat. Forgot the title.
And there it is, Dave the Barbarian, the seventh addition of the 1 Season Wonder segment, added to the list of 1 Season Wonders and however chosen to cancel it, seriously deserves to get a beat-down from Chuckles.
Thank you all for joining me today and yesterday for this special edition of 1 Season Wonder. This segment will take a break for now, because three series joined the Hall of Shame this month in a schedule out of whack. 1 Season Wonder will return in July with a series featuring the fakest band this side of television...until one of the members got shot and died. It's just sad.
An remember if you have a series you love that only had one season under its belt, please tell me on Twitter and Facebook.
Thursday, May 29, 2014
#1SW: The Buzz on Maggie
It's "The Buzz on Maggie".
Maggie wants to be a rock star. And because of that I want to say this:
Maggie is just like every other teenage female character on a Disney Channel show.
She has a dream; She wants to live said dream; She'll do anything for that dream; She's happy, sweet, cocky and confident; and gets into trouble every other day in the process. Plus she probably did that bumper where one says "Hi, I'm [actor name] from [show name]. And you're watching Disney Channel", and then grabs a glow-stick and draws the (previous) Disney Channel logo.
That's the cliche here. In this case, Maggie wants to be a rock star, yet I've rarely seen her sing a note, I've rarely seen her play (or even hold) a guitar outside the opening credits, and I've never seen seen her doing anything remotely rock-star-ish on this show. (Note to the producers of any upcoming television show: if you want your show to feature a main character wanting to go into the music business, have them do something that has anything to do with music).
The other characters are stuck in Maggie's crap: older brother Aldrin (nice name for a jerk, by the way), little brother Pupert (sweet as he is annoying), parents Chauncey and Freida, and her best friend Rayna (a girl that really doesn't have to put up with this). By the way, do you guys notice that everyone in Stickyfeet is wearing white gloves? That's a homage to the Mikey Mouse cartoons. Also, this series was animated with Adobe Flash, the first Disney cartoon to do so; for those who care to know.
"The Buzz on Maggie" is created by Dave Polsky, premiering on Disney Channel on June 17, 2005, and ending June 3, 2006, with the pink slip being handed out a month prior in August, by some dude named Sean Szeles, who said on his blog that "Apparently good animation, art direction, and characters don't mean anything to Disney. The Buzz on Maggie is no more." This series is the second animated series on the network to be cancelled after one season, with the first being Dave the Barbarian.
Hey, I'm a sucker for Disney Channel animated series; I enjoy them. They're much better and well-produced than their factory of live-action programs. So if I can enjoy Kim Possible, The Proud Family, Dave the Barbarian and Lilo and Stitch then maybe I can enjoy this show. Too bad I didn't enjoy this one as much as I had enjoyed them.
The humor is there, and I like some of the insect-theme references the producers make, and I like the characters too (yes, Maggie, too.) What I don't enjoy is the fact that Maggie is so shallow and self-centered. No one likes these types of people, unless they have a certain amount of humility within them to be likable, and their actor (with voice or live-action) can pull it off. I do like Maggie, but it's that trait I can wish to get rid of.
Favorite Character: Pupert (He's not that annoying to me. I find him very enjoyable half the time. More than everyone else.)
Favorite (Half-)Episode: The Spelling Bees (a nice lampooning of The Beatles, except they spell instead of sing.)
You can find most episodes on YouTube (but don't tell anyone; Disney will slap a copyright suit on the person who uploaded them. The only time It'll care about its programs is when it removes them from YT or Dailymotion or whatever.
And there it is, The Buzz on Maggie, the sixth addition of the 1 Season Wonder segment, added to the list of 1 Season Wonders and even though it isn't great, It didn't deserve to get cancelled.
Tune in tomorrow when I give you guys another 1SW you'll be really excited to see, so excited, instead of "Yes!", you'll scream "Bajabbers!"
See you then!
Thursday, May 01, 2014
#1SW: Three's a Crowd
(This edition was supposed to be released early last month, but things got in the way.)
Welcome to 1 Season Wonder, a segment of Maroon Mondays. Here's how it goes.
I scour across the Internet and find TV shows with only 1 season, watch them, see if I enjoyed them, talk about them here and put them in a list of 1-Season Wonders. It sounds easy as it looks, right? No, you actually have to find these shows, watch through them hoping they're not as painful as they were the first time, and debate with yourself to see if it makes the list. If that sounds challenging and you want it that way, then let's do it.
Remember Three’s Company? Yeah? Well, it had a spin-off. No, not that spin-off. Yep, it had another one. And ooohh, the theme song.
It’s Three's a Crowd.
Three's a Crowd is a spin-off of Three's Company, one of the most iconic sitcoms of the 1970s, and one of the bustiest. Starring John Ritter as the clumsy, goofy and always hilarious Jack Tripper, Jack moves on from the life of living in a shared pad with two super-duper sexy ladies, to the life with another super-duper sexy lady, his girlfriend Victoria (let's call her Vicky), played by Mary Cadorette.
But standing in the way between Jack and Vicky (and her hot body) is Vicky's father James, (played by Robert Mandan of Soap and Search for Tomorrow) who really doesn’t like Jack and tries hard to destroy the couple’s relationship, but to no avail, as their strong love always prevails to the end. Vicky loves Jack, but doesn’t want to marry him yet because they might get a divorce like her parents did. So the show is about the trials and tribulations of their courtship and such.
Too bad she doesn’t know about Jack’s life on Three’s Company. Jack, a cook, owns a restaurant in Santa Monica, CA, called Jack's Bistro, with a slow-willed, but very cool and easy-going guy named...E.Z., played by Alan Campbell. Jack also owns an apartment just upstairs, where he and Vicky live. I also want to mention that it was strange that Jack and Vicky met and fell in love so close to the end of Three’s Company. I have heard of people who meet and go so fast into love so quickly, but to have this happen at the end and set that up as the basis of a spin-off is kinda weird to me.
This show (like its parent series) is based on sitcom in Great Britain. This is based on Robin's Nest, while Company is based on Man About the House. While the Company was a huge success from the start, Crowd was barely noticeable in the ratings, and did well enough for a bid for next season. Unfortunately, it didn’t. Ritter was in negotiations with ABC on the length of season 2. the network wanted 13 episodes with 9 more if it does good in the ratings, while John wanted the full 22 order. Since neither budged, the show ended for good.
I really like this show. In fact, I enjoy it a little more than the parent series. As much as I love Three's Company, I can do without the legs, boobs, sex talk and skin sweaters all the time. It just feels so light and sweet with as much of Jack retained here. And there's also some of the characters I like too; the sugar-and-spice personality of Vicky, the jerk with a heart facade of James, and goofy-yet-laid-back personality of E.Z. As I much as I will respect the decisions made by Ritter and the network, I wish this show would have go on with the 13-episode second season. I enjoy Jack’s wacky antics, the constant back-and-forth between Jack and James, the sweet scenes between Jack and Vicky, and...basically everything E.Z. does.
The show is currently in reruns on Antenna TV (for now though, you’ll have to wait for it to air since Three’s Company is currently on the schedule. I may let you know.) You may also find some episodes on YouTube, with the first episode at the top of the page. (Don’t read the comments, though; they’re kinda rough. Apparently, people remember Three’s Company fondly. Don’t blame them, but still.)
And there it is, Three's a Crowd, the fifth addition of the 1 Season Wonder segment, added to the list of 1 Season Wonders and that after show of Three's Company that didn't last...but has a wonderful theme song.
Tune in next time, when I have some special editions planned for you guys. I can't wait to show them for you during Maroon May. See ya then...
I scour across the Internet and find TV shows with only 1 season, watch them, see if I enjoyed them, talk about them here and put them in a list of 1-Season Wonders. It sounds easy as it looks, right? No, you actually have to find these shows, watch through them hoping they're not as painful as they were the first time, and debate with yourself to see if it makes the list. If that sounds challenging and you want it that way, then let's do it.
Remember Three’s Company? Yeah? Well, it had a spin-off. No, not that spin-off. Yep, it had another one. And ooohh, the theme song.
It’s Three's a Crowd.
Three's a Crowd is a spin-off of Three's Company, one of the most iconic sitcoms of the 1970s, and one of the bustiest. Starring John Ritter as the clumsy, goofy and always hilarious Jack Tripper, Jack moves on from the life of living in a shared pad with two super-duper sexy ladies, to the life with another super-duper sexy lady, his girlfriend Victoria (let's call her Vicky), played by Mary Cadorette.
Too bad she doesn’t know about Jack’s life on Three’s Company. Jack, a cook, owns a restaurant in Santa Monica, CA, called Jack's Bistro, with a slow-willed, but very cool and easy-going guy named...E.Z., played by Alan Campbell. Jack also owns an apartment just upstairs, where he and Vicky live. I also want to mention that it was strange that Jack and Vicky met and fell in love so close to the end of Three’s Company. I have heard of people who meet and go so fast into love so quickly, but to have this happen at the end and set that up as the basis of a spin-off is kinda weird to me.
This show (like its parent series) is based on sitcom in Great Britain. This is based on Robin's Nest, while Company is based on Man About the House. While the Company was a huge success from the start, Crowd was barely noticeable in the ratings, and did well enough for a bid for next season. Unfortunately, it didn’t. Ritter was in negotiations with ABC on the length of season 2. the network wanted 13 episodes with 9 more if it does good in the ratings, while John wanted the full 22 order. Since neither budged, the show ended for good.
I really like this show. In fact, I enjoy it a little more than the parent series. As much as I love Three's Company, I can do without the legs, boobs, sex talk and skin sweaters all the time. It just feels so light and sweet with as much of Jack retained here. And there's also some of the characters I like too; the sugar-and-spice personality of Vicky, the jerk with a heart facade of James, and goofy-yet-laid-back personality of E.Z. As I much as I will respect the decisions made by Ritter and the network, I wish this show would have go on with the 13-episode second season. I enjoy Jack’s wacky antics, the constant back-and-forth between Jack and James, the sweet scenes between Jack and Vicky, and...basically everything E.Z. does.
The show is currently in reruns on Antenna TV (for now though, you’ll have to wait for it to air since Three’s Company is currently on the schedule. I may let you know.) You may also find some episodes on YouTube, with the first episode at the top of the page. (Don’t read the comments, though; they’re kinda rough. Apparently, people remember Three’s Company fondly. Don’t blame them, but still.)
And there it is, Three's a Crowd, the fifth addition of the 1 Season Wonder segment, added to the list of 1 Season Wonders and that after show of Three's Company that didn't last...but has a wonderful theme song.
Tune in next time, when I have some special editions planned for you guys. I can't wait to show them for you during Maroon May. See ya then...
Thursday, April 10, 2014
1 Season Wonder - Marvin Marvin
Welcome to 1 Season Wonder, a segment of Maroon Mondays. Here's how it goes.
I scour across the Internet and find TV shows with only 1 season, watch them, see if I enjoyed them, talk about them here and put them in a list of 1-Season Wonders. It sounds easy as it looks, right? No, you actually have to find these shows, watch through them hoping they're not as painful as they were the first time, and debate with yourself to see if it makes the list. If that sounds challenging and you want it that way, then let's do it.
This time around, It's Aliens in America--no, I'll work on that some other time--but this show does have an alien, and does take place in America, but this is-no, was-for the kids. So we couldn't expect anal probing, mind reading, alien-vomit-spewing or the occasional learning of American culture--at least until after the first episode. This show is basically My Favorite Martian for the wrong demo (and decade). Oh and Fred Figglehorn's in it. It's Marvin Marvin.
It's kinda...Meh? Seriously though, it's basically your run-of-the-mill kids' show: a mix of odd characters: The Weirdo, the Smartass, the Idiot, the other Idiot, the Bumbling-as-F*ck Dad, and the Older and therefore Better Than You Mom. It happens with every other Disney Channel, Nickelodeon and maybe Cartoon Network show since That's So Raven. These generic elements (along with a laugh track) really annoy me among other things (including the fact that all DC sitcoms kinda look the same to me now), but I get used to that.
I pretty much have a love/hate relationship with Nick shows that aren't created by Dan Schneider. The "love" part because they don't have the Schneider Sch-pecialty: pretty much making humor from anything: cranky, kooky old people; greedy, annoying, snot-nosed kids; people with "special" problems; mentally retarded people; pudding; ointments--anything. That annoys the hell out of me. And the "hate" part is they all kinda suck in a sense. This show is one of them. It's not terrible, but it's not really good either.
Marvin Marvin is about an alien named--well, Marvin--who comes from the planet Klooton, sent to Earth by his parents during an invasion from the evil Klerg, a rival race in some battle with the Klootons. After successfully landing on Earth, Marvin gets scared and moves to some Auntie and Uncles in Bel-A--just kidding. He meets a family from
I do enjoy this show. It's not horrible (but not great too), and it would've been nice to see at least another season. I'd kill through good time for that. If I can get through two seasons of iCarly and Victorious, then I guess I might get through one season of this. Unforturnately, I'm wrong at times.
I can't find episodes for this show, because Nick removed all traces of this show since its cancellation (or people find it so repulsive, they destroyed all traces of it because it's that bad. So I don't blame anyone either way.)
And there it is, Marvin Marvin, the fourth addition of the 1 Season Wonder segment, added to the list of 1 Season Wonders and will forever be known as the second straight series Lucas Cruikshank starred in for Nickelodeon...that is short-lived.
Tune in next time, when I review a spin-off of one of the most iconic (and sexiest) shows of the 70s. In fact, I enjoy the spin-off better than the main show itself. And then there's the theme song...WOW.
I'll see you next time, but until then, keep your television shows close and the pieces of crap closer.
I scour across the Internet and find TV shows with only 1 season, watch them, see if I enjoyed them, talk about them here and put them in a list of 1-Season Wonders. It sounds easy as it looks, right? No, you actually have to find these shows, watch through them hoping they're not as painful as they were the first time, and debate with yourself to see if it makes the list. If that sounds challenging and you want it that way, then let's do it.
This time around, It's Aliens in America--no, I'll work on that some other time--but this show does have an alien, and does take place in America, but this is-no, was-for the kids. So we couldn't expect anal probing, mind reading, alien-vomit-spewing or the occasional learning of American culture--at least until after the first episode. This show is basically My Favorite Martian for the wrong demo (and decade). Oh and Fred Figglehorn's in it. It's Marvin Marvin.
It's kinda...Meh? Seriously though, it's basically your run-of-the-mill kids' show: a mix of odd characters: The Weirdo, the Smartass, the Idiot, the other Idiot, the Bumbling-as-F*ck Dad, and the Older and therefore Better Than You Mom. It happens with every other Disney Channel, Nickelodeon and maybe Cartoon Network show since That's So Raven. These generic elements (along with a laugh track) really annoy me among other things (including the fact that all DC sitcoms kinda look the same to me now), but I get used to that.
I pretty much have a love/hate relationship with Nick shows that aren't created by Dan Schneider. The "love" part because they don't have the Schneider Sch-pecialty: pretty much making humor from anything: cranky, kooky old people; greedy, annoying, snot-nosed kids; people with "special" problems; mentally retarded people; pudding; ointments--anything. That annoys the hell out of me. And the "hate" part is they all kinda suck in a sense. This show is one of them. It's not terrible, but it's not really good either.
I do enjoy this show. It's not horrible (but not great too), and it would've been nice to see at least another season. I'd kill through good time for that. If I can get through two seasons of iCarly and Victorious, then I guess I might get through one season of this. Unforturnately, I'm wrong at times.
I can't find episodes for this show, because Nick removed all traces of this show since its cancellation (or people find it so repulsive, they destroyed all traces of it because it's that bad. So I don't blame anyone either way.)
And there it is, Marvin Marvin, the fourth addition of the 1 Season Wonder segment, added to the list of 1 Season Wonders and will forever be known as the second straight series Lucas Cruikshank starred in for Nickelodeon...that is short-lived.
Tune in next time, when I review a spin-off of one of the most iconic (and sexiest) shows of the 70s. In fact, I enjoy the spin-off better than the main show itself. And then there's the theme song...WOW.
I'll see you next time, but until then, keep your television shows close and the pieces of crap closer.
Thursday, March 06, 2014
1 Season Wonder - God, The Devil and Bob
Welcome to 1 Season Wonder, a segment of Maroon Mondays. Here's how it goes.
I scour across the Internet and find TV shows with only 1 season, watch them, see if I enjoyed them, talk about them here and put them in a list of 1-Season Wonders. It sounds easy as it looks, right? No, you actually have to find these shows, watch through them hoping they're not as painful as they were the first time, and debate with yourself to see if it makes the list. If that sounds challenging and you want it that way, then let's do it.
During the late 90s and early 2000s, NBC was the number 1 broadcast network in America. Almost all of its programs were huge hits in the ratings-- including ER, Seinfeld, Friends, Frasier, The West Wing, Will & Grace and Law & Order. Some of their sports programming included basketball, baseball, and hockey, bringing in big ratings and big money to the network. But even the Peacock Network had low- and middle-rated shows that were either cancelled or lucky to have another season, and even then it would be cancelled. One of the former was a show so controversial because of its content and humor that many religious groups were so up in arms, that they boycotted NBC and wanted it dead. Oh, and it's a cartoon.
Here it is, God and the Devil hanging out and betting if Earth is good enough to be saved. Then they meet Bob. Blasphemy, huh? It's--well--God, the Devil and Bob.
The story is simple: God doesn't like the direction Earth is going and wants to destroy it. The Devil hears about this plan, and jumps on board. But God makes an ultimatum: Choose a random citizen to see if Earth is okay to save. If he/she fails, goodbye Earth. Devil accepts. So who's the person they choose? Bob Allman, a drinking, smoking, soft porn watching married man from Detroit. It's pretty much said much easier than done.
I don't think of the show as that blasphemous as the Christian groups perceive it to be. Besides the fact that God and Satan are major characters with their backgrounds and stories in the forefront, there is nothing else wrong with this show. It's not meant for families, it's for adults, as if the intro alone wouldn't tell you enough.
The show features the voices of James Garner as God, Alan Cumming as the Devil,
It's edgy, but not really edgy. The Bible and demon jokes are there but it's not as provacative as Family Guy, American Dad, South Park or even 90s era The Simpsons. And speaking of Family Guy, I want to make a counterargument that Family Guy does even worse with its jokes on religion. But it premiered a year later, got cancelled itself twice (but only because of ratings) and no matter how hard they try, the groups just can't get it killed, because it's still on the air.
I think it's sad that it didn't at least another season, but for story reasons, it makes sense. Continuing the show with the storyline that God and the Devil deliberating whether Bob can save Earth would've dragged and gotten old. So thank (you know) we haven't reached that.
What I love about the show is how ambitious it with its premise. It really is groundbreaking in the 90s for a show like this to even exist. If it was made in the last decade, let alone today, it would probably be another Animation Domination or Adult Swim show. No one would bat an eye. Some of the characters are hilarious, especially the Devil. And I will watch and re-watch over and over if I had to.
You can find the series on YouTube and DVD.
Well, thank you for joining me here on 1 Season Wonder. See you next time when I might find another show to review. That is if the pageviews sustain.
Later! Until next time, but until then, keep your television shows close and the pieces of crap closer.
I scour across the Internet and find TV shows with only 1 season, watch them, see if I enjoyed them, talk about them here and put them in a list of 1-Season Wonders. It sounds easy as it looks, right? No, you actually have to find these shows, watch through them hoping they're not as painful as they were the first time, and debate with yourself to see if it makes the list. If that sounds challenging and you want it that way, then let's do it.
During the late 90s and early 2000s, NBC was the number 1 broadcast network in America. Almost all of its programs were huge hits in the ratings-- including ER, Seinfeld, Friends, Frasier, The West Wing, Will & Grace and Law & Order. Some of their sports programming included basketball, baseball, and hockey, bringing in big ratings and big money to the network. But even the Peacock Network had low- and middle-rated shows that were either cancelled or lucky to have another season, and even then it would be cancelled. One of the former was a show so controversial because of its content and humor that many religious groups were so up in arms, that they boycotted NBC and wanted it dead. Oh, and it's a cartoon.
Here it is, God and the Devil hanging out and betting if Earth is good enough to be saved. Then they meet Bob. Blasphemy, huh? It's--well--God, the Devil and Bob.
The story is simple: God doesn't like the direction Earth is going and wants to destroy it. The Devil hears about this plan, and jumps on board. But God makes an ultimatum: Choose a random citizen to see if Earth is okay to save. If he/she fails, goodbye Earth. Devil accepts. So who's the person they choose? Bob Allman, a drinking, smoking, soft porn watching married man from Detroit. It's pretty much said much easier than done.
I don't think of the show as that blasphemous as the Christian groups perceive it to be. Besides the fact that God and Satan are major characters with their backgrounds and stories in the forefront, there is nothing else wrong with this show. It's not meant for families, it's for adults, as if the intro alone wouldn't tell you enough.
The show features the voices of James Garner as God, Alan Cumming as the Devil,
It's edgy, but not really edgy. The Bible and demon jokes are there but it's not as provacative as Family Guy, American Dad, South Park or even 90s era The Simpsons. And speaking of Family Guy, I want to make a counterargument that Family Guy does even worse with its jokes on religion. But it premiered a year later, got cancelled itself twice (but only because of ratings) and no matter how hard they try, the groups just can't get it killed, because it's still on the air.
I think it's sad that it didn't at least another season, but for story reasons, it makes sense. Continuing the show with the storyline that God and the Devil deliberating whether Bob can save Earth would've dragged and gotten old. So thank (you know) we haven't reached that.
You can find the series on YouTube and DVD.
Well, thank you for joining me here on 1 Season Wonder. See you next time when I might find another show to review. That is if the pageviews sustain.
Later! Until next time, but until then, keep your television shows close and the pieces of crap closer.
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
1 Season Wonder - Gidget
Welcome to 1 Season Wonder, a segment at Maroon Mondays - where I take a look into the annals of Television and find some of the best TV shows--with one season--and bring them to you for your enjoyment.
I scour across the Internet and find TV shows with only 1 season, watch them, see if I enjoyed them, talk about them here and put them in a list of 1-Season Wonders. It sounds easy as it looks, right? No, you actually have to find these shows, watch through them hoping they're not as painful as they were the first time, and debate with yourself to see if it makes the list. If that sounds challenging and you want it that way, then let's do it.
Ahh the 1960s. Such a wonderful decade. Bright sun-shinny days, happy kids having fun, dancing, surfing, Model-T cars, government, war, McCarthyism, segrega--uhh, anyway, the sixties were awesome not only in real life events (except the bad ones), it was awesome in television. The characters and plots were bright, realistic, and either gritty or silly. One of the latter, this edition's show, was really bright (because it takes place at the beach most of the time), realistic (because some of the characters know how to surf) and it is silly (but not Batman or Monkees or Bewitched silly, but it's up there.) Also, as we heard from Seth MacFarlane at last years' The Oscars, the title character is played by the legendary and certainly hot Sally Field. It's Gidget.
Before there were shows like "Moesha", "Boy Meets World" and "Saved by the Bell", we had Gidget. A look into the world of a normal, typical teenager going through things we went through as teenagers. This show definitely had all a sitcom in the 60s had for the 18-49 demographic: the beach, hot guys, dancing like you're on American Bandstand, quirky best friend(s), and one or two parents that are always strict and caring. And that's what Gidget was all about.
Gidget may seen like a boy-crazy character of a 60's sitcom, but she's more than that. She's pretty sophisticated and charming character who's up to learn about life and being assertive and proud of herself, with her family and friends by her side. In fact, on one hand, Gidget was utterly enjoyable and, at times, hilarious to look at. That's attributed to Sally Field in her first television role. Field really committed to the role, giving us some moments that make us laugh, some that made us cry and some in between. You might never know what Gidget would be up to next (unless you've been religiously watching reruns or on DVD.)
Gidget's father Russell was like many 60's sitcom dads. They are always wise and calm, yet can be strict when the time comes. But at all times, he's very sweet. He always had the right thing on his mind, and was that guy to go to if you really need help. Plus, he's hilarious when he acts goofy.
I can even enjoy Larue for being the goofy yet sweet and dependable best friend. She is always there for Gidget even if it sacrifices her own devices. Larue was the voice of reason for Gidget during hair-brained schemes, but goes along because she cares for her.
On the other hand, Anne and John were so annoying. Like "take a gun to your head" annoying. They may care for their little sister/sister-in-law, which is understandable, because of her behavior. But other than that, the things she do and say makes me want to bash my head against a wall. I don't know if they suffer any disorders or neuroses, because that's what they act like.
Why I Love This Show: is that, even though this show is old (and, you know, a season long), it actually holds up today with what teenagers do and the morals they should learn. Just replace dancing with clubbing, sleepovers with sex, and mild drug use with heavy drug use. It also teaches us good morals we could use unlike the many sitcoms that don't like The Monkees or The Beverly Hillbillies, like learning to feel good with yourself, having your best friends' backs like they would have yours, and learning to appreciate the things you have in life as there are people who don't.
The show aired on ABC from September 15, 1965 to April 21, 1966.Reruns after its initial run aired in syndication for decades, with two made-for-TV movie sequels airing years later, 1969's Gidget Grows Up and 1972's Gidget Gets Married, along with a syndicated reboot, The New Gidget. Decades after its cancelation, Gidget has maintained a big and devoted cult audience. Reruns can now be found on Crackle, Hulu, and Antenna TV, a digital subchannel airing sitcoms and dramas from the 1940s to the 1990s. The Monkees and (starting this fall) Bewitched can also be found there.
Favorite Character: Gidget. She was smart, sophisticated and crazy (sometimes all at once). She wasn't like many female characters of the 60s. She wasn't boy-crazy all the time, and acts like what a teenage girl going on adolescent should be like.
Favorite Episode: "Like Voodoo". The part where she makes a plan to stop the curse gives me the chills, but made me laugh as well.
And there it is, Gidget, the second addition of the 1 Season Wonder segment, added to the list of 1 Season Wonders and will forever be known as the show that put Sally Field on the map and forced her to go to a show she hates to the grave, The Flying Nun.
Tune in next time when I review a show that made two of the greatest characters in nonfiction history best friends and helps a guy solve a problem (keeping Earth alive)...and made some of the most religious groups up in arms that they forgot it's fiction.
I'll see you next time, but until then, keep your television shows close and the pieces of crap closer.
I scour across the Internet and find TV shows with only 1 season, watch them, see if I enjoyed them, talk about them here and put them in a list of 1-Season Wonders. It sounds easy as it looks, right? No, you actually have to find these shows, watch through them hoping they're not as painful as they were the first time, and debate with yourself to see if it makes the list. If that sounds challenging and you want it that way, then let's do it.
Ahh the 1960s. Such a wonderful decade. Bright sun-shinny days, happy kids having fun, dancing, surfing, Model-T cars, government, war, McCarthyism, segrega--uhh, anyway, the sixties were awesome not only in real life events (except the bad ones), it was awesome in television. The characters and plots were bright, realistic, and either gritty or silly. One of the latter, this edition's show, was really bright (because it takes place at the beach most of the time), realistic (because some of the characters know how to surf) and it is silly (but not Batman or Monkees or Bewitched silly, but it's up there.) Also, as we heard from Seth MacFarlane at last years' The Oscars, the title character is played by the legendary and certainly hot Sally Field. It's Gidget.
Before there were shows like "Moesha", "Boy Meets World" and "Saved by the Bell", we had Gidget. A look into the world of a normal, typical teenager going through things we went through as teenagers. This show definitely had all a sitcom in the 60s had for the 18-49 demographic: the beach, hot guys, dancing like you're on American Bandstand, quirky best friend(s), and one or two parents that are always strict and caring. And that's what Gidget was all about.
Gidget may seen like a boy-crazy character of a 60's sitcom, but she's more than that. She's pretty sophisticated and charming character who's up to learn about life and being assertive and proud of herself, with her family and friends by her side. In fact, on one hand, Gidget was utterly enjoyable and, at times, hilarious to look at. That's attributed to Sally Field in her first television role. Field really committed to the role, giving us some moments that make us laugh, some that made us cry and some in between. You might never know what Gidget would be up to next (unless you've been religiously watching reruns or on DVD.)
Gidget's father Russell was like many 60's sitcom dads. They are always wise and calm, yet can be strict when the time comes. But at all times, he's very sweet. He always had the right thing on his mind, and was that guy to go to if you really need help. Plus, he's hilarious when he acts goofy.
I can even enjoy Larue for being the goofy yet sweet and dependable best friend. She is always there for Gidget even if it sacrifices her own devices. Larue was the voice of reason for Gidget during hair-brained schemes, but goes along because she cares for her.
On the other hand, Anne and John were so annoying. Like "take a gun to your head" annoying. They may care for their little sister/sister-in-law, which is understandable, because of her behavior. But other than that, the things she do and say makes me want to bash my head against a wall. I don't know if they suffer any disorders or neuroses, because that's what they act like.
Why I Love This Show: is that, even though this show is old (and, you know, a season long), it actually holds up today with what teenagers do and the morals they should learn. Just replace dancing with clubbing, sleepovers with sex, and mild drug use with heavy drug use. It also teaches us good morals we could use unlike the many sitcoms that don't like The Monkees or The Beverly Hillbillies, like learning to feel good with yourself, having your best friends' backs like they would have yours, and learning to appreciate the things you have in life as there are people who don't.
The show aired on ABC from September 15, 1965 to April 21, 1966.Reruns after its initial run aired in syndication for decades, with two made-for-TV movie sequels airing years later, 1969's Gidget Grows Up and 1972's Gidget Gets Married, along with a syndicated reboot, The New Gidget. Decades after its cancelation, Gidget has maintained a big and devoted cult audience. Reruns can now be found on Crackle, Hulu, and Antenna TV, a digital subchannel airing sitcoms and dramas from the 1940s to the 1990s. The Monkees and (starting this fall) Bewitched can also be found there.
Favorite Character: Gidget. She was smart, sophisticated and crazy (sometimes all at once). She wasn't like many female characters of the 60s. She wasn't boy-crazy all the time, and acts like what a teenage girl going on adolescent should be like.
Favorite Episode: "Like Voodoo". The part where she makes a plan to stop the curse gives me the chills, but made me laugh as well.
And there it is, Gidget, the second addition of the 1 Season Wonder segment, added to the list of 1 Season Wonders and will forever be known as the show that put Sally Field on the map and forced her to go to a show she hates to the grave, The Flying Nun.
Tune in next time when I review a show that made two of the greatest characters in nonfiction history best friends and helps a guy solve a problem (keeping Earth alive)...and made some of the most religious groups up in arms that they forgot it's fiction.
I'll see you next time, but until then, keep your television shows close and the pieces of crap closer.
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