My World of Warcraft-playing friend and colleague Bob Ivins recently pointed me toward THE GUILD, the series winner, and it is clever and funny, and just sweet enough. Between it and the soap-opera parody HORRIBLE PEOPLE on MyDamnedChannel.com, and MISS GUIDED, the new ABC sitcom (or on abc.go.com), that's three fine new comedies for me in the last week. And I could use them. (Every one of them guaranteed better than any Will Ferrell film aside from STRANGER THAN FICTION, and arguably ANCHORMAN and WEDDING CRASHERS.) FunnyorDie.com and Onion Network News definitely have their moments. Hell, QUARTERLIFE has its moments. Given how few actually good film comedies we get these days, though last year's fantasy films ENCHANTED and STARDUST were exceptions to the extent they were comedies (a great extent), we are blessed with a fair amount of good tv comedy and web extensions of same (and even at least four or five solid radio series, in WAIT, WAIT, DON'T TELL ME, WHADDYA KNOW?, LE SHOW, and, more often than not, THE SOUND OF YOUNG AMERICA and A PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION...and I don't know what satellite radio might augment this with, not being a big Stern fan, nor of OPIE AND ANTHONY).
Make that MyDamnChannel.com (oops. Keep wanting to type NewImprovedEdGorman.blogspot.com, too, which doesn't even get you a placeholder site with a cute blonde's photo).
I like CAR TALK, too...but tend to think of it as a comedy show secondly, after its service aspect. I suppose if we're being generous, THIS AMERICAN LIFE could also be considered secondarily a humor show (primarily, it's a showcase for people who manage to have even more nasal voices than Ira Glass does).
CLICK AND CLACK'S AS THE WRENCH TURNS Premiering Wednesday, July 9, 2008, 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET
Start your engines! PBS is bringing Tom and Ray Magliozzi, of CAR TALK, to TV. The animated sitcom, based on the hit NPR radio show, will launch with ten 30-minute episodes airing in summer 2008.
The fast-paced series focuses on the adventures of Click and Clack and their crew of mechanics and co-workers. Based largely in Tom and Ray's fictional garage, the show features the "off-air" escapades of Tom and Ray Magliozzi (known to their listeners as Click and Clack, the Tappet brothers) as they try to fix cars, fend off disgruntled customers and pursue idleness.
Premiering Wednesday, July 9, 2008, and airing Wednesdays, July 9-August 13, 2008, 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET on PBS
The thing about Miss Guided is that you either love it or hate it, there's no in between. As you know Bill (since you commented on my review) I hated it. In part I hated it because, with the sole exception of the supposed antagonist, all of the characters are insupportably dumb. The concept is good, and it was good 60 years ago when it was Our Miss Brooks - as I also mentioned. But if Todd likes it, that's fine. Differences in opinion are what makes for horse races, and political campaigns.
You know, aside from being set in a school, I don't see much similarity with OUR MISS BROOKS, which I've seen an episode or two of (and heard a handful more). DOBEY GILLIS or ROOM 222 would be about as relevant, and MR. PEEPERS moreso, but still not very much so...more comparable, and the school, so to speak, that this is out of is indeed an absurdist one, the same mode that SONS AND DAUGHTERS or the less good Andy Richter PI sitcom of last season were. I think it's clever enough to make it enjoyable, but, yes, no character here is going to strike one as a nuanced portrayal of the human condition.
9 comments:
My World of Warcraft-playing friend and colleague Bob Ivins recently pointed me toward THE GUILD, the series winner, and it is clever and funny, and just sweet enough. Between it and the soap-opera parody HORRIBLE PEOPLE on MyDamnedChannel.com, and MISS GUIDED, the new ABC sitcom (or on abc.go.com), that's three fine new comedies for me in the last week. And I could use them. (Every one of them guaranteed better than any Will Ferrell film aside from STRANGER THAN FICTION, and arguably ANCHORMAN and WEDDING CRASHERS.) FunnyorDie.com and Onion Network News definitely have their moments. Hell, QUARTERLIFE has its moments. Given how few actually good film comedies we get these days, though last year's fantasy films ENCHANTED and STARDUST were exceptions to the extent they were comedies (a great extent), we are blessed with a fair amount of good tv comedy and web extensions of same (and even at least four or five solid radio series, in WAIT, WAIT, DON'T TELL ME, WHADDYA KNOW?, LE SHOW, and, more often than not, THE SOUND OF YOUNG AMERICA and A PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION...and I don't know what satellite radio might augment this with, not being a big Stern fan, nor of OPIE AND ANTHONY).
Make that MyDamnChannel.com (oops. Keep wanting to type NewImprovedEdGorman.blogspot.com, too, which doesn't even get you a placeholder site with a cute blonde's photo).
I'll have to try MISS GUIDED. I confess to liking CAR TALK, which you didn't mention.
I like CAR TALK, too...but tend to think of it as a comedy show secondly, after its service aspect. I suppose if we're being generous, THIS AMERICAN LIFE could also be considered secondarily a humor show (primarily, it's a showcase for people who manage to have even more nasal voices than Ira Glass does).
Coming this summer is the PBS cartoon version of CAR TALK. No jive.
http://pressroom.pbs.org/programs/click_and_clacks_as_the_wrench_turns
CLICK AND CLACK'S AS THE WRENCH TURNS
Premiering Wednesday, July 9, 2008, 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET
Start your engines! PBS is bringing Tom and Ray Magliozzi, of CAR TALK, to TV. The animated sitcom, based on the hit NPR radio show, will launch with ten 30-minute episodes airing in summer 2008.
The fast-paced series focuses on the adventures of Click and Clack and their crew of mechanics and co-workers. Based largely in Tom and Ray's fictional garage, the show features the "off-air" escapades of Tom and Ray Magliozzi (known to their listeners as Click and Clack, the Tappet brothers) as they try to fix cars, fend off disgruntled customers and pursue idleness.
Premiering Wednesday, July 9, 2008, and airing Wednesdays, July 9-August 13, 2008, 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET on PBS
Thanks for the info. I'll definitely be tuning in.
The thing about Miss Guided is that you either love it or hate it, there's no in between. As you know Bill (since you commented on my review) I hated it. In part I hated it because, with the sole exception of the supposed antagonist, all of the characters are insupportably dumb. The concept is good, and it was good 60 years ago when it was Our Miss Brooks - as I also mentioned. But if Todd likes it, that's fine. Differences in opinion are what makes for horse races, and political campaigns.
As you know, I love Our Miss Brooks, so maybe I'll hate this one. Gotta give it a whirl.
You know, aside from being set in a school, I don't see much similarity with OUR MISS BROOKS, which I've seen an episode or two of (and heard a handful more). DOBEY GILLIS or ROOM 222 would be about as relevant, and MR. PEEPERS moreso, but still not very much so...more comparable, and the school, so to speak, that this is out of is indeed an absurdist one, the same mode that SONS AND DAUGHTERS or the less good Andy Richter PI sitcom of last season were. I think it's clever enough to make it enjoyable, but, yes, no character here is going to strike one as a nuanced portrayal of the human condition.
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