HollywoodHubbub » FX

Train wreck trailer for ANGER MANAGEMENT starring Charlie Sheen

Frantic Monkey — Sun, 20 May 2012 06:43:08 +0000

Train wreck trailer for ANGER MANAGEMENT starring Charlie Sheen HollywoodHubbub

It’s not long until Charlie Sheen returns to our televisions in Anger Management, based on the Adam Sandler and Jack Nicholson comedy. The show set to premiere on June 28th on FX.

Here’s the “train wreck” trailer which includes a nod to Sheen’s troubles.

Train wreck trailer for ANGER MANAGEMENT starring Charlie Sheen HollywoodHubbub

The best TV shows of 2011-2012

Frantic Monkey — Fri, 18 May 2012 01:50:34 +0000

The best TV shows of 2011-2012 HollywoodHubbub

The TV season is just about over so I thought I’d have a look back at the best shows of 2011-2012. Some things don’t line up that well because the way cable channels like FX and HBO air their shows is slightly off kilter to the networks.

Below are my thoughts, rankings and scores for the 29 shows I watched on an ongoing basis this season from worst to first. Bear in mind that my rankings are based on what I’m most excited to watch each week so they might not match up with the score I give for the quality of the show. Oh, and I’m behind on Mad Men so that’s not included in the list.

29. Don’t Trust the Bitch in Apartment 23
Meh. Talk about high concept, that ridiculous title says it all. I’ve watched the first two episodes and it’s very ordinary. Kristen Ritter basically plays the same character she did in She’s Out of My League. It’s not very funny and that hurts a sitcom. Still, bonus points for James Van Der Beek. 4.5/10

28. Awake
The pilot was intriguing, but the few additional episodes I watched beyond the pilot just reinforced that the show is a basic procedural but with two storylines for the protagonist crammed into each episode. It’s not necessarily bad I just don’t like procedurals. It’s been cancelled now and you can read my opinion on that here. 5/10

27. Alcatraz
It’s a far cry from the brilliance of Lost, but that should be expected. It’s in effect a basic police procedural with a hint of sci-fi and mythology to suck in genre fans. Jorge Garcia is wasted and Sam Neill is almost as annoying as David Caruso in CSI: Miami. Oh, and Fox has cancelled the show now. 5/10

26. The Secret Circle
It was obvious from the very beginning that The Secret Circle wanted so desperately to be The Vampire Diaries that it was embarrassing. The truth is it’s not even close. There’s no chemistry, there are no characters to root for, there’s no “big bad”, there’s no overarching plot, there’s shitty dialogue and lame special effects. The CW has opted to not bring the show back next season and I think that’s one of the smartest decisions the netlet has made in a long time. 5/10

25. How I Met Your Mother
Just like Glee, HIMYM doesn’t feel like the show I used to love. Something’s off and I’ve continued to lose interest in the show from the beginning of the season. It’s a shame because I always looked forward to each new episode. Aside from the good episode here or there, I think the show started to lose something when Barney and Robin got together, and things only got worse when Marshall and Lilly moved out of the apartment they were sharing with Ted. The show did improve once Marshall and Lilly moved back into the apartment in Manhattan, and the season finale was pretty good, but I just know it’s gonna be another long drawn out season when it starts up again in September. I should just stop watching because I know HIMYM never really delivers on the promises it makes. 5/10

24. 2 Broke Girls
I started watching this show simply because I’m a big fan of Kat Dennings (having loved her in Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist and Charlie Bartlett), but it quickly became apparent that the show isn’t that good. Beth Behrs has grown on me, as has the Russian cook in the diner, but the Asian dude and the black guy are annoying racist stereotypes that I can’t let slide. There’s also the glaring problem that the show isn’t funny. Sitcoms are supposed to be funny. 5/10

23. Glee
This show seems so far removed from the one I loved in season 1 that it doesn’t even feel like the same show anymore. Rachel has been sidelined and the other voices given more screentime. Each episode is framed to force feed a moral story on a weekly basis. And the one gay relationship I do like on the show, Brittany and Santana, never seems to go anywhere. I’m hoping that Kurt, Mercedes, Artie and Quinn disappear for good next season. I rank it higher than the stuff listed above for the simple fact that every now and then they do a good cover, and Heather Morris is awesome. Quality-wise it’s subpar. 4.5/10

22. Veep
I’ve only watched the first episode so I’m a little behind, however I’m happy that Tony Hale is back on TV and that I can see Matt Walsh each week. I’m concerned that a political parody like this show is going to get tiresome quickly though. 6/10

21. Justified
Another solid season for this Elmore Leonard based show. It’s never spectacular but Dickie Bennett (played by the extremely talented Jeremy Davies) more than makes up for that. Plus Timothy Olyphant has been a favourite of mine since Scream 2, Go, and Deadwood. 6.5/10

20. South Park
How the mighty have fallen. South Park was the best animated show for a very long time but as soon as Archer debuted it fell to second place and I even think that Bob’s Burgers is better now too. The show is still good but it’s far more hit or miss now than it ever was before. 5.5/10

19. Bob’s Burgers
H Jon Benjamin strikes again, and whilst it’s not as good as Archer, it’s another good animated show which is far superior to everything on Fox’s Sunday animation block. Kristen Schaal does a great job as Louise and there’s great cinematography (if that even applies to animated shows) in episodes now and then. I remember being really startled during the pilot when there’s a shot of a leaf falling towards Bob. I’d never seen something animated that way in a show before and it really impressed me. It’s also laugh out loud funny on a consistent basis. 6.5/10

18. Happy Endings
I decided to watch this show simply because Damon Wayans Jr was in the pilot of New Girl and then disappeared due to his commitment to Happy Endings. I was surprised to discover that the show is decent, and very surprised to discover that Elisha Cuthbert has some comedic ability beyond being stalked by a cougar. 6/10

17. Game of Thrones
You know what, this show is nothing special. It’s got a crazy enthusiastic following, both because of the books and because of the show, but it never blows me away. It just keeps plodding along, sometimes jumping along in time from episode to episode, sometimes with each episode being very close together in the timeline. Still, it’s suitably violent every now and again, and it did allow me to see Carice Van Houten naked again, so I’ll continue to watch. I’m really looking forward to Joffrey being killed and Daenerys doing something (anything) other than threatening to do something. 6/10

16. American Horror Story
It’s bat shit fucking insane and has completely random stories, but it’s weirdly addictive all the same. I remember having a chat with a friend about the show and whilst neither of us could articulate why we enjoyed it, we both did. I’m intrigued to see how the second season plays out with an entirely new cast and location, although given that Ryan Murphy is responsible I fully expect the storytelling to be just as disjointed as the first season (and Glee). 6/10

15. Survivor
Colton was the villain that didn’t go far enough, Chelsea was really fucking hot, Troyzan was probably my favourite, but Kim deserved to win. Thankfully the person who deserved to win actually did, which isn’t something that happens very often on Survivor. You can check out what I thought of the season and the finale here. 6/10

14. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
It continued to be highly inappropriate and wonderful because of it. Thinking back on the season the things that really stick out are the gangs visit to the Jersey Shore and the game of Chardee MacDennis. 6.5/10

13. Modern Family
I never keep up with Modern Family on a week to week basis, but when I do eventually sit down and catch up I’m always angry with myself that I wasn’t watching the episodes as soon as they aired. Everyone in this show is good, but I am most impressed by Sophia Vergara, Ty Burrell, Sarah Hyland, and Ariel Winter. It’s not the best comedy on TV (network TV), that honour probably goes to Parks and Recreation, but it’s gotta be in the top 5. 7/10

12. Boardwalk Empire
It continues to be a slow-burn show, which has flashes of violence and mayhem and not enough pure mob related drama, but it deserves credit for having the balls to whack Jimmy in the season finale. I didn’t think that would happen. 7.5/10

11. True Blood
God this show is frustrating. There are so many elements which make it good, like Pam, Jessica, Russell, Godric, Sophie-Anne, the flashbacks, the sex, and the violence. Then there are the terrible things which drag it down, like Tara, the Merlotte family, the love triangle between Sookie, Bill and Eric, the shitty villains in season 2 and 4. True Blood never gets the majority of things right. Never. Yet I can’t stop watching. I’m not sure there’s ever been a show as addictive and truly frustrating as True Blood before. 5.5/10

10. New Girl
For a show that I only started watching so I could see Zooey Deschanel it’s very pleasing to know that it introduced Schmidt, the best new character on TV. Not only that, but Jake Johnson, Lamorne Morris, and Hannah Simone have made this into a true ensemble show. The only thing I’m not looking forward to in season 2 is the inevitable “will they won’t they” between Jess and Nick. 7/10

9. Luck
Who would of thought that a show about horse racing and betting could be so damn good. Considering my undying love for Deadwood I shouldn’t have been surprised that David Milch would create another great show. Luck also did the impossible, it made me like Dustin Hoffman. It’s a distinct shame that the renewed second season was cancelled due to a number of deaths of horses on set. 7.5/10

8. Community
Some of the super-meta, pop culture referencing parody episodes go a little too far in my opinion, but there’s no doubt that Community is a very good show that doesn’t have the viewership it should do. This show deserves praise for introducing Donald Glover, Danny Pudi, Annie’s boobs, Dean Pelton, and Chang. Plus I’m a big fan of Chevy Chase so having him back on a regular basis is awesome. No matter how much of a prick he’s supposed to be in real life. It’s great that NBC has picked up Community for a 4th season but somewhat bittersweet because they’ve only ordered 13 episodes. But you never know, maybe one of their other million new sitcoms will be shit and they’ll extend the episode order for Community. We can only hope. 7/10

7. Parks and Recreation
To be honest, this season has been a little bit of a letdown after what we’ve come to expect from the show. Still, it’s been enjoyable and funny, and Adam Scott has remained, which I didn’t think would happen when he was first introduced. We also got to see Paul Rudd and Kathryn Hahn on a fairly regular basis which was pretty cool. 7/10

6. Archer
The best animated show on TV by a wide margin. It’s often hilarious and inappropriate, and there are never enough episodes. There’s not much more that needs to be said. 8/10

5. Breaking Bad
I find it hard to sit down and watch a single isolated episode of Breaking Bad because each season is constructed in a way that demands you watch it from start to end. There’s a beauty to just about every episode of this show that you don’t find anywhere else on TV with the exception of Mad Men. I’m very disappointed that the final season is going to be broken up into two segments, but I’m looking forward to how the tale of Walter and Jessie ends. My money is on Hank discovering the truth and Walter killing him. Walter has gotten darker each season and I can only see that trend continuing right until the very end. 8/10

4. Girls
There’s been a crazy amount of online chatter and criticism about this show which was mostly a knee jerk reaction to the fact that a 26 year old girl was writing, directing and starring in a very good show on HBO, and people were upset/jealous about it. There were also those who were mad that the show didn’t depict the female gender as they see it or live it. Whatever. Girls is funny and entertaining, and it seems grounded in reality (to me at least), so what’s not to like? I’ll continue to watch and hope for many more seasons to come. I also want to give kudos to Dunham for getting naked a lot. I would of thought that someone of her age who’s able to control what she does on screen would not have flashed her tits so often, if at all, so I’m pleased that she’s not shy about it in the slightest. Chances are we won’t see Allison Williams naked though based on what she said in an interview with Vulture. I’m also continually amazed that this show does stuff that I’ve never ever seen on TV before. Who would of thought that Adam jerking off while Hannah watches and admonishes him would be so damn funny (and tragic). 7.5/10

3. Louie
It has to be the most unique show on TV right now because despite being a comedy it can often be very serious and poignant. Witness the God episode from last season, or the Afghanistan episode from this season. I don’t see any other comedic shows being able to do something like that and do it so well. It’s a credit to Louie CK and FX that the show is the way it is. Here’s hoping that we get plenty more before the show finally goes off the air. 8/10

2. Eastbound & Down
It’s a credit to Danny McBride that a guy as loud, brash, hedonistic, and completely immoral as Kenny Powers can be so damn likeable. There are so many things to love about this show that I find it difficult to believe that anyone couldn’t be a fan. Whether it’s Kenny’s ridiculous insults or turn of phrase, Stevie Janowski (the best sidekick ever), Ashley Schaeffer, Deep Roy, the change in locations for each season, the nudity, the soundtrack, or the fact that Kenny basically stayed the same throughout the show, I don’t think I can pick fault with Eastbound & Down. 8.5/10

1. The Vampire Diaries
My A #1 favourite show last year is in the top spot once again. This season was kinda all over the place. It started well with Stefan being dragged around by Klaus, it lagged a bit in the middle, it introduced the entire Original Family only to scatter them and kill some, mother Original Ester was very underwhelming, father Original Michael was awesome and then dead far too easily for someone that Klaus (the baddest most scary of Originals) was running from for centuries, Klaus got softened too much, the Salvatore brothers were given too much leeway by the Originals considering they are clearly inferior to Klaus, Rebeka, Elijah and the rest, Jeremy still comes across as the emo younger brother who throws temper tantrums, and Bonnie is still the second most annoying person on a vampire show behind Tara on True Blood. None of that matter. I love this show and waited with baited breath for each new episode. Now that Elena has finally been turned (or will be next season once she transitions) I cannot wait to see what happens. As long as Klaus gets back in his own body soon I’m gonna be very happy. 7.5/10

The best TV shows of 2011-2012 HollywoodHubbub

First poster for Charlie Sheen’s ANGER MANAGEMENT

Frantic Monkey — Mon, 14 May 2012 06:08:08 +0000

First poster for Charlie Sheen’s ANGER MANAGEMENT HollywoodHubbub

It’s not long until the June 28th premiere of Charlie Sheen’s return to TV in Anger Management and here’s the first poster for the upcoming FX show.

I’m really truly hoping that the show is good and successful. I like Sheen and I think he deserves credit for speaking the truth about that piece of shit Two and a Half Men. He might have gone off the deep end a little with all the porn stars and drugs and locking women in closets, but I still think he’s a fascinating and charming dude. Hopefully that will translate to the new show and he won’t be saddled with boring plots like he was on Two and a Half Men.

My concern is that the show’s based on a totally lame Adam Sandler movie.

First poster for Charlie Sheen’s ANGER MANAGEMENT HollywoodHubbub

ARCHER season 3 poster

Frantic Monkey — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 01:14:50 +0000

ARCHER season 3 poster HollywoodHubbub

Best of the Week: 23rd – 29th Oct 2011

Frantic Monkey — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 06:09:15 +0000

Best of the Week: 23rd – 29th Oct 2011 HollywoodHubbub

A weekly post with the purpose of highlighting the shows I watched during the week from Sunday to Saturday and how I ranked them. It’s not intended as a list of all shows on the air, only those that I actually watched during the week. Watching something on Monday that aired on Friday won’t make the cut.

Like everything on this site it’s for my own enjoyment but feel free to comment.

Again, too much work and FIFA12 for me to watch any decent amount of TV this week, but I will say that my top two shows this week were a much appreciated return to form. On top of that, I just don’t have the time to post anything substantial beyond what’s here in this draft form. I wanted to get something up so here it is.

1. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia “Chardee MacDennis” (7×07) - I love these episodes where they never leave the bar. 7.5/10

2. Community “Horror Fiction in Seven Spooky Steps” (3×05) - Great viewing on the first occasion, good viewing on the second. 7/10

3. Parks & Recreation “Meet n Greet” (4×05) – It seems like this show can do no wrong lately. Then again, it’s been like that for pretty much this show’s entire life. I’m hopeful that the demise of Entertainment 720 will mean that Tom will return to work with Leslie. 7.5/10

4. The Vampire Diaries “Ghost World” (3×07) – Even average episodes of this show are above average. If that makes sense. 7/10

5. American Horror Story “Halloween Part 1″ (1×04) – It continues to be really random and all over the place, yet I continue to enjoy it. I can’t put into words why. 6.5/10

6. Whitney “The Wire“ (1×05) – This show is really starting to grow on me, and with impressive considering I don’t like the two other women and the Indian guy. This show succeeds on Whitney, Alex and Mark. 6/10.

7. 2 Broke Girls “And the Disappearing Bed” (1×06) – Meh. 6/10

8. The Secret Circle “Masked” (1×07) – Cassie has power outside of the circle. That’s good news because I didn’t want the development of the character to be hindered by the drama of the rest of the group. 6/10

9. How I Met Your Mother “Noretta” (7×07) – More lameness. 5.5/10

10. Survivor (23×07) – Poor. 5/10

11. Once Upon a Time “Pilot” (1×01) – The real world stuff was far better than the fantasy land stuff. I don’t have high hopes for this show moving forward, despite the presence of two Lost writers. 5/10

12. Beavis and Butthead (8×01) – I knew there was a reason I never got into this show back in the day. Because it’s annoying. 5/10

13. Grimm “Pilot” (1×01) – So very very lame. 4.5/10

Best of the Week: 23rd – 29th Oct 2011 HollywoodHubbub

Best of the Week: 16th – 22nd Oct 2011

Frantic Monkey — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 21:45:17 +0000

Best of the Week: 16th – 22nd Oct 2011 HollywoodHubbub

Like everything on this site it’s for my own enjoyment but feel free to comment.

Too much work and too much FIFA 12 led me to watch very little TV this week. It was good that a bunch of shows weren’t on this week as it meant I didn’t miss too much.

1. The Vampire Diaries “Smells Like Teen Spirit” (3×06) – No Klaus but Rebeka is still around so that’s a bonus. Stefan still sucks, whether he’s a good guy or a bad guy. I like that Vicky is back but it appears that storyline is over with now. Shame. Looks like ghost Mason is back, and hopefully for a while, because I actually like him. 7.5/10

2. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia “The Storm of the Century” (7×06) – Rickety Cricket returns, and it’s another glourious appearance by David Hornsby. I liked Dennis’ weird zoning out when he spots the news lady. Plus Charlie was absolutely right when he said Dennis was a little too dark talking to those two chicks. 7/10

3. American Horror Story “Murder House” (1×03) – The show continues to be really random and all over the place, but I continue to like it. Although I’m at a loss to explain why. I liked that I got a little more of the back story for Constance and Moira. 6/10

4. 2 Broke Girls “And The ’90s Horse Party” (1×05) – It wasn’t that great and it wasn’t that bad. It’s just a standard multi-camera sitcom. I will say that Beth Behrs is certainly growing on me. 6/10

5. The Secret Circle “Wake” (1×06) – Thinking back on the episode it wasn’t that memorable. In fact all I can remember was that Nick’s brother turned up, so did a girl that wanted Cassie’s blood, and Diana broke up with Adam. Still, I know I enjoyed the episode while I was watching it. 5.5/10

6. How I Met Your Mother “Mystery vs History” (7×06) – Lame, as the show continues to be. 5.5/10

7. South Park “Bass to Mouth” (15×10) – If the episode had been solely about Cartman either getting people to kill themselves or helping that kid who shit himself to not kill himself it would of been much better. Instead we got a lame throwback episode to Lemmiwinks. 5.5/10

8. Suburgatory “Don’t Call Me Shirley” (1×04) – Jane Levy is still awesome and hot, but the show really isn’t that funny. It’s amazing what I’ll watch just to see an attractive girl. 5/10

9. Survivor “Free Agent” (23×06) – Mykayla is gone (to Redemption Island at least) and it’s fucking bullshit. 4/10

Best of the Week: 16th – 22nd Oct 2011 HollywoodHubbub

Best of the Week: 9th – 15th Oct 2011

Frantic Monkey — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 22:53:01 +0000

Best of the Week: 9th – 15th Oct 2011 HollywoodHubbub

Like everything on this site it’s for my own enjoyment but feel free to comment.

This week has again been dominated by FIFA 12, with the added bonus that I got the new iPhone 4S on Friday and didn’t watch any TV. This has led to a reduction in the number of shows I watched this week.

1. Breaking Bad “Face Off” (4×13) – An absolutely fantastic conclusion to the season and one which will hopefully set up next season (being the shows last) to be the one where Walt faces the possibility of actually getting caught by Hank. It’s a shame that Gus is gone but this was an amazing episode. 9.5/10

2. The Vampire Diaries “The Reckoning” (3×05) – When Klaus snapped Tyler’s neck I was happy. Not because I thought for one second that he was actually dead, but because I knew there was gonna be another change in the dynamics of the show. Either Tyler was going to die or he was gonna be turned into a hybrid. Good stuff. Plus we also got some info on the guy who’s chasing Klaus. His name’s Michael and he’s a vampire who’s also a hunter. Like I said, good stuff. 8/10

3. Community “Remedial Chaos Theory” (3×04) – I really enjoyed the alternate timelines, each one telling the same short story differently. It reminded me of the multiple endings to Clue, one of my favourite films of all time. 7.5/10

4. Parks and Recreation “Pawnee Rangers” (4×04) – Ron was awesome, as he always is, plus every episode where Ron and Leslie compete with each other is good. 7/10

5. American Horror Story “Home Invasion” (1×02) – It continues to be kinda weird and random, and I like it. This episode also benefited from the fact that Dylan McDermott wasn’t around much. He’s the week link for me so far. 6.5/10

6. 2 Broke Girls “And the Rich People Problems” (1×04) – Finally, the girls are starting to develop a friendship. 6.5/10

7. How I Met Your Mother “Field Trip” (7×05) – Kal Penn was wasted again, but this was certainly a better episode than last weeks. 6.5/10

8. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia “Frank’s Brother” (7×04) – Some of it was good, but the gang did just about nothing for the entire episode. That’s a letdown. 6/10

9. Whitney “A Decent Proposal” (1×04) – I don’t think this is as good as previous episodes based on the fact that Whitney’s friends were sort of pushed to the foreground. I like that Mark was more involved this week though. 6/10

10. South Park “The Last of the Meheecans” (15×09) – This episode was so average I stopped watching after 5 minutes and went and made dinner. Chicken and pasta for those wondering. 5/10

11. Survivor “Taste The Victory” (23×05) – It continues to be average, but most seasons of Survivor usually are. 5/10

Best of the Week: 9th – 15th Oct 2011 HollywoodHubbub

Best of the Week: 2nd – 8th Oct 2011: Twitter Style

Frantic Monkey — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 07:53:20 +0000

Best of the Week: 2nd – 8th Oct 2011: Twitter Style HollywoodHubbub

Like everything on this site it’s for my own enjoyment but feel free to comment.

NBA 2K12 and FIFA 12 have taken up a great deal of my free time this week so I’m gonna do my Best of the Week Twitter style. 140 characters or less.

1. Modern Family “Door to Door” (3×04) – A really great episode of Modern Family. Sometimes this show blows my mind with how good it is. 8.5/10

2. Parks and Recreation “Born & Raised” (4×03) – Ron and April should always be together. Plus another good appearance of Joan. 8/10

3. Breaking Bad “End Times” (4×12) – Not as good as last week, but impressive nonetheless. 8/10

4. The Vampire Diaries “Disturbing Behavior” (3×04) – I love how this show moves at such a brisk pace. Klaus is back in Mystic Falls. 7/10

5. American Horror Story “Pilot” (1×01) – It’s a weird, freaky, retro, David Lynchian horror drama from the creators of Glee. And I really liked it. I just hope they keep it weird. 7/10

6. South Park “Ass Burgers” (15×08) - Wow. This has to be the darkest episode of South Park I’ve ever seen. It wasn’t necessarily that funny, but it was pretty damn good. 6.5/10

7. Community “Competitive Ecology” (3×03) – Chang was completely unhinged and Todd was cool. Much better than last weeks episode. 6.5/10

8. 2 Broke Girls “And Strokes of Goodwill” (1×03) – Kat Dennings is still awesome, and Beth Behrs is growing on me. 6/10

9. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia “Sweet Dee Gets Audited” (7×04) – Definitely a step down from the last couple of weeks. 6/10

10. Whitney “Silent Treatment” (1×03) – I just don’t get the high level of criticism this show get. It’s far superior to The Big Bang Theory in my opinion. 6/10

11. New Girl “Wedding” (1×03) – Another poor choice of having the guys support Jess by doing something dumb. You don’t need to force “heart”. Just be funny. 5.5/10

12. Suburgatory “The Barbecue” (1×02) – Meh. It was OK but that’s it. 5.5/10

13. How I Met Your Mother “The Stinson Missile Crisis” (7×04) – Lame. So very lame. 5/10

14. Survivor “Survivalism” (23×04) - Mykayla is still around so that’s good. 5/10

Best of the Week: 2nd – 8th Oct 2011: Twitter Style HollywoodHubbub

Best of the Week: 18th – 24th Sept 2011

Frantic Monkey — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 09:29:02 +0000

Best of the Week: 18th – 24th Sept 2011 HollywoodHubbub

Like everything on this site it’s for my own enjoyment but feel free to comment.

Oh my God, TV is finally back in full swing. Last week featured the return of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and the premiere of some new shows, but this week the floodgates really opened. And holy hell did I watch a shit ton of TV this week. Not only did I watch approximately 11 hours 39 minutes of shows that aired this week, but I also watched every episode of The Vampire Diaries. 45 episodes. The equivalent of roughly 33 hours and 45 minutes. I can’t believe I’d never seen an episode before last Saturday.

So for the week I watched about 45 hours 24 minutes of TV shows. And that doesn’t even take into account the movies I watched. I’m impressed with myself.

1. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia “The Gang Goes to the Jersey Shore” (7×02) - What’s not to love about this episode. Dee gets braids, Mac is still fat, Charlie has a romantic moment with the waitress, Dennis and Dee smoke angel dust and people get shot, and Charlie, Dee and Dennis encounter two homeless guys fucking under the boardwalk. Awesome stuff. 8.5/10

2. Parks and Recreation “I’m Leslie Knope” (4×01) – What’s weird is nothing really stood out to me, but it was yet another great half hour of comedy, from one of the top 3 comedies on TV. I particularly liked Ann’s storyline of all the guys in City Hall sending her pictures of their dicks. 8.5/10

3. Community “Biology 101″ (3×01) – John Goodman and Jim Rash. I hope that becomes an ongoing thing this season. And Ken Jeong better get a whole hell of a lot more screen time or else I’m gonna be very disappointed. Props to this episode for also letting me get a glimpse of Annie’s (Alison Brie’s) underwear. 7/10

4. Breaking Bad “Salud” (4×10) – The Walter and Walt Jr stuff was crappy, the Skyler stuff was even worse, but the Jesse, Gus and Mike stuff easily made up for what was boring about this episode. Who the hell knows what’s gonna happen between now and the end of the season. 7/10

5. Modern Family “When Good Kids Go Bad” (3×02) – Julie Bowen was good in this episode. I mean, really good. Plus, “Kill the new baby”, how freaking funny is that. 7/10

6. Modern Family “Dude Ranch” (3×01) – Same rating as above, but I just didn’t like the setting of the episode that much. I did enjoy the New York kid and Alex’s scenes. And I can’t help but be a little disappointed that Dylan may no longer be around. 7/10

7. The Vampire Diaries “The Hybrid” (3×02) – Just the right about of Bonnie (none), too much Stefan, too much Jeremy, and nowhere near enough Caroline. It looks like Klaus is either aware that Elena is not dead, or he will be soon. Hopefully that means he returns to Mystic Falls. Plus Horn Rimmed Glasses guy from Heroes has arrived as Caroline’s father. 6.5/10

8. Glee “The Purple Piano Project” (3×01) - The gang singing The Go-Go’s “We Got The Beat” was the highlight of the episode, plus the wonderfully awesome Heather Morris and Naya Rivera are back on my TV. I really hope they get even more to do this season. And that they finally start their lesbian relationship. That whole storyline was easily the most effective and moving aspect of last season. 6/10

9. Archer “Heart of Archness: Part 2″ (3×02) – David Cross featured so that’s an obvious bonus, but Judy Greer did just about nothing, so that brings it back down. Plus for the most part it wasn’t very funny. 6/10

10. New Girl “Pilot” (1×01) – See my review. 6/10

11. The Secret Circle “” (1×02) – I’m hopeful that this show will develop like The Vampire Diaries has. The only thing which kinda concerns me at the moment is I don’t typically like “witch” stories. I think the whole genre lends itself to lazy and easy writing. Unlike vampire tales, which in general have rules which govern the powers (silver, garlic, vervain, stake through the heart), witch tales aren’t like that. If something can’t be done, then there’s a spell for it. I’ve seen it a couple of times in The Vampire Diaries so far. Someone dies and can’t be brought back, never worry because we just found a long lost spellbook. As long as The Secret Circle doesn’t fall into this trap I’m gonna enjoy watching it. And I hope down the line they do a crossover with The Vampire Diaries. 6/10

12. 2 Broke Girls “Pilot” (1×01) – Beth Behrs was completely underwhelming but I really do love Kat Dennings. Therefore, I rate it as slightly above average. I have a feeling the show will stick around thanks in no small part to the lead-in it has. 5.5/10

13. How I Met Your Mother “The Best Man” (7×01) – Has it really come to this? A show that I consistently thought was among the funniest on TV is now making jokes about its own lame storytelling device. Yeah, we get it, you’re gonna drag out the whole “how I met your mother” angle until the very end. Fucking bullshit. Not even Barney is funny anymore. Plus, I hate to say it, but Alyson Hannigan is starting to look old. 5.5/10

14. Survivor “He Has Demons” (23×02) – I want Ozzy to win. If not him, then Mikayla, Papa Bear, and Cochran. In that order. The problem is none of the people I want to win ever do. That inevitably leads me to get angry with the show. Just as long as Brandon goes soon I’ll be happy. And that’s coming from a massive fan of Russell. 5.5/10

15. Fringe “Neither Here Nor There” (4×01) – It was plainly average. I don’t have much else to say. 5/10

16. Person of Interest “Pilot” (1×01) – I’m hopeful that as the season progresses there will be an extra layer of intrigue introduced, because if it stays like it is in the pilot, it’s simply a by the numbers procedural. And that’s a waste of Michael Emerson’s talent. 5/10

17. Free Agents “What I Did for Work” (1×02) – Azaria and Hahn are so charming, it’s a shame the show doesn’t appear to be funny in the slightest. 5/10

18. The Big Bang Theory “The Skank Reflex Analysis” (5×01) – This show is always average to below average, and I can’t explain for the life of me why I continue to watch it. It must be because I’m continually hoping to see Kaley Cuoco in something vaguely slutty. 4.5/10

19. The Big Bang Theory “The Infestation Hypothesis” (5×02) – As above. 4.5/10

20. Two and a Half Men “Nice To Meet You, Walden Schmidt” (9×01) – I checked out the season premiere only because I actually like Ashton Kutcher, not because I’m a fan of the show. I watched the first three seasons over the last month or so for the first time, and found it to be even less funny than The Big Bang Theory. Kutcher didn’t help in the funny department. How this show continues to get good ratings is beyond me. 4.5/10

21. Up All Night “Cool Neighbors” (1×02) – So far this might be the worst kind of sitcom, one that goes for that “uncomfortable” humour and ends up being completely and totally unfunny. It doesn’t help that I truly dislike Christina Applegate. When oh when is Will Arnett gonna catch a break and end up on a good show again? 4/10

22. The Playboy Club “Pilot” (1×01) – In my eyes this show very clearly wants to be Mad Men. It’s trying for that same kind of style and awareness of the social mores of the time, but it fails at everything in the pilot. I didn’t expect it to be good and it’s not. I love it when I’m right. 4/10

23. Hart of Dixie “Pilot” (1×01) – I love The O.C.. And it should go without saying that I love Rachel Bilson by extension. But the pilot for Hart of Dixie was really underwhelming. I know I shouldn’t feel this way, but Rachel Bilson is just too hot to be a doctor. And it’s because of that (and my general distaste for medical shows) that I’m gonna have to give up on Hart of Dixie after just one episode. 4/10

Best of the Week: 18th – 24th Sept 2011 HollywoodHubbub

IT’S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA season 7 posters

Frantic Monkey — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 07:11:07 +0000

IT’S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA season 7 posters HollywoodHubbub

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia returns on September 15th for its seventh season.

That’s reason enough to be super excited.

I don’t think there’s a more consistently offensive, but hilarious, show on TV.

Click the banner to embiggen it.

IT’S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA season 7 posters HollywoodHubbub