Farewell, Bravermans: Parenthood Comes to A Close
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I’ve written here before about my love for NBC’s Jason Katims-created family drama, Parenthood. Tonight at 9 p.m. CST, the show is ending after six seasons and I have no idea how to cope.
Television
Becky’s Been Bingewatching: The Aussie Womens’ Prison Drama Wentworth
I am loving the glut of new shows airing that are focused on telling women’s stories. There’s Broad City, Girls, Benched, Outlander, Orphan Black, The Good Wife, Veep, and Homeland, just to name a few. And, of course, the big hit Orange is the New Black. But what do you watch when that is on break? While browsing Netflix, I happened upon a newer show from Australia, called Wentworth. It follows a group of women as they navigate the prison system. Sound familiar? [Read more…]
Broad City is Back and Every Young Woman Should Watch
Broad City is the best feminist show on television. That’s a big statement, but I’ll stand by it.
This 30-minute Comedy Central show tells simple stories about Abbi (Abbi Jacobson) and Ilana (Ilana Glazer), two women in their early twenties who are best friends living in New York City, with crazy roommates, dead end jobs, and no money. It doesn’t try to be anything more than this, and by not making huge statements it hits on something very special. [Read more…]
On Transparent, Family Comes Second to Self
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Over my Christmas vacation, I took some time to sit and watch the first season of Transparent, available on Amazon Prime. All 10 episodes of the show became available back in September and started conversations about a story from a perspective not often seen on TV.
A Brief Farewell to Dr. Stephen T. Colbert, D.F.A.
One of the greatest creations in television history is ending its run tonight. When the series finale of The Colbert Report airs tonight on Comedy Central it will be the end for Dr. Stephen T. Colbert, D.F.A. For the nine years that the Report aired and for eight years before that as a correspondent on The Daily Show, this character has been bringing hilarious (and sometimes poignant) life to the poorly-informed and rage-filled Id of the American body politic. Though the character was conceived of as a satire of empty cable news bloviators like Bill O’Reilly, he eventually grew beyond that into a refraction of the overweening pride and self-regard of our entire political sphere in all its inane insanity. [Read more…]
Benched is the Beans’ Favorite New Show
Benched is a show that deserves to be seen.
Benched, a new sitcom that airs on Tuesdays at 9:30 CST on USA, is catnip for the Bean household. It boasts a cast we love, a winning creative team, and a concept that promises more thematic heft than the typical sitcom. The show is about a corporate lawyer who loses her boyfriend and her job in brutal fashion and lands at the public defender’s office. Yes, you already know where this is going, but it’s the potential journey that has us excited. It’s love at first sight over here, but let us break down why we’re so excited about Benched.
“Losers” Showcases Local Improv and Acting Talent
New episodes of Losers air every Wednesday. (Image via)
A new Chicago-based webseries began airing episodes Sept 3, but there’s still time to catch up before next week’s midseason premiere. Losers, a self-described show “about fucking up,” is the debut project by new-on-the-scene production company Cloud Gate Productions and centers around a cast of roughly 40 characters in 25 episodes.
Welcome to Stars Hallow: An Intro to the Gilmore Girls
A dedicated fan base broke out in cheers on Twitter when Netflix announced recently that, as of October 1, all seven seasons of the WB show “Gilmore Girls” will be available to stream. Though many of us have been able to re-watch the show on DVD, the possibility of spending time with the fast-talking, trivia-filled titular duo anytime, anywhere fills us with glee. If you’re new to the family and their perpetually-autumnal home of Stars Hallow, let me be your guide into this (sadly fictional) little corner of the world.
“Gilmore Girls” begins streaming on Netflix Oct. 1 (image via).
Talkin’ Softball 22 Years Later: Thoughts from the Dugout
A lot has happened in baseball of late: Mo’ne Davis proving there’s no crying in baseball … except for the kids she strikes out; Jackie Robinson West advancing to the tops of the Little League World Series; and continuing struggles in the race for October. Starting September, I’ll update every week regarding the playoff race. For now, the new TV station FXX is marathoning every episode of The Simpsons, and the baseball/softball tribute/parody “Homer at the Bat” grabbed my attention, if only for the sterling line-up of major league guest stars. The episode aired twenty-two years ago, either two too many or three too few for a proper anniversary tribute, but I wanted to check in on what the Springfield Power Plant softball team stars have been up to.
Selfie May be the Most Promising New Sitcom of the Fall
Selfie , a new ABC sitcom that debuts on September 30th, sounds like a disaster of a show. It stars Doctor Who‘s Karen Gillan as a social media-obsessed pharmaceutical sales rep who realizes that her online life has left her lonely and bereft of friends in reality. John Cho, best known for the Harold and Kumar and Star Trek films, plays a marketing genius at her firm who takes her on as the ultimate turn-around project. Aside from the legions of sci-fi geeks thundering around because the presence of those stars the appeal of this seems limited. It’s a generic romantic comedy set-up that rips off/pays homage to of Pygmalion. Worse, the first trailer made the show look condescending towards the social media generation it aimed to send up. [Read more…]