FtLoTV: The Half-Hour Comedy (Sitcom)

(I finally did it guys! First real post in the series. Better late than never right? LOL!)

Remember Friends? You know, the delightful, laugh-out-loud, ensemble-cast, scripted, situational comedy (sitcom) that aired for 10 years? I know you remember the back and forth of Ross & Rachel's romance, when Chandler & Monica finally came out of the closet, the realization that Phoebe might be normal once we met her twin sister Ursula, and the "How you doin'?" that was Joey's signature phrase. You know you know all the words to, "I'll Be There For You." You've even got the timing of the clap. You saw the series finale, the 236th episode, full of babies, laughter and a hint of sadness. I mean, how sad was it when they left Monica's apartment for the last time? And how relieved were you when you found out that Ross and Rachel finally got it right?

Yes, I am writing about these fictional characters as if they were real people, still living their lives, albeit without the camera lens, simultaneously the microscope and the window into their world, pointed in their direction. But that's the point isn't it? Sometimes television is SO GOOD that you get invested.

Friends is hands-down one of the most successful sitcoms in the history of television. Hell, each of the six main cast members were bringing in ONE MILLION DOLLARS PER EPSIODE in the final season. If you do a little math: 18 episodes x 6 million dollars = 108 million dollars paid in the final season for the principal cast ALONE--- and remember, this money is for 22 minutes of screen time.

Money aside, clearly both the network (NBC) and the viewers thought this was quality--- dare I say it?--- GREAT television. Nowadays, sitcoms seem few and far between, at least the good ones. The 80's, 90's and early 2000's were chock full.* There was:

Mad About You, Boy Meets World, 3rd Rock from the Sun, 8 Simple Rules, Cheers, Dougie Houser, Full House, Fresh Prince, The Parkers, The Steve Harvey Show, Golden Girls, Hanging with Mr. Cooper, Just Shoot Me, Better Off Ted, Living Single, Married With Children, The Nanny, Reba, Martin, My Name is Earl, Home Improvement, Becker, Girlfriends, Everybody Hates Chris, Dharma & Greg, The Cosby Show, A Different World, Scrubs, Sister Sister, Will & Grace, What I Like About You, Veronica's Closet, Frasier, etc.

... just to name a few. And all these shows ran for at least three seasons, something many shows these days are finding hard to do.

So what is it? Is the sitcom dying? I think not. There are some good sitcoms on TV, especially with the influx of new blood in the Fall 2011 season.

So here it is: the good, the bad, the ugly, and the GREAT.**

The GOOD

Raising Hope. I must admit, when I saw the write-up for this last year, I was not impressed. Considering the premise was that a serial killer got knocked up by an average 25 year-old Joe, who, when she was executed, had to take care of the baby, I did not see how the show could last. There are only so many episodes in that storyline. But all it took was one episode and I was hooked. And considering it's in it's second season, I guess a lot of other people were too.

Honorable Mentions: Whitney, The Big Bang Theory, New Girl

The BAD

Two and a Half Men. I never really watched it regularly before the Charlie Sheen fiasco, but I thought I'd give Ashton Kutcher a try. And while I admire the almost seamless replacement of the lead character, it's still not that funny. Perhaps it's like Seinfield and I just don't get it. And I guess sometimes, there's a joke in there that makes me say, "Ha. That was funny."*** But honestly, I just usually end up turning the channel.

Seriously sad: How To Be A Gentleman

THE UGLY

House of Payne. Though it does seem to be getting better, no one wants to watch someone make a complete ass of themselves EVERY EPISODE.**** It physically hurts. And immediately the viewer has to change the channel to something even SLIGHTLY less idiotic for fear of getting stupider.*****

Disgust: Meet the Browns (Really, Tyler Perry needs to do better.)

THE GREAT

If someone asked me, right now, what my favorite comedy on television was I'd have to say,

How I Met Your Mother

Why, you ask? Because not only is it GREAT television, (both the writing and the acting are superb!), but the lives of the characters are so outrageous, they are actually kind of relatable. And Neil Patrick Harris is so awesome in his role as Barney, sometimes I forget he's not actually his character. Plus, the writers weave in long-lasting storylines that sometime come up seasons later. LOVE IT!



Honorable Mentions: 2 Broke Girls, Happy Endings (it's the dialogue!), Cougar Town

Now, the two glaring omissions are Modern Family and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia which apparently go into the GREAT category, but there isn't enough time in the day to watch the many, many seasons I'm behind. So I'll take the word of their many fans :)


Opinions? Agree or Disagree? Sound off in the comment section. 2000 points for anyone who responds with a TV show they'd like me to rate or a question to answer :)

TTFN!

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* The late 90's, early 2000's were, in my opinion, the golden era for black sitcoms. We should simultaneously thank and kick the WB and the CW for this era and it's downfall. Way to sell out guys!)

** This list does not include: Premium channel sitcoms (which are more 'dramedy' anyway) or animated shows, like Futurama, Drawn Together or Allen Gregory which are all awesome, by the way.

*** If something's sort of funny, I usually just state it. If I actually laugh out loud, then it's either really corny, or extremely hilarious. Those around me can usually tell the difference.

**** Embarass him/herself? YES. We eat that -ish up and think 'oh, I'm so glad that would never happen to me.' But act like a buffoon? NO. When it becomes so dumb that it's painful to watch, I wanna throw up a little in my mouth.

***** Yes, I know "stupider" is not a real word.

HotnessinCelebrityForm: Summer Edition #1

Yeah, it's late. I know that summer's over. But now, once I show you all the wonderfulnessinmaleform that appeared on television this summer, you can go back and watch the episodes at your leisure without trying to catch-up and perhaps skip out on other activities to catch another glimpse at Ben Bass or Lyriq Bent.

And there were SO MANY hotties on TV this summer that we must do it by show in order to keep it straight. So here goes:

The Secret Life of the American Teenager

Yes, I watch this show. No, I am not a teenager. Yes, it is a guilty pleasure. No, I do not care if you judge me. Well, maybe a little. But it's just so wickedly GOOD.


Daren Kagasoff - Two Words: UNDERWEAR MODEL. I would say "nuff said," but then I'd be leaving out his better-than-average acting skills and the fact that he's 24 years old and doesn't strike me as a complete idiot. There's very little tabloid drama surrounding him (just think, Lindsay Lohan's not even a year older) and when he does interviews he doesn't act like a complete a-hole. That's enough for me to think that maybe, just maybe he'll make it to his role model Emile Hirsch's level, or better yet, maybe even Joseph Gordon-Levitt's. (Also, how gangster is a show whose 4th season premier was one week after the season 3 finale? 25 episodes in a row without missing a single week. That's dedication my friends.)

Rookie Blue

I mentioned both of these names above, but Lyriq Bent and Ben Bass are two of the hottest men to ever star in the same show. Seriously, I have a hard time concentrating when they're on the screen at the same time. And if you add in Eric Johnson (yeah, it's Whitney from Smallville), you got a veritable trifecta of hotnessincelebrityform.



Leverage

It's time to come clean and admit my obsession with Christian Kane (our love affair has been building since Angel). While I wouldn't go so far as to say that he's the love of my life, I will say that his hair kind of makes me want to have his babies. Did I mention he plays guitar... in a band? And then there's Aldis Hodge. While not as buff as Morris, or as well known as Taye, his sweetness on screen, coupled with the fact the his character is a hacker-with-a-heart (read nerdy) is enough to make most women melt. Plus, it's the smile. If I saw him in person, our smiles just might match. Oh, and he's on a motorcycle.









Covert Affairs

I have show-stalked Christopher Gorham from Popular to Ugly Betty (Betty's love interest, Henry) and now to Covert Affairs and he has only gotten hotter with age. His main character type rarely changes-- he always plays the nerdy guy girls can't help but fall in love with-- but in Covert Affairs as Augie, he's the hott, ex-army ranger turned CIA tech man whose six-pack leaves one breathless. (Don't believe me? See for yourself.) And despite the fact that I'm constantly pissed off that he and Annie (the leading lady in CA) haven't just torn each other's clothes off already, the show's worth watching in spite of that. Plus he and his real-life family are so ridiculously CUTE!

And the reason he's last on this entry? Because when I say I like tallskinnydarkhairedwhiteguys, he's the archetype.


Till next time :)

Two Things... Well Three Things Really

Numero Uno:
I have some fun ideas for the next couple of blog posts, one of them being the actual completion of at least one show synopsis in my FtLoTV (For the Love of TV) series. YAY!! Another one is a poem I've been working on when I can't sleep at night (like now). And last but not least, it is definitely time for another hotnessincelebrityform entry. I'm going to do a few of those since there's a LOT of hott guys on TV in the summer :)

So watch out for those entries!

Numero Dos:
Another entry is going to be a little more personal---- think love life, people! But to do this, I need to have a more accurate list of who I've dated/crushed on in the many years I've been alive. SO, I need your HELP. Call/text/email/facebook/carve it in stone/write in the comment section (only if you feel I won't be TOO embarrassed) the NAMES of the random people I've crushed on SINCE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. Yeah, that's right. I'm going ALL THE WAY BACK.

I've crushed on a lot of people so I need you guys to rack your brain and sus out some names, especially some obscure ones you think I may have forgotten :)

Numero Tres:
I've decided to do a little honest Q & A. So here's your chance to ask me anything. And as long as it's within sight distance of reasonable, I'll answer it in a blog post. This is for all those people who've been wondering about the intricacies of my life (i.e. thedeepstuff) but haven't had the nerve to ask me any questions. You know, because my life is SO interesting. Right. LOL. But seriously, ask away (in the comment section)!

So there you have it. Expect some updates soon. Now do your homework and leave me some comments people!

Love :)

For the Love of TV: Introduction

So two things you should know about me if you don't already:

1) I LOVE TELEVISION.

Like seriously. Notice I did not write, "I like to watch TV." or "I love watching my favorite television shows." It goes deeper than that. I like the art of television. Dialogue, character placement, setting, plot, the turn of a phrase, comedic timing. There's bad television, good television and GREAT television. (And then there's the stuff that's so bad, it's good. And no, I'm not talking about reality TV. Reality TV is always bad. Or rather, I've never watched a reality TV show that didn't want to make me turn it off at some point because of it's sheer stupidity.)

2) I love, love love love, love when fiction makes me want to believe its real. In other words, the best books, the best films, the best TELEVISION will leave me wanting to live, work, eat and sleep in whatever world the writer has provided.

Now, of course this happens in varying degrees--not all works of art are created equal-- but for the most part, I can see the appeal in almost any television show. And sometimes, I can even tell if that appeal will make the show a hit or a miss.

So, for those of you who read my weekly? ramblings, I'm going to pretend that I have my dream job (at least at the moment) for the next few weeks and talk about one of my passions: GREAT TELEVISION.

Now to talk about great television, one must also talk about bad television, so you'll great a glimpse at both ends of the spectrum, and hopefully, some stuff in between. So, if you love TV like I do, or even, as one friend of mine put it, "tolerate it despite the drivel that it is," hopefully you'll find these posts interesting.

NOTE: I'm totally up for ideas as well! Any television show you want me to review? Any character you want me to analyze? Or wonder if I'd date? (LOL) Let me know IN THE COMMENT SECTION. (Love you Dwayne!)

Ta Ta for now!