Community Review: "Home Economics" (Episode 1.8)
Community for the most part plays like a traditional sitcom, but there's one primary aspect that keeps it away from being another exmaple of the old genre: continuity. Due primarily, I would guess, to the way syndication works, sitcoms just don't have a background where what happens in one episode stays relevant in the next. The most important sitcom of my generation, The Simpsons, will make jokes about past episodes but would never base a plotline around it. The two-part "Who Shot Mr. Burns" episodes were noteworthy because things didn't resolve in a quick 22-minutes.... read more
Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin to Host 2010 Oscars
Nothing makes four hours fly by like comedy. Clearly, this is the philosophy behind the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences’ choice of hosts for the 82nd annual Oscars. On Tuesday, MPAAS announced that Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin would host 2010’s awards show.... read more
James Franco to Play Jenna's Boyfriend on 30 Rock
30 Rock never wastes a good guest star. Salma Hayek’s six-episode arc last season as Jack Donaghy’s girlfriend was rapaciously sharp-edged and clever. Will Arnett’s appearances as Jack’s closeted nemesis who sexually harrasses Kenneth is always squirm-worthy and hilarious. And hey, even that ridiculously unfunny comedian with the hatemonger puppets was well placed in last week’s episode.... read more
Mercy Review: "The Last Thing I Said Was" (Episode 1.6)
Though the writing on this fledgling show can still be ham-fisted and lazy at times, jolting from moment to moment without paying the attention to detail that brings an audience along for the ride, this sixth episode of new show Mercy has a few genuinely fine moments.... read more
Flight of the Conchords May Not Return for Third Season
Emmy nominated Flight of the Conchords co-star Jemaine Clement has been frank lately in discussing the New Zealand duo’s future with the show, telling Reuters “it very likely might not” return for a third season due to its strenuous work demands.... read more
Where Have All The Weird Girls Gone? Gone to the Big Screen, (Nearly) Every One
Her clothes aren’t right. Her old man doesn’t understand her. And her love life? Nonexistent to abysmal. She’s too cool for the nerds, too square for the cool kids. She’s the alterna-girl, one of television’s most beloved archetypes—and she’s in trouble.... read more
Hulu for Kids: Jaroo
Hulu’s upcoming move to start charging its users for online programming in 2010 isn’t a bad thing for everyone, especially for youngsters who might not think about that stuff anyway. And besides, they have their own internet-TV site now, and it’s called Jaroo.... read more
Readers' Picks: Best TV Shows of the Decade
We spent a lot of time brainstorming, voting, arguing and refining our list of The 20 Best TV Shows of the Decade. But, of course, we got it wrong. Here’s what our readers chose as the 10 Best TV Shows of the Decade:... read more
60th Anniversary Peanuts Look-A-Like Contest Ending Today
To celebrate Peanuts’ 60th Anniversary of colorful comic strips and, not to mention, a couple memorable holiday cartoon specials, the daughter of creator Charles Schulz is hosting an online character look-a-like contest that will make winners out of those with the most striking resemblance to the Peanuts cast.... read more
Harvard Offers Sociology Course on The Wire
A Harvard professor is creating a course about HBO’s acclaimed series The Wire.... read more
High Definition: Modern Family Finds Its Funny
Despite my high hopes for Joel McHale, John Oliver, Ken Jeong and the rest of the cast of NBC’s hit-and-miss Community, the funniest new comedy this season is Modern Family on ABC. The story of three inter-related families works because its characters seem familiar to life but fresh to the screen.... read more
30 Rock Review: "Stone Mountain" (episode 4.3)
Two weeks ago, Todd VanDerWerff from the AV Club wrote a blog entitled “30 Rock’s Dangerous Decline and the Shadow of Will and Grace,” which I took some umbrage with mostly because I disagreed with many of the points ... and partially because there were a few that I did in fact agree with. He basically posited that the lack of character development and proliferation of plots has been what's bringing the show down, though that's a bit of a reduction of his argument. Last week’s episode was particularly disappointing and made me question whether VanDerWerff was right on more... read more
The Office Review: "Koi Pond" (Episode 6.07)
Before addressing the deep-rooted (but strangely charming) insecurities of Scranton branch’s employees, and especially those of the commanding duo of Michael and Jim, “Koi Pond” opens with Daryl pushing a paper-cart full of saucer-eyed kids through a haunted warehouse, outfitted with costumed co-workers and, well, not quite the age appropriate thrills. Michael successfully demonstrates the “too much of a good thing is a bad thing” theory by simulating his own hanging, kicking out a chair and convulsing his suspended body with his head tied in a noose. It was a nice nod to Halloween’s festivities and serves well in the... read more
Watch Weezer Perform as Insects on Yo Gabba Gabba!
The song? "All My Friends are Insects." The verdict? Pretty fun... read more
Community Review: "Introduction to Statistics" (Episode 1.7)
For the past couple of weeks Community has been largely an ensemble show. Joel McHale naturally steals the show when he’s on due to that whole charisma business of his, but the plots haven’t revolved around him any more than the other characters. Overall it was a nice change of pace that helped flesh out the Community universe. Frankly, it’s impressive that after only a handful of episodes its supporting roles were justified in taking over the show as much as they did. ... read more
Scrubs Season Nine to Debut Dec. 1
Whimsical hospital comedy Scrubs is enduring a daring makeover without Zach Braff for its ninth season, which debuts Thursday, Dec. 1 at 9 p.m. EST on ABC, Variety reports.... read more
Reed. Adam Reed: Adult Swim Alum Launches Animated Spy Show
"James Bond was actually a bit of a dick," says the former director/producer of Sealab 2021... read more
Microsoft Bows Out as Sponsor for Family Guy Television Special
Microsoft is now the latest to call foul on Seth MacFarlane, as the company relinquished sole sponsorship of the upcoming Family Guy television special.... read more
NBC Renews Community, Parks and Recreation and Mercy
TV Nation is a vicious place; some shows get cut down before they really find their audience, some shows are extinguished before they even hit the screen. But some shows do make the cut. Among them this season are the new ensemble-comedy Community, hospital drama Mercy and Amy Poehler-vehicle Parks and Recreation; NBC ordered nine more episodes of each, Variety reports.... read more
Top Chef: Just Desserts Now Casting
Bravo’s Top Chef will showcase a sweeter side to the franchise come 2010 with a spin off what will specifically put pastry chefs to the baking test.... read more
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