Television Without Pity - All Blogs

Thursday, May 23, 2013: Save Me

Thu, 23 May 2013 06:00:00 -0500

Anne Heche has an NBC sitcom and I got was to write a stupid blog about it.

Five Things to Know About The Hangover Part III

Thu, 23 May 2013 06:00:00 -0500

Much like an actual hangover, the Hangover franchise has lingered around multiplexes long after the pleasant buzz of the original hit has passed. The Hangover Part III, then, is the cinematic equivalent of the two aspirin and/or special cocktail of Tabasco sauce, raw eggs, peanut butter and whatever the hell else is in the fridge that you knock back in order to rid yourself of that queasy feeling that accompanies the morning after a long night of binge drinking. The only difference is that those miracle cures generally improve your mood, whereas this movie will likely leave you more nauseous. In the interests of AA-inspired group sharing, if you're planning to spend Memorial Day weekend in the company of the Wolf Pack, here are five things you should know:

Modern Family: Goodnight, Gracie. Hello, Series Highlight.

Wed, 22 May 2013 22:02:00 -0500

Even if I hated the rest of Season 4 (mostly just seven eighths of it, really), "Goodnight Gracie" was one of the best episodes of Modern Family ever. The plotlines were fun and unpredictable, the ensemble was well-used and the conceit was incredibly sweet. Were there hints of the same problems this show always has, with lazy stereotypes and unadventurous jokes? Sure, but the acting was pretty stellar, and at the end of the day, the episode was fun -- so much so that I already look forward to watching it again. Truthfully, I watched this without realizing it was the finale, and while it could have closed out Season 4 with more material, I'm fine with accepting "Goodnight Gracie" for what it was. Let's take a look at the best lines of the night:

Critics' Choice Television Awards 2013: Nominees Announced

Wed, 22 May 2013 09:52:59 -0500

The Broadcast Television Journalists Association (BTJA), whose membership includes two TWoP staffers, has announced the nominations for its 3rd Annual Critics' Choice Television Awards. The winners will be revealed June 10, 2013, in a ceremony hosted by Parks and Recreation's Retta that will be streamed live on UStream. In the meantime, treat yo self to the complete list of nominees here. (Note: Nominated programs and performances aired between June 1, 2012 and May 31, 2013.)

Wednesday, May 22, 2013: Masterchef

Wed, 22 May 2013 06:00:00 -0500

Aw man, this show? Can't we just re-watch an infinite loop of the Amy's Baking Company episode of Kitchen Nightmares instead? (Seriously, if you haven't seen that yet, stop what you're doing and watch it right here immediately. That's an order.)

Tuesday, May 21, 2013: The Bachelor

Tue, 21 May 2013 06:00:00 -0500

I guess this is what we get instead of a new season of Bachelor Pad.

TV on DVD: Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Tue, 21 May 2013 06:00:00 -0500

Time to venture back to bloody ol' Bon Temps.

I Want My DVD: Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Tue, 21 May 2013 06:00:00 -0500

One of the side effects of Side Effects is sadness that Steven Soderbergh is now one film closer to retirement.

Veep: The Episode's Best Insults

Mon, 20 May 2013 11:25:03 -0500

Following Vice President Meyer's disastrous official state trip to Finland last week, Veep was back on its home turf in "Andrew," the title of the show's sixth Season 2 episode and also the name of the Veep's ex-husband (played by David Pasquesi) who we hadn't met before tonight. Maybe it was having to make nice with the House majority leader, Mary King; maybe it was her daughter Katherine's 21st birthday celebration; or, more likely, maybe it was just having her ex around -- who still has the power to stir up latent feelings of loathing-tinged lust inside her -- but Selina kept her tongue in check for most of the episode, foregoing her usual spray of profane insults. And, for the most part, the show followed suit. It was still funny, just not quite as bracingly mean as we're accustomed to.

Saturday Night Live: Straight Outta 8H

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:58:06 -0500

In case you were wondering why Ben Affleck was randomly tapped to host the season finale of Saturday Night Live despite the post-Oscar glow of his Argo victory having long since worn off, the almost immediate disappearance of his Terrence Malick adventure To the Wonder from theaters and the absence of any new projects in his career pipeline, the answer lies in the fact that this episode marked the departure of Bill Hader and his popular Stefon alter ego from Studio 8H. (Also Fred Armisen, but c'mon... he shoulda left three seasons ago.)

Game of Thrones: Our Weekly Westeros Scorecard

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:53:31 -0500

You're cordially invited to the the worst wedding (and wedding night) ever. Also, our highlights reel of Game of Thrones's eight episode, "Second Sons."

Monday, May 20, 2013: The Big C

Mon, 20 May 2013 06:00:00 -0500

Hope you like crying!

Happy Anniversary: National Lampoon's Vacation

Mon, 20 May 2013 06:00:00 -0500

When the 30th anniversary Blu-ray edition of National Lampoon's Vacation (which hits shelves tomorrow) crossed my desk, two thoughts went through my head. 1) "I haven't seen this in ages!" and 2) "30th anniversary? Man, I am old." To my surprise, though, the movie itself doesn't feel as ancient as I did in that moment or as many comedies from that era do today. (Seen Meatballs lately? Yikes.) In fact, period fashions, music cues and surprising amounts of casual nudity aside, Vacation is fairly timeless in its comedy. The Griswold clan's ill-fated road trip to Walley World still makes us laugh in large part because the characters' personalities and the madcap situations they become ensnared in remain relatable and funny to viewers past and present.

Sunday, May 19, 2013: The Apprentice

Sun, 19 May 2013 06:00:00 -0500

FINALLY.

The Most Heinous Person on Reality TV This Week

Fri, 17 May 2013 12:56:15 -0500

While he didn't make the final list, we'd like to give a special shout-out to good old Rudy from Survivor who went out of his way to use the word "queer" on national television. Being old doesn't excuse all bad behavior.

Friday, May 17, 2013: Nikita

Fri, 17 May 2013 06:00:00 -0500

This show comes to a close tonight -- but not forever.

Indie Snapshot: Julianne Moore Times Two

Fri, 17 May 2013 06:00:00 -0500

Having recognized that mainstream Hollywood holds few options for her beyond roles as mothers and/or cougars, Julianne Moore has established primary residence within the independent film world in recent years, where the range of characters is supposedly broader. For example, Moore's latest indie features The English Teacher and What Maisie Knew -- both of which have already opened in limited release in select markets and expand wider today -- cast her as... um, a cougar and a mother respectively. So much for range, I guess.

Indie Snapshot: Erased

Fri, 17 May 2013 06:00:00 -0500

Had Jeremy Renner not suddenly become Hollywood's go-to utility franchise player in the past few years, it's easy to imagine Aaron Eckhart taking over the Bourne series once Matt Damon decided to move on to greener pastures. Where Renner is an innately more volatile screen presence, Eckhart has the same contrast between his placid, matinee idol exterior and inner action hero that made Damon's Jason Bourne so relatable. Eckhart must have realized the missed opportunity, given that his new thriller Erased is essentially Bourne-lite, sending the star's ex-CIA alter ego on a cross-country race through Europe as his Agency past nips at his heels.

Modern Family: The Best Lines of the Night

Thu, 16 May 2013 10:40:50 -0500

My least favorite Modern Family episodes are the ones that reveal just how awful the Dunphy-Pritchett-Delgado adults are deep down -- and that was the running gag in "Games People Play." Not to mention that the pattern this season has been that for every tiny step Lily has taken to improve, Manny just gets that much worse. Making him a whiny sneak with an unsubtle Oedipal problem did not do him any favors. While we've seen Jay and Gloria realize how obnoxious they are, with Phil and Cam accidentally (and unbeknownst to them) publicly shaming themselves and Claire functioning as a wet blanket, this episode wasn't a complete waste. There were still some pretty funny moments, so let's focus on those:

Fall TV 2013: What's On When

Thu, 16 May 2013 09:38:06 -0500

Hot tip: If no one is watching your network comedy, slate it for a slow and painful Friday night death.

Thursday, May 16, 2013: The Office

Thu, 16 May 2013 09:36:07 -0500

It's time for (finally) saying goodbye.

Star Trek Into Darkness: Boys and Their Toys

Thu, 16 May 2013 06:00:00 -0500

After turning it over in my brain a bit, I think I've come up with an analogy for why Star Trek Into Darkness proves so disappointing as the second entry in J.J. Abrams's rebooted Trek film franchise. Bear with me a moment while I set this up: (Warning: Spoilers Follow)

TNT & TBS Upfront 2013: Reaping What Other Networks Sowed

Wed, 15 May 2013 13:18:48 -0500

Turner has a winning formula: Use a lot of ampersands, play a ton of sports and, when in doubt, take creative teams, actors, plots and sometimes entire series (new episode or syndicated -- either will do!) from other networks and air that. It may feel cheap, but based on the number of completely original new shows that bombed from the 2012 development slate, it's not the worst idea in the world... that would be cancelling Southland. Anyway, my personal bitterness aside, some of the new series really do look great. Below are the ones the upfront audience actually got to see, in order of best to worst:

New Girl: Wedding Do's and Don'ts

Wed, 15 May 2013 09:36:04 -0500

This season finale was... weird. I liked a lot of aspects of "Elaine's Big Day," but at times it was over-the-top ridiculous and then felt like it wrapped things up a little too easily. I even decided to sleep on it and give it a second watch, and the things that annoyed me still annoyed me, but as far as the state of the romantic entanglements on the show, I'm satisfied. But not happy about the fact that I've got "Cotton-Eyed Joe" stuck in my head and feel the irresistible urge to line dance.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013: Supernatural

Wed, 15 May 2013 06:00:00 -0500

NOW! Another drawn-out season comes to an end.

I Want My DVD: Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Tue, 14 May 2013 09:59:01 -0500

Want more bang for your DVD buck? Cloud Atlas offers six movies in one.

TV on DVD: Tuesday, April 14, 2013

Tue, 14 May 2013 06:00:00 -0500

You've heard of showkillers? Well, apparently Yvonne Strahovski is a showsavior

Tuesday, May 14, 2013: So You Think You Can Dance

Tue, 14 May 2013 06:00:00 -0500

Please don't keeping ruining this show, TV Gods. It used to be our favorite.

Saturday Night Live: The One Kristen Wiig Sketch Worth Watching

Mon, 13 May 2013 15:12:53 -0500

The nice thing about Kristen Wiig's return to Saturday Night Live this weekend? Because they brought back all her most obnoxious characters -- Gilly, the Target Lady and Denise among them -- we were able to fast-forward through majority of the show, turning a 90-minute sit into a quick, painless three minutes. (Closer to ten minutes with the not-bad monologue).

Veep: The Episode's Best Insults

Mon, 13 May 2013 12:26:04 -0500

Selina's European (non-)apology tour took her to Finland on last night's Veep, resulting in the funniest episode of the season and perhaps the all-time funniest episode in the show's young history.

Game of Thrones: Our Weekly Westeros Scorecard

Mon, 13 May 2013 09:59:45 -0500

Sing a song of sixpence and enjoy our highlights recap of the George R.R. Martin-penned seventh episode of Season 3, "The Bear and the Maiden Fair."

Monday, May 13, 2013: 2 Broke Girls

Mon, 13 May 2013 08:00:00 -0500

No, we haven't forgotten about this show... unfortunately.

Family Tree: Be His Guest

Mon, 13 May 2013 08:00:00 -0500

With his first HBO series Family Tree, Christopher Guest becomes an active participant in the ongoing small-screen mockumentary boom he helped lay the groundwork for through movies like Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show and the granddaddy of them all, This is Spinal Tap. (Ricky Gervais has been very vocal about Guest's work inspiring him to go off and make The Office, which in turn led to the U.S. Office, as well as Parks and Rec, Modern Family and so on.) Guest's movies are hysterical (well, except for the last one before his apparently self-imposed hiatus, For Your Consideration), but it was an open question as to whether he'd be able to translate his skills to TV's long-form storytelling model as opposed to the 80 to 90 minutes his movies run.

Sunday, May 12, 2013: Breaking Amish: Brave New World

Fri, 10 May 2013 17:55:56 -0500

There's a lot of great stuff on tonight, which makes it especially pathetic that I'm most excited for Season 2 of a super-staged reality show about former-Amish/Mennonite young adults.

The Most Heinous Person on Reality TV This Week

Fri, 10 May 2013 12:56:41 -0500

Special shout-out to our reality hero of the week: Bebe Wood from The New Normal, who did a guest video appearance on the RuPaul's Drag Race finale and reprised her Little Edie impression. She's just freaking adorable. The rest of these people... decidedly not adorable.

Community: It's Time For Saying Goodbye

Fri, 10 May 2013 10:39:52 -0500

In the immortal words of T.S. Eliot, "Well now that's done: and I'm glad it's over." Or maybe, "This is the way ~~the world~~ Community ends: Not with a bang but a whimper" would be more apropos. Whichever Eliot line you chose to go with, Community's fourth season (and, potentially, series) finale "Advanced Introduction to Finality" was a definite off-note on which to end a season that was already often out of tune.

The Great Gatsby: Party On, Baz

Fri, 10 May 2013 08:00:00 -0500

There are many ways to describe Baz Lurhmann's directing style, but "restrained" sure as hell isn't one of them. From Strictly Ballroom to Australia, each of the Aussie auteur's films embrace emotional and cinematic excess in grand, borderline ridiculous ways. That makes him an unlikely, but also inspired choice to tackle an adaptation of a Great NovelTM like F. Scott's Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, a text so revered that movie versions can become ossified by their own self-importance. That's what happened to the last Gatsby flick, the 1974 Robert Redford/Mia Farrow tour-de-boredom that was so respectful of Fitzgerald's text that it transformed his vibrant novel into a pretty, but inert soap opera.

Friday, May 10, 2013: Vegas

Fri, 10 May 2013 06:00:00 -0500

It's a Friday night in May, which means another few season -- and perhaps series -- finales are on tonight.

Indie Snapshot: How Sweet It Is

Fri, 10 May 2013 06:00:00 -0500

We're only halfway through 2013, but it's unlikely that we'll see an odder cast than the one at the center of Brian Herzlinger's low-budget musical comedy How Sweet It Is. In fact, the movie is almost worth seeing solely so that, years from now, if you ever get asked the trivia question "What movie musical starred Joe Piscopo, Erika Christensen, Paul Sorvino and Eddie Griffin?" you'll be able to provide the answer, plus a plot synopsis and maybe a few bars of the title number, with complete authority.

Indie Snapshot: Aftershock

Fri, 10 May 2013 06:00:00 -0500

I'll give Eli Roth this; having found a successful gimmick, he's not about to surrender it anytime soon. That particular gimmick can best be described as "Assholes abroad" -- an idea he tried out in the first Hostel and returns to again in Aftershock, the new horror film/disaster movie he co-wrote, produced and stars in, but didn't direct. Be grateful for small favors, I guess.

Modern Family: The Best Lines of the Night

Thu, 09 May 2013 10:43:20 -0500

Modern Family does well with backstories -- especially when it includes adding insult to injury. "My Hero" may have had a contrived and predictable framing device with Manny's school assignment, (though I like that Luke had the same essay to write) and the Phil-Gloria subplot was pretty much a huge waste until its genuinely hilarious conclusion, but it was a solidly funny and sweet episode. I credit that in no small part thanks to the writers getting the entire ensemble of "jumpy Protestants" together in a believable way (even Cousin Pete!) and to Eric Stonestreet's physical comedy. Before we get to the highlights, I do want to point out that Happy Endings had a similar storyline in its recent Season 3 (and perhaps series) finale this past Friday, "Brothas & Sisters." If you enjoyed "My Hero," I definitely recommended giving that episode a whirl -- you don't need much context going into it, either. Now, let's get to it:

I Want My VOD: Syrup

Thu, 09 May 2013 09:09:30 -0500

May's VOD offerings lead off with the corporate satire, Syrup, starring Amber Heard.

Thursday, May 9, 2013: Person of Interest

Thu, 09 May 2013 06:00:00 -0500

It's time for Jim Caviezel to go into "God Mode" -- no, seriously, that's the name of tonight's episode.

New Girl: Birthday Do's and Don'ts

Wed, 08 May 2013 11:09:08 -0500

Much like Winston's actual birthday, the "Winston's Birthday" episode was dominated by the aftermath of Jess and Nick sleeping together more so than any sort of birthday party. And while I quibble that Schmidt is too good of a friend not to have birthday alerts set up, and a pancake breakfast scheduled months in advance, I still enjoyed this episode. And it was educational as I learned exactly why you should not fall asleep immediately after getting a Henna tattoo done. If Cece can't rock the bearded lady look, there's no hope for the rest of us.

Wednesday, May 8, 2013: Arrow

Wed, 08 May 2013 08:00:00 -0500

Whenever we want to quit this show, they give us more John Barrowman. It's an evil trick, if we've ever saw one.

Newlyweds: The First Year: Ranking the New Bravo Couples

Tue, 07 May 2013 10:14:46 -0500

Despite having pretty high expectations going into Newlyweds: The First Year, I wasn't disappointed by last night's series premiere. Bravo is essentially trying to do to marriage what MTV did with teen pregnancy via Teen Mom: show viewers what "actually" goes down once the initial afterglow fades away and reality sinks in -- a concept that isn't entirely original, but still generally unexplored in the low-budget TV landscape.

Tuesday, May 7, 2013: Splash

Tue, 07 May 2013 08:22:01 -0500

Say what you will about Splash being terrible, but it is by far the best celebrity diving series we've ever seen... which I guess is just pointing out how awful Stars in Danger: The High Dive was, but still.

TV on DVD: Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Tue, 07 May 2013 08:00:00 -0500

The force will be with them. Always.

I Want My DVD: Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Tue, 07 May 2013 06:00:00 -0500

Only one movie in and Tom Cruise is already leaving the Jack Reacher franchise in his rearview.

Saturday Night Live: The Best of Zach Galifianakis and Pals

Mon, 06 May 2013 11:57:45 -0500

Now that he's less "bizarre" and more "kinda weird" to mainstream audiences thanks to a ton of exposure since the first time he hosted Saturday Night Live, Zach Galifianakis was able to pull off more experimental gags this week on SNL -- and they were less totally inaccessible than they were the second time he hosted. The former half of the episode was tight, funny and definitely a success by current SNL standards... the latter, not so much. Let's focus on the sketches worth watching: