25 Şubat 2013 Pazartesi

TV Notepad: Wednesday and Thursday Comedies.

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Parks and Recreation

--Oatmeal Ann and Catfish Ann each more beautiful than the last.
--Sperm Bank of America and Sewage Joe great little scene
--Fleetwood Mac Sex Pants
--Part of the reason I love Leslie is that she won't allow common sense or re-measured expectations to diminish her enthusiasm or drive.
--Sick Chris FTW!
--"I have voided more than Tom's body weight in the last twelve hours alone."
--Love April playing Leslie.  Topless Park.
--"My God.  I have driven Ann right into the belly of the Douche."
--"My idea of a perfect family doesn't include a soulmate"
--"What's more cuterous than your uterus?"
--Andy is the best and truly brings out the best in April.  Love them.

The Office

--Evil Andy kinda rocks.
--Still hate everything that the boom operator touches.
--It's uncanny how much I am enjoying the fighting between Pam and Jim.  Those beats are played as naturalistically as their unrequited romance was in the early seasons.
--Can't believe even for a second that Andy being gone for three months wouldn't be noticed.  The bonus check pushes it over the limit.

Community

--The filmed in front of a live studio audience but worked better on Scrubs.
--Greendale Babies is brilliant though.
--Troy and Britta are a thing, I think.  Not sure what to make of the fountain bit.
--Fred Willard as Pierce was inspired.
--Chevy trying to come up with a ball joke was funny.
--One of you will tell me what the hell we just did, right?
--This would have tonally fit in with any other Community season, though there was a smack of desperation--that they were trying too hard.

1600 Penn

--The only thing about this show that doesn't work is Josh Gad and Skip.  I hate that.
--Jenna Elfman is the bomb. 
--The first bit of Xander/Marigold development since the pilot.  This is a good thing.
--Becca is a little hard to take at times, though "I'm their loser friend" was funny.
--Xander's campaign speech was great.  Very Max from Parenthood.
--The "caucus" devolving into internal battles was pretty spot on.  Is Gilchrist a Republican?  Does it matter?
--I've loved how the show refuses to engage in the unwed mother and now it takes liberal demagoguery on as well.

Archer

--Lots of allusions to Midnight Run.
--Archer and Ron on the road together is great.
--Don't care for the Ron Cadillac backstory.  Not needed.  Wish he wasn't as compromised as the rest of the cast.
--Though I love Top Chef's Kevin as the cross dressing, kidnapper.
--Jon Waters directing the Road Warrior.

Legit

--My favorite episode since the pilot:  funny, wrong, and oh so right.
--The date sequence was great.  Jeffries just riffing on relationships and the like.
--"I could never have sex with something I respect."
--Love the entire airplane sequence.  Loved all the passengers and how they took pro- or con- Jim positions.  What a great sense of community that was developed in just a few moments.
--Mindy Sterling as the mom is pretty great, though I find it difficult to believe that she is old enough to have Dan Bakkedahl as a son.
--"Window gets an armrest and the wall.  Middle gets two armrests.  Aisle gets an armrest and little bit of extra leg.  We are not animals.  We live in a society."
--Glad to see the black nurse from the pilot will be back in the series from here on out.
--The gays not blacks sequence at the baggage check out was hysterical.

Suburgatory

--Tessa becomes the producer of Teen Talk, which becomes Body Talk when Ryan Shay has to become a last minute host and he turns it into a discussion of his body.
--Ryan's afterschool activities include: modelling, nude modelling and boy band practice
--"His pediatrician says exhaustion."
--"Talk to my glutes, they're all ears"
--"I always thought it would be Seacrest."
--The Dallas-East Chatswin plot did little good for the adults (the godfather?, living in the car?), but did give Dahlia some great bits
--"When I want to get hydrated, I like to take drinks through my mouth."
--I'm a little disturbed that more than half the student body of East Chatswin are minorities, but love that it shows the relative colorblindness of today's youth.  "Everyone at my new school is tanner than me."
--Loved East Chatwin versions of Malik, Mr. Wolfe and especially Tessa.
--The fight between Tessa and Ryan was incredibly real and right on time.  I'm surprised at how beautifully the show is portraying the growing relationship between the two.  It's touching and just right in every beat.

Modern Family

--A pretty good episode.
--Luke attacking Lily is a good thing.
--"No batteries in her mic." 
--"I know how he got sick--from chewing all the scenery."
--Anger motivating both Phil and Mitchell to success makes me uncomfortable.
--Pepper was dialed back a bit, and I appreciate that.
--The psychic bit was belabored as was the happy family (Haley, Dylan, Lily, baby) right under Claire's nose. 
--The "Cats in the Cradle" bit was great, though it is impossible for Phil to have never heard of the song before.

The Middle

--This season the show has been on fire.
--I love what they have been doing to humanize Axl.
--The iPad bit was a little forced.  I understand Brick's desire, but the thought they wouldn't have to buy Brick another book is misguided and wrong.
--Loved everything with Sue.  The smile to tears, the winning of the respect of her teacher, etc.  All great.

The Neighbors

--Haven't watched this since the first two episodes, except in passing.  The show has gotten much funnier.
--Solid laughs from both mothers as they tried to invade their kids private lives.
--And from the dads as they prepared to battle.
--Or it could have been a fevered memory.


SNL: Justin Bieber and Justin Bieber

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We're back with a brand new SNL.  And for the second time this season, the host is also the musical guest.  Earlier this fall we were treated to a pretty good episode with Bruno Mars, but how will Bieber do?  He was the musical guest a few years back when Tina Fey was hosting, and he appeared in a few sketches to some notice.  And of course he appeared in an arc on CSI but that ended with him dying in a blaze of gunfire.  While nothing quite that dramatic should happen, based on his other work I would expect that he should have a good sense of humor about him.

We shall see...

By the way, we are joined this evening by The Kid who shall provide her own commentary on this Bieber-centric experience..  Her thoughts on Bieber pre-show are:  "No."

This won't end well for us at all.

Opening:  Super Bowl Blackout

We start with a Super Bowl blackout sketch lampooning the truly horrific part of the night, the inability of the sports commentators to vamp.  This was so bad on Sinday that it sent us to Downton Abbey.  Jay Pharoah is very funny as Shannon Sharpe.  The bottom of the barrel commercial was very funny.  "It's a new world, now."  Great opening.

The Kid thinks:  It was actually telling the truth because the lights were out, and we're waiting and this day sucks cause there's nothing to talk about.

Monologue:  Happy Valentine's Black History Month

This is a funny hybrid that has been a long time.  "Denzel Washington invented the peanut."  Sorry.  "Maya Angelou invented the peanut."  Whoopi Goldberg is JB's girl.  Silly, but fun and without a real ending.  Like most of the sketches/monologues this season.

The Kid thinks:  Eh.  (Though she laughed heartily throughout.)

The Californians

This is one of my least favorite recurring sketches.  Though Bieber gives good Californian accent.  At least he's game, and he has his own mirror.  Sigh.

The Kid thinks:  Man, this is annoying.  My eyes are hurting.  That's how bad this is.

The Justin Bieber Body Doubles

This is a chance for the entire cast to play Bieber.  A lot of fun.  "Some of them are black, they aren't fooling anybody." "Neither are you, homey." A Bieber on Bieber dance off.  And then an ab off.  Then Kate McKinnon pulls out her Ellen for the win.  Lots of silly Bieber puns, hopefully getting them out of their system for the rest of the night
.
The Kid thinks:  Ah, Ellen.  That is the truth.  Otherwise, eh.

Bravo Sizzle Real

An on the nose parody of Bravo's predilection to give a reality show to anyone even vaguely associated with anyone in show business.  But it was hitting the same joke over and over and over and over.

The Kid thinks:  That was funny, but I'm tired.  Can I please go to sleep?

Justin Bieber: As Long as You Love Me

Ah, acoustic Bieber.  That's a thing now, I guess.  But when did Jeffrey Ross start playing guitar?

The Kid thinks:  Of course it's a gold mic.  I must go to bed, this song is killing me.

Weekend Update

We open with two jokes on Noreaster Nemo, and then two on drones, which is the first time the show has tried to poke fun at an Obama stance in a long time.   The two best friends of Richard III from growing up come out to support their much despised comrade.  This long running bit with Fred Armissen and Vanessa Bayer whispering the bad stuff.  It's tired, and even Bayer at full tilt can barely save it.  I do love Seth's Honey Boo Boo face.  The Steven Segall joke works because of Meyer's canny delivery, as does the grammar joke that follows.  Kenan Thompson is out as Cory, the one black guy in every commercial.  This is fresh, pointed and full of energy.  He has to high five every twelve seconds or he dies.  The Snap Chat joke, the Monopoly joke and the least literate city jokes all killed.  Meyers always closes so strongly when he gets away from regular hard news and goes with the off kilter stuff.  I think this is the Daily Show/Twitter effect.  We have already heard the best versions of the hard news jokes almost immediately after they have happened.  By the time Saturday rolls around, none of it's new anymore.

Say More Stuff

Okay, so we start with a Grease parody, which is unexpected, and then we start playing with expectations.  Billy (Bieber) isn't as worldly as he would appear, but Angie (Cecily Strong) doesn't mind.  As this develops, the guys keep laying on the double entendres to which Billy is oblivious, and the girls keep questioning why Angie would go out with him.  Each scenario is more ludicrous than the last, until the punch:  Billy's 11.  Angie doesn't care because he can sing, and now we have a skeevy and wonderful parody of most of Bieber's professional life.  This was pretty heady stuff and pretty funny.

The Miley Cyrus Show

We haven't seen this sketch in a long time.  When Cyrus hosted SNL, she played Bieber.  Revenge is at hand.   I love Billy Ray's hair being exactly like Miley's.  Bieber is playing Pete Defelco, the president of her fan club.  Bieber is ragging on Bieber and then he gets in his pot apology.  Then we get a clip of Miley's secret wedding to Gale Liam Hemsworth.  Taran Killam is scared as Hemsworth as he should be.  This was a very short skit.  I realize there weren't many notes to play, but Bieber was giving his all, we might have explored the super fan's intensity a little more or something.

Meeting the Family

Heather (Nasim Pedrad) brings her boyfriend (Bieber) home to meet the family.  Taran Killam is playing her ne'er-do-well older brother, Edward.  Who then messes with Michael for the rest of the sketch over a glottal slip.  Bieber can't keep in character.  The audience is loving this.  "Show me your secrets, beautiful drifter."  Killam is great because he commits, wholly.

A Sexy Valentine's Day Message from Justin Bieber to You.

This was a funny little bit because Bieber has been hosting Taco (Bobby Moynihan) for the last three months, and Bieber was sexting Hillary Clinton.  I do love the ludicrous when grounded in reasonable expectations.

Justin Bieber:  Nothing Like Us

Jeffrey Ross also plays the piano.  Shouldn't his Comedy Central show have been a hit, then?  They have been working the hell out of Bieber tonight, haven't they?

Booker T. Washington High School Valentine's Dance

Pahroah is playing Principal Fry, one of his best recurring characters.  The dance is a celebration of abstinence, with Bieber and Pedrad playing the social chairs for the dance and practioners of abstinence.  Pedrad doesn't have many lines but she's hysterical.  I love Pharoah so much here, is it wrong that I want him to be hired as the male lead in the new Beverly Hills Cop show CBS is planning.  The character is supposed to be Axel Foley's son, and Eddie Murphy is participating.  Pharoah would be too perfect.

Final Bows

This was a fine episode.  Not on the level of either Bruno Mars or Martin Short, but not awful by any stretch.  I know why they feel they need to reprise characters (not everyone catches every episode), but this is a rather limited view of how people consume television now.  If you hear on Monday or Sunday afternoon that something was funny, you go online and watch that sketch.  You don't have to repeat the jokes as often because we can watch the original joke as many times as we want.  The sketches that didn't work for me (or the studio audience) seemed to be the ones that were repeats ("The Californians", "The Two Best Friends of [ruthless dictator] From Growing Up).  The main exception to this is the "Booker T. Washington" sketch.  Yes, Pharoah has done this three times this season alone, but it still kills, primarily because he's committed and the structure is the same but the jokes are different.  The Miley Cyrus Show sketch is a repeat as well, but this is the first time it's been out in a year.

Best Sketch:  Say More Stuff

Worst Sketch:  The Californians

But it's been a great night.  My thanks to Justin Bieber...Justin Bieber...Whoopi Goldberg...and the cast and crew.  You guys are the best.  Good night, everybody!!

Good TV Tonight: Sunday, February 10

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New TV Tonight:

8:00 on CBS--The Grammy's--It's CBS' time to shine as "music's biggest night" finally arrives.  Live performances from (in descending preferential order) The Black Keys, Bruno Mars, Taylor Swift, The Lumineers, Jack White, fun., Justin Timberlake & Jay-Z, Mumford & Sons, Rihanna (unless it's "Diamonds", then to the bottom of the list go you), Elton John & Ed Sheerhan, Frank Ocean, Kelly Clarkson, Maroon 5 & Alicia Keys, Justin Beiber, Dierks Bentley & Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood

8:00 on Syfy--Battlestar Galactica:  Blood and Chrome--The web series gets compiled back into a two hour movie with new material.  Young William Adama fights in the first Cylon War.  I am a completist, so even though Ronald D. Moore isn't a part of the project, I must watch this.

9:00 on AMC--The Walking Dead--The very strong third season returns with new people in the prison and Woodbury shaken by Rick's attack.

Don't Forget:

8:00 on ABC--Once Upon a Time--The Giant (Lost's Jorge Garcia) comes to Storybrooke. 

8:00 on FOX--The Simpsons--Bart's dream girl returns to Springfield.

8:30 on FOX--Bob's Burgers--Bob struggles to find the perfect Valentine's day gift for Linda.  Tinal, Louise and Gene to the rescue.

9:00 on PBS--Downton Abbey--Now that they've put that troublesome death behind them, Robert wants to field a killer cricket team to beat the townies once and for all.

9:00 on Showtime--Shameless--Carl is off to cancer camp and Fiona plans a coup.

9:00 on HBO--Girls--Hannah is smitten with a 40-something doctor and his seemingly perfect life.

9:30 on HBO--Enlightened--Tyler starts dating the CEO's secretary.  But is it for business or pleasure?

Also:

8:00--Here Comes Honey Boo Boo:  A Very Boo Christmas
9:00--Revenge, Family Guy, Saturday Night Live in the Eighties
9:30--American Dad
10:00--House of Lies, Talking Dead
10:30--Californiacation

Good TV Tonight: Sunday, February 24

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New TV Tonight:

8:30 on ABC--The Academy Awards--Seth MacFarlane (really?) hosts Hollywood's biggest night.  I'm rooting for a Django win for the big prize and are feared of Silver Linings Playbook upset.  I'd be okay with Argo but would prefer Life of Pi more. 

Don't Forget:

9:00 on Showtime--Shameless--The kids are separated, and Fiona has got to find Frank.

9:00 on AMC--The Walking Dead--What's worse?  The Governor letting a pack of walkers loose in your home or having Merle come live with you?

9:00 on HBO--Girls--Hannah and Jessa go upstate to visit her estranged dad.

9:30 on HBO--Enlightened--The noose tightens but is it Abaddonn or Amy that feels its grip?

Also:

8:00--Amazing Race
9:00--Saturday Night Live in the 2000's
10:00--House of Lies, Talking Dead
10:30--Californiacation

Good TV Tonight: Monday, February 25

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Good TV Tonight

8:00 on The CW--The Carrie Diaries--Dorrit doesn't want to go to The Nutcracker, and Carrie wants to leave the school dance early.

8:00 on CBS--How I Met Your Mother--Barney's dreaded playbook returns.

9:00 on ABC Family--Bunheads--Season Finale.  Michelle auditions for a Broadway show as Sasha contemplates the girls maturing.

9:00 on FOX--The Following--Ryan is trapped with Emma and her crew and tries to turm them against one another.


10:00 on ABC--Castle--James Brolin guests as Castle's dad, as Castle goes to extremes to get his daughter back.

Also:
7:30--Adventure Time
8:00--Regular Show, Bones, The Bachelor, Switched at Birth, Biggest Loser, Love & Hip-Hop
8:30--MAD, Rules of Engagement

9:00--Being Human, 90210, 2 Broke Girls, Dallas
9:30--Mike & Molly
10:00--Deception, Lost Girl, Hawaii 5-0, Monday Mornings

24 Şubat 2013 Pazar

HOT or NOT: The Ensemble of KINKY BOOTS

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Next Sunday, another anticipated Broadway musical, Kinky Boots, begins previews at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre.  This splashy musical with a book by Harvey Fierstein and a score by Cyndi Lauper is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.  The cast is huge!  So there will be two weeks of polls - this week's poll is in two parts!  You'll be deciding on 2 Female Ensemble Members and 3 Male Ensemble Members  to send to the finals later this year, as we cast the HOTTEST MUSICAL STARS OF THE 2012 - 2013 SEASON!

Remember, that "HOT" isn't just about looks.  It's also about talent and that "it factor."  "HOT" is more than a pretty face!  When you vote this week, be sure to use the scroll bar to move down the poll, and click "DONE" after BOTH polls to make your vote count!  The polls follow the pictures of the cast, and will close on Thursday, February 28 at 7PM.


HOT or NOT: The Ensemble of 
KINKY BOOTS

Polls After Pictures: Male and Female Members: 
Vote "HOT" for as many or as few as YOU like.  
BE SURE YOU CLICK "DONE" AT THE BOTTOM OF BOTH POLLS.
NOTE: THERE ARE MALE ENSEMBLE MEMBERS IN BOTH PARTS, 
SO BE SURE TO CONSIDER ALL OF THEM!

Female Ensemble Members
Adinah Alexander and Caroline Bowman
Ellyn Marie Marsh
Jennifer Perry and Tory Ross
Male Ensemble Members
Eric Anderson and Eugene Barry-Hill
Stephen Berger and Paul Canaan
Andy Kelso and Kevin Smith Kirkwood
Eric Leviton and John Jeffrey Martin
Kyle Taylor Parker and Kyle Post
Charlie Sutton and Joey Taranto

POLL PART I - COMPLETE, CLICK "DONE"POLL PART II IS BELOW.  DO BOTH PARTS!
Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool.

AFTER YOU HAVE CLICKED "DONE,"COMPLETE PART II, BELOW.  BE SURE YOU CLICK "DONE" AGAIN!


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Jeff4.171

JKTS Chat: Chaotic Corey's College Journey Part 2

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A few weeks ago, one of my favorite, most loyal readers "Chaotic Corey," shared with us the first few of many steps in that, well, chaotic, rite of passage: getting into a college of our choice.  And, as if that isn't tough enough, he's also auditioning to get into a performing arts program AT one of those colleges!  Last time out (HERE), he shared all about how he came to want a career in the arts and how he's built up experience, education and preparation just to get ready for all this.

Now, he talks about his experience at Clemson University.


5More Quick Questions for Chaotic Corey
AMDA's New York City Campus
1. So, you just finished your first college audition!  Congratulations! Where was it?  Where does this school rank on your wish list ofschools?
Corey:  I did. This was technically my second collegeaudition since I previously auditioned for AMDA last summer, but it feels likemy first audition because that was so long ago! Hahaha! It went really well.This audition was for Clemson which is a pretty big school in upstate SouthCarolina (home of my favorite football team. Go Tigers!). This probably ranksabout 3rd on my list of 4 schools. This is because they do not have a MusicalTheatre program. They have an Acting BFA with an "emphasis" in MT. SoI wouldn't receive a MT degree from this school. 

2. Explain the audition process and audition itself.  How similar anddifferent was it from regular show auditions?  Who was there?  Didyou meet any fellow perspective students?
Corey:  Well, this audition was the shortest of all myauditions. I arrived at the school at 9 in the morning to check in at theirPerforming Arts Center, the Brooks Center. Here, I had my picture taken, gavethem my letters of recommendation and my headshot, and I took a seat. I tookthe waiting time to chat to some students at the school already and questionthem about their program and their experience and I also took the time to talkto the other auditioners. This was a great experience because I got to learn alot about other people, the program, and even a little bit about what my chanceswere of getting into this school. This audition process was similar to a showaudition, just longer waiting time. About 30 minutes before my audition, Iasked if there was a practice room where I could warm up and a student led meto a practice room where I warmed up for my audition. They came and got me andled me to the audition room where I auditioned for a room with 3 female judges.I did my two monologues, sang my song, and talked with them for about 10minutes and that was that!
3. They say hindsight is 20/20.  Now that you are done the first one,how do you feel you did?  What would you have done differently? What, if anything, about this experience did you learn that you can applyto future auditions?
Corey:  I feel like I did really well. I definitely wish Iwould have remembered to bring my water because I forgot it at the hotel andhad to keep running back to the water fountain to "wet my whistle". Ifeel like it went really well and I think the judges like me and enjoyed myperformance. As the student was taking me to my practice room, she asked whatprogram I was auditioning for and when I told her MT, she seemed enthusiastic.She claimed that their program only had 3 good Musical Theatre guys at the timeand they were in need of more, so that raises my chances of acceptance, Iguess! WOO!
One crucial decision: what song do I audition with?

Inside the Brooks Center: Drink a lot
STAY HYDRATED!

4. I know you did a lot of prep for this audition.  What was theapplication process like for this school?  Do you feel like you wereprepared enough?  Were there any surprises?
Corey:  Lots and lots of prep! It always feels like Iprepare TOO much for auditions. Hahaha! But, it really paid off in the end. Forthis audition, I worked every week with my voice coach on my song and on mymonologues. The application process for this school was simple. It was justlike any application process, I filled out my application online and have yetto be informed of my academic acceptance (I learn about that at the end of thisweek ahhh). After that I had to apply for an audition on one of the auditiondates that were open. When I did, I was informed when my audition would be andwhat to prepare for it. 

Brooks Center at Clemson University

5. Did you get to tour the campus?  The performing arts building(s)? Meet any faculty?  Now that you've actually been there, does theschool live up to your initial expectations?  If you are accepted, willthis school still be one of your choices? (I know it may be early for adefinitive answer to this...)
Corey:  Well, back in September I actually visited theschool and I have been on about 3 different campus tours because I live closeto the school. In September though, I met with the head of the Performing ArtsDepartment who took me on a tour around the PA Center and showed me all the insand outs of the program. At my audition though, I was able to meet some of theprofessors I would have if I were to go to the school and it was nice meetingthem and learning their goals for us and what they expect from students. Theaudition was a HUGE help and I can't wait for my next one this weekend in Elon,North Carolina!

Photos provided by Corey and Getty Images.
Jeff4. 172