The Crazy Ones

The Crazy Ones, starring Robin Williams, is a new show out for this 2013 Fall season. It is about an advertising agency and the crazy shenanigans the people in it get up to to do what they do. In reality, it is a vehicle for Robin Williams to be, well ... Robin Williams. That means silly voices, random subject changes and dialog, miming, playing with toys, plans nobody else can follow, and wisdom that is present but cleverly hidden.

The show also co-stars Sarah Michelle Gellar (of Buffy The Vampire Slayer fame) as his daughter, and partner with him in the advertising agency.  Her main role on the show seems to be of "straight man" and to be the voice of the reason against Robin Williams.

The Supporting cast includes: Andrew (Hamish Linklater), Zach (Jimmy Wolk) & Lauren (Amanda Setton). They are there mostly for Robin Williams to interact with, or to chime in with witty remarks, or to react to Williams' antics.  Lauren is in the background the most, has few lines, and (sadly) they are playing her off as the busty intern who is mostly there as a sex-symbol. Zach and Andrew work there as well, with Zach being the "charming" and confident one, and Andrew being the shy/hard-working one.

From what I have seen of the show so far, it has promise. It is certainly a LOT better than a lot of the other terrible shows on television right now. Give it a chance, you may like it. It is currently airing Thursdays on CBS at 9/8C. Check the show's website for up-to-date scheduling though :)

Sean Saves The World

Sean Saves The World is a new show starring Sean Hayes, who played Jack in Will & Grace. Jack & Karen in Will & Grace were pretty much my only reasons why I WATCHED that show. The over-the-top histrionics of the "main" characters of Will & Grace, and their screaming dramas were a MAJOR downer for me. The writers knew that too, which was why Jack & Karen were promoted from background characters after the first season to supporting characters. By the 3rd season they were co-characters, and I would argue that by the 6th season, they had shifted to the main characters, with Will & Grace downgraded to supporting characters.  Jack & Karen were the funny and fun ones on the show.

So, I was delighted that Sean Hayes was returning to TV, AND that he was playing another gay character. After watching the premiere, I am happy to say that he is basically playing Jack again [YAY!]. The only difference is that he isn't as silly/flighty as before, and he is a MUCH better parent than before (taking it far more seriously). The girl who plays his daughter is adorable, and the woman who plays his mother is a GREAT comedic foil for him to fence with.

The show has started out being about his fourteen year old daughter moving in with him full time, after her mother abandoned her and walked out on the family (no explanation has been given for that, so far). She had been living with her mother full time, and only seeing her father on the weekends. So, Sean (his name is Sean on the show as well) is having to learn how to transition from being "fun weekend dad" to just Dad. His daughter is having to learn how to live with a new full time parent, and how to deal with being abandoned by her mother.  Sean's mother is stepping in to help with babysitting, and other family issues. She and her son don't seem to hate each other, but defnitely don't seem to be chummy either. They had a lot of funny lines to snap at each other.

Sean works in an office that is dedicated to online sales (it hasn't been fully explained if they actually sell the things, or if they are just a marketing company) that has been bought by a new owner who is a real creep (played by the same guy who played Victoria's German boyfriend (Klaus) Ted had to deal with on How I Met Your Mother). And there is comedy in those scenes too.

Overall, I was EXTREMELY pleased with the light and happy tone of the show (despite the parental abandonment), and the humor overall. I am THRILLED to have Jack/Sean back on the air, and I think the show has a lot of potential. Please watch it so the network goons don't cancel it! It is currently airing at 9PM Pacific (8 Central) on NBC on Thursdays. Check the show's website for up-to-date scheduling though :)

Movie (& TV) recommendations for film fans who aren't looking to be depressed

This blog is going to be basically a running list of reviews of movies (and TV shows) that I like because they aren't dark and depressing. I think starting in the late 1990s and early 2000s Hollywood took a hard turn into dark and depressing (see recent Batman reboot trilogy for an example) that I haven't cared for at all. I don't watch movies and TV shows to see politics, or crime, or human misery, or anything else I can see on the news. I watch movies and TV shows to see wonder, comedy, fantasy, whimsy and entertainment.  If, while doing that, they deal with some real issues, or sneak in some drama (like Star Trek), I am fine with that.

This blog is going to be about movies like: Wreck-It Ralph, Hackers, Pitch Perfect, & Ace Ventura - Pet Detective. It will be about TV shows like: M*A*S*H, Star Trek, Home Improvement, Cheers, TaleSpin, & Phineas & Ferb. I am going to blog about stuff that I wish I could find online to help point me to the next thing I would love to watch, in the hopes that it will help someone else find something great to help brighten their day. And, of course, if any of you have any suggestions, let me know, and I will check them out.

Thanks for reading.

Reviews of movies (& TV shows) that aren't dark and depressing.

This blog is going to contain reviews and discussion of Movies and TV shows which avoid heavy drama, depression, human misery and the like to "entertain" (by that I mean: rape, torture, horror, graphic/extreme violence, etc. not PG-13 violence). I don't like that kind of stuff, and I think that kind of stuff is damaging not just to the human mind, but to the society that revels in it. This blog will make the effort to show people the content out there that isn't trying to make human misery into entertainment. I will also link you to that content whenever it is appropriate. Anything I link to, I recommend.

Let's get started, shall we? :)