TV LINEUP: MONDAY
*
It's that time of the year again...the time when I actually turn my TV on and watch shows when they actually air. There are a few new shows I want to watch and so I decided to catch up on some older ones as well...including (gasp!) sitcoms on CBS.
The Class
A somewhat promising premise--a look at the lives of third grade classmates as adults--is pretty much utterly wasted on so-so writing and much worse direction. There are too many characters to keep track of, making it hard to get into any of their storylines--thus the moments when it's supposed to be sentimental feel really forced. Plus it commits the ultimate sitcom sin: actors who deliver there lines with a "here is my delivery of my humorous line!" face, rather than letting the comedy feel as if, y'know, the character might actually say that. I want to like it, but unless there are major improvements this will die before midseason.
How I Met Your Mother
I'd never watched this before, though I was sort of curious to see what Alyson Hannigan is like minus vampires or flutes in her pussy. Unfortunately, this is the episode where she was out of town, so she was hardly in it; luckily, the rest of the cast is good too, and the writing is a nice mix of real and funny. The comedy lands about 50/50...too much of it feels stagey...but the characters are well-drawn and at times insightful. Neil Patrick Harris is good times as the bawdy bachelor pal.
Two and a Half Men
I'll be honest: I had pretty much decided this show was lame before I even watched it, but sometimes it's nice to prove that your instincts are right on. I laughed roughly two and a half times, which is not good enough. The jokes, characters, and acting are all pretty stale. And that sing-songy "Men..." they play between scenes is no Law & Order chung-chung...it's just bizarre. I might enjoy this show more if I liked either Charlie Sheen or Jon Cryer, but I am a fan of neither. The whole show feels like it's on autopilot.
The New Adventures of Old Christine
I do love me some Julia Lous-Dreyfus, however! Christine is no Elaine, but who is, really? Julia's brilliant comedic timing shines through, regardless. The writing is less predictable and less stagey than on most sitcoms--these characters actually seem like real people. What a revelation! The standout of CBS's Monday night lineup.
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
Oooh...that was good.
___________________________________
The Class: C
How I Met Your Mother: B
Two and a Half Men: C+
The New Adventures of Old Christine: B+
Studio 60: A
It's that time of the year again...the time when I actually turn my TV on and watch shows when they actually air. There are a few new shows I want to watch and so I decided to catch up on some older ones as well...including (gasp!) sitcoms on CBS.
The Class
A somewhat promising premise--a look at the lives of third grade classmates as adults--is pretty much utterly wasted on so-so writing and much worse direction. There are too many characters to keep track of, making it hard to get into any of their storylines--thus the moments when it's supposed to be sentimental feel really forced. Plus it commits the ultimate sitcom sin: actors who deliver there lines with a "here is my delivery of my humorous line!" face, rather than letting the comedy feel as if, y'know, the character might actually say that. I want to like it, but unless there are major improvements this will die before midseason.
How I Met Your Mother
I'd never watched this before, though I was sort of curious to see what Alyson Hannigan is like minus vampires or flutes in her pussy. Unfortunately, this is the episode where she was out of town, so she was hardly in it; luckily, the rest of the cast is good too, and the writing is a nice mix of real and funny. The comedy lands about 50/50...too much of it feels stagey...but the characters are well-drawn and at times insightful. Neil Patrick Harris is good times as the bawdy bachelor pal.
Two and a Half Men
I'll be honest: I had pretty much decided this show was lame before I even watched it, but sometimes it's nice to prove that your instincts are right on. I laughed roughly two and a half times, which is not good enough. The jokes, characters, and acting are all pretty stale. And that sing-songy "Men..." they play between scenes is no Law & Order chung-chung...it's just bizarre. I might enjoy this show more if I liked either Charlie Sheen or Jon Cryer, but I am a fan of neither. The whole show feels like it's on autopilot.
The New Adventures of Old Christine
I do love me some Julia Lous-Dreyfus, however! Christine is no Elaine, but who is, really? Julia's brilliant comedic timing shines through, regardless. The writing is less predictable and less stagey than on most sitcoms--these characters actually seem like real people. What a revelation! The standout of CBS's Monday night lineup.
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
Oooh...that was good.
___________________________________
The Class: C
How I Met Your Mother: B
Two and a Half Men: C+
The New Adventures of Old Christine: B+
Studio 60: A