Sunday night TV
Ah Tuesday, where I write about the shows I watched on Monday that aired on Sunday.
The Simpsons
This was another of the Homer-gets-a-new-job episodes. The subplot which I enjoyed a bit more was that Maggie becomes more independent. Homer goes mad with power operating a tow truck and then gets imprisoned by a rival until Maggie with her new-found independence comes and saves him. I wish we could have a story based on another character.
The show isn't bad and as Jesse pointed out last week that on a second viewing later you will probably find it funnier. There are always some good jokes, but the problem these days is that I'm not sure if that the hidden jokes are timeless. Maybe they don't need to be timeless, but it means that these seasons are less likely to be funny later. I don't know if the Entourage sequence would be funny to people who don't watch Entourage or to anyone in 10 years. But in any case I don't plan to stop watching.
King Of The Hill
Three episodes in and there hasn't been a Peggy-centered episode yet. Don't worry. It'll make it that much sweeter when it finally arrives. She did have a subplot, but the main part was about Bobby taking part in powderpuff cheerleading.
I think one of the main reasons this show has stayed on for 12 years is that this show is really popular in middle America. The writers take a conservative viewpoint on how things should be and are good at showing how a very liberal attitude, thought not wrong, can be hypocritical. The boys aren't allowed to dress like girls and pretend to be cheerleaders because that would be making fun of the girls, but they are allowed to dress up and pretend to be cheerleaders as long as they say they are transsexuals, because the PTA doesn't want to discriminate against transsexuals. Now I don't want to get into a discussion about fairness and diversity and I don't think they really want to either, but they are saying there is a common sense approach that will get most people through most situations without offending anyone. This show is about showing the hypocrisy of people who will be offended by almost anything.
C'mon Peggy Hill episode!
Family Guy
Well done on the Hitler cut-away! But of course you know that acknowledging your own problems is not the same as solving them.
American Dad
This is the second episode that was like one of those pulp fiction detection novels from the 50's. Stan goes on a power trip as a meter maid trying to be a somebody. Maybe I said this last week, but they are doing a much better job at surrealism than Family Guy. Come to think of it, this episode was very similar to a Simpsons where Homer gets a new job. The only difference between these shows is that The SImpsons is supposed to be grounded in reality and American Dad is not. They have moved away from politics too, which is good because they sucked at it.
The Simpsons
This was another of the Homer-gets-a-new-job episodes. The subplot which I enjoyed a bit more was that Maggie becomes more independent. Homer goes mad with power operating a tow truck and then gets imprisoned by a rival until Maggie with her new-found independence comes and saves him. I wish we could have a story based on another character.
The show isn't bad and as Jesse pointed out last week that on a second viewing later you will probably find it funnier. There are always some good jokes, but the problem these days is that I'm not sure if that the hidden jokes are timeless. Maybe they don't need to be timeless, but it means that these seasons are less likely to be funny later. I don't know if the Entourage sequence would be funny to people who don't watch Entourage or to anyone in 10 years. But in any case I don't plan to stop watching.
King Of The Hill
Three episodes in and there hasn't been a Peggy-centered episode yet. Don't worry. It'll make it that much sweeter when it finally arrives. She did have a subplot, but the main part was about Bobby taking part in powderpuff cheerleading.
I think one of the main reasons this show has stayed on for 12 years is that this show is really popular in middle America. The writers take a conservative viewpoint on how things should be and are good at showing how a very liberal attitude, thought not wrong, can be hypocritical. The boys aren't allowed to dress like girls and pretend to be cheerleaders because that would be making fun of the girls, but they are allowed to dress up and pretend to be cheerleaders as long as they say they are transsexuals, because the PTA doesn't want to discriminate against transsexuals. Now I don't want to get into a discussion about fairness and diversity and I don't think they really want to either, but they are saying there is a common sense approach that will get most people through most situations without offending anyone. This show is about showing the hypocrisy of people who will be offended by almost anything.
C'mon Peggy Hill episode!
Family Guy
Well done on the Hitler cut-away! But of course you know that acknowledging your own problems is not the same as solving them.
American Dad
This is the second episode that was like one of those pulp fiction detection novels from the 50's. Stan goes on a power trip as a meter maid trying to be a somebody. Maybe I said this last week, but they are doing a much better job at surrealism than Family Guy. Come to think of it, this episode was very similar to a Simpsons where Homer gets a new job. The only difference between these shows is that The SImpsons is supposed to be grounded in reality and American Dad is not. They have moved away from politics too, which is good because they sucked at it.