Midterms got you down?
Would you rather be dipped in a vat of maple syrup and thrown onto a colony of fire ants then write that five-page paper for your lit class? I feel you, but I don’t suggest insect-aided suicide.
There’s a much easier, funnier and less stingy way to take your mind off of school.
One word: television.
No, you don’t have to watch as much as I do, but take an hour or two out of your busy week and relax, pop some corn and enjoy yourself. What should you be enjoying?
Well I’m glad you asked because a new comedy premiered last week that will have you laughing well after the half-hour it’s on the air.
NBC’s hilarious “Kath and Kim” starring Molly Shannon and Selma Blair, is basically the new “Gilmore Girls” — except each girl is 10 years older and 20 IQ points dumber. The mother-daughter chemistry between Shannon and Blair is excellent. The two rarely agree on anything except for their love of zebra prints.
Kath (Shannon) is the 40-something single in search of love, and Kim (Blair) is her 20-something daughter who moves back home because of her impending divorce. She is furious because her husband Craig expects her to microwave dinner every once and a while. The end of the episode finds the two leading ladies sipping cocktails in the yard and toasting to global warming — how else are they going to get such a quick tan?
Bottom line: This is a fresh, funny comedy that you should at least give a try. Go to NBC.com and check out the pilot, then tune in Thursday night at 7:30 for the show’s second episode.
Speaking of NBC, its digital studio recently announced its first wave of original series to be featured on various Web sites, including Video on Demand sites.
The original productions are being presented to sponsors for partnership, according to its press release. I think this is somewhat exciting news. The face of television is changing and for the better. It’s only been a few years since networks started offering viewers the chance to watch episodes online.
Then there’s shows like “Heroes” which have “webisodes” and online comics to supplement the actual show. Sci Fi’s new show “Sanctuary” started out as online mini-episodes until it got the full, network-show treatment.
With an announcement like NBC’s I think we will see a lot of new material because it will be easier for directors, producers and writers to get their stories and ideas out there. Sure, we’ll have to watch 60-second soap and lotion commercials, but it’s better than four to five minute commercial breaks. I’ll keep my ears to the ground for any more news like this but remember one thing — this isn’t your parent’s TV.
Now for a “Fringe” update.
The ground-breaking FOX drama has continued to gain steam since its pulse-pounding premiere. It has been averaging a healthy 9 million viewers per week, according to the Neilson Ratings. The network recently granted it a full season.
I can’t stress this enough: Watch this show. It’s J.J. Abrams at his best.
His past shows (Alias, Lost) are very serialized and each episode acts like one chapter of a story. “Fringe” goes back to the whole “freak of the week” format that made shows like “The X-Files” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” so popular.
The show has an over arching story, but each episode is self-contained an resolves itself in the end.
There’s only been a handful of episodes so far so get yourself to FOX.com and check them out. Meanwhile, watch the new episode tonight at 7.
Study hard, and stay tuned!
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