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talesofafangirlwithadvr · 3 years

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Jan/Feb 2021 Picks

HELLO! It’s been a while, but I’M BACK!! Life has gotten a lot busier as I started Grad School this January. So, I feel it may be tough being on time with future Monthly Wraps like I’ve done in the past with working on my MFA, and my job. I’m going to probably do more seasonal wrap ups when I get the time. I also think I’ll be posting more individual posts as I watch an episode. Because even with a busier schedule, there is always time for TV and there’s so much I want to talk about!

You know the drill. Spoilers are coming.....

You’ve been warned :)

WANDAVISION

I want to start off by mentioning that I have not watched this week’s episode yet. So the last one I saw was EPISODE 6 with Halloween in the late 90s/early 2000s.

THIS SHOW! OMG.

I didn’t know what I was signing up for when I watched the first episode and I have been blown away. It is such a cool concept and I love the fact that everyone who watches it is confused. There have been so many interesting theories out there and I am so curious what is going to wind up being true. I love all the nods to old sitcoms and TV shows as well as all the MCU Easter Eggs. (I mean they got X-men’s Quicksilver-like WOW.) It feels really Black Mirror at times with the breaking of the fourth wall. I will never be able to shake the feeling I got in Episode 3, when Vision reversed. (And then I saw a bunch of videos with him looking at the camera as Wanda looks at the TV. Eww I don’t like it, but it’s such a good move on their point.) I love the outside plot as well and the characters who were previously side characters in other MARVEL movies. The love for Jimmy Woo is astounding and I’m here for it. I’m glad it’s Friday, so I can watch the next episode. I’m just upset that we’re so close to the show ending. The next Disney Plus Marvel shows better be just as good. Wandavision set the bar high.

NANCY DREW

If you’ve visited this page recently, you know I have a very strong love for this show. It is the only one I am still watching religiously on the CW and I am tuning in the night it airs. (That is HUGE for me.) IT IS JUST SO GOOD AND I DON’T KNOW WHERE TO START....

2x05 just aired, which would have been the season 1 finale before COVID and I have it saved on my DVR to watch again. There’s just so much I want to relive and catch that I missed the first watch through. It would have been SUCH A GOOD FINALE, but I’m happy that we can continue with new episodes starting next week. And with the way it ended...there’s so much I need to know!! I’m just curious how fast they’re going to develop certain plots. I love the Drew Crew and how they are a family. Each character is so well developed and their chemistry is great. I love learning more about each of them and watching them develop. My favorite character is definitely Ace. I love all his witty lines and how he is opening up more to the group as well as to us, the audience, as we get more of a look into his personal life. I enjoy all of his scenes with his dad and specifically liked when they were celebrating Shabbat. (I am also here for the Nancy and Ace content. I gush more about this on my other blog: lydia-whogowith-stiles. Check it out if you want to hear more.)

THE WATCH

When I watched the Christmas special (or was it New Years? and why does that feel so long ago) of Doctor Who, BBC America kept advertising a new show called the Watch. Due to the extensive amount of commercials, I decided to tape the first two episodes (which premiered back to back) to see what it was all about. I was unaware that this series is based on the book series created by Terry Pratchett. When I came to see if people were talking about it on Tumblr, I saw that a lot of people didn’t like it because of how drastically different it was. As I was unfamiliar with the original, I can’t compare. The TV show was eight episodes and I just watched the last one that aired this past Sunday. I definitely liked the first half of the season more (I noticed my mind start to drift as I watched later ones), but thought the finale was good. I really enjoyed how they incorporated the theme song. I didn’t realize the connection earlier and now can’t stop humming it. (I don’t know if there will be another season or not.) I enjoyed the characters and how it was like nothing I’ve seen on TV before. It got me thinking a lot about blending genres. I would still recommend checking it out.

ZOEY’S EXTRORDINARY PLAYLIST

I was VERY excited for this show to come back. I loved the first season so much. It’s just such a heartfelt show and it helped me survive the early parts of quarantine. So far, this season I am noticing how detailed the musical performances are. Mandy Moore is doing an AMAZING job. The choreography is *chefs kiss* I also feel like the song choices have been great and not always the ones I think that would be picked. We are getting to learn more about each character and watch Zoey and her family as they continue life after losing Mitch. I am here for Mo and Max’s restaurant. I think the concept would be so cool in real life. Who knows maybe we’ll see one now. (Max’s rendition of ‘Numb’ was amazing. I’ve never heard the song like that and I think it might be one of my favorites of the season so far.) I hope Max and Zoey get back together by the end of the season. It did feel fast, so I do understand why they had to break up, but it still makes me sad that we watched them get together and then it was taken away from us. The last episode before the break was so powerful and I think the show did an amazing job applying real world issues into their plot. It did not feel forced at all and brought so much awareness. Upset we have to wait so long for a new episode.

SECRETS OF SULPHUR SPRINGS

Are you looking for a good mystery, but don’t think Disney Channel can provide it? Think again. I have to say, when I started watching I was not expecting this show to be a part of my monthly picks. It pleasantly surprised me. The show involves the mystery of a young girl, Savannah, who went mysteriously missing at camp back in the 90s. Apparently, her ghost still haunts the hotel that was on the camp grounds to this day. Then Griffin and his family buy the hotel with intent of fixing it up and reopening it after all these years. The people in the town think they’re crazy because of its past. But there’s something more going on with Griffin’s dad as well as some of the other adults in the town. They know something about Savannah’s disappearance, but aren’t saying anything about it. While this is a kid’s show (and only half hour episodes) it has been interesting to see where the story will go. I’m sure I am imagining much more intense things for her disappearance than what actually happened. It’s also not super cheesy or have bad acting, which is refreshing. (I really feel Disney Channel has gone down.) Either way, I don’t know how many episodes are left to air, but I think we’re pretty close to the end. If you’re looking for a quick, entertaining mystery I would highly recommend.

MISS SCARLET AND THE DUKE

And here come my period pieces (ironically both from Masterpiece/PBS this time). I know last year I felt like I watched a lot of historical watches at the beginning of the year. We’ll see if that continues to happen this year too. It does serve as a nice escape. Plus, these are some really good stories.

Miss Scarlet and the Duke is a part of Masterpiece Mystery on PBS, although it aired on a different network in the UK. It is (another) mystery series (shocking I know with that title!) It follows Eliza Scarlet who has a nose for mystery, but as a woman living in the Victorian era does not have any rights except for being a wife and mother (two things she would rather not be). When her father dies (apparently from a heart attack...emphasis on apparently), she takes over his Private Investigator business. Much to the dismay of long time family friend William “The Duke” who is a Detective Inspector for Scotland Yard. Eliza is often in his office as she gets arrested for being places she shouldn’t or trying to get information out of him. This element of Eliza having to work in a very male dominated Victorian society is one that I feel I haven’t really seen on a TV show. I really like her dynamic with William. There’s always that feeling of “will they won’t they,” but I don’t feel the show just focuses on that. The mystery is the heart of it all. This last week’s episode was REALLY GOOD. As we got to find out more regarding her father’s death. I hear a lot of people want a season 2 and I am right there with them. This show deserves it.

ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL

Another PBS Masterpiece watch. I love this show, so much more than I was anticipating. It is so heartfelt and makes me so happy and in a good mood after watching it. It follows James Herriot who has recently graduated from veterinary school, but is struggling finding a job. Then he gets a call from Siegfried Farnon’s veterinary practice in Yorkshire. Siegfried is known for having a harsh demeanor and temper, so the assistants he hires don’t often last long. Spoiler alert, that should be pretty obvious, James does. The cast of characters are so lovely and I like all their relationships with one another. The show takes places in the 1930s and I realized I don’t often watch things in this era, so that has been fun to explore. The sets and locations are BEAUTIFUL. In the episodes, we often get these amazing shots that sweep over the exterior and I want to travel to Yorkshire like tomorrow. (See more escapism, it’s great.) The main plot follows everyone interact in the town and watching James become a more confident and experienced veterinarian (which I decided I could never do after watching). I heard that it has been renewed for a second season so that is so fantastic.

FATE: THE WINX SAGA

The first things I heard about this show was how disappointed everyone was in how they decided to adapt the Winx Club show from their childhood. On this I can agree, but I decided to watch the show anyway. I pretended that it was something new entirely and I have to say I enjoyed it. Of course, there were parts that bothered me and then I had to remember it was a teen show, so angst would be annoying. I think overall it was too short (and should have at least 8 or 10 episodes), but I’m happy that they were able to conclude the main plot well. (Although we did get that cliffhanger, but it is exciting that it was released the show just got renewed for a second season the other day.) I really liked Silva-mainly because it was great seeing Thomas from Downton Abbey in something else. I also enjoyed seeing Jacob Duchman in more things. It was a surprise to see him in Medici and I am just happy he is adding more to his IMDB.

Quick and addicting watch. Add it to your queue. Just forget it’s supposed to be based on something else.

BLOWN AWAY SEASON 2

Continuing with the Netflix picks, one of my FAVORITE picks from 2020 got a season 2 and it is already on Netflix! That’s right Blown Away season 2 is now available. I seriously loved the first season of this show SO MUCH! Glass blowing is such a magical process and I am mesmerized every time I watch it. It felt weird starting this show with all new contestants, but then Alex came back as a guest judge and I was so happy. It is just as addicting and I cannot wait to see who wins this season. I am just trying not to rush the episodes.

VIOLETTA SEASON 3 UPDATE

I know you were all dying to know...

After taking a hiatus from watching during the holidays, I have gotten back into watching the Disney Channel telenovela on Disney Plus. I am now on episode 68. Things are really starting to happen and I am finding myself getting sucked in again, which makes me happy. Episode 60 (pictured above) had A LOT happen and really was a turning point for the second half of the show. Can’t wait to keep watching. Some really awesome songs from these last set of episodes.

AND NOW FOR MY NOT LOVING IT PICK:

LEGACIES

This third season has really disappointed me so far. As I’ve previously discussed on this page, it feels like they are just reusing previous plots from the last two seasons when there is so much more they can do. There was so much promise for this show and I loved the Vampire Diaries and Originals so much, that it’s sad to see Legacies miss the mark. I wish they gave Hope more storylines that didn’t revolve around Landon. She is such a strong character and is SO POWERFUL. This is something we rarely see and it shouldn’t only be shown to save a guy (multiple times). Their couple plot is continually doing the same thing. I want to see a lot more development with this show over this season to keep me watching. I am actually happy that there isn’t a new episode until March 11th. (That’s saying something...)

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birdy-lady · 5 years

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Schitt’s Creek is five seasons into a run that rivals — and at times even beats out — The Good Place’s deft ability to be both wickedly funny and deeply morally grounded. Most people have still never seen it.

But please don’t waste any time or energy apologizing if you’ve never watched, or if you’re a bandwagoner — the majority of its fans seem to have discovered the Canadian Broadcasting Company-PopTV co-produced series over the last year via Netflix, where it’s easy to binge through the first four years of 22-minute episodes in a weekend. (Season 5 is currently available on the Pop TV app and iTunes.)

It’s a kind of bizarro-world Arrested Development, with a premise that could even be narrated by Ron Howard: the story of a wealthy family who lost everything, moved to the middle of nowhere, and finally found out how to love each other. Except unlike the bitter, often mean-spirited Bluths, in Schitt’s Creek, the Rose family — Johnny (Eugene Levy), Moira (Catherine O’Hara), David (Dan Levy), and Alexis (Annie Murphy) — chooses, if at times reluctantly, to at least try to be better people, no matter how bewildering a struggle that presents.

Like its characters, Schitt’s Creek has gotten better season over season, leaning into each dramatic curve while keeping a steady hand on the comedic wheel. There’s a smattering of accolades starting to pile up — Adweek called it “the little show that could,” and on Monday, MTV viewers handed showrunner, co-creator, and costar Dan Levy a surprise win for Best Comedic Performance at its Movie & TV Awards, where the show was also nominated for Best Series (a popular vote it lost, not surprisingly, to Game of Thrones). The Television Critics Association threw some much-deserved fuel on the fire Wednesday with a nod for Outstanding Achievement in Comedy Series and a second for O’Hara’s performance. When I started writing this piece there were zero articles demanding that Schitt’s Creek get an Emmy and by now there are at least, like, four.

And yet the idea that Schitt’s Creek might somehow not score an Emmy nomination makes me feel so… dramatic… that I’ve basically been running around town as if I’m presenting an hour-long PowerPoint outlining the cultural, business, and even ethical case for why it deserves your attention. Even if you’re not a voting member of the Television Academy — but especially if you are. (Full disclosure: I am, though as a member of the Interactive Peer Group I’m only eligible to nominate series for the big category prizes, not acting or writing or directing.)

Here’s the short version:

Slide 1: Give Dan Levy an Emmy for writing. Schitt’s slices through the usual sitcom fat of misdirections and MacGuffins in favor of sincere, emotionally honest moments.

In “The Hike,” the penultimate fifth season episode, every one of the main characters shows us how much they’ve changed, even if they didn’t want to and aren’t sure what it means. After a fraught, foible-filled hike up a mountain, David’s boyfriend, Patrick (Noah Reid), proposes. By the time they’ve reached the vista — where, Patrick reveals, he often came while trying to sort out his confusing feelings for his business partner — Levy’s script has shown us over and over that these two men know and trust each other better than either could have ever predicted.

Meanwhile, David’s sister, Alexis, admits she has some reluctance about joining her veterinarian beau, Ted (Dustin Milligan), for a lengthy work trip. “I’ve had have this, like, nagging feeling that as soon as I get there I’m going to start thinking about my family,” Alexis says. Ted, always supportive, tells her that doesn’t sound insane, and Alexis is sure she’s just failed to explain the situation. “Like, I will physically be there,” she says, “but I will be thinking about them here.” Ted confirms this is called missing someone, “and it’s a totally normal feeling.”

The show refuses to rely on the standard return to square one at the end of every episode; instead these characters are markedly different than when they started. After five seasons, they’re all dangerously close to having lived up their actual potential as good people.

Slide 2: Give Catherine O’Hara an Emmy for playing the now-iconic Moira Rose, the former soap star whose onetime escape from a small town similar to Schitt’s Creek has left her determined to help her family recover some of their former glory— ideally very far away. Maybe even as far as Bosnia, where she’s filmed an attempt at a big comeback in The Crows Have Eyes 3: The Crowening.

(Note: O’Hara has actually already got an Emmy, for writing on SCTV back in 1982, but please let that very long gap filled with other outstanding work inspire you to give her a second one rather than assume she’s all set.) This weird little show sold out a dozen dates of a live tour in the last few years, and there is a certain deep satisfaction in hearing thousands of people cheer O’Hara in a standing ovation simply for walking on stage.

Slide 3: Give Dan Levy an Emmy for acting, too. It’s not a one-man show, but five seasons in, Levy has made a compelling case for himself as the auteur break-out of the family. He’s got some great scene partners — Annie Murphy is particularly sharp and in the position of being most easily dismissed despite having crafted Alexis’ flighty, famous-name-dropping schtick with precision. But on a show that distributes its A and B plots with a carefully even hand, David stands out in every episode. Levy’s wincing-or-crying-or-laughing face in any given split-second is a goddamned wonderland of feels.

Slide 4: Just take a huge risk and throw in an Outstanding Comedy Series nomination already. If Pop TV, a cable network whose previous incarnations were best known for having run channel listings, is now in the midst of Peak TV making one of the best comedies of the decade, you can surely take a big swing yourself.

That’s it, that’s my pitch. Go watch this short, brilliant, unicorn of a show and then tell anyone you know who can help it have an awards-winning beginning to its sixth and final season that they should do what’s good for the world and help more people find their way to Schitt’s Creek.

#some points were made #schitt's creek #schitts creek #sc fyc

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grendelsmilf · 5 years

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hey i don't watch a lot of tv shows but i'd like to try and you also love atla so i thought you'd be a good person to ask this to: what shows do you usually recommend to others ?

well, only having one show to go off of makes this rather difficult, but atla is one of my favorite shows of all time, so i’m going to just assume you have good taste and go from there. (italicized are must-watches)

adventure time mandatory viewing tbh. if atla is the most perfect straightforward fantasy narrative on tv, adventure time is the most perfect deconstruction of the fantasy narrative. 10 seasons long, but so so worth it. my favorite show of all time.

crazy ex girlfriend a wonderful deconstruction of romcom tropes and how patriarchy warps and dilutes women’s happiness and self-image. breaking bad is not required viewing bc saying so would imply i give a shit about men, but it does help inform where crazy ex is coming from, as it draws a lot of influences from it in terms of narrative structure. of course, the broader your knowledge of pop culture, specifically romcoms, musicals, and revenge thrillers, the more you get out of this show, but i hate romcoms and musicals with a passion, and i still love this show.

russian doll really really good and anything more would spoil the magic of discovering it for yourself. it’s only 8 short episodes. just watch it.

killing eve fun and sexy and clever and a very good time. sandra oh and jodie comer are incredible. not for everyone, but very much for me, so i while i won’t begrudge anyone for not liking it, i am always recommending it to people.

schitt’s creek probably my favorite sitcom. it’s just warm, and good, and catherine o’hara is fucking hysterical. a really entertaining watch.

derry girls absolutely hilarious. the writing is incredibly clever. a regrettably short watch; it’ll be over before you know it, so try to savor it.

arrested development a classic. a satire of the bushes that sort of spirals into becoming a satire of itself. only watch the first three seasons if you do end up getting into it (which not everyone does), but it’s basically the basis for the modern sitcom.

bojack horseman an animated show about a talking horse man who used to be the lead of a mediocre 80s sitcom, and is now a depressed alcoholic who refuses to take accountability for his own life. a great commentary on the corruption and abuse embedded into hollywood’s very core. hilarious, clever, and filled to the brim with animal puns. will make you sad if you’re happy, and might drive you to suicide if you’re sad. really, really good, though.

tuca & bertie lisa hanawalt’s infuriatingly short-lived show about the female experience that got a lot of men really riled up simply because they could not relate to it. it’s wonderful, though.

difficult people not a show i recommend to a lot of people, but required viewing for gay new york jews. that’s all i’m gonna say.

gravity falls have not watched this show since it ended, but if you like animation, this show is very fun and warm and clever and entertaining.

hilda a super lovely and adorable cartoon that just exists to be nice and pretty and soothing. highly recommend if you just want to watch something to wind down to.

atlanta donald glover’s very good show despite the fact that it is donald glover’s show. this is because literally every other person involved in this show is absolutely brilliant and outshines him at every turn. always must preface my love for this show with the fact that donald glover is mine enemy, but the truth is that it’s really good and i like it a lot.

american vandal pretty much one of the only good netflix originals (the others are all already on this list). i avoid true crime like the plague, and even i know that this parody of the true crime docuseries genre is spot on. but what’s even more spot-on is its depiction of the high school experience. no other tv show has even come close to accurately capturing what it’s like to be in high school, yet this show is hilariously trenchant.

mad men for when you wanna feel superior to other people when they admit they’ve never seen it.

the sopranos for when you wanna feel superior to other people when they admit they’ve never seen it.

the wire for when you wanna feel superior to other people when they admit they’re never seen it.

(also they are genuinely good shows, i just cannot put them on a list without feeling a bit silly, considering their status in the tv landscape)

community not for the faint of heart. the homophobia is off the charts!! but when it’s good, it’s so fucking good. proceed with caution.

west wing if you love politics, witty banter, and/or white people, this is the show for you! no but seriously, it does hold a special place in my heart. but only watch the first four seasons. or no seasons. you do you.

one mississippi tig’s show that no one watched even though (or probably because) it was really great. a very short watch, and lovely and poignant and tig notaro is there, which is the only selling point anything needs, i think.

bob’s burgers my go-to show for when i want to shut my brain off and feel good and safe. at its crux, a show about embracing flaws, the inherent awkwardness of being alive, and loving your community and having empathy, while also too dry to ever be saccharine. i’ve seen each episode multiple times despite it currently being on its tenth season because it is always the show i have on in the background.

nathan for you the only good reality show. it fucking slaps ok

the addams family yes the sitcom from the 60s. i know i said schitts creek is my favorite sitcom, but without the addams family, schitts creek would never exist. the addams family is subversive and lovely and yes it has a laugh track and is in black & white but also it defined my childhood and i’d be remiss not to mention it.

okay so i’d say there’s enough variety there that at least one of these shows will pique your interest!

#ask #anon #o.tv

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nicol3houghts · 5 years

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STOP WATCHING THE OFFICE: other things to watch this summer

Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE ZIE OFFICE!! But as much as it pains me to say, the office isn’t a personality trait, so I’ve decided to make a list (e.g. Buzzfeed lists) of my top 16 recommendations for TV and podcasts to watch and listen to—since we all need to stop being basic bitches and FOCUS!

I hope you listen to me when I say these shows are amazing and actually watch them if you have the time. I'm doing this because I care about you and your TV preferences.

I'll break it up by streaming service, starting with Netflix then Hulu, YouTube, then Podcasts last.

*I apologize in advance for the lousy grammar and lack of editing, but also not really sorry bout it.

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On NETFLIX:

1. Arrested Development

Number of Seasons: 5

Number of Episodes: 91

Hours to Binge: 35

Okay, number one on my list is Arrested development. A lot of people I talk to, especially in my age range, don’t know what the fuck I’m talking about, but this show is GENIUS... on G*D. I’ve watched it around four times now, and each time it gets better and better. I read somewhere that it was created as a satire of Bush-era incompetence and idiotic hanky-panky during the Iraq war. But at its heart, the show’s about a rich family with four adult children—who are all goofy and quirky. Their dad get’s thrown in jail for doing business with terrorists or something like that and Micheal Bluth (Jason Bateman) has to get them out of weird ass situations.

youtube

Above is one of my favorite scenes (Best clip I could find on youtube!!).

This show has a LOT of jokes and long running bits that you kind of have to pay attention to to get the storyline. It’s hella META, and at times, can be really weird (see George Micheal Bluth and Maeby Fünke’s little Les Cousins Dangereux). In conclusion, however, Jason Bateman is hot, Micheal Cera is hot, and Tony Hale is ~super~ hot.

P.S. a lot of memes come from this show that you would know but don’t know that it’s from this show.

2. The Haunting of Hill House

Number of Seasons: 1

Number of Episodes: 10

Hours to binge: 9

youtube

Scary as f*ck! Do not watch yourself or u will die. I warned you.

I'm not going to spoil it too much, but it's about a family living in a spooky house and crazy ass shit keeps happening to them. They eventually move out, but even 20 years after--when the kids are all adults--the haunting of the house follows them.

There's even a 17 min scene that they shot in one shot!!!!!!!! That's wiLD.

3. Schitt's Creek

Number of Seasons: 5

Number of Episodes: 66

Hours to binge: 25

Yet another show about a rich family loosing all their money. A bit different than Arrested Development. This show is about a rich ass family loosing all their money and resorting to live in Schitt's Creek--a town in Nowhere, U.S.A. the family bought as a JOKE. It's a really easy watch. The characters in this show are SO un-relatable and mean it's hilarious--only if u f*ck wit dry humor tho.

Here's my favorite character, Alexis Rose just being iconic:

youtube

Give it a try, the first few episodes are rocky, but it gets better. That's a guarantee.

4. American Vandal

Number of Seasons: 2

Number of Episodes: 16

Hours to binge: 9

A lot of people already probs watch this show, but it's honestly so beautifully written. The show is an homage to Making a Murderer, a true crime mockumentary of sorts. It follows two guys, Sam and Peter as they try to figure out a mystery: WHO DREW D*CKS ON THE TEACHER'S CARS?

Also, JIMMY TATRO!!!!!

Season 2 follows a different crime and it's... it's poopy.

5. Mindhunter

Number of Seasons: 1

Number of Episodes: 10

Hours to binge: 9

YUH. Just started this, already on ep. 8, very interesting. Mindhunter is about the first FBI agents to use profiling to catch serial killers. THE CHARACTERS IN THIS SHOW WALKED SO THAT HOTCH AND REID COULD RUN.

This show is no joke and based on true serial killers like the coed killer, the shoe fetish killer, and BTK, it's very.... very creepy.

ALWAYS carry pepper spray on ya, that's fer sher.

6. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

pinot noir, caviar

7. John Mulaney: The Comeback Kid

eat ass, suck a dick, and sell drugs

8. The Good Place

is it really the good place?

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On Hulu:

9. Broad City

Number of Seasons: 5

Number of Episodes: 50

Hours to binge: 18

One of the greatest television series of all time about two baller best fraaands who get into the schemes of the century in New York City. Illana, a ferocious kween wit ZERO f*cks, and Abbi, an aspiring artiste with a great ass. The two work min-wage jobs in NYC (so they're broke) and they're just trying to find luv and a good bacon egg and cheese.

Think Sex and the City but fresh and new and wild. Abbi and Ilana's dialogue and schemes are relatable af, it makes it seem like you're there with them. Their co-dependency is so powerful... yet at moments, a lil destructive. I once had a friendship like this.. and let me tell you... co-dependency is a wild ride.

youtube

Some of the funniest scenes in this show is just of them talking on the street. Sometimes, when I'm walking with my friends, I pretend like I'm in the show lol.

I recommend you start from beginning to end because of the endless callbacks and running gags, but if not start with season 3, episode 7 B&B-NYC. Blake Griffin is in it.

10. Community

Number of Seasons: 6

Number of Episodes: 110

Hours to binge: 41

What can I say about this show to make you watch it? Well first of all the fact that Childish Gambino (Donald Glover) is in it should already have you clicking over to Hulu by now.

Community is about seven quirky misfits: a disbarred lawyer, a failed housewife, an activist everyone hates, a racist old man, a stupid jock who lost his sports scholarship, a high-strung know-it-all who took too much adderall, and abed. They all end up at Greendale Community College with a phsyco spanish teacher and a colorful dean.

This show is kind of a parody of a sitcom, and it is VERY meta--often referring to themselves as TV show characters. The seven get into hilarious adventures and obstacles along the way. The show also genre hops from time to time. For example, they have a whole pillow fort vs. blanket fort episode (Pillows and Blankets, season 3, episode 4) in a Ken Burns documentary style, an episode in claymation for Christmas (Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas, season 2, episode 11), and a bunch of paintball episodes in style of Quentin Tarantino and StarWars.

Again, you should start at the beginning, but if you want to get into it quickly, I really loved Pillows and Blankets (season 3, episode 4).

11. The Mindy Project

As a "petite asian woman" who is not petite, this show is very relatable. About finding love and eating good in the big apple.

P.S. If you don't like Kelly from the office, you're dead 2 m3.

12. Brooklyn 99

Cool. coolcoolcoolcool. Jake Peralta is the greatest detective/genius.

13. Superstore

If Walmart and the office had a baby and it was incompetent.

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On YouTube and Facebook Watch:

14. The Real Bros of Simi Valley

Number of Seasons: 2

Number of Episodes: 14

Hours to binge: 4

You straight up know these guys, fool. Four stoner/burn-outs who think your hometown's Mexican food is the best in the world. Amazingly written and surprisingly good acting. Lightweight lowkey thought they were speaking another language at first.

Jimmy Tatro, Cody Ko, Getter, and Nick Colletti. What more do you want? LITERALLY WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT?

The unnecessary drama and endless quotable jokes in this show leads you wanting more with only 14 episodes totaling at around four hours.

Watch the first season YouTube here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybcPQVipNAw

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Podcasts:

15. Tiny Meat Gang

Aha hah bro last night was a movie bro ON GOD.

Noel Miller and Cody Ko talk about literally anything, but goofy. I can listen to them talk for straight up hours.

I usually listen on Apple Podcasts, but you can also watch on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/ZCMs4FrC_c0

Just start listening, bro.

16. My Favorite Murder

No shade to Codel, but My Favorite Murder is my all time favorite podcast. Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark are two hilarious women who love murder. Not murdering, but the psychology of murderers and survivors. Each Thursdays each of them tell a story about a murder. They don't make fun of murders, but it's their banter that makes it fun to listen to.

If you're a fan of true crime at all, please listen so I have more people to talk about it with. shouts outs Jenna for putting me on to the show!

Here are my favorite episodes!

*tip: skip the first 15-20 min to the first murder when first listening.

150: How Dare You Kill Kelli

The Hanging of Alice Riley and The Murder of Reyena Marroquin

131: The Uninhibited

The Murder of Standford White and The Case of the Boys on the Tracks

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cksmart-world · 5 years

Text

The Completely Unnecessary News Analysis

by Christopher Smart

Aug. 27

WHAT IF HILLARY HAD BEEN ELECTED...

& ROSA PARKS IS A BARBIE DOLL

If Hillary Clinton had been elected president in 2016, almost no one would know who Stormy Daniels is.

If Hillary Clinton had been elected in 2016, Jason Chaffetz would still be in Congress investigating Benghazi and Hillary's emails.

If Hillary had been elected, Sarah Huckabee Sanders would still be working at IHOP.

If Hillary Clinton had been elected, Chris Stewart, Mike Lee and Mitt Romney wouldn't look like such empty suits — OK, maybe they would, anyway.

If Hillary had been elected, Mike Pence would be a wealthy televangelist, but still couldn't eat lunch alone with a woman at Applebee's.

If Hillary had been elected, Ivanka and Jared would essentially be doing the same thing they are doing now: jet-setting, primping for cameras and letting everyone else eat cake.

If Hillary had been elected, MAGA caps would be replaced by IMPEACH HILLARY hats.

If Hillary had been elected, Stephen Miller would still be hawking Nazi memorabilia online and at the Saturday swap meet.

If Hillary had been elected, the United States wouldn't be a punch line in Europe.

And if Hillary Clinton had been elected president, Donald Trump would be back on TV with Sean Hannity and Laura Ingram in a sitcom called “Arrested Development,” or maybe “Beavis and Butthead.”

A Rosa Parks Barbie Doll? Get On The Bus

Sixty four years after civil rights activist Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a public bus to a white man in Montgomery, Ala., Mattel has come out with a doll in her honor. (We are not making this up.) Note: A bus is not included with the new Barbie Doll — make that Rosa Doll. Yes Barbie has changed. Mattel also is offering dolls in the likeness of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, aviator Amelia Earhart and astronaut Sally Ride. Historically, critics have savaged Mattel for portraying Barbie in a singular and unattainable body type: 5-feet-9, a 39-inch bust, an 18-inch waist and a size 3 shoe. (Seems like she'd tip over quite easily.) The doll is not a healthy prototype, according to the book “Body Wars” by Margo Maine, a clinical psychologist who specializes in eating disorders. But it's a brand-new day according to Mattel: “These historical women broke boundaries that made the world a better place for future generations of girls.” So instead of trying to get a date with Ken, girls can now fight for civil rights or paint surrealistic self-portraits. We're not sure about the outer space thing, but you gotta dream big. As for Ken, sorry dude, you are so yesterday. Can you get us some coffee?

Utah Legislators Love Democracy

We hear a lot about democracy from our political leaders. Many say voting is the cornerstone of democracy. But, of course, democracy has a broader meaning — or should we say promise. It promises justice for all. It promises the community will protect the individual. It promises the people will rule themselves. Promises, promises, promises. Utah legislators love to talk about democracy — until it comes to voter ballot initiatives. Then they think of other promises — like their promise to protect people from themselves. Case in point: Proposition 3 that would fully expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act aka Obamacare. The state Republican brain trust on Capitol Hill hates Medicaid because it delivers healthcare to people who can't afford it — the devil's work. So even though voters approved Prop 3 in what can only be seen as an exercise in democracy, Republican leaders had a better idea. They'd trim it back to save some bucks — why throw money at poor, sickly people, anyway. Oops, hold on — it turns out that the Utah Republican plan costs $2.5 million more per month than full expansion would have, according to the state Medicaid director. Darn. Foiled again. Looks like it's back to the back rooms for our righteous legislators who will continue to determine in secret what's best for us. They love democracy, just ask them.

The United States of Special Interests

Speaking of democracy and its origins in ancient Greece, we have to wonder what Plato would make of our system where money is speech and corporations are people. It's no secret that you need millions to get elected to Congress and millions more to stay there. Recently, The Salt Lake Tribune's Tommy “The Bullet” Burr gave us a peek behind the curtain of how Washington works. For example, Congressman Rob Bishop gets a lot of dough from the oil and gas industry. Oh, and the fact that he's the chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee is no coincidence. As Tommy writes: “Bishop's committee assignment puts him in a prime position to write legislation that directly affects the folks forking over campaign cash to him.” Before you spit up in your coffee, remember that this is business as usual in our Congress. Democracy? Right. The notion that our system has been subverted by special interests would make Plato puke: the rich get richer and the powerful get more power. The promise of democracy is turned upside-down by those who would gain at the expense of others. As Republicans like to insist, giving rich people tax breaks is really good for everyone else. They keep selling “Trickle Down Economics” as Americans continue to lose spending power, but Utah voters must love it because they just keep electing Republicans. For the rest of us, it's more like “Trickle Down Your Leg.”

Well, the staff here at Smart Bomb is back in good ol' Zion after our dazzling road trip to enchanted New Mexico. Wilson and the band had a great time, too. They thought it was cool they could buy booze at gas stations in New Mexico. They loved the White Sands National Monument, because, according to Wilson, it was like walking in warm snow. The staff really got into the old New Mexico towns of Silver City and Las Vegas that are off the beaten path — great places to hide from the rest of the world. Still, our crack political analysts did miss a lot of news, which was quite relaxing, by the way. But we did hear second-hand that Trump wants to nuke hurricanes, that he is the “chosen one” who will part the Yangtze River and that American Jews who vote for Democrats are no better than Palestinians. As strange as all that sounds, it's not surprising.

All right Wilson, it's great to be back home, so wake up the band and take us out with a little something to rest our weary travelin' bones:

Just got home from Illinois / Lock the front door, oh, boy! / Got to sit down, / Take a rest on the porch. / Imagination sets in, / Pretty soon I'm singin'. / Doo, doo, doo, / Lookin' out my back door...

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evenstevensranked · 6 years

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#1: Season 3, Episode 5 - “Band on the Roof”

ANNNND... “BAND ON THE ROOF” TAKES THE CAKE!

I cannot believe I’m publishing the #1 ranking. Next month will mark two whole years since I created this blog and now, after countless hours spent on 64 reviews, we’re finally here! Never thought I’d see the day. I never anticipated that I’d be this emotional about it either. I’ll save the mushiness and some final thoughts for the end of the post.

When The Twitty-Stevens Connection gets back together, Tom shoots a documentary -- excuse me, “rockumentary” -- detailing the highs and lows of the band’s reunion! What we get is a rollercoaster of an episode featuring (almost) all of our favorite characters, the most legendary quote in the entire series, a mockumentary approach to filming that was ahead of its time, a heartwarming plot for our two main siblings, and one hell of a catchy song to boot.

For the last time...

Let’s get into it!

I know I throw the word "Iconic" around loosely sometimes but this is genuinely an iconic episode for the series. I feel like everyone remembers this episode. Even if you didn't watch the show too often, you still remember this episode. This one kinda makes me wish that Even Stevens was one of the first popular American comedy sitcoms to pioneer the mockumentary style gimmick for the entire series. (i.e. The Office, Modern Family, Parks & Rec) Because it works here. Really well. I’ve mentioned a few times before that The Office is my other all-time favorite comedy show, so I absolutely ADORE those strong vibes here.

According to Wikipedia and their list of “Mockumentaries” (which includes this episode!) -- as far as the genre in television goes, it seemed to become a big thing in the UK first and then spread to places like Australia and Canada. The United States mockumentary television format boom started in the early-mid 2000s, specifically at or around 2003 with Arrested Development and then in 2005 with the humble beginnings of The Office. "Band on the Roof” premiered in 2002. Hmmm. Very interesting! Not sayin’ Even Stevens was ahead of its time once again but that’s exactly what I’m saying. It’s almost like this show trial-runs ideas before they take off. First with “Influenza” and then this. Even though this episode was definitely more of a spoof of VH1′s “Behind The Music,” it still totally falls into that mockumentary TV category.

It opens with the introduction to the documentary, narrated by Tom in a super unnaturally deep voice with a little reverb slapped on there for dramatic effect: “First, there was The Alan Twitty Project... Then, there was The Louis Stevens Experience... The coming together of these two musical forces begat the supergroup The Twitty-Stevens Connection! ...But the band broke up temporarily when bassist Artie Ryan’s mom made him take pottery lessons.”

Tragic.

Tom introduces himself as “Thomas Gribalski: Rockumentary Filmmaker.” Wow, he’s wasting no time loading up his IMDb page. You document one Junior High band and it’s all uphill from there. He goes on to explain that when The Twitty-Stevens Connection got back together, Louis Stevens asked him to capture those “little moments” for them to look back on once the band becomes “rich and famous.” But, of course, no road to stardom is without its bumps.

I wanna know how Tom, a 14-year-old, got this swanky studio to record in...

It cuts to band rehearsal in the Stevens basement where they’re jamming to “Crazy” from the Battle of the Bands episode!! Everything’s fine until the band randomly stops playing in the middle of the song and Louis goes off on a never-ending drum solo that he refers to as “a groove.” It always bothered me how the music just… stops. Why did everyone but Louis decide to stop playing for seemingly no reason?! Whoever was in charge of audio here couldn’t be bothered to make it sound more organic lol. It’s really weird and abrupt. Sorry for the nitpicking there.

I love how Tom got that shot of a messy hamper in the foreground. It really amps up the grittiness.

It’s pretty great how Louis subtly changed roles from the band’s manager to the band’s drummer. For once, this was an arc in Season 3 that actually aired in the correct order. In Episode 2, Louis became interested in playing the drums and was gifted a drumset. In Episode 4 he started taking lessons, and here in Episode 5, he’s officially the drummer of the band. Shia is playing for real here as well! So that’s very cool.

While Louis is drumming his lil heart out during his self-indulgent extended solo, it cuts to shots of everyone killing time and I love it.

Tom, lol.

Ren eventually rips the drumsticks out of Louis’ hands and the two start arguing. Tawny reminds them that they promised to get along if the band got back together. Just then, we hear that shrill, annoying and unmistakeable voice chime in: “Can I say something?” The camera searches around until it lands on Beans just chilling there like he owns the place. Oh my god.

Louis: “Where is he? BEANS! HOW DID YOU GET IN HERE?!?!” -- Why is that mockumentary style sooo funny though?! The shaky camera looking around and zooming in is what makes this.

I seriously wish every episode was filmed this way. But honestly, just getting this liiiittle glimpse into what a mockumentary version of Even Stevens might’ve been like is enough to make me feel #blessed. If a reboot ever happened, I’d definitely looove to see it reborn à la Modern Family for at least an arc or one special season. I know the gimmick is a little outplayed at this point but I mean, the Stevens are an eccentric enough family for a documentary crew to follow! Am I wrong?! All of the flagship American mock-doc shows have already ended or are ending soon. The door’s open for a new one. Just sayin’.

It cuts to Louis ranting about Beans in the first interview portion or “talking head” of the documentary. This is the greatest thing. Holy crap. He says: “Beans is like that policeman in Terminator 2, you know who I’m talking about? I swear, he goes liquid! He can fit through cracks in windows... under doors... through little keyholes!!” And right on cue, Beans appears outta thin air -- “I’m hungry. Let’s get a sandwich!” Again, the camera work makes this 10x funnier and Shia’s face is just too good:

Note: “Terminator 2″ is yet another completely solid reference to make!

Something I’d like to point out before I forget: While reviewing the series, I couldn't help but notice that the show could be even funnier if there was no background music all the time. (I tested that theory with this edit and was proven correct, tbh.) If you pay attention.. you'll notice that there's some sort of background music during almost every scene. Sometimes it works if it's heightening a moment or adding some flavor comedically. But during scenes where there’s just dialogue, I feel like it would be much better with silence -- because 1. It's more raw/realistic, and 2. the performances/writing is already so strong, it doesn't need extra sound clogging the material. And that's one of the reasons why this episode is so great! It's dead silent the entire time except for the Twitty-Stevens songs of course and some transitional music for the documentary. I love it.

So, yeah. Turns out Beans is a bassist?! He walks over to Artie and tells him “you’re horrible. Read my lips -- take a lesson!” Artie quits on the spot and leaves in a fit of rage (”I don't have to take this! I’M ARTIE RYAN!”). Beans backs up his insult by showing off his sick bass skillz to the gang, immediately earning himself a place in the band as Artie’s replacement. I love how Beans isn’t even touching the neck of the bass at all at one point. Seems legit.

It cuts to an interview with Artie and it’s so good: “I was thinking about quitting the band anyway. I didn’t like the direction it was going... NOWHERE. Since then, I’ve started my own band. Artie Ryan and the Funky Kats. I had some promotional materials made up!! Tom, you want a free one?!”

Tom (off-screen): “N.. no, thanks.”

Also... A frisbee?! LOL. I had to write out that whole Artie quote because it’s the last we hear from him in this episode and Artie is the best.

Next, it cuts to an interview with Twitty who claims that there was a whole new energy after Beans joined the band. It’s hilarious because Beans is this tiny, annoying 8-year-old, yet Twitty’s talking about him as if he’s some amazingly respected bassist who helped take them to the next level. He goes on to say that the ~revitalized spirit~ Beans brought to the table motivated everyone to work on new material... Including Louis & Ren, who teamed up to write a song together!! Ahh! It shows us the two of them writing out the skeleton of “Another Perfect Day.” I always laughed at how they’re not just writing lyrics like most middle schoolers would do... Nah. They’ve whipped out the staff paper and suddenly know music theory like it’s nothing. They’re literally transcribing their ideas by ear. I’m a Berklee grad and I still struggle like hell with theory.

Donnie happens to walk by and notices that his brother and sister are getting along for the first time, like, ever... and calls for Steve and Eileen to come quick and bear witness to it themselves!!

This show throws in some great little lines here and there that are easy to miss sometimes. When Steve and Eileen come running, Steve shouts “Donnie! Hang in there! You still have 5 minutes left on that hot oil treatment!!” thinking Donnie desperately needed help with his hair. HAHA! I never paid attention to that until recently. We get interviews with Donnie as well as Steve and Eileen here.

Donnie: “It was just... the sweetest thing. I wanted to hug them!! But I didn’t wanna ruin my hair. Wait!!! That sounded stupid. Don’t use that, ok?”

Gotta love the trophies as a backdrop lol.

Eileen: “It was amazing! It was as if the music brought them closer together.”

Steve: “Those were the happiest days of our lives. It was bliss! Sheer bliss!”

Hey! This is real stuff, though. Never underestimate the power of music!!

One of the funniest things about this episode is that Tom prefaced the documentary by saying the reunion happened a mere TWO WEEKS AGO! These interviews are so extra, as if they’re recalling something that happened years ago when it literally just happened and is fresh in their memories. It’s great.

We get a voiceover from Tom elaborating on Steve and Eileen’s sentiments, telling us that Louis and Ren had “reached a new level in their relationship” over corny footage of them casually playing freaking cat’s cradle like a couple’a besties! hahaha.

At their next rehearsal, the band starts working on “Another Perfect Day.” Once they have it down pretty well, Louis decides that they have a hit on their hands and need to do something big to get the word out. He comes up with the idea to hold a free concert on the school roof. Twitty interjects “Ya know, that’s not a bad idea because The Beatles did a free concert on the roof once!” Tawny adds: “So did U2!” and Louis finishes: “And now... The Twitty-Stevens Connection.” -- As if they’re anywhere near the level of either of those bands and should easily be mentioned in the same breath. That always cracked me up. (Speaking of The Beatles, the title of this episode is supposed to be a play on the Paul McCartney song “Band On The Run.” Or at least, that’s what I’ve always assumed.) Also, take a look at their single art. Amazing.

Things start to go sour now. Everyone’s on board for the rooftop concert except for Ren. That’s a shocker! She’s totally against the idea. She agrees that free publicity is great as long as you’re not violating any rules. She even double checks with Wexler who confirms that students on the roof is “strictly forbidden.”

At lunch the next day, Louis is super excited about the concert and giving Twitty and Tawny a rundown of his plans to set everything up. He says they should “get there early. Really early. Like... before school starts early” so they can get all the equipment and set it up on the roof. Another little exchange that’s easy to miss here is between Twitty and Tawny. Twitty says: “Sweet. What if we wore camouflage?” And Tawny sarcastically bites back: “That is a brilliant idea. What if we dressed up as giant metal vents to blend in with the roof decor!” HAHAHA. I’m just imagining that in my head right now and all I can picture is them looking like Eric Matthews dressed as a couch. Oh, yeah. They’ll blend in, no problem.

When Ren starts approaching their lunch table, Louis invites her over yelling “Hey, sis!!” Awww. Since we all know that Ren is practically Vice Principal, he asks her for help and advice on how to get up to the roof and such. But then it does a hard cut to Tom:

This needed to be gif’d.

Ren starts blabbing about how they’re forbidden to step foot on the roof and that she got a permit to perform in a public park instead, but Louis cuts her off before she can ramble any further: “Ren. You’re chickening out.” Ren protests and insists that she’s not a chicken and is just being smart about the situation, but Louis ain’t having it and explodes: “JIMINY H. CRICKETS THE THIRD JR., REN!!! We’re not robbing a bank or anything!! We’re singing on the roof!!!"-- I love this so much. He tells her to take a risk for once in her life. But, Ren being Ren, decides that she doesn’t want to get in trouble and essentially quits the band. As Ren storms away from them, Louis stands his ground and shouts at the top of his lungs:

Possibly the single most-quoted quote of the entire series. Actually iconic. I have this quote on my Facebook, it's my © footer quote on this very website, people have used this quote in their high school yearbooks. Yeah. It’s a big deal. Plus, it’s a pretty great quote to live by if you think about it tbh.

Ren leaving the band was only the beginning of their downfall. I love this photo the ‘documentary’ uses to illustrate the in-fighting lol.

There’s super melodramatic music with an ~emotional~ guitar lick playing here. It always gets stuck in my head. I’m humming it right now. As hilarious as the music is, it actually does make me feel a little upset...

And just like the ending of an America’s Next Top Model episode, Ren disappears from this photo of the band:

At home that evening, an instrumental knock-off of “Kiss Me” starts playing in the background of the doc while Ren contemplates the meaning of life. Tom does a voiceover saying that Ren’s decision to leave the band would lead her down a path to “self-discovery.”

She ends up having a heart-to-heart with Eileen about why she’s so reluctant to take risks. We get a glimpse into Ren’s childhood with “home video” showing her being a total caution freak at her 8th birthday party. She ate a single potato chip so she waits an extra 20 minutes before going into the kiddie pool with her friends. I’d like to point out that Young Ren is played by Alexa Nikolas, who would later go on to be a regular on Nickelodeon's Zoey 101.

Eileen assures Ren that she’ll find something worth taking a risk for someday and go for it!

CUT TO THE DAY OF THE CONCERT! Ren’s decision to leave the band causes everyone else to rethink the rooftop performance as well. Twitty decides to back out because he has one too many detentions already and can’t afford another. His initial poor attempt at an excuse plays out in the most hilarious way possible. (”TWITTY, I WROTE THAT NOTE FOR YOU LAST WEEK!”) Tawny just agrees with Ren. She decides it’s not a good idea and peaces out. And lastly, Beans calls at the eleventh hour and says he can’t make it because he has a hamster cage stuck on his head -- which amazingly, is not a lie. In the end, Louis is the last one standing. Or as Tom says, “A man without a band.”

At lunch, the sound of someone drumming starts to fill the air, leaving everyone confused for a minute. It’s Louis, of course. He’s up there drumming away and singing his background vocals alone and fully intends to perform the whole song that way. His determination to continue with the concert as the lone remaining member of the band is so admirable and badass honestly. It really shows how bold he can be and how he’ll always try to see his ideas through. Not only does this highlight Louis’ fearlessness, it also leads to an amazing moment for Ren as a character. As everyone runs to get a view of Louis, Ren starts remembering what Eileen told her. She slowly realizes that this could be her chance to seize the moment.

One by one -- Twitty, Tawny, and Beans join Louis up on the roof! They pick up their instruments and jump right in, each one building and building on the song. All leading up to Ren being the last one to finally run up there as the final piece of the puzzle! It’s a cheesy and predictable climax, but it’s still amazing. Seeing Ren take a chance like that always makes me emotional, not gonna lie. You can FEEL the happiness radiating off of everyone here. It makes me beam every time.

youtube

This gives me legitimate goosebumps. God. Watch this and tell me it isn’t freaking epic and CLASSIC. The final interviews paired with that tasteful background music always tugs at my heartstrings, too.

The gang ends up facing the consequences of their stunt and are punished by Wexler putting them on trash pickup duty. ^ That ending (seen in the video) is probably my favorite Louis/Ren bit ever. Seeing them both secretly admit to the camera that they had a great time together just warms my heart. I love how they say the same exact thing at one point too: “Don’t tell her/him I said that” lol. It’s so simple but so effective and really sums up their relationship. Two siblings who are always at odds, but at the end of the day, they’re family and have that unconditional sib love whether they want to admit it or not. I love the little slideshow of photos from the rooftop gig to wrap everything up.

...and the very last frame of the episode is this picture of THE GREATEST DISNEY CHANNEL SIBLINGS OF ALL TIME and it’s so precious. This photo is so genuine. You can tell it captured more of Shia and Christy than Louis and Ren. It's just so nice:

I would have this framed and hanging in my house somewhere if I were them. Wow! Also... What could possibly be a better final shot for the episode that’s concluding my specific project?! Tell me. I’ll wait.

And that’s it.

This is one of those ~special fun plot~ episodes, but it’s not super wacky or zany. Like most of the schemes Louis pulls, they somehow manage to make it seem like a couple of middle schoolers could successfully put on a school rooftop performance like this irl. There’s super solid humor, great dialogue, some incredible character moments and plenty of heart to top it all off! It ends on such a satisfying and happy high note. And even though I prefer Comedian Louis over Musician Louis, this episode is just too damn fun for me to care. It sort of benefits from the “Influenza” effect. If you add a song to an episode, odds are it’ll automatically make it that much more memorable. The only difference between this episode and “Influenza” is that it has a lot more going for it story-wise.

This episode has everything for me. The way it's filmed is unique to every other episode in the series. The humor is extra dry and a little different for the show here, but still feels very distinctly Even Stevens and stays true to what we love about the show. This episode includes practically every major character, too! Let’s round up everyone who makes an appearance here: Louis, Ren, Twitty, Tawny, Tom, Beans, Steve, Eileen, Donnie, Coach Tugnut, Principal Wexler, and even Artie Ryan! My only complaint is that Larry and Ruby should’ve made appearances. Like, just a little scene of Larry taunting Ren about not having the guts to go up on the roof or something would’ve been cool.

Just adding some extra photos from the episode to break up this sea of text.

This is the only episode other than the finale that actually manages to make me shed a tear. But the tear this episode squeezes outta me has more meaning behind it imo. In the finale, I’m pretty much solely crying over the resolution to the Louis/Tawny saga and the fact that it’s the last episode of the series. Here, I’m crying over the pure relationship between brother and sister (the root of the show) as well as the gang’s friendship. No other episode gets me in my feelings like that across the board. It honestly feels like a finale in its own right and I can’t think of a better one to wrap up this countdown with.

Is this the best episode of Even Stevens? You tell me. Is it one of the most memorable, iconic, hilarious, unique, and feel-good episodes of Even Stevens? Absolutely. Is there even a way to determine what episode is "objectively" or scientifically proven to be the best? lol who knows! If there's anything this whole project has taught me, it's that perhaps this show is just so good, there simply is no "best" episode. In which case, this whole blog has been a complete waste of time.

SIDE NOTE: It was brought to my attention that this episode shares similarities to a Saved By The Bell episode titled “Rockumentary.” While the overall outline is pretty dead on (the rise, fall, and rise again of a garage band) the actual episodes themselves are extremely different. Annnnd Even Stevens did it better. No surprises there. So, WHO CARES?!

Aside from this being my personal favorite episode of the series and meeting my ranking requirements, I have a few little bonus stats to back up my decision to deem "Band on the Roof" worthy of the top spot:

It's the highest rated episode of the entire series on TV.com, boasting a 9.6, which I wasn’t aware of until a few days ago and was honestly surprised.

Back in 2003, while the show was still popular/on-air, some fans held a march madness style poll for the Best Episode of All Time and "Band on the Roof" was the winner.

This episode has popped up on various nostalgia articles as one of the greatest in the series. One of my favorites is by a published author and screenwriter in the biz who also ranked it #1 on her Top 7 favorite episodes of Even Stevens list. [article]

In the comments of this episode on YouTube, (which I probably should’ve saved before Disney recently deleted the video... ugh) the general viewer consensus was that it's a widely beloved episode and one of the greatest/solidly written/most memorable. Easily Top 3 or Top 5 in the opinion of others.

I've gotten quite a few comments across the socials for the blog from readers asking about where this episode will be ranked and/or simply randomly stating that ‘Band on the Roof’ is the greatest and iconic.

Basically, there is massive love for this episode. No matter what, there’s a good chance you'll consistently see this one mentioned as one of the best or at least in someone's personal favorites -- Myself included. Obviously, me being a musician and loving the mockumentary style/drier humor here has contributed tremendously to my favoritism -- but the general fan love and praise, mixed with the actual solid content of the episode, makes me feel like ranking it #1 is justified. As objective as I tried to be throughout this process -- I created Even Stevens Ranked to get some personal thoughts and opinions out of my system. Well, that, and to do my best to highlight how fantastic this show is. Please remember, at the end of the day, this is my list. So. :)

Now that I’ve finished the project, I’m honestly quite satisfied with the outcome here. Not only am I so unbelievably proud that I actually saw this thing through to the very end -- I feel like my Top 10, in particular, (or the Top 25 on a larger scale) is the most solid crop of episodes I could’ve ever come up with. I think they all include nice and important moments for all of the characters, some of the strongest humor, and capture the spirit of the show the best. They’re objectively pretty darn good ones to subject a newbie to if ya ask me!

This project was extremely difficult. It was time-consuming and stressful, but it was also such a blast and only solidified Even Stevens as my favorite show of all time in my heart even more than it already was. When I started, I always knew that “Band on the Roof” would be #1, “In Ren We Trust” would be dead last, and “Influenza” would be #15, but other than that I made countless changes to the list as I went on. The closer I got to the end, I was worried that I’d look back and hate my list, but I’m so relieved to feel very confident in my final decisions and reasons for those decisions. If there’s anything I’d change, it’d probably be to rank “Stevens Manor” sliiiightly higher. But still, I don’t even wanna say that because I have no real problem with placing it at #17. It’s not a bad slot. As I’ve said many times, anything in the Top 25 is pretty much top notch to me.

So... What else is there to say? Here we are. 65 episodes down. 0 to go. The entire series ranked and reviewed. Mission accomplished. From the moment I posted my very first review, I always hoped I’d make it to this point but for whatever reason, I never thought I actually would. I talked about this a little bit when I hit my one-year milestone. Milestones like that are what kept me going, though. Even the littlest ones. I’ll seriously never forget when I completed 5 reviews and hit #59! It felt like the greatest accomplishment ever. And so on and so forth...

For years, I felt like I was some weird, lone fan of this show. I thought that maybe 5, 10 people tops, would care enough to read this blog. I am shocked at the decent following Even Stevens Ranked has garnered over the last two years across Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and right here on Tumblr. My strange urge to rank and review every episode of this fantastic show has somehow turned into a ~community~ that is 1k+ strong if you combine all four social accounts. That is staggering. Meeting other fans of the show through this blog has been so, so awesome and I plan on keeping Even Stevens Ranked alive because of that. I can’t just leave it behind. I have some cool ideas moving forward, including a pending podcast. :D

I can’t thank you enough if you’ve actually bothered to read even just one of my reviews and found it the least bit interesting. We went on this weird little journey together. So thank you! Truly.

I’ve completed what I initially set out to do, but you can definitely expect a bonus video review for a change of The Even Stevens Movie sometime in the near future. I mean, how could I do a project like this and NOT discuss the big finale film?!

Just a reminder that there’s a Twitty-Stevens Connection design up on Redbubble! Available in black text and white text.

Thank you sooo much for reading. You know the drill! Please, journey into the Disqus comment section below if you’re so inclined. I’d love to hear any of YOUR thoughts now that this crazy project is complete. Ahh.

- Brittany

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aion-rsa · 3 years

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Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Series Finale Makes Up for Season 8

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This article contains spoilers for BROOKLYN NINE-NINE season 8 episodes 9 and 10.

There reaches a point where every sitcom needs to say goodbye. While many fans would be content to watch Brooklyn Nine-Nine play the hits forever — watch Jake uncover a triple cross yet again, cringe when Boyle drops another unintentional innuendo, laugh when Holt robotically delivers the newest slang term — at some point, cast and crew run out of creative steam and must move on. Brooklyn Nine-Nine attempted to stretch itself in Season 8, admirable for a series this far into its run itself, and especially given the context and intentions, but not every comedy is meant for a serious reinvention. Brooklyn Nine-Nine was gloriously silly with just the right amount of pulp and heart, a rare comedy almost fully formed from episode one. It was here for a good time, and despite Fox’s best efforts, stayed for a long time. But now it’s time to wrap it up (title of your sex tape).

Let’s not relitigate Season 8’s unevenness or NBC’s baffling “one serious, one silly” airing strategy that unintentionally led to tonal whiplash. Instead, let’s focus on “The Last Day” for its own merits. The final episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine is sweet, funny, and full of surprises. It’s also littered with character moments that don’t feel too heavy-handed and ring true for all involved. It never strays too far from the show we’ve always known and loved — it is a heist episode, after all — but it provides meta moments that acknowledge the show’s history, faults, and memorable characters, like Caleb the Cannibal and Bill, Boyle’s look alike and frequent heist participant.

Saving this season’s heist episode for the series finale was a clever decision, as well as the concept that each member of the Nine-Nine would try to hijack the game to deliver their own goodbye. Holt and Amy are both leaving for their respective promotions, but Jake drops the bombshell that he’s leaving the Nine-Nine to be a stay-at-home Dad. It’s a character decision that has been foreshadowed by Jake and Amy’s struggles with finding time to parent, but the finale goes a step further in making this moment feel earned. Jake reminds viewers of his own absentee father and the fact that his whole arrested-development persona is mostly a product of his daddy issues. Over the course of the series, Jake has greatly matured, and as Holt says in the episode’s final moments, this is the proof that he’s finally grown up.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Final Season is a Bit of a Letdown

By Nick Harley

Brooklyn Nine-Nine Bungles The Pontiac Bandit’s Last Appearance

By Nick Harley

The other main character takeaway surprisingly comes from Rosa. A large part of Rosa’s master plan is pretending that she’s exiting the game to go after a quickly returning, then fleeing Pimento. Everyone buys it, because as Rosa says, they (and most sitcoms) believe that finding true love or marital bliss is the one route to happiness. Rosa challenges this convention and speaks for many, I’m sure, when she tells Amy that she’s content being single and not tied down. It’s a fitting send-off for one of the series most interesting characters.

“The Last Day” isn’t all heavy, tear-jerker moments. Jake emotionally refers to Charles as a “sweet little dumb ass,” there’s a joke about Terry having the exact traits of the Kool-Aid man that pays off wonderfully, and some great self-referential jokes about doing the heist for the eighth time and the series’ use of a poor baby doll to portray Mac. My favorite moments are Holt revealing that he routinely has a balloon arch placed around Madeline Wuntch’s grave and the reveal that Holt’s tattoo his Kevin’s head on Cheddar’s body. It’s certainly worth the wait.

There’s also heist material that’s better than ever. Amy’s attempt to convince Jake that he’s been in a coma for 7 years with an elaborate set that evokes Mission: Impossible is a great gag, even if we see it coming. Same for Terry thinking that he’s in a fake interview, getting tricked into believing that it’s real, only to ultimately find out it was fake all along. Even chaotic Gina reappears to get in on the action. In the end, a combination of Bill and a returning Hitchcock win the grand heist, and Jake must crown Hitchcock’s sweaty butt-head. Jake complains that it feels wrong, but trust me, it’s just right.

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With shows as long-running and beloved as Brooklyn Nine-Nine, it can be difficult to stick the landing. However, Brooklyn Nine-Nine feels like they get as close as possible with the final conversation between Jake and Holt. Even with all the will-they-won’t-they between Jake and Amy, ending satisfyingly with their marriage, the relationship between Jake and Holt was always the emotional core of the show. Their final conversation hits home because Andre Braugher and Andy Samberg sell the moment masterfully. It reads not just like two characters realizing how much of an impact they’ve had on the other, but also like two actors realizing they brought the best out of each other for eight seasons. It’s good stuff. So Season 8 of Brooklyn Nine-Nine wasn’t the triumphant victory lap that it should have been, but “The Last Day” absolutely sends off our favorite precinct with grace, humor, and heart. “Silly cops” is how Bill Hader once dismissively ripped on Andy Samberg at a Comedy Central Roast, and in today’s climate, it’s probably never felt more biting, but Brooklyn Nine-Nine was always something more. The series was rarely ever less than a feel-good ensemble that made you think, made you laugh, and made you start dropping “Cool cool cool” into daily conversation. It will be missed, but it went out beautifully. NINE-NINE!

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thefeedpost · 6 years

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Here’s What Leading Sitcom Character You Are, According To Your Zodiac

Aries (March 21-April 19)

Leslie Knope, Parks and Recreation

Like Leslie, you are determined, confident, and energetic. When you are passionate about something, you will commit your entire existence to it. Keep living your best life and staying true to yourself and your interests.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

Michael Bluth, Arrested Development

Like Michael, you are grounded and down-to-earth. You care about those around you and you are driven to help others out. While at times you are skeptical of people’s intentions, you are a loyal friend and a caring companion.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

Rachel Green, Friends

Like Rachel, you are the life of the party. You are a lovable, loyal, and an all around incredible friend. While you are sometimes a bit spacey, you always exude happiness and radiance wherever you go.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

Cameron Tucker, Modern Family

Like Cameron, you love and care about people. You are sensitive, sweet, and crave harmony for those around you. In all, you are a nurturing soul and care for the wellbeing of your friends and family.

Leo (July 23-August 24)

Jack Donaghy, 30 Rock

Like Jack, you are an energetic, creative, and entertaining leader. While you are a bit full of yourself and your abilities, your work always speaks for itself.

Virgo (August 23-September 22)

Monica Geller, Friends

Like Monica, you are organized, neat, and put-together. You are the superstar of your work environment and your actions are deliberate and well planned. Everything has its own purpose and you enjoy taking the time to thoughtfully plan out your life.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

Elaine Benes, Seinfeld

Like Elaine, you are charming, fun, and social. You have a great circle of friends that you trust more than anything. Your naturally bubbly personality will take you far in life and will lead you to many friendships.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21)

Perry Cox, Scrubs

Like Dr. Cox, you are deeply passionate and emotional, but you often present a controlled face to the outside world. You have a huge heart, but you take a while to open up. While it’s hard for you to be vulnerable, once you open up you are incredibly loving and loyal.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)

Bart Simpson, The Simpsons

Like Bart, you are a jokester and a total riot. While you are a bit immature, you know how to make people laugh and how to keep things light hearted.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

Barney Stinson, How I Met Your Mother

Like Barney, you are successful, powerful, and confident. You are charming and attractive, which other people tend to envy. While sometimes you are bit concerned with schemes, you are usually successful in the end.

Aquarius (January 20-February 18)

Sheldon Cooper, The Big Bang Theory

Like Sheldon, you are an intellectual and enjoy to spend your time theorizing, thinking, and writing. While your intellect may be a bit misunderstood by some, your genius is truly off the charts.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Pam Beesly, The Office

Like Pam, you are artistic, talented, and in touch with your emotions. You see the best in others and want them to succeed. You also have your own artistic excellence, which makes you extraordinary and amazing.

Read more: thoughtcatalog.com

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maccymacdonald · 6 years

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A Study in Sunny

When asking how much of an impact television shows have and why they are so important to us, I’m sure the latter is a question that’s lingered in the minds of many parents concerned with their child’s obsessions with various things, whether that be bands, actors, sports stars or TV shows. I know I for one have endured the embarrassment of my dad bringing up my new hyper fixation at family dinners or my friends roasting me for whatever new poster I’ve just bought. Even before I planned on writing this article, I think I’ve always known my short-lived obsessions or long time loves have always been deeper than superficiality. (Maybe my High School Musical phase can be excluded from that, though).

I think there’s a lot more to what we watch that makes us cling so hard to our shows, and that they genuinely have a huge influence and emotional impact on our lives. A few people I’ve talked to or seen online think that my generation’s attachment to fiction universes is a bad thing, which to an extent I can understand. However, at the risk of sounding dramatic, I truly believe TV shows have unimaginable impacts on us.

Whether that’s simply making us laugh until our sides hurt or allowing us a brief distraction from our messy lives there’s so much that shows offer us than just entertainment. Whether you find solace in living vicariously through your favourite character or simply enjoy being able to relate to a situation close to your heart, why should it matter what others think? How could we not hyper-fixate on something that to some extent reflects who you are and what you find compelling about life? And really, who’s to say that doing so is detrimental when to some, a show could be their only outlet to express themselves? I don’t know about you, but I can’t see anything wrong with that at all.

While its all well and good me saying all this, I thought I needed proof. I want to prove that TV shows touch people in many different ways and have the ability to improve lives, and that to many, tv shows mean so much more than what they are on the surface. The only way I was going to prove it, however, is with evidence. So I did a little research.

One of my favourite TV shows of all time is It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Rated 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s millions of committed fans and numerous awards make it one of the most popular sitcoms of all time. It’s extremely dark and controversial humour torpedoes taboo topics in the most hilarious and ridiculous scenarios, yet remains subtly brilliant in the way it presents itself and it’s characters. If you haven’t seen it, (in which case the rest of this post will probably make no sense and I’d advise you to binge it, right now), the show centres around five terrible friends who run an equally terrible bar in downtown Philadelphia.

I decided to run a survey about how Always Sunny has affected its fans. I chose this show in particular because each character is so complex and profound in their own right I can see how easy it is for many people to connect with them on such personal levels.

I think the thing I found funniest when starting this show is that the characters are seemingly just really bad people. Every member of the gang has been arrested for something, they’re all alcoholics, they’re constantly thinking of new get-rich-quick schemes and regularly ruin other people’s lives without a second thought. In a most extreme example, my brother can’t even watch the show simply because he genuinely hates the characters (which all in all, is fair enough.) However, I believe beneath the surface of the arguments and violence there’s a depth to every character that you don’t always see in light-hearted comedies.

“They are the most elaborate, multi-dimensional, complicated and most well-written characters in any show ever, especially comedy.”

The characters are all very different. While Dennis is constantly harassing women and plotting against his family, he’s also extremely insecure and vulnerable. He was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder in season ten, which leads to him often being shown to struggle with his emotions and ability to feel. He’s an incredibly complex character who I think is often just overlooked as the psychotic angry man, which isn’t true at all.

His sister Dee entertains the more slapstick and needy version of her brother. She too is very easily agitated and has no patience, as well as she’s always desperate for validation (where most of her humour stems from). Because of this, she is immensely guarded of her emotions, also due to the perpetual verbal abuse she’s endured from her family her entire life.

“I can relate to her past with being bullied, and her constant need for affection and to be told that she is good.”

Mac, on the other hand, wears his heart on his sleeve. His development of starting the show as a heavily religious closeted gay man to openly out and proud over 12 years was really inspiring to watch, and his father issues and struggles with acceptance is what makes him one of the most engaging and interesting characters.

His best friend Charlie is also fascinating. On the surface, he is a substance abuser and alcoholic, unhygienic, illiterate, and highly unpredictable. But beyond that, he is very loving and supportive (most of this time). He adores Frank and is usually happy to do anything for his friends. As a sexual abuse survivor, he is such an important��character because it’s clear especially in the later seasons that he truly loves and believes in himself, and regardless of how others see him he never attempts to change who he is. Not only that, but many fans believe he’s autistic meaning his character is not only lovable but awesome representation.

A few months ago I launched a survey that 206 wonderful people responded to. Even though I’m involved with the Always Sunny community every day through social media, it really helped me get an understanding of the bigger picture, rather than just memes and discourse (although I wouldn’t change the Sunny Tumblr fandom for the world). So before I dive in I want to thank everybody that took the time to respond to the survey or talk to me privately, as you’ve helped everyone that reads this gain more of an insight into It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and it’s amazing fanbase, which I appreciate tremendously.

(And before I start, the overwhelming majority classed themselves as being obsessed with the show, and almost 100% have dedicated some form of social media to it, so you know these results are the real deal.)

While many people, like I do, watch the show on their own, over half watch it with friends and 49% say watching the show helps them bond with someone. I thought this was quite interesting because whether it’s your friends, parents, siblings or anyone else, if a show brings people together it really can only be a good thing, especially a comedy show.

I think a lot of people don’t realise how important tv shows are to relationships. I once knew someone who told me the only time they ever spent with their father was when they watched their favourite programme together. This shows how powerful tv shows are – to some, they’re vital for bonding and spending time with someone you love. They allow you the opportunity to do something fun which inspires conversation and communication, things not always easy to achieve.

While this is really important, there are three main things that stood out in this survey as the most relatable and helpful to fans. Charlie’s autism, Mac’s sexuality, and Dennis’s BPD. After reading the results it became obvious that so many people relate really strongly to these characters, each one holding something personal to every different person who watches the show.

“I really like Charlie because he very accurately portrays a dyslexic person and I think that’s really great. I also really like Mac because I can relate to him being very closeted so his progression to acceptance of himself was really nice to see for me, so his storyline, as problematic as it may be, I do find to be very realistic and relatable. I can also relate to Dennis in a really dark way, with the borderline personality disorder, so he also has a special place in my heart.”

Predictably, ‘Who is your favourite character?’ is one of the questions I asked, and this is what came back.

Charlie had the most votes with 58%, while Mac wasn’t far behind with 53%.

(And whoever gave a notable mention to special agent Jack Bauer and Poppins the invincible dog, I love you.)

As you can see, Charlie and Mac are the clear favourites. ‘Wild Card’ Charlie has attained number one though and has been a fan favourite for a long time. While there are hundreds of reasons to love him (he’s my favourite too), I think most people just see him as the funniest character. (Which is completely justified). However, apart from his humour, which obviously a lot of viewers adore, there are many other reasons fans love Charlie Kelly and the other characters so much.

Something I found interesting was quite a few responses mentioned Charlie’s autism. While it’s never been explicitly stated in the show that autism is definitely a condition he has, it’s something many fans have speculated about. It’s pretty much confirmed Charlie is autistic due to certain things he does or certain personality traits he has, explained brilliantly by Reddit user carrionkid in this post.

“I really like how his character is almost certainly autistic. It helps me realize that it’s not something that I should be ashamed of, and I also really like the way he’s played and written in general, and his musical talent! I find a lot of comfort in the ways he’s similar to me. I relate so strongly to that feeling of being left out and trying really hard to make your friends like you.”

Charlie is obviously a character that some fans have a deep connection to. Autism isn’t often portrayed well or accurately on-screen, and well-developed characters like Abed Nadir in Community and JJ Jones in Skins are very rare. Frankly, representation of various mental conditions is majorly lacking in the film and television world. So to see someone as complex and engaging as Charlie Kelly is really refreshing and important in the progression of television.

“I find Charlies’s autism symptoms make me feel more comfortable and accepting of myself as I might not be otherwise, due to past experiences with people telling me that I am not autistic despite my diagnosis (even though these comments were motivated by bigotry towards minorities I fit into I still find it hard to ignore them).”

Characters like Charlie show how much of an impact TV shows can have. Being able to relate to a character is a really big deal – finding something like a show that seems so unimportant, yet turns out to be something genuinely helpful in accepting who you are and being less lonely is really special. I think the personal connections between characters and viewers are underrated. At a certain point, they stop being characters, and you see them as yourself. Albeit a more exaggerated, problematic version of yourself, I suppose.

Probably the biggest thing that a huge amount of people responded to is Mac’s sexuality, and his troubles with learning to accept and love himself as an extremely religious gay man.

“Mac became a favourite [of mine] since at the time I was very closeted and so was he, and I felt protective of and comforted by him.”

If I’m totally honest, there were times in the first few seasons I really didn’t like Mac, but I think it just took me a while to understand him – Mac is a very dramatic guy, simply because he expresses his emotions so outwardly while the rest of the gang often struggle to. He tries to hold nothing back and is very open with who he loves, and I think this is why it was so heartbreaking to watch him suffer from his internalised homophobia and closeted sexuality.

There were so many people on this survey talking about how much they relate to him. In fact, when asked what kind of things in Alway Sunny has helped people with on a personal level, a third of respondents said Mac’s sexuality, and 38% said the show’s acceptance of their LGBTQ+ characters.

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The writers and creators (Glenn Howerton, Rob McElhenney and Charlie Day who incidentally play the characters of Dennis, Mac and Charlie) confirmed that each member of the gang is bisexual, while Mac himself is homosexual. This kind of representation, even though the topic was addressed off-screen, is still important for diversity and providing safe, inclusive characters for viewers to watch that aren’t harmful to the LGBTQ+ community or at risk of being killed off. In the unfortunate television culture now where LGBTQ+ characters are constantly under threat from the ‘Bury Your Gays’ trope, it’s so important to have such a well-developed, funny, human character like Mac around, who is happier than he’s ever been and isn’t going anywhere.

“The pay-off of him finally coming to terms with his sexuality was refreshing in the way that it didn’t become the butt of a joke or change the nature of his character completely.”

It was really emotional to see people responding to the survey who have grown up in unaccepting, extremely religious families who found solace in witnessing Mac’s journey and finding hope in his coming out arc. It really is wonderful to see how comforting Mac is to people having a hard time and who may not have anyone else to relate to.

“Mac’s character development resonated with me. Even though it was over the top and exaggerated in the show, the extreme Christian life of a closeted gay person and falling in love with your best friend was relatable.”

It’s been a running element of the show for a long time that he’s very much in love with Dennis, and whether their relationship is another case of queerbaiting, a simple gag that won’t actually amount to anything, or the longest slow burn relationship ever, Mac is still awesome representation and an amazing character who embodies many of the struggles and hardships real people face every day. And he’s an example of someone who overcame all of it.

While the gang have earned themselves a reputation for never giving a shit about each other, it’s pretty clear deep down they do all love one another. To see the gang unfazed by and supportive of Mac’s sexuality, (especially given Charlie and Mac have been best friends their entire lives and Charlie tells him he’s always known) is clearly very comforting and inspiring to a lot of viewers afraid of coming out.

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I recently chatted with awesome Tumblr user Sunnystruck. On her blog she explained the importance of Mac’s storyline way better than I ever could:

Mac’s coming out arc is so unique and personal to me because it’s one of the very rare instances of fictional coming out arcs that doesn’t involve a romance as the transformative catalyst for a character embracing their sexuality or coming out.

Even when everyone else knows and recognizes that Mac is gay, he still has to figure out how to get there on his own terms. It takes him so long, and then to see him love and embrace that decision about himself is so refreshing. He comes out and celebrates his gayness openly and because he spent so fucking long getting to that point and so much time wrestling with it in terms of what it meant for his identity and his image – which again, are completely personal.

It took him a long time to love a part of himself. And that’s truly a kind of representation that gets to me.

Even though I came out to my friends and immediate family I’m still navigating how to embrace that around them and seeing Mac be so gay in some episodes makes me feel so normal. He’s really fucking gay and it shows, and I can relate to that. And he still took his time and that means so much to me especially in an age where straight people claim to have gaydar and say they’re waiting for someone to come out but it’s not their call you know? It’s ours. They don’t dictate our stories, we do. That means something.

Meanwhile, Mac and Charlie aren’t the only ones who struck a chord with viewers. Dennis also got a lot of attention from fans, mostly, I found, because of his borderline personality disorder.

Dennis has always shown signs of extreme mental illness. He is immensely manipulative and cold, often being compared to a rapist and serial killer. While claiming to be completely emotionless (which most of the time, he is), Dennis is prone to extreme bouts of rage. While these moments are funny to watch, Dennis’ behaviour has always signalled to something more serious, and in season 10 he was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder.

“I relate the most to Dennis because before getting treatment for DID and BPD I was very similar to him.”

For those who don’t know, BPD is a disorder of mood and how a person interacts with others. While there are many causes for developing BPD, a prevalent one is traumatic events which occur during childhood. Many people with BPD have experienced parental neglect or physical, sexual or emotional abuse during their childhood. This would make sense for Dennis, as he and Dee often describe the way in which Frank is a terrible and emotionally abusive father. Not only that but in the eleventh season Dennis reveals he had sex with the middle-aged school librarian, Mrs Klinsky, when he was 14. Despite his insistence he wasn’t raped, the experience seems to have been very traumatic and has left obvious scars. These factors probably contributed to his emotional issues and extensive mental illness.

“I don’t “relate” to Dennis but his trauma and the way it manifests has been really helpful for me in dealing with my own trauma.”

Dennis is an extremely complicated character, who may at first seem impossible to relate to, as his personality and behaviour are extremely complex. Despite this, or maybe because of this, a lot of people relate to him on many different levels. Some respondents said they also have difficulty comprehending social boundaries or emotional relationships. Some said that simply seeing a character be diagnosed with a condition they have is extremely comforting and helpful.

“I relate to Dennis in him having BPD. I didn’t even really know it was a thing until he was diagnosed with it, then I looked into it more to understand it and realized (to my horror, confusion, and ultimate relief) that he had the same thing as me.“

While in some ways I think the portrayal of Dennis’s BPD on the show can sometimes be quite problematic in terms of positive representation, his diagnosis has clearly been very important to a lot of people. This character is evidently very reassuring and solacing, and his effort in getting help and medication (although reluctantly at first) is extremely encouraging and inspiring to those in a similar position.

Okay, so that was a lot of information. Although, before you call me out for wasting time or over-analysing a sitcom, I’m not the only one:

So suck it. But seriously, while I went into probably unnecessary and excessive detail, I did actually have a point.

The point I’ve tried to make here is that TV shows are extremely important. They’re important because of the immense impact they have on their fans.

Hypothetically speaking, TV show creators have a choice to use their influence for good or bad (or worse, indifference). It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia has succeeded in carefully crafting characters which resonate strongly with their audience, and whose storylines and personalities are so well thought out and developed they’ve helped fans cope with a number of issues they’ve struggled to get help for anywhere else.

TV shows do affect us greatly. While the most common examples of this are being heartbroken over your favourite character dying, falling in love with a show so much you make it your life or a show inspiring you to follow a certain career or lifestyle, the responsibility TV shows have for creating a safe and inclusive environment where you can see yourself being represented is, in my opinion, much more important. From what I’ve seen, countless popular shows just simply aren’t trying hard enough. Shows like Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead have become slightly infamous for their mistreatment or lack of representation of POC and LGBTQ+ characters, and every day a new show emerges that inevitably gets slated for romanticising or glorifying mental illness.

To disagree and say that TV shows don’t have an obligation to be diverse is something I just can’t understand. An audience is never exclusively white, straight, neurotypical individuals, and to assume that they are is absurd. While Always Sunny has a long way to go in its inclusion of POC characters, it’s one of the few shows I’ve seen that present such varied and interesting people who are so easy to fall in love with.

It’s so important to feel represented on-screen, so if anyone in any way can relate to Charlie, Mac, Dennis, or any of the other characters, and become happier because of it, it’s a win. So I believe yes, TV shows are important, and their effect is monumental.

If you managed to make it this far without falling asleep and want to obsess over this dumb show together, follow my Sunny blog!

CREDIT:

Thank you to these people for letting me use your screenshots or taking the time to chat with me! 🙂

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How much do TV shows really affect us? Why are they so important?

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biofunmy · 4 years

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TV’s worst moments of the year (there were many)

These are the worst TV moments and disappointing endings in 2019. USA TODAY

In 2019, there was more TV than ever before, from scripted dramas and reality series to sports, news and sketch comedy. And in that vast crop, there was some really fantastic TV.

But for every superb “Dead to Me” or great Oscar acceptance speech or triumphant underdog team clinching the World Series in Game 7, there were embarrassing new series, excruciatingly dull awards shows and finales practically begging for angry Twitter reactions.

As the year draws to a close, we rounded up the worst offenders on TV this year, in the hope that, as TV becomes even bigger in 2020, it just might get a little better.

Danerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke), left, and Jon Snow (Kit Harington) have their final embrace. (Photo: Helen Sloan, HBO)

The terrible ‘Game of Thrones’ finale

The few months away from Westeros hasn’t lessened the sting of HBO’s “Game of Thrones” series finale, “The Iron Throne.” Overall, the final season was a letdown, with a rushed plot and no emotional resonance. The finale itself was poorly directed and dull, even before the controversial decision to have Jon Snow (Kit Harington) kill Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) and anoint Bran (Isaac Hempstead Wright) as king. Over eight seasons there were plenty of fantastic moments, but the writers’ inability to stick the landing tarnished the series’ legacy and made its inevitable Emmy wins seem like a fluke at best and pandering at worse.

The contestants, hosts and judges of “The Great British Baking Show” Season 10. (Photo: Mark Bourdillon)

The reality TV tinge of ‘The Great British Baking Show’

What happened to the sweet, homey show about grandmas who bake simple cakes? The 10th season of the British treasure threw out the most beloved tropes of the series in favor of something flashier, and far worse. Producers chose a young and attractive cast of bakers that was considerably less talented than in previous years; episodes showed more footage of interpersonal drama and tears onscreen; the judges asked contestants to prepare ludicrous dishes and then eliminated contestants almost randomly to drum up drama. These choices made “Baking” (which streams on Netflix in the U.S.) seem more akin to shallow, aggressive American reality TV. We are far more disappointed in what we watched than judge Paul Hollywood could ever be in a bake.

Hailee Steinfeld and Wiz Khalifa in “Dickinson.” (Photo: Apple TV+)

The overly weird ‘Dickinson’ (and the disappointment of Apple TV Plus)

Tech giant Apple jumped into the original programming sphere last month with Apple TV Plus, a streaming service that debuted with just nine original series. One of them was “Dickinson,” a half-hour comedy starring Hailee Steinfeld about Emily Dickinson’s teen years tinged with modern music and slang. The year’s biggest love-it-or-hate-it series, it illustrates the overall disappointment with Apple’s big TV bet, which (so far) has failed to produce any truly great shows, even if “For All Mankind” and “Servant” are halfway decent.

Megalyn Echikunwoke, Emily Osment and Brittany Snow in “Almost Family.” (Photo: JoJo Whilden/Fox)

New shows with all the wrong ideas: ‘Dollface’ and ‘Almost Family’

Every year networks and streaming services debut new series, hoping to find the next “This Is Us,” but this year there were some true flops, Hulu’s “Dollface” and Fox’s “Almost Family.” The former turned twenty-something women into a gross stereotype that wasn’t funny (not ideal for a comedy) and the latter tried to turn an egregious crime into a heartwarming family story.

Nicole Kidman and Meryl Streep in “Big Little Lies.” (Photo: HBO)

‘Big Little Lies’ wasting a second season (and so many Oscar winners)

If the second, and disappointing, season of HBO’s “Big Little Lies” has any moral, it’s that Hollywood needs to learn to let stories end. When it debuted in 2017, it was intended as a seven-episode series. Creator David E. Kelley and producer/stars Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon should have stopped there. The decision to bring back the series without a compelling story was a huge mistake, and the wonderful cast (including Meryl Streep) couldn’t save it.

Jessica Walter and Jeffrey Tambor on “Arrested Development.” (Photo: Netflix)

‘Arrested Development’ ends with a whimper

Remember when fans used to clamor for more “Arrested Development”? You won’t see hashtags to save it anytime soon. The so-so final eight episodes of the cult sitcom, which began on Fox in 2003, arrived on Netflix last March with little fanfare and a reminder of the sexual misconduct allegations against star Jeffrey Tambor. It was a sad end to a once-brilliant sitcom that raises the question: should it have been rescued from cancellation at all?

The cast of ‘Game Of Thrones’ presents the award for supporting actress in a limited series or movie during the 71st Emmy Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Sept. 22, 2019. (Photo: Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY)

Awards shows without a host

Take note, 2020 awards shows: You need a host. The 2019 Oscars, plagued by pre-show controversy, barely scraped through without a host, but when the Emmys tried the tactic in September, the broadcast was a slog. As, more often than not, ratings fall for these gilded, self-congratulatory Hollywood affairs across the board, taking away a major element designed to entertain the audience at home is a grave error.

Auli’i Cravalho in “The Little Mermaid Live!” (Photo: Eric McCandless, ABC)

Not-so-live musicals

Live musicals are sometimes ratings bonanzas not because of the nostalgia for the title, but rather the live aspect of the event, the sense that anything can (and probably will) go wrong. But the two we got this year were anything but, from Fox’s version of “Rent,” which aired a prerecorded dress rehearsal after a cast member’s injury, and ABC’s “The Little Mermaid,” mostly the 1989 animated movie with live songs sprinkled in.

James Van Der Beek hug his partner Emma Slater on “Dancing With the Stars.” (Photo: Eric McCandless, ABC)

The mind-boggling ‘Dancing With the Stars’ eliminations

The long-running reality competition series disappointed in its 28th season as a slightly tweaked voting formula led to some of the most emotional eliminations for all the wrong reasons. The judges had to pick who would stay and go among the two couples who received the fewest audience votes, and often they had to choose between two of the best-dancing couples of the night. The judges were irritated, the couples were heartbroken and bad dancers (including former White House press secretary Sean Spicer) stayed in the competition far too long. The problem was summed up, sadly, by James Van Der Beek’s elimination. Despite his solid performance in the Nov. 18 episode, he wound up in the bottom two, and the judges chose to send the former “Dawson’s Creek” star home right after he revealed his wife’s miscarriage and danced while sobbing. The decision seemed so antithetical to everything the usually uplifting series is about. Even his competitor, Ally Brooke, thought it was wrong: She asked if he could take her spot and stay in the competition.

“Survivor” contestant Dan Spilo (Photo: Robert Voets/CBS)

‘Survivor’ and ‘Big Brother’ mishandled racism and sexual harassment

Twice this year, CBS reality show participants stepped over the line: On “Big Brother,” houseguest Jack Matthews was accused of racism by fellow contestant Kemi Fakunle, and on “Survivor,” contestant Dan Spilo touched multiple women against their express wishes. In both cases, the networks prioritized keeping the drama onscreen over punishing bad behavior and protecting victims. Matthews and Spilo should have been sent home, but they were left on their series, risking potential repeats of their offenses (and Spilo did). TV networks and producers need to learn how to promote safe and inclusive environments, or rethink the entire genre.

Student activist Samantha White (Logan Browning) becomes the target of racist cyberbullies in the Season 2 premiere of “Dear White People.” (Photo: ADAM ROSE/NETFLIX)

Netflix’s cancellation spree

Every network and streaming service has to cancel multiple series every year; it’s just a fact of the industry. But in 2019 Netflix wielded its ax at a far higher rate than the streamer had before, canceling such a wide swath of its series that, from an outside view, it seemed to speak more to the company’s overall strategy rather than viewership for any one series, which it (mostly) won’t reveal. As more shows (good and bad) are announced as a “third and final” or “fourth and final” season (including greats like “Dear White People” and “GLOW”), it becomes clear that Netflix isn’t out to get 200 episodes of a sitcom or even 100 episodes of a twisty drama, the outmoded formula for syndication. While certainly not every show needs to last 10 seasons, some have the potential to evolve and grow for years. Especially on a platform that pioneered the idea of binge-watching a series over a week or two, it’s sad that Netflix originals might never keep us occupied for very long. As streaming becomes more dominant in the industry, it’s a safe bet to say we’ll be far less likely get a series that runs as long as “Friends” or “Grey’s Anatomy” again.

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eknowledgetree2015 · 5 years

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Netflix vs Hulu vs amazon prime vs Hotstar: Which is the Best Streaming Service?

The 21st century has made the tv industry obsolete. As the internet opened the doors to entertainment to billions of people. As streaming services took over the dying network media by storm. The viewers at home gained much more by choosing the streaming service over the networking media. No longer they have to pay for every little thing that came with the package, with the streaming service, the viewers are in charge of the service.

Netflix vs Hulu vs amazon prime vs Hotstar

Now in 2019, picking the best streaming service can be a tough thing to do, as more and more prominent companies have started getting into the streaming service pool. For example, now you can sign up for a streaming service for each sport that you used to watch on a sports channel. There is freedom in the streaming service. Before this, people used to pay for every sport on the channel because the channel had that one sport that they liked the most. Now with the streaming service, you can just start your membership with any sport that you want to watch unlike in the tv cable medium where you have to pay for every sport because the channel had your sport. Over the year many streaming moguls like Netflix, Hulu, Hotstar, and amazon prime has expanded their coverage to more people and providing great benefits with the product. Before we decide which is better than which, first we have to go through every one of them. So we can extract the detail information that will conclude which one of them is the best streaming service available in the market.

Netflix:

The letter N on a red background has been a recognized symbol for Netflix. They are the ones who started the revolution of streaming services even long before streaming service was a thing. Now they have a massive catalogue of all sorts of shows that appeals to every demographic. The only word that is synonymous with Netflix is the quality they offer for the price they charge for membership. For people who like movies, Netflix has the best collection of movies that you just watch in your home without going to the theatre. They even produce and create movies, and it opens the door to all the small creators with a camera and a dream. And many big-name directors have been moving to the Netflix streaming service to premiere their movie. Because of the streaming service in the future. Netflix has over 150 million members worldwide, 60 million of them are from the United States. Many special shows from the different regions have found a home on Netflix. That’s why Netflix has become a great streaming service for anybody looking for a diverse range of the program. You can expect movies, but with movies, you will get special tv shows, anime, sports, live concerts, and most important them all Netflix specials. These specials are what Netflix considers as watch worthy for the viewers. Out of the famous shows they have under them – Orange is the new black, south park, The OZ, Arrested Development, Stranger Things for the people who want the tv experience. For the people are more into adult theme cartoon, Netflix has a great list of Anime for you – Death Note, Naruto, Castle Vania, and many more. There is another reason that adds more weight to the Netflix, They always keep their list updated every day and add new stuff every season. So, people won’t get bored with the service. Netflix understands watching the same stuff over and over again might make the audience switch to other streaming services. The market competition makes every streaming service to add something new to their list every single month to be the best streaming service available in the market. The viewer will also get the option to download the shows, In case if there is a networking problem in your area, or you just don’t want to be connected to the internet all the time. Netflix also supports a wide variety of devices for you to stream without putting hassle on the set up of the task. Netflix offers a quality dark-themed interface to browser whatever you want to watch. This looks good and it won’t hurt your eyes if you open the app at midnight for a binge-watch a show or watch some movie on the couch. When it comes to the price point, Netflix starts its membership fee for $8.99 a month for the standard definition. For the people with HD tv, if you want the High definition experience of a show, you have to pay a little more than the standard definition users, $12,99. And for the people with a 4k screen, Netflix has you covered with Ultra HD package for $15.99.

Hulu:

Hulu started focusing more on networking tv than the movies. Hulu launched its service one year after Netflix launched theirs, in 2007. If you compare Netflix vs Hulu, Netflix has the experience and the more featured diverse list of shows under their belt. Many networking shows found Hulu as their secondary option of broadcasting shows. NBC universal found its place on the internet through Hulu. Now prominent programs of the ’90s can be found on Hulu. Good wholesome shows such as Friends, Seinfeld can now be streamed via Hulu. The question still stands, does Hulu has what it takes to become the best streaming service for the viewer? While other streaming services offering their work for the worldwide audience. Hulu is only available in the united states. They have the eyes of 28 million people to their service. When it comes to Netflix vs Hulu, Netflix has the number. The number for Hulu has been going up every year, in 2017, Hulu changed their business model. As they started adapting more Live tv shows on their streaming service. On Hulu Live streaming service blew up pretty fast. Where more people went to Hulu for a live broadcast without paying any extra fee. Just like every entertainment medium, Hulu is owned by Disney. Hulu had 5 year deal with the CW for streaming of shows such as Arrow, Supergirl, The Flash, Supernatural, but the contract has been expired, and all the shows have gone to Netflix. When it comes to Netflix vs Hulu, Netflix has a wide range of shows packing in a different category, Hulu lacks the content that another streaming service has to offer. Hulu now has the popular sitcom Seinfeld, Family Guy, and south park. All of these shows are the best what the entertainment media has to offer. With Hulu you will also be able to have access to the past season of highly popular Rick and Morty, Handmaiden’s tale, Chance, Casual, and many other shows to pass your time. Hulu has been adapting to the premiering of the original shows broadcasted on ABC, CBS, and FOX. As the originals shows are getting better reception by the critics and the audience. In Netflix vs Hulu, Hulu takes the cake here by providing the live telecast of the networking shows in your handheld devices. Hulu packs in a lot of channels for a few bucks from your pocket. If you want to watch other than the shows from ABC, CBS, or FOX. Then you have to pay some more, for example, you can watch the Game of Thrones on Hulu for $14.99 a month by getting the HBO channel package. With Hulu, you will get the entire channel under your disposal. Showtime for $10.99, Cinemax for $9.99. At the price point, Hulu comes in $5.99 per month. But this includes the commercial between the programs. If you are not an AD friendly person, you will have to switch to the non-ad Hulu service, which starts at $11,99 per month.

Amazon Prime:

Amazon has been reaching towards the streaming service too with brand new content on their list and proving many more benefits to the normal amazon member. We are now living in an age where streaming content has taken the centre stage of all entertainment mediums. And Amazon is not falling behind the schedule. They are on their way to becoming the best streaming service in the market. So far, compare it to the other streaming services in the market amazon prime offers their streaming services for a cheaper price. There are other benefits that a viewer will upon becoming a prime member of Amazon. For example, you are going to get a faster delivery service without any shipping fee. If you shop for a product on amazon, and the selective product doesn’t match the ideal rate for free delivery, then becoming a prime member would get you a free delivery option. When it comes to the show that they have to offer, it pretty lacks lustring. They are not that good while at the same time they are not that bad. Shows such as Jack Ryan, Marvelous Maisel, The Man in the high castle, Downton Abbey, The boys, The expense, and many more. All of these may not bring the best answer to the entertainment that you want, but they will quite a lot of fun to watch with your loved one or sharing with the family. The price tag for Amazon prime sets at $12.99 per month and $129 per year. If you join amazon prime now you are going to get a 30-day free trial which will cover up the shows and the shipping charges for your shopping. If you are a frequent Amazon shopper than amazon prime membership is a must-have, the benefits of the membership also expands to the entertainment system. This makes Amazon the wholesome choice for entertainment. If you are living in India then the prime membership would cost you around 999 rupees, which would land somewhere between $13 – 14 per year.

Hotstar:

By far the cheapest among all the streaming services and providing good quality content to match the price range. Hotstar is owned by the beloved star company. It features a lot of national and international program without making the viewer going for another streaming service to get access to their favourite program. As Hotstar manages to get all of the favourites into one place. Star network brings all sorts of entertainment channels to the touch of your fingertips. Not only you will have access to the tv shows and movies but you will also get access to the sports section without paying any additional price for it. And if you prefer watching shows from HBO, with Hotstar you will get access to all the mainstream show under one app. This makes Hotstar the best streaming service in the market. As shows such as the game of thrones, silicon valley, West world, girls, True detective will be in one app without signing up for a new deal with HBO Go. And the fun doesn’t have to stop at the tv section. With Hotstar you will have access to thousands of movies from different genera all of it covered under one price point. No additional money is required to access each category of entertainment with Hotstar. Just download the app and enjoy the services. Hotstar also features the live telecast of sports. For anyone like to glue to their tv in cricket season or football or basketball season, Hotstar is a perfect place to get your sportsmanship going to another level. As all of these will be available to you at the same time as they are being premiered throughout the world. With Hotstar you won’t miss your favourite program or fall sort on tracking your favourite sports team. Because you will be watching your favourite team playing the match on your handheld device and keeping up with the events in your favourite show. The regular subscription plan for Hotstar starts at 199 rupees per month, and 696 rupees per year. The price point makes the Hotstar the best choice for anyone looking for a streaming service on their phone or computer. That’s it! The answer to the best streaming services available in the market is totally on you to decide which one of them spiked your interest in getting a monthly or yearly subscription. With Netflix, you are going to get access to specials, anime, tv shows. With Hulu you are gonna get the blast from the past shows, with Amazon Prime, you are going to get a decent amount show but extra benefits to your online shopping, and with Hotstar you are going to get every entertainment program and sports package under the cheapest price range. Read the full article

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ultralifehackerguru-blog · 7 years

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New Post has been published on http://www.lifehacker.guru/why-new-parents-need-to-take-a-break-from-the-news-and-what-they-should-do-instead-2/

Why New Parents Need to Take a Break From the News (and What They Should Do Instead)

In the months after my kids were born, the news cycle would send me into tailspins of anxiety and fear. The Penn State sex-abuse scandal and the Newtown shootings paralyzed me for days—I wept while changing diapers, wept in the bathtub, wept while pushing the stroller down the street. What might have been (merely!) horrifying pre-kids was now incapacitating. For my own mental health, I had to stop reading the news and looking at social media.

Take a Media Fast

Judging from the conversations in my moms’ groups, these feelings aren’t at all unusual. New parents are especially vulnerable to anxiety, says Laura Venuto, a New York City therapist specializing in postpartum mental-health issues. “Sleep deprivation and hormones exacerbate mood and anxiety symptoms. With new parenthood comes a heightened awareness that you’re suddenly not only responsible for yourself, but also a small child in what sometimes seems like a dangerous world.”

Dr. Venuto suggests a total news-media fast or at least a major reduction, corralling your news into 10 or 15 minutes (“In the morning! Not before bed!” she says), and then doing something pleasurable, like playing with your baby or calling a friend. For those worried that being out of touch means slacking off in their political activism, she gently suggests cutting yourself some slack: “If you’re a new parent, you’re not going to be making changes on a global scale. You’re in survival mode. You can put in a call to your representative, and that can be enough.”

Practice ‘Containment’

Lissa Hunsicker Kenney, a social worker in Brooklyn who counsels trauma survivors, also recommends “containment”—the first line of treatment for anxiety—as a first step. “Turning off your iPhone is containment—because it’s so easy for it to become uncontained. It just scrolls and scrolls, and it’s endless.”

So what are we supposed to do, instead? (Besides take care of our kids, I mean.) I asked Lifehacker readers, and my own new-mom friends, what media they turn to for good escapist distraction. I didn’t vet all the answers (though I did nix anything that had “horror” in its IMDB description—what about “non-disturbing” did these people not understand?) so do your own research before leaping into something totally unknown. They’re a good mix of classics, favorite sitcoms and adventure shows, a few kids’ shows and books, comics, and pretty much the entire oeuvre of the BBC.

Ideally, this list will remind of you of beloved books, TV shows, and movies that you’ve enjoyed in the past and will be soothing entertainment now, while you’re still in the sensitive new-parent stage. I read all of Jane Austen at night instead of mindless smartphone scrolling; others swear by sitcoms: “When my son was born we very quickly figured out we had to stop watching Breaking Bad and Walking Dead and just ended up re-watching Parks and Rec on a continuous loop for like three years,” one commenter wrote. Check out the original comments here, and please add your favorite comforting (no child-in-peril, no dead parents, no rapes or murders) media below.

TV & Movies

30 Rock

All Creatures Great and Small

Alias (a spy thriller spanning five seasons, so there are murders and occasional child-in-peril plotlines, but it’s a pretty campy show, so I didn’t find it especially distressing)

The Andy Griffith Show

Flip This House (or any fixer-upper/DIY type shows)

Any stupid Adam Sandler movie

Archer

Arrested Development

Black Adder

Black Books

Bob’s Burgers

Boondocks

Borgen

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (skipping “The Body” and maybe the second half of season five)

Catastrophe

Community

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Critical Role on Geek and Sundry

Doctor Thorne (almost comically predictable, appropriate for anyone with only half a functioning brain, but any costume drama will do in a pinch. Check out this terrific resource for period dramas, but I strongly urge you to skip Call the Midwife if you have a newborn.)

Drunk History

Ed, Edd ‘n Eddy

Elimidate

Everybody Loves Raymond

Farscape

Father Ted

Friends

Futurama

Get Smart

Ghostbusters

Gilmore Girls

Gravity Falls

The Great British Bake-off (or any cooking show)

Grey’s Anatomy (I can’t believe this is still on the air; I have like 10 years to catch up on. Warning: it’s a hospital show, so people do die. Deeennnnnnny!)

Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Laaaaaaaaaw

Hogan’s Heroes

How I Met Your Mother

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia

Jeeves and Wooster

Kids’ shows and movies, like Adventure Time, Reading Rainbow (the awesome 80’s-90’s version), A Dragon’s Tale, Out of the Box, Teen Titans GO, Rocko’s Modern Life, Hey Arnold!, Rocky & Bullwinkle, Babe, the Narnia movies, Nanny McPhee

Kiki’s Delivery Service (“Miyazaki in general is a great way to escape into a different realm. The colors, the music, the gorgeous inventive artwork and the great characters in all his films makes him a master illusionist and conductor into a whole new world..” “…but not Grave of the Fireflies,” says another commenter.)

Broad City (“It’s hilarious and my life feels like a complete financial success by comparison.”)

King of the Hill

Last Man on Earth

Lucha Underground

M*A*S*H

The Mary Tyler Moore Show

Midsomer Murders (“While there are murders, everyone is so provincial and charming, it’s like coming home where you know everyone except for that darned stranger that got themselves killed.”)

The Mindy Project

Mr. Bean

MST3K

Any terrible reality TV (“I watch The People’s Court or Judge Judy, which I DVR in case I need them.”)

News Radio

Northern Exposure

Office Space

Only Fools and Horses

Over the Garden Wall

Parks and Rec

Party Down

Real Genius

Real Housewives (“Oddly enough, RHOC comforts me in that I always feel smart, competent, healthy, and sane afterward.”)

The Simpsons

SlowTV “Right after the election, my wife and I started watching a lot of SlowTV on Netflix. Things like Norwegian knitting competitions.”

Smallville

South Park

Space: 1999

Star Trek

Steven Universe

Supernatural

Taxi

The Blues Brothers

The Eagle Huntress (“a thoroughly enjoyable documentary”)

The first three Muppet movies

The IT Crowd

The Office

The Simpsons

The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

The West Wing

The X Files

Top Gear

Trainwreck

Veep

Veronica Mars, season 1

The Vicar of Dibley

Waiting for Guffman

What’s Up, Doc?

Books

A Suitable Boy

The Age of Innocence, or really anything by Edith Wharton

Alexander Hamilton

All Creatures Great and Small

Anne of Green Gables (really anything by L.M Montgomery)

Born Standing Up

Bossypants

Bridget Jones’s Diary (good escapist movie too)

Calvin and Hobbes

Circle of Friends, or really anything by Maeve Binchy

The Code of the Woosters, or anything by P.G. Wodehouse

The Elegance of the Hedgehog

The Grand Sophy or anything by Georgette Heyer

the Harry Potter series

I Capture The Castle

I’m Your Biggest Fan

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?

Jane Eyre

The Last Days of Night

Love in a Cold Climate

Maisie Dobbs

Ms. Marvel (comic)

My Family and Other Animals

The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency

The Other Boleyn Girl, or anything by Philippa Gregory

Pride and Prejudice, Emma, or really anything by Jane Austen

The Pursuit of Love

A Room With a View

Restoration, or anything by Rose Tremain

Sir John Mortimer’s Rumpole books

Sherlock Holmes

Today Will Be Different

Tom Jones

Unbeatable Squirrel Girl (comic)

Washington Square

West With the Night

Where’d You Go, Bernadette?

Yes Please